[Fifteen Happy Boys]

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Artem

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When we told the boys about having not one, but three babies, they were overjoyed. They all started making plans on how they could help, and what it was that they needed to do for us. They truly were good kids.

And then, a little over a month later when we found out that we were having identical triplet girls, they were even happier. They wanted to immediately go and buy up everything that was cute and frilly and girly at the store. I think they were likely to go way more overboard than anyone else over these girls.

They were used to having girls around the house, that wasn’t the issue. Hanna, Sage, Kayla, Tabitha (Reed’s daughter) and Paisley (Toby’s little girl) have been here for years now, but they weren’t their sisters. This, according to them, was more special because it was their actual little sisters.

There was another baby shower, mostly just to celebrate that we were going to be having three girls at once. To be honest though, I think it was Dakotah, Criztie, and Sydney who were the most excited, being that the three of them were identical triplets as well. They already felt like kindred spirits with the babies, and they hadn’t even been born yet.

Star was due at the beginning of October, but Doc said that she would have the babies early because of them being triplets. She needed to stay off of her feet and rest as much as she could when it got closer to the due date.

Doc truly recommended that she go on bed rest at the beginning of September. He said that it wouldn’t be that bad considering that she would likely deliver sometime just past the middle of the month. He was predicting that she would go two to three weeks before the due date.

Star did as Doc suggested and went on bedrest by the first of September. She was already getting really uncomfortable, and it was hard for her to walk around or move at all. The older boys were there to help her out a lot as well. Considering that they were all almost four years older than when Star was pregnant the first time, they were able to do a lot more.

When we first got the boys, they ranged in age from six to fifteen, now they were between ten and nineteen. And next month the youngest and oldest would be eleven and twenty. So much time had passed that it was honestly a little surreal.

While I went to work during the day, Mom, Dad, Aaron, Vivian, Grandpa Daniel, Aunt Criztie, and Chay were all at home to help with the younger kids and to help take care of Star. Dakotah, who was due at the end of September with her own little girl, was already taking time off. Criztie, Sydney, and Ella were handling the bakery.

Star surpassed Doc’s prediction. She didn’t have the girls in the middle of September. When September the twenty-ninth came, and Dakotah had her little girl, which she did indeed name Morgan, Star was still holding strong with the three little ones still inside her belly.

When Morgan was born, she looked so much like her dad. Just looking at her made me miss my friend so much. When I held her for the first time, I looked into her tiny little face and made a promise to her.

“I promise, little one, that I will protect you. I will protect you like I wanted to protect your daddy. I won’t fail this time, Morgan. I promise.”

Star made it all the way until October the seventh before she went into labor with the girls. She tried to remain calm, but I don’t think that is possible when you’re having triplets. This time though, she knew what to do. Star was prepared for this since it was the third time she was having a baby. Well, the third, fourth, and the fifth time that she was having them.

I swear it went by so much faster than the previous two. Star’s water broke, and it was almost like she had five minutes before the first little girl was out into the world. We were naming the first one Elise. Ten minutes later and baby number two was here. That one was Isabelle. Another eight minutes or so and the last little girl was born. Olivia.

Three little girls, who all looked just like my beautiful Star, and I was the happiest daddy in the world right now. I finally got to hold and see these sweet little angels. While Star rested, and we waited for the boys to get home from school, I got to just sit there with the girls and bond with them. Brayden and Jodan had already got to meet them, and I did a video call with Julian who was going to fly home this weekend to see his sisters.

I sat back in the bed, propped up against the pillows, and held all three of them against my chest at the same time. They were so little, much smaller than the boys had been, but they were still strong and healthy, and so perfect.

As predicted, the boys were all going gaga over them when they got home. They fought each other on who got to hold them first. They gushed over how much they looked like their mom, and they were already talking about how much they were going to love and protect their little sisters.

Two days after the girls were born Star said something that surprised me.

“Artem, I think we should be done having kids.” She looked at me with sincere eyes and a crooked smile.

“Why do you say that, baby?” I couldn’t fathom what it was that she was getting at.

“We already have so many. Fifteen boys and three girls. It’s a good amount, don’t you think?” She smiled at me. “Plus, as much as I love being pregnant, it’s so hard on me at the end.” She did have a point there.

“OK sweetheart, we’ll be done.” I kissed her cheek and felt a slight rush inside of me.

My family was done? No more babies would be added in the future. That was kind of nice in a way. It meant that I knew just how many people were going to be in my family. Besides, I could always just wait for the grandkids in the future, and there were going to be other babies from my family and friends that surrounded us.

I admit it was a little sad, knowing that I would never see my seed quicken inside my mate again; however, that didn’t mean that we couldn’t have lots of fun together while we practiced the art of baby making. No one ever said that we needed to be trying to have a baby to make love. And since I know that she will never be pregnant again, there will be no reason for us to go a few months without sex again. That’s always the hardest part for me, having to keep my hands to myself from the end of the pregnancy and for a while after it was over.

It was time to focus on our future though, since our not so little family was finally complete.