"Good evening mom." I hear as I am busy in the kitchen of our home.

Ethan,  now ten looks more like Nathan than ever before. He even behaves like him. The universe really played its cards right here.

"Hi baby. Where is your sister?" I ask staring at him.

"We made a bet mom, whoever spends more time on the couch gets to choose what to watch." He says with his head hung low.

"And you lost?" I ask seeing as he is here and not on the couch.

"I had to pee." He says which causes a chuckle to mistakenly erupt.

"Mommy dont laugh. " he pleads.

" I'm not laughing sweetheart. I'm chuckling." I laugh a little louder.

"You're laughing mommy. Okay, can you call her to the kitchen so that she loses with me?" He pulls his puppy dog eyes and now I'm smitten.

"Ella!" I call and he smiles sweetly.

"I need help in the kitchen sweety!" I call.

"I heard you and Ethan talking mom! I'm not coming. " she says and now my laughter is louder.

I shrug and he slumps down onto the barstool behind the island.

The front door opens and soon voices spill into the room. 

It's Nate and the rest of the family.

"Hey baby." He says embracing me. Everyone else has managed to sneak over to Ethan and Ella.

"Hi papi. And happy thirty second birthday sweetheart. " I say kissing his forehead.

"I thought you forgot. "

"No, you just left extremely early and I was too tired to wake up or even visit you at the office." I explain.

"El! Jazmine is here! " Ethan yells completely ignoring his grandmother who is speaking to him and Elizabeth's daughter.

Ella comes running into the kitchen and embraces Jaz.

"We both lost!" Ethan says.

"Not fair, mommy Ethan isnt playing fair. You just cant accept that girls are better than boys." She says.

My daughter is one of the most cheeky people that I have ever met. She is also extremely unfiltered and puts you in your place fast.  But she is extremely respectful to adults and wont just erupt on you unprovoked.

"Does anyone notice dad over here?" Nathan asks with his arms wide open.

"Oh hi daddy!" Ella yells going on to hug her father.

"You really didnt notice me El?" He asks with the cutest face ever.

"I'm sorry daddy. Today you look very different. You usually wear your red tie. And your hair is different. " she justified.

"I am no longer going to play dress up with you.  And you're the one who styled my hair like this." He defends.

"I was sleepy last night, mommy gave me warm milk because I had trouble sleeping, counting sheep was not helping."

"So what I'm hearing is that its mommy's fault?"

"Yea." Ella says.

"No, no. You two dont involve me in that." I laugh at the two.

"Hi Liz." I greet as she walks over to me.

"Hey Gemma. It's been a while Hey? When last did you see Char?" She asks.

"About five months ago? She told me she has alot of cases to deal with so she is overwhelmed and I've been so busy at the hotel that I barely had a chance to visit her."

"I hope she comes today. We havent had a birthday dinner in forever." She says.

"How is Usher doing there in Finland?" I ask.

About a month ago, Usher bought a company that had many branches in Europe so he has been on air for four weeks.

"He is doing so well? He called me yesterday informing me that he bagged his first deal. Hey guess who I bumped into yesterday when I went to the boutique with Jaz."

"Who girl?" She knows I love tea.

"Soraya." She says.

"Oh? I havent seen her since her miscarriage. "

Yep, y'all guessed it. She stayed and was abused by that God awful man. She lost her pregnancy . The day after she vented out to me, I never saw her again.

A year later, Mr Rickelle was shot dead midst a mysterious shoot out. He honestly deserved it. What he did to women? Absolutely unacceptable.

"She works at the boutique. Its actually hers. She looks so good. And she doesnt wear a wedding ring anymore."

"Oh, well that's good that she's out of the situation." I tell her as we prepare the dinner table.

We prepare the table in absolute silence after that and then we invite the family to join.

Janice couldn't be here because she and her younger children are on a bonding vacation. Nathan was supposed to go with them but he is really busy right now.

We all settle down on the table and Ethan says grace.

He says amen, signaling us to dig in.

And murmers echo throughout the table. Some even passing complement to me.

A knock sounds from the gallery and then three minutes apart from that Tyler and Charlotte appear.

Ty is towering over Charlotte but you can see her long blond locks from behind him.

"Oh my gosh hi!" I'm first to greet.

"Hi Gemma" both of them reply.

Charlotte moves from behind Tyler and we're met with a swollen stomach.

Is she...?

"I'm pregnant guys!" She says smiling.

Suddenly we all forget the 'scrumptious' dinner to congratulate Char and Ty.

Those two are meant for each other.

As everyone hovers Char. Nathan slips closer to me. His arm snakes around my waste and his lips hover my ear.

His breath sends a heartbeat down to my centre. He kisses my neck.

"I'm happy I get to experience this with you." He says.

"I'm glad you didnt kick me out of your life for good." He chuckles on my neck.

"I'm glad too. And I'm glad that you didnt move on when you had the chance to."

"I love you Gem."

"I love you Nate."

"Mommy is so spoiled." Ella tells Ethan.

"Yea, and daddy is always kissing her. Love is disgusting. " Ethan replies and they both whisper. Badly I might add.

"Let's promise never to fall in love." Ella says.

"Why? I also want to be like dad." Ethan says.

Causing Nathan and I to both chuckle,  when the two pairs of hazel eyes turn to us we turn to each other and sway as if we were dancing all along.

"Come on E, promise me. Pinky promise?" She asks.

"Sure El, anything for you." They pinky swear.

"You know they're listening right?" Ella asks chuckling .

"I know." Ethan says. They both laugh.

"We've got some pretty beautiful children there. " Nathan says.

"Thank you for them." I find myself cheesily stating.

"I love you my beautiful once Shattered Gem." He says. His smile melts me.

"I love you."

"Forever?" He asks.

"Till infinity."

"And beyond." He says kissing my temple.

THE END