Liv woke up to a surprisingly quiet house. It had been almost a week since the twins were born and last night had been the first night she had gotten any sort of substantial sleep the first few days. If it weren't for Karen's brilliant suggestion, she most certainly would have faced another sleepless night.
Flashback
With 8 adults in the home, Liv and Fitz had more than enough extra hands to help them with all four children. Everyone helped as much as they could, but the twins couldn't seem to find comfort unless they were being held together in either Liv or Fitz's arms. That is until Karen saved the day. The day before, Karen and Jerry had come home from school to both of the twins crying.
"What's going on?" Karen asked as she and Jerry dropped their backpacks and coats on the foyer and ran to find their sisters.
"Your mother went to take a shower and needed your father's help because of her stitches. You should pick your things up before your dad comes down and sees them on the floor." Maya said as she was holding an irritable Talia.
Karen and Jerry nodded and ran off to do as they were told. They went into the kitchen and washed their hands as they were taught, before going into the den to ask to hold the babies. When they returned into the den, Karen saw that Maya had passed Talia off to Big Gerry, while Susan had passed Tamra off to Eli.
"There, there little one, what's wrong with my little grandbaby?" Eli asked as he tried his best to calm Tamra's cries. No one for the life of them could figure out what was going on with the twins. When the day nurse had come in, she had given them a clean bill of health, so they couldn't understand what was going on.
"Can I try something?" Karen asked as she walked over to Big Gerry and extended her arms for Talia. Big Gerry hesitated at first, not sure what Karen could possibly try that they hadn't, but stood and allowed her to hold Talia as he provided extra support.
"Don't worry Talli. Sissy is gonna fix it. I'm gonna handle it just like mommy." She said just before kissing her little sister's cheek.
The adults watched on proudly as Karen had easily stepped into the role of big sister. She was very protective over Talli and Tammi as she called the twins. Everyone watched on as Big Gerry crept along with Karen, making sure she supported Talia's head. They were all a little curious as to what Karen had up her sleeve as she laid a crying Talia down in her basinet, but quickly caught on as she walked over and asked for Tamra out of Eli's arms.
Karen smiled at her baby sister and kissed her on top of her head. "It's ok Tammi. Big sissy is gonna make it all better." She cooed as she looked at Eli as if he were wasting her time.
Eli handed Tamra over to Karen, and supported her arms just as Big Gerry had a few moments before. The grandparents and aunts watched in awe as Karen laid Tamra down in the same basinet as Talia, and their crying ceased just seconds after.
"How did you" Susan started but was quickly cut off by Karen.
"They spent all of their lives squished up together in a giant bubble. You can't just rip them apart and expect them to be happy about it." Karen stated matter-of-factly.
"Wow, wait until your mom and dad realize what you have discovered. Karen Elizabeth Grant, you are one smart cookie." Eli offered as he wrapped his eldest granddaughter in his arms for a hug.
"Ok, I'm gonna go watch tv in my room. There's an Spongebob marathon today." Karen said proudly as she waved to the adults and walked off.
It wasn't too long after the twins had settled when Liv and Fitz made their way back into the den. As they looked around they noticed that no one was holding the twins; which was a good thing. They didn't want the girls to become too spoiled although Liv knew that Fitz wouldn't be able to tell them no. They looked around the room again, and were shocked to not only find Talia and Tamra in the same basinet, but they were also both awake and quiet.
"How did-"
"Karen" Susan responded, already knowing what Liv was going to ask.
"Now we know what we need to do." Liv said as she tip toed past the girls and sat down on the sofa.
"And to think this was Karen's idea." Maya offered as she was very proud of her granddaughter's brilliant idea. Liv and Fitz could now have peace, and possibly even sleep for a few hours at a time during the night.
For the past two nights, Liv and Fitz have laid the twins down in the same basinet next to Liv's side of the bed, and to their surprise, the girls would wake up long enough to eat, then fall quickly back to sleep.
Liv looked over at the clock on her night stand, and grew worried when she realized it was 8 in the morning. She climbed out of bed and wasn't too surprised to see the twins were not in their basinet. Deciding they were with Fitz, Liv entered into their bathroom with a smile to perform her morning routine. Thirty minutes later she emerged from the bathroom and entered her closet to get dressed before meeting everyone downstairs for Thanksgiving breakfast, and gathering in the family room to watch the parade with the children.
The moment Fitz heard their bedroom door open, he was at the top of the stairs, prepared to help his wife make her descent down the stairs. Before she had a chance to say good morning, Fitz had stopped Liv up in his arms, and set down the stairs.
"I can walk you know." Liv said as Fitz set her down at the end of the staircase.
Fitz pulled Liv into his body, and smiled as she wrapped her arms around her neck. "I know, but why should you have to when your big, strong, sexy husband, who totally adores you is willing to carry you wherever you need to go?" He asked before gently pecking her lips.
"I may get used to it and never let you put me down."
"Good. Because for the rest of my life, I'm never letting you go."
Fitz pressed his lips against Liv's, which she quickly deepened. The two of them stood in the foyer of their home, enjoying the feel of their tongues dancing expertly together.
"Ewww gross!" Jerry squealed causing their moment to finally come to an end. Jerry smiled when the kiss ended, but quickly frowned when he realized Fitz was not letting Liv out of his arms.
Dad, can we have mommy now? The parade is about to start!" He whined as he wedged his tiny body between them and began pushing on Fitz's chest to separate his overly affectionate parents.
Fitz released Liv, only to pick Jerry up, and throw him over his shoulder. He began tickling Jerry, causing him to break out in what Liv considered epileptic laughter as his body began to shake and he was pounding on his dad's back to let him down.
"Okay! Okay! Uncle! You can kiss mommy! Just put me down! KAAAAAAREEEEEEENNNNN!" Jerry squealed loudly, causing Karen to fly into the room to save her brother.
"Oh no you don't!" Liv yelled as she saw Karen making a bee line straight for Fitz, and gabbed the little girl around her waist.
"What in the name of-" Susan and Maya had come into the foyer to see what all of the commotion was about but froze when they saw the sight before them. Liv and Fitz were in a pile on the floor tickling Karen and Jerry. They watched for a few moments, thankful that Liv and Fitz had finally found one another. Karen and Jerry finally, and the twins have a mother that would love them with everything she has.
"Okay, that's enough children. Do we need to remind you all that one of you recently gave birth and has stitches? Off to the family room with you all, Gerry and Eli set up stable in there so you all could eat and watch the parade while we cook dinner in the kitchen."
Karen and Jerry took off for the family room as they were told, while Liv greeted their mothers good morning.
"Happy Thanksgiving moms" Liv said as she hugged them both. She then turned to Maya and said nothing, although her wide doe eyes said it all.
"Yes baby. Your gingerbread pancakes with powdered sugar are almost finished, and daddy is making your special hot chocolate." Liv smiled and kissed her mother on the cheek, and made her way towards the family room as well.
Fitz smiled at his wife who struck fear into the hearts of men and women twice her size, yet when it came to Eli's hot chocolate and gingerbread pancakes, she turned into a bright eyed seven year old again.
He made his way into the family room, and took his seat on the sofa next to Liv who was now nursing the twins. He wrapped his arm around his wife, and gently stroked each baby's hair which along with Liv's gentle humming lulled them back to sleep. Once the twins were settled into their bassinet, they made their way to the table where Karen and Jerry were already enjoying their cups of hot chocolate.
Liv's eyes grew wide when Liv saw her red and white "Santa's baby" mug that Eli had bought for her when she was a little girl. It was three times the size of a normal mug, and Liv instinctively licked her lips when she saw the contents inside. The mug of hot chocolate was topped with whipped cream and toasted marshmallows. There was a coating of shaved chocolate on the top, and a cookies and cream praline stuck out of the side.
"Thank you daddy!" Liv squealed, effectively transforming back into the little girl that Fitz had fallen in love with.
The family all sat down and enjoyed their breakfast. The adults were all in their own little world when Karen began to cry. They all looked over to a sobbing Karen as Jerry sat chewing his food like the cat who had eaten the canary.
Without saying a word, Aunt Mable stood and walked over to the stove and grabbed the stack of pancakes that were being kept warm in the oven. She placed another pancake on Karen's plate, and gave another to Jerry before kissing them both on the tops of their heads.
"H-How did you know?" Karen asked as her cries turned into dry heaves.
"Sweetie, this isn't my first trip around the block. Your father always did the same thing to your mother when they were children."
As if on cue, Liv looked down at her plate, only to discover what was a half stack of pancakes a few minutes ago, was now empty.
"Fitz! Liv yelled as Fitz was now sitting like Jerry was moments before, like the cat who had caught the canary.
"And I see some things never change." Aunt Mable added as she's added more pancakes onto Liv's plate.
One breakfast was over, Eli, Gerry, Fitz, and Jerry cleaned up, since Maya, Susan and the aunts would be cooking more for dinner soon. Liv cuddled up on the sofa with her head on Maya's lap, while Karen's head was rested on Liv's. They enjoyed watching the different floats that went down the street, and even a few of the performances as well.
As the parade came to a close, Liv sat up questioningly as Karen stood and made her way upstairs, then ran back down a few moments later. Liv watched as the little girls eyes lit up when the announced the arrival of Santa. The moment she saw the sleigh pulling into city hall, she put on her coat and gloves and ran out the door. She re-emerged a few moments later, and resumed her position on the sofa next to Liv.
"What did you just do?" Susan asked as she had watched everything take place from her spot on the chair next to them.
"I decided that the best way to get what I want for Christmas is to mail my letter before everyone else does. While they wait at the mall, my list will be on its way to the north pole." Karen beamed, clearly impressed with her own logic.
"Good thinking kiddo." Liv responded, making a mental note to grab that letter after Karen went to sleep.
The afternoon was spent with the women finishing dinner, while the men watched the game. Since she wasn't allowed to help cook, and she couldn't stand football, Liv decided to head upstairs and take a nap. She told Fitz there was milk in the fridge for when the girls woke up, but she'd rather he bring them to her so she could nurse them.
Liv was all for switching between the bottle and the breast when feeding the girls, but she had heard stories of babies eventual rejecting the breast which Liv knew would make it harder for her to produce the milk they needed. Besides that, she loved being able to bond with the girls in a way that no one else could. There was something about the fact that her body was the only one in the home that could produce what the girls needed to survive, that made her feel important on a whole other level.
Liv laid down and closed her eyes, excited for what this holiday season would bring. If someone told her this time two years ago or even this time last year that she and Fitz would be married with children, she would've looked at them like they delusional. As she drifted off to sleep, Liv let her mind drift to the glorious possibilities of the coming year.
A few hours had passed, and Maya announced finger would be ready in less than an hour which made the men cheer with delight.
"Dad can't we just eat now?" Jerry asked as his stomach began to growl.
"Almost son. I have to get mom so she can feed and dress the twins, and find Karen, then we can eat dinner. Why don't you go wash up, and see if the women need help." Fitz said as he tousled his son's hair.
"Okay, dad" Jerry said before taking off through the house to go get cleaned up for dinner.
When Jerry was on his way to get cleaned up and dressed for dinner, Fitz picked up the twins and made his way upstairs with Talia III n a carried strapped to his chest, and Tamra in his arms. He knew Liv wanted to dress them for their first Thanksgiving dinner, as she had bought matching dresses for Karen and the twins. Fitz himself was excited to see his three girls dressed in identical outfits.
When Fitz entered the bedroom, he almost didn't want to wake Liv. She was laying curled up under the blanket, with Karen tucked into her side. He wasn't sure how they managed to do it, but Karen was curled up in the fetal position, molded onto the curves of Liv's body which was also curled up on a similar fashion, facing Karen. Her head was tucked under Liv's chin, and their arms were wrapped around one another's body.
Fitz couldn't resist the urge to take out his phone, and snap a picture of how adorable they looked sleeping. When he snapped the picture, the sound of the camera's shutter caused Karen to sit, which in turn woke up Liv.
Fitz walked over to Liv's side of the bed and pressed his lips softly against Liv's. "Hi" he said as he sat on the edge of the bed beside her.
"Hi. How long have we out?" Liv asked as she had just noticed Karen was in bed with her.
"A few hours. Dinner will be finished soon, so we should probably begin getting ready." Liv nodded and placed one more kiss on her husband's lips before they all began getting dressed.
One by one they made their way downstairs. When they entered the dining room, Susan made them all stop as they entered the room so she could take a picture. Karen and the twins wore dresses. The top was made of red velvet, the waist down was satin, but the twins had roses lining the bottoms of their dresses. Liv wore a red velvet dress to match with the girls, while Fitz and and Jerry wore black dress slacks and a red sweater over a white dress shirt.
After pictures were taken, the family say down at the table, with Gerry and Eli at either end. Although it was Fitz's house, he wasn't into that macho head of the table crap. He'd be happy just sitting next to the love of his life.
"Okay so you all know the routine. Everyone say something they are thankful for and then we can eat."
"I'm thankful that after starving all day the food is finally done!" Jerry said causing the men to cheer behind him.
"I'm thankful for family and my new baby sisters." Karen added.
They all went around the table, and said something they were thankful for. Liv was the last person, and she could tell Jerry was praying she wouldn't take forever.
"I am thankful for our amazing parents and aunts who have stood by our side through all of our UPS and downs. I'm thankful for my husband, the man who completes me with his friendship, but compliments me with his love. I'm thankful for Karen and Jerry as they have both opened my eyes to know what fear, pride, success, doubt, and, unconditional love feels like when I became their mom, I am thankful for Talia and Tamra as they have enhanced the love in this family in a way I never thought possible. I'm thankful for of many blessings, including our home, and successful businesses, and I am thankful for my friends who are an extension of this family."
"I'm thankful we can eat!" Jerry yelled.
"Here, here!" Eli and Gerry added in agreement.
The Pope-Grant family sat around the table and feasted on their Thanksgiving meal of turkey, ham, collard greens, baked macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, fried chicken, rolls, cornbread, corn, candied yams, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. They laughed and told stories of Liv and Fitz in younger days, while Liv and Fitz seemed to be absorbed in one another.
Fitz reached over and wrapped his arms around Liv's waist. He planned a tender kiss on her lips, and smiled as he looked into her eyes.
""I love you so much Livvie. Happy Thanksgiving."
"I love you too Fitz.. Happy Thanksgiving."
Ok so I know this chapter isn't that long, but I did want to give you all something for the holidays. I hope you all are having a wonderful day, whether you are celebrating, or in another country. I am truly thankful for each and everyone of you who take the time to read my stories, whether you review or not. XOXOXOXO