The sequel to 'Keep Holding On', a continuation of Beca and Jesse's adventures with Jack, Molly and Toby. You don't need to read 'Keep Holding On' to understand, but it might help. Hopefully you'll enjoy! Thanks for reading!
Rhyleigh
(Follow me on Twitter- RhyleighGrace- for updates on this story and my other fics!)
Beca and Jesse Swanson had celebrated their son Connor's first birthday with cake and balloons and their entire family. Similarly, they had celebrated their daughter Rosie's first birthday. And they never got the chance to celebrate their son Isaac's first birthday, before the three of them were cruelly snatched away in a horrible twist of fate.
But, a year to the day that their babies were lost, Beca gave birth to triplets. Jack Henry, Molly Claire and Toby James.
Having three newborns, as one would imagine, was vastly different to having one. With one, they could swap between them during the night, Jesse feeding the infant with pumped breast milk and formula while Beca slept. Having three on the same schedules proved difficult.
Which is why Beca and Jesse weren't just having a first birthday party for their babies.
They were having a survival party for themselves.
"Bec!" Jesse called. "What time does your mother's plane get in?"
"Chloe's picking her up!" Beca called, trying to flatten Toby's messy mop of hair. "But Dad and Sheila are arriving at seven, so it would be ideal if you picked them up! Can you bring me jackets for the kids?"
Three tiny jackets flew down the stairs, and Beca frowned.
"Thanks", she called sarcastically, tugging Jack towards her by the elastic on his pants.
"Hey hey hey!" Stacie called. "Aunt Stacie's here! And Aunt Amy's parking the car!"
"Stace, the party's not for another two days".
"What, so I'm not allowed to visit my favourite niece and nephews?"
"I am so telling Aubrey you said that!" Beca said gleefully, laughing.
"Three of my favourite niece and nephews", Stacie corrected. "You're acting like I've forgotten Harry, and I'd never forget Harry".
Molly crawled towards her, and Stacie scooped her up, kissing the top of her head.
"Can you put that on her?" Beca questioned, motioning towards the tiny pink jacket.
"I certainly can". Stacie stretched the jacket over Molly's little limbs, giving her one more kiss before sending her off to play with her brothers once more. "I can't believe they're almost one!"
"I know, I can't either". Beca chuckled, as Stacie tickled Jack.
"That's gone way too fast", the brunette voiced.
"They're so big now!" Caroline Swanson cooed, holding Jack gently in her arms.
"They're so beautiful!" Beca's stepmother Sheila agreed, tickling Toby under his chin, as Beca's mother Katherine held him.
Jesse loved their parents, he was forever grateful for their help, but sometimes he thought it would be easier if they didn't all come at once. And while he understood that there was no way they were missing their grandkids' first birthday, there was a lot of them.
But saying that, having five extra adults in the house gave him and Beca a chance to sleep and do regular household chores like go to the grocery store, on their own.
It was hard to believe that her babies would be one the next day. A year ago, she was overly pregnant and whale like (and despite what Jesse said, she was), spending her time whining about her feet and her boobs hurting ad cursing Jesse for coming near her. And then she had three little babies, all under four pounds (hell, Toby was under three pounds) and they were so fragile and small and they fretted every single day until they were home, wondering whether or not they would make it.
And then they did, and Beca and Jesse were faced with a completely new adventure, with three newborn babies.
But Beca wouldn't change a thing about her babies. They were perfect.
And as Toby sighed contently in his sleep, as Beca tucked them in for the last time as eleven month olds, she knew that she wouldn't want to change a thing.
"Happy birthday guys!" Beca laughed, coming into the nursery to see three grinning babies. "Hey! It's your birthday!"
They just squealed at her in delight, grinning toothily at their mother. Beca grinned, before lifting Jack out of his cot to change his nappy. She sang softly to him as she changed him, before setting him down on the floor and repeating the process with his brother and sister.
"Good morning!" Katherine said sweetly, grinning at her grandchildren.
"You're up early", Beca said in surprise, as her mother scooped up Toby.
"Everyone's awake!" Katherine was equally surprised to hear her daughter (the least morning person in the entire world) comment. Beca lifted up Molly and Jack in one quick motion, before following her mother down the stairs.
"Happy birthday!" Caroline cooed, taking Molly from her daughter in law the moment she saw them enter the kitchen. "Oh my God, I can't believe it's been a year!"
"I know", Will agreed, tickling Toby under his chin. "Happy birthday little man! Happy birthday Molly! Happy birthday Jack!"
"Say thank you Grandpa", Jesse told his son, coming in the door to hear his father in law's comment.
"Where have you been?" Beca asked suspiciously. "I woke up and the bed was empty!"
"I remembered that I had to get something from Benji", Jesse explained.
"What, and you couldn't wait for a decent hour?"
"What, and miss the cutest party hats in the world being part of the first annual Swanson triplets time of birth photo?" Jesse retorted, holding up his plastic bag and removing three party hats. There was a pink one with a pompom on the end, with a large number one and 'birthday girl' written in curls and two blue ones almost matching. "You can't tell me these aren't the cutest thing you've ever seen!"
(They were adorable.)
"That's so cute", Sheila beamed, and Jesse passed her one to put on Jack's head.
"Why did Benji have them?" Beca questioned, as Jesse pulled down a stack of party hats from the top cupboard (Beca was against party hats, but Jesse loved them. And Jesse won the party hat argument in that house)
"Benji found them, texted me photos and I forgot to pick them up last night". Jesse shrugged, reaching for the packet of balloons. "We aren't very organised; we need to get this happening!"
"We'll give them breakfast", Katherine offered, and Jesse handed the bag of balloons to Will and Barry.
"Right, Ma, you can get started on the big cake. Beca's just got to frost the little cakes".
(He only called her Ma when he wanted something, and Caroline knew that.)
"Come on, let's get this show on the road!" he called. "We're going out and hopefully timing it so that they crash before we get home, and then everyone's coming over after lunch".
"Hey guys", Jesse said with a grin, sitting beside Isaac's little headstone and pulling Toby and Molly into his lap. Beca plopped down beside him, holding Jack. "Two years, guys. We miss you".
"I wish you could meet these little guys", Beca said softly, chuckling a little as Jack reached out for the flowers. "But I know they're watching over you. And they're not going to forget you. Molly, Jack and Toby are going to grow up knowing who their big brothers and sister were".
"They're so much like you", Jesse said, his voice hitching in his throat. "And Aunt Aubrey's already commandeered Molly for the Bellas, Rosie, just like you. Jack's got your smile, Isaac".
"And Toby is so much like you, Connor".
"Happy birthday!"
Their friends arrived all at once, laden with presents.
Stacie scooped up Toby and Molly at the same time, peppering them with kisses, while Chloe kissed the top of Jack's head before swinging him into the air.
"Hey, I love their party hats!" Benji grinned. "It's kinda worth you breaking down my door at some stupid hour".
"See?" Beca said accusingly. "What did I tell you?"
"Yes dear", Jesse said loyally, laughing at the way Jack tweaked the elastic around his head.
"I never realised how chubby Jack's cheeks were!" Aubrey laughed, and Beca held her arms out for six and a half month old Harry, Aubrey and Michael's son and her kids' first 'cousin'.
"He's the biggest", Beca confirmed, cradling the baby boy gently. "But Molly's the longest. Toby's still tiny".
"Come here, baby girl, let's open some presents!" Chloe giggled, holding her arms out for the middle Swanson triplet.
(They had been surrounded by wrapping paper earlier, as they attacked presents from their grandparents and parents, and the three newly turned one year olds were more interested in the coloured paper than their gifts. But Jesse and Beca knew from experience that those moments wouldn't last forever.)
"Do you even know it's your birthday?" Donald asked Toby, helping him rip open a gift from Lily and himself. "You're one! That's really little!"
Toby looked at his Uncle with a knowing grin, and Donald chuckled.
They attacked their presents from their aunts and uncles (who spoilt them even more than normal), once more favouring the wrapping paper and boxes over their gifts. Beca, chuckling, took the gifts aside, taking a moment to look at the cards that their friends had put so much effort into writing.
They were so much more than just friends. They were her babies beloved aunts, uncles and cousin (Beca wanted to plurify 'cousin' but Aubrey had informed them all that Harry was to be an only child), always there for her.
And that itself meant the world.
"Beca and I would just like to take a moment to thank you all", Jesse said, as he strapped Molly into her highchair, allowing her to join the boys in their birth order row. "For supporting us through everything, throughout the last year and earlier. I don't think we would have survived with newborn triplets without you all".
"Thank you for everything", Beca added, coming into the room with her arms laden with cake. Three invidually iced cakes, and the large chocolate sheet cake that Caroline had made. "I mean, even for watching Jack, Molly and Toby for us while we did the grocery shopping or had a half an hour nap. Chloe, you kept me eating for the first few weeks at home, and that alone means so much".
"Let's get this party started!" Jesse called, breaking the seriousness of the moment before his wife started bawling.
Jesse set the first blue cake in front of Jack, and the little boy looked at it with wide eyes.
"Happy birthday to you", Beca and Jesse started, their family immediately joining in. "happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Jack, happy birthday to you!"
Beca lit the single candle on the top of his cake, and he looked at it in concern.
"Here, buddy, let Daddy help you", Jesse said encouragingly, showing his son how to blow it out.
It took him two tries, and the candle flickered warily, but the little boy puffed out his first birthday candle and was greeted with cheers from his family.
"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Molly, happy birthday to you!"
Molly blew out her candle on the first try, grinning cheekily up at her parents.
"Good job baby girl!" Jesse grinned.
"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Toby, happy birthday to you!"
Toby puffed out his candle and the moment his mother plucked the candle from his blue iced cake, shoved his fist into it. They all laughed, as Molly and Jack mirrored his actions (whilst Jack was the ringleader, Toby was the daredevil and often influenced new decisions), Chloe capturing the moment with her camera.
Jesse was the one who sliced the knife through the slab cake his mother made, dishing out generous sized portions to all of their family. But Beca stood back, looking in wonder at her three happy, healthy babies and wondering how on earth it had only been a year.
Jesse sidled up beside her, offering her a slice of cake and she took the plate, grinning at him appreciatively.
"Penny for your thoughts, beautiful?"
"You are so cheesy", she informed him.
(She knew that when she married him, why was she acting so surprised?)
"I can't believe it's been a year", she said, instead of continuing her previous statement (like she had done in the past). "I mean, how has it been a year?"
"It's crazy", Jesse said, shaking his head. "I mean, before we know it, we'll be teaching them how to drive-"
"There is no 'we' about that statement, that is all you. You will be the one teaching them how to drive while I sit back, an innocent bystander in the crowd".
"And sending them off to college", Jesse finished.
(Apparently he wanted to see his wife bawl her eyes out or something.)
College seemed a long way off, for the three little cake smeared babies in their highchairs.
"Let's not think about that right now", Beca decided, going over and kissing Toby's messy cheek. "Because you're only one! That's still little!"
It had been one hell of a year, but Beca knew that their adventures were only beginning. They were in for the rollercoaster of a lifetime, and she couldn't wait.