Living on Love

Twenty

"I'm fine, Momma. I'm just a little sore."

"As long as you're alright," Joan said. "So three huh?"

"Yeah. I'm just as surprised as everyone else. I delivered all three within fifteen minutes. They're pretty tiny, but I'm at the hospital now and they've got a clean bill of health. Shelby is four pounds fourteen ounces, Wilder is five pounds six ounces and Makayla is four pounds twelve ounces. They're tiny but they're fully developed."

"How did your doctor not realize that you were pregnant with triplets?"

"Makayla was hidden behind the other two. My doctor apologized about it and congratulated us. We told her she didn't have anything to apologize for. They're all healthy and that's all we care about."

"Well let me know when you get home okay? How's Chelsea doing?"

"She's great. Fat as ever just like her sister was."

"She's still eating okay?"

"Yeah. We nurse during the day and once at night when she wakes up. I started her out on Beechnuts and she really like the bananas and carrots but she's not happy with the rice cereal so I've been giving it to Stella instead."

"As long as she's eating."

"She definitely eats. She's been nursing for like thirty minutes at a time and her and Stella fight over whose turn it is so I've just been feeding both of them at the same time and I forgot how annoying and difficult it was to football nurse two kids of two different sizes. I don't know how I did it with Junior and Stella."

"You'll figure it out. Now you have five babies to feed. Your poor boobs."

"I'm not worried about my boobs, I'm worried about my nipples. I know that shits gonna blister with four babies sucking away. Stella doesn't have to nurse, but the babies do."

"Do what you have to do. What are you gonna do about your tour?"

Ariana sighed. "Postpone. The first concert will be Los Angeles again though. Since one of these three decided to bust my water in the middle of a song. You're never gonna believe what song it was."

"Which one?"

"Break Free."

Joan laughed. "That's ironically epic. I'm glad you're doing okay but I gotta get back. Give those babies kisses for me."

"I will. Tell Nonna I love her. Let her know about the babies."

"I will. Love you."

"Love you too Mommy."

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

"Stella, leave the babies alone honey," Liz said.

"Baby," Stella said, pointing to Makayla.

"Yeah, that's a baby. Leave her alone."

"I eat."

"Mommy, Stella's hungry," Liz called out.

"That's nice, she can have a banana," Ariana said as she walked into the living room, laying a sleeping Chelsea in a bouncer seat.

"No nana," Stella said. "Mama, up," she said holding her arms up.

"Aren't you tired of breast feeding yet?" She asked picking her up. "Mommy has four other babies that need to nurse."

"Shhhh, baby s'eepin," Stella whispered, putting her finger to her mouth.

Ariana let out a small laugh. "I guess they're not missing anything," she said sitting on the couch. "Were they okay while I was in the laundry room?"

"They were angels," Liz said, picking one of the triplets up carefully not to wake them up.

"When are you gonna make me an aunt? You already have five nieces and nephews from me, I don't even have one yet," she said, unclipping her bra and pulling her breast out of her shirt.

"Well... I was gonna mention it later..."

Ariana looked up from Stella eating to Liz. "No way."

Liz smiled and nodded. "Yeah."

"Oh my gosh! How far along are you?"

"About nine weeks. I've known since six weeks though and it's been killing me."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Well when I originally planned on telling you, you were giving birth."

"Oh my god Lizzie, this is so exciting! Our babies are gonna grow up together."

"Don't tell anybody. Don't drop hints on socials."

"I don't drop hints I just plain out post shit."

"Yeah I know. I remember everyone flipping their shit when you posted that video on Instagram of us kissing."

"I swear to god I was editing and then sending it to you."

"Well it's all over the Internet."

"Like it bothers you. Meanwhile, Eliana shippers went mad."

"Yeah it's ridiculous. Just like the Jariana shippers."

"They're the crazy ones. In no way shape or form am I going to get together with Justin or with Jai."

"No one said anything about Jai."

"Our ship name was Jariana. Ow! Oh my god are you fucking serious right now?" Ariana snapped as she looked at Stella. "Little girl, if you bite me one more time you're gonna get smacked. Do not use your teeth on me."

"Why is she doing that all of a sudden?"

"I don't know but if she does it again she's getting her ass beat. Fuck that hurt," she said, pulling Stella away and inspecting her breast. "You made Mommy bleed, Stella Joan."

"Owwie," Stella said.

"Yeah, you bit me."

"I bite."

"Yeah, it was mean. You hurt Mommy."

"No hurt. Mommy okay."

"You're a little stinker."

"I stink."

Ariana lifted Stella up and smelled her diaper before scrunching her nose and tickling her. "Ew, you stink," she said, kissing her neck repeatedly.

"No tickle!"

"I'll tickle you all I want, I'm your mommy," she said as she stopped tickling her. "You wanna get your butt changed?"

"Change butt."

"Alright," she said, standing up and holding her upside down by her legs as she walked to Liz. "Say 'later gator'."

Stella laughed. "Later gator."

Liz kissed Stella's cheek. "Later, stinky butt."

"You stinky butt."

"Says the one that just shit herself."

Stella laughed. "I shit."

"Thank you, auntie. It's not like she doesn't already cuss enough," Ariana said as she lifted Stella upright.

"I taught my girl well," Liz said.