Twenty-Two

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Jenna went all out on the baby shower.

Streamers hung from one side of the room to the other. There were fairy lights in the backyard on the deck.

A dessert table that had Vanessa salivating and a table of baby shower basics. I.e., fried drummettes, potato salad, Swedish meatballs, and finger sandwiches.

She invited almost everyone from church and a few family friends. The house was packed with people.

"Reid, could you put three more drummettes on my plate?" Vanessa asked while eyeing the food table.

Reid kissed her cheek and grabbed her plate. "I'm sure our babies would like a whole new plate of food." She was now six months pregnant and Reid did more for her than she liked. He didn't like seeing her in pain, which was now very common.

"Ooh, you're right. And can I get a plate of dessert too?" Vanessa rubbed her large belly and smiled. "You're so handsome, Reid." She noted. He was handsomer than ever now that he was sprouting new gray hairs every day. She loved it.

Reid chuckled and walked away.

Jenna walked past him and sat next to Vanessa. "Are you enjoying the shower? Is it too much? How are my grandbabies doing?" She asked insistently.

"It's wonderful, mom. I love everything, especially the food. And your grandbabies are fine." Vanessa explained and side-hugged her mom. That was the only kind of hug she could give at the moment, well, unless it was Reid. She loved hugging him.

Lailah ran away from Eva and Anwar and ran into Vanessa's legs. "Hi, mommy! I was playing!"

Vanessa ruffled Lailah's hair. She wanted to pick her up, however, her stomach prevented that. "I saw you! Did you eat enough? I'll get daddy to fix you some more food." Lailah was growing and her appetite was growing as well. No harm found, Vanessa was a foodie herself.

Lailah squinted her eyes and stuck her tongue out. "Uh, I want more please! Chicken! I like chicken! Is it like the animal, mommy? Bcack!" Lailah clucked and wiggled her tongue around.

"You're a silly little girl, Lailah. I'll go fix your food," Jenna laughed and walked to the food table.

Lailah stopped acting like a chicken and she took Jenna's spot. "Mommy, where Cabby? Is he talking to that lady?" She asked and pointed at Cabbrieli.

Vanessa looked at Cabbrieli and saw that he was talking to Davina. She was a nice woman, way better than Heather. She worked at a daycare and served in childcare on Sundays at church. She was a true sweetheart.

Perfect for Cabbrieli.

"You pointed at him, Lailah. He's talking to Davina, you know her." Vanessa kissed Lailah's cheek and sat back. She wondered how he first started talking to her.

Jenna walked back with Reid and they both had plates of food.

"I set that boy up with her. Reid, your son was just hanging around like a dud. No offense." Jenna said as she picked up Lailah and sat her on her lap.

Vanessa scoffed and shook her head. Her mother was funny.

"She seems nice. Nice enough to make him smile," Reid pointed out thoughtfully. "Eat up, tesoro." He handed Vanessa her plate and stood next to her.

Vanessa wiped at the side of her mouth, just in case she had drool, and dug in her food. "God knows how good this food is. Mama, send this to my house every day." She moaned and popped a drumstick in her mouth.

Reid placed his hand on Vanessa's cute baby bump and sighed. He couldn't wait to meet his little twins.

"So, have you two thought of any names for my grandbabies?" Jenna asked while feeding Lailah a piece of chicken.

Vanessa nodded and zipped her lips. She didn't want anyone to know until they were born. She liked surprising people.

"We have. Vanessa would like to wait until they're born." Reid explained and Vanessa hummed in agreement.

Jenna pursed her lips and shook her head. "Okay. She could've told me that, but now that she's pregnant, she's picky and selective."

Vanessa wanted to disagree, but she was right. Her little twins were making her a little rude. She wanted to be nice, but her twins didn't.

The shower went on, Vanessa and Reid opened the presents and thanked everyone for coming. It was a success in more than one way.

Everyone was long gone and Jenna got Eva, Anwar, Lucas, and Reid to clean up. She would've gotten Cabbrieli to do so, but he was still talking to Davina.

Vanessa and Lailah sat and watched Cabbrieli ask Davina for her number.

It was adorable!

Davina blushed and nodded.

She wanted to hear their conversation, only because they were so cute!

Cabbrieli smiled and then they walked out of the house together.

Maybe they were going out on a date. Vanessa hoped so. Cabbrieli deserved a woman like Davina and vice versa.

"Did I just see my son make a move on that young woman?" Reid asked in a hushed tone. He hoped he did.

Vanessa nodded and clapped triumphantly. "You sure did. Maybe we'll be having another family dinner, but this time it'll end well." She hoped so.

-

Lailah was officially a Portalo and the daughter of Reid.

After the baby shower, Reid and Vanessa decided to get the adoption done before their babies came. It was something that Reid wanted to do before marrying Vanessa, but since they eloped that didn't happen.

"Daddy? Can we go see Cabby?" Lailah asked while snacking on some Goldfish.

Reid looked at Vanessa. "Cara, can you handle another stop?" He was always concerned about her now more than ever.

Vanessa nodded. She liked that he was careful with her, but she wasn't used to how much he cared. When she was pregnant with Lailah she did so much housework, now Reid didn't even let her cook for too long, he said too much strenuous activity wasn't good for her or the twins. He was a sweetie. The little things meant so much to her.

"Yeah, I'd like to see him anyway."

Reid turned to Lailah and smiled. "Well, angioletto, we're going to see Cabby!"

Lailah cheered and threw her Goldfish in the air. "Yay!"

Cabbrieli was working on his bakery so Reid knew exactly where to find him. His shop was located in the heart of downtown Anaheim, the perfect spot.

They made it to his shop and Reid found a spot right next to his store.

"Amore, I will get Lailah out and then help you." He told Vanessa and got Lailah out of her seat.

Lailah cupped his cheeks and stuck her tongue out. "Hi!" She giggled and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Hi, darling." He kissed her cheek and opened Vanessa's door. "I know that you want to be independent, but please let me help you." He wasn't blind to the fact that Vanessa was a little annoyed with his constant assistance, but he didn't want her to do too much.

Vanessa bit her lip to contain her smile and took his hand. "It's not that I don't like it, I do. I'm just not used to this. When I was pregnant with Lailah I did everything for myself," She explained hoping that he understood. "I appreciate everything that you do for me, Reid." She tightened her grip on his hand and got out of the car.

"I love you, Vanessa. I want to take care of you," Reid whispered in her ear and helped her walk into Cabbrieli's bakery.

He opened the door and looked around. His son was doing something amazing and he was terribly proud of him.

"Hey, we're closed right now, but we will be opening in December." Cabbrieli said from the kitchen.

Reid hummed proudly. His son was a natural.

Lailah tapped Reid's shoulder and pointed at the floor. "Can I get down now, Daddy?" She asked with her bottom lip poked out.

Reid nodded and put her down. "Come have a seat, tesoro." He pulled out a chair and helped Vanessa sit.

Lailah looked around the shop and ran behind the counter.

"Ow-Oh! Hey, Lailah!" Cabbrieli said in shock as Lailah ran into his legs.

"Hi, Cabby! We came to see you!" Lailah squealed and kissed his cheeks. "Come see!" She yelled and pointed at Reid and Vanessa.

Vanessa waved at Cabbrieli and tried to get up so she could greet him.

"No need to get up, Vanessa. I will come to you," Cabbrieli said kindly and walked over to her and Reid. He leaned over and hugged her. "How are you? How are my little siblings doing?"

"Aurora and Emil are doing wonderful and so am I." Vanessa figured that Cabbrieli should know the names of his brother and sister. He wouldn't tell anybody.

Cabbrieli gasped and looked at Reid. "I love the names. I was praying that I wouldn't meet Alreidoculus Jr." He said to Reid and chuckled.

Reid loved his name. He was proud to be Alreidoculus Portalo. "You like your own name, Cabbrieli. I picked it." He smiled at his son and wrapped his arm around his wife. He loved her so much.

Cabbrieli shrugged and pulled out a chair next to Vanessa and sat down. Lailah touched his hair and huffed. "You hair is too soft." She murmured and looked at Vanessa. "Mommy, put grease!"

Vanessa laughed and tsked. "Lailah, Cabbrieli's hair is fine the way it is. Don't you like it?" She asked her silly little girl.

Lailah gasped. "I do, mommy! It's pretty," She touched his hair again and smiled. "I like it!"

"I'm glad you've changed your mind so quickly, Lailah." Cabbrieli pursed his lips and sat back.

Reid sat on the edge of his seat and looked around the bakery. Everything was coming together nicely. "Do you need anything for the bakery? Anything that I can help you with?" He would help in any way.

"I think I have everything together, padre. I got the social media together and I did interviews, I only need you to be there with me on opening day." Cabbrieli told Reid.

Reid placed his hand on Cabbrieli's knee and looked him in the eyes. "I will most definitely be there for you. We all will."

Cabbrieli took a deep breath and gave a closed-lip smile. "That means a lot to me." He cleared his throat and nodded.

Reid looked at Vanessa and saw that she was fighting sleep. She was adorable. He smiled and stood up. "Cabbrieli, will you join us for a late lunch at the house?" He asked while helping Vanessa up and she leaned on his shoulder.

Cabbrieli nodded and stood up. "I'd like that."

Lailah clapped. "Yay! We can eat with Cabby!" She waved her hands in the air.

Vanessa yawned and cooed at her baby. "You're so cute, Lailah."

-

Once they made it to the house, Reid got Vanessa situated in the living room with a plate of drummettes and strawberries. The smile on her face and the joy in her eyes told him how happy she was as she dug into the food.

Now it was time to grill the ribs he had marinating in the fridge.

"Daddy! Can I help?" Lailah followed Reid out of the house and to the backyard. She pushed out her bottom lip and fluttered her eyelashes.

Reid placed the ribs on the side of the grill and smiled at his little cutie. "Yes. I need you to try out the new playset for me, tell me if you like it. Can you do that?" He asked lowly and Lailah nodded.

"Yes, daddy. I like it." She answered mocking his deep voice. "Bye!" She screamed and rushed to the playset.

Being a dad and husband was the greatest thing to Reid. He hummed a song and turned on the fire. Taking care of everyone he loved gave him the greatest sense of fulfillment.

In the house, Vanessa was enjoying her delicious plate of food and having a good conversation with Cabbrieli.

"So he's putting in an elevator?" Cabbrieli asked while eyeing the work in progress.

Vanessa nodded and blew raspberries. "Yeah, I don't see why. He says that I'll need it." She didn't mind the idea of having an elevator, it was just weird.

"Have you adapted to the new state yet, Cabbrieli? Are you happy here? Do you like Davina?" Vanessa wanted to know what was new with Cabbrieli. Almost every time he came to the house, she was asleep, so they never got to talk.

Cabbrieli crossed his legs and leaned back on the couch. "At first it was weird, but now I love the west coast. The beaches are nice, the weather, and now I'm closer to my dad and you guys. I like it." He answered and then his entire facial expression changed. He was totally blushing. "Davina, she's a wonderful woman. However, I'm trying to take things tortoise slow. I don't want to rush and mess things up for either of us, but I don't want to move too slowly and have some guy sweep her away." He explained with rosy cheeks.

"Well, I'm glad that you like it here. And it's smart to take your time, no matter how beautiful Davina is, you still need to get to know her." Vanessa advised him. He was too sweet to be crapped on again by a woman.

Cabbrieli smiled kindly and then bit his lip. "Can I ask you something?"

Vanessa nodded and laughed. "You just did, but go ahead."

"You don't have to answer if it's too invasive, but how does it feel to be married again?" He asked cautiously.

Vanessa liked his question. She didn't like thinking about the past, but sometimes she needed to talk about it a little. "It feels unreal." She said honestly. "I never expected to be married again. I just wanted to be alone and raise Lailah. Run my business and avoid psycho men at all costs. But God had a different plan and I'm super happy about that! I love Reid and you too," She beamed at him and placed a pillow over her stomach. She moved it a little and rubbed her belly. Her sweet babies were coming in three months.

"I'm happy too. I know you're my stepmom and all, but I see you as more of a sister or a friend. Well a sister, but not in a weird way." Cabbrieli blushed and facepalmed. "I mean you're friendly in a sisterly manner, but not that you're my sister. That would mean that my father is your dad instead of your husband," He rambled.

Vanessa stared at him in disbelief and laughed. He was talking himself in a circle. "I understand what you mean. We relate in a brother and sister way, but I'm your stepmom and not your sister." She explained to him and he huffed.

"Yeah. It shouldn't have been so hard to explain, but it was." He wiped his brow. "I like having you around and you're so amazing to my father. And now I get siblings, it's a little late in my life but better late than never." He smiled softly at her and uncrossed his legs.

Vanessa rubbed her belly and shook her head. "You're going to be a great brother, you're so good with Lailah. You've got three more months until these twins make their grand appearance," She sang happily.

"Oh, man. They're going to be spoiled brat angels." Cabbrieli laughed.

Vanessa didn't disagree. She loved giving Lailah what she wanted, so she knew that nothing would be different with the twins.

"Ooh," She murmured while sniffing the air. Whatever Reid was making smelled amazing. "Could you help me up?" She asked Cabbrieli.

He got up and helped her off the couch.

"Thank you!" She licked her lips and slowly made her way to the backyard.

Once she made it outside, she saw Lailah playing with her new set. She looked adorable.

She looked at Reid and grimaced at how handsome he looked. She was shocked at how someone could look so good while grilling.

"Lailah, could I play with you?" Cabbrieli asked as he walked out of the house.

"Yes!" Lailah answered seconds later and Cabbrieli ran to her side.

Vanessa walked over to Reid and tried to wrap her arms around his waist. "Ugh." She groaned.

Reid turned around and hugged her. "You alright, amore?" He cooed and pecked her lips. "You look beautiful."

She looked at the ribs and sighed. "I just want some ribs,"

Reid let her go and used the tongs to put a rack of ribs onto a plate. "Your wish is my command." He handed her the plate.

"My wish is to have you, Lailah, Cabbrieli, and our babies happy and safe forever," Vanessa told him, "And brownies,"

-

Authors Note

One more chapter and then the epilogue!

Jenna threw a classic black baby shower. Every single baby shower that I've been to that was hosted by black people had Swedish meatballs, drummettes, and finger sandwiches...I remember at my uncle's baby shower for his daughter, he was bringing in the chicken on a tray and then he dropped it.... when I tell you the mama was pissed off!

Anywho, so y'all saw Cabbrieli trying to get his groove back? Don't worry, she won't be trash like Heather. Davina is a doll

I really like the woman that Vanessa has become. She's assured in everything that she does and she's just so genuine. She loves her family and her darling husband, the one we all love too!

Reid has become wayyyy more careful with Vanessa and I love it. He's such a cutie! It's his first time going through pregnancy with anyone, it's adorable how sweet he is. And the elevator, y'all, I love it!

The talk between Cabbrieli and Vanessa was nice. I liked having Vanessa ask questions and Cabbrieli asking in return. It's nice to see how they flow.

And that dang Vanessa with her little fantasies! She wants Reid and some chicken, bruh, I love her.

It's hard to say goodbye to these amazing characters! They're like people I actually know, I love them all.

Also, can we talk about how many reads this story is getting? Like what?! It's already at 9 thousand reads!🤯 that's all God y'all, I didn't expect it to be this big so soon!

As always, let me know what you think.

I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and see you on Wednesday.


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