Aidan and Emma had found out the sex of their third, and final child, the week before. They had decided on the name Connor Liam, which was a double representation of Irish names. While Emma’s best friend, Connor, was thrilled at the namesake, he also wanted them to call the baby Connor as well. In the end, it would be Liam Fitzgerald joining the rest of the crew in four and a half months.

“And is Aidan still feeling okay?” Pesh asked.

Emma opened her mouth to answer him, but Aidan chose that moment to walk in the door. “Me and my soon to be non-swimmers are just fine,” he replied, with a grin. A week before he had gone under the laser for a vasectomy. While Caroline had been a surprise, Liam had not. With Emma nearing thirty-four, they thought it best to finish out their family while they were still young. And while Emma was pregnant and there were no worries about conception, Aidan thought it was the best time to get his vasectomy and let it take effect.

“Daddy!” Caroline squealed, as she came bounding around the corner. Aidan’s grin grew wider as he took his daughter in his arms.

“Hi sweet pea.”

She kissed both of his cheeks before she started wiggling, wanting down. Noah ran to him next, and he got to hold his son a little longer as Noah told him all about his day helping out with the babies. A cry from the living room snapped Pesh’s attention away from Aidan and Emma.

Megan was bending over the Pack N Play, picking up Sara. “Aw, what’s wrong, sweetheart?” she cooed, as she took Sara into her arms. As Megan rocked her back and forth, Sara continued wailing, which caused Maya’s face to crumple up as well. “You must be hungry.”

“I’ll get their bottles,” Pesh called, over the twin’s loud cries.

“Thank you.”

As Emma worked to gather the kids, along with Patrick and Aidan, around the dining room table, Pesh got busy heating up the formula. Once he had the two bottles fixed, he grabbed them and then went to the dining room. Megan was already seated with Mason trying to entertain Sara to stop crying her crying. He passed a bottle to Megan before sitting down himself. He’d barely gotten the bottle in her mouth before Maya started sucking greedily at the formula.

As Aidan reached to start spooning some chicken casserole onto his plate, Patrick shot him a disapproving look. With a sigh, Aidan dropped the serving spoon. “You gonna say grace even though it’s not your house, Pop?”

“Why yes, I am. It’s good for all these children to learn,” he replied, motioning to Noah and Caroline who sat between their parents, and then over to Mason.

“It should be up to Pesh and Megan whether it’s said or not,” Aidan grumbled.

Pesh held up his free hand that wasn’t holding Maya. “It’s fine. Truly, I don’t mind.”

Aidan mouthed “suck up” at him before grinning. Pesh merely shook his head at Aidan’s antics. “Then let’s return thanks,” Patrick said.

With Maya still taking long pulls at her bottle, Pesh bowed his head. As Patrick recited the blessing, Pesh couldn’t help feeling so very blessed himself. Three years ago, the dining room would have been empty. Most likely, he would have been grabbing something on the way home or finishing some leftover takeout. But now, he had a beautiful, loving wife by his side—one he fell a little more in love with each and every day. Across from him, he had a son who was strong and healthy. In his arms and his wife’s, he had two daughters who he couldn’t wait to see what the future held for them. He also had the love and support of good friends and family. At the end of the day, true love in its many forms was all you could really hope for and cling to.