What About Us

EPILOGUE | WHAT ABOUT US

The cold wind whips around me, my feet inches deep in the snow. With a sigh, I open the door of our home and walk into the warm embrace of the heat hitting my skin. I wipe my feet on the carpet and travel further into the home to set the wood on the floor and take off my jacket to hang so it can dry. The snow out here is terribly thick, I'm glad I went shopping just before the storm hit. 

I leave the backroom of the house and up the 3 steps into the kitchen to see Tobias watching London and Camryn mix together the cookie dough. Glancing around the room, I find Aiden sitting there grumpily as he pushes around his broccoli. I shake my head with a sigh and head upstairs to the room where my little bundle of joy sleeps. 

After years of always living in the city of Chicago, Tobias convinced me to move out to Cook County, also known as the countryside of Illinois so he can raise a large family and not worry about the hustle and bustle of the city for our kids to grow up in. It was about a thirty minute drive back to Chicago which still meant I can visit our friends back in the city and London can see Delilah. It's been about a year since we've moved out to this big house and I haven't felt more comfortable because it was large enough for our family. It was a farmhouse styled home made from bricks and had a large front yard and backyard. 

He wasn't lying when he told me he wanted to get me pregnant a lot for a family fit for it's own soccer team. At first, we were fine in our home with the five of us but about two years from getting married I found out I was pregnant with another boy; Maddox and that's when we had to move again. And it came in handy with the five bedroom, 4 bathroom home because I was pregnant yet again with our final and last baby girl; Robyn. I made it clear to Tobias that this was the last child and he agreed but with the last child he has become even more fond of babies and keeps wanting me to push out babies as much as I love them, but at the same time he is very understanding. 

A large family wasn't in mind, but each morning when I send the kids out to school I can't help but to just think how my life would've been with Eric. He would have probably wanted me to get my tubes tied so we don't have anymore kids and I am glad that he is out of my life; word is he moved to California. I hope he meets Ophelia there and they give each other hell. 

I lift Maddox into my arms carefully and rock him awake, he stirs and stares at me, "Mommy." My two year old murmurs and clings tightly onto my shirt, "Potty." He mumbles and I quickly make it to the bathroom, or as quickly as an 8 month pregnant woman can make it to the bathroom and I help him use the bathroom. He had his dinner earlier and went straight to sleep, he has a cold that he cannot seem to shake off of him so once he was fed he made it clear to Tobias that he was ready to go to bed and I try to wake him up in intervals to use the bathroom and drink plenty of fluids and his medicine the doctor prescribed him. I take him downstairs with me and as soon as his tired eyes meet Maxine, our dog he takes off running and chases her into the living room where I follow him and sit down on the couch, mindful of the fireplace. 

"Tris." I hear Tobias' grumpy voice and I sigh and quickly toss my head back on the couch to act like I am sleeping, "I know you aren't sleeping, did you go and get the firewood from the shack again?" The slight anger and sternness in his voice makes me cringe and open one eye and I nod my head, propping my feet up on the edge of the couch. 

"I'm fine, we needed some more before we all went to bed. The one in our bedroom is going out soon." He stares at me with his arms crossed and flour on his shirt making me chuckle, "I swear I am fine, I pushed out many other kids before, going out in the snow to get some wood isn't going to kill me." 

He wasn't having it. He just walked out back into the kitchen with the girls and Maddox stared at me, mimicking his fathers face, his dark blue eyes twinkling as he furrowed his eyebrows with his arms crossed, "What?" I questioned him and he went back to playing with Maxine. Over the years, Aiden started to lose his looks of his father and started to take on to my features while Maddox looked identical to Tobias, Christina was the first one to point that out to me. He came out the womb looking like him, even always looked royally pissed off even when he was the happiest baby ever. Everyone is rooting for Robyn to look like me and the 3. 

"Mommy! The cookies are done!" I heard London shout for us to come into the kitchen. My 8 year old beauty was growing so big each day, she still loved me and wanted me around which was a relief, I am not ready for the  double-digit tantrums. Camryn on the other hand, my alluring 6 year old was glued on to Tobias' leg and would cry loudly when he went outside with Maddox and Aiden to play. 

With a groan, I peeled open my eyes and found myself in the vacant living room. I sat up and waddled my way into the kitchen to see all 4 of my kids sitting at the island eating their snack with some milk and water for Maddox since he didn't like milk except for his favorite― ice-cream. Tobias was washing dishes at the sink as I picked up a warm cookie from the plate and took a bite with a moan, all I craved were sweets so when the kids insisted on baking tonight I let them go ahead and little did they know I had a taste for cookies too. 

"Time for bed!" Tobias and I gathered our children up and took them to their rooms. London and Camryn shared a bedroom, each side to their liking; London side decked out in glitter and purple while Camryn was forest green and lavender. Maddox and Aiden shared as well; Aiden had royal blue and Maddox had orange. Once everyone brushed their teeth, had their water, used the bathroom and read a story I met up with Tobias in our bedroom, grateful to find him poking the wood to ignite more flames, "Finally." I sighed and collapsed on the bed with my eyes shut. 

I heard him chuckle and walk towards me, his hands slid down my leggings and shirt and caressed my belly, "Just a few one more month June-Bug." Tobias grinned and kissed my  belly, I shook my head at him as he helped me into a shirt and pull back the covers for us. June-Bug was one of his many nicknames for Robyn, we conceived her in the summertime or spring, either way it was warm and he cannot stop calling her that, he's even had me calling her that. 

"No more babies." I yawned as he pulled me close to his chest, kissing me on the forehead. 

"No more babies." He confirmed and his hand went to my belly, I winced at his cold hands and the strong kick our babygirl gave us. I already knew she is going to be a daddies girl, most of my kids are because he gives them anything they want like a good father. Hell, even Maxine likes him more. In the beginning, I felt spiteful but as time went on, I felt grateful that he was still with me and the kids had a father there for him, "Sorry." He muttered and kissed me again. 

After a few minutes I heard his breathing become even and I was still wide awake, with a groan I turned on my back, uncomfortable of the constant shifting my baby was doing. I stared up at the ceiling as his hand wrapped around me, just below my belly and he sighed, "Can you believe we have 5 kids." He told me tiredly. He was such a gentleman, the nights I couldn't sleep with the pains in my back he would talk to me until I fell asleep. 

"I'm not even 30 yet, old man." I scoffed with a chuckle, "But it is worth it, I'm so glad you haven't left me and my crazy ways yet." 

His thumb traced patterns on my hipbone, "That's because I'm the only one that can tame your craziness and no one else will." He sat his head up and winked at me, the fire from the wood twinkling in his eyes, "Which means I'm made for you." 

"Sadly," I joke, "I'm just playing, what would've happened if we didn't have that meeting at the office that day? What about us? We would've never gotten together." 

"Well, let's just thank god that we did." 

"Exactly." 

With that I fell into a deep and peaceful slumber, even with the movement of my baby, the crackling of the fireplace and the soft snores coming from Tobias. I was satisfied.