Today is the twins' birthday, and the house was in complete chaos.

The party planners had arrived at dawn to start the decorations!

Just kidding, they came at 6.30. But it might as well have been dawn!

I was woken up to the noise of banging and shouting followed by two squealing four year olds racing to my room and climbing on my bed, bouncing up and down on it, shouting "its our birthday, its our birthday!"

I just stared at them in awe because I had never been here for their birthdays, and for the first time, I got to be a part of their excitement.

I just looked at them, soaking up the happiness they were feeling. I truly felt blessed to be here. I grabbed onto one of the bouncing twins and held her tight, breathing in her baby smell.

Seeing me hugging her, the other one jumped on us, and we all fell backward in a heap laughing. "Happy birthday, my princesses!" I said, grabbing them both and hugging them tight.

We were pulled apart by a throat clearing. We all looked up to see their father casually leaning on the doorframe, with his arms folded.

My throat went dry seeing him. His hair was disheveled, and his eyes looked drowsy, like he just woke up. His sweat pants were low on his hips. Oh, and did I forget to mention that he was shirtless!

Damn, those abs. This daddy looked fine. Broad shoulders and chest, athletic build, long lean legs, to match with those washboard abs...

Sure, I had seen him shirtless before, but he looked nowhere near this good. This was....manly.

Come on now, he was a full-time single daddy, as well as a full-time businessman. How in the world does he find time to maintain himself? He should be having a round belly by now. At least a small one. This wasn't fair.

I hadn't realised I had been sulking until I heard Gabriel's voice.

"Anything wrong?" I looked up at him to find him looking at me with a frown. I shook my head quickly and told him, "Nothing is wrong."

"How are you feeling today?" He asked, his frown still intact.

"I'm good, much better now." I reassured him.

After searching my face for any paleness or any kind of weakness, he nodded satisfied, finding none.

Turning towards the girls, he pushed himself off the door frame and ushered the girls outside.

"Come on, both of you, go freshen up and have your breakfast. Don't you want to see the planners at work?"

"Yeah!" They said, leaping from the bed and running out of the room. "And we told you, Daddy, we told you Niki would be awake!"

"Was she now?" Gabriel asked, raising an eyebrow, lifting his head up from the girls to look at me.

I shook my head and laughed, making him smile back, shaking his head, saying to the girls, "Hurry now. You don't want to miss any part of your birthday."

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Im in my room after getting the girls ready. The party had started, and the guests had arrived, and the girls were enjoying.

I could see them from my window, playing with little kids. They were all wearing tiaras, a complimentary gift for everyone who sat at the kids' table.

The party was in Sarah's garden. Some pots had been cleared to make more room for the tables, which was covered in white table cloth, with a pink glittery polka dot table runner. Pink plastic cups and plates were set with tiaras set on the plates for the kids. The chairs were white as well. It was party chairs that looked pretty princessy.

There was a separate section for games. There was a lady dressed as Belle from Beauty and the beast guiding the kids.

A magician dressed as a Jester was doing tricks up on a little platform, which wasn't little at all. It would be later used for dancing.

It all looked like a magical kingdom. pretty grand for a kids' party, but I guess this is what a party in the Hudson family was always like.

The party was in full swing, and I was hiding. Hiding from the adults in the party. Particularly the Hudson clan. They have never been nice to me, despite the fact that our father's had been college friends.

I had always been an outcast. It was ok when they had simply ignored me, letting Gabriel be friends with me as we were growing up. But when Gabriel started high school and became a star football player, and Sarah became a cheerleader, the snide remarks had started from there.

It didn't matter that they had never shown up to any of his events, and it had always been me who had been his biggest support.

Well Nicola, if you came here to hide in your room the whole day, what was the point of you coming here? My self pitying thoughts got interrupted by my more realistic side.

It was a good question. I am here for Livy and Bella. Its their birthday, and they want me down there not hiding up here. If the Hudson's have a problem with that, then its their own problem. I am not missing my nieces' birthday party.

With that thought, I moved away from the window and straightened myself up to my full height, I marched out of my room with my chin held up high. I am not the scared little Nico of the past, I am a confident, successful woman, and no one was going to make me hide!

As I marched myself down the stairs, giving myself the pep talk, I didn't notice Gabriel standing behind the stairs until he spoke.

"I was wondering how long it was going to take for you to stop hiding upstairs and come join us."

I whirled around, startled, as I heard his voice, my eyes wide, looking like a deer caught in the headlight.

That was until I saw him. My jaw dropped seeing him. He looked breathtakingly handsome, wearing a crown on his head. He was dressed normally, in a white button-up, with sleeves rolled up to his elbows and khaky pants, with his shirt tucked under it. But with just the crown, he looked like royalty.

I blinked, trying to compose myself, shutting my mouth before I actually drool. I narrowed my eyes, focusing on other things.

"Speaking of hiding, what are you doing hiding behind the stairs? You nearly gave me a heart attack!" I said.

"Sorry about that. I was answering a call." He said, holding up the phone in his hand, still having an annoying smirk on his face. "And since you are also done hiding, shall we join the party?"

"I wasn't hiding. I was getting ready." I huffed.

"Mmhmm, you weren't hiding at all. You were just getting ready standing by the window staring down at the garden for like.. thirty minutes now." He said, looking down at his watch.

I felt a blush creeping up my neck having been caught, which made his smile widen. So I glared at him, making him chuckle.

"You look beautiful, Nico, you have nothing to be afraid of.'' He told me softly.

I frowned hearing that name. " I told you it's Nicola now,"

"I don't know what you have against your name -"

"I don't have anything against my name. Nicola is my name." I interrupted him primly.

"Fine," he said, raising his hands in surrender, making me grin at him. He smiled back, walking up to me slowly. I held my breath, looking up at him, as he raised his arms and placed something on my head.

"Perfect." He said to himself, stepping back, giving me a once over, making me blush again.

I raised my hand, touching it. It was a tiara. Where did that come from? His hands had been empty a minute ago.

I looked at him, silently questioning him.

"I may have also been on my way to fetch you by order of two very bossy princesses. I was told to give you the tiara."

"Ok.." I said uncertainly.

"Come now," he said, holding out his hand to lead me out.

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