Page 140 of Against The Tide

“Sleep a little longer. I’ll take care of breakfast for the girls before I leave.” I manage to untangle her body from mine even though all I want is to take advantage of my fiancée one last time before she becomes my wife.

“Don’t leave me, Doc. Come back to bed.”

“If I don’t go, Rowan will fuck shit up and then…then, Nora will want my head on a platter. Or worse, Callie will follow through on the promise of torturing me if it’s not perfect.”

“The only thing that will make today perfect is you being there when I walk down the aisle. I don’t care about the rest.”

“That’s a lie. You care about the night off from parenting.”

“After last night? I need at least a week,” she laughs, hugging my pillow to her and burying her face in it.

By the time I’ve showered and dressed, she’s asleep again, deep enough that she doesn’t stir when I search through my sock drawer to find the present I got her for today.

Something new and something blue. I slip the box into my pocket as I head downstairs, looking into the nursery to find it empty already, and when I get to the bottom of the stairs, I have to take a moment.

I do it every morning because it’s the best sight I’ve ever seen to this very day.

As per usual, Iris is sitting on the couch with her bowl of cereal, Poppy and Rose on either side of her, stealing a Cheerio every now and then.

I’ve almost made it to the kitchen when Iris calls, “Morning, Father!”

It’s been her recurring joke since Avery and I got engaged seven months ago. It’s been the longest seven months of my life, with the exception of the ones Avery was pregnant with the twins. The pregnancy was easy on her once she got past the nausea, but it was hell for me. Especially the first six and a half months. I’m grateful she didn’t run away with how much I fussed over her. I think she understood my apprehension and fears.

Poppy meanders over to me with her pink Cheer Bear plush hugged to her chest. Rose isn’t far behind her with Funshine even though she’s more of a grumpy bear in our family—a trait Rowan likes to point out as mine. I call bullshit, though.

“What are we having for breakfast?”

“Dodo.” Poppy points up to the counter where Jo’s granola bars are sitting, and Rose proceeds to tell me, “No. No…” on repeat even when I’ve got her in her chair and she’s eating her second bar.

“Uncle Rowan called to say that he would meet you at the cove. Callie’s tired because she was on the phone till late with Mom. and now he has to pick up the flowers.” Iris sits at the table beside me, breaking off half of one of my bars. “Are you excited to marry my mom?”

“I can’t wait,” I reply, and she smiles up at me before resting her head on my shoulder. “Are you excited?”

“I’m happy for you.”

“That’s not a happy face, champ.” The look on her face has me sitting back in my chair and pulling her to sit on my thigh. “What’s happening? You and Scarlett have a fight? Caleb teasing you again?”

“No.”

“So, what is it? Who’s giving you trouble?”

“Dodo,” Poppy calls again, only silenced when I break up some more granola bar onto her tray.

“Come on, you can tell me anything.”

“It’s nothing,” she tells me, but from the wet sound of her voice and the tears swimming in her eyes, it’s clearly something. And I don’t like that she’s being coy about it.

Iris has never been shy with me, and it’s not starting now because if something is bothering my girls, I’m going to fix it.

“You want me to tickle it out of you like I tickle your sisters?”

“No.”

“Well, then, you better get to talking.”

“It’s stupid and it doesn’t matter.” When she tries to get up from my lap, I sit her in her seat and drag her close enough that she has no chance of getting away from me. “What have I told you? If it bothers you, it’s not…?”

“Stupid.”