I sat myself down on the sofa and put my feet up on the coffee table, narrowly missing the small vase of roses perched there. Anlon had eventually worked out that he was supposed to ask Robi to Jeffrey's party and apparently flowers were the way to go. I'd be lying if I said I was happy about this development but what can I do? 

"Daddy!" Madi's voice yells from upstairs and I hear her feet thump as she climbs down the stairs but there's another thump that doesn't fit with her steps. I glance over the back of the sofa to see her literally dragging her dolly behind her, its head is thumping off every step. "Daddy!" she yells again once she reaches the bottom and as she comes rushing towards me I realise she's only half ready, she's missing a pink shoe to match her sparkly party dress. 

"Hey angel, where's the fire?" I smile as she bumps into my legs. 

"Huh?" she pouts, her little face is bright red and her hair is all over the place. 

"What's wrong?" I chuckle. "Shouldn't you be getting ready?" 

"I have a 'mergency," her hair flies everywhere as she shakes her head, and she holds out her dolly towards me by its foot. 

"Oh no, is baby broken?" I ask, taking the poor thing from her so it's not hanging upside down anymore. 

"No, Macroni said I need t'be carefool holding da babies, but he no  sho me. You sho me?" It's like looking into her Mum's eyes as she stares up at me and lord knows I've never been very good at saying no to either. 

"Okay. So we definitely don't carry Stevie or Monroe by their ankles, yeah?" I grin as I scoop her up and sit her on my knee. 

"Daddy! You silly!" she giggles and swipes her hair away from her face. 

"I know," I place a kiss to her cheek. "So, you make a loop with your arms." I watch as she scrunches her eyebrows while copying what I'm doing. "Good job, Madi." I grin while wrapping my arm around her so I can lower her arms to her lap. "Keep them there." I pick up her doll and place it in her arms, "jus' like that, it's important to support the baby's head because they won't be able to do that on their own yet." 

"I will help 'em, Daddy!"

"I know. You're gonna be a great big sister."  I hug her tight and place a massive kiss to her cheek. I will miss her over the next couple of weeks. I will miss her a lot.

-----

"H? Are you okay?" I ask as my husband pulls my back tight against his chest, his right arm is slung around my shoulders and his left hand cradles his drink. 

"'M fine, why?" his cheek rubs against my neck as he whispers in my ear. 

"Well, not that I'm complaining but you haven't let go of me since we got here." It isn't even an exaggeration, we've been here for two hours and he hasn't left my side once. He even waited outside when I had to use the bathroom. 

"Mmm..." his voice rumbles as he places a kiss to my temple before standing up straight again. His chin rubs against my hair and just as I'm certain he's not going to give me anymore he starts talking, "gonna see too much of a lot of people here soon, just want you." 

"H... I keep telling you I'm not going to drop off the face of the Earth, I'll still be here. We'll still see each other." I grip his arm and rub my thumb against his warm skin. Hopefully, he finds it soothing but if I'm being honest, then I'm not especially in a party mood either.  

"Harry!" I recognise Tommy's voice and Harry's arm disappears from my shoulders as he greets his friend, he immediately goes off into a rant about something or other so I leave them to it. 

"Mum!" Daniella yells before Madison comes barreling into me. "Come dance with us?" 

"Pwease Mummy!" 

"Okay," I smile as they both grab my hands. 

"Daddy!" Madison screams and for a moment I assume Harry must be behind us but when she bounces up and down, I realise it's because the song has changed. Her Daddy's latest single is now playing loud and proud. "Flutterby Dawn!" she yells. 

"Yes, Butterfly Dawn! I think we have to dance to this one, right?" I grin as Daniella twirls under my arm. 

"Yes!" My youngest stomps on my toes in her excitement. "Sowwy!" 

"It's okay, sweetheart." I can't stop grinning as we all dance along to the music. I spot Robin dancing with Anlon, they look cute together and she hadn't stopped smiling since we came home from Holmes Chapel to the roses and card asking if she'd be his date. 

"Is my fa-bo-rite!" Madison yells as she tugs on my dress. 

"I know." I giggle as the three of us continue to dance. 

-----

"Tommy, man, slow down!" I groan, I haven't managed to catch a single word he said after my name.

"We found out where that divorce story came from or rather Sara did-" 

"Let me guess, River?" I roll my eyes. "Can this wait until Monday?" I reach my arm out for Jessi but end up getting a strange look from some guy who has taken her space. I seek her out in the crowd but I don't spot her before Tommy starts talking again.

"No actually, our money was on her too but it came from Jessi's company. Her in-" 

"Hang on, wait! The leak came from Jessi's side? How? Everyone has been there for years, she trusts them with her life." I find my attention drifting back to the room again but I still can't spot her. 

"That intern, Dean. He didn't-" 

"That sweet little kid told the papers I was divorcing my wife? I'm not buying it," I frown. 

"Not exactly. He told a friend he thought he could trust about the sex of the babies and a few other things and the friend saw their chance to spin it to make some easy money. So what do you want to do about it?" Tommy stares at me, waiting for an answer. 

"This isn't my call. He doesn't work for me. You need to speak to Jess about it but it can wait. The story has all but died now anyway, so it doesn't really matter, does it?" My eyes drift back to try to find my wife again and a feeling of calm washes over me as I spot her dancing with Madi and Mac. All three of them are grinning from ear to ear as they dance to Good As Hell by Lizzo. My feet itch to join them but Tommy still hasn't moved. 

"Well, yeah Jess will have the final say but you might want to talk to her about it?" 

"If Jess wants my opinion, then she'll ask me for it, she's perfectly capable of deciding what happens to this kid without anyone else's help." My patience is beginning to wear  pretty thin. 

"Dad!" Dani's voice booms as she comes rushing towards us. "That's the guy!" 

"What guy?" I smile at her as she grabs my arm. 

"The one that fancies Mum. He's talking to her." At first I can't help but think that she sounds like her brother but then what she's saying really sinks in and my head snaps to where I last saw Jess.

I never did get round to finding out who he was from Jeffrey but I recognise him straight away. His name's Ford, like the cars. He is our newest Sound Technician, he's been there about eight months now. I feel my fists clench as he places his hand on Jessi's shoulder and I don't realise I'm moving until Dani yells for me to slow down. 

"Alright?" I ask as my arm wraps itself around Jessi's waist. 

"I'll be fine. Your girls seem to have a habit of bumping into me," he grins. I just glare at him, not having a clue what he's talking about. 

"Madison accidentally elbowed him somewhere sensitive," Jess explains. And I kinda want to high five my daughter who is looking sheepish as she hides behind her Mum, but I know how much it hurts. 

"Well, I really should get back to my girlfriend," he nods behind me. 

"I sowwy," Madi peaks out from behind Jess and he pats her head. 

"I told you, don't worry about it, cutie!" he smiles, "guess I'll see you on Monday, Harry?" 

"Yeah, see you Monday," I grin as he walks away and I squeeze my wife even tighter. I press my lips to her shoulder, claiming the spot where he had his hand as mine again. 

-----

As the countdown to midnight reaches one Madi smacks her lips against my cheek. "Happy New Year, Daddy!" She yells as she hugs me tight. 

"Happy New Year, Dad!" I hear Robi say as she hugs me and then quickly disappears again before I can even reply. 

"Love you, Dad!" Dani tugs on my shirt, I kneel down and smile as she too plants a kiss to my cheek. "Love you too, Pumpkin!"

"Love you," my son adds and then he disappears too, along with his sisters. 

"Hi!" Jess grins as I glance up at her. 

"C'mere!" I slide one hand around her body and use the other to grip the back of her neck as I pull her in for a kiss. Her lips feel as soft as butter as they move slowly against mine. My fingers tangle in her hair as my other hand grips her tighter in a futile attempt to pull her closer. Her bump presses into me but I want more of her, I bunch up her dress in my fist as my tongue licks along her lips. She tastes like strawberries from the alcohol free cocktails her and Glenne have been drinking and I'm dying to savor more. 

I feel her hand press against my chest and I can't stop the whine that leaves my throat as she pulls away from me. "You okay?" She smiles. 

"Jus' trying t'kiss my wife," I pout. 

"Are you drunk?" She giggles as she links her fingers with mine. 

"No! I've only had two drinks," I snap. "Just want you, is that so bad?" 

I grin as she shakes her head and I wiggle my fingers so we're joined more securely. Her tongue pokes out to wet her lips and my body leans into hers as if being pulled by a magnet. Just as my lips are about to connect with my wife's I feel a set of arms wrap themselves around me and my entire body stiffens as the woman I love pulls away from me. The stranger then presses a kiss to my cheek and I can't stop the anger running through me. "Happy new year, Harry!" I recognise River's voice and it does nothing to calm my current mood, Jessi's fingers gently rubbing over my knuckles do pacify me though and I concentrate on that as I detach myself from my unwanted visitor. 

"Happy new year, River. Are you enjoying the party?" My wife asks as she hugs herself to my arm. 

"Jeffrey knows some awesome people. Are you coming to the Full Stop lunch tomorrow?" River doesn't even glance in Jessi's direction and it irritates me. 

"Nope. Spending my day with this wonderful woman and our babies." I grin as I place a kiss to her temple. 

"Oh, that's a shame..." River's voice trails off as Madison bumps into her. 

"S'cuse me!" She huffs at the older girl before pulling on her Mum's dress. "Mummy! Dani pushed me!" 

"I didn't. I tripped. It was an accident!" Her sister's voice joins the mix and before long Mac is beside us too and surprisingly Robi makes an appearance, she'd been joined to Anlon all night. 

"Is it time to go?" My oldest asks. 

"Bambino's, you ready to go home?" I glance at each of them hopefully and I do a little jig inside as they nod in agreement. Finally. But I make a note to check on Robi before bed, I can tell by her quiet demeanor and the way she is fidgeting that something is bothering her. 

"Okay, then lets go get our coats!" Jess announces, her hand stays firmly linked with mine as we head towards the exit. 

----- 

"Wuv you, Daddy," Madi mumbles as I tuck her in, she'd fallen asleep on the car ride home. 

"I love you too." I whisper as I kiss her forehead. I grin as she hugs her favourite bear, Bean. Mac had named him because he was the same orange colour as baked beans, apparently. I back out of the room and close the door gently before heading to Robi's room. I knock on the door and wait for permission to enter. 

"You can come in," she says and I open the door. She's in her pyjamas, sitting in her bed, an episode of friends is on pause on the TV, I'm not sure which one.

"Everythin' okay, sweetpea?" I ask as I sit down on the edge of her bed. She hugs her knees to her chest as she shakes her head. 

"I think I'm a bad kisser," her voice is so quiet I struggle to hear her even in the silence of her bedroom. 

"Why d'you think that? Did Anlon say that?" I can feel my anger come across in my voice and I begin to wish she'd spoken to her Mum about this. Jess would be calmer.

"No, Dad," she shakes her head. "But we kissed at midnight and I've never kissed anyone like that before - and I - I didn't like it. It was weird, and it felt like Anlon was trying to - well, I don't really know what he was trying to do but he kept swirling his tongue around and it felt stupid. All my friends said it's really hot, but it wasn't so did I just do it wrong?" 

Honestly, I want to rinse my ears out and forget I heard any of this but my little girl is hurting and the fact that she trusts me enough to talk to me about this makes me feel proud. "You didn't do anything wrong, Robi. Trust me. Kissing takes practice to figure out what you like and don't like. Talk to Anlon and take things slowly." Preferably stick to hand holding I think to myself. 

"Should I do the swirly thing too?" She mumbles into her knee. 

"I said start slowly," I chuckle awkwardly, but she isn't laughing. "Try just brushing your tongue along his, that's a good place to start."

"Thank you, Dad!" She says as she flings her arms around me. "You're the best!" 

"You know I'm always gonna be here for you, right? Doesn't matter how big you get, how successful you become, how many children you have, you're always gonna be my little girl." I hug her back as tight as I can without hurting her. 

"Dad! You're so mushy sometimes." She giggles. 

"Just being honest, what's wrong with that?" I pout. 

"Nothing. I love you." She kisses my cheek, her arms still hugging me tight. 

"Love you more, sweetpea." I place a kiss to her forehead. "Sleep tight!" I grin as I head out the door. "Do you want the light out?" 

"Yes, please. Night Dad!"

-----

I jump when I feel my husband's hands on my shoulders. He must have crept in the door like a mouse. 

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. You look pretty!" He whispers as his lips ghost along my neck. 

"Mmm... was Madison giving you trouble?" I ask as he'd taken longer than I expected to put the kids to bed. 

"No, actually our oldest needed a chat," his fingers continue to rub my shoulders as I tidy my shoes away in the wardrobe. 

"Oh?" 

"Seems her first kiss wasn't quite what she expected." 

"Aw no, what happened? I was going to talk to her about it in the morning," I blow out a puff of air. 

"Baby, I didn't mean to step on your toes. She was a little quiet on the way home so I asked her what was wrong. You can still talk to her. But I think I did a good job," I can hear the uncertainty in his voice and his fingers dig further into my shoulders. 

"Oh, H! I'm sure you did a great job." 

"Yeah?"

"Yes." I smile as his right hand moves to the zipper on my dress. "You're so good at taking care of all of us." I hold my breath as he slowly slides it down my body. My skin tingles as he slides his fingers over the exposed area. 

"Gonna take care of you now," his voice sounds deeper than the ocean as his hands slide my dress off my shoulders and I giggle as it falls to the floor. "So sexy." 

"I don't feel very sexy," I mumble. His teeth nip my shoulder and he slides his arms around me. 

"Well you should." I can feel him smile against my skin as he places a kiss to the spot he'd just bitten. "Y'were easily the hottest person in the room tonight, couldn't take my eyes off you." His lips drag along the back of my neck and then he presses a kiss to my right shoulder. "You wanna know what the best part is?"

"What?" I breathe as my heart beats rapidly at his flattery. 

"You're all mine. I get to bring you home, make love to you." I can feel him smiling against my skin again and his hands suddenly take the weight of my bump. The feeling of relief that comes from that tiny gesture makes me stumble backwards, my head falling against his chest. 

"Woah, baby. You okay?" my husband gasps. His left hand still cradles my bump but his right has moved to hold me against his body. 

"Yeah. Sorry. It just feels so nice not to have the full weight of the twins on me." 

"M'sorry. They must be heavy. Y'know I'd carry them for you if I could," he says softly and the sincerity in his voice makes my stomach flip. The flippy sensation continues as his hand slips towards the hem of my pants, he hooks his finger around them and drags them down my thighs until they fall to the floor. His long digits tease over my thighs and I squirm on the spot. 

"H..." i whine as he inches closer. Painfully slowly. 

"That's my name. Gonna make you scream it in a minute!" I can hear the smirk in his voice and picturing the look on his face just makes me wetter, his smug ass always looks hotter than hell. I lose my ability to speak as he spreads me open. His pointer finger drags over my clit and my hands clamp onto his forearm which is thankfully still wrapped around my shoulders and holding me securely to my husband's body. 

"You like that?" he coos as his finger continues to brush over my sensitive spot, making me chew on my bottom lip. His middle finger circles my entrance before slowly dipping inside. "So wet, all for me!" His tone makes it difficult to know if he's asking or telling but I guess it's the latter with the way he confidently adds another finger. "Feel so good squeezing me." 

We both let out a strangled moan as he switches the tapping motion to curl against my sweet spot. My legs are trembling and I'm fairly confident my husband is the only thing keeping me upright at this point. He speeds up his movements and his thumb moves back to rub my clit, in that way which only he can, no matter how hard I've tried I just can't replicate it. 

"Oh, shit! I'm gonna-"

"Do it!" He snaps as he continues with his relentless pace. 

"Fuck! Harry!" I yell out as my orgasm trickles through my entire body. 

"It's okay. I've got you, baby." It feels like hours could have passed when his voice reaches my ears and I loosen my grip on his arm. 

"Don't let me go," I whisper. I don't trust my own legs to hold me. 

"Never." He peppers every inch of me that he can reach with soft sweet kisses and before I can process what's happening, he's scooped me up into his arms. It instantly makes me think of our wedding day. I think if somebody had told me then that in ten years' time I'd love this man even more than I did I'd have called them crazy but I do. Every day I fall deeper and deeper and I wonder if I'll ever reach the bottom.