Page 130 of Perfect Chemistry

“You would really do that?” I asked, looking at Annie then to Tom.

“We would,” Tom said without a moment’s hesitation.

I ended up staying two days in the hospital just to be on the safe side. Although everything turned out well, the OB was pretty honest and said that repeating a home birth with my condition was not advisable for future babies. Kai’s eyes had sparkled, remembering how we made these two babies. I could only shake my head at him. He was not getting in my pants for at least a month, if not two!

Tom and Annie returned home a week later than planned, but in that week we found a few cute apartments not far from us and a realtor to help them sell their house. Kai and I offered to come out in April to help them pack up everything and move here, but our parents beat us to the punch saying they had already planned to help instead. We just needed to stay home and wait for good news.

By the time Christmas rolled around, I had forgotten my pledge to keep Kai away from my pants. I couldn’t deny him any part of me. Not my body, and surely not my heart. Everything about him caused some crazy chemical reaction in my brain that made me love him more. And I was here for it.

Epilogue

Five years later… Katie’s Point of View

“Katie?” Kai called out from the back door. He paused as he stepped outside, seeing the kids running around under the sprinkler. “What happened to not getting wet before we go?” He asked, laughing at the chaos.

I didn’t feel guilty about this. “It was so hot outside, it didn’t seem fair to make them stay in their nice clothes. We’ll be quick. Is it time to go?” I asked.

Kai nodded, trying his best to look like he was annoyed. Unfortunately, his eyes sparkled when he was happy. “Ok, kiddos. We have to get dressed now!” Kai said, turning off the water.

“Why can’t we stay home?” Andreas asked, plodding over to the pile of towels I had set out for them.

I kissed the top of his head as he passed me. “Because it’s time to go and see Pops,” I reminded him.

“Did he get moved?” Tysan asked, now wrapped in her own towel.

“Not yet. But we’re trying to convince him,” I said, turning as Kai came up to hug me.

It didn’t take long to get the children dressed. Tysan was so independent, she was dressed before I could get our youngest, Ivy, out of her wet bottoms.

After having the twins, I hit a low. We miscarried three times, before I decided I couldn’t do it any more. The hope and joy that ultimately ended with loss and sorrow each time were too much. I got back into running, and just dedicated myself to our family and growing my woodworking business. Then it happened. I found out that I was pregnant after collapsing on a job site. Again. Paul had joked at the time that it was a baby telling me to take it easy. I swore that wasn’t possible, but sure enough, I was pregnant.

My pregnancy with Ivy was a struggle from the beginning. I was sick all of the time, and had to be hospitalized twice for dehydration. As if that wasn’t scary enough, Ivy was previa the whole pregnancy which meant my placenta remained over my cervix instead of shifting to the top of my uterus like it should have. Kai was terrified that I would bleed out if I went into labor, and the doctors agreed. I spent five months on bedrest before the OB did a C-section at 32 weeks. Kai convinced him to remove my tubes while he was in there. Four babies were enough for us.

“Ok, here are the rules,” Kai started as he put our minivan in park. “Manda and Dre, you need to stay with me. Ty, you stick with mommy and Ivy. There will be no running off, understood?” he asked, turning to look at them.

“Stick with mom…” Tysan groaned, unbuckling her seatbelt.

“We get daddy!” The twins cheered from the third row.

This of course made Kai chuckle. “Did you think one sprinkler run would earn their favor? HA!” He whispered, and got out.

He was such a shit sometimes. It was one of the reasons I loved him, but it was so obnoxious. “Just wait to see what I have up my sleeves, Mister!” I scowled at him.

Kai got Ivy strapped into her stroller while I got the twins out of their seats, and grabbed the diaper bag. “Is there going to be any food here?” Tysan asked me, as we walked toward the apartment complex Tom and Annie had called ‘home’ since moving here..

“Not here, love. But after, you’re all going to eat at Nonna and Poppops. Do you want a sucker until then?” I said, showing her one of the soft mints hidden in the key compartment of the stroller.

Tysan palmed the mint and quickly put it in her mouth. What the other three didn’t see, they wouldn’t ask for.

Tom was waiting for us at the door of the building when we walked up. “I know it was expected, but I’m always happy to see you, sweetie. Hey, kiddos!”

I felt my eyes burning and tried to brush away the tears as quickly as I could. “Thank you, Pop.”

We lost Annie two years after they moved here. Her cancer relapsed, and she made the decision to live her days to their fullest without chemo or radiation. When Annie wanted to dance, we went dancing. When Annie wanted to drink and sing off key, I didn’t need alcohol for that, so I drove. When Annie asked to try marijuana, my mom was there to give her her first ride. When she was ready to go, she went quietly in her sleep that same night.

“You know you can come live with us, Pop,” I whispered, giving him a hug.

“Well, that’s kind of why I wanted to invite you out,” he admitted, giving Kai a knowing look.

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