Babies 88 & 89: All Things New

What do you do after an earth-shattering, revolutionary revelation?  I might be unorthodox, but I age my triplets into adults.

Kevin ages up into a long-haired surfer in search of "righteous waves"...his words, not mine...I'm pretty sure he speaks a whole different language...I'm not really sure where he learned it, but talking to him makes me realize just how uncool I am.

Ms. Tonya is gorgeous...she is thinking about getting into the film career...or maybe teaching...or music...she can't really decide.

Iana is a techie through and through.  She has plans to go into hacking professionally.

So they leave me to take care of Phillip, Kash, and Liam by myself...so I'm really busy...

They have a lot of skills to learn...walking, talking, potty training...all that...

I am totally not avoiding Mason because I'm worried he's going to freak out about my ever growing stomach carrying the child of another man...yeah...totally not...I'm just...busy...yeah...that's it.

Then it's birthday time...Check out Phillip...he looks mostly like his father, but there's a little bit of me in there.

His favorite activity is swinging...I swear, one day I'm going to look out in the backyard and he is going to be up in a tree from swinging so high.

Kash is next...he's got his father's coloring, my mother's hair color, and my nose...yup, he's a patchwork kid...

He spends most of his time playing with his doll...and completely ignores his brothers when they make fun of him for having a doll...

Liam looks the most like me, but he has these really pretty gray-green eyes.

He spends most of his time loathing pretty much everything...I swear, the kid is grumpy damn near all the time.  

So after a couple days, I'm on the computer and I get an instant message from Mason.
Mason: Hey beautiful.
(heart...melts...feel...guilty)
Me: Hey
Mason: Whatchu doin?
Me: nmu?
Mason: Yeah, same here.  I've missed you.

(guilt...guilt...guilt)
Me: Yeah, I've missed you too.
Mason: Well, I have the perfect remedy for that.  My parents are throwing a party, want to meet me there?
Me: Um...idk if I can make it...
Mason: Why?
...
Mason: dramatic pause?
Me: I'm sorry...
Mason: What's wrong?  Did I do something?

(guilt pretty much suffocates me at this point)

Me: No...you didn't do anything...Um...a party at your parents will be fun...
Mason: Are you worried about telling everyone about us?  We don't have to...
Me: Oh, Lord, no...
Mason: Is it something I did?
Me: No...
Mason: Are you having second thoughts?
Mason: about us?
Me: No!
Mason: Okay, then we're good?
Me: Yeah.
Mason: Ok, so I'll see you at my parents, and you can talk to me about what's bugging you whenever you're ready?
Me: Yeah.
Mason: I love you.
Me: I love you too.

When I get to Aunt Z and Uncle T-Bone's, the party is already in full swing.

I go to find Mason...and hope that he won't freak out about my pregnancy, when I see him in the garage talking...with Ryan!  Shit!  Are they talking about me?

I can't think of a worse time to walk in...

...and yet, I still do.  They're talking about "male stuff" Cars, tools, football, etc.  When I walk up behind Mason.  Yeah, this can't possibly go badly.
Just when I think it's going to get bad, Ryan runs in the house to avoid me.  Well, great...at least he won't be blind-sided.  As much as we weren't right for each other, I don't want to hurt him.

As soon as Mason sees me, he smiles and pulls me in to his arms.
Mason: There's my dream come true.
My heart melts and I can't help but blush a little.  What is it about him that always puts me at ease?  I smile as I waddle toward him and wait for the shock to come across his face.
Me: *nervous* Hey, handsome.

He pulls me into a warm hug and runs his hands down my back.
Mason: What has you so tense, love?
I pull away and look at him in disbelief.
Me: I'll give you a clue, I'm not smuggling boulders around under my shirt...
Mason: Wow, really?! I couldn't tell...are you having problems with this one?
Hmm...is he really talking to me about my pregnancy like it's no big deal?

Me: Um...no...um...
Mason: What is it?
Me: I just thought...you might...freak out or something.

He looks surprised.  Ok, now he looks surprised?
Mason: Why would I freak out?  I know you're doing this challenge...wait...that's why you've been avoiding me?
I look down sheepishly.
Me: Well...yeah...

He pulls me into his arms and laughs.
Me: What's so funny?
Mason: You crazy, crazy woman.  I want to clear something up right now...
Me: Ok...
Mason: No matter what you might think, I...love...You.
Me: Yeah...I know...
Mason: No, you don't.  I don't just love the idea of you.  I love you.
Me: Despite my baggage?
Mason: It's not baggage to me, love.  It's you...and I love everything about you.  I don't want you to be afraid of sharing anything about your life with me, ok?
Me: I think I get it...
Mason: Good...but I do want something from you...
Me: What's that?

He pulls me close to him and our lips meet in a kiss that lights a fire somewhere inside my body and creeps up in volcanic bubbles.  He runs his fingers through the back of my hair and I hear and feel a deep, throaty moan come from inside him...sweet...mother...I can't help but let out my own little moan...damn all this extra blood running through my system...
He pulls away from me, breathless.
Mason: Damn, we better get in there and act appropriate before someone finds us...

Me: *I chuckle* Yeah...that would probably be a major shocker.

Me: These people are probably going to be shocked enough that we're dating, right?
Mason: *laughs* yeah, probably.
So we go through the garage and enter the party.

The first person I see when I go in is Aunt Z...or...should I still call her Aunt Z?
Aunt Z: Hey there, sweet girl.  What were you and Mason doing out in the garage?

I'm not really prepared to answer questions about us so quickly, but I don't want to lie...
Me: Um...uh...um...
Aunt Z: Honey, unless it's my birthday present, that's not a hard question.
Me: Well...um...I know this might be a bit of a shock, but...um...we're dating...
Aunt: Oh, yeah...ok.  Well, it's about time.

Ok, so I'm shocked.
Me: Huh?
Aunt Z: I knew it was only a matter of time...
Me: Since when?
Aunt Z: Oh, I don't know...probably since you two were kids.
Me:  Wh-wh-what?

Aunt Z: Yeah, your mom and I talked about it...you two always had something special between you.
Me: Well, huh...I'm glad you all had it figured out so early...
Aunt Z: Well we knew you...
Me: Yeah, I know...you knew I had to figure it out for myself...well, thanks.
She laughs.

So then I see my dad and tell him...and he pretty much has the same reaction...

I sit down to eat dinner flabbergasted.  Evie walks up and sits next to me.

Evie: What's up, BFF?  You look like you're in shock or something...
Me: Does everyone know about me and Mason?
Evie: That you two are so right for each other it's scary and you'll both eventually wise up and realize you're in love?  Yup, pretty much.
Me: Well, I'm certainly glad you all clued us in...
Evie: Hey, I tried, need I remind you of the dare?
Me: Huh?  That was...?
Evie: My little attempt at playing matchmaker...but Mason was way too shy and you were too stubborn...
Me: I'm starting to realize that...

After the party winds down, I find Mason.
Me: So apparently everyone knows more about us than we do.
Mason: Yeah, I'm getting that too...
The party is winding down, but I don't want to leave Mason just yet, so I invite him over to my house.

We get in the car and I have to admit that I'm actually a little nervous.  Even though I've known him my whole life, all this is new territory.



When we walk in the house, it's dark, so I know the boys are in bed.



So we just go in and sit on the couch...a little ways apart...staring at each other...
Mason breaks the silence, "You're being awfully quiet."
"So are you," I reply.



Mason: I was just thinking...
Me: About what?
Mason: About how much I love you.



For some reason, something comes over me and I just pounce on him.  His hand creeps up my leg and I realize how much I want to sleep with him.



"Do you want to go upstairs?" I sputter out during breath breaks.



He pulls away from me.
Mason: Why don't we wait on that...
Me: You're kidding, right?
Mason: No, I'm serious...
Me: Why?  It's not like we're in high school and our parents will be mad at us...we're grown people now.
Mason: I know that...
Me: Oh wait, is it because you don't want to have sex with a pregnant woman?
Mason: No...
Me: Than what is it?
Mason: Baby, as far as I'm concerned, we have our whole lives to make love.  I want to fully absorb every step of this relationship before moving on to the next one.  I finally have you in my arms and I really want to enjoy it for awhile.
I'm flabbergasted once again tonight...



We sit back in our seats and cuddle on the couch....and he really is right.  It's nice just taking each other in at this point.



The longer we sit together, the later it gets.
Me: Hey babe, I have a proposition...
Mason: What would that be?
Me: Even though we don't have to do anything more, there's nothing wrong with just sleeping together...in the same bed, I mean?  Is there?
Mason: Hmm...sounds like a perfectly reasonable compromise...



So Mason spends the night, and we really just sleep, but I couldn't be happier about it.



The next day while I'm out running errands, my labor kicks in...



I make it home...and freak the butler out, but after I yell obscenities in his direction, he gets the hint and leaves.



Soon, I welcome Baby 88: Serena Reed into the world.



As I put Serena in her crib, another contraction hits...



and out comes Baby 89: Lily Reed.