This Is Us - Chapter 6: Chapter 6

"MOMMY!"
I oof as Jaydean hops onto my upper chest, restricting my breathing as she covers me with tiny little fish kisses and I grab her in my arms. Tossing her on the bed sumo style and tickling her until she begged me to stop.
"Mommy! I missed you so much!" She cried out in a fit of giggles as I held her hostage and she clawed at my arms to be set free. Her pale freckled face wore a smile I could never tire from and her fiery light red hair was knotted in a messy bedhead that took forever to control.
"I missed you too baby," I sighed and let her go as she clambered over me and covered me in more hugs and kisses. I lied, Jaydean definitely gives a better welcome home than Houston.
"So much happened while you were gone! It was a crazy town over here. I'm so glad your back," She purred as she started to settle down and I just held her. My baby was getting big. It seemed like she grew at least an inch since I left and she lost one of her front teeth.
"Mmm did Daddy and Papa take good care of you?" I asked and she lifted her face, resting her chin on my chest as I met her beautiful light blue eyes with tiny flecks of gray. True Grayson's were almost always born with some kind of Gray in their eyes and my baby was no different.
"Well I'm not dead so I guess they must have done a good job," She said with a toothless grin and I laughed out loud, loving how similar my daughter's blunt humor was to my own.
"I guess so huh?" I chuckled as I ran my fingers through her baby soft hair and kissed her little nose.
"Do I have to go to school today Mommy? I just want to stay home and cuddle with you," She asked as she pouted her little lips and I kissed them in response.
"Nope, no skipping for you, remember what I told you?" I narrowed my eyes at her and she groaned, singing to the beat of that kid's song people sang when you had a crush on someone.
"First comes school, then comes degrees, then comes a career and no baby carriage," She sang back to me and I poked her little nose.
"That's right, now go get your brush and the detangler so I can do your hair," I command and she follows my orders with the stomping of her feet as she runs into her bathroom.
While she does that I grab my phone and call Dr. Yang's office, asking if she could squeeze me in today before Jaydean gets out of school. When I get off the phone after booking an appointment for three, my little girl comes back and sits with her legs crossed as I start pulling the brush through her hair.
She winces as I soothe a knot but get her hair to straighten into its soft waves before brushing it up and grabbing a few hair ties and little bobby pins as I twisted her beautiful rich hair into a French braid down the middle.
"Mommy, I'm really hungry and it smells really good, are you almost done?" Jayde asked and I pulled the last pin out of my mouth, making sure the whole damn thing would stay.
"Yes, baby we're done. Let's go see what your dads are up to huh?" I asked and picked up her scrawny body on my hip.
Her pediatrician said she was growing just fine for her age and her skinniness was from all the excersize she did, running around the farm. She wrapped her arms around my neck as I took us down the stairs and I could hear the clanging of pans and plates.
I could see Wes was in the kitchen making omelets, as we discovered a new fact over the years was the man was an excellent five-star chef in the kitchen and could make a delicious meal out of any leftovers. But give him a farm and he goes crazy.
But that's what Wesley does now. Taking an off course adventure apart from his years in military and protective services to take care of the farm while spending time with little Jayde. We didn't ask him to be our slave or anything like that.
He's lived in our guest house to be close to Jaydean since she was born and kind of just took on the job. He said spending his days with the animals instead of beating up criminals relaxed him and he had less PTSD episodes since he had started caring for the animals Jayde and Thomas kept bringing home.
Wesley stood at the stove and flipped an omelet using just the pan while Thomas watched with a sly smile as he sipped his coffee.
"Hey! Look who's up!" Wes called out when he saw the two of us joining them and I yawned, sitting down next to Thomas at the table while Jayde squirmed onto my lap.
"How hungry are you Jayde?" Wesley asked and Jayde thought about it for a bit before raising her arms and sticking them out all the way.
"I'm super duper hungry Papa," She giggled and watched in awe as he flipped her omelet again and served it to her.
"Are these eggs from Mrs. Peppers and Mrs. Tomatoes?" She asked and Wesley nodded. When Jayde was a toddler she decided to name all the chickens after the herbs and veggies in the garden.
"Yup, and don't forget Mrs. Peas," Wes pointed out with the spatula and our little girl shook her head as she grabbed her fork and started devouring her eggs.
"I don't like the eggs from Mrs. Peas cause I think they taste funny," She protests but continues to eat them anyway. Thomas raises his hand to my back and starts to run it in small circles.
"Aren't you going to sleep more? You were traveling all day," He says and I give him a small smile.
"Maybe later but for now I'm okay, I'll drop Jayde off at school if it's alright with you two. I have to go in that direction anyway and run an errand," I tell them and I rest my chin on Jayde's head. Wesley hands me a small mug of coffee just the way I like it and I gladly take it.
"I was going to do it but you can If that's what you want to do," Wes offers and I take a delicious sip. As he starts making another omelette, throwing in a few chopped onions and peppers for himself with extra extra cheese.
"Don't forget the cookies for school Jaydean," Thomas warns her and she nods.
"I won't this time," She points her fork at her dad with narrowed eyes before taking the last bite of her food and I put her down, letting her say good morning to her best friend Houston before yelling at her to go upstairs and get ready for school.
"I'll make sure she puts on something that actually matches. Let's not forget the day she wanted to go to school in Dr. Suess tights and a t-shirt that looked like a crop top cause she outgrew it." Thomas says a few seconds after she goes upstairs and he follows after her.
I rolled my eyes and turned to the other handsome man in my kitchen who smiles back at me.
"Did you enjoy your break from me?" I asked and he scratched the back of his head.
"Yeah, you know what, I liked it so much that I booked you another trip to New York. I think it leaves tomorrow," He says sarcastically and points to the eggs.
"Do you want one hon?" He asked and I accepted his delicious offer.
"I'm kidding. Thomas and I missed you like crazy. Jaydean kept reminding us of you with all her little quirks, we even had a countdown, look," He pointed to the chalkboard next to the fridge which held a sign that read '1 day until Mommy comes back'.
"Cute," I said as I read it and he sat down next to me after serving me a plate.
"So, you and Thomas huh?" I brought up and he instantly turned five darker shades of red than the rosy hue he usually was.
"It was just a kiss," He said, not looking at me as he confessed so.
"Mhm, yeah, I thought you and I were just a kiss too then little miss sunshine upstairs proved otherwise," I pointed out and he cackled with laughter.
"That was different...we were both different," He says and I lean back in my chair.
"Ah, to be young again," I said out loud and he poked my side making me yelp.
"You're still young, I'm the one who's in his 30's," He groaned and I laughed so hard my side hurt.
"You're right, Oh woe is old man Wesley. We'll have to wheel you to Jayde's graduation from the nursing home at this rate," I said and he rolled his eyes.
"Fuck you," he muttered lovingly under his breath as Jayde and Thomas came back downstairs.
"Alright Jayde, let's get going," I grabbed my keys and gave her a once over. Thankful she was now fully dressed in white jeans, converse, and a blue floral Gucci sweatshirt.
"Have a nice day at school baby girl," Wesley said as hands over her little Versace backpack and Thomas gives her the bag of cookies they baked for her school project.
"Goodbye Papa," She walked over and stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek as he bent down for her.
"See you later chicken nugget," Thomas winked and Jayde did her little morning chicken dance, climbing up a stool, knowing he couldn't bend down like Wes, and pecking his cheek like a baby chick.
"Bye bye Daddy," She hopped down and grabbed my hand as we walked out the door together.
I dropped the little bean off at school, watching her run onto the courtyard and join her friends from the car as I sat back and rubbed my smooth bump. And there go the stupid tears again as I imagined a life with another little baby for Jayde to play with and for the three of us all our hearts.
"Please baby, please, please, please be okay," I whispered to the little fetus for the first time before driving off to see Dr. Yang.
I walked into her office with my heart practically in my ass as I anxiously waited for them to call my last name before entering. She sat me down on the bed as she turned on the ultrasound and I waited. Lifting up my shirt after answering a series of questions.
"The only symptom I haven't been getting is the morning sickness but everything else hits the mark," I explained and she rubbed the cold gell on my stomach before clicking the little wand. Her eyes opened wide for a moment as she looked and that didn't help my mood.
"Oh no, is it a false pregnancy?" I asked but she quickly shook her head.
"No, you're definitely pregnant Mr. Jackson," She said as she tilted the wand a bit and showed me the sonogram.
With Jaydean it was simple. There was a bubble and inside the bubble, there was a little chickpea. That was it.
With this baby it was different. It was like a jigsaw puzzle of bubbles and I squinted in confusion.
"See that, right there," She pointed with the mouse at one bubble that had a whole fetus in it, moving around and looking a little less alien with visible hands and feet.
"This is baby number one," She pointed and I narrowed my eyes.
"Is it okay?" I asked and she nodded.
"Yes, it looks perfectly healthy and you're about nine weeks in," She says and then moves the wand to a different bubble, but this was holding two little beans.
"Wait..." I paused. My brain apparently did a windows 10 shutdown when I saw the two little babies staring back at me.
"Twins?" I asked and Dr. Yang shook her head.
"Triplets,"