Chapter Twenty-One: Big Girls Don't Cry

Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry.

"Arghhh!" I shouted, sucking in my stomach and imagining it was the size of a toothpick as I heaved the button and buttonhole together with as much force as I could muster.

They barely even budged.

"No, no, no," I whispered on a whine, pulling again with a grunt as I leaned against the foot of my bed. My face scrunched with the effort I was using, and my fingers were turning white as I gripped at my jeans.

Nothing.

"Come on!" I urged, groaning and tugging with as much muscle as I could muster while hopping in place on the carpet.

But the material refused to even acknowledge my pitiful attempts.

I gave up, fingers numb as they slipped off of the stupidest pair of jeans I'd ever had in my life. I fell back against the bed, bouncing on the comforter as blonde hair fell over my face.

"Sang, are you ready?" Victor's baritone voice called from the hallway so sweetly, and I felt my face crumple from his kindness.

Well, that and the fact that I was too fat to button my jeans anymore.

"Sang?" Victor called again when I couldn't get my throat to work properly. I cleared it, trying to pull myself together before I answered.

"Almost," I called back, voice a little wobbly as I blinked back the impending tears.

There were a few beats of silence as I briefly closed my eyes and took a deep breath, but then Victor was turning the corner into my room and I was surrounded by berries and moss as he came to my side.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." I sniffled back the tears, crossing both arms over my face to hide from his well meant concern. It felt glaringly obvious as I was lying on my back with my jeans both unzipped and unbuttoned.

I was fat.

"Sang," Victor murmured, and the bed dipped down next to me as he sat. "It seems like something is wrong."

"Nothing's wrong, Victor." I sighed, causing strands of hair to fly up over my mouth before landing back down. I rolled a bit to the side away from him, feeling too ashamed to face my attractive husband when I felt uglier than a gigantic opossum that had been dropped in the mud. "I'm just…"

Victor's hand met my shoulder, rubbing gently until his fingers slid down my side and traced each individual rib. "You're…?"

"I'm…." I sighed again, letting my arms fall as I continued my roll until I was facedown against the comforter. My voice was muffled and sullen against the sheets as I admitted, "I'm fat."

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that," Victor remarked with a hint of amusement. His hand slid over to my side and rolled me back over until my back was against the bed. I took a deep breath before opening my eyes to see his simmering ones gazing back down at me. "You're what?"

"I'm fat," I declared bluntly, my lower lip pushing out into a pathetic pout as I lied there uselessly. "I can't button my jeans."

Victor's eyes trailed down to my stomach, where my shirt had dragged itself up from all of the rolling, and my midriff was revealed. Light pink underwear could be seen where the stupid jeans refused to button.

His eyes lit up, a smile blossoming across his handsome face as he took in the slight baby bump.

"You're not fat, Sang. You're pregnant," Victor assured me reasonably, his hand inching from my side to splay over my lower stomach. "You're starting to show."

He looked entirely too happy about my waistline expanding, but it did help the self consciousness that was starting to eat at me. At least he didn't look repulsed by it.

"I don't fit into my jeans," I repeated quietly, my lower lip starting to tremble.

"Well, I guess that's normal." Victor's smile wasn't going anywhere, and his thumb started rubbing softly back and forth over my belly button. "Your jeans were made for a non-pregnant Sang. You're a pregnant Sang now."

I sniffled again, biting on my lip to try and calm it down. I was practically melting from his sweetness, and it was difficult to stay angry at the jeans. "But I wanted to wear them today. They're my favorite jeans…."

"Sang." Victor laughed, his head falling back as he beamed at the ceiling, before he shook his head at me. "I'll buy you more jeans that will fit, okay? I'll order them today. But in the meantime, do you think you could change your plans and wear something else today? I'm not sure the world is ready for a pantsless Sang yet."

"But what if nothing else fits?" I asked warily.

"I know you have some lounge pants with elastic waistlines. And some of your skirts are stretchy." Victor's lips twitched, eyes filled with laughter as he caught mine. "Or you can borrow some of my pants."

"I'm probably too fat for them now." I frowned.

"Sang!" Victor cried, laughing incredulously before giving my stomach a light squeeze. "Stop it. You're not fat, and I'm not going to spend the rest of this pregnancy reassuring you of that. That'd be ridiculous. Now repeat what I say, okay? I am not fat."

"I am not fat," I mumbled halfheartedly.

"I have a baby growing inside of me," Victor continued firmly, and I felt my own lips twitch at the thought of him actually being pregnant as well. It wasn't a pretty sight.

"I have a baby growing inside of me," I repeated with a small smile.

"The bigger my stomach gets, the healthier our baby is," Victor continued, leaning down closer until his fire eyes were only a foot away from mine. "And it's a good thing that my belly is getting big."

"The bigger my stomach gets, the healthier our baby is," I said just as softly. "And it's a good thing that my belly is getting big."

"And Victor is the sweetest, most handsomest husband I could ever ask for," Victor declared quietly, eyes lit with happiness as he smiled.

I snorted, raising an eyebrow at his angelic expression as I gripped his hand over my stomach. "And Victor is the sweetest, most devious husband I could ever ask for," I whispered back.

"No, that'd be Luke." He grinned, hovering over me.

"No, that'd be Luke," I parroted, cracking a grin as Victor's brow dipped. His fingers tightened on my belly, preparing for what could've only been a tickle fight. I panicked, wrapping my fingers around his neck and pulling his lips down to mine.

It was a pathetic attempt to stop his fingers from tickling, but somehow it worked as Victor's lips molded against mine. His were soft and warm and yielding, and I didn't waste any time before tracing his lower lip with my tongue—wanting to explore him further.

He nibbled back on my lip, before prying them open and sweeping inside in his own exploration. I welcomed him, warmth pooling in my stomach and sparks igniting in my toes as he his tongue massaged mine in a way that had my head spinning.

Hands massaged, his chest met mine, and a cold belt buckle tickled the bare skin above my waist as I shivered against the sheets.

"Stop being cute," Victor mumbled against my lips, his hand sliding up to rest against my neck as fingers tangled in the hair at my nape.

My lips smiled against his, and I opened my eyes to see flames waving back at me.

"Stop being cute," I whispered back, my lips fluttering against his as I spoke.

Victor groaned, planting a sweet kiss on my lips before leaning up on his elbow to hover over me. His gaze redirected, until he was leaning up to plant a kiss on my temple.

"Your bruise is nearly gone. You can barely notice it," he said. "How's the one on your stomach doing?"

"It's fine," I answered honestly, trailing my hand down his side until I could press it testingly against my stomach. "There's still a little bruising, but it only hurts if I really press down hard on it."

Victor chuckled, placing another featherlight kiss on my temple. "Then don't press down hard on it."

"I wasn't!" I cried, poking at his side and smiling when he squirmed on top of me. Two could play that game. "Stop teasing me."

"I wouldn't want to tease anyone else." Victor smiled, pulling back until he was standing beside me again. His hand still rested on my stomach, and I didn't want it moving an inch. "North doesn't blush the way you do."

I blushed on cue as his eyes swept over my body, before I kicked at him gently with my foot. "Focus, Victor. Clothes. We're leaving soon."

"Don't worry. We'll find something else for you to wear." Victor's smile was all kinds of wonderful as he looked down at me lying sprawled on the bed.

"I'm going to outgrow everything eventually, though." I pouted, unable to keep the whine out of my tone. I knew to expect it with being pregnant and all, but that didn't stop me from feeling undesirable when I couldn't button my own freaking jeans.

"Then I'll buy you a new wardrobe," Victor assured me indulgently, leaning down to plant a sweet kiss on my nose. "Gabriel has been bugging me about shopping for maternity clothes soon anyways. I wasn't sure how much longer I could hold him off. Kota said it was a good idea to wait until you were showing, in case you grew really quickly."

"I don't know. I don't feel like I've changed much, but apparently my jeans do." I sighed, resting a hand over Victor's on my stomach. I traced my finger over the back of his hand, mesmerized by how smooth his skin was. "I wonder how big the baby is now."

"Sean will probably know. Or Kota," Victor guessed, continuing the ministrations with his thumb. "I'll find something else for you to wear, though."

"Thank you, Victor," I whispered as his hand slipped away and he headed for the closet. I was being a baby, and I was very much aware of it, but all I wanted to do was hide under the covers and pout until the baby was born so I could go back to not worrying about whether or not my jeans would button.

"Here, how about this skirt?" Victor suggested after barely a few seconds, holding up a pale pink a-line skirt. There were flecks of gold dusting the bottom of it, but I bit my lip unsurely. If it didn't fit, I was afraid I would actually start crying. "It has an elastic waistline."

"Okay, I'll try it." I blew out a breath, heaving myself up from the bed and reaching out for the skirt. I made quick work of wiggling out of my jeans before stepping into the skirt. It fit snuggly around my thighs as I tugged it on, but then rested comfortably against my hips.

I let out a relieved breath.

"There. That fits, right?" Victor asked unsurely, as if he couldn't tell. I took pity on the poor boy and nodded.

"Thank God," I mumbled, swaying side to side and watching as the skirt billowed out softly.

"You're gorgeous, Sang," Victor murmured appreciatively, watching as my hips swayed.

"And you're a wonderful husband, Victor." I took a step forward, wrapping my arms around his middle as I leaned against his chest.

His arms circled around my shoulders as warm lips met my forehead.

"Are you ready to tell Erica?" His lips asks against my skin.

"I think so," I mumbled, pulling back until my hands rested against his sides. "Are you ready to tell Jasmine?"

Victor's lips pursed, and his hand settled against the bare skin of my neck. "I'm not going to tell her."

"Victor." I gaped, a little surprised. "It'll be kind of obvious when…"

"I mean I'm not going to tell her in person," Victor clarified. "I'll send her an announcement once you're showing more. Maybe we'll send a picture."

I sucked in my lips, but couldn't just let it go. "Are you sure...? We can—"

"I'm sure," Victor promised, giving my side a squeeze as his smile turned forced. "I'm done trying to mend fences that don't want to be mended, Sang. She had her chance. Heck, she's had more than enough chances."

"Okay," I agreed warily, not wanting him to regret this later. "Alright, that's fair. We'll send her a picture, then."

"Family is a choice." Victor reminded me, tracing a finger along my neck until it met the lobe of my ear. "I chose mine, and she isn't part of it."

I didn't allow my doubt to show, wanting to fully support Victor in his decision.

"But I am," I whispered happily, leaning up and placing a gentle kiss on Victor's welcoming lips.

"You are," Victor murmured in agreement against my lips, before fusing them together again for a long, luxurious kiss. "You're everything."

"You ready?" Kota asked with a smile, standing so confidently in front of his car that he made my knees weak.

"Yep." I nodded, slipping my hand into his offered one as he opened the passenger door. "Erica knows we're coming over?"

"Yes. She's been wanting to have us over for dinner for awhile now, and tonight worked for both of us. This was perfect timing," Kota assured me.

"Is it just the two of us?" I asked cautiously, sliding into the passenger seat as Kota hovered next to the door. "I thought everyone would want to come."

"Victor and Nate are coming along, too," Kota answered. "Everyone wanted to be there and I'm sure my mom would've loved to have all the guys, but with Steve…."

I winced, leaning back against the seat. "Probably a good call that we don't all show up."

Kota smiled, nodding his head in agreement. "Victor and Nate couldn't miss it, though. The others said they'll catch up with my mom and Jess later."

Nathan came flying out the front door just as Kota closed my door, and Victor wasn't far behind him. They both slid into the backseat as Kota took the driver's seat, and we were off to Sunnyvale Court.

The drive was quiet, but comforting. Spring was almost upon us, and I focused on spotting tulips sprouting up outside the windows and trees turning green as their leaves grew back. My mind was filled to the brim with wonderings and worries. We were heading to Erica's to tell her I was pregnant, and I wasn't sure what to think or feel.

Telling Uncle had been…overwhelming, to say the least. I wasn't sure if I could handle another announcement like that.

Then last night, I was up late with Sean skyping his parents in Japan to give them the news. They were ecstatic, but I always felt a little icky after talking to them. They knew Sean and I were married...but they didn't know about my relationship with the other eight members of our family. But Sean wasn't comfortable telling them in fear of how they would react, and the lie had gone on for so long now that I would feel even worse owning up to it.

It was a sore spot, and I could only hope I felt better about telling Kota's family.

We didn't live as close to Erica's house as she would've liked, but it wasn't twenty minutes later that we were pulling into her drive and Nathan was opening my door.

"Moment of truth." He grinned toothily, before brushing back a stray lock of red hair that fell across his forehead. He was beaming, but I didn't miss the shaking of his hand when he helped me out of the car.

Nathan was nervous.

I could see why; Erica was practically his own mother. This was a big deal for all three of them.

"Are you ready?" I whispered, giving his hand a squeeze as we turned towards the house.

Nathan took a deep breath before letting it out, serious blue eyes turning to gaze down into mine. "As ready as I'll ever be. Let's do this."

We practically ran to the front door, and Kota hadn't even finished ringing the bell before Erica ws swinging the door open with a smile.

"Dakota!" She beamed, ushering him forward as she pulled the door open wider. "Come in, come in. Sang, sweetheart! Nathan and Victor, get in here. I haven't seen you all in ages! Please, please. Come in."

Kota embraced his mother in a warm hug as we all trudged in, and I was next in line as Erica wrapped me inside of her own warm embrace. I had a moment of panic that the baby bump was obvious and she already knew, but then she was moving to Nathan and Victor with hugs and cheek kisses.

"Kota!" Jessica cried out, flying around the corner and into her brother's arms with an oof. Kota chuckled, wrapping his arms around his little sister as I hovered nearby. "I can't believe you're here!"

"I haven't been gone that long," Kota said defensively. "I visited like two weeks ago."

"Two weeks is forever," Jessica complained, pulling back with a beaming grin. Then her gaze flitted to mine, and I was on the receiving end of another wide grin. "Sang! I haven't seen you in forever!"

I laughed, accepting her hug as she practically tackled me. "It's great to see you, Jess."

"You need to visit more," Jessica told me firmly as she squeezed me tightly. "We haven't had a girls night in ages."

"Maybe if you started allowing boys to attend, we could have them more often," I couldn't resist pointing out with a smile. Jessica hated it when I mentioned bringing the boys each time, but I honestly thought Gabriel would be a hit at girls night.

"Hard pass," Jessica said with a scrunched nose as she pulled back.

"Hey, I could be fun at girls night," Nathan told us with a frown, and I snickered at the pouty look on his handsome face.

"Whatever, Nate." Jessica rolled her eyes. "Have your own girls night then."

"Please don't give him any ideas," Victor pleaded quietly as Nathan considered it.

"That's enough," Kota cut through, his voice slipping into its commanding tone as Nathan opened his mouth. All four of us listened, turning to face Kota and his amused mother. "We actually have some news for you two."

"News?" Jessica echoed doubtfully. "Is this about Silas eating ten hotdogs in twenty seconds again? Because I'm not going to pretend to be impressed. It wasn't cool the first time you all started shouting about it, and it isn't—"

"Jess," Kota cut her off with an exasperated shake of his head. "It's nothing like that, but it's big news."

"Big news?" Erica echoed this time, and it was so obvious her and Jessica were related simply from their reactions. But Erica's eyes were more concerned than annoyed as she placed a hand over your heart. "Don't tell me you're all moving, are you? You're leaving? But why—"

"No, we're not moving!" Nathan cut in this time as his eyes widened. "No one is moving."

"It's good news, Mom," Kota assured her as she calmed down. His eyes darted to mine as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Great news."

"Amazing news," Victor chimed in quietly.

"Totally awesome news," Nathan offered his two cents.

"The best news," I couldn't resist adding, and all three boys beamed at me. I fought off a blush, clasping both hands behind my back.

"Okay, okay. You've got my attention," Erica assured us, gesturing for Kota to continue. "What is it?"

"Well, Mom. Jess." Kota took a deep breath, finding my eyes again as his lips threatened to split from smiling. "There's going to be a new member joining our family. Sang is pregnant."

Both Erica and Jessica's jaws drops in a comical fashion as they gaped at Kota. One second passed, then two, before Jessica was hopping up and down in place.

"Oh em gee! Are you serious, Kota? You're going to have a baby? I'm going to be an aunt? This is the best day ever!" Jessica cried, bouncing on her toes before she pulled Kota into a bear hug. He laughed, wrapping his arms around her as well.

"Jess, please don't ever say 'oh em gee' again," Kota responded flatly, but I saw the corners of his lips twitching as Jessica gave him a tight squeeze.

"Dakota," Erica scowled lightly, before a smile broke through that was the epitome of a loving mother as she watched her children embrace. Then she turned to me, and it wasn't hard to notice the tears welling in her eyes. "Get over here, Sang."

She sniffled loudly, and her arms were opened wide for me as I readily walked into them. Erica was warm and soft and another reminder of a home I'd found outside of where there should've been one.

My own eyes started to sting as I wrapped my arms around her, and Erica sniffed against the top of my head as she rocked me side to side.

"Oh, dear. I didn't expect this. This is wonderful," Erica said laughingly, pulling back and grasping my shoulders as she looked over me. "A baby! I don't know how I missed it. You're already glowing! How far along are you?"

"Fifteen weeks," I answered with a smile, still not quite believing it myself.

"I...wow, a baby," Erica repeated slowly, clearing her throat as she beckoned Kota over. "My son...hav-having a baby. Oh my. Da-Dakota…"

"It's okay, Mom." Kota smiled bashfully, rolling his eyes as he folded his now weeping mother into his arms. "These better be happy tears."

"Th-they are," she wailed against his shoulder, squeezing him so tightly I winced in sympathy pain as I wondered if a bone was going to snap.

"Sang," Jessica whispered from my side, and I reluctantly pulled my watering eyes away from Kota and his mother to find Jessica beaming at me before she pulled me into a fierce hug. "Congrats. This is huge!"

"It is." I laughed incredulously, trying not to think of how huge my stomach felt already when trying to get dressed this morning. "Thank you, Jess. It's about all we've been able to think about lately."

Jessica's laughter joined mine, and her eyes doubled in size as she turned to Nathan and Victor. "Oh my God, that's right...I totally spaced for a second. Oh my God, you guy must be going insane!"

Nathan's smirk spoke volumes, and Victor was conveniently quiet, but Jessica simply pulled them both into hugs just as enthusiastically as she had me.

"Congrats, Nate! You're going to be a dad! Oh my God, and Victor!"

"Please, please stop saying 'Oh my God', Jessie," Kota pleaded, rocking his mother back and forth as he tried to calm down her tears. "It's not a productive habit."

"Shut up, Kota, or I'll tell your baby that math is stupid!" Jess rebuked, sticking out her tongue at her older brother. Kota had the audacity to look appalled at her behavior, and I couldn't stifle my laughter. "I have to go call Carrie and tell her I'm going to be an aunt!"

Jessica's brunette hair billowed behind her as she fled the room, and Kota rolled his eyes.

"Oh, I still can't believe it. I didn't even know you kids were trying," Erica babbled, pulling back from Kota with a tearstained smile. "I'm going to be a grandma. My little boy is—wait, I mean...I'm going to be...well, Kota, it's...yours...right...?"

My heart dropped into my stomach, and my eyes found the floor exceedingly interesting as Erica's voice trailed off into something quieter than a whisper. I didn't have the guts to see the look on Kota's face as he answered his mom.

Kota sighed, and I knew this was going to be a rip-off-the-bandaid moment. "Mom, you're going to be a grandma no matter what. Okay? Let's just leave it at that."

"Right, of course. Of course," Erica answered immediately, and I looked up to see her shaking her head. "I'm sorry, I just had a moment. My son told me his wife was pregnant, and I forgot…."

I think it was safe to say that things were getting a little uncomfortable in the Lee's living room. Victor and Nathan were hovering unsurely behind me, and I hadn't even realized that Erica hadn't looked their way once yet since we'd made the announcement.

That changed, and it wasn't a second later that she was bustling over to them.

"Boys, give me a hug!" Erica ordered, sweeping them both into her arms. "I'm sorry. I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks, Erica," Nathan mumbled into the hug. Victor nodded too, squeezing tightly as Erica clung to them.

"Oh, Nathan, sweetheart. You're going to be a dad! You must be thrilled." Erica rained kisses over his face, and I couldn't hold in a snicker as his cheeks went bright red. That earned me a glare over her shoulder, but there wasn't any heat in it.

Not when his cheeks had stolen all of his body heat.

"Yeah, I'm pretty psyched about it," Nathan assured her with a smile, still squeezing her back despite all of the kisses.

"And little mister Victor!" Erica's kisses turned to a new cheek, and Nathan let out a sigh of relief. Victor hugged her almost unsurely as he accepted Erica's affection, but he looked pleased. "All grown up now, aren't you?"

"Eh, I wouldn't go that far," Nathan answered for him with a grin. "Vic still sleeps with a nightlight."

"Hey," Victor cried as they pulled back from the hug, chopping Nathan over the head. "It's not a nightlight. It's an alarm clock that simulates the sunrise."

Nathan just shrugged, the dopey grin not leaving his face as Erica shook her head at them.

"I'm certain it's lovely, Victor," Erica assured him diplomatically, before reaching out and grasping Kota's hand. "Now just let me whip us all up something to eat. Please join me in the kitchen, won't you all? I want to hear everything."

"There's not much to tell, Mom," Kota warned her, his free hand reaching up to scratch at the back of his neck as Erica lead us into the kitchen.

"Really now?" An eyebrow raised, and Kota winced from his mother's look. "So you're saying Sang hasn't been to the doctor yet? There's no story of her finding out she was pregnant, and how she told all of you? All of your reactions, and if Owen fainted? What your plans are? Don't give me that, Kota. There's plenty to tell, and I want to hear everything."

"Okay, okay," Kota said laughingly as we entered the kitchen, and Victor pulled out a seat for me at the table. Nathan sat across from me, and Kota gave his mom a kiss on the cheek before joining at my other side. "I guess we'll start from the top."

"That means you're up, Princess." Victor winked, settling down into his chair. "Tell her how you found out."

Erica pulled a carton of eggs out of the refrigerator as she watched me expectantly, and I cleared the lump in my throat. This wasn't exactly a story I was hoping to relive.

"Well, I was at the hospital for my check-up," I explained, crossing my legs at the ankles and clasping both hands in my lap. "And Dr. Roberts was going over all of these questions, and I said—"

"Erica?" A deep voice called from the front of the house, followed by a door slamming shut. "Are you home? There's a car in the drive, and it isn't one of...ours…"

A tall, slender man in a business suit rounded the corner into the kitchen, coming to a stop when he noticed our pow-wow at the table. The small smile froze on his angular face as he looked over us, and I dropped my gaze to the kitchen tiles.

"Steve. Hi, honey," Erica greeted cheerily, giving the brunette man a kiss as Nathan quietly pretended to gag. Victor snorted, and I felt a slight kick to my ankle under the table. I yelped, giving Victor a sharp look as he shrugged apologetically. "You know that's Dakota's car. Sang, Victor, and Nathan are visiting, too."

"Hi, dear," Steve greeted back, returning his wife's kiss before he eyed us again and offered a nod. "Dakota. Nice to see you again."

"You too, Steve," Kota answered readily, standing up and giving the man a handshake. I started to stand, but hovered uncertainly in my seat. He hadn't greeted me directly, and I always felt like I was walking on eggshells around Kota's stepdad.

"The kids have some news!" Erica grinned, and I tried not to grimace at her referring to us as kids again. She beamed at me, before eyeing us expectantly. "Go on, tell him."

Kota met my eyes unsurely, before glancing at Nathan and Victor with the same hesitation. Victor nudged my toe with his, and nodded towards Kota. Nathan's eyes dropped to the surface of the table. I stood up from the chair, grasping Kota's hand as he took a deep breath.

"We're having a baby," he told Steve, ripping off the bandaid again. "Sang's pregnant, and she's about fifteen weeks along."

Erica's answering grin made my heart melt all over again as we waiting expectantly for Steve to say something. It took a few beats of him staring passively at Kota, before a smile stretched across his face and he reached out to squeeze Erica's hand.

"That's incredible," Steve exclaimed, and I let out a breath I hadn't known I'd been holding. He reached out for me first, and I was pulled into another hug. I returned it as confidently as I could. His suit smelled freshly cleaned, and his hug was friendly. That didn't stop me from smiling when he released me and held out a hand to Kota, though. "Congratulations."

Kota shook his offered hand with a smile. "Thank you, Steve."

"I'm really happy for you two." Steve smiled, shaking Kota's hand as he glanced back at me. "This is a big step, but I know you're both ready for it. I hope you know Erica and I are here to support you the entire way."

The smile was frozen on my face, and Kota's had dropped completely when his stepdad let his hand go.

"Steve…" Erica started unsurely, before trailing off. Nathan and Victor were silent at the table, but the tension was like a blanket resting over all of us.

Except for Steve apparently.

"You two are going to be great parents," Steven continued obliviously. "Just let us know if you need anything. Now you'll have to excuse me. Work was brutal, and I need to go wash up. Congratulations, both of you."

Each second that he went without acknowledging Nathan and Victor was like a stab to my heart, and I didn't relax until his footsteps disappeared around the corner.

"I'm so sorry…" Erica broke the uncomfortable silence he'd left behind, and Kota quickly shook his head at her.

"It's not your fault, Mom. He honestly took it better than I expected," Kota assured her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We've known since the beginning how Steve feels about our lifestyle."

"I just wish he wouldn't be like that." Erica sighed, frowning as she wiped her hands on the dish towel. "He's a good man, Dakota."

"I know," Kota answered lightly. And it was true. If he wasn't a good man, there was no way Kota would've let him stick around. He turned to his mom with a smile. "Honestly, we're just incredibly lucky you've been so accepting. It would be too good to be true if everyone was alright with this."

Erica sighed again, pulling her son into a hug as his hand remained gripped fiercely around mine.

"You ten have never needed anyone else's approval," she remarked firmly. "All you've ever needed was each other. From the very beginning it's been about you all, and you never needed my acceptance of approval. That isn't going to change with this baby either."

"I'll always need you, Mom," Kota promised her so quietly I almost missed it. "Especially now."

"Now don't start making me cry again," Erica scolded lightly with a sniffle before she pulled back and beckoned me over. "Come on, Sang. Change of plans. I say we send these boys out on a few errands for me, and I can tell you all about was Dakota was like when he was a baby. Maybe you'll find some of the tales useful. I learned a lot of things the hard way, and I want to do my job as a mother to make sure you don't have the same hardships."

"I'd love that," I answered readily as Kota winced.

"Perfect. Now run along, boys! Shoo," Erica ordered, waving her dish towel at them as Nathan and Victor leapt up from their chairs. I got a few hugs and kisses, and then the boys were out the door as Erica handed me a bag of flour. "Have I ever told you the story about when Dakota refused to take naps?"

"No." I laughed without even knowing the story, setting the flour down on the counter and pulling out measuring cups. Just the idea of a miniature Kota frowning in his bed as his mom tried to put him down for a nap tickled my insides.

"Well he wasn't even two years old yet, and mind you I was working twelve hour shifts four days in a row, and I really counted on his naptime for me to get a few chores done," Erica explained as she pulled out more ingredients. "But my little Dakota got it in his head that he was too old for naps. He was such a shy little thing, but his brain was already smarter than mine. He had this special alarm clock that glowed different colors based on what time it was. I had set it to red for his naptime, and when the clock was red that meant he had to stay in his crib and be quiet. Those were the rules, and Dakota has always loved rules."

"He sure does," I mumbled in agreement as I listened with rapt attention, recalling how long it had taken Kota and I to kiss.

"So one day the clock wasn't working, and Dakota kept yelling for me. He claimed the clock was broken, and he would fix it if he could just go get his 'tools.' I could only assume that he meant the plastic Fisher-Price ones. I reminded him that it was naptime, and that he could fix it after his nap. But he said he couldn't sleep unless the clock was red. I was too tired to argue logically with an almost-two-year old, so I told him to turn around and face away from the clock. That way he would be able to sleep."

"Sounds logical to me," I offered in support, even though it had been decades since that happened. I smiled at the picture of a cute little Kota standing up in his crib and arguing with his mom.

"Dakota claimed he needed his tools, but I said it was out of the question," Erica continued as she offered me the brown sugar and vanilla. I set them next to the flour. "So he said he would need to sit in his thinking chair in order to think of another solution."

I laughed, finding chocolate chips in her sweets drawer and raising an eyebrow at my mother-in-law. "He did not."

"Yes, I swear he used those very words," Erica assured me sincerely. "I was flabbergasted. So of course I let him out of his crib, and he sat in his little thinking chair. Before I knew it, naptime was over, and I had spent the entire time listening to Dakota's ideas from the thinking chair and handing him books from the shelf after he claimed they would give him the answer."

"He sounds like he was a handful." I giggled, covering my lips with a palm as she laughed too.

"Oh, he was. But he turned out to be a pretty amazing boy," she said wistfully, turning to me with a smile. "And I couldn't be more proud of the man he's become."

I swallowed around a growing lump, nodding as her glistening eyes met mine. "I agree."

"Dakota's going to be a great dad," Erica assured me quietly. "It's something he was born to do. Something I know he's wanted for awhile."

"He's going to be an amazing dad," I agreed quietly as she pulled me into another hug. "The best."

"They all are," Erica whispered as she squeezed me tightly. "Just like you're going to be a wonderful mother. This baby couldn't have asked for better parents. You're a lucky girl, Sang."

I sucked in my lips at her kind words, but that didn't stop me from disagreeing with her.

I wasn't just a lucky girl; I was the luckiest.