Ava POV

"Honey, don't wander around. Stay with Bryan," I say looking at Ivy.

"Okay but Bryan isn't here. He went surfing with uncle Celeb," she says. I look around to see who are available to take care of the girls. I see Colin and Kevin sitting there watching the waves.

"Colin!" I yell. They both turn their heads to where I sat. I signal them to come. They stand up and run towards me.

"Do you want something sis? Aren't you feeling good?" Colin asks in worry. I chuckled shaking my head.

"No darling, I'm good but please do me a favour. The girls want to play in the water. Why don't you two take care of them? Everyone is busy," I say.

"Sure, if you want something just call us," Kevin said holding Ivy's hand. The boys take the girls to the water while I watch them. They have grown up and it still feels surreal. I hiss when I felt the baby kick.

I exhale rubbing my heavy stomach searching for my husband. A smile breaks on my face when I see him playing with our firstborn Blair

I laugh as she pulls Brad's face before kissing his nose. Brad blows the raspberries making her laugh.

"Here drink this," Tom said handing me the juice he made.

"Thank you, Tom," I say taking the glass. He sits beside me and goes through the bag.

"You need to take your medicine after twenty minutes, did you eat anything?" he asks.

"Yeah, I had waffles."

"Where are Noah and Robert?" I ask him.

"They are with the boys, there." He pointed to my left where I saw them. I lean against the bench looking at all of them. I can't believe how much they have grown up in a span of five years.

Noah, Robert and Tom turned 21 this year. Noah and Robert joined the boxing academy, Tom joined the medical school as he wants to become a cardiologist. We were so happy with the decisions they chose.

Brad even had a private moment when Tom topped the whole state in the entrance exam. We are happy with all the boys and proud of them.

Zac, Samuel and Leonard turned twenty this year. The three got into Alabama college and playing to get into NFL. They are hardworking and determined to make a career in football. They are champions if you ask me.

Paul, Ashton, Bryan, Denzal, Aaron turned 19. Paul and Ashton are going to the same college while Bryan and Denzal joined the art college.

Aaron, Kevin and Colin turned 17. They are in senior high. Chris and Eric turned 15. They are in tenth grade. Scan and Colton turned 14. They are in ninth grade. Taylor, Elsa and Ivy turned nine.

"Here take the medicine," Tom handed me the medicine and water. I watched my baby Blair and Brad walking over to us.

"I will go and surf with the boys," Tom said standing up when he saw Brad.

"Sure, be safe. Don't let the boys do something stupid."

"Yup."

"Mommy!"Blair yelled excitedly.

"Yes baby," I say as Brad pecks my lips before sitting beside me.

"I love the waterrrr, water makes me happy," she says pointing to the water. Blair is three years old, we took her to beaches but this is the first time she went for a swim with her dad.

"Did you take the medicine?" Brad asked rubbing soothing circles on my stomach.

"Yeah."

"Is he giving hard time?"

"He is kicking a lot," I reply handing him the basket where Blair's lunch is.

"Blair's fruit and lunch is in the pink box," I tell him.

"The girls ate?" he asked.

"Yeah, they ate with the boys. Noah and Robert didn't eat."

"Pappy I want to eat watermelon," Blair said. Brad handed her the watermelon pieces.

"Zac, Samuel and Leonardo are leaving tonight. Their train is at ten," Brad said. I remove the sunglasses which I put on.

"Why? Aren't they going to stay for the weekend?"

"Their coach called in the morning and asked them to be there by tomorrow morning. Their practice sessions are going to start so they are leaving tonight."

"We can leave early if you are not feeling good, Celeb and Mack will be here to take care," Brad said.

"We will leave after Blair's lunch." I'm not really feeling good and my back started hurting. We have been here the whole day and my back and legs are started hurting.

"I want to play dollhouse with Ivy, Ella and Taylor. I don't want to go home," Blair said as her eyes filled with tears.

"You can play with them tomorrow cupcake, now it's time to go home," Brad said wiping her tears away.

"No! I want to be with them." Blair starting crying. I lean back in the seat not having any energy left.

Even the boys and girls are going to the hope home as the sky is turning dark. They stayed back to watch the sunset and even I stayed back to watch the sunset.

"Brad, we will take care of her. Don't worry we will drop her off if she wants to go home," Noah spoke walking towards us.

"Noah bear..." Blair said as she tried to go to Noah. I chuckled seeing that.

"Sure, just call me if she throws a tantrum." Brad handing Blair to Noah. We trust the boys and we know they will take care of her dearly. Whenever Brad and I go out or busy with our work the boys take rotations and babysit.

She is very much attached to mainly Aaron, Kevin, Colin, Chris and Eric. As they are the only ones who stay in the hope home.

*

"Brad..."

"Hmm?" he is massaging my feet while I laid back on the bed.

"Can you shave my legs tomorrow morning?" I can't bend down while showering.

"Sure, you want anything else?" he asks gently.

"No, my feet and back hurt so much," I say as tears leak from my eyes. I don't know but the third semester is hard and my body constantly aches.

"Should I spray pain relief spray?"

"Hmm." He goes to get the spray. I can't help but think how lucky I'm to have Brad. He has been patient all these months, took care of Blair. He is the one who is cooking all the meals, giving Blair a bath, changing her diaper, feeding her without involving me.

He never got angry whenever I would throw tantrums because of my mood swings and even Blair would throw tantrums but he would gently talk to us and calm us down. All I did was eat, sleep and go for a walk.

He came back with spray, he massaged the place where it's hurting me. "You want something to eat?" he asked.

"No, just stay beside me," I say holding his hand in mine. He closed the door and got into the bed beside me. I leaned into his chest as he started caressing my hair.

"I love you, Brad," I whisper kissing his chest.

"I love you, Ava," he kissed my forehead.

*

"Ava, don't strain yourself. they are going to visit us next month," Brad says as he combs my hair.

"Pappy, I want to wear this!" Blair yells throwing a blue frock on the floor. I rub my stomach as the baby kicks.

"Mommy! Mommy!" Blair yells excitedly running towards me in her diaper.

"Yes, babe?"

"I want to kiss the baby," she says standing in front of me. Brad chuckles looking at me in the mirror.

"Sure honey, baby loves you so much," I said patting her head. She grins showing her front teeth. She comes closer pushing Brad's t-shirt which I'm wearing.

She gives kisses to my belly before hugging it. "I love you, baby," she says in a hushed tone. I and Brad share a look before smiling.

"Baby loves you too."

"He should mommy." Brad laughs out loud while I look at her in surprise.

"Blair come here, let's get your dressed," Brad says when he is done with my hair. He tied my hair into a neat ponytail. He became my personal dresser and hairstylist.

I watched the duo as Brad dressed Blair in the blue frock while she sang a rhyme. He then took her comb and started combing her hair. I take my phone and start recording it.

"Are we going to meet Vivi and Vihaan?" Blair asks. Vivianna and Vihaan are my brother's kids.

"No baby, Vivi and Vihaan are in London with uncle and aunt. We will meet them when they return home," Brad explained.

"London? What is London?"She asked getting into his lap.

"London is a city, you know the rhyme London Bridge is falling down?" Brad asked.

"Yes, yes! I learnt that from Colton," she says jumping in his lap.

"Yeah, London bridge is in London. We went to London when you were a little baby," Brad said pulling his phone out to show her the pictures.

"Mommy looks so beautiful in this frock," she says.

"Mommy is always beautiful." I smile as Brad said.

"Pappy, will you take us to London when the baby is born?" Blair asks with her chubby hands placed on Brad's cheeks.

"Sure baby, when mommy and the baby are healthy we will travel."

"Okay!"

"It's time for lunch," Brad says standing up with Blair.

"I will walk pappy, you help mommy," Blair says getting down. She runs out of the closet.

"Blair don't run," Brad calls out.

"She is going to hurt herself again," I say taking Brad's hand as he helps me stand up. I walk with my hand in Brad's.

"I love you," Brad says bending down kissing my lips. I smiled kissing him back.

"Pappy! Why are you not coming?" Blair yells standing outside the door. I and Brad laugh shaking our heads. We step outside our room to see Blair bouncing on her feet.

Upon seeing us she starts running towards the dining area. "Blair, slow down."

"Okay dokey..."

I settle down on the comfy chair which Brad personally brought for me. Blair sits on the dining table facing me. Brad goes into the kitchen to bring the dishes.

"Mommy, I learned uncle Vincent's song," she says holding the spoon.

"Good baby, sing for mommy," I say. She starts singing the song which my brother wrote for Valerie. I chuckle recording her as she uses the spoon as her mic.

She mispronounced the words but that's not a problem at all. She stopped singing with a huge grin on her face.

"Wow baby, you are so cute when you sing. Who taught you the song?" I ask kissing her chubby cheeks. Brad is arranging the table with a smile on his face.

"Colin and Kevin taught us the song last night."

"You want me to mix the rice and curry?" Brad asks e.

"No, I will mix it." Brad made my plate and handed me before making Blair. I eat my food as he feeds Blair. She started telling us what they did last night, how they played with the pillows and blankets.

"We played ice and water. Colton fell down so many times," Blair laughed.

"Did he get hurt?" Brad asked.

"Tom was there, he helped Colton." Blair took the spoon from Brad's hand and started feeding him her baby food.

"Eat pappy," she said pushing the spoon. Brad ate without saying anything.

"Pappy, I want to paint my toenails blue."

"Okay, we will paint your toenails when we are done with our lunch," Brad replied.

"Mommy has so many colours." I shake my head sipping my water. Blair is definitely a dad's girl. She makes him agree to all the little demands of hers.

If she wants to try a new hairstyle then she shows Brad the hairstyle and tells him to do her hair. Poor Brad watches the youtube videos in the night so that he can style her hair in the morning.

She only allows Brad to do her hair, even when I or mom tell her that we will do her hair she doesn't agree. She only wants her pappy to do her hair.

"Pappy!" she shouts all of sudden.

"Yes, cupcake?"

"Pappy you didn't tell me I love you today," she says pouting her pink lips. Brad chuckles pulling her face closer to his.

"I love you cupcake," he whispers kissing her forehead.

"I love you pappy," she says kissing his nose and forehead.

"Then what about mommy and baby?" I ask with a fake pout.

"You know I love you and baby, mommy," she says standing up on the table. She walks over to kiss my lips.

"Careful," Brad helps her as she kisses my lip.

"I love you and your pappy so much," I tell looking at Brad and her.

"I love you," Brad mouths before leaning over to peck my lips.

Brad MacCarthy