*Thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter they were greatly appreciated*
"Your home looks beautiful," says Renee as I finish giving her a tour of our home before my bridal shower/baby shower. Joe and I figured it would be easier to have a bridal shower and a baby shower combined given that most of the guests travel with WWE and only have a limited amount of time off. I honestly don't feel the need for a baby shower because when Mila and London were born we were showered with gifts and lots of them. I never saw two babies with as many clothes, blankets, stuffed animals and etc. as Mila and London. I am extremely grateful for our family and friends but they don't need anything else until they are 5 years old it seems.
"Thank-you," I say with a smile as I hold Mila in my arms and she holds London. "We spent a lot of time setting everything up and decorating everything. I am glad that Joe and I finally made our own home together it's a touch of both of us as far as decorating goes."
"You both decorated it yourselves?" she asks.
"Yes we did every bit of detail is our creation. I want to call it our forever home," I say with a smile. "I love it here in Houston. I'm glad to be home and it's so private. It's the perfect place for our wedding which is in a little over a month."
"I'm glad," she says with a smile. "How is motherhood going for you? It's been what two months since they were born?"
"They will be 3 months old on the 25th of this month," I say with a smile. "I love being a mom but it can be exhausting. These little ladies definitely keep me on my toes they're more interactive now than when they were first born. I love their smiles and their little giggles. I just love them so much which is why Joe and I have decided to start trying for another baby in about 6 months or so. I don't mind them being so close together."
"They're beautiful, Willow," she says making me smile. "And they have the most beautiful hazel eyes yet they don't look anything like you and their hair it's starting to curl. I can't wait until I have kids maybe a kid. I'm still trying to convince Dean to have a baby, marriage and getting a dog was enough for him I guess."
"Congratulations on your marriage by the way," I say with a smile. Renee and Dean did the same thing Joe and I did; they eloped and got married but they aren't planning to have a big wedding which I didn't expect them to because it's just not them. Their little wedding was perfect at 3 in the morning in Las Vegas for them as mine and Joe's wedding in the Cayman Islands was to us over a year ago no matter how big and beautiful our wedding will be on the 9th of September it will never replace the beauty of our little wedding on that private island. "How is the married life for you?"
"It's no different than when we were dating and living together now we just have a legal document stating we're husband and wife. I still love him the same and he still loves me the same. We were committed before marriage and we are still committed during our marriage. I don't think I could ever love anyone as much as I love him," she says with a smile. "But one day I really do want to have one of these," she says with a smile as she looks at London.
"He might change his mind," I say. "Are you on birth control?"
"Yeah, I take the pill religiously and during my most fertile time we use condoms. He's pretty adamant about not having a baby. He wants to wait until his career slows down and I do respect that but at the same time I'm going to be 32 years old in September. I'm not getting any younger."
"Trust me he will come around," I say. "Remember when I got pregnant with Koa and I didn't want him and I didn't want a baby? I changed my mind when I saw him and the ultrasound. It broke my heart when we lost him. I wish it had been different but for whatever reason it wasn't meant to be then God blessed us with these little angels and I couldn't be more grateful than I am now for them even if they wake me up several times a night and will completely destroy my boobs every minute with them is a moment I treasure and Joe loves being a dad to them. He has his girls."
"You're a beautiful family," she says with a smile as we make our way to the living room. "I hear there's a hurricane heading to Texas. Are you prepared?"
"I'll board up the house but we're not really in a major danger zone. I've been in hurricanes before so I think we're just going to wait it out and not evacuate."
"Be careful, Willow," she says.
"We will," I say with a smile as we put London and Mila in their swings so we can finish getting everything ready for my bridal shower and my baby shower. Michelle and my mother are supposed to be coming to help set things up but we're still waiting on them.
Once they arrive I am told to take care of Mila and London while they handle everything with decorations, food and setting it all up. I do as they say while Joe is out with my dad, Dean and his cousins as well as friends spending the day together while the girls and I have our day to celebrate my upcoming marriage and our baby girls. I put on the tank top Michelle got me that says These Boots were made for walking down the aisle with Calaway-Anoa'i on the back with the number 1 with a pair of cowgirl boots and short denim shorts with holes in them. I even wear a cowgirl hat with white tulle on the back. I make my way out to my backyard that's decorated beautifully with a rustic country theme to match my wedding. There's a table with baby shower gifts for Mila and London with a pink and white diaper cake with a pink elephant resting on top along with a lavender and white diaper cake with a lavender elephant on top. There are also 5 classic storybooks on the table surrounding the cakes which makes me smile. I walk over and look at the books: Goodnight Moon, Guess How Much I Love You, Corduroy, Where The Wild Things Are and The Very Hungry Caterpillar, the girls can never have too many books. There are also welcome cupcakes decorated with pink and lavender icing. It's perfect. The other table is decorated with bridal shower gifts, pictures of Joe and I when we were little, a wooden sign with blue edges with pictures of Joe and I behind glass that says "I have found the one whom my soul loves" written on it. Tables are decorated with sunflowers and wildflowers inside mason jars with mine and Joe's engagement pictures on them. Instead of chairs to sit on the tables are surrounded by hay barrels and there are options of lemonade, water and sweet tea to drink with tiny sandwiches. Everything is perfect and as a gift there are packets of sunflower seeds for guests to take with a sign telling them to watch how love grows. There are sunflower cupcakes on the food table and everything is just perfect they did a wonderful job.
The shower went just as well as their decorating. We played a few games like Bride Bingo, Raid the purse and they wrote a story about how Joe and I met and fell in love. Reading it was hilarious. The creativity that came from the line; Willow and Joe met at a gym was amazing. The story had me laugh and almost had me crying but the truth is our love story is different than most. It went fast, our entire relationship went fast. We went from me playing hard to get, Joe reading Wuthering Heights to win my heart, Joe leaving me little love quotes from classic novels to our first date together, then came my knee injury putting me out of action for months followed by the most magical and romantic proposal on that bridge in London, the surprise baby we never planned to have then things got tough for us but despite everything we made it through it all and now we're a few weeks away from our big wedding and we have two beautiful little girls together that we love. I wouldn't change my life with Joe for anything. The afternoon was spent with some of my closest friends and family as well as Joe's family. The girls got more clothes, more toys, more of everything they didn't need but they also got more books. They are pretty much set for the next 5 years on everything. I also received gifts such as lingerie from Victoria's Secret, household items and money but my favorite gift of all was the book Michelle gave to us; a love story of Joe and Me. It was and is the most beautiful gift ever received. I can't thank her enough. All in all it was a fun but exhausting day so exhausting that London passed out before Joe came home from his time out with his friends.
"Honey, I'm HOME!" Joe calls out as he comes in the front door and makes his way to the living room.
"Shhh," I say with a smile. "London is asleep and I am working on getting Mila to sleep. You know that's no easy task."
"I'm sorry," he says greeting me with a kiss. "There's my favorite country girl," he smiles. "You look cute."
"Thanks," I say with a smile as I continue to nurse Mila.
"I don't know how she can go so long without sleeping. She fights sleep all the time."
"I know," I say. "It drives me crazy. She's going to be our wild one I have no doubt about that."
"She's going to be you," he smiles as he sits down next to me on the couch. "Scout."
"Maybe she's going to be you after today I heard some fun stories about when you were little. Your mom told me all about your energy and your wild behavior she said you didn't like to sleep like Mila. Maybe that comes from you."
"Maybe," he says as I smile as Mila is finally asleep. I take her off my breasts, fix my nursing bra and put my tank top down. "I've got her," he says taking her gently from me and then placing her in her rock and play. "She's so precious when she sleeps."
"I could watch them both sleep all day. I can't believe it's been almost 3 months why is it going so fast. Next thing you know I'll be planning their 1st birthday party."
"Life goes too fast sometimes," he says as he leans down and kisses each of the girls on the top of their heads making me smile. He's a wonderful daddy to the twins and Alani. I couldn't have asked for a better father to my children or a better husband. "I can't believe that Alani is going to be 10 this year," he says sitting down next to me and wrapping his arm around my shoulders. "I feel like she was London's and Mila's age just yesterday now she's going to be a double digit midget next comes the teenage years and then high school followed by college. I'm not ready."
"You still have time for that but like you said life does go fast. Can you believe that it's been 2 years since we have been together or just about 2 years? I don't know how it all went so fast."
"Life," he says, "but if you would have asked me 2 years ago if you would be my wife and we would have two beautiful daughters together, planning our big family and friend wedding I would have told you no. I never thought you would give me a chance. I was starting to lose hope."
"Oh, Baby," I say wrapping my arm around his waist and snuggling close to him. "But look at us now just living our love song. My life would never be this perfect with anyone but you. Through everything we fought and we have won. Life has been hard but it made me love you more and I'm excited to spend the rest of my life with you."
"I'm excited to see what life has left for us and as we spend it together. I know I want more babies with you hopefully a boy next time."
"That would be nice," I say with a smile. "You have to feel out-numbered here."
"Out-daughtered is more like it," he smiles before he leans down and kisses my lips softly. "I love you."
"I love you too," I say with a smile.
"What's that?" he asks pointing to a box labeled marriage advice.
"Oh that's marriage advice from everyone from the shower. We're going to read them on our wedding night."
"I had other plans for our wedding night," he smiles.
"I'm sure you do but first we're going to read some marriage advice then we'll celebrate."
"All night," he says with a smile.
"All night," I repeat with a smile of my own, "but look what Michelle gave us. I think it is the most beautiful gift I ever got." I hand him the book. "It's our love story." He looks through it and smiles. I see the tears in his eyes forming. "It's beautiful isn't it?"
"Our love story is beautiful," he says, "the ups and the downs it's all beautiful. God blessed me with the most wonderful woman. He gave me you and I know that you were always picked for me. It was just a matter of finding you."
"We didn't have to search too far as our souls are one in the same," I smile. "I do have an early wedding gift for you."
"Really?" he asks.
"Really, I'll be right back," I say before I get up to get my gift for Joe. I come back into the living room and hand it to him.
He smiles and looks at me, "you finally took my last name."
"I did," I smile. "I'm officially and legally now Willow Calaway Anoa'i."
"Took you long enough," he smiles. "Come here, Mrs. Anoa'i," he says motioning me to him with his finger. I walk over to him and straddle his lap wrapping my arms around his neck. "I love you."
"I love you too," I say with a smile before I lean down and kiss his lips passionately. "You know Mila and London might sleep for a really long time since they still have their days and nights confused," I say working at the buttons of his shirt.
"Mmhmm," he says as his hands slide up my shirt.
"Maybe we should take advantage of it since Alani is still in Tampa with her mom, the girls are asleep and we're all alone. What do you think, Baby?"
"I think you're mine for the afternoon," he says with a smile making me smile before I kiss his lips again. He stands up skillfully grabbing the baby monitor before carrying me upstairs to our bedroom. He lays me down on the bed before we strip out of our clothes quickly spending the next couple hours making love to one another not knowing what life had in store for us next.
*A/N: What did you think? Please review and thank-you for reading. I apologize for the delay in updates. I got a new job and my hours at work changed so it's a little tough to update as much as I did before but I am doing my best to get updates up in a timely matter.