Chapter 82

Chapter 82

Koda

"Protein drink."

Thorn shoved that at Nat the moment she walked in the door, and I just rolled my eyes, moving towards Holly.

"How's my boy?"

"Gorgeous as ever and…" I pulled Sven out of his carrier. "Glad to see his daddy."

The first time we left the house to go to work, it felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest. To walk away from my children felt like being asked to choose which limb to chop off. I couldn't, just couldn't, and yet off we went. That I still felt that wrench when Nat went for a walk told me this would never get easier. That the only time I'd feel whole was when I had my children close.

And their mother closer.

Sven snuggled into my collarbone, his breath evening out automatically. The others called me the baby whisperer, but I knew. I brought a certain kind of energy to dealing with our kids, and it seemed to get reflected back. I felt his breath brush against my skin, the scent of milk and baby powder soon following.

Then he topped that off with a gigantic fart.

"Oh, that is so your kid," Thorn told Lars.

"You're the one that stinks like old socks and Parmesan cheese most of the time," my sleuth mate shot back. "Now, give me Kai…"

Nat wanted to protest. Of course she did, because if we felt the loss of the children whenever they weren't around, she had it ten times worse. She grew them in her body, had them growing close to her heart the entire time, and I had to wonder if she missed that sometimes.

While also being able to experience some relief.

She stepped back and nodded to herself, then got busy putting away the barely used baby carriers. When pregnant, it'd been all plans of going out each day and getting involved in this and that, but kids have a way of humbling you. Right as she closed the door, Ingrid came bustling in.

"Real Housewives of Orange County," she announced, looking very pleased with herself.

"What?"

Nat spoke for all of us then.

"I think a good old fashioned trash TV marathon is in order," Holly explained. "Sit on the couch long enough for the cushions to get a permanent bum print on them. Eat your body weight in junk food."

"Protein drink first." Thorn twisted his wrist. "You need the nutrients."

"Skull the drink that tastes like chocolate flavoured gym socks," Holly continued, "then pizza, chocolate, popcorn, mocktails?—"

"Oh my god, that sounds like heaven…" Nat murmured. "But I've got?—"

"To relax," I said, shooting her a meaningful look.

"There's—"

"Nothing you need to do but plonk your butt on the couch and drink that shake," Thorn added.

Nat let out a frustrated sigh.

"I can't just loll around all day." She stared each one of us down. "I can't. There's things that need doing."

"Then we'll work out what they are and get them done." Lars was always a grumpy prick, but right now his intensity worked in our favour. He stared right back, daring her to contradict him. "A load of washing has been done and another one is in the machine." She sucked in a breath, but he cut her off. "Dishes are done." He glanced upwards. "We even did a quick sweep of the cobwebs off the roof that you hate."

"They give me the heebie jeebies," she muttered under her breath.

"The only thing we can't do is feed the kids, but there are ways we could assist more. Mum did a lot of research and found a breast pump that's supposed to be top of the line."

"Pumping?" We were doing so well, but right now Nat bristled. She'd done so much research before the birth about the merits of breastfeeding or formula and had developed very firm opinions about it. "What about nipple confusion? What if the babies won't take a bottle?"

"Let's find out." Alaric stepped forward looking like a shadow of the guy that ordered a team around a building site. "Please, Nat. We don't want to take this from you, but… you need sleep. You could breastfeed all day and then pump. One of us could sleep with you in another room. You've got a sleep deficit that's so bad I worry if you'll ever be able to make it up."

It was his concern, not his reasoning, that got through to her, but all we got was a sharp nod in response.

"Fine, we'll try it, but I really think a day of rest will be enough." Of course she did. The woman was like a freaking force of nature, never allowing herself a moment's weakness, but she didn't know. We'd snuck under her defences before and we'd do so again. The bear shifted inside me, black fur prickling across my skin as she shuffled over to the couch and then flumped down, Holly and Ingrid following her. "So what're we watching?"

"Real Housewives works," Holly said, "or Next Top Model. There's nothing like watching someone richer and/or prettier than you ugly crying to make me feel better about my life."

"Real Housewives it is," Nat said, turning on the TV.