Rubbing my hand along the rise of my stomach, I feel as a small foot pushes against my hand, making a small smile spread across my face. Gently, my thumb sooths where the baby is kicking.

They have been moving so much lately, especially whenever I take a bath or go swimming. The movement always brings a smile to my face because with every wayward kick or press of a hand, I know that my baby is safe.

My smile slips from my face, though, when I think about Jesse and Alexis, who have been gone now for a while. Taylor estimates that it has been nearly a month since they left. Alpha Seren said that they will be gone for a while, for however long it takes for Jesse to get his wolf under control, but I want him back already.

It feels as if a piece of me is physically missing without him here. All I want is for him to come back so that I can curl up next to him while he feels our baby kick.

Him pushing me away again is no longer one of my fears. Now, I have a reason for him being so distant since we had sex, and when I had told him about the baby, there had been happiness clear on his face before the fear took over.

Now it is just a waiting game. Too bad patience has never been my strong suit.

A knock on the door startles me out of my thoughts. Pulling down my t-shirt, I smooth the fabric down while adjusting myself so that I am leaning on the headboard of my bed instead of laying down.

"Come in," I call out, once I am situated.

The door opens, and Taylor peeks his head in, a smile on his face. "Hey, Micah, we thought we might come visit you since you've been up here for a while."

With that, he steps into the room, Rosalie in his arms. Liam comes in behind him, his hand holding onto Matty's as the baby takes his own clumsy steps.

"Oh my," I say, eyes fixed on the toddling baby. Patting the bed, I scoot over so that they can join me.

Taylor sits down by the foot of the bed, Rosalie sitting on his lap and looking around the room with wide eyes.

It takes Liam a little longer to join us, but when he finally does, he lets out a tired sigh. "Ever since he finally decided to give this walking thing a try, he has been all over the place. It seems like every time I even think about sitting down, Matty decides to try and get into something that could hurt him."

A laugh slips from between my lips as Matty scrunches his tiny brows, his little lips sticking out in a pout when Liam picks him up so that they can sit on the bed.

"Well, he has to keep you on your toes, making sure that you don't think you can sneak off without him," Taylor says, laughing as Matty starts to crawl around the bed.

"God, he is lucky he is cute." Liam's words are softened with the soft smile on his face as he grabs onto Matty's leg, making it so that the baby can't complete his task of falling off the bed.

"No, mama!"

We are all quiet for a second as we turn to look at Matty, who is trying to escape a blushing Liam's hold, but the omega doesn't let him go. Instead, Liam just pulls the baby over to him, sitting Matty in his lap.

"Did he just-?"

"Wait-"

Liam's blush spreads across his face when Taylor and I speak over each other. Before I can stop it, a laugh slips from between my lips, and I can't seem to stop. Taylor is in the same predicament, head thrown back as Matty continues to call Liam 'mama'.

Once we start to calm down, Liam mumbles, "Erik and Ethan thought it would be hilarious to teach him to call me that, and now I can't get him to say anything else."

Liam's face is entirely red now, and he doesn't even look over at us, his lips down turned into a frown.

"Oh, Liam, stop that," Taylor says, his voice soft. "We weren't laughing at you. It just caught us by surprise, that's all."

Nodding my head, I push myself back up, readjusting the pillows behind me so that I can sit comfortably. "Personally, I think it is adorable."

Liam doesn't say anything for a while, not until Matty puts a hand on his cheek before laying a slobbery kiss on him.

"Well," he concedes, "He is pretty cute when he says it."

Matty starts giggling when Liam makes a funny face at him, almost toppling off the bed in his excitement. Liam catches him, though, his eyes softening around the edges.

"Mama, mama, mama," Matty chants, his hand patting at Liam's chest. Liam lets out a tired sigh before looking over at us.

"Do you mind if I nurse him right now, cause if I don't in the next couple seconds he is going to have a complete meltdown." True to his words, Matty starts to become more insistent, his face screwing up in displeasure as Liam doesn't move.

My brows scrunch up in confusion. "Why would we care about you nursing? Go ahead."

Liam nods his head in thanks before joining me in leaning against the headboard. Lifting up his shirt, Liam pulls Matty onto his lap. Matty's cries immediately quiet down as he starts to nurse, his hand coming to rest on Liam's chest. Liam's lips are pursed as he watches Matty, his fingers brushing through the baby's wispy dark hair, making Matty's eyes droop in contentment.

"I feel like he should be weaned by now. He is a little over one, now, but he doesn't want to give it up and I can't find the desire to listen to him cry in distress."

Taylor scoots closer to us, lying a hand on Liam's leg to make him look up at him. "As long as you are both fine with continuing nursing, then there really is no problem. He is old enough where he doesn't have to nurse, but as long as it isn't keeping him from socializing or making you feel uncomfortable, then you can just let him wean as he wants. It isn't like he will be breastfeeding forever. Soon enough, he won't want to at all."

Liam bites his lip before nodding his head. "Thanks for that," he whispers. "Nobody has said anything so far, and the twins have been really supportive, I just..."

"You've never done this before and don't quite know what you're doing?" Taylor asks, a hint of a smile on his face.

"Yeah, that," Liam says.

Taylor just gives a comforting pat to his leg, causing Liam to lose the tension in his body. "Don't worry, Liam, you're doing just fine."

We're quiet after that, just relaxing together. Rosalie starts to squirm around, and Taylor passes her over to my outstretched arms. He gives me a grateful look as I take her from him, and he flops back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

Rosalie stares at me, her blue eyes wide as she tries to take in every little bit of information that she can. My hand finds its way up to her hair, finger twisting around a curl resting on her shoulder. Her hair isn't too long yet, just enough that her curls are starting to show. She actually looks a lot like Tate, with his nose and curls, but she definitely has Taylor's smile.

Rosalie smiles at me, patting at my bump. The movement causes my baby to squirm, pushing at where Rosalie is patting her hand. Her breath catches before she starts to giggle uncontrollably, continuing to pat my belly.

"What are you doing to my child over there, Micah?" Taylor asks, turning his head so that he can look over at us.

"Ah, well, it seems that our children are entertaining each other."

Taylor sits up at that, scooting so that he is lying between me and Liam. Rosalie looks up from where she is patting my stomach, letting out a loud squeal at the sight of Taylor.

She leans over towards him, not even caring that she might fall at the movement. Taylor immediately sweeps her up, and she lays across his chest, smiling as he rubs her back.

"She acts lack she wasn't just sitting with me five minutes ago."

"Yes, well everything is exciting when you are so small," I say, my hand making its way down to my stomach, rubbing at the slope.

"No kidding," Liam says. "Matty used to laugh so hard he had trouble breathing whenever Ethan or Erik would walk into the room. This went on for an entire month until he moved on to thinking that Meeka licking his face was the most hilarious thing in the world."

Matty unlatches from Liam then, seeming to know that we are talking about him. He starts babbling in his own language, eyes wide as he explains some unknown thing rather adamantly to us. Liam just nods his head seriously while readjusting his shirt.

It doesn't take long for Matty to get bored, so Liam sets him on the ground, eyes watching every move the little boy makes as he toddles precariously around the room.

Taylor sits up then, moving Rosalie so that she can watch as Matty tries to test gravity as many times as possible while simultaneously giving Liam multiple heart attacks.

"So, Micah, how have you been doing?" Taylor asks, turning to look at me with his all knowing eyes.

"Uh, fine, I guess."

Taylor squints his eyes at me, not seeming to believe my oversimplified answer. He doesn't say anything further, though, just waiting for me to say something else.

With a sigh, I give into the way too observant omega next to me. "Baby has been fine, squirming and moving a lot, especially whenever I take a bath." Taylor smiles at my words, encouraging me. "I've been... I've been okay, too, I guess. Just missing Jesse and wishing he was back already."

Liam looks over at me, giving me a sympathetic smile before returning his gaze to the ever exploring Matty.

"He'll be back soon," Taylor says, giving me his own reassuring smile.

"He better be, or else I will have to drag him back myself."

Taylor just raises his eyebrows at me then. "I'm pretty sure you wouldn't even be able to make it off the property without wanting to stop for a rest, and besides, Alexis won't let him get hurt out there."

"That's true," I say, sagging in defeat against the pillows behind me. "I just want him to be back already. Who else can I make rub my aching feet and ask to fuck me into the mattress."

Liam lets out a startled cough at my words, but Taylor just starts laughing, which makes Rosalie make a sound of discontent from him jostling her.

"Ah, well we can help you with the aching feet, but the fucking we'll just have to leave to Jesse."

"God, I've been horny for so long," I groan. "Even before he left, it felt like there was an itch that only he can scratch and it has only become worse since he left. Now, if he would only get back so we could do the whole 'proper communication' thing, so we can move onto actually being together and him taking care of all of my needs, that would be great."

Taylor just starts laughing even harder at that, making Rosalie almost completely topple off of him.

"I'm sure he can take care of all of your needs once he comes back."

My smile slips away from my face then, my mind pondering all the possible things that can happen to my mate out there, keeping him from ever coming back. My heart skips a beat, making my chest feel tighter than ever. My eyes start to burn, and before I even have a chance of stopping them, tears start to gather in my eyes, overflowing and leaving trails of wetness down my face.

"Oh, Micah," Taylor breathes, leaning against me while simultaneously settling Rosalie on my chest. The little girl doesn't even protest, just snuggles further into me as if knowing that I need the comfort.

Liam reaches over, giving my leg a reassuring squeeze. "He'll be fine out there, I know it. He knows more about surviving out there than any of us. There is no way anything will bother him, and with Alexis by his side, there is no doubt in my mind that he will make it back in one piece."

Nodding my head, I try to force my tears away, viciously swiping at them with one hand while holding onto Rosalie with the other. I can't remember the last time I cried in front of someone, and shame bubbles up alongside all the other emotions I am feeling.

"It will be alright," Taylor says, and I nod my head again.

The tears won't stop flowing, though, no matter how hard I try to wipe them away.

"Just think of all the sex you'll have when Alexis drags his ass back over here," Liam says, his eyes wide in earnestness.

Somehow, a laugh manages to bubble up in my chest before spilling out of my mouth, making me look like a crazy person, laughing while crying. But, I can't help it, with the way a blush spreads across Liam's face from the talk about sex, despite him having a baby that came from him having lots of sex with his mates.

"Yeah, the sex will be great," I say, a smile on my face as I wipe away the last remnants of my tears. Taylor murmurs his approval, and my eyes slip closed, mind conjuring up all the possibilities of what will happen once my mate makes his way back home.