Page 232 of Fall Before Her Throne

I was in the last weeks of this pregnancy, and so goddamn ready for this baby to be out. He never stopped moving, never slowed down, just like his father.

“Do you need anything?” the father asked for the one millionth time while I stretched out on my chair in the garden of our Hamptons house. We were here on vacation, a last moment of relaxation before the chaos of a new baby changed our lives once again.

“I’m fine, Max,” I responded with a laugh. My hand rounded my belly again. “We’re both fine.”

Our other kids played in the yard in front of us with their other dads while Max continued to fret about and continually ask me if I was okay.

It had taken him a long time to decide that he wanted to be a father. He was the last of my men to ask me to carry his child, and this child would be all our last. Massimo. Named after Max’s father. A soft smile broke over my face as I watched our wondrous family at peace. At home.

After fifteen years, the last piece of our family would slot into place.

“Mom! Watch!” Nico called, Cas’s and my firstborn child. Niccolo. I laughed while our twelve-year-old slid down the slip and slide, water spraying all over his father, his other dads, and the rest of our children.

“Oh, no, you don’t!” Ryuji called as he stepped up to the slip and slide, holding the hand of our five-year-old daughter, Rin. “We’ll destroy you with our splashes!”

“Mama, can I feel your belly?” Adaeze, Obi’s ten-year-old daughter, asked. “Is he kicking a lot today?” Her twin brother, Akachi, waited right behind her, the same question written on his face. They both looked so much like their father and were our second eldest behind Nico.

“Of course, my loves.” I pulled their hands to rest right over the spot where their little brother was kicking. I adored how their eyes widened as they looked at each other and giggled. My hands cupped each of their cheeks. “Baby brother is doing flips today. Can you feel it?”

Ada leaned forward, giggling. She nudged Akachi, and he put both palms against my belly.

“Mama!” His eyes went wide when Massimo stretched, pushing his leg against my skin like a little alien. “That’s crazy!”

“I know, right—” A pain rippled low in my belly, and I winced.

“Let your mother rest,” Obi’s deep voice rumbled from behind me. “Go play.”

“Oh, it’s fine,” I chided while the twins ran off. “Obi, I’m okay. We’ve all been through this before.”

I’d been having periodic contractions for a few days and could tell Massimo was getting ready, but I was too stubborn to admit it. I wanted to enjoy our last few days of summer together first.

“It never becomes less worrying, ifunanya’m,” he murmured while he bent over to kiss my forehead. “How are your contractions?”

“Fifteen minutes apart,” Max answered. “Getting closer.”

Obi’s hand rested on Max’s shoulder. “Keep an eye on her.”

“Always.”

I rolled my eyes. “Can we just enjoy the afternoon without mother hens hovering everywhere?”

“Nope,” Ciel said from behind me. I craned my head and smiled when he walked over carrying our three-year-old daughter. She was our youngest until Massimo came. “We’re awake from our nap, Mami.”

“Oh, goodness, look at you, beautiful,” I cooed while I plucked her from Ciel’s arms and pressed a kiss to her sleepy forehead. “Did you have a good nap, Mari?”

Mariposa nodded, nuzzling her head into my neck.

“Good, I’m glad.” My hand brushed down her head of curly brown hair, exactly like her father’s. She was slightly sweaty, her curls sticking to her temples. She always napped hot. “Ready to go play in the water?”

She looked over her shoulder at all her siblings frolicking in the splash pad and the slip and slide. The late summer air was stifling and humid, but I was convinced this was heaven on earth.

“Yeah,” she finally responded, her little voice making me smile even wider.

Ciel grinned while he picked her up out of my arms. “Let’s go get changed, then, mija. We’ll be back.”

He passed by Wynn, giving him a lingering kiss before heading back inside. Wynn chose not to have a child of his own, but he doted on all of our other kids—especially Mariposa. He was an amazing dad, always the first one to wake up in the middle of the night and the last one to go to sleep once everyone was tucked away in bed. He played the longest and cleaned up the messes, and treated our children the most patiently—especially when I got overstimulated from all the constant noise. He basically held us all together and kept our family running smoothly.

“Darling,” he said, handing me a plate of snacks. “Eat.”