“What’s wrong, beautiful?” Her mouth opens, but before she can tell me Charlotte gives me the answer.
“Mama!” she says as she smiles and points to Robin.
“She called me mama,” she gets out though a small hiccup. Though tears are sliding down her face, my wife has the biggest smile I’ve ever seen.
“She did,” I agree as my own throat tightens. This moment couldn't have been more perfect.
“Her first word was mama,” Robin says again as if she doesn't believe it.
I’ve been trying to teach her how to say it for over a month now whenever we had a moment alone. It was worth it after seeing the look on Robin’s face right now.
“I already knew this Christmas was going to be perfect, but it’s more than I could have ever wanted.” She hugs Charlotte to her and Charlotte cuddles her back.
I couldn't think of a better Christmas than this present right now. Before they came into my life I didn't even celebrate the holiday. I’d go into my office and work as if it was any other day, but now these girls have given me life. Some have said to me I’m a good man for stepping in and taking Charlotte and saving her from going into the system. The truth is, she saved me, and not only that but she helped me find our Robin.
I lean down, kissing both my girls. “I can’t wait to see everyone today. We get to tell them about the baby on the way and I get to brag about Charlotte saying my name first.” She gives me a smirk and I kiss her again. Not to wipe the smirk off her mouth but because I can’t help myself.
“Let’s get ready,” I tell her, taking Charlotte from her arms.
“Mama!” she says again, clapping her little chubby hands together. Robin’s bottom lip starts to tremble.
“Beautiful.” I know they are happy tears, but they’re still hard for me to take.
“Okay, okay. I’m getting it together.” She gives Charlotte a kiss before scampering from the room. “Her Christmas outfit is on top of her dresser,” she calls out from the hallway.
I look down at Charlotte. “You think I’d forget that?” I ask her, and she gives me a smile. Robin spent a chunk of time finding her and Charlotte matching Christmas outfits. I thought it was adorable until she got me a sweater that matched, too. I know I’ll never hear the end of this when her brothers see me, but at the end of the day I don't give a shit as long as it makes her happy.
It doesn't take us long before we’re all packed up and headed to her parents’ house.
“You really did a great job on the lights,” Robin says as we get out of the car.
Her brothers and I did everyone’s house in the family. Somehow along the way I became one of them. I still laugh when I think about the night of our wedding reception when Kent thanked me because he doesn't have to chase men off his sister anymore. Apparently, it was a lot of work. His comment made me laugh and want to punch someone at the same time. It’s a good thing he told me after the wedding because I would have dragged us off to Vegas to seal the deal faster and Ma would have murdered me.
I get Charlotte out of her car seat and she reaches for Robin. “Mama,” she says.
Robin comes over and takes her from me. I think Charlotte is already seeing she can get anything from Robin right now as long as she keeps saying Mama over and over. I guide her over the steps of her parents’ house, but before we can get to the door it’s already being opened up for us.
“You’re here!” Ma exclaims as if she didn't see us last night. She hugs and kisses us before pulling us into the house.
“What are you wearing?” are the first words out of Kent’s mouth.
“Shut it,” Robin tells her brother as she walks by him.
I fight a smile when Kent gives me a hard look as if I tattled on him. I shrug, unable to fight my smirk. I watch as everyone falls all over Charlotte and she eats up the attention. My heart always warms watching everyone with her. All of these people love her, and even though this family is big and can drive you crazy, I know there will always be someone there for her. Never again will there be a chance of her falling into the system. She’ll always have someone who loves her.
I pull my wife into my lap as everyone starts opening gifts. She leans into me and I nibble at her neck before kissing the spot. She wiggles, and my hand comes around to rest on her belly protectively.
“Mama!” Charlotte says as she crawls over to us.
Robin lifts her into her arms and holds our baby girl close. My whole world is sitting in my lap and I take deep breath, trying to get my emotions under control. I never knew life could be this good. Before them I’d built a life so I could never be hurt again, but little did I know what was ahead.
“We have news,” Robin says over everyone.
The room grows quiet and everyone turns to look at us. I smile, knowing that this won’t be the last time my wife shares news like this. I’m going to make this family as big as my wife will let me, and this is only the beginning.
Epilogue
Robin
Five years later…
I put the pancakes and bacon on the breakfast bar and the lump in my throat won’t go away, no matter how hard to try to push it down. I knew this day would come, but it still feels like it’s too soon. My baby girl is growing up so fast. I swear it was only yesterday that she said her first word. I can hear her giggles in the other room and I know Anderson is doing her hair. He’s trying to help get her ready for the morning because I’m a mess. Also there’s no way the man could do breakfast. It’s the one thing he really hasn’t mastered.
A moment later I hear her feet running down the hallway right into the kitchen.
“Mommy, you need to do my hair,” she whispers.
She points at her head then runs over to me and turns around. I fix her braid fast before Anderson comes walking into the kitchen. She scurries over and climbs up the tall kitchen stool and sits down at her plate.
“I think I’m pretty good at this whole hair thing,” Anderson says proudly as he puffs out his chest a little.
“Prefect, Daddy.” Charlotte beams up him, nodding and never letting on that I always fix it when he’s done. I will say he’s getting better at it, but it still needs some work. I’m sure in no time he’ll have it down, even if he has to watch fifty YouTube videos to do it.
“You really have.” I give Charlotte a wink as she takes a giant bite of her pancake. “Careful, baby, or you’ll get it on your dress,” I remind her as syrup drips from her fork.
No way do I want her to get something on her dress. It took her almost an hour to pick that one out last night after she tried on all the dresses in her closet. She told me last night that a girl's gotta look her best on her first day of school. In the moment I knew that she might be hanging out with my ma too much.
I lean up as Anderson comes over to me and gives me a morning kiss. I smile against his mouth when he gives my ass a small squeeze. His other hand comes to my round baby bump. My husband has managed to keep me knocked up on a regular basis since we tied the knot. I want a handful of little ones and I wanted my babies to have siblings, so it’s a good thing we’re both on the same page.
“How are you feeling?” he asks.
I’ve been prone to spontaneous bursts of tears as one of the two side effects I’ve had with pregnancy. I’ve been one of those lucky people who enjoys pregnancy, but I think a part of that is because my only other side effect is being really horny. I don’t think either is really a problem, but Anderson doesn't agree. My tears always send him into panic mode. It’s both sweet and kind of funny, which often helps me stop the crying.
“I’m good,” I sigh, not wanting to get him upset.
“Liar.” He smiles against my mouth, giving my ass another squeeze. He always does this when I let myself think too much about our babies getting older.
“Mommy, I’ll be fine,” Charlotte chimes in. “I’m a big girl now,” she adds, thinking that will help but it doesn't. I want to freeze time and keep her as my little baby girl forever, but I know I can’t. So I put on a smile and remind myself that while I might be sad she’s growing up, today is another day that will forever be special for us.
“I know you are, baby girl,” I tell her, relaxing into Anderson as he wraps an arm around me.
“Charlie Bean!” is yelled from the front door, and my brother Kent walks in.
All my brothers call her Charlie because they tell her she’s one of the boys. Our girl might love her dresses and the color pink, but she climbs trees and yells at the television while they all watch football together.
“Uncle Kent!” Charlotte jumps down from the stool and runs out of the kitchen. We follow after her, watching her throw herself at Kent, who picks her up and tosses her into the air. “You came to see me on my first day of school!”
“Of course I did,” he tells her, kissing her cheek. He's going to watch the boys while Anderson and I drop Charlotte off for her first day. It always warms me to see my brothers with her. It’s made me look back on their overprotectiveness in a whole new way now that I have a little girl of my own. “Don’t think I’m the only one,” he adds, and I watch the rest of my family pour into the house.