Kam's POV

Everybody saw what had just happened with my grandmother. I not only felt humiliated but hurt to the core. She wished I was dead instead of my mother. 

"Mr. Palu, I have room in my truck for you and your brothers," Mr. Dominic said to my dad.

"Thank you."

Noeli and Marco came over to hug me. "Come on, Kam, let's get you out of here." Noeli grabbed my hand. Then, my princess held my other hand, and we walked back to our vehicles. Before we got in, Isabela and Cris's grandma came over to me.

"Thank you, Isabela. That meant so much to me that you defended me."

"You're welcome, honey. Any loving parent would do that for their child. You are like a daughter to me, Kamea. I will do what it takes to protect my family."

Then, Cris' Nonna added, "If Isabela did not smack her, I was. Kamea sweetie, just like Isabela said, you are not just Cris' wife, but you are my granddaughter. And, if anyone has problems with that, tell them to come to me."

Cris chimed, "She is right. My grandmother and mother do not play. Sweetheart, you are in good hands."

So, everyone got in their trucks, and we made our way home. While in my truck, I cried the whole ride. My grandmother's words really hurt. 

"How could she wish I was dead, Cris? I never did anything to my grandmother. I loved her. That hurt more than the racist comments." 

He grabbed my hand and kissed it. "I have never in my life seen a display like that before. Sweetheart, your grandmother has some deep, rooted issues as to why she does those things to you. You don't have to hurt no more from her words."

"I have to warn you. Some of my cousins are flirty. And a couple of them are just straight-up jealous of me."

"If she starts trouble, let me know." 

"Of course, handsome."

We pulled up to our house, and Cris parked the truck. He helped the twins out of their seats and out of the truck. They took off and went to play with the other kids. I hesitated a little. Then, he came over and opened the door. Cris held his hand out to me and helped me out.

As soon as we got in the house, I saw Marco fending off the hounds.

"You're Marco Fiore, the model! And you're dating my cousin?" My cousin Lisa asked. Noeli was about to punch her in the mouth.

"See what I mean?" Cris and I both laughed. We went straight to the kitchen because I was hungry and thirsty.

Cris told me to sit and that he would fix me something to eat. He fixed us something, and we found an empty spot in our dining room.

Our house was packed with people, some of them I was hoping would leave. Like my one cousin from Hawaii, Leia - the girl is jealous of everything Noeli and I have. I see her coming this way.

I told Cris, "Here comes one of the annoying ones now. If she starts with me, I will put her in her place."

"Wow, Kamea, I can't believe you live in this house. How can you afford it?" 

"It is none of your darn business how I can afford it. Look, I am pregnant and have not eaten since breakfast. Please leave my husband and me in peace."

"That's right. That is how aunt Jayde......"

I was about to punch her in the mouth, but Cris stopped me.

"Listen, you heard what she said. Let us eat in peace."

"You're too cute to be Kamea's husband. " 

"That's it!" I got in her face and said, "No one will be disrespecting me in my house! I am the queen of this castle! You have always been jealous of what Noeli and I have achieved. You even stole my high school boyfriend. And, you know what? I was not even mad about that. He was a cheat, anyway. Everybody even asked me, "Why did your boyfriend dump you for your cousin? Is he blind or something?"

I heard Cris snicker. "So, you did me a favor because I was about to dump his behind. I have achieved everything I wanted - a successful career, I am happily married, and pregnant with twins - all by the age of 24. What are you?"

I looked around and told her, "Oh, it looks like you don't have anything. I just buried my mother, and I am not in a good mood. Take your fake, jealous, wannabe behind out my house back to Hawaii or wherever you live!"

"You heard what Kamea said. Now, get out!"

Marissa and Andre came in and sat down to eat with us. "Lisa was about to catch a beat down." 

"My cousin from Hawaii was about to eat on my fist." 

"Sweetheart, if anyone else bothers you, please come and get me." 

"Better yet, Cris, come get me. Kam, you are pregnant. Let me handle these tricks." 

Speaking of tricks, here comes Lisa. "Watch, she try to hit on Cris after just finishing trying to hit on Marco. Handsome, kiss me. And, add a little tongue action." He looked at me like I was crazy. It must have been mood swing mode because I told him, "Man, kiss me now!" So, he got up, came over to me, and kissed me.

"Kamea, don't act like you didn't see me. And why are you kissing this extremely handsome man?"

"Because this extremely handsome man is my husband."

She looked at Cris and said, "You married her? How much did she pay you?" I was about to get up.

Marissa said, "Kam, I got this. Look here, Hoe's R Us, back off! You just finished hitting on Noeli's man, Marco. Now, you are in here hitting on Kam's man?!! For goodness sake, leave Kam and Noeli alone! They just lost Aunt Jayde, and you are in Kam's house disrespecting her and her man?!! What kind of stuff is that?! Shut up and go away!!"

"This is her house? How did she bribe him into marrying her and buying this house?"

Marissa could not take it anymore. "Pow!" Right in her mouth. "I warned you, but you didn't shut up! Don't you have any dignity at all?! Cris loves Kam to death. He married her twice, bought her this house, got her that shiny, brand-new white Escalade outside, and got her pregnant with twins!! This man and his kids treat Kam like the queen she is!! Keep playing with me, and next time it will be more than a fist in your mouth - they will be planning your funeral." 

"He has kids?" And, then, she scrunched her face up. This time, Cris got her.

"Is there a problem with me having kids? People like you drive me crazy! Kamea is your cousin, and you are, trying to tear her down. The only reason she is not jumping down your throat is that she is pregnant with my kids. And, then, you have the nerve to disrespect her in her own house?!! Kamea is my wife! Now, you have 5 seconds to get out of my house, or I will have Marissa here kick your ___!"

Marissa got up and was about to punch her again. She ran out that door so fast. She looked like she just ran a 100-yard dash. 

Andre and I just stood there and had a good laugh. "Hey Cris, you and I make a wonderful team. Kam, who bothered you next? I'm ready to knock someone else out." 

Cris grabbed my hand and led me to where most of the family was sitting.

Cris' POV

I am sick of this. We open our home to what is supposed to be family, and so far, we have had to throw two people out.

"Can I have everyone's attention, please? Today, we were supposed to come together as family and friends to support Kamea, Noeli, and Kalani. Two of Kamea's cousins have been thrown out for disrespecting her in her own house! Her own grandmother disrespected Kamea at the burial, and that is why she is not here. I am sick and tired of the disrespect my wife, Noeli, and Kalani have been shown! If anybody else has issues, 'GET OUT OF MY HOUSE NOW!' For goodness sake, we all just lost a woman who was a wife, a mother, and my mother-in-law. Show Jayde some respect!  And have some respect for Kamea, the queen of this house!"

"Cris is 100% correct! Kamea does not need any stress from some of you greedy, jealous hounds! She is pregnant with Cris' twins and my grandchildren! Leave Noeli and Kamea alone! Or else you will have to deal with me! We just buried the love of my life and their mother! Show some respect if you have any!" Kalani said after me.

I led Kamea outside to the patio, and we sat on the couch for the rest of the evening.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I had to do that. I do not want you stressed out."

"I'm not crying because of that. Cris, I love you even more for doing that. Family is supposed to stick together through the good times and the bad. I already feel hurt about losing my mom. But, what happened throughout today, made me feel worse." 

Marco and Noeli came out and sat with us.

"Cris, did Lisa really hit on you? That heifer did the same thing to Marco and had the nerve to ask him how much I paid him to date me," Noeli asked.

"Yes, she did. And she asked me the same question about Kamea." 

"Boy, some people sure are desperate."

"Exactly. We all need a well-deserved vacation." 

"I agree, bro. So, where are we going?"

Just as Marco said that, Día and Rocco came running over.

"Daddy! Daddy! Can we go home with Mrs. Cocoa?"

When my baby girl asked me that, I knew exactly where we were going to spend the rest of the summer.

"Rocco and Día, how would you like to spend the rest of summer in Florida?"

"Yay, daddy!"

"We could all use some time away from California. And, Kamea, we will come back for your appointment in July, so we can see what our twins are going to be."

"A vacation sounds nice. I would love to go."

"Noeli and Marco, you both should come too."

"Time away is a great idea. And I will be back in time for my junior year of medical school. I'll go see if dad would like to come too." Noeli got up to find her dad.

Marco's POV

"Cris and Kam, I am ready to take the next step and ask Noeli to marry me. But I wanted your help."

"Oh, Marco, I am so happy for you guys!" Kam had the biggest grin when she said that. "I knew your wedding was coming soon."

"The relationship that you and Cris have got me thinking that I want the same thing. Cris found his queen. And I found mine in Noeli. I already asked Kalani. He gave me his approval."

"A wedding and my babies? This is really exciting for us! It's just what we needed." 

"Kam, are you okay?"

"I'm okay. These are happy tears."

It must be one of her mood swings.

"Look at my little brother, all grown up and acting responsibly."

"Well, I had splendid examples in mom, dad, you, and Alessandra. I'm just following in your footsteps."

"Marco, if you need my help with a ring for Noeli, I can do that. We both wear the same size - size 7."

"Thanks, Kam. I hope she says yes."

"Boy, that girl has been crushing on you since you first became a model."

"She has?"

"You didn't hear this from me, but one time, I saw her kiss one of your magazine pictures.  She would always buy every magazine you were featured in. Heck, I bought a few too. But they were burned in the house fire. I thought you were cute too."

Cris started feeling some type of way. "Hey, what am I?" 

"You are the cuter Fiore brother and mine. Kiss me, Tiger." 

Then, Kam said, "But your dad is the cutest one of them all." Cris started tickling Kam. My dad heard Kam say that and told Cris, "Leave that beautiful girl alone. She recognized where you two came from." 

Noeli came back. "Dad said he is going back to Hawaii for a month or two. And he is leaving tomorrow."

Kalani came outside too. And, Día ran over to him and jumped in his arms. "Nonno!" He twirled her around, and she liked when he did that.

"Well, kiddos, I am getting ready to leave so I can pack for my trip back to Hawaii. You all have a wonderful time in Florida." He then looked over to me and gave me a thumbs up.

"Dad, please call us when you land in Hawaii," Kam asked with a concerned expression on her face. 

"I promise, baby girl. And I want you to promise me that you are going to relax while in Florida."

"I promise, daddy."

"Uncle Marco, can you come to play with us?"

"Of course, princess. But you should start running."

"Why, Uncle Marco?" 

"Because the tickle monster is coming to get you!" 

Día and Rocco started running and screaming when they saw me chasing them.

Kam's POV

It was too cute watching Marco chase the kids around. Cris got up and joined Marco in playing with them. He scooped princess up and started tickling her. Cris is already a great dad. But, one day, Marco will be a great dad too.

Noeli and I just sat there and laughed at our men. Val and Mrs. Alyshea came out and joined us. So, I asked him about Florida.

"Where is the best place for us to stay in Florida? Cris and I, Noeli, Marco, and the kids would like to travel to Florida for the summer. We need a break from California."

Cris came back from running around, and he was out of breath. "Woo, those kids wore me out."

"But, you are never worn out or have gotten tired while......" 

"Sweetheart, please don't finish that sentence. That is our secret. Anywho, I thought maybe we should invest in a vacation home in Miami."

Val added, "Miami would be a fantastic location. And Cam & Cocoa live there, so they can tell you the best areas to live. Cam will move to Miami after graduating from University. Alyshea and I live in Key West. When are you leaving?"

Cris thought about it and said, "Monday would be great, so tomorrow we can pack clothes."

"You are welcome to stay with us until you find a place in Miami."

"What would you like to do, Kamea?"

"We can stay in Key West until we find something big enough for all of us. That is fine."

"Besides, Noeli and I can spend some mom time with Mrs. Alyshea. But we will need two vehicles - one for us and one for Noeli and Marco."

"There are a few dealerships not too far from us. What are you interested in getting?"

"Well, I love my Escalade that Cris got for me. What about you, Noeli?"

"I like that Escalade Cris got for you too."

"Consider it a wedding present from the both of us. You didn't want anything for your wedding, so this is our gift to you."

"Kamea honey, don't say no because he won't take it. You are both like our children, and he will do anything for his kids."

"Wow, thank you very much. Look out, Florida - The Fiore crew, is coming."

********************

It started getting dark, so we called the kids over to come inside the house and play. They played for about an hour until it was time for them to go to bed.

When the kids finally went to sleep, we all went to the basement and played pool. Cris said, "How about boys vs. girls?" Noeli and I looked at each other and grinned.

First up was me and Cocoa vs. Cam and Cris. Of course, we won. Cris looked at me, "I didn't know you could play pool that good."

 "Well, you never asked me, did you?" Both Cris and Cam gave smirks, but we did not care. 

Next, it was Noeli and Mom Alyshea vs. Marco and Daddy Val - he said we could call him that. "Girl, power at it again!" Noeli and mom high-fived each other. Marco and Cris had their mouths wide open.

"Close your mouth before you attract the flies." I knew Cris was going to get me later. Meh, who cares? 

"Our dad taught us how to play as teens."

So, Daddy Val asked me, "Hey Kamea, let's be partners and play against Dominic and his partner of choice. I can see the look on his face when he loses." 

"No, Uncle Val!! You know how dad gets when it comes to pool. Kamea, he will have you up all night until he wins. My dad and Uncle Val are competitive when it comes to pool."

"Thanks for the warning, Cam. Well, everyone, me and the twins are going to say goodnight and see you all in the morning." Then, I went upstairs to bed.

About an hour later.

Cris' POV

"Nice try, Kamea. Don't plan on going to sleep tonight."

"Thank you all for staying the week with us. We really needed this as a family."

"You're welcome, Cris. You and Kamea remind me of Cam and Cocoa. They went through so much in the past few years and have come out of their trials strong. "

"I am surprised by my two. Before they met, Kamea, mostly Día, was shy. But, since meeting Kamea and being around her, they have come out of their shell."

"She really is a special woman for your kids to do that."

"She really is. Goodnight, everyone." Then I headed upstairs to our room.

She was asleep at the moment. "Nice try, but tonight I am carrying Día to her bed." I picked her up, then carried Dia to her room and gently laid her down. Then, I went back to my room. I walked over to Kamea and put my hand over her mouth. She woke up startled. "You thought I forgot, didn't you?"

*************************

Kamea's POV

In the morning, after a nice long soak in the tub, I packed my kid's clothes and mine. Cris said to pack for a few days, and we would go shopping when we got there.

Cris also gave Jake the next two months off so he could spend time with his family and with Briana.

The next day we left for Florida. It was our first time going away as a family. It is a three-hour time difference. We left California at 10 am and arrived in Key West after 1 pm. Daddy Val had a limo waiting to take us all to his house - one for his family and one for us. I fell asleep on Cris' shoulder in the limo.

When we drove up to Daddy Val's home, I was amazed by how beautiful it was!

We got out of the limo, and my mouth was wide open. "Wow, this is beautiful!"

As soon as Daddy Val opened the front door, we were greeted by his parents. I see where Daddy Val gets his looks. He is the spitting image of his dad.

"Who is this beautiful young lady?" His father asked.

Mi chiamo Kamea. È così bello conoscerti. E questo è mio marito, Cris. (My name is Kamea. It is so nice to meet you. And this is my husband, Cris.)

"Ooh, she even speaks Italian. It is nice to meet you, Kamea. I am Donatella, and this is my husband, Luciano."

"Now, I see where Daddy Val gets his charming looks from."

Everyone got a chuckle out of that. His father is very handsome.

"He called and told us what happened with your grandmother. Honey, you can call us Nonna Donatella and Nonno Luc."

"Grazie nonna Donatella e Nonno Luc." (Thank you, nonna Donatella and Nonno Luc.)

And Nonno Luc also added, "And I understand some nasty people are after you. Sweetheart, do not let those people worry you to death. Your husband, Val, and I will take care of it. And I hear congratulations are in order."

"We are expecting twins in December. We will find out next month what we are having. We will be staying in Florida until it is time for our kids to go back to school."

"We have plenty of time to get to know each other. I'm sure you're hungry, so let us get you something to eat."

*****************

Our first month here was great. I also got to meet Cam's grandparents - Nonna Aida and Nonno Emiliano - who also adopted me. He is just as funny as Daddy D.

We did not buy our vacation home yet, but we saw a few places that we liked, and they had plenty of room for everyone.

Cam was right about playing pool. Daddy Val challenged Daddy D to a game, and Cam was his partner.

"Be prepared to lose, Dominic." 

"Not this time, Val. Be ready to pay up."

"See what I mean, Kamea. Dad, do not keep us up all night. Remember, Kamea is pregnant. You can't have her up all night."

We played several games of pool. Daddy Val and I won the three games we played.

"Time to pay up, Dominic." 

Daddy D paid up is his bet.

"Kamea, here is a present for your twins." 

"This is a lot of money." It was well over $2,000. "And you bought us our trucks."

"Kamea, my dad and Uncle Val are going to spoil you and your sister. I contributed as well. That is what our family does. We love and support one another."

I just stood there and broke down crying. "Thank you guys so much! This means a lot to me. I love you all so much! This is one of the sweetest things anyone has ever done for me." I gave Daddy D and Daddy Val a hug and kiss on the cheek. I just hugged Cam.

I love hanging around those guys because they crack me up. And it also keeps my mind off missing my mom. I have my moments, but that will always happen.

I have also learned how to cook authentic Italian dishes from nonna Aida and nonna Donatella. Cris was impressed.

Marco and Noeli played with all the kids. I cannot wait until they are parents.

It is now time for Cris and me to go back to California. We are catching a flight back on Sunday because my appointment is on Monday.

Cris and I find out what our twins are, and I am excited! Once we find out what we are having, we can start working on their rooms and buying baby things. I cannot wait!

I am glad this day finally came because most of the time, I think about my mom and how I miss her so much. To not share this news with her hurts so much. Isabela and Mrs. Alyshea have both been so supportive and helpful to me. I love them so much. 

One thing I will not do is ask Cris, "Do I look fat?' Or, "Does this make me look like a whale?" They can be argument starters, and I do not want that. And I will not blame him for getting me pregnant because it takes two to tango. It is bad enough that he has to cope with my mood swings. And, let me tell you, I am one moody woman.

*****************

"Ugh, I can't really sleep. I guess because I am too excited about my appointment. So, maybe I'll bug Cris." Then I started to wake him up.

"Psst, Cris?"

He was not waking up, so I did it again. This time, I tapped him and started caressing his face.

"Psst, Cris?"

He swatted my hand and turned away from me, and was then facing towards our bedroom door. "Oh, no, he didn't swat my hand." 

"Cris!!!!!!" I punched him in his arm.

'Ouch!'

Dang, that man and his rock-hard, sexy muscles. 

"Ouch!!! Wha...Is something wrong?"

"I have a taste for fried rice, egg rolls, pickles, and a chocolate milkshake."

"Kamea, did you really wake me up because you are hungry?" 

"We can't help it that we want to eat now."

"Sweetheart, how about I order Chinese food when they are open later today after your appointment?" 

"NO! I want it now!! You don't love me anymore!!!" 

I sure did guilt trip Cris and started crying. But it worked because he got up and threw some clothes on.

"Fine, Kamea. You do realize it is 3:00 am?" 

"I don't care what time it is. I want fried rice, egg rolls, pickles, and a chocolate milkshake!! Besides, you said you would be there for me. Get used to it because this will not be the only time I ask you throughout my pregnancy. Now, can you be a darling, sweet hubby and get me some Chinese food?" 

Cris was mad but went looking for my food anyway.

Cris' POV

I got up out of bed, put on some clothes, and grabbed my keys to go find her some Chinese food.

I searched around the city for her food, knowing no place was open. So, I went to the grocery store to see if they had some. Fortunately, they did. But it was from the frozen foods section. And I made sure to grab her a jar of pickles. The cashier looked at me and said, "Your wife's craving Chinese food?"

"Yes." We both chuckled as I paid for the groceries and left the store. "I better not forget the chocolate milkshake."

So, I drove to find a McDonald's that was open and had milkshakes. Fortunately, I found one with a drive-through window. If they did not have any, she's just going to wait.

"Welcome to McDonald's. How can I help you?"

"Please tell me you have chocolate milkshakes at this hour."

"Yes, we do."

"Thank you."

I bought two for her. Then, I made my way home.

After fixing the food and carrying it on a tray, I went upstairs to our room. Kamea gave me an evil look, then started crying.

"You took 3 hours looking for food?! 3 hours, Cris!!! Think about the children!!" 

I started to yell, but I did not. I cannot be mad because, after all, she is carrying two extra little ones with her. I put the tray down on the bed, then went to my closet. I grabbed an extra pillow and blanket.

"Where are you going? Aren't you going to eat with me?"

"No, sweetheart. Enjoy your food."

I needed a little rest. So, I walked downstairs and slept on the couch. "Watch, she has heartburn after eating that."

About an hour later, sure enough, she started complaining about heartburn. The sleep did not last. Kamea came downstairs rubbing her chest.

"Sweetheart, sit." I went to the kitchen for some ginger ale.

"Here, drink this." I gave her the ginger ale to drink.

After a bit, we both fell asleep on the couch.

***************

The alarm on my phone rang for us to wake up. "Dang."

"Kamea, babe, wake up. It's time to start getting ready for your appointment."

Her appointment was at 11:00 am, so we got off the couch and went upstairs to take showers and get dressed. After an hour, we were dressed and ready. "I have to give you your shot before we leave."

So, we made our way downstairs. I gave her the insulin shot and administered mine. We ate breakfast and then left for her appointment.

**************

The new doctor's office is 20 minutes away from our house. Her doctor's name is Dr. Ana Macias.

She had Kamea lay down on the exam room bed and lift her shirt to expose her stomach. Then, she put the gel on her stomach to perform the ultrasound.

"Kamea dear, I am about to wave the wand and check on your twins. And we will be able to see what you are having." We both looked at the monitors while Dr. Macias continued.

"Baby number 1 is a little girl." I started getting teary-eyed.

"And it looks like baby number 2 is a little boy."

Wow, a daughter and another son. Fantastic! Twenty minutes later, Dr. Macias was done with the ultrasound.

"I'll be back with your sonogram for today. And I would like to schedule an appointment to check your blood sugar." Then, the doctor left the room.

"At lunch, can we discuss names for the twins? I had two names picked out - one for a girl and one for a boy."

"Of course, love."

Dr. Macias came back with Kamea's sonogram. "You are still on target for December 20th. I will have the nurse schedule you a visit to draw blood and check on your sugar."

Kamea got up, and the nurse came to schedule her appointment. "Mrs. Fiore, what day would be good for you?

"Well, my family and I are vacationing in Florida until the end of August."

"Kamea, we can stay until Wednesday and fly back in the evening."

"We can set up the appointment for 10:00 am on Wednesday."

"That's fine."

"I'll put you on the schedule for Wednesday at 10:00 am. You're all done, Mrs. Fiore. Enjoy the rest of your day."

After that, we left the doctor's office.

Kam's POV

After our appointment, we stopped at a restaurant to eat lunch. We sat on their outdoor patio. I called my dad and placed him on loudspeaker, well loud enough for Cris and I to hear him.

"Dad and Cris, now that we know I am pregnant with a boy and a girl, I wanted to ask you both about honoring mom and Kekoa."

"Of course, Kami. It is beautiful that you want to honor your mom and brother."

Cris was okay too. "So, for our daughter, her name will be Isabella Jayde Fiore. And, for our son, I chose Kekoa Lorenzo Fiore."

Cris - "I love it - Isabella and Kekoa."

"Kami, sweetheart, you didn't have to ask me. I cannot wait until they are born so I can spoil them. I love those names."

"Thanks, dad and Cris."

The waiter came over and was about to take our order. Suddenly, some lady came over to our table.

"Cris, is that you? I thought I would never see you again." 

I gave Cris a death glare. "Who in the hello is this?"

Cris sighed. "This is Miranda. The one that cheated on me with Chase." 

****************

Thank you all for taking the time to read chapter 35.

The pictures and videos are courtesy of Can Stock Photo Inc., YouTube, and PNG Tree. 

Baby boy/baby girl overlay - courtesy of PNG Tree - ©pngtree.com / Reza Slow

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