I'm the Last One That You'll Ever Remember

Frank stood at the foot of a crib, occasionally glancing to his left to check on an identical one constructed at the last minute across the room. He bore his family two twin little girls, Ophelia Deliso Iero-Way, and Marcella Acilia Iero-Way. It turned out he was right in suspecting that there were two babies inside of him instead of one. A smile came to Frank’s face as he reflected back in solitude of the day they arrived.

Gerard has been there in scrubs like he had for all the births since they got together. The grown man had openly wept when their little girl, Marcella entered the world, and even harder when he was awarded with a second one soon after, Ophelia.

For so long, Venetia had been the only Princess in the Iero-Way castle surrounded by males other than her grandmother. She was her parent’s very own special Princess no matter what. In fact, she’d always be their little Princess, the birth of her twin sisters would never change that. And so Marcella was doth their little mermaid and Ophelia their little fairy.

The twins were highly inquisitive when it came to the new set of twins, and were ardent to help their parents with anything the newborns needed. Truly, they became such big helpers over time and their parents appreciated it. Jovani didn’t seem bothered by his new sisters…unless they had any toy in their hands. Then he’d snatch it from them as if he had every right to all of the toys solely because he was their big brother. Milo didn’t care for his sisters at all from the start. It was pure jealousy on his part. Anytime the newborns got attention he’d get upset and have a tantrum until he was tended to. That was something the parents were trying to get a handle over before it was too late to fix.

After kissing the sleeping twin on their heads, Frank headed downstairs to join the rest of the family gathering. He had just stepped into the hallways when the front door opened. Whipping his head to the left, Frank grinned at the sight of his husband returning from work, and entered with two large bags of fast food in hand. It was exactly what the mother of his children had requested from him since he was still on maternity leave and no one would let him leave the house yet since his C-Section. The operation went fine but his father and husband wanted to air on the side of caution just in case. Frank believed the two men in his life were just a bunch of worry-warts but complied.

In the living room where the grandparents were entertaining the grandchildren, all four pairs of ears perked up at the sound of their daddy likely returning. Without warning, they jumped up to their feet as fast as they could and took off down the hallway towards the front door, shouting his name with exuberance as they swerved around their mother. Milo had the rear as he waddled as fast as he could to catch up to his Olympic running siblings. Frank had to bite back an ‘aww’ at how steadfast his little face was to reach his daddy for one of his infamous bear hugs.

Hoisting the fast food bag up in the air from the four children surrounding him with their grabby hands, Gerard navigated with a smile towards the dining table as their four voices overlapped each other incoherently. “Alright you hungry hippos, let me through if you want your dinner and toys.”

Like the Red Sea, the children parted to give their father a clear path to the dining table. They of course followed close behind on his heels, continuing to tell him all at once what they did today and what movies they watched with their grandparents.

Frank led the way to the dining room to help Gerard out of his coat and set the table for their family to eat dinner. Gerard shot him a passing smile of gratitude before crouching down to give his children the attention they so desperately wanted and to shower in their adoration for him. One by one he swept them up into an embrace and kiss all the while they raved about this and that.

“Pumpkin, we’ll take care of their dinner for you.” Margo whispered to her son, nudging him towards his bombarded husband. “Go and welcome your hubby home.”

“Thanks mommy!” Frank praised her with a kiss on the cheek before coming up behind his crouched husband who was such an attentive dad with the patience of a god. To get his attention, he combed his fingers through Gerard’s dark silky hair and when his husband tilted his head back to glance at him, Frank greeted him. “Hello there, handsome. Got any loving for your baby-making machine?”

Infatuated with the shorter male, Gerard rose to his feet and spun around to embrace his husband followed by a kiss on the mouth. “Mmm, how was your day, baby-making machine?”

“Perfectly fine.” Frank informed him with a giggle at his new nickname, his arms looping around Gerard’s neck to hold him closely since he hadn’t seen him since that morning and missed him dreadfully. If it wasn’t for their many kids and his parents he’d have died from the loneliness. “The parents came by to lend a hand.”

“I don’t know if I’m the only one keeping count here, but you two newlyweds have six children now to raise.” Margo reminded them with a knowing look, having overheard. “You’re gonna need all the help you can get! Trust me!”

“I second that!” Frank Sr. inserted as he rallied all the fast food toys in one brown paper bag to stow away until the children finished their dinner. “If I were you two, I’d take the help.”

“Well, we sure can’t refuse it.” Frank agreed with a nod, loosening his arms from around Gerard’s neck to nuzzle his face against his chest to place a soft kiss at his throat.

Nodding to the spread of food on the table, Gerard told the grandparents. “Feel free to help yourselves to dinner, I got extra just in case you two decided to stick around when I got back from work. I’m gonna head upstairs and get into something more comfortable.”

The adults began to amass around the table except for Gerard who made his way to the stairs. Naturally of course all the children followed along behind him, still ranting off about this and that. Gerard had to turn around and make sure they understood it was time for them to be quiet. If they went upstairs talking aloud at the volume they were doing it would surely awaken their newborn sisters. “Hey, all of you listen to me right now.”

All at once the four shut their mouths, their eyes alert on him like he was a mighty lion and they were the lower cubs in their tribe.

“If you’re going to go upstairs, you need to keep your voices down, do you understand me?” Gerard asked them, earning a round of nods. But he didn’t believe them. He had to make sure they’d remember to keep their voices down. Lifting a finger to hover over his mouth, he instructed them. “Put your finger over your mouth like this for me.”

All four complied, eager to please. Venetia, thinking it was a game, giggled behind hers.

“Nope, Princess. Quiet, remember?” Gerard reiterated, his light brown eyes firm.

“Yes, dad-” Venetia began before shutting her mouth and giving him a nod instead.

“I’ll make you all a deal.” Gerard began with a new plan, no longer believing the former would work with this rowdy bunch. “If you guys can keep it quiet when we go upstairs until we come back down here, I will let you have your toys after dinner.”

“We do git troys afta dinnir.” Jovani reminded his father of the rules whenever little toys were involved in their fast food dinners. All they had to do was to finish their dinner, or at least most of it and then they were allowed to have their toys. His deal wouldn't work.

“That’s right, Voni.” Gerard confirmed with a nod. “But this time, if you don’t finish your dinner, you get your toy anyway. All you have to do is not say a word when we get upstairs. Are we understood?”

“No sound at all?” Lorenzo inquired, peering over at Milo who was standing there with his finger over his mouth, listening intently to his daddy. He doubted his little brother would be able to make it which could mean he’d sabotage the rest of them too. He wasn’t sure why but his little brother wasn’t the smartest, of course his mommy told him it was because he was a baby and was still learning much like him. “But what if Milo makes a sound? Does that mean we can’t get our toy?”

“That’s not fair!” Venetia whined, appearing genuinely distressed as she lowered her finger from her lips.

“How can that possibly be unfair if I haven’t set the rules yet? If Milo makes a sound, he loses HIS toy. Lorenzo if you make a sound you lose YOUR toy. Understand now? You are all responsible for your own toy.” Gerard simplified for them to understand.

“Oooh, okay.” Lorenzo nodded, getting it now. Relieved his mystery toy wouldn’t be jeopardized by his siblings, he was now ready to take on the challenge. The sooner he’d get his toy. “We’re ready, daddy!”