Living on Love

Fifteen

"Fuck!"

"Stella Joan!" Ariana snapped. "Absolutely not."

"She's certainly got a mouth on her," Dove said.

"Yeah, she's been saying it a lot lately."

"Is it because her mommy doesn't watch her mouth?"

"Probably."

Dove laughed a little, picking Stella up and kissing her cheek. "Hey, you little potty mouth. What's up?"

"Bubba," Stella said, pointing towards the play room.

"You wanna go play?"

"Play."

Dove put Stella down and the toddler made her way into the other room as Ariana sat a water bottle down on the counter.

"I thought Junior was gonna be my daredevil, but she's giving me a run for my money."

"Money well spent. So, how's the new baby? Any word on the gender yet?"

"Not yet. But it's twins."

"Oh that's exciting!" Dove said as she clapped.

"I'm terrified. Not only is my mother about to give birth at any time now but now I'll have two newborns of my own to deal with. It's scary."

"Well if you ever need a baby sitter I'd be glad to come hang out and get all the baby cuddles my heart so desires."

"I'll take you up on that and you'll regret ever offering."

"Never. I love your kids they're perfect."

"Perfectly disastrous."

"Mommy!" Malcolm shouted as Stella started crying.

"What Junior?"

"Stella fell and hit her mouth!"

Ariana and Dove both made their way into the play room and Ariana rushed over to Stella, picking her up and looking at her mouth.

"Aw, baby girl," she said, swaying back and forth with her. "It's okay. I know it hurts. What happened, Malcolm?"

"She tripped over her blanket and hit her mouth on the table," Malcolm said. "Is she hurt?"

"A little. Mommy can fix it, she'll be alright. She'll just have a fat lip," she said, wiping blood from Stella's mouth.

"Poor baby, that's gotta hurt," Dove said.

"She'll be okay. Happened to Malcolm when he was a baby," she said as she carried Stella into the kitchen. She grabbed a washcloth out of a drawer and wet it before dabbing at Stella's mouth. "Hold still honey, let mommy clean your mouth."

"What happened?" Mac asked as he walked into the kitchen.

"She tripped and hit her mouth in the table in the play room. She's got a bloody lip be she's okay."

"She tripped over her blanket," Malcolm said.

"That's why we need to remember to pick up the toys we aren't playing with and making sure nothing is on the floor that shouldn't be there, okay?"

"Okay."

"Will you get me an otter pop out of the freezer?" She asked as Mac kissed her.

"What flavor?"

"Grape."

"Can I have one?" Malcolm asked.

"Only if you eat it at the counter."

"I want pink."

Mac got the popsicles out of the freezer and cut them open, handing one to Malcolm and one to Ariana.

"You want an otter pop? It'll make your mouth feel better," Ariana said, handing it to Stella.

"I can't imagine how messy they get with those things," Dove said.

"Very," Mac and Ariana said.

------------------------------------------------------

"Hi Mommy," Ariana said as she answered her phone.

"Hi honey. What's your day been like?" Joan asked.

"Hectic. Stella busted her mouth open and she's been nursing pretty much ever since."

"I have a favor."

"What?"

"I need to go to the hospital."

"Is everything okay? Are you okay? Is the baby okay?"

"She's fine. But she's coming."

"What?"

"My water broke."

"Oh my god. Okay. I'll - I'll be there in like fifteen minutes I gotta let Mac know and I'll be there and I'll take you myself."

"Take your time. It's not that bad yet."

"Its labor Mom, it progresses fast sometimes."

"Just drive safely."

------------------------------------------------------

"Keep pushing, the heads almost out," the doctor said.

Ariana pushed Joan's hair off of her forehead as she held her hand. "Come on Mom, she's almost here. You can do it, you did it with me and Frankie, you can do it."

"Oh god, Frankie," Joan said. "I didn't even tell him I was in labor."

"I called him and he's getting a flight in."

"Push," the doctor said.

As Joan pushed, Ariana squeezed Joan's hand lightly.

"Alright, we got a head, I need you to push a little harder so we can get these shoulders out, she's a little broad," the doctor said.

Joan pushed harder, letting out a small cry.

"You can do it, she's almost here Mommy, just a couple more and she'll be here," Ariana said.

"Push."

Finally, after just a few moments, a loud scream filled the room, causing Ariana to cover her mouth as her eyes watered, staring at her baby sister.

"It's a girl," the doctor said, laying the baby up in Joan's chest and a nurse started cleaning her off.

"Oh my god, she looks just like me..." Ariana said. "That poor baby."

Joan let out a small laugh and kissed the baby's head, running her finger over her head. "Hi, you precious thing."

"She looks like Gollum."

"Don't listen to her, you're perfect."

"I'm so proud of you," Ariana said as she hugged Joan. "Hi, I'm your big sister," she whispered to the baby. "I'm sorry you look like me. But I got pretty right after puberty. You're gonna be ugly until you're eleven."