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The rest of my brothers came in, too, and Spencer chuckled. “Let me guess, everyone’s offspring is preparing to throw a tantrum unless we shove some food into them?”
“You know it,” Colton said. “It’s like they have a timer or something.”
“They probably do,” Jake said.
For the next ten minutes, we prepped food for our respective kids. I had my hands fuller than others with four plates, but I’d learned the hard way not to make them share plates. Sharingneverworked.
“Oh, it’s good to see my boys like this,” Mom said. I hadn’t heard her approach the kitchen. She looked at me and then Maddox and Leo, then the rest of our brothers too. “You’re all such amazing dads.”
There was a quiet moment in the group before Colton replied, “Yes, we are.”
The apples had fallen very far from the tree. Dad didn’t end up using the Whitley name for the restaurant—he did something worse. He embezzled from his investor and was currently serving time. Karma had finally caught up with him.
“I’m very proud of all of you. Now, Nick, I think you need two extra pairs of hands.”
“Took the words right out of my mouth, Mom. Thanks.”
She grabbed two plates, and we all headed to the couches, where our ladies were already wrestling hungry toddlers.
We all made good teams with our partners. And wasn’t that what life was all about?
I sat down between Jack and Annie. Mom and Allison were handling the other two. We very narrowly managed to avoid a tantrum. All the kids were surprisingly silent as the doorbell rang.
“That will be the catering company,” Mom exclaimed. “I’m on it.” She went to open the front door.
Mom had arranged everything with the catering company this time. Usually, Allison was in charge, but she’d had back-to-back meetings the entire week. She was no longer just CFO of the company—she was now the CEO. I couldn’t be prouder of my woman. She was smart, ambitious, and went after what she wanted. I was happy that her hard work was being rewarded. As for me, I’d opened ten more fitness centers in the last few years. With Allison at my side, I felt like I was on top of the world.
“Your mom is awesome,” she said.
“I know.”
As the catering team came in, the kids got wind that more food was on the way, and no one was interested in the snacks anymore.
Just a day in the life of a parent.
Lunchtime was complete madness, but then everyone seemed to settle down once Allison and I announced that we were bringing the cake out. Annie and Jack were very proud to be celebrating their birthday. And I was too. I loved these two as if they were my own, which was why I was more than happy that I’d adopted them. They came straight to the kitchen island, and the whole family gathered on the other side.
“Ready to sing happy birthday?” I asked.
The whole room replied with a chorus of “Yes.”
Both of them were ecstatic as everyone cheered for them, and Jack actually blew out his candle before the last person had stopped singing. Then again, Leo had always been somewhat off-key, even during something as simple as “Happy Birthday.”
For once, Annie didn’t scold Jack, a habit she’d maintained over the years. Instead, she blew out her own candle too.
Gran was walking around with a smile. Her eyes turned a bit glossy as she came closer and said, “I’m very happy for all of you, raising your families with so much dedication. I’m happy to be here with you.”
“Thanks, Gran.” I knew why she was so emotional. For so many years, all of us were adamant that we didn’t want families, that we absolutely didn’t want to be fathers. Yet over the years, that had drastically changed.Wehad changed. And we owed it all to the amazing women we’d met.
“All right, everyone, who wants to blow candles out next?” Colton asked.
We’d made a deal with the kids. Everyone was allowed to blow out candles because apparently it was their favorite activity to do. So, at every birthday, every single kid got to blow out candles. It was always a long wait before we finally ate cake.
***
By the time everyone left, it was almost ten o’clock, and the kids were asleep. Allison and I were in the living room, lying down on the couch. She was on top of me, and I was rubbing her back without saying a word.
“Babe, are you asleep?” I whispered.