Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 29962 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 150(@200wpm)___ 120(@250wpm)___ 100(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29962 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 150(@200wpm)___ 120(@250wpm)___ 100(@300wpm)
Even with six, it still feels like there’s more love in our hearts to give. I’ve been thinking that maybe when our kids are grown, we’ll take a page from Emma May’s book and foster older kids and teenagers, the ones that most people don’t want to take on.
Addy, our ten-month-old, is already standing in her crib by the time I get to the nursery. Her expression lights up when she sees me, and she launches into a string of baby babble that almost sounds like a real conversation.
I make noises of agreement, playing along with her. I pick her up and make sure she has her favorite green blanket before I carry her into the living room to join the rest of the family.
The kids and Jasper have finished decorating the tree, and I grab my phone. Henry groans, “Not again, Mom.”
“Make your Ma happy and smile real big for her,” Jasper ruffles Henry’s hair and takes the marker from Arthur before he can use it to draw on the walls. Edward holds up two empty tubes of wrapping paper that I’m pretty sure he’s about to use to start dueling.
“Like this?” Sally grins, showing off her missing front teeth. She knocked them out last week in the forest when she was roughhousing with her siblings. Fortunately, her adult teeth are expected to come in fine.
“That’s exactly right,” I tell her, relieved one of the kids is at least trying to listen. I’m juggling the tripod, my phone, and little Addy.
Jasper moves across the room to take Addy from me and free up my hands. Since the kids aren’t looking, I use the opportunity to brush up against his big, strong body. His gaze goes molten, and I know he’s thinking about the same thing I am.
He hasn’t been inside of me in almost two weeks. The kids have spent the last ten days sick, passing a horrible stomach bug between them, so we’ve barely had a chance to breathe.
They’re all better now, and we’re finally starting to get back into our normal routines. Well, as normal as his birthday can be. It’s another reason I’ve been teasing him all day.
“We could send them to bed,” Jasper growls in my ear, his breath hot against my skin. My nipples pebble against my dress as I recognize that low, throaty sound he makes when he wants to get me naked. “Then we’ll have a party of our own.”
“Behave,” I hiss at him because I like his idea a lot. He loves his little brood, but we’re both desperate to be alone. Bedtime in a few hours feels like it’s centuries away. I need my big man pumping into me and claiming me in that primal way he does.
Emma calls for her dad’s attention and his moment of distraction gives me a chance to set up the tripod and timer.
“Come on, after this we get cake and gifts for dad’s birthday,” I remind the kids, not above bribing them so I can get that perfect family photo. Every year we try. Most often, what we get are blurry little smudges as the kids tear through the cabin like the little tornadoes they are.
After three tries, I finally manage a single photo that isn’t blurry. Most of the kids are no longer looking at the camera. Sally is acting out a scene with her doll. Arthur is trying to eat the marker that Jasper put down while Henry and Edward are dueling with their paper tubes.
Emma is making a silly face at Addy who is crying because she dropped her blanket. In the middle of the chaos, Jasper is smiling at me and the look on his face says it all. We’re living right in the middle of a miracle.