JAY JAY POV
4 YEARS LATER
Life has a funny way of working out. Four years ago, I was a stressed-out freshman trying to balance law books and a possessive husband. Today, I'm officially Jay-Jay Watson, Attorney-at-Law. I traded my high school uniform for power suits, and surprisingly, my "Section E" attitude actually makes me a powerhouse in the courtroom. No one dares to mess with me—they have no idea I learned to litigate by arguing with the most stubborn delinquent in the country.
Keifer and I have built a life that feels almost perfect. The chaos of our younger years has settled into a sophisticated kind of power. He graduated at the top of his class and has fully taken over Watson Enterprises. The rift with his father is finally a thing of the past; they've reached a professional respect that I never thought possible back when we were just kids running from the law.
Seeing Keifer in a tailored three-piece suit, running board meetings and commanding the respect of the business world, is a far cry from the boy who used to kick down doors to protect me. But beneath that corporate exterior, the man I love hasn't changed one bit.
He's still the same protective, intense, and slightly terrifying "Watson" I fell in life with. Life with the brothers is still as chaotic as ever, too. Keigan has finally started college—though I'm pretty sure he's more focused on the social life than the syllabus—and as for Keiran, well, he's in middle school and already creating enough trouble to keep the principal on speed dial. Some things truly run in the family.
But for now, the chaos of Manila feels worlds away. Keifer and I are in Hawaii. We originally flew out for a massive international business merger, but the deal is officially signed, sealed, and delivered. Now, it's finally our vacation.
I was leaning against the balcony railing of our private villa, watching the sun dip into the Pacific Ocean, turning the water into molten gold. I was wearing a light, flowy sundress, feeling the tropical breeze against my skin, when I heard the glass door slide open behind me.
"Jay-Jay," Keifer said, his voice dropping into that low, vibrato tone that still gives me goosebumps after all these years.
"What?" I answered, turning around with a smile.
He was standing there with his shirt unbuttoned halfway, sleeves rolled up, and his hair tousled by the wind. He walked toward me, his eyes locked on mine with an intensity that made the sunset seem dull in comparison.
He didn't say anything at first. He just reached out, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear, his thumb lingering on my cheek.
"Should we start to create Caretaker or Watcher?" Keifer asked, his voice a low rumble against the sound of the crashing waves.
I blinked, the romantic atmosphere hitting a sudden, hilarious speed bump. I pulled back just an inch, deadpanning as I looked into his handsome, completely serious face.
"Idiot, I'm telling you, I'm not naming my kids that," I said, huffing a laugh and swatting his chest. "Do you want them to grow up with an identity crisis? 'Caretaker Watson, come down for dinner!' 'Watcher, stop staring at the neighbors!' No way, Keifer."
He didn't budge, his smirk only widening as he pulled me back flush against him, his hands sliding down to rest possessively over my stomach.
"Why not? It's a tribute," he teased, his lips grazing my ear. "They'd be legends from birth. Besides, a Watson needs a name that commands respect. You want them to be named something boring like 'John'?"
"There is a middle ground between 'John' and 'Caretaker,' you obsessive lunatic," I giggled, leaning my head back against his shoulder.
Then this idiot kissed me. It wasn't one of those sweet, vacation kisses; it was the kind of kiss that meant he was done talking about names and ready to get down to business. He pulled back just an inch, his eyes dark with a hunger that four years of marriage hadn't managed to dim.
"What do you say?" he asked me, his voice a rough whisper. His hands were already sliding down my back, pulling me so close that I could feel the steady, frantic thud of his heart against mine.
"Fine," I said.
That was all he needed to hear. The "fine" hadn't even fully left my lips before he was kissing me again, deeper this time, his tongue sweeping into my mouth to claim me all over again. He picked me up effortlessly, my legs instinctively wrapping around his waist as he carried me away from the balcony and into the dimly lit bedroom.
++++++++FEW MONTHS LATER+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
JAY JAY POV
I don't know why I'm this nervous. I mean, Keifer and I have been doing "it" often enough that this shouldn't be a shock, but my heart is currently trying to leap out of my chest. My period was late—a full month late—and my body was starting to feel… different.
I stood inside the master bathroom, staring at the pregnancy test kits on the marble counter. Outside the door, the atmosphere was anything but quiet. In fact, it sounded like a full-blown riot was happening in our living room.
"Hey, Percy! Don't you dare finish those donuts, those are for Jay-Jay!" Mia's voice echoed through the walls.
"So stingy! I just took one!" Percy complained.
"Both of you, shut up. You're making too much noise," Jare's calm but clearly excited voice cut through the bickering.
Everyone was here. As in everyone. Section E had basically staged a hostile takeover of our house the moment they heard I was feeling nauseous. Jare, Aries, Percy, Mia, Amy, Honey—even Keigan and Keiran were there, probably joining in on the food raid.
And then there was Keifer. He was standing right outside the bathroom door. He wasn't saying a word, but I could practically feel his intense, heavy presence through the wood
Please be positive. Please be positive, I whispered to myself. After everything we had survived—the gang wars, the school scandals, the legal battles—this felt like the most important verdict of my life.
When the timer finally buzzed, my breath hitched. My hands were shaking as I picked up the kits.
I looked down.
One line. Then another.
Two red lines. On both kits.
Positive.
A huge, shaky smile broke across my face, and I didn't realize I was crying until a tear landed on the plastic. I felt this sudden, overwhelming rush of heat and happiness. There's a little Watson in here. A mini-Caretaker (even if I still hated that name).
I unlocked the door and stepped out. The room went dead silent. Twenty pairs of eyes—the eyes of the people who had become my family through blood and fire—were fixed on me.
Keifer was the first person I saw. He was leaning against the wall, but the second the door opened, he straightened up. He looked at my tear-streaked face, then at the kits in my hand.
"Jay?" he asked, his voice low and vibrating with a hope that made my heart ache.
I didn't say a word. I just raised the kits so everyone could see.
"POSITIVE!" Honey screamed, breaking the silence.
"WOOOOOH! I'M GONNA BE AN UNCLE!" Jare yelled, completely forgetting the donut in his hand.
"Another troublemaker in the making. God help us all," Aries joked, but he was grinning from ear to ear while Amy hugged his arm.
But Keifer… he didn't join the cheering. He walked toward me in that slow, deliberate way of his until he was standing inches from me. He took the tests from my hands, staring at those two lines like they were the most precious things he had ever held.
Then, he looked at me. His eyes were misty—a sight so rare I wanted to memorize it forever. He didn't care that the whole Section E gang was watching and hooting in the background. He wrapped his arms around me and lifted me off the ground, burying his face in the crook of my neck.
"Thank you, Jay-Jay," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "Thank you."
I laughed through my tears, hugging him back tightly. "Now we really have to talk about the name, Keifer. And I'm telling you, 'Caretaker' is still a no!"
"We'll see about that, Mrs. Watson," he murmured, pulling back just enough to kiss me deeply while our chaotic, crazy family celebrated behind us.
Section E was getting a new member
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
JARE POV
Everything is finally going our way. My twin sister is pregnant with the next Watson heir, and it feels like the final piece of our crazy puzzle has fallen into place.
Looking around the room, it's hard not to feel sentimental. Mia and I got married shortly after Jay and Keifer—I couldn't let Watson beat me to the altar by too long. Aries, being the cool and collected guy he is, took his time proposing to Amy, but they eventually tied the knot in a ceremony
Honey and Percy decided to follow suit and got married after us. We aren't just a bunch of delinquents anymore; we're a tribe of husbands and wives.
I was leaning against the wall, feeling a wave of pure happiness as I watched Keifer spin my sister around. I looked over at Mia, my beautiful wife, who was smiling at the scene. But then, her smile faltered. Her face went pale, and she suddenly clutched her stomach.
Without a word, she bolted toward the bathroom.
"Mia!" I shouted, my heart dropping into my shoes.
Everyone stopped. The cheering, the laughing, the shouting—it all died down instantly as I scrambled after her. I reached the bathroom just as she made it to the sink and started to throw up.
I was by her side in a heartbeat, pulling her hair back and rubbing her shoulders. "Mia? Baby, what's wrong? Is it the donuts? Was it something I said?"
The rest of the gang was crowding around the doorway. Jay-Jay and Keifer were right at the front, their expressions shifting from celebration to deep concern.
Mia rinsed her mouth, leaning heavily against the counter as she tried to catch her breath. She looked up at me in the mirror, her eyes wide and watery.
"I don't think it was the donuts, Jare," she whispered, her voice shaky.
"Then what? Are you sick? Let's go to the hospital right now, I'll drive three hundred miles an hour—"
"Jare, wait," Jay-Jay interrupted, stepping into the bathroom and looking at Mia with a knowing, lawyer-like intensity. She looked at Mia's pale face, then back at me. "Mia... when was the last time you had your period?"
Silence fell over the room. Realization hit me like a physical punch to the gut. I looked at Mia, my mouth hanging open.
"I... I'm two weeks late," Mia admitted, a small, hopeful smile starting to break through her exhaustion.
My brain short-circuited. I looked at Keifer, who was standing there with a smug, "welcome to the club" smirk on his face. I looked at my sister, whose eyes were practically sparkling.
"No way," I breathed, my grip on Mia's waist tightening. "You mean... I'm gonna be a dad? Like, right now? Well, not right now, but soon?"
Mia laughed, reaching up to cup my face. "It looks like it, Jare."
"OH MY GOD!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, picking her up and spinning her around exactly like Keifer had done to Jay-Jay minutes ago. "WE'RE HAVING A BABY! A MINI-MIA! OR A MINI-JARE!"
"Put her down, you idiot, she's nauseous!" Aries barked from the hallway, though he was laughing.
"Double celebration!" Honey cheered, and once again, the Watson-family living room erupted into chaos.
I held Mia close, pressing my forehead against hers. My sister and my wife, pregnant at the same time. Life really was getting crazy