✌🏾🤟🏾💜

It feels so good to spend time bonding as a family. I would say that it was rather peaceful, but let's be honest. Being a Vitro and the word 'peaceful' does not go together. Things were as chaotic as they always were.

Neil and Aiden were having yet another petty argument while Aryan and I sat on the sidelines watching when a sudden craving for ice cream hit me.

"You want ice cream, baby?", I asked Aryan.

Honestly, whether she said yes or not would have stopped me from going to get some ice cream. It would have determined if she would have been present or not.

"Ah, yes, mommy! Yes, please!", she squealed.

Say less, princess.

"Let's go then", I told her holding my hand out to her.

She took my hand happily with a grin on her face. I do not know what the boys were saying anymore. I had actually stopped paying attention a while ago. Grabbing my purse and house keys we were off on our quest for creamy cold goodness.

Our little happy escape did not go as planned. Apparently, the boys had seen and followed us. This was made apparent when a familiar car pulled into the parking spot beside us.

Aryan lowered her window, Aiden doing the same.

"Bro-Bro!"

"Sissy!"

Just like their dad, dramatic. Before my hand could fully touch the door handle, the driver's door was opened and a hand was being offered to me. Smiling softly I placed my hand in Neil's accepting his help out of the car. With a peck to my lips, he closed the door taking my hand into his. The kids skipped ahead of us rushing to the door of the ice creamery.

"Munchkins, what did we say about running off!?", I snapped.

I was scared. Flashbacks from that night at the movies assaulting my mind. One moment we had all been happy and laughing. Then the next a car was speeding towards Aryan who had stopped in the middle of the driveway. If it had not been for Nathaniel's quick action, I do not want to think about what would have happened to our baby.

I just remember hugging her so tight and crying. I was terrified. I could have lost my baby. I had nearly gone into premature labor due to my blood pressure being through the roof. I had been bedridden for nearly a week afterward. Not to mention that my anxiety has gone through the roof whenever they are more than a few feet away from one of us.

"Omi, calm down, baby. She's okay. They're okay. Everyone is okay, relax, babe", Neil cooed pulling me into a hug, hugging me as much as he can with my big bump between us.

"They're okay. She's okay. We're all okay. I don't have to be scared", I murmured like a mantra to calm myself as I clung to my husband like a koala, tears spilling from my eyes as I trembled in his embrace.

I could hear him softly murmuring sweet nothings to me while caressing my back as I regained my composure. Two small bodies collided with ours causing us to stumble.

"We're sorry mommy", two little voices called apologetically, Aiden and Aryan.

We hugged them, adding them into our embrace. I felt myself calm down finally after a while. A car horn brought us back to reality. We were standing in a car lot hugging and the car we stood behind had been the one to honk at us. Wordlessly we moved out of their way continuing on our way to the creamery.

Our time since had been normal, well as normal as can be being us. We ordered and paid for our ice cream before occupying a spacious booth. The towns were happily eating their ice cream while animatedly talking amongst themselves while I took turns feeding both Nathaniel and I some of our shared hot fudge sundaes.

The newest Vitro seemed to have way too much fun bouncing on my bladder. So, I had excused myself from the table before waddling off to the restroom to relieve myself. Once finished doing my business, I washed my hands at the sink taking my time to properly clean my hands.

"Well look at what the fishing crew drug in", said a familiar voice from behind me. I was not bothered by the presence of the other person. I had more important things on my mind, such as if those cute shoes I saw in the store the other day would still be there when I was able to make another trip back there.

"Has anyone told you how much of a fat pig you look? I bet Nathaniel gets disgusted at what he sees when he sees you naked", she continued.

I hummed in acknowledgment of her words as I continued washing my hands. I did not plan to give her any of my energy. I was above any negativity and I was here with people that love me dearly. Therefore, nothing she would say to me would have her desired effect.

"Hello? I know that you hear me talking to you, cow. Answer me!", demanded the obnoxious voice.

What I did next had nothing to do with her degrading words. This was solely out of pettiness and enjoyment. People are always saying such hurtful things to one another and I was tired of hearing the same old tune. So, borrowing a page from my husband's pettiness handbook, I held my hands beneath the running water before turning swiftly towards her.

"Bitch, you hear me- hey! Stop it! Stop, fuck! You're ruining my makeup!"

"Will you finally leave me the hell alone if I do, Dominique?", I chided flicking my wet fingers at her again.

"Yes! Yes, you lunatic!", she smiled.

I smiled in triumph before turning giving her my back once again. Clasping my hands beneath the running water I scooped a handful of water before turning splashing water into her face once more.

"You, fat bitch!", she screeched angrily shoving me.

I slipped in some of the water that I had been throwing at her. Reaching out trying to brace myself, I grabbed whatever I could. Unfortunately for her, that just so happened to be her hair extensions.

There had been a ripping sound that resonated through the quiet restroom. She grunted angrily reaching out grasping my shoulders harshly, her long nail digging into my skin. I hissed righting myself, releasing her hair once I regained my footing.

Dominique released me as well, a stinging sensation taking the place of the pain of her nails biting into my skin. Reaching behind her head she let out a loud gasp.

"YOU FUCKING BITCH!", she screeched.

"Okay. Enough is enough, Dominique. You need to walk away before I get mad. I am tired of people like you harassing me. Live tour life and stop trying to live mine, sweetheart", I chastised the mama bear in me making an appearance.

She rolled her eyes stomping her foot like an angry child. "NO! YOU FUCKING RUINED MY HAIR AND MAKEUP!", she screeched throwing a tantrum.

I shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly. She deserved it. If not, more than a few drops of water being thrown at her.

"Not my problem", I responded dismissively.

Her eyes lit ablaze, smoke nearly came from her ears. "Not your problem? Bitch, you ripped my hair out and ruined my makeup. This is definitely your problem and you are going to fix it before I rearrange that pretty face of yours", she sneered.

I tsked placing my hands on my big hips, my bump poking out further menacingly as I squared my shoulders. "As I said, that is not my problem. I am so sick of you picking on me. What are we, children? We are supposedly two grown-ass women and you have been trying to bully me since the second week of the school semester. Are you really that bothered by my happiness? Does it really bother you that much that Nathaniel and I are together? Does it bother you that we are genuinely happy together and that we love each other? Or is it really because I turned you down in the first week of school every time you asked me out? What, you can't handle the fact that the fat bitch, the cow, the pig, my fat ass turned you down? Tell me, Dominique. Because I am quite frankly, fucking sick and tired of being sick and tired. Both I and my baby will beat your ass for all of the added stress you brought to my life. So what the fuck do you want to do, sir?", I snapped having enough of her bullshit.

She fell silent. I scoffed.

"You can't be serious? Because I didn't return your feelings, you had a vendetta against me? Seriously!?", I hissed affronted.

"You rejected me, what was I supposed to do!?", she snapped.

My eyes widened comically before I squeezed them shut in an attempt to reign in my anger. I was too far along in my pregnancy for this confrontation. My blood pressure had risen tremendously and if I continued to entertain this conversation then it would keep rising.

Opening my eyes, my view into hers. "I am not having this conversation with you right now, Dominique", I retorted before turning to leave the restroom, but a firm hand on my forearm stopped me.

"Get your hand off of me", I ordered.

"Please, just hear me-"

"Get your hand off of me, Dominique", I demanded through clenched teeth.

"I'm sorry, Naomi. I just wanted you to like me so badly, and you just rejected me.-"

"Let go", I said lowly.

"I didn't know how to deal with that. So, I-"

"Dominique!", I snapped attempting to jerk my arms free of her grasp.

"Just listen to me, babe. Okay? I-"

"Let go, dammit!", I snapped again, her grasp tightening on my arms, her nails digging into my skin once again.

"Let me get this off my che-"

The restroom door was kicked in startling both of us. My heart had nearly better right out of my chest. Sadly, Dominique still held on to me, and I could feel little droplets of blood trailing down my arm. Not to mention, my water had broken right at that moment.

"Get your crusty ass hands off my baby, bitch!", bellowed an all too familiar voice as they entered the restroom.

I let out a sigh of relief seeing that it had been Nathaniel to kick in the door. For a moment, I had thought that the baby's and my lives were in danger.

"We were talking before you rudely interrupted us. Now, bye. This is the women's restroom", Dominique spat.

Nathaniel tilted his head to the side slightly, his eyes seemingly zeroing in on something between Dominique and me.

"Hello, get out already?", Dominique called in a duh tone.

"Neil?", I called, a sharp pain hitting my lower back and stomach simultaneously causing me to hunch over.

"Sir, I am going to tell you on-fuck it!", I felt a breeze pass me as Dominique was ripped away from me and Nathaniel took her place at my side.

There had been a loud thud. I heard her screech, but that was neither here nor there right now. I was in pain, and apparently, I was bleeding too.

I began practicing my breathing. One of the worst things that could happen in a moment such as this is me having another panic attack. No, thank you. On the plus side, I had worn a dress today so my clothes were not soaked.

"Come on, baby. We have to get you to the hospital. Can you walk, Omi?", he cooed massaging my lower back to ease the passing pain.

"I-I think so. Where are our babies?", I asked pausing my breathing for a few seconds, then continuing.

"They're okay. They're at the table, baby. Let's go", Nathaniel assured.

Nodding my head I slowly straightened up, standing upright. The pain slowly subsided and I let out a sigh of relief.

"Please, get me to the hospital. I don't know if I can handle another one of those", I murmured.

He smiled tilting his head down a bit, placing a kiss to my forehead. "Let's go have our baby, Omi", he agreed. "Be careful, babe. You kinda made a mess", he warned with a look of worry upon his face before slowly guiding me out of the restroom, both of us ignoring Dominique harping in the background.

I took notice of the looks of concern from patrons as we made our way through the ice cream parlor. I also noticed the saddened looks of the twins when they looked to my legs. I was scared, but I would not show my fear. Everyone was worried enough, I did not want to add stress to the situation by panicking.

We left. I was rushed to the hospital.

I was taken into the back immediately.

I was checked over, and something was wrong.

They prepared me for emergency surgery.

Nathaniel had not been at my side. I was terrified and alone.

I cried.

The twins cried.

Nathaniel cried.

Anya Vitro was born at 5:10 PM.

And with a smile on my face, I closed my eyes after hearing my baby girl's cries.