"Okay, here's her bag, bottles are on the right hand side. Milk's near it… Uncle Carter, are you listening?" Carly says as Carter was making 7 month old Sachi laugh by tickling her.
"I don't think your dad ain't listening too." Blake said, crossing her arms as she looked at Michael holding 8 month old Harleigh in his arms. Harleigh had her small hands touched his cheeks, as Michael was using baby talk with her.
"Put an infant in an older relative's arms, they go nostalgic." Carly says.
"Yeah, they love their little girls too much." Blake said.
"Yes we do. Who's got your nose, Harleigh?" Michael says, Harleigh babbled while having her lavender purple soothie bear pacifier in her mouth as Sachi pinched Carter's nose.
"Aww, Sachi Angel has my nose. Yes you do." Carter said as Sachi giggled happily.
"Who's a good little girl, yeah." Carly says, kissing Sachi's forehead. "Now like I was saying, everything that's needed is in there."
Blake held Harleigh in her arms once more, as Harleigh looked at her Mommy and grabbed ahold of her loose black locks through her small fingers.
"If you need us, please let us know." Blake said, before placing a kiss on her daughter's right cheek and Michael taken Harleigh out of her arms.
The two left and Michael and Carter looked at the newborns, Sachi's lower lip quivering slightly.
Harleigh looked at her cousin before she started looking left and right for her Mommy and then looking up at Michael with worried blue eyes.
"They'll be back, Harleigh Bear." Michael says.
"Yeah, Sachi Angel. Mommies need some time to unwind." Carter says, Sachi smiling slightly and snuggling against him.
Harleigh moved her left hand and touched Michael's lips as he kissed softly at the palm of her hand. She smiled happily showing her two small front teeth as she dropped her soothie bear pacifier onto the ground, not acknowledging it.
"Hard to believe Carly and Blake were this tiny once." Michael says, picking up the pacifier and placed it into the sink.
"Yeah, I really missed them being that small, but I have Charlie to take care of as my baby." Carter said, until Sachi's small hand touched his stubble chin. "And you and Harleigh too, Sachi."
Sachi and Harleigh looked at each other, small smirks on their faces.
At a nearby nail salon, Carly and Blake walked in.
"I think the last time I was in one of these, I was 12 and Tracey dragged me along with her." Carly says.
"You know it's my first time at a nail salon, I always do my nails at home when it's cheap." Blake said.
"I haven't had mine painted since before Sachi was born… didn't want the fumes to hurt her." Carly says as they sat down in chairs and she chose Essie's Cocktail Bling, which was a dusty grey blue shade.
Blake was looking at the many nail polishes, as she was taking her time and she finds the perfect polish for her nails. She chosen Nicole by OPI called Me + Blue, which was a metallic deep blue color.
"So what has Lamar been saying about him being Harleigh's godfather?" Carly asks.
"He's being such an adorable but still a dumbass godfather." Blake explained. "He gave Harleigh a bottle of strawberry milk. Franklin got onto him for doing such a thing to his baby girl."
"Terry's the polar opposite. Way before Sachi was born, I've rarely seen Terry be so protective." Carly says.
"Really? You should have seen Norah with Harleigh. She tried to put one of Charlie's huge hairbows on her head, Harleigh took it off while she was not looking and thrown it at Dad. Harleigh was laughing just like Franklin while clapping her hands." Blake says.
"Sachi doesn't like them either, she threw one at the ground." Carly says, Blake laughing. "Can't blame her, I didn't either. Dad and Uncle Carter once said that I tied my old hair ribbon to the mailbox when I was 4."
"I even remember I helped you flushed all of them down the toilet, and we got the toilet flooded." Blake laughed. "That was a great water slide we made up."
"And thankfully, it was warm enough that summer. If it had been winter, we would've froze our asses off." Carly says.
Back at the house, Michael was holding Sachi in his arms and putting some applesauce in her mouth… Sachi ate most of it but was crying slightly because of her sore gums.
Carter on the other hand had Harleigh laying down on the couch with a baby blanket while trying to change her dirty diaper. She was still fussing while Carter was changing it slowly, using the sensitive baby powder and fresh rose scented baby wipes.
Carter started singing Mercy Street by Peter Gabriel, which calmed Harleigh down as Michael held a now calmed Sachi.
"Nice going, Carter… they're calmed now." Michael says, Carter nodding as Harleigh snuggled against him, Sachi's head resting lazily on Michael's right shoulder.
"Finally… it took me awhile to change Harleigh… I mean if you were changing her, you can tell that she was breastfed by her mother by the way she uses her diaper." Carter explained.
"Yeah… Carly does breastfeed Sachi, this isn't all formula." Michael says. "These little ones will grow strong."
"I hope they do… I just hope they don't break my arms and legs off." Carter said, looking down at sleeping Harleigh.
"The next ones might though, Carly and Johnny were talking about another child when Sachi's about three." Michael says.
"Blake and Franklin were talking the same way with me. Ladybug said she wants a boy, but Franklin wants another girl until Harleigh's three." Carter said.
Once the little ones were asleep in their playpen, Michael and Carter sat down.
"There was a time when Carly wasn't sure about having a child…" Michael says.
"Yeah, even Blake as well." Carter said. "She'd thought married life was enough, but when she was pregnant with Harleigh. She was nervous at first about being a mother, but then she remembered Charlie…"
"That was it for them… seeing them hold Charlie when she was that small… it was like it brought their own innocence back." Michael says.
"Yeah, big time." Carter said. "Norah was even proud about their decisions of being such loving mothers."
"Norah's a good woman… she's sweet, kind… I'm glad you found her when you did, it's good seeing you happy again." Michael says.
"Yeah. She's everything to me, but with Macey… that was something else. Except for Blake. She's my little ladybug and even Charlie's my little princess." Carter said.
"That never goes away."
Both looked, seeing Carly and Blake, who had met up with Johnny and Franklin as well.
"How long have we…" Michael says, realising that only an hour had passed by.
"Wait… Aww damn, Harleigh and Sachi!" Carter said worried.
This had worried the parents as well and it wasn't long before they found them, Sachi on the table in the kitchen and Harleigh under it.
"Sachi, don't do that, babydoll!" Carly says as she held her and Blake held Harleigh, realising that the babies had climbed up and out of the playpen.
"Harleigh Rae, what were you doing under there?" Blake asked, holding her daughter.
Harleigh babbled, pointing from the playpen to the table.
"Well, it seems that the girls need a new playpen, Carly." Blake said. Harleigh giggled as her Mommy lifted her up in the air.
"Yes they do." Carly says, blowing raspberries at Sachi, who laughed before she clapped and then looked at Johnny before kissing him on his nose.
"Aw, come to Daddy, Sachi Angel." Johnny says, carefully holding Sachi.
Franklin walked towards Blake, as Harleigh stretched her arms out for him to pick her up.
"Here's Daddy," Blake said, before placing Harleigh into his arms. Franklin lifted up his daughter, before kissing her face many times, making the baby giggle happily.
"We only turned away for a second-" Michael starts to say.
"Dad, it's okay. You used to say that I was crawling out of my playpen much like Sachi but never wandered far. The glass doors are locked and kid proofed too." Carly says before she once again held Sachi.
"Yeah, and you even told me that I always crawl under the table, if there was something that interests me." Blake explained, before looking under the table to see a small yellow bunny rabbit plushie with long floppy ears.
"Here's bunny, Harleigh." Blake said, before Harleigh's small hands grasped around the long floppy left ear, before placing the other ear into her mouth.
"Bun-Bun." Harleigh manages to say after the ear was out.
Blake covered her mouth. "Was that your first word, Harleigh Rae? Can you say it again for Mommy and Daddy?"
"Bun-Bun!" Harleigh exclaimed happily.
"Mama?" Sachi says, making Carly smile and kiss her on her forehead.
"Now they're talking… time really does go by fast." Michael says.
"Yeah, it feels like yesterday Blake and Carly said her first word as well…" Carter said.
"What was my first word, anyway?" Blake asked.
"You called me and even Michael, Daddy." Carter said, Blake giggled.
"That's the thing with us, we take after our dads." Carly says.
"Makes me wonder who Sachi will take after." Johnny says, Sachi putting her hands on his face and kissing his nose again.
"I'm guessing you, Johnny, cause she's a Daddy's girl, but what about Harleigh?" Blake said, looking at her daughter still in Franklin's arms.
Franklin looked down at Harleigh, who looked at both her parents before pointing her tiny fingers to both of them.
"Harleigh, you're gonna be both?" Blake asked. "Mommy and Daddy?"
Once Harleigh remove the yellow floppy bunny ear from her mouth, she looked at them both before saying…
"Mama… Daddy…"
"Aww." Everyone else said, Sachi babbling in agreement.
Franklin kissed his daughter's forehead, before Harleigh place the bunny's floppy ear back in her mouth, giggling happily.
"I love you, Harleigh Bear…" Franklin said, Harleigh snuggling close to his left shoulder, still holding onto the yellow bunny rabbit plushie.
Sachi snuggled against Johnny once he was holding her, Johnny whispering "I love you, Sachi Angel." and kissing her on her forehead.
Home was quieter with the newborns fed and Sachi on Carly's lap, pointing her little fingers at the ceiling.
"How in the world did those get up there?" Carly asks once she and Blake noticed the dayglow stars.
"I don't know how. I didn't ask Franklin to put that on the ceiling." Blake said, Harleigh looked up at as well. She was babbling while pointing to them.
"Well unless our newborns are acrobats or we were sleepwalking, I think Johnny put them up there." Carly says.
"You think so?" Blake said, placing Harleigh down on the floor.
"Yep… surprise." Johnny says, having put the ladder away before walking over to them. Harleigh babbled at him, Johnny picking her up. "Hey, Harleigh Bear."
Harleigh pointed to the glowing stars up on the ceiling, asking him about it while babbling.
"Those? Ah, just to keep the room lit in case…" Johnny says before everyone heard the downpour starting.
Harleigh and Sachi started crying uncontrollably when they heard the thunder and then lightning.
"Come here, baby girl." Carly says softly, holding Sachi close to her as Blake held Harleigh and pointed at the stars.
"Mama, loud." Harleigh says, Blake knowing that that was her way of saying "Mama, it's loud.".
"Yeah, don't worry baby girl. Mommy's here." Blake held Harleigh close, as the baby was trying to cover her ears with her small hands.
The thunder and lightning subsided and the newborns calmed down, Sachi snuggled against Carly's chest and hearing Carly's heart beating.
"I don't like storms either, Sachi Angel." Carly says, Sachi babbling sleepily.
"Night, night." Harleigh said sleepily, snuggling against her Mommy. Blake smiled before kissing the top of of her daughter's black hair.
Sachi yawned, closing her violet eyes and Carly lightly stroked her blonde hair, Johnny wrapping his arms around both of them.
"These little ladies had a fun day of their own." Carly says as Franklin kissed Harleigh on her forehead.
"Yeah, maybe she should plan another day for them to spend more time with their grandfathers." Blake suggested, giving Harleigh to Franklin as the baby snuggled against him, hearing his heartbeat.
"And find a different playpen. Not even a year old and they already climbed out of it." Carly says, going and getting Sachi cleaned up and changed for bed.
Part of her had been thinking that Trevor would've shown up and hurt the girls… but thankfully he hadn't.
Now she just hoped he'd realise that no matter what, life was constantly changing and that Sachi, Harleigh and any other kiddos that followed were part of that change.