Chapter 124 Sweet Wake Up Call

Chapter 124 Sweet Wake Up Call
Alex

I was trying to open my eyes, something was softly hitting me, like they were trying to wake me up. I’d had another rough night, which was rather par for the course right now. I had actually woken the kids up and they had cried, but Hope calmed when I snuggled her against me, and the guys got Valen soothed and went back to sleep. So, I was tired and my eyes didn’t want to open.

Then the patting increased, and suddenly I got landed on by a little body. I opened my eyes to see my son, Valen, who was now crawling on top of me staring down at me. Hope was next to my head and she was patting me. I turned and smiled at her, and I smiled up at Valen. I saw the guys smirking not far away.

“So, you sent in the troops to get me to wake up, huh?” They all laughed lightly. 

I reached out and tucked Hope’s hair behind her ear, and Valen had sit back, so he was still sitting partly on my chest, and partly draped on the floor next to me, so I looked at him, and he was staring very intently at me, I smiled and slowly reached out my hand, and lightly brushed my finger on his cheek like I used to do. 

I don’t know if it was the memory of me touching him like that, or something else entirely, but suddenly he scooted over and planted his open mouth on my breast, like he remembered when I used to nurse him. So, now I had a big wet spot of baby slobber right on my boob. So, this was interesting. It actually kind of tugged at me a bit, because I had lost the ability to do that right now.

“Sorry baby boy, but mama can’t do that right now.” I felt myself get a bit choked up. Especially after he started to fuss, like he was upset he wasn’t being fed. 

“Hey little man, let’s go get you a bottle, since it appears you are definitely ready for breakfast.” Tiny bent over and scooped him off of me, smiling down at me as he did so.

I started to get myself up, noticing my growing belly more as I did so. I worked really hard to just push that whole thing to the back burner right now, especially after this morning, and being greeted by my kids. As I sat up, Hope jumped up, she turned around, plopped down into my lap, and grabbed my hands, wrapping them around herself, then she looked up at me. I kissed her on the head as she smiled.

“Are you ready for breakfast sweetheart? What should we ask your daddies to make for us this morning?” She seemed to be actually thinking about it and I thought that was amusing. 

“Pancake.” That was all she said, but I heard laughter from the kitchen, so I had a feeling that might be her go-to answer for what she wanted for breakfast. 

Hope did indeed get her pancakes, and I even was able to eat a bit of them. I wanted to inhale them, but those few bites were all I could manage as my stomach started to complain, so I stopped. I did thoroughly enjoy my cup of coffee though. 

Valen had done well with feeding himself bits of pancake the guys had cut up for him. I was still wrapping my head around how much he had grown. Hope had as well, they both had changed in the time I had been gone, and I couldn’t get that time back. The only thing I could do now was love them and cherish the time we had together. 

There was a knock on the front door and Cody went to answer it. I heard a woman’s voice, and then Cody led Satine into the kitchen. Hope jumped up and ran to hug her legs, “Santa.” 

I had to giggle at that, as I could see that was her little girl version of Satine, but that was actually funny, and evidently Satine thought so as well as she laughed as she bent down and picked her up. She kissed her on the cheek and walked back over to where I was seated.

“Are you happy to have your mama home, little one?” She smiled and Hope nodded. 

She then turned to look at me, and although she aimed her question to Hope, I knew she was actually asking me, “How about we take a nice walk in the garden?”

Hope clapped her little hands and wiggled, Satine put her down, and I nodded. I looked and the guys shooed us away, so we walked out the bad French doors, down the back steps, and into the garden. I breathed deeply in the fresh air.

“Yes, breathing the air that is fresh, clean, and tastes of freedom is good. I know it helped my heart when I could do so when I got home.” She turned to smile softly at me.

I just nodded acknowledging what she’d said. Yes, now, our experiences were much more alike than they had been before. She must have felt that as well, as I had a feeling that’s why she’d come this morning. She wanted me to know she was someone here who could understand all of my fucked up mental calisthenics right now. 

We didn’t really talk about anything. We just walked, and we watched Hope as she went from place to place, and exclaimed over this pretty, and that pretty, and this look mama, and that look, mama. I smiled and nodded, and just let myself soak it all up. 

“Now, My Domingo has said you have many files, and hard drives from computers to wade through.” I was startled, realizing I had never heard anyone use Valenciaga’s first name.

“Yes, they apparently have quite a lot of information for me to wade through. I have already started working on a program, and I have spent a lot of time tweaking it in my head, so I plan to get that up and running very quickly.” 

She turned and looked at me, and she smiled. Then, for the first time ever, I saw the woman who had stood by Valenciaga when he built his empire. I saw the fierce woman who ruled at his side. She’d been damaged and knocked down, but with his help, she’d risen from those ashes, and now, she stood tall once again.

“Now, go, and make them all pay. Bring home those you can, but find those bastards, and help our men to make them pay.” I smiled at that.