"One day, just one day I'm going to slip on this toy and fall to my death," Brynn grumbled coming down the stairs. "Bodhi what did I tell you about putting your trucks near the stairs?"

"Not to."

"So why is it there?" She asks placing our one-year-old down. He wobbles over to me and jumps into my lap.

She crosses her arm over her chest, my eyes immediately landing on her chest.

"I'm sorry, I'll go get it," Bodhi says nervously, before running up the stairs.

"You better." She sighs and comes over to me. Leighton holds his arm out, showing his two bottom teeth and his two top teeth.

She picks him up, sitting down next to me. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder pulling her into my chest. I just feel the need to be touching her every second of the day.

"I can't wait to surprise Journey. She's going to love her new room." Brynn smiles up at me proudly.

Journey has been out with her grandparents for a birthday breakfast while we stayed back to set up her birthday party. For Journey's 9th birthday, Brynnley decided to build, yes build a bookcase along the wall in Journey's room from scratch. She just purchased wooden boards, screws, and everything to build it on her own. She then proceeded to paint it a baby blue shade so it went with the color of Journey's walls.

Journey continuously buys books every chance she gets, so her original small bookshelf was overflowing. She had books stacked in every corner of her room.

At the moment she is currently reading books based on animals around the world, learning more and more about them.

Soleil, our little seven-year-old is obsessed with being a princess. She only, and I mean only wears princess gowns. She doesn't act like a spoiled one but she likes being called princess and getting pink or purple sparkly things.

Bodhi is the same. He is still in love with wild animals, farm animals, all animals. He's been asking for a monkey every chance he gets even though he knows damn well he isn't getting one.

Then there's Leighton, our badass one-year-old who likes to stress us out. Unlike the rest of his calm siblings, he loved to scream, make messes, throw temper tantrums, and cling to his mother like his life depended on it. Yes, he is a momma's boy.

The twins clung to me most of the time, while Journey and Leighton clung to their mom just as much as I do.

I'm clingy. So what?

"She's gonna love it, babe." I kissed her temple. Leighton hits me, his brows furrowing.

"Uh-oh looks like someone is jealous," Brynn calls out. "Do it again."

I chuckled, "Do you want me to get beat up?"

"Please, he won't do that much damage." She leans in to kiss me. Before our lips touch, Brynn hisses. "Alright, I get it you jealous twatnoodle." She pulls her hair out of his tight grip.

He frowns at her.

Her face softens, "Aw baby, I'll give you some love." She picks him up closer to her face.

She presses kisses on his chubby cheeks and the crook of his neck as he lets out little fits of giggles. Once she stops, he looks at me with this mischievous smile that just screams 'I stole mommy from you, you piece of shit.'

Okay, maybe not all that but he knows what he's doing.

"Why are you looking at your kid like you want to rip his head off?" Dylan says walking through our back door. A little Blake follows him as she held his finger. Chloe was behind him, holding a bag... a couple of bags of gifts.

Brynn snorts, "He's jealous because Lei won't let him kiss me."

"Ah, I remembered those days. I locked Blake in her playpen and stole her mother away from her." Dylan smiles proudly.

"Ya, until you heard her let out one whimper and you ran back to get her." Chloe scoffs. "You would've thought she fell to her death or something when you saw his face. Instead of her crying, it was him."

Brynn and I laughed while Dylan glared at us, "Well I felt bad okay? Geez."

"I dropped the cake." Kian runs into the living room, frantically. Brynn groans, popping Leighton on my lap who lays his head on my chest.

You better be sorry you little twatnoodle.

"Third one this year, Kian," Dylan says shaking his head at Kian who is frowning.

"It's not my fault, the corner of the table keeps getting in the way." He exclaims.

"Yes Kian, blame your clumsiness on the corner of the table." Kylie spats, walking in with her face covered in frosting.

"I'm so fuc-fudging glad I got two cakes this time." Brynn holds out the same-looking cake, that wasn't destroyed at all in her arms. "Kian, you have to stay at least 25 feet away from this cake or I will murder your butt."

Kian nods frantically after Brynn sends him one of her deadly glares walking into the backyard. Dylan and Blake sat next to me on the couch.

Leighton lifts his head up, smiling happily as soon as his eyes landed on Blake. They were only a couple of months apart, so luckily for them, they'll be in the same class in a couple of years.

"Tell your spawn to stop sending lovey-dovey eyes." Dylan spats covering his daughter's eyes who pushes his hand away.

Chloe laughs, "Let them be babe."

"No, because the next thing you know, Blake and this spawn are gonna be sneaking around with each other, she's gonna disobey me every chance she gets just to be with him and I'll lose my daughter for good. Who needs her old man, when she's got this ridiculously handsome one." He rambles with a frown.

He picks up Blake, who's giggling. "You're gonna leave me and I'll be depressed."

Blake's response is slapping him across the face and then blowing bubbles in his face. His frown grows even more, "She's so cute." He whines.

Chloe shakes her head and laughs along with me. Leighton starts to whine, and whimper in my lap. "Mama!"

"She's in the backyard." I cooed, rocking him.

"Mama!" He cries. Sol comes from downstairs, in her regular pink dress.

She decided to tone it down since it's Journey's special day. She sits next to me on the couch, leaning her head on my side. "What's up princess?"

"I want cake." She whines. As usual, she's always craving food.

"You have to wait."

"I knew it." She sighs, rolling her eyes.

"She's here! She's here!" Rex yells coming in. Kyle followed behind him. These two were looking out to see when they were arriving even though Levi, Issac, and my mother could've just texted us.

Everyone rushes into the backyard, hiding behind whatever they could. I rushed Brynn over to a wall of balloons handing Leighton to her who kept whining.

"Shush baby." She coos rocking him. He grips her tank top, pulling it down.

"Buddy, this is not the time," I tell my son who is desperately clawing at my wife's boobs. Unfair.

"I don't have his binky or a bottle ready." She stresses. Leighton kept whining so I just pulled her shirt down and pushed her boob out for him.

"Just feed him, you've done it in front of them before babe."

"True but it's Journey's surprise party! It's different." She moves Leighton closer to her nipple and he latches on immediately. Unfair.

"She's grown and she understands." I almost gag at the word grown. My daughter is still my baby.

We hear the back door open and we all jumped out screaming 'Surprise' along with 'Happy Birthday'

Well everybody but my wife who had my thirsty ass one year old, latching onto her at the moment. Unfair.

"PRESENTS!" Journey yells pointing at the stack of presents on the table.

She got her priorities straight.

"Kidding, thank you." She giggles running over to me. "Hi, daddy thank you."

"It wasn't just me baby." She went over to hug everyone else.

"Where's mommy?" She frowns, her eyes getting glossy.

"Right here, your brother won't let go." Brynn comes out behind the wall of balloons. "Happy birthday Juni."

Brynn crouched down, holding Leighton in one arm, and hugged Journey with the other. "Thank you, mama."

"Let's get the party started!" Kian yells, almost tripping over the table with the cake.

"I think I had a mini heart attack. Again." Brynn mutters, making me chuckle.

The party is surrounded by chaotic yet fun memories being made. Journey was happy and laughing, enjoying and taking in everything that she possibly could.

That was all I ever wanted for her, was to be surrounded by great, loving people. I'm glad, I met Brynn when I did. I'm not happy about how I treated her, but I've paid for my mistakes and I've learned.

Brynnley is the love of my life and our kids mean the absolute world to me. I'll do anything and everything to keep them protected and happy.

They were my angels. Forever and Always.

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published: june 25th, 2021

this is it guys.

i'm so sad, holy shit.

first off i'd like to thank everyone who has been here since the beginning. i appreciate all of you for waiting on my updates, the comments, the support, just everything.

the book is now completed, but maybe i'll add bonus chapters here and there. i'm still here if you guys need someone to talk to so don't hesitate to message me.

i love you all so much, and i'm going to miss every single one of your comments.

please remember to love yourself, and to stay safe.

i love you, MUAH!