Page 25 of Jamison's Story

“Well, this little guy is Stefan, and these little sweethearts are Sutton and Spencer,” Natalie tells her and Mom.

“Spencer for a girl?” Jasmine says and I nod, kissing the top of Natalie’s head.

“It’s what her mommy wanted and since she just carried three of them, she gets final decision. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.”

“Sounds about right,” Nick states, coming into the room with us, Greg following right behind him.

“Look at my little nieces, aren’t they gorgeous,” Greg says, giving Natalie a hug before gushing over the babies.

“I thought that was you,” we hear from the doorway, and I’m just as shocked as Nick and Greg are to find a teenage girl there, staring at them in shock.

“Maureen, what are you…” Nick starts to ask but Greg nudges his now husband in the side stopping the stupid question.

“Is your mom here?” Greg asks her and she shakes her head no, tears falling and before any of us can say a word, Mom’s next to her, ushering her back to her room.

“Should we be worried?” Nick asks, looking from me to Natalie, well aware that the family’s foundation is determined to help girls like Maureen that want to keep their babies. It was Natalie’s idea to build the daycare center, so the moms didn’t have to fight so hard to get their kids into one. It’s been an amazing addition and I’m damn proud that Natalie graduated with her degree, and the tiniest baby bump. Simon was born in December, an early Christmas present we both were ready for, but some of the girls at the apartment complex weren’t so lucky.

“I don’t think so,” Natalie says, giving her brother a smile, and a couple hours later, Mom comes back in with a huge smile, dragging the guys away.

I’m holding Stefan in one arm, my other hand in Natalie’s when there’s a soft knock on our door, and I see her smile come fully to life when whoever it is enters. It sends my head around, slightly surprised to see Greg carrying a bundle our way.

“Want to meet your niece who will be sharing a birthday with her cousins?” Greg states and I move, letting him take the seat so Natalie doesn’t have to try and get up.

“She’s gorgeous,” Natalie tells them as Nick beams down at the little girl with the darkest blue eyes I’ve ever seen on a baby.

“She’s perfect and we’ve agreed to do an open adoption with Maureen. She’s not ready to be a mom, to have someone dependent on her and just her for their survival, but she didn’t want to completely walk away either. She’s going to finish high school next year, then go to college, but we’ll send her pictures of little Bella, and she can come visit. She’ll be another auntie to her, along with the huge family she’ll get to be part of now,” Nick explains, and Natalie’s smile grows even deeper.

“Best family ever,” Natalie muses and I kiss the top of her head, smiling fully in agreement. “You know, you never did thank me for making your cabin better you know.”

“Oh, when you went behind my back and snuck off there, fell for my friend behind my back and didn’t tell me, then changed the design that I paid for, you mean?” Nick says and she nods. “Then thank you, Sis. Pretty sure it was the second best decision you ever made. The first was running away to hide there so Jamison could find you. If something had happened to you…”

“Won’t ever happen,” I promise them, and I repeat it to Natalie later when everyone’s gone home, including Nick and Greg with baby Bella who was perfectly healthy.

“Do you want me to get the snip?” I ask Natalie when she sighs happily after the babies are fed again.

“What?” she hums, looking back to me in surprise.

“If you don’t want to risk having extra surprises again, I’d rather get the snip than you go back on the pill, and something happen.”

“I’m sure it was a complete fluke and won’t happen again. Ask me again in a few years and then we’ll see. I think one more baby wouldn’t be too bad. Until then, I’ll take the pill and if something happens, it happens, and we’ll make the best of it. Now, just so you know, if it happens and it’s more than one, then we’ll probably have that discussion,” Natalie says, and I won’t say I’m angry with that answer. Whatever my girl wants, I’ll make sure to give her, because that’s what daddy does best in this family.

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