“Alright. Want to go back with Mommy?” Forrest asks her and Melody nods her head, her sweaty dark hair falling around her face.
Yup, she’s absolutely a mini Claire, which means she’s perfect.
Despite my best efforts, I never could get Claire to clip into skis ever again. Melody enjoys skiing but when she hits her end point, she’s done and not afraid to let everyone know it.
Forrest picks up Melody, wrapping her around his hip, and she rests her head on his chest like she’s exhausted. She’s so fucking cute though. All I can do is adore her. Becoming a father has been the greatest thing I’ve done with my life and knowing we have another one on the way just has me that much more excited.
“Okay boys, are you ready to shred?” I ask the hoard of little boys I’m responsible for; Dex, our son, Calvin, Andie’s son, and my three nephews, two from my side of the family and Jonah’s son, Tripp.
“Where is Axel when you need him?” Elliot complains, both of us knowing full well where he is and why he isn’t on this trip right now. Inconvenient timing is commonplace in our brother-in-law's life, I don’t envy him.
“It’s an easy green. They all have helmets on and I’m pretty sure Claire put an Airtag on Dex so the other moms followed suit,” I tell Elliot and he blinks at me.
“Daddy, I wanna go fast,” Dex says, and my heart literally grows to the point where it’s too big for my chest.
“Wells,” Elliot chides and I shrug.
“What?” I complain, and Elliot raises an eyebrow at me. Dex might not be mine genetically, but he has the Olympic gene, I can tell. I have a theory that it traveled through mine and Forrest’s bond.
“Let’s play a game,” Elliot suggests and all the kids are tuned in. “If everyone makes at least ten turns going down the mountain, everyone will get a hot chocolate…with Lucky Charms marshmallows.”
The boys all seem to perk up. Andie’s son is the only one that I use the rope with to keep him up straight, but my son andnephews are all basically skiing proteges after this winter and I couldn’t be more proud.
“Ready. Set. Go!”
Elliot keeps up with the boys who can go faster and I help little Calvin get down the mountain.
Tripp takes a spill and Elliot helps him get up and God, I didn’t think being on the mountain would ever get more emotional than winning gold, but this is just damn near perfection.
When we get to the bottom of the slope, Elliot throws his arm around me. The boys have popped off their skis, expecting us to be their ski mules as they all slowly make their way to the lodge, all of them looking like little penguins as they walk in their ski boots.
“We’re going to have to just keep Claire pregnant forever. I need one of them at this age consistently,” I tell Elliot, and he laughs. His amusement is so overwhelming that I can even feel it down the bond. It’s as easy as breathing to feel who is who at this point.
“Don’t let her hear you say that,” he jokes and I sigh as I pick up three sets of little baby skis.
We follow the kids into the lodge, where they’re already tossing their helmets off and begging parents to take off their boots. Melody is passed out against Claire, who’s running her fingers through her dark hair, our daughter resting her head on her baby bump.
“How was it?” Claire asks, as Dex wiggles his boot at Forrest and basically starts stripping out of his gear.
“Shredded,” Dex tells her and Claire laughs, running her finger over his rosy cheek. He pulls his shark balaclava off, his dark brown hair messy as he looks at Elliot. “Where’s hot chocolate, Daddy?”
Elliot grins widely at our son before leaning down and plopping a kiss on the top of his head. “Well, aren’t you going to help me get it?”
“Yes,” Dex says cheerfully and the moment Forrest takes his boot off he’s running in his socks to hold Elliot’s hand and grab hot chocolate.
Jonah has his son on his hip, so do my brothers and brother-in-law, and Moses.
I lean down and grab Claire's chin for a kiss.
“How’s my baby mama?” I ask her and she laughs.
“Warm and cozy in the lodge, just as I like it. Did you take lots of videos?”
I scoff, as if I don’t record every single second of my children’s skiing. I had to buy a second hard drive for my phone to store them all.
“Silly question,” she says, her eyes heavy with exhaustion.
I stand behind her on the couch, rubbing her neck, which earns me a moan of approval.