Chapter 186 - Midnight
*What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives haven’t even happened yet. – Anne Frank*
This New Year’s Eve was completely different from the one a year ago. No one was in the hospital. There were no wives or stepmoms trying to escape an abusive relationship. As far as they knew, Cheryl was the only one that was pregnant.
Although they all teased Jolene and Dean. Both took the good-natured ribbing in stride.
“Come on,” Bunny grinned as she poured more champagne into her flute. “It seems that we can’t have singles. Even our little princess had to share her birthday with three others.”
“It’s going to have to fall to you.” Dean nudged her new sister-in-law with her shoulder. “I’m not even out of high school. O would probably kill me.”
“Without a doubt.” Reese agreed with a smile. “Although, I am partial to all of my princesses. I might just make JD disappear.”
“Bury him in a concrete foundation?” Jaxon suggested.
JD shook his head and laughed. “Decomposing body would leave a hollow space in the concrete.”
He sat on the floor with his back resting against Dean’s legs as she sat on the couch. His eyes were closed in bliss as she gently scraped her nails lightly across his scalp. She tugged his hair, and he opened his eyes and looked around the silent room.
“You got a secret life we need to know about?” Reese asked with a smirk.
JD chuckled. “Pompeii. The ashes and whatever else was in the –“ he made a motion with his hands to indicate that he wasn’t sure of the word he was thinking of “- exploding mountain, volcano jizz that covered the city, hardened around the bodies. Now all that’s there are hollow spaces that are being filled with foam to, umm, replace the bodies.”
They all looked at him like he had just sprouted two extra heads. Possibly three. Realizing what he had done, he sighed, and his shoulders sagged.
“Buckley watches documentaries on his laptop. As-“
His eyes went wide as they landed on his mother and her cocked eyebrow as she realized what he started to say.
“He doesn’t know how to use headphones and we all get to listen to whatever he has on. Lately it’s been Greek and Roman history.”
“At least you are learning something.” Jaxon laughed.
“I sympathize.” Ty gave him a small salute. “There’s a guy on shift that listens to audiobooks. Let me correct that. There’s a guy that plays audiobooks for the rest of us.”
Bunny laughed. “He comes home from shift and is all about *Fourth Wing* and Tolkien.”
“Harrods is a big fantasy and sci-fi guy.” Ty chuckled. “You get him away from the department and he is your stereotypical nerd. I was surprised to find out that he does not live in his parent’s basement.”
“He’s sweet.” Bunny countered.
“That’s not how big tough alpha guys on the fire department want to be described.” Ty objected.
“Don’t care.” She replied.
“Words of wisdom,” Reese offered, “happy wife, happy life.”
“You hear that?” Dean asked as she pulled JD’s head back.
Grinning, he smiled up at her as he pulled her down to him for a kiss, “Loud and clear.”
“Good.” She gave him another kiss before sitting up and returning to playing with his short hair.
“How are you going to get your head massaged when she leaves?” Neo teased.
“Do it myself.” He smirked knowing that the other man was intentionally asking with a double meaning,
“I don’t need to hear this.” Helen teased.
“Why, Helen!” Neo acted surprised, but no one was buying the act. “I only meant the head on his shoulders. What are you talking about?”
“Other than the babies, I’m the youngest and I don’t even believe that bullshit.” Dean laughed.
“Mom!” Jaxon and Jolene objected.
“No, no.” Helen shook her head. “That was the appropriate use.”
Dean laughed and JD offered her a fist bump over his shoulder. Laughing, she obliged.
“They’re starting the countdown!” Cheryl declared and Waylon grabbed the remote to unmute the TV.
The champagne flutes were filled, and they joined in with the countdown on the TV. When the ball hit the bottom of the pole, the couples and thruple exchanged kisses before wishing everyone a happy new year. Then they slowly drifted off to their rooms. JD stood up and offered a hand to Dean before walking out to the guest house.
"Night momma." JD called as they left the big house.
Soon it was just Helen and Reese in the large living room, the music from the TV was low. The flicker from the screen could almost be mistaken for that of a fire. Using the app on his phone, he turned the lights down and armed the security system. Tossing the phone on the end table, he pulled Helen into his lap.
“Did you have a good week?” he asked her quietly.
“I did.” She snuggled into his chest and laid her head on his shoulder. “Did you?”
“I had you and all my kids and granddaughter and I’m going to have another grandbaby. I couldn’t ask for anything better.” Turning his head slightly, he gave her a light kiss.
“I’m glad Ty got to come back out for tonight. I think Bunny and Jaxon were missing him.” She settled back against him.
Wrpping his arms around her, he rested his chin on her head. "They're good together."
“Yeah, they are. Did you catch what Bunny said Christmas morning?”
“About the commitment ceremony?” he asked, and she gave a soft hum in the affirmative. “I did. I’m surprised that it took them this long.”
“I’m happy for them.” Smiling, she kissed his neck. “I’m happy for all our kids. And we’re going to have a grandbaby younger than our babies.”
His chest rumbled with a deep chuckle. “Those four are going to be a handful –“
“They already are.”
“- for their teachers when they start school.”
“Oh, God.” She chuckled. “I haven’t even thought that far ahead. I’m just trying to figure out how we’re going to do a first birthday.”
“Times four.”
“Bunny is wanting to do a Little Mermaid theme for Ariel.”
“We should do it at Pier and Beam. It’s already decorated for a nautical theme.”
“I think, she was thinking about the aquarium.” Helen said with a little laugh.
“Where is the aquarium?”
“It’s what Jaxon calls the pet store because Ariel gets fascinated by the exotic fish they have.”
Reese tipped his head back and laughed. “We should get her a fish tank.”
“Dean offered to redo her room and make it a reef or something, but Bunny really likes her faeries.”
“JD told me that he’s already put in his leave requests for prom and her graduation.”
Helen nodded. “She wants her graduation party at Pier and Beam, that’s their place.”
“Ours in Cognac.”
“And Constellations.”
Smiling down at her, Reese brushed some hair out of her face and behind her ear. “Always Constellations. The round holds a special place for me now.”
“Me too.”
“I love you.”
She kissed him and slid her arms around his neck. “I love you too.”
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