Making Sense of the past

Soda

Taking in the two babies that I knew I had Fathered I was taken back to our very first time.

At fifteen we were celebrating our yearlong anniversary at her house having decided to take the next steps a few months ago. She'd gotten on the pill a month ago in preparation and now we were in her bedroom alone. Giving her the sly smile that usually got me everything I wanted when it came to her.

"You ready?" I asked pulling back from a languid kiss as I laid her on the bed. Smiling at her shy smile my grin widened. My Violet was never one to be shy, so this was a change of pace with me as the aggressor, and I liked it.

"Yes," She said breathing heavily as we stripped down to nothing, seeing each other naked for the first time.

We'd been hot and heavy from the moment we started dating, but this was new to us.

"Soda," She whispered shivering as I moved over her.

"Yeah baby?"

"What if I get pregnant?"

Smiling at the streak of responsibility I had never known existed I cherished the warmth that spread through me at the thought of her swollen with my child.

"Then we'll get married sooner than we planned," I whispered honestly, stroking her to make sure she was ready for what was about to happen.

"Oh Soda," She whispered breathlessly arching as she ran her hands over my body as if she was memorizing ever nook.

" You're my girl Giselle Violet Shepard, and I will always take care of you," I whispered placing my lips over her's before driving home, and buying myself inside her for the first time.

Blinking I returned to the present smiled at her holding my arms out to accept the squirming bundles who were eyeing me curiously.

"This is your daddy," She whispered easing them in to my arms.

Everything made since now. Why she left the way she had and never contacted us. If I had known about the kids I would have made her come home or went to her. There was no way Darry could have made it own his own for the past year with Pony Boy, and the courts would have pulled him out of the house quicker than you could say boo if Gigi had stayed with us knocked up. As usual she had done what she thought was the right thing for our family, both the one we had created together, and the one she had practically been adopted in to.

"Dada."

Fighting back tears as Ace said my name and clapped his hands as his sister giggled and buried her head in to the crook of my neck I felt myself choke up.

"Giselle?"

"Shh, they know who you are Soda Pop, I showed them pictures all their lives, I just … I didn't know how to tell you, or when …" She said shaking her had as she looked down at her feet.

"Honey if I had known I would have taken care of you," I whispered feeling lower than dog shit at the thought of her caring for two newborns all on her lonesome. Suddenly thinking of their birth I looked at her grief stricken.

"Who was with you when they were born."

"Dallas," She said blushing as my mouth feel open.

"He came up, and stayed with me for a few months after they were born, it helped a lot, and no one questioned him about where he went for a couple months, he'd always been a wanderer like that," She said smiling as the twins made a mess of my carefully styled coif.

Gigi

It was good to finally see the three of them together. There was no doubt that he was their Father, and he seemed genuinely happy to be a parent. Too bad he didn't feel the same way about me. Still I had no regrets, I did what was best for us all at the time.

"They have your mom's birthday, March 13th at 8:00 in the morning." I said knowing there would be many things he'd want to now.

"I have everything written down, first words, first steps, and I took plenty of pictures, I knew you'd want that."

"I'm a Dad Gi," he said inhaling the scent that only toddlers seemed to carry.

" I know, you'll be a good one too," I said trying to still my racing heart.

We were so close to being the family we'd always dreamed about. Shaking my head as I thought of my own parents I accepted reality. Things didn't always go as planned, so you had to be able to go with the flow.

"Everything going ok out here?" Tim asked smiling as he stuck his head out and saw Soda totally engrossed with acquainting himself with his children.

"Looks like it," I said trying to hide the fact that my heart was breaking in two.

"Give it time," He mouthed winking before slipping back inside.

Seeing the overwhelmed look cross Soda's face I moved over to his side.

"What do we do?"

" We work it out slowly, I'm not going anywhere, and you know I'd never try to keep you from them, I've always wanted you in their lives, they deserve two parents who love them."

"What about the guys…"

" We can take them over now, let me grab the diaper bag," I said ready to get the truth out as soon as possible.

Taking care of the two of them had been hard, and I was ready to have as many helping hands as I could get.

Soda

Studying the two toddlers in my arms I couldn't think of them as any thing but perfect. Ace took after Gigi with his dark hair, and olive skin, but his eyes were all mine, as well as the smile I knew would get him in to trouble one day. Poppy's red hair was definitely from my side of the family, as well as her peaches and cream skin tone, and her delicate facial features reminded me of my mother with a little bit of Gigi mixed in.

: Wonder what the boys will say: I thought smiling as Gigi returned with a green bag that had ducks all over it.

"Rule number one, never leave home without this," She said winking as we headed to my house.

Suddenly nervous I shifted Ace higher on my hip, and looked over at Gigi who was cooing to Poppy.

"You ready Soda?" She asked smiling at my shaky grin.

"Me and you Violet?"

"I'm you're flower and you're still my card, we'll get through it," She said making me gasp as I suddenly realized why my children had their names.