I breezed through the first three months of pregnancy, despite each day Harper waiting for me to turn into a vomiting mess, it just never happened. I think I just got a little lucky or perhaps my body knew, what I did not, and foresaw Olympia and the whirlwind she would be, and so my pregnancy was the calm before the storm. This isn't to say O would be badly behaved, she was just wild as the weather was the night she was born, and of course her DNA was Nomikos, kid didn't stand a chance, she beat to her own drum.

"I can't wait to see him or her" Harper says excitedly as we pull into the Health centre for our 12 week scan.

I turn off the engine and look to her with a smile "I can't wait to finally announce to everyone that baby dió is on the way"

"I know, two kids Teddy... two" Harper says letting out an exaggerated breath and turning to Wren in her car seat "you ready Wren" she asks her and Wren is none the wiser, that in my belly is her little shadow who was going to hurtle into her world and claim her as her partner in crime.

"Shall we open the email before we go in and get our sneak peek results?" Harper asks removing her seatbelt and turning completely to face me. She had been dying to find out the sex of this baby, conning me into the test she had done with Wren but when it came to opening the email I froze and couldn't do it.

I just wanted a little longer until I knew this baby would most probably stick around. I hadn't wanted to make it real incase of miscarriage. Basically I was back to not wanting to give my future child any form of label, title or identity incase I lost it. It was like how I had been my entire life with relationships, outside of the womb, but as my lower belly seemed to rise up and meet my running shorts waistband, and my sports bra started to get tighter against my chest, I finally had to admit that something was indeed growing in there.

Harper had been paranoid that I should cut the exercise down a little, she hated watching me run now, especially now the baby was showing up in the exposed curved flesh between my sport bra and shorts, but my dr said it was fine since I had been doing this level of exercise for so long. I just had to do low impact for now. I wouldn't be going to the gym and lifting weights or doing the rowing machines.

I take out my phone and hand it to Harper, giving in, "okay... let's find out who we will be looking at" I offer, her cheeks lift and her eyes sparkle with eagerness and excitement.

I watch her with baited breath as she scans down the emails "I starred it" I inform her leaning forward and pointing to the star above "just click that and it will pop up" I suggest.

She does, and there it is, the email that made my anxiety soar, the one that would make this baby real "Oh Ted..." Harper says covering her mouth in shock and looking up to me wide eyed.

"What" I ask worriedly "what is it" I ask as if it may say it's an alien.

"We have another daughter inbound... it's a girl... " she reveals, a little overwhelmed and emotional.

I just sit, a little stunned, a little apprehensive but a lot happy "a Nomikos girl" she adds apprehensively.

I finally let out a breath I had held in, and smile, leaning forward to kiss her lips "we are in big trouble you know that right" I whisper against her lips.

She nods against my forehead "we better start gearing up for daughters . I think we are about to have our hands full, perhaps even tied behind our back" she says with a little laugh.

We turn together, looking back at Wren who was eating a rice cake and kicking the back of my seat with her sandals "Wren you are getting a sister" Harper announces.

Wren shakes her head in response "No mama"

"mikrí aderfi is most definitely coming Wren... no little brother this time... sorry" I add.

She has pointed at the little brother in her book about siblings and said "my brother" for an entire month or "adelfós" when she was speaking with me in Greek.

She shakes her head again "no mommy no... no adelfí" she says as her fair eyebrows knit together in a frown "no" she adds again "óchi" she adds in Greek and she shakes her head and starts talking Greeklish mixing up all her words, a little annoyed.

Harper and I look to each other anxiously "this is going to be fun... she dislikes her already" I worry.

We turn back to the front, and try not to laugh at Wren in the back, as she digested the fact that her dreams of a brother, were currently on the back burner. He would arrive one day... our ray of sunshine, among our electric storm of girls, and he would be coddled within an inch of his life, the last born. His sisters were all very against another little sister, and my goodness the relief we felt, that he wasn't, for them and for us, because four girls sounded... like a gang.

***

We are back in room 002, the same room we saw Wren for the first time.

It's even the same Dr.

She smiles at us as we come in "hi you guys... I hear we have another baby on the way" she says cheerily and she looks down to Wren as she walks in holding Teddy's hand "and who do we have here... I think I met you once before in this room" she says getting down on Wrens level "what's your name" she asks her sweetly.

Wren smiles a little shyly and looks up to me and I nod "you can say"

She looks back to the Dr "Wren" she replies shyly, hiding her face a little behind my thigh.

"Hi Wren... you grew up so quickly..." the Dr observes, before standing back up and looking to Teddy and I "she's pretty good at talking for her age"she observes as Wren starts to chat away, looking at a picture on the wall.

Teddy picks her up so she can point at all the babies "My baby, mommy..." she says pointing at a baby in a blue hat.

Teddy and I look to each other jovially, she still hadn't given up on the brother.

"She is surrounded by adults all of the time... her nursery told me she is pretty advanced in speaking... she speaks both Greek and English" I reply.

The Dr nods "well I'm impressed" she says, as we listen to Teddy and Wren speak fluently in Greek for a few moments, as they look through the babies and mommies who had been patients previously.

"Shall we take a look at this little fella or gal?"the Dr asks.

I nod and take Wren from Teddy so she can get on the bed "we just found out it's a girl, but if you want to tell us this baby has a penis...I know Wren will be ecstatic..."

The dr smiles, amused, as she looks to Teddy lying down "okay I can take a look, it's not so easy to distinguish at twelve weeks, although not impossible, especially with a boy...let's see" she says turning on her monitor.

I take the seat nearest Teddy's head, and hold her hand, sitting Wren on my lap. The Dr places the gel on Teddy's stomach and she flinches "A little cold... sorry" the dr says and she looks up to the screen as she fiddles with some buttons and zooms in as she presses the device over Teddy's flesh, pushing down and gliding it across the gel.

Teddy looks to me nervously and I smile as we both look back up to the screen.

"Here we go" the Dr says, and my heart begins to race.

Teddy's hand squeezes mine tightly as the wiggling little alien that was Olympia appeared "ooh a fiesty one" the Dr says quite innocently.

I look to Teddy and we try not to laugh, because, yes, we were expecting her to be. Her little legs move about and her arms look like they are punching about too, strange little spindly legs and arms that would one day be chubby and gloriously squeezable.

"Wren look" I say pointing up to the screen "It's your baby sister" I say excitedly and she looks up and her icy blue eyes take it all in.

She looks to Teddy and the bizarre gel on her stomach and I can tell she is thinking "what the hell is happening here" and I kiss her cheek and look back up to the screen "my sister?" She questions.

Teddy and I look to her and nod "I'm afraid so Wren... she's yours" Teddy offers.

Wren kind of sighs and looks cross, her little body slumping against my body "she will bring you a present though,... you know that Wren" I say trying to garner some enthusiasm.

Her eyes widen excitedly and she smiles as wide as she can and turns herself around to look into my eyes "A toy" she asks.

I nod "oh I expect so..." I say looking back to her lovingly and kissing her nose.

"Do you want to know her name... your little sister" Teddy asks her as the Dr takes measurements.

"Yes" Wren says excitedly turning back to face Teddy.

"Your little sister is called Olympia" Teddy reveals enthusiastically.

Wren takes that in, her little eyes blinking, a kind of blank stare before she smiles and looks excited "Pia" she asks.

I squeeze her from behind "O... Lym...Pia" I say slowly.

She repeats "O"

We both look to each other and nod "okay... for now, O works" Teddy says as we both look back to the screen.

O, that would stick, she was O much more than she was Olympia, and then her friends at school would change it all over again to Oly... so Olympia became about ten different variations through her life, but to us she would always be, our Olympia.

"All seems wonderful" the Dr says.

I look to Teddy "should we begin the group call" I ask nervously and I look to the dr "can we just do a really quick group call so our family's can see her" I ask.

She nods "since it's you... of course" she says and she gets a good view of the baby as I dial the family group chat we had opened up for this, this morning.

The messages that had arrived as we drove to the appointment made us laugh, as family saw that they were added to it, a bizarre group entitled "calling you around 1pm, be ready"

Thea-
what the hell is this?

Demitra-
I swear to god if you are about to tell us you went ahead and married again...

Willa-
Mama and I are literally on tender hooks.

Allie-
I can't breathe, what is this?

Callie-
If Willa and Allie don't know then I am freaking the hell out. I have baby group with Apollo, but you bet I'm taking off running when this call comes in.

Maria-
I finally got added to the group chat :)

Demitra-
momma do you know what this is
about?

Maria-
know what what's about?

Thea-
Demitra ... she is a technophobe. I'm amazed she even figured out how to get into the chat, let alone, actually, chat.

Maria-
I see you Thea

Mary&Erica-
I am on the edge of my damn seat

Ben&Jennifer-
I have no idea why we are all in here but we are ready for 1pm, Harper and Teddy... ahhhh.

***
The phone rings and screens appear, eager faces, some absolutely terrified, some annoyed, and Maria's forehead.

I put them on loudspeaker "guys we have something to show you, but before I do, I am putting you on mute. I do not want to terrify our Dr with the noise that will erupt from this phone ... okay?" I ask.

"Why are you seeing a Dr?" Just about everyone asks, but Mama more anxiously than most.

I look back to them "I will show you, but I'm going to mute okay... and when we leave, we will call you all back...got it?" I ask.

They all nod "yes Harper, we got it...now spill" Demitra begs.

I switch them to mute and turn the screen to Teddy laying down, and we laugh as they see her and kind of frown as she waves. I spin the camera around to the screen and peek around to see as them all squinty eyed, looking as far into their own screens as humanly possibly as they realise what they are seeing.

Teddy and I begin to laugh as Demitras phone goes flying with the excitement, as her hands are thrown in the air. Thea is quite obviously screaming excitedly. Mama is dancing with Willa, Mary and Erica are cheering, daddy and Jennifer are smiling broad smiles and Maria is most probably sobbing, but all we see is her forehead. Callie is crying happy tears whilst bouncing Apollo up and down on her hip.

I hand the phone to Teddy, as Wren and I squeeze in beside her head "Olympia Maria... due November" she reveals to the packed screen.

I think by now everyone is crying, and we send some kisses with our hands and wave as we click off.

"That is some family you have there. I've never seen so many screens open at once..." the Dr comments, as she wiped Teddy's belly and cleared the gel away.

"Well congratulations girls... another little lady is on the way" she announces

Teddy and I look to each other with a knowing smile "little lady... sure" we question with raised eyebrows.

Olympia wouldn't ever be described as ladylike, although she was beyond beautiful, exuded confidence and body positivity... our Olympia was not a little lady... she was a force of nature, just like her big sister.

***

We sit back in the car and hand Wren a drink, and snack, as we open back up the group chat and ring everyone back.

"Ahhhhh" Demitra squeals "Olympia is on the way... ahhhhhhh... Olympia"

She holds up little Clio who is now eight months old, she has big green eyes like Demi and a lot of straight blonde hair. "My little monster is awaiting her cousin"

We smile as we look to Clio, who babbles away, in a drooling mess, her fingers in her mouth always since she was teething.

"We are here" Mama calls as her and Willa pop back up "how on earth have you kept that from me... I'm so shocked. I thought a baby but I thought it would be after the wedding" she says still shaking her head with the surprise.

Willa looks to us excitedly "Olympia is going to be amazing" ... "I can feel it"

Teddy nods "we do too"

Thea and Callie pop up with Maria, they are all now in the restaurant "Olympia" Maria says lovingly "my little Olympia" she says clutching her hands to her chest "I'm so proud of you Theodora"

Willa nods "me too" she adds.

Everyone else joins in with her "we are all proud of you both..."

Teddy and I look to each other and I take her hand and kiss her cheek, the wave of love and emotion that fills the car as everyone appears on screen is overwhelming .

Wren takes the phone and speaks to everyone, they all laugh when she corrects them that her name is "O" and that she's her baby, and her little sister.

***
We take a pizza to Willa and Allies next door for dinner, Allie greets us at the door, arms spread in excitement and she pulls me into her arms.

I hold the pizza box away in one hand and she leans down and looks at my belly "how did I not notice this tiny weenie bump that has my granddaughter inside" she says, shocked, and she looks back up and kisses my cheek "I love you Teddy" she says with a smile

I return it "I love you too Allie" and I move into the house as Harper and Wren get the next round of hugs.

"Tedmeister" Willa acknowledges as I walk into the kitchen "let me take that" she says taking the pizza box and placing it on the counter, before her arms encase me with the longest hug "I am beyond ... beyond proud of you" she whispers before she releases me and she wipes a stray tear away.

"Willa are you crying" I ask squeezing her arm affectionately.

"There was a little something in my eye" she lies, and she drops down and pokes my belly "just as there is a little something in here...can you tell us how our Olympia got in here" Willa asks.

Allie and Harper walk up beside us "yes was it iui or ivf and what is the donor like" Allie asks excitedly.

I look to Harper, wondering how much of this story she would like to reveal.

Allie and Willa look between us at the hesitation "oh god what is that look" Willa asks pointing between us.

Harper and I laugh.

Allie looks down to Wren who is pulling on her thigh "Gaga, Wren want a treat" she asks.

Allie quickly moves around the kitchen island, undoing a jar and handing Wren a cookie, before returning to us with curiosity "Harper" she says intently looking to her "spill"

I laugh "well luckily she did not spill or we wouldn't be here" I say teasingly.

Harper nudges me, frowning, and shaking her head, clearly she didn't want to be too graphic.

I couldn't help but sit down at the breakfast bar trying not to laugh, as she wrinkled up her nose not wanting to say it. It always amused me how the teachings and the principles of the church on modesty and behaviour had not entirely left her, she still died of embarrassment and was mortified if sex was brought up or indeed anything that wasn't quite appropriate in the church's eyes. It was quite different to how she was in private, when she did whatever the hell she wanted, her church teachings flying out of the window as she took charge in the bedroom, seduced me in the kitchen, wore far too short skirts to gain my attention and let's not even start on the fact she was queer with a wife and child. Harper was quite the liberated woman but it was interesting what a lifetime of learning something quite opposite did to you.

"We conceived Olympia at home" she finally reveals and Allie and Willa nod "we ordered the sperm, and it got delivered, and we just..." she clears her throat and gets really quiet as she says "inseminated it" she practically whispers.

Allie and Willa look to each other "well, I think that sounds... perfect" Allie says and she quickly changes the subject as not to prolong Harpers embarrassment.

Harper sneaks behind me and wraps her hands around my waist, placing her hand lower against my belly.

"We also have some wedding news" i reveal.

Harper sits up beside me.

Wren comes back from her cartoons, for another cookie. Allie hands her one more "dinner in a minute Wren, no more okay" she says, and Wren runs back to her cartoon on the big TV.

"What's the new update" Willa asks, as she flips open the pizza lid, and we all take a slice.

"It's now in September, the first. It's a Saturday so everyone should still be able to make it... we had to change it as we wanted to stay here now that Teddy will be further along, we don't really want to have to fly anywhere or travel far"
Harper informs them.

We all listen, and take a bite from our pizza.

Allie swallows and wipes her mouth with a serviette "Harper, my goodness, the trees will be spectacular then too" she says.

"Yes mama just like at your wedding" she reminisces.

Allie looks to Willa and they share a look.

"What was that" I ask in the same vain they had earlier.

"Nothing" they both lie.

Harper and I raise eyebrows "right" I say back sarcastically "we believe you" I add and I look to Willa "We also have a question for you"

I look to Harper, who beams "yes we do" she adds "Willa we want you to be our minister and marry us" Harper reveals.

Willa is taken aback and Allie smiles widely "that's... oh that's so wonderful" she says squeezing Willa's side "she would rock that" she says excitedly, and she squeezes both mine and Harpers fingers.

Willa finally gathers herself, jumping up from the counter "I will go get ordained right now" she says excitedly and she goes over to her mac and brings it back, firing it up "girls I'm overwhelmed ... that you would want me to do this for you" she says tearing up a little.

Harper steps down from her stool and hugs her "we couldn't think of anyone we both wanted more, we love you so much, and you have always been there for us both. Would we have ever met without you? No" Harper says squeezing her tighter before letting her loose.

I reach for Willa's hand "I love you Wills" I say lovingly.

She leans across the counter and ruffles my hair "and you kid... so much"

"There is one more thing" I confess.

I kind of recoil a little at having to break this moment of absolute joy. "We are sending out invites this week and I want to touch base with both of you" I say looking to Allie and Willa and they look a little apprehensive as if they know what's coming next "Morgan" i ask hesitantly.

Willa looks to Allie, and Allie looks back to me, and her lips lift slightly "Teddy it's fine"

Harper takes her Mamas hand "Mama if it's not okay you must say" she asks.

Allie shakes her head "I knew she would be there, this isn't a shock and I'm... Im okay I promise... perhaps it will be a little therapeutic to see her, and for us all to be there for you both. I'm in a good place now. I am not afraid of facing Morgan... or being around her... it's not like we will be sat next to each other right?"

Harper shakes her head "no mama she is on Teddy's side" she informs her.

"Okay then" she declares retuning to the pizza and picking another slice "looks like we are all set for September first" she says walking away to Wren in the family room.

***

The next few months went by fast, my bump grew, Wren grew and so did my appetite, my gosh I was tucking away three times the amount I usually would. We had seen Olympia again at my anatomy scan, she was of course perfect.

"I wonder if she's got the dimples" Harper asks.

I smiled "me too" I say thinking of my father where they had come from, thoughts of him still tinged with a little pain, no matter how joyful the moment.

The first two of the Nomikos pinky promises turned one, Apollo and Clio could not be more different as babies, and whenever we face timed and they were together, it was like watching that one friend who didn't drink looking after the one who was absolutely out of their face. Clio always dancing, falling, getting into merry hell, with great enthusiasm about it, and poor little Apollo just went along behind her, calmly following in her wake, it was hilarious.

"You wait Theodora" Demitra would tease "you have a little spit fire coming your way and I'm not sure you are ready" she says trying to wrangle Clio into her arms "they cannot be tamed" she declares.

Callie picks up a beaming Apollo behind her.

"Those two are night and day" I say smiling uncontrollably at the scene unfolding.

Before we knew it, it was August and I was seven months pregnant and looking like I had a cantelope up my t shirt. Our wedding day was imminent. I would look almost identical to Callie on her wedding day, meeting my beloved, to be, in the company of my unborn child, our Olympia, who was in my tummy.