Marcus: The M Series, Book Three (29 page)

“Yes,” Mariah yelled flopping down on the bed, face down.

A big grin spread across my face. I went to the bed and laid beside her. She looked up at me.

“Get that goofy grin off your face, Marcus. I thought we were done!”

“Who said that,” I asked, still grinning. “I say we go for an even dozen. A baker's dozen.”

“We?” She smirked then looked at me like she wanted to claw my eyes out. “Marcus, you cannot be happy about this.”

“Why not? We have to try to get another girl in the family. There's too much testosterone for Lila to be around, alone. Besides, I promised Rob and Elka we would let our next daughter marry their son.”

“Not funny, Cannon.” She frowned, then narrowed her eyes at me. “Who did you promise Lila's hand to?”

I smiled at her. “Bryan's son. He should afford my dowry demands when the time comes.”

Mariah playfully punched my arm. “Seriously, four kids are a bit much. We have to stop after this one.”

I stared at her, noting the exhaustion over her beautiful features.

“Baby, I know this wasn't planned and if you really want to stop after this then we'll discuss the options to make that happen. But let's not do anything... rash... too soon, all right?”

She leaned on my shoulder and I caressed her face.

“It's just... it's hard to keep up with them when I’m pregnant. There's three to chase after, now. And we just moved into this big house.”

“Let Sidra do more, baby. That's her job. And we've got Rosa. Delegate.”

She looked at me for a long time then asked, “Are you sure you're okay with this?”

I softly kissed her. “I’m ecstatic,” I whispered. “When do you want to tell everybody?”

“It's too early. How about at the twins’ sixth birthday party?” She sighed and shook her head. “Every three years, with you, Cannon. Every three years!”

I laughed and pulled her to me.

“I love seeing them grow inside you and everything from birth on. Then there's the breast milk...” I whispered in her ear, “I can't wait to taste that again.”

“Marcus! You are almost as bad as Matthew,” she blushed, getting up. “In 2021, I won’t let you anywhere near me. Better start exercising that hand now.”

Such bullshit. I laughed at that and got up, too. “Come on, baby, the boys will be late for soccer. I've got the van out,” I said as I held out my hand to her.

She took it and frowned. “Did you know Joshua talked the twins into ballroom?”

I laughed. “He did? That should be interesting.”

“I think interesting is too mild of a word, Cannon.”

She moved ahead of me, shaking her head. I wrap my arms around her waist, then rubbed her belly.

“Let's go out for dinner tonight and celebrate. Just you and I. Where do you want to go?”

She turned and laid her head on my chest. “We can't. Tonight's the karaoke thing again.”

“We can go out to eat before, alone. We'll meet the others there.”

“Okay. I don’t mind where we go but I don’t want fish anywhere near me, Marcus,” Mariah demanded as she led us out of our bedroom.

I grinned even bigger. Yep, she is definitely pregnant again.

April 29, 2018

At the twins’ birthday party, I was itching to tell the good news… and to have my wife again.

“Baby, what time is the party over,” I whispered to my beautiful wife, embracing her from behind while kissing her neck.

She blushed. “Didn't I take care of you earlier, boo?”

“Appetizer. I told you years ago I’ll never get enough of you, baby,” I whispered again. “Besides, you were willing before Sidra busted us trying to disappear. I’m still worked up from that.”

“Marcus Cannon,” she exclaimed. “Just greedy. Maybe if I just lie there you'd get bored!”

I smacked her ass. “It wouldn't matter, baby. I'd still be in you. I'll never mind doing all the work; eventually, you’ll do your share and so much more.”

“Marcus,” Sidra called before Mariah could respond. “Will you check on the boys? Lila got into the ketchup; I need to clean and change her.”

“No problem,” I called back, grimacing at my ketchup-soaked daughter. I turned to where I last saw the boys; they were wrestling with Joshua and two of his sons.

I ran over to them, laughing at their roughhousing.

“Hey, old man! Little old to wrestle with four, five and six year olds, don't you think?”

Joshua stood immediately. “Old man? Cramp, you do know you're seven years older than me, right? Or have you gotten so old that your memory is now shot to hell?”

“You ass!” I laughed and knocked him down. Our boys excitedly yelled, cheering us on as I tried to pin my brother down. I got him in a headlock and he tried to get loose. I tightened my grip. His arms wrapped around my chest and he twisted me. We fell to the grass.

“Oh, you remembered, huh? But you made one mistake, Twerp. You left my arms free!”

“Shit,” Joshua yelled.

I reached around, gripped his calves and flipped him on his back, pinning him.

“Uncle,” he declared and I immediately released him.

A discreet cough sounded from the side of us. Mariah, Mandy, Mother and Rachel were glaring at us with their arms crossed.

“That looked like fun,” Matthew grinned. “I wonder if I can try that with Sidra.”

Mother smacked him on the head and rolled her eyes. Josh and I jumped up and walked away in opposite directions, muttering. I caught Mariah and grabbed her waist again.

“Everyone's eaten, baby. Let's have the cake now.”

She laughed. “You're just anxious to tell everybody.”

I grinned and excitedly nodded. “Sure am.”

“Big baby.” She kissed me. “Go ahead.”

I summoned everyone over. “Okay, cake time,” I announced, rubbing my hands together. “Let’s gather the kids and move to the tent, Mariah's pregnant, while I go get the cake?”

Mariah giggled and Rob chuckled as everyone began to move to the tent. They were calling the children over when Lisa suddenly stilled. She turned to Mariah and I, wide-eyed, and screamed.

“What the hell, Twinkie,” Ethan yelled as he rubbed his ears.

“Honey, what is the problem,” Nathan laughed. “Are you having one without my help?”

Lisa smacked Nathan’s chest. “Everybody, shut up! Especially you, Puppy,” she ordered then turned to Mariah and pointed to her. “Did he say you're pregnant again?”

Everyone gasped and turned to us. Mariah smiled and held my waist.

“Did you say that, boo?”

I scratched my head, pretending to think. “Hmm, lemme see... I said something about the gathering the kids and the tent...”

“Mm-hmm,” Mariah murmured. “And I heard something about cake...”

“You know what, baby, in between citing the tent and the cake...”

The mothers started jumping up and down.

“I think you said it, boo, so...” Mariah sighed, grabbing her bag of marshmallows. “Yes, I’m pregnant!”

Monica rushed over and hugged her. “Oh, that's wonderful! No wonder you haven't had a shot at karaoke nights!”

Dad shook my hand. “Congratulations, son!”

“When, Cookie,” Thomas said as he smiled.

Mariah beamed, devouring a marshmallow. “Early September.”

“It's marshmallows this go around, huh? Glad Tom and I didn't go in on that watermelon farm,” Joshua said and kissed Mariah's cheek. He shook my hand. “Good going, Cramp.”

“Yeah, good going, Cramp,” Matthew grinned, patting my back. “Didn't think you could still get it up, old as you are.”

Mariah smacked him lightly on the forehead, causing laughter to erupt everywhere.

“Love you, Cookie,” Matthew sung then puckered his lips to her.

Mariah shook her head and kissed him on the mouth. Matthew immediately dropped to the ground, pretending to faint. Lila ran up to Matthew, freshly changed, and fell to her knees. She smacked Matthew's chest repeatedly with both hands and blew hard on his cheek, causing Matthew, and us, to go into a round of chuckles.

“Angel, what are you doing,” Matthew asked, raising on his elbows.

“Pee-pee-are,” Lila shouted, pushing him down and resuming her version of CPR.

That made us all erupt into a fit of laughter that lasted several minutes.

I looked up at Joshua, who was holding a camera. “Tell me you got that!”

“Yep, all of it,” he laughingly confirmed.

Nathan picked up Lila, rescuing Matthew. I kissed Mariah's temple.

“That is your daughter, baby.”

“Oh, no... fifty-fifty, boo.”

I laugh and kissed her again. “I'm getting the cake now.”

* * *

I walked to the tent with the cake and called all the boys over. The twins ran up and hugged Mariah. After, I lifted them both up in my arms, while Nathan held Lila to Mariah's right. Matthew and Ethan were on my left. I smiled as Lisa snapped our picture.

“Oh, good! I made it,” Tom sighed in relief. “What did I miss?”

“Cookie's pregnant,” Matthew informed him, smirking.

“Again? Jesus, Marcus... give her a break, why don't you?” Tom laughed with the rest of us. “Congratulations,” he yelled then kissed Mariah’s cheek. I shook his hand as best I could with a six-year-old on each arm.

Tom ruffled the twins’ hair. “Happy birthday, boys!”

Mariah lit the candles and started singing. Everyone joined in. Each holding my neck, the twins leaned down and blew out the candles and started arguing over who blew out the most.

“Enough,” I scolded. They quieted immediately. “Next time, you’ll each get your own cake and candles. No more of this.”

“I blame you two,” Mariah laughed, pointing to Tom and Ethan. “And you other three.”

“What three, baby?”

“Cramp, Toad and Twerp, that's who,” she grinned and everyone laughed. She was so right and we all knew it. I put the boys down and kissed her.

“Mommy! Dad! EWWWWW,” the twins whined and that got a bigger laugh.

“I want one,” Lila wailed. I kissed her cheek. “No, from Mommy,” my daughter scoffed, wiping off my kiss.

We laughed again. Mariah took her from Nathan. Lila grabbed Mariah's face and planted a kiss on her mouth.

“I love you, baby,” Lila sweetly declared, repeating what I tell my wife at least fifty times each and every day.

Mariah's hand went to her chest. “I love you, too, Angel,” she said, quietly, and kissed Lila. “Wanna help your brothers cut the cake, Angel?” Lila nodded. Mariah looked around. “Who has the knife?”

A waiter passed her a knife and, gripping it carefully, she told Lila to put her hand on hers. They cut into the cake as Lila giggled.

“Again, Mommy!”

“One more, then I have to put you down, okay, Angel?”

Lila nodded again and they do another slice. Not wanting Mariah to strain herself, especially in her condition, I grabbed my daughter and held her.

“Te amo, papa,” Lila shouted.

Mariah gasped. I smiled then frowned a little, having no idea what Lila said.

Alissa smiled at me. “She said 'I love you, Daddy.'”

“I can't believe she remembered,” Mariah whispered, passing me a slice of cake.

I smiled and kissed my baby girl’s cheek. “I love you, too, Angel,” I said as I walked over to the grass. I sat Lila on my crossed legs and watched as she devoured her cake.

Sidra squatted next to me. “Would you like me to take her now, Marcus?”

I looked at her and smiled. “Not yet, Sidra.”

She smiled back, gave me a pack of wipes, and walked away.

“Daddy,” Lila called, shoving cake into her mouth with her little fingers while holding the fork in her other hand.

“Yes, Angel?”

“I did pee-pee-are with Uncle Toad.”

I laughed. “Yes, you did.”

“I'm a big girl.”

“Yes, you are, Angel.”

Her cake finished, I wiped Lila’s hands and face as her eyelids sag.

“Kiss, Daddy.”

I kissed her cheek and she smiled as she snuggled into my chest. I held her close and watched as sleep claimed my angel. A hand landed on my shoulder. I looked up as Mariah smiled and lowered on the grass next to us, with a bag of marshmallows. I smiled and kissed her cheek.

“You almost missed this,” she whispered, pointing a marshmallow at Lila.

I sighed deep and looked at my baby girl's sleeping little face.

“Yeah, I did. Thank God you forced me into fatherhood.”

She lightly slapped my forehead. I chuckled.

“Glad to see I'm not the only one who gets abused around here,” Matthew whispered, sitting on my other side.

Soon all the adults joined us on the grass and we talked quietly about the new baby, sports, karaoke... everything... while all our boys ran around and Lila napped in my arms.