Tobias and I are lazily lying on a large pile of floor pillows in the sunroom after making love again. We've had each other so many times and in so many different ways, I've lost track. Right now, he's on his back with his fingertips repeatedly threading through my tangled hair, and I'm on my tummy between his legs with my head resting on his stomach. My fingers are idly tracing his Dauntless flames tattoo. I should be absolutely exhausted from a lack of sleep and overexertion but instead, I'm feeling extremely content. We've laughed, talked, and loved for a few precious hours, just being lovers instead of Mommy and Daddy.

"Love?"

"Hhm?"

"What has you so far away?" he worriedly asks. "I've been talking to you for like five minutes and you're a million miles away. Are you still worried about the kids being at the Navy Pier without us?" I rest my chin on my folded hands and look up at my husband. The anxiety splayed across his face tightens my stomach and not in a good way.

"I'm sorry," I say. "I'm not any more worried about the kids than usual. I guess I was just thinking about how nice it's been today, just you and me here like this." His abs tighten beneath my lips when I give him a soft kiss just below his navel.

"It's been a great day, Mrs. Eaton," he says, his facial features softening and nothing but love radiates from his eyes. I lean into his palm when he cups my cheek and runs his thumb across my bottom lip. "I don't know what my favorite part was though, being inside you or just lying here with you like this, laughing and talking."

"I think it might be a tie, Mr. Eaton," I say, quickly turning and kissing his palm. "Although, this is quite nice. How often do we get the chance to laze around in the middle of the day with no clothes on?"

"We could become nudists." Mischief lights his bright eyes, and I can't help but laugh.

"Yeah, right. You'd be the one explaining to the kids why you are aroused all the time though."

"True," he says with a deep chuckle. "I get hard every time I see your sexy little naked body." A sexy growl falls off his lips.

"I'm not going to be little for very long," I scoff. "These babies only weigh a few ounces each, and I'm getting bigger by the day."

"And you'll still be the most beautiful woman in the compound," he says. "Hell, the city."

"You're such a charmer," I say. "You remember that when I'm as big as a barn, mister." He rolls his eyes and shakes his head.

"I remember you thinking you were huge when you were pregnant with Teagan," he says, shaking his head. "I thought you were incredibly sexy. I love when you're fit and lean but I also love when your body is swollen with new life. It doesn't matter what you look like, love. You are my Tris, and I will always find you sexy and irresistible."

"I don't know if I want to cry or jump you right now," I say.

"Jump away, my love," he says, a cocky grin spreading across his face.

"You are such a naughty boy," I say before we share a laugh. "We really needed this today, Tobias."

"Yeah, we did," he murmurs.

"Thank you for encouraging me go out last night. We needed that, too, and I had a wonderful time. We can't forget to finish that movie. I want to know what happens."

"I already talked to the theater, and we can watch it anytime we want," he says.

"Then it's a date," I say.

"Speaking of dates," he says, "and this has absolutely nothing to do with sex, even though the past few hours have been fantastic, we've gotten away from our date nights. Maybe it's not realistic to go out every Friday and Saturday night, but we need at least one night a week just the two of us."

"I agree," I say. "I know we have three kids and two more on the way and a faction to run, but we need to come first. If we keep putting ourselves on the back burner it's bound to lead to trouble."

"I'm with you 100%," he says. "Our marriage is the most important thing to me. You are most important. I don't know what I would do without you." I crawl up his body, dropping kisses as I go, and straddle his hips.

"It's a good thing you'll never have to find out," I say before meeting his lips for a fiery kiss. His arms tighten around me, one at the small of my back and the other between my shoulder blades, making me feel safe, secure and, above all else, loved. "I'm so sorry, Tobias." I'm panting hard since I dragged my lips from his. "Those damn pictures really shook me, and I let them interfere with … living. I let them come between us, and then I acted badly when you called me out on it. You didn't deserve that."

"I accept your apology," he says, placing a sweet kiss on the side of my mouth, "but you really didn't need to give me one."

"Yes. I did," I insist. "Everything you said yesterday morning was 100% right. Not to mention we could have been doing this every day the past few weeks." I circle my hips over his hardening length, and we both groan.

"If we're going to do it again, I suggest we move this to the bedroom," he says. "Get more comfortable."

"Well, it is the one place we haven't done it yet today," I giggle.

"Damn it, love," he roughly growls next to my ear, shuddering beneath me. "If you keep moving like that, I'm going to come right here, and I'd rather be inside you." When his hands land on my hips, I think it's to still my gyrations but instead he helps me move faster.

"Baby, you said you wanted to go upstairs," I moan. "You keep that up and you're not the only one who is going to come." He quickly rolls us so I'm beneath him. I ready myself for him but instead he surprises me by getting to his knees.

"Let's go upstairs," he says, holding his hand out to me. "Come with me."

"I would love to," I say as I take it. He gets to his feet then helps me to mine. We practically sprint up the stairs and into our bedroom. He stops at the foot of the bed and pulls me close. He moves his mouth toward mine, and I eagerly greet him. My hands tangle in his hair as his roam up and down my back. Our passion consumes us both until we're a quivering, panting mess.

"God, I love you, Tris," he says, his chest heaving against mine.

"I love you, too, Tobias." I tilt my head to the side, giving him easy access to my neck. His teasing kisses and light, caressing touch on my hips makes my core throb painfully. "I want you inside me, baby," I plead. "Now." We manage to make it onto the bed without taking our hand or lips off each other. We love each other slowly, thoroughly, ours eyes locked and our fingers threaded together tightly. I cling to him while he covers me. The emotion of the moment overcomes me and tears run down my face and into my hair. He kisses away the moisture just before we each find our release. We hold each other as our heart rates slow and our breathing returns to normal.

"Shall we take a shower?" he asks after a few quiet moments.

"I guess," I sigh.

"That doesn't sound like you mean it," he says.

"I'd rather stay here just like this," I say. My head is resting on his chest and our arms and legs are a tangled mess. He tightens his embrace and kisses my forehead.

"We have to pick up the kids soon," he reminds me, even though I don't really need one.

"I know," I sigh. "Will it always be like this?"

"Like what?" he asks.

"Wanting to be in two places at once?"

"I imagine so," he says.

"You were supposed to say no," I playfully pout.

"You know I don't lie to you."

"I know," I sigh. "And I appreciate it. I just don't want today to end."

"Neither do I but we'd miss the kids eventually," he says, a smile audible in his smooth voice. I turn in his arms, tilt my head back, and put my mouth on his.

"I already miss them," I say against his lips.

"Me, too."

"But I still don't want to leave this bed," I sigh.

"Neither do I," he groans. "But we better do it before we're late."

"I could stand being late," I say as I glide my lips across his jawline.

"You better quit that, love," he growls. "You're playing with fire."

"What are you going to do about it, baby?" I tease, playfully nipping at his chin.

"I could turn you over my knee." I think all breath leaves my body.

"Now you want to spank me?" I ask, my voice raising an octave with each word or maybe it's with each syllable.

"No," he says with a slightly evil grin, "unless you want me to. But if you get me hard again," I look down and see that he's nearly there as it is, "you are going to need some sort of punishment."

"Fine." I give him an exaggerated pout. "No more sex."

"For right now, love," he says. "We always have tonight."

"That sounds like a date, Mr. Eaton," I say.

"If you're not too tired, Mrs. Eaton," he says. "Come on. Let's get going."

We get out of bed and make our way into the bathroom. We clean ourselves up, being careful not to touch each other. We're both still aroused but responsibilities must come first. Once he's done, he leaves me with a chaste peck. I quickly finish my regular routine and reach out and grab a towel. I dry off then move to the mirror. I quickly wipe away the moisture then take down my hair. I bend at the waist and run a wide-toothed comb through my tresses the best I can, it's kind of a ratty mess, then gather it up in a high ponytail. When I stand back up I notice something on the side of my neck. I lean closer to examine it and shake my head, suddenly angry. Damn you, Tobias Eaton. I have a hickey, and it's not small or in an inconspicuous place. I dab a little concealer on to hide it but it actually makes it stand out even more so I wash it off and forgo makeup.

I quickly dress then tromp down the stairs and find my husband waiting for me in the kitchen. He can tell I'm not happy and more than likely, he knows why. He's been looking at me all afternoon. He couldn't have missed the giant love bite. I walk past him and pick my phone up off the charger. I check for messages and am happy there aren't any.

"Look at me, Tris," he says from right behind me. I take a deep breath and turn around. He cups my chin and forces me to look at him. "I'm sorry."

"You should be," I murmur.

"I know you don't like hickeys," he says. "I guess I got carried away."

"I'm going to be the butt of every joke tonight," I say.

"You know I won't allow that."

"You won't be able to stop them, especially Zeke," I sigh. "Come on. We don't want to be late."

"Please don't do this," he says, pain audible in his voice. "I know you're pissed but … just don't. We've had such a wonderful day." I can't stand when he sounds so miserable, especially when I'm the cause. I throw my arms around his midsection and rest my head against his chest. He immediately wraps me in a loving embrace.

"Sorry," we both say at the same time.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, love," he says. "I'm the one who got carried away." He tilts my chin up, and his lips immediately find mine. Our kiss is deep, long, and passionate until his phone starts ringing. We part but he doesn't let me go. He digs his phone out of his pocket and answers it.

"Hello … Oh, hi, Will … Yeah. We're just getting ready to leave … Oh, that's fine with me if it's okay with you … All right then. We'll see you soon … No problem at all. … Thanks for letting me know." He hangs up and tucks the phone back in his pocket.

"What did Will have to say?" I ask. "Are the kids all right?"

"They're fine," he says. "They're just running late so he's going to bring the kids home instead of taking them to the cafeteria."

'I actually like that idea better," I say. "Have they eaten?"

"I never thought to ask," he says. "I doubt it though. How about pizza?"

"We sure have pizza a lot," I say. I head to the refrigerator to see what we have on hand. Nothing jumps out at me so I look in the cupboards.

"Pizza?" he asks, his handsome face wearing a smirk when I come up empty-handed.

"Yeah," I chuckle. "I'm too tired to cook."

"I can't imagine why," he says. "I'll call for something and go get it. What do you want?"

"How about cheese for the kids and ham and pineapple for us? Does that sound good?"

"Sounds wonderful," he says. "You're lucky I like fruit on my pizza." I roll my eyes at him. He draws his phone out of his pocket again and calls the pizzeria.

"Can you stop by the commissary and get some ice cream?" I ask when he's done with the call.

"Sure," he says. "What kind would you like?"

"Mint chocolate chip," I say, "unless they have chocolate covered strawberry then I'd like that. No, wait! Coconut. Yeah, coconut. Or key lime pie. Yeah, that sounds wonderful."

"O - kay," he says, slowly nodding his head. "I'll see what I can do."

"I'd appreciate it," I say. "If you do a good job, I'll give you a reward later."

"Oh, what'd that be?" I put a finger to my lips, pretending to think.

"I'll let you eat yours off my body," I say with a wink.

"You naughty little minx," he mumbles. "You're going to get me hard again, and I already told you what I would do if that happens." My mouth hangs open at the mention of a spanking, and he just grins. He lowers his lips towards mine but a knock at the door interrupts us, and we both sigh. "He said they were close, but I didn't think he meant that close."

"He must have called from right in front of the compound," I say as we head through the living room and into the entryway. Once I open the door, our alone time officially ends. Teags is chasing Liam up and down the hall, squealing at the top of her lungs and Tessa is animatedly talking to herself but Tyler is uncharacteristically quiet. He trudges past his father and me with barely a hello.

"Has Tyler been like this all day?" Tobias worriedly asks Will, looking over his shoulder at our son who climbs up on the end of the couch.

"I honestly don't know," he says. "He definitely was quiet on the way home though. I thought maybe he was just tired."

"That's not his tired face," I murmur.

"Hi, Mama," Tessa says. She grabs my legs and hugs me tightly.

"Hi, little one," I say. She lets go of me and goes into the living room. She tries to get up on the couch next to her big brother but Tyler moves to the club chair making Tessa frown.

"Definitely has something to do with his sisters," Tobias mutters then he steps out into the hallway. "Hey, Teags, you need to quiet down. Are you coming in?"

"Bye, Yiam," she says. "Lub 'ou."

"Love you, Teags," he replies. She gives him a big hug and kiss then runs into Tobias' arms.

"Hi, Dadda," she says with a contagious grin then she gives him a big, wet kiss.

"Hi, Teags," he says.

"Down," she says. He sets her on her feet and she heads towards her sister.

"Was Teags good?" I ask Will.

"Of course," he says. "I'm sure they all were. Stella and Avery didn't mention anything."

"Good," I say. "Thanks again for bringing them home."

"Sorry we're late," he says. "No one wanted to leave."

"Have they had supper?" Tobias asks.

"They had a late snack but no supper yet," he says.

"Daddy?" Liam is at Will's feet, yanking on his jeans.

"What is it?"

"I have to potty," he whispers.

"Alright, big guy," he says. "See you guys later."

"Bye, Will," I say. "Bye, Liam."

"Say goodbye to Will, guys," Tobias says. They wave. "Thanks again, Will. We owe you one."

"It was no problem whatsoever," he says. "The kids were good. Come on, Liam."

"I'm going to get some pizza for supper," Tobias announces and the girls start jumping around. "Do you two want to come with me to pick it up?"

"Yeah," they yell out at once.

"All right then," he says. "Let's go. We'll be right back, Mommy."

"Bye, Mama," Tessa says.

"Bye," Teags says. They head toward the door without looking back. They are hyper. Hopefully the trip to the Pit will burn off some of their excess energy.

"Do you want to stay with me, Tyler?" I ask, wanting to know why he isn't his usual sunny self. He nods. I look toward Tobias and see that he's just as concerned as I am.

"We'll be back soon," he says. "Come on, girls." When the door shuts, I sit down on the couch.

"Did you have a good time today?" He shrugs his shoulders. "Come here, buddy." As he climbs down from the club chair, tears start sliding down his face. "What's wrong, Tyler?" I ask as I drag him onto my lap. He buries his head in my chest and tears wet my shirt.

"Tess and Teags was there all day," he mumbles. "I was 'pose to play with Zane by myself. Him wanted to play with Tess, too. I didn't want him to but him did it anyway."

"Oh, Tyler. You shouldn't be jealous of your sisters," I say. "Zane can be friends with you and Tessa."

"But hers a girl," he says disgustedly.

"Yes, she is," I say. "And there's nothing wrong with playing with girls."

"Their toys aren't as fun," he says and then he leans closer to me and lowers his voice like someone is listening to us. "And I heard they have cooties. Mommy, I don't want cooties." I cough in an effort to hide my laugh.

"Honey, where did you hear that?" I ask.

"I heard Uncle Zeke talkin' 'bout it," he says. I'll kill him.

"Uncle Zeke doesn't know everything, my sweet boy," I say. "And he's mistaken about girls having cooties and even if they did have cooties, cooties aren't contagious." What the hell am I saying? This is ridiculous. I'm going to murder Zeke. I wonder if Shauna would really miss him. I know I wouldn't.

"Are you sure?" he asks, his eyes still swimming with tears.

"I would never lie to you, buddy," I say. "Cooties are not contagious. Girls don't have cooties. It's okay to play with girls."

"I didn't want Tess and Teags to go with me today," he sniffs. "I wanted to be by myself with my friend. Is that bad?"

"No, it's not," I say as I stroke his head. "Maybe Daddy should have told you that all of you were going to a carnival so you weren't surprised. It was meant to be a good surprise. I'm sorry you were disappointed to see your sisters there also. But they had a right to be there, too."

"Next time can I go by myself to play with Zane?" he asks.

"I'm sure we can arrange a play date for just the two of you," I say. "I hope you weren't pouting and crying all day just because your sisters were there. I heard the carnival was super fun. Did you have any fun at all?"

"Yeah. While Tess, Teags, and Liam played the baby games, Zane and I played the big kids games," he says. "He winned a basketball. I almost did, too, but I missed by this much." He holds his hands about six inches apart.

"That's too bad," I say.

"It's okay," he says. "We petted lots of aminals. Zane tried to milk the cow but I didn't want to touch it. It was yucky."

"I've never milked a cow either," I say. "What else did you do?"

"Um, we had something called a funny cake," he says. "Mine had cherries on top. It was yummy."

"Funny cake? I've never heard of that."

"Me neither," he says. "But it was good."

"So, you played games, visited a petting zoo, and ate yummy treats with your best friend," I say. "That sounds like a pretty good day even if your sisters were there, too." He sticks his bottom lip out and hides his head again. I kiss the top of his head and hug him tightly. "Let me ask you something? If you had a little brother, would you have been mad if Zane wanted to play with him?"

"I don't know," he says.

"Are you sure, Tyler?"

"Yeah, I'd let him play with my brother," he says with a sigh. "But why did he want to play with Tess? He kiss her again like Teags kisses Liam." His face falls. "Is Zane gonna take Tess away and marry her like Teags is gonna marry Liam?" Oh, God!

"You know what, you don't have to worry about your sisters leaving home and getting married for a very, very, very long time," I say. "Okay?"

"Okay, Mommy," he says, smiling up at me.

"Did you or your sisters get a nap today?" I ask.

"We rested for a while on the big wheel," he says. "I think Tess and Teags fell asleep but I didn't. I wasn't tired."

"Are you tired now?" I ask, already knowing the answer. It's written all over his face.

"No," he says shaking his head but soon he opens his mouth and yawns widely.

"Are you sure about that, buddy?" I say with a chuckle.

"I swear. I'm not tired at all. I'm hungry though," he says. "Is Daddy going to be back soon?" I look at the clock.

"He'll be a little bit still," I say. "Do you want to help me set the table?"

"I'd rather sit here," he says, hugging me tightly. I lean down and kiss his head.

"This is nice, isn't it?"

"Yeah," he says. "I like it when it's just you and me. The girls are always around." He's pouting again. "They always get you before I do."

"What do you mean?" I ask. He tilts his head back and looks up at me with somber eyes.

"You do everything with them first. You get them up first. You put them to the table first. You give them their food first. You give them baths first. You put them to bed first," he says. "Sometimes I fall asleep before you and Daddy come to say 'night. It makes me so sad. You cuddle with them all the time. It not fair, Mommy."

"Oh, my sweet boy. I don't want you to be sad," I say. "And the way you put it, it doesn't really sound fair but you are a big boy and girls are still little. They need extra help and you don't. And do you know why Daddy and I put the girls to bed before you?"

"No," he says.

"Because until their big girl room is ready, Daddy and I literally have to put them in their beds."

"'Cause they are babies," he states.

"They're not babies anymore but, like I said, they still need extra help," I say. "And when the twins come, they will be getting a lot of Mommy and Daddy's attention. I'll need you to be a big boy and help with your sisters and not be so annoyed by them."

"But they are annoying," he sighs. "I really want brothers."

"I know you do, buddy," I say. "But you'll have to take sisters if that's what they are."

"I know," he pouts. "I just really really really hope it's brothers."

"I love you," I say, kissing his head again.

"I love you to the moon and back," he says.

"Yes, to the moon and back a million times."

"That's a lot," he says.

"That's how much I love you," I say, emotion thick in my throat, "and don't you ever forget that." He turns on my lap and wraps his arms around my neck, squeezing tight.

"You're the best mommy ever," he says, making my heart swell.

"Thank you, buddy. You're the best son ever," I say. "Daddy will be back soon with the pizza. We better set the table. You can be my helper the rest of the night."

"Can I boss Tess and Teags around?" he asks, looking up at me hopefully.

"No. That's Mommy and Daddy's job. But you can help me with them. I would really appreciate it," I say. "It will be good practice for when the twins come."

"I'd rather tell them what to do," he says as we walk into the kitchen. "That would be so much fun."

"I'll remember that," I say as I hand him five unbreakable plates. "Please set the table." While he's doing that, I pour us each a glass of root beer and have Tyler carefully take them one at a time to the table. "Good job, buddy."

"You're welcome, Mommy," he says. "What's next."

"Napkins," I say.

"Yeah! Pizza's always messy." I grab a handful from the cupboard and hand them to Tyler. "This is a lot." He frowns at me.

"We may not need them all but you never know when extra will come in handy," I say. "Just put one at each plate and the rest by where Mommy and Daddy sit."

"Okay," he says. When he finishes the task, we hear the front door open. "Oh, they're here!" He jumps up and down excitedly. Tobias comes into the room holding two pizza boxes followed by Tessa and Teagan, who are each holding one handle of a bag, which I presume has the ice cream in it. I wonder how that worked all the way up the path. Maybe that's why they are later than I thought they would be. The minute they see me, they drop the bag and head my way, their task forgotten. They each cling to a leg and talk nonstop over each other.

"Buddy, can you pick up that sack?" Tobias asks.

"Sure, Daddy," he happily says. He hurries across the room but remembers not to run. He sticks his head in the sack as he picks it up. "What is it?"

"Dessert," I say.

"That's right," Tobias say. "I got a variety." He chuckles softly and drops a kiss on my temple as he passes me.

"What did you do?" I ask.

"I got mint chocolate chip, chocolate covered strawberry, coconut pecan, and key lime pie. Just like you asked," he says with a sexy leer. "I'm looking forward to you serving it to me later."

"Tobias," I scoff. I also blush like a schoolgirl. "Not in front of them." We look at our kids, and they aren't paying us one bit of attention. Tyler is still taking in the multiple packages of ice cream, and the girls are sticking their tongues out at each other.

"But I'm looking forward to my dessert," he says. I ache but have to laugh when the kids all agree that dessert sound pretty darn good. That proves they are listening even if they don't appear to be paying attention.

"I think we should eat pizza first," I say. "Girls, you are going to have to let go of mommy. And stop making faces at each other." They giggle. Silly girls. They let me go, and Tobias and I help them up onto their chairs. I remember what Tyler said and look his way. He's carefully watching us. Tobias reaches for the pizza but I stop him. "Tyler, I'll take that." He hands me the heavy sack and smiles. "Will you help your sisters get some pizza?"

"Yes, Mommy," he happily says. Tobias furrows his brows at me, wondering what I'm up to.

"We'll talk later," I quietly say, as he takes the ice cream then puts it in the freezer.

"All done, Mommy," Tyler proudly says.

"Don't forget to get yourself some," I say.

"I will," he says. "Do you want me to get yours, too?"

"Yes. I'll take two slices," I say. "I'm sure Daddy wants some, too." Tyler looks up at Tobias and he nods, so he happily takes a few slices and puts them on our plates. He lastly takes a slice of cheese pizza and puts it on his plate then settles back into his seat.

"Thanks, buddy," Tobias says. "I appreciate all your help."

"You're welcome, Daddy," Tyler proudly says. "I have to help because I'm the biggest."

"I help," Tessa says. "Wight, Dadda?"

"Me, too," Teags says.

"Yes, you helped me carry the ice cream," Tobias says.

"It was so heaby," Tessa says.

"Yeah!" Teags spits.

"It was heavy," Tyler adds, agreeing with his sisters for once. "How much ice cream did you get?"

"Oh, I got more than enough for everyone," Tobias says, looking only at me. He gives me a wink, and I nearly choke on a chunk of pineapple. I pick up my root beer and take a sip but continue coughing. "You okay, love?" He reaches around and pats my back.

"Yeah," I say, clearing my throat. "Pineapple tried to go down the wrong pipe." I sip a little more root beer. "It's better now."

"Good," he says. "So, what did you all do today?" Each of the kids tell us about their day starting with Tyler. He leaves out the fact that he wasn't happy that his sisters were at the fair, which I'm glad. As much as he says he views them as an annoyance, I know he loves them to pieces. He would never want to hurt them intentionally. The girls were impressed with everything at the fair except for the llamas. Apparently, they spit … a lot. After the kids have a single dip of ice cream, we all load the dishwasher together then I send them to wash their sticky faces.

"So, what do you want to do tonight?" I ask as I sit down on the couch next to Tobias. "Movie? A game?"

"I was thinking about putting some soft music on and just relaxing," he says. "The kids are tired even though they'll never admit it. They can play quietly until it's time for bed. We also need to talk about Tyler."

"What about me?" he asks as he comes moping into the room.

"Nothing for you to worry about, buddy," I say. "I'm going to talk to Daddy about what you told me earlier. Is that okay?"

"Yeah," he says. "Mommy, can I sit with you? Please!"

"Of course, you can," I say, patting the spot next to me. "I would like that very much." He climbs up on the couch but instead of sitting down, he stretches out and rests his head in my lap.

"Can we watch a movie?" he tiredly asks.

"We were thinking we would just make it a quiet night," Tobias says. I run my fingers through Tyler's thick hair, and he contentedly sighs. "How does some soft music sound?"

"Okay," he says.

"I better go check on the girls," Tobias says. "They are entirely too quiet." That they are. He turns on a soft rock station then goes to look for our girls. I continue stroking Tyler's hair and his breathing deepens and evens out. I knew he was exhausted. He had a trying day. I wish I knew how to make him not resent his sisters' presence. Sometimes he's fine with it but other times, he acts like they are the devil reincarnate. Maybe it's because they act that way at times.

"I want up," Tessa says, drawing me from my reverie.

"Oh, little one," I say. "You startled me. I didn't know you were there."

"You can sit with Daddy and Teags," Tobias quietly says from behind her. He's holding Teagan, who looks like she took a bath with her clothes on.

"No. I want my mama," she says, her hands on her hips.

"Tessa, Mommy has Tyler on her lap and he's asleep," I say. "We're not going to move him."

"But I want up," she says, raising her voice. "Move him. Move him now!"

"Tessa Beatrice Eaton," Tobias sternly says. "We've already told you no. Do you want a timeout?" She moves her angry little eyes toward him and sticks her tongue out. I can't believe what I'm seeing. "That's it, young lady. You are going to bed."

"No, I not," she cries and then turns and runs away. He hurriedly puts Teagan on the couch next to me and takes off after Tessa. Teagan's bottom lip starts quivering, and she bursts into tears. Tobias must have caught up to Tessa because she's screaming my name at the top of her lungs.

"What's wrong?" Tyler asks, rubbing his eyes.

"Nothing, buddy," I say. "Go back to sleep."

"Why's everyone crying?"

"Go back to sleep, Tyler. Teagan, stop crying," Tobias says from the bottom of the stairs. "Or do I have to put all of you to bed?"

"What did I do?" Tyler asks, then he starts crying, too. "Mommy!" He climbs up my body and throws his arms around my neck. I glare at Tobias and he huffs before turning and storming upstairs. There goes our night.

"You didn't do anything," I say. "Sshh. It's okay. You're just tired, my sweet boy." I pull Teagan close with my other arm. "Peanut, why are you crying?"

"I want my dadda," she stutters and sniffs.

"He'll be back soon," I quietly say, holding my two crying children. We are so screwed. What the hell was I thinking wanting more kids? We're never going to survive this. They're already taking over. I try to breathe through the rising panic but I suddenly feel like crying myself. Anxiety grips my chest, and I have to fight just to take a breath.

"Mommy, are you okay?" Tyler asks. The worry in his small voice breaks the consuming dread.

"I am now," I say, my rapid heartbeat calming.

"You really white," he says. "Should I get Daddy?"

"No, I swear I'm okay," I say. I kiss his head and relax into the couch cushions, pulling him and his sister closer. "Mommy loves both of you very much."

"I love you, too, Mommy," Tyler says, snuggling closer to me and closing his eyes.

"Lub 'ou," Teags says. I look down at her and her lids are bobbing up and down. She's just as exhausted as Tessa but at least she didn't throw an uncharacteristic fit. I caress each of their heads as I hum along with the radio and they are asleep within minutes. I let my lids flutter closed when I realize my children aren't the only exhausted ones in this house. We're all tired and in need of a good night's rest.

"Love." Tobias' deep voice sounds far away. "I'm going to take Teags and put her in bed. You keep resting."

"Okay," I murmur. I wrap both arms around Tyler when he lifts Teags away from me and what only seems like seconds later, he's trying to take him too. "Hey."

"You fell asleep," he says. "The girls are tucked in. I'm going to take Tyler." I relax my grasp and Tobias easily lifts him into his arms. "I owe him an apology when he's awake."

"What for?" I murmur groggily.

"For getting upset with him," he sighs. "It wasn't his fault. I was just frustrated."

"I know," I say, yawning wide. "I'll join you. We need to talk."

"We can do that later," he says. "We're both tired."

"I am tired," I say, "but I don't think this can wait."

"Okay," he says.

"Mommy?" Tyler says. He lifts his head from his father's shoulder and looks around confusedly.

"I'm right here, buddy," I say, reaching up and brushing his hair off his forehead. "Daddy's got you."

"Okay," he says as he lays his head back down. "Don't go nowhere."

"I'm not going anywhere." When we enter his room, I get a pair of pajamas out of his dresser while Tobias lies him on his bed. He fades in and out of consciousness while his father changes him into the firetruck PJs.

"Buddy," Tobias says, "do you need to go potty?" He opens his eyes and shakes his head. "Okay. Hey, I'm sorry I got angry with you earlier. You didn't do anything wrong. Daddy was wrong. I love you, Tyler."

"I love you, too, Daddy," he says, a small smile on his face. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, buddy," he says. He stands, and I sit down next to our son. I tuck his lightweight blanket around him, and he sighs contentedly.

"Goodnight, my sweet boy," I say as I lean over and softly kiss his forehead. "Mommy loves you to the moon and back."

"I love you, Mommy, to the moon and back a million times."

"That's a lot," I reply, making him smile sweetly. "Go back to sleep. Mommy and Daddy will see you in the morning."

"Goodnight," he murmurs as his eyes once again slide shut. Tobias kisses his head then takes my hand and leads me into our bedroom.

"So, what's going on with our son?" I sit on the end of the bed and he joins me. I relay what Tyler told me while he was getting supper tonight.

"I don't know if it's jealousy or what but he does have a point," I say. "Even though we don't mean anything by it, we seem to put the girls in front of him."

"I wish I could say you're wrong, but you're not. Why hasn't he ever said anything?" he asks as he runs his hands through his hair. "Our poor guy."

"He has from time to time," I say. "Today was the last straw I think. He was not happy that the girls went with him to the fair. I know it was meant to be a good surprise but he didn't see it that way."

"But Tessa and Teags had every right to go, too," he says, defending his actions.

"I explained it to Tyler, and he knows that but it shocked him when he and his sisters went to the same place. He thought he was going to spend the day with Zane."

"He did."

"I know, but Zane wanted to play with Tessa, too," I say. I think about telling him about the kiss but I figure Tobias is stressed enough. I don't need him hunting down a five-year-old right now. "And he did. I think that's what set Tyler off. He didn't want Zane playing with his little sister." Tobias shakes his head.

"I thought I was doing the right thing," he says. I put my hand on his back and rest my head on his shoulder.

"You didn't do anything wrong, baby," I say.

"It doesn't feel that way," he murmurs.

"I told Tyler that in the future we would tell him if his sisters are going with him," I say. "He seemed okay with that."

"I'm glad to hear that," he says then he sighs. "We should get ready for bed."

"It's awfully early to be going to bed," I say, glancing at the clock on his nightstand.

"You're tired."

"I'm awake now," I say. "Are you tired?"

"I am, love," he says. "I hope you're not too disappointed."

"Not at all," I say. "We had a very eventful day."

"That we did," he says, kissing the top of my head. "But I think we both need sleep now."

"Who are you trying to convince, Tobias, me or you?" I tease, placing a kiss below his ear.

"Me, I guess." I climb into his lap. "Love?"

"Am I bothering you?"

"You're killing me," he murmurs.

"Would you rather sleep?"

"Hell no," he growls against my lips.