Chapter One Hundred Forty Two: Four Years Later
The mansion was chaos.
It was always chaos now. Four years of babies, toddlers, and nonstop noise had transformed the once-quiet house into a playground of tiny feet and endless laughter.
The morning started like any other.
Jay woke up to Alexander jumping on the bed. "MUMMY! WAKE UP! AURORA STOLE REX!"
From across the room, Aurora's voice: "REX WANTED TO COME WITH ME!"
"REX IS MINE!"
"REX LOVES ME MORE!"
Keifer groaned. "It's 6 AM."
Jay pulled the pillow over her head. "Your children."
"Our children."
"Your genes."
"Our chaos."
---
In the next room, Shreya was having her own battle.
Rohan, age four, was standing at the foot of the bed, arms crossed. "Mamma. Adira took my car."
Adira, age four, Rohan's twin sister, held the toy car behind her back. "I didn't take it. I'm borrowing it."
"That's the same thing!"
"It's DIFFERENT!"
Shreya sat up. "Adira. Give your brother his car."
"But Mamma—"
"NOW."
Adira handed it over. Rohan snatched it. Adira stuck out her tongue. Rohan stuck his out back.
Mithun watched from the pillow. "This is our life now."
Shreya kissed his cheek. "Our beautiful, chaotic life."
---
Down the hall, Akshi was already up.
She had to be. Her twin girls, Anya and Aanya, were four years old and absolutely feral.
They were currently attempting to build a fort out of couch cushions. The living room was already destroyed.
Chethan tried to intervene. "Girls, maybe we should—"
Anya threw a pillow at him. "DADDY! HELP BUILD!"
Aanya grabbed his leg. "FORT! BIG FORT!"
Akshi walked in, coffee in hand. "What is happening?"
"Fort," Chethan said weakly.
"FORT!" the twins screamed.
Akshi looked at the chaos. At her husband being climbed like a jungle gym. At her daughters' wild hair and wilder energy.
She smiled. "I'll get more pillows."
---
The family gathered for breakfast.
The kitchen was too small. It had always been too small, but now with seven children under five, it was a disaster zone.
Alexander sat beside Aurora, still arguing about Rex. Rohan and Adira were fighting over the last pancake. Anya and Aanya were trying to climb the cabinets.
Percy arrived with Honey. He looked at the chaos. "THIS IS GLORIOUS!"
Honey sighed. "Percy, they're destroying the kitchen."
"BEAUTIFUL DESTRUCTION!"
---
C.N. and Rakii arrived next. C.N. took one look at the children and opened his notebook. "Statistical probability of survival: 73%."
Rakii raised her camera. "I'm documenting everything."
David and Freya came with their own children—two boys, ages three and one. They added to the chaos.
Felix and Bridget arrived with their daughter, a quiet two-year-old who watched the madness with wide eyes.
Mica and Calix came with their son, a four-year-old who immediately joined the pillow fight.
Yuri was already filming. "This is the best content."
---
Aries and Ella arrived with their twins, now four, who ran to join the other children.
Kuya Angelo walked in with Ion. He surveyed the scene. "Seven children."
Ion smiled. "Eight, counting Akshi's."
"Eight children under five."
"The family is growing."
He almost smiled. "It is."
---
Tita Gemma arrived with food. "EIGHT CHILDREN! I MADE ENOUGH FOR EIGHT CHILDREN!"
Tito Rachel followed with more food. "She's been cooking since 4 AM."
"EIGHT CHILDREN NEED EIGHT TIMES THE FOOD!"
"Four times is enough."
"NOT FOR MY BABIES!"
---
Breakfast was chaos.
Alexander and Aurora finally stopped fighting long enough to eat. Rohan and Adira negotiated a pancake truce. Anya and Aanya were bribed with extra syrup.
Jay looked at her children. "We survived another morning."
Keifer kissed her forehead. "Barely."
"Alexander wants to be a firefighter. Aurora wants to be a dinosaur."
"That tracks."
---
Shreya watched Rohan and Adira. "Rohan wants to be a scientist. Adira wants to be a queen."
Mithun raised an eyebrow. "A queen?"
"Of a country she will invent."
"Also tracks."
---
Akshi watched Anya and Aanya. "Anya wants to be a superhero. Aanya wants to be her sidekick."
Chethan nodded. "They've been planning this since they could talk."
"They're four."
"They're determined."
---
After breakfast, the children played.
Alexander and Rohan built a block tower. Aurora and Adira drew pictures. Anya and Aanya attempted to climb a tree. The younger children watched, learning chaos from their elders.
Jay sat on the porch, watching them. Keifer beside her.
"Our babies," she said.
"Our chaos."
"Beautiful chaos."
"The best kind."
---
Shreya joined them, Mithun behind her. "I can't believe we have four-year-olds."
"I can't believe we have four-year-olds AND babies."
Akshi came out, Chethan following. "I can't believe we survived."
They watched their children play.
Alexander was explaining something to Rohan. Aurora was showing Adira her drawing. Anya and Aanya had conquered the tree.
The future was bright.
And their family—
Was everything.
---
End of Chapter One Hundred Forty Two