Saturday August 20th 2022

Jamie, Eddie and the girls got to Danny and Linda's 's at 3:30. It was Jacks 23rd birthday so they were having a barbecue in the back yard and celebrating his last year of college coming up.

They made it very clear to Emmalyn on the way over that she couldn't tell anyone about the new baby because it was still a secret. They just hoped she listened and didn't spill the news before Jamie and Eddie got the chance.

"Hey guys!" Linda said.

"Hello!" Eddie said smiling.

"We come bearing gifts, and food." Jamie said with his hands holding the diaper bag, a pie, and a gift. Emmalyn ran off to see Nikki and another young girl helping set food out.

"Oh You guys didn't have to do that." Linda said taking it from Jamie's hands.

"Who's the girl..!?" Eddie whispered to Linda.

"Oh that's right, you never met Krista, she's with Sean. She's very sweet but she's very nervous so go easy on her." Linda said.

"Of course! I've been wanting to meet her!" Eddie said excited.

"Hey." Danny said coming over to greet them also. Scarlett let go of Eddie and wanted to go to him.

"Oh wow.." Eddie was surprised.

"Me!? You want me!?" Danny laughed and took her.

"Well I guess you can come help me start the grill." He said and walked off with her.

Jamie and Eddie started making their rounds, saying hello to everyone, said happy birthday to Jack and then found Sean and Krista inside organizing a fruit tray together.

"Hey, oh yeah so this is my uncle Jamie and his wife Eddie. This is my girlfriend Krista." Sean said introducing her, she was pretty, brown hair with some blonde highlights, dark green eyes and a gorgeous smile.

"So nice to meet you!" Eddie said shaking her hand, Jamie followed.

"You too!" Krista replied. Emmalyn came in the backdoor interrupting their conversation.

"Mommy Nikki said I can't play football!" She said angrily stomping her feet. Nikki was behind her, ready to defend her reasoning.

"I said that because the boys are in the middle of a game." Nikki told them.

"Ohh well there ya go Em. You gotta wait." Eddie told her.

"After we eat I think I heard Aunt Linda say she was going to set up the sprinkler to play in..." Nikki said to change her focus.

"That sounds way better." Jamie said going along with it, you could tell Emmalyn was excited about that idea more.

Frank had come in the house holding Scarlett. After Nikki got Em back outside to play with a soccer ball.

"This little one needs to be changed, if you point me in the correct direction of a diaper bag I can do it myself." He said willingly.

"Oh that's okay dad, I can get it." Jamie said putting his hands out to take her.

"No. Where's her stuff Jamie, I'd like to do it. Hell I had 4 kids, and even more grandkids." He insisted. Jamie didn't argue and got him everything, he stayed to help him, because she wasn't the stillest baby.

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They ate outside, all at one table made with 3 smaller tables put together. After everyone ate they sang happy birthday to Jack and cut the cake. Most people had just gave him a card with money in it except Jamie and Eddie they had a gift bag and a card. Theirs was the last one he had to open.

"Wow thanks guys, how'd you know I needed one of these?" He asked seeing they had gotten him a laptop bag.

"Cause we're just good." Jamie said joking.

"We might've begged your mom for an idea." Eddie admitted smiling. He opened it to see the inside of it.

"Oh there's a card in here..." Jack said and opened it...

"Woah!" He said shocked after reading it and looking up at Eddie, her and Jamie were smiling.

"What?" Linda asked.

"What's it say?" Frank asked.

"P.S you're getting a new cousin February 2023!" Jack read out loud, excited to share.

"What!?" Erin said in utter shock.

"Oh my gosh!" Nikki exclaimed.

"You're kidding!" Pop said.

"Congratulations" Danny was smiling.

"Wow..!" Frank was surprised.

"Thank you" Eddie told them.

"Yeah thanks, we're looking forward to it." Jamie said.

"Em are you excited to have another brother or sister!?" Nikki asked.

"I don't want another sister." She said very seriously.

"Yeah so that's where we're at right now.." Eddie said to everyone beings they were a little caught of guard.

"Oh...okay but is a brother okay?" Linda asked her.

"Yeah that's fine." She said, making everyone laugh.

They finished up and cleared some of the table. Jamie helped Eddie change the girls into their swim suits in the grass right next to the patio where everyone was hanging out talking, drinking.

"Hold on you need lotion." Eddie said to Emmalyn trying to find it in her bag.

"If you don't have any I might have some in the house." Linda said.

"Um...nope here it is. Thanks though." Eddie said to Linda.

"But Scarlett didn't get any!" Emmalyn said watching her little sister walk toward the sprinkler after Jamie was done.

"Jamie." Eddie said.

"I forgot. Hey, Scarlett come back here." Jamie called out. She turned around but then kept walking so Jamie had to go get her. She was throwing a fit that he took her away from the water.

"Ooo she's got a little temper.." Erin pointed out, Eddie raised her eyebrows and nodded agreeing.

"Hey. All done. You need lotion." Jamie put her down next to Eddie to wait. She started screaming, making a scene, drawing everyone's attention to her.

"Scarlett..." Eddie wanted her to stop, she felt like everyone was judging her parenting skills right now. Emmalyn was good to go and ran off to play. Jamie had to stop Scarlett from running off with her.

"You need to wait." He said trying to be quiet to draw less attention.

"Okay your turn Scar come here, look." Eddie said squirting it in her hands and started putting it on her arms quickly so she'd stop. Instead she screamed more when Eddie started rubbing it on her, she wasn't a fan. Jamie helped hold her in place so Eddie could get her face.

"Almost done." Jamie kept telling her.

"Okay. Go." Eddie said done with her. She got up and went inside to wash her hands needing a breather.

———

"So, how have you been doing?" Frank called out, from behind her. He must have followed her inside.

"Ha.. I'm good." She said taking a deep breath and smiling. He had to of picked up on her getting uptight with Scarlett.

"Good. I think you're doing great." He smiled telling her.

"Huh, well thanks." She said thinking about having 3 kids in a few months when some days she struggled with just 1 or 2.

"You know it's okay to lose your temper or need a mental break?" Frank told her.

"Yeah. I know. Usually I don't but when everyone's watching you it just feels escalated." She said.

"That's understandable. I've definitely been there." He said as Jamie came in the room from outside.

"Hey. You good?" He asked Eddie also noticing her getting frustrated earlier.

"Yeah, she was just being extra." She told him.

"Oh I know. Maybe this next one will be a boy though, break up the drama." He laughed.

"Ha guess we can hope for the best." Eddie said.

"What will you do in that little 3 bedroom apartment with 3 little ones?" Frank asked.

"Yeah, we talked about that. We're in the process of meeting with a realtor, we need a bigger place. Something like this." Jamie said about Danny and Linda's.

"Oh for sure. More room, a backyard!" Eddie added and Jamie agreed.

"Yeah that would be your best bet." Frank told them.

They all headed back outside, Eddie sat with the girls wanting to get to know this Krista girl more, Sean seemed pretty into her and they've been dating for a little while now. It must be serious if he wanted her to meet all these people.

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