“Momma’s last sweet baby,” she whispered, touching her lips to her forehead. The birth wasn’t bad, really easy, fast, and with a grin, she thought maybe she was a pro. Nowhere near Elli Adler pro-status, but she had this. And just like that, she thought maybe she would have another, but then the door opened and her family filed in and she knew she had her hands full.
“Mommy! You have my sister?” Stella yelled through the room, startling Emery. Letting out a sound of distress, Emery cried as Fallon smiled and looked at her little firecracker. Stella had one volume. Loud. And Fallon was sure it came from Lucas’s side of the family. Because she wasn’t loud…
“Sugarplum, you can’t be loud with the new baby,” she said softly as Stella crawled into bed with her, looking down at her sister. Laying her head on Fallon’s shoulder, Stella placed her little hand on her sister’s chest and let out a sigh.
“I think I like her,” she decided and Fallon’s grin grew.
“Good, ’cause she’s coming home with us,” Aiden said, and Fallon looked up to meet the gaze of her eldest. He was so handsome, looking more and more like his father every day. He was out of the awkward stage, his teeth were nice and straight, his eyes as gray as storm clouds. The angles to his face were beautiful and so much like Lucas’s. He was solid, already possessing a hockey player’s body, and boy, could he play. He was almost thirteen, and it killed her to think of all the girls’ hearts he was going to break. He was his father made over, and she couldn’t be more thankful that Lucas was the man she’d chosen to have kids with. Yes, Aiden wasn’t planned, but she wouldn’t change who his father was. Back in the day was another story, but she’d been young and stupid. Now though, she knew who buttered her bread and that was Lucas Brooks.
Looking past her eldest, she saw that Lucas was carrying a sleeping Asher. Her little man didn’t do mornings, and he was his momma’s boy. He looked just like Fallon, and she took great pride in that since now three out of her four children were their father’s miniatures. Lord, help them all if Emery was like Fallon. Stella was enough, and she honestly couldn’t do a second girl like herself.
The horror.
Grinning, she said, “Is he awake?”
“You know he isn’t, knocked out like you always are.”
Lucas gave her a teasing grin, and she couldn’t love him anymore than she already did. He’d been amazing through the birth. Ever so supportive and wonderful. He didn’t even pass out this time! The other two times though, that was another story. Smiling, she mouthed, “I love you.”
His whole face lit up as he leaned over to press his lips to hers. “I love you more,” he whispered against her lips.
Conveniently, Asher woke up and pushed Lucas away before saying, “Ew, gross.”
“You say that now, buddy, but you just wait,” Lucas said with a wink. “Ask Aiden. He loves girls.”
Aiden’s face went deep scarlet before he complained. “Dad!”
Fallon laughed as Emery moved her arms up and stretched while Stella said, “Aw, it moves.”
They all laughed. “It isn’t an it, sugarplum; it’s your sister,” Fallon corrected her, kissing her temple.
“But you like me more, right?” she asked, her big gray eyes locking on Fallon’s.
“No, she likes me more,” Asher informed her.
“Yeah, right. I’m the first and her favorite,” Aiden said proudly, winking at her as Lucas laughed.
“Last time, I checked, I was her favorite,” Lucas offered, causing everyone to laugh and thankfully causing Stella to forget. But as they looked deep into each other’s eyes, they knew the truth.
There was no favorite.
A couple days later…