Chapter 33

**Skyler Johnson**

*Four years later*

"When do we get to eat them, Mommy?" My oldest asks as I ice another cupcake and hand it to him to put on the tray. He looks at me with impossibly wide eyes that's begging for me to let him have one but I only smile at him.

"When your dad comes home, after you've had dinner." I say and he pouts, something he seems to be doing more and more each day.

"Can't I just have a little bite now?" He asks pinching his fingers at me and I shake my head. His eyes start to water and he gives me the saddest look he can manage and I'm grateful Xavier's not here yet because he would let his son get away with murder if he saw that look.

"Later, now how about you go and play with your sister and let me finish up here?" I asks and he sighs, knowing I won't give in, before nodding and climbing off from the chair he was standing on. He runs out of the kitchen and into the living room where I watch him plop down next to Clare and help her build the tower she's busy with.

"You do it like this." He says, taking the block from her and showing her how to build the best tower she can possibly build. I smile at the two of them and shake my head at the thought that we have another one on the way. When Xavier said we would have one every few years he wasn't kidding and if there's one person I suck at saying no to it's my husband. I was fairly good at it in the beginning but now I just suck at it.

"Tristan, Clare! Daddy's home." I hear him shout as the garage door open and I roll my eyes. Both of the kids jump up and run past me and straight to their dad who picks them up, one in each arm.

"Mommy's making cupcakes." Tristan says, like his father can't see it for himself but Xavier gasp like it's news to him.

"She is? Then we should have one, don't you think?" He asks and his son's eyes light up like I knew they would.

"I want." Clare shouts and he nods, kissing her chubby cheek.

"Then you shall have." He assures her while walking over to us. He sits Tristan down on the counter, the part that's not covered in baked goods before looking over at me with a coy smile. "Mommy, can we have a cupcake?" He asks and I want to hit him but I just shake my head and hand over a cupcake, deciding I'm going to leave him to struggle with them when they don't want to have dinner in a little bit.

"We got one!" Tristan cheers and I roll my eyes at my kids and husband acting like a cupcake is a prize, well for them it probably is since I don't allow them to have sugar very often and when I do it's a special occasion. I watch as they share the small cake and then Tristan and Clare is running of into the backyard to play and hopefully burn all that energy off.

"I think we should stop now." I tell Xavier as he beds down and kisses my five month bump.

'"I don't. We need at least three more." He says, kissing me softly but that doesn't stop me from looking at him like he's crazy.

"I'm not having three more children, Xavier." I say as he pulls back and give me a smirk.

"If it were up to you we wouldn't have any at all and look where we are now." He says, looking over at his kids, running around like they have no sense.

"Yeah, look where we are now." I say, placing a hand on my bump and smiling at him. "Have fun cleaning them up for dinner." I say, going back to icing the cupcakes for Candice's party tomorrow while laughing at the look on his face.

******

*Fourteen years later*

"You idiot, how could you do that?" Is the first thing I hear when I enter my house. I take a deep breath as I prepare myself for whatever argument that's going to take place when they notice I'm home.

"I thought she was serious." Kaden tells his twin who hits him upside the head. "Don't hit me." He wines slightly glaring at Zayden.

"You deserve that. You were the idiot." Zayden says before giving me a broad smile when he notices I'm in the room. He almost looks innocent but I know he's far from that so I raise my eyebrow at him.

"What happened?" I ask because as a mother I have to ask these things, even if I sometimes wish I didn't ask after I did.

"Don't tell her." Kaden hisses and Zayden gives him a look that tells him not to be stupid.

"Would you rather talk to dad about it?" He asks and his twin shakes his head. "Okay, so mom. How do you get a girl to forgive you after you've been an idiot?" He asks and I sigh and walk into the kitchen to put my bags down, knowing they'll follow me.

"Depends on what you did. Your father usually just buys me jewellery." I tell them because I can't exactly tell them he traps me in bed until I've forgiven him.

"Or he takes you to the shooting range." Zayden says and I nod.

"He does, but you're not old enough to take anyone to the shooting range." I tell them with narrowed eyes, even though I know for a fact Xavier has taken them into the woods to target shoot a few times.

"Okay, so jewellery." Kaden says and I nod. "You think you can take me shopping?" He asks and I shake my head, making his face fall.

"You can ask one if your sisters to take you, I have to get dinner started. I do have seven mouths to feed." I tell them and Kaden pulls a face.

"Summer's busy with some science thing and I'll have to bribe Clare to take us." He says and I sigh.

"Take you where?" My oldest asks as he walks into the kitchen in a pair of boxers and I know he hasn't left his bed until just now.

"To the mall, take them." I say giving him a stern look when he looks like he's about to protest. "Maybe you can give them some pointers on what to do when you've been an idiot." I say and he rolls his eyes.

"It wasn't even my fault." He groans and I give him a soft smile.

"Sometimes you have to say sorry even if it wasn't your fault." I tell him and he gives me a tired look. "She'll come around, she loves you." I say because it seems like he needs to hear it.

"Yeah, well it would be great if she would make up her mind a little faster." He says and I refrain from telling him that he's being an idiot, something all of my boys seem to be these days.

"Well, why don't you get dressed and come to the mall with us, we're going to get Maggie some diamonds. Oh, and maybe take a shower?" Kaden says and Tristan glares at them.

"You have two hours before I want you home." I tell them and that gets them all moving. Twenty minutes later their out the door and I'm left to cook in peace. Summer comes in halfway through my work looking for a glass bowl and I have to take out a few before she finds the perfect one. Not even fifteen minutes later Clare comes down to tell me she doesn't have anything to wear for her date in a week and I have to promise to take her shopping tomorrow so she calms down.

"You're the best, mom." She says before kissing my cheek and running out of the room.

"You need help?" Cole asks, sticking his head around the corner and I give him a small smile and nod.

"How about you cut these up for me?" I ask, sliding the mushrooms over to him. He nods before coming to stand next to me and getting to work. An hour later I hear the familiar sound of Xavier's car pulling into the garage and Cole's eyes widen in excitement and with a nod from me he's gone to greet his dad in the garage.

"Honey, I'm home." Xavier shouts as he comes into the house with our youngest slung over his left shoulder. I shake my head as he puts him down and walks over to me, kissing me and then kissing me again just because he can.

"Your kids are driving me insane." I whisper against his lips and he grins.

"Thank you for not going insane, though." He says and I laugh and shake my head. Two hours later I'm watching my husband and six kids sit around one table and talk and I can't help but feel like the luckiest woman on earth.