5 Years Down The Road

"Mom! Dad! Wake up!"

The excited shouting was followed by two giggling little bodies flinging themselves onto our bed.

"Momma?" A little finger pushed at my eyelid, "Iss Chrissmas!"

"Come on, Dad!" Pie grabbed at Edward's hand, "Santa was here!"

"There's no Dad here. He's gone on vacation."

This earned laughs from both of our girls.

"Noooo, Dada! You up now!" Delilah rolled on top of Edward and pushed her face into his neck, blowing wet raspberries onto his cheek.

"Yeh, we want to open presents."

"You think you've been good enough to get presents?" Edward ticked both girls, "Maybe Santa left those for me and Mom."

"No way!" Pie laughed and jumped off the bed. "Mom, come on, I got your coffee going."

"I'm up! I'm up! You won me over with coffee." I smiled at Piper and melted when she ran back to hug me.

The last five years had had their ups and downs. When Delilah was born three years ago, Pie really rose to the challenge of being the best big sister ever. She'd made it her mission to teach Delilah all about Max and the Wild Things, how to brush her teeth and the best flavors of ice cream to pick from at the store. They were a force to be reckoned with and insanely devoted to other. I couldn't be more proud of my little family.

"So do we just let them go into a sugar coma now?" Edward eyed the candy wrappers on the living room floor that had come from the girls' stockings.

"Like we ever had a choice?" I sipped at my coffee and grinned at the handsome man sitting next to me on the couch.

Both girls were too busy with their new toy car garage setup from Uncle Sam to even notice us.

"You have one more present, Daddy!" Pie came scrambling over and handed a small box to Edward.

"Who's this from I wonder?" Edward took the box and both girls came to stand in front of him, smiling brightly.

"Iss from us." Delilah proudly spoke up, leaning against Edward's leg.

"Then it's probably the best gift ever."

"Open it, Daddy."

Piper and I shared a wink and Edward laughed, "Maybe I should be afraid."

Edward opened the last Christmas gift, his smile faltering for a moment before pulling the framed photo out of the box.

"My three best girls." His voice trailed off and he looked at each of the girls and then at me.

"Merry Christmas." My voice was hardly a whisper.

"Your three favorite girls AND your other favorite bean!" Piper pointed at the ultrasound image that Delilah was holding in the photo.

"Holy shit."

"Bad word, Dad."

"No no no, Dada. Iss a baby, no shit."

We all proceeded to laugh at Delilah's correction.

"Man, I still have some work to do with you before the new one comes." Pie rolled her eyes and hugged her sister up.

"Seriously, Bella? This is serious?"

"As can be."

"Hell yeh, baby!" He grinned and wrapped me in a hug, "I can't fucking wait."

"Dad, seriously? I can only do so much if you keep saying those words."

"I love you, Pie. I'm sorry I keep ruining all of your hard work." Edward laughed at her serious face.

"You gonna kiss Momma now?" Delilah pushed a bow onto my stomach.

"Yes I am."

And he did. And he kept kissing me for years to follow, as we watched our children grow and become adults who were married and had kids of their own. Like Edward said, it may have been an ass-backwards story, but it was ours and I wouldn't have traded it for anything in the world.

The End