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Chapter Forty

It was Halloween, Landon was two weeks old, and we were throwing a party. Insane? Yes? A typical day in the life of the Carters?

Hell yes.

"Happy Halloween! Come vin, come vin. Vhat can I get you to drink? Some blood, perhaps?"

Every now and then Nick and I would look around and realize that we were outgrowing the house. Then memories would pull us in and all talk would cease. But, as eleven, yes eleven more people piled through the door, the thought reared it's head again.

It was either move or move the annual Carter Halloween extravaganza to an outside location. I looked at Nick and just shook my head.

My husband was in his element. He was dressed like a vampire, complete with dripping fangs and a luxurious black cape lined with blood red silk. His face was pale making the dripping blood that much more vibrant down his chin. He swung the cape dramatically at the new arrivals

"Good to see you Nick," Kevin said with a laugh. They hugged and Nick smiled.

"It's Count Nick-ula tonight," he said happily. He turned around. "Vhere is my bride?"

His bride was nowhere near ready for the party. It was next to impossible to take care of a newborn and doll oneself up to look like the bride of the dead. Landon had just finished his bottle and I had only gotten so far as to find my cape and drape it over my shoulder. I dodged around someone dressed as a red solo cup and walked up to the group.

"Hey, you're not dressed?" he said in his normal voice. I rolled my eyes.

"Are you serious? Brooke and Kay wanted me to help them get their makeup on. Peyton was stuck in her tights. And Noah...I have no idea where he is. Then Landon started screaming and I had to feed him and--"

It was only then that I realized the new arrivals were the McLeans and Richardsons. It had been too long since all of the Backstreet Boys had been in one place.

"Hey guys!" I said enthusiastically.

"Number four?" Kevin asked, nodded towards my arms where my dark haired, red-faced baby struggled to get out of his mummy swaddle, custom made for the occasion. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Nick's smile widen.

"Yup, number four," he said proudly. He opened his mouth and I knew the male bragging was about to start. I felt it my duty to cut it off before it even began.

"And the last," I said. "But, I got tired of Nick whining about the lack of little feet in the house, so..." I kissed Landon's little forehead.

Nick laughed and wrapped his arm around me. AJ started rambling, talking about making jewelry and punctuating every other word with 'fuck' or 'damn' or combining them 'fuckin'damn' or 'damn fucks.' I dreaded thinking about what Peyton was going to say by the end of the evening. Her ears caught everything I didn't want her to catch.

"Help yourself to some munchies guys," I said to the kids. I could tell they were growing bored, especially the boys. Sure enough, Joe, Dan, Brayden and Tristan didn't need to be told twice. They walked over to the table with me. I watched the smaller group from a distance.

The girls on the other hand, weren't near as fidgeted. Pretty little Ally stuck by Shelby's side. Mason was on her other. Call it intuition or just years of being around someone who really, truly loved me, but I could sense a little bit of overprotectiveness on Mason's part.

I saw Nick ask a question and the feeling intensified as whatever it was hung in the air heavily, nobody responding. Nosey me, started to inch back over, leaving the kids to gorge on candy apples. I saw Nick's eyes landed on Shelby and Mason. They were holding hands.

"Aw, are you two finally going out?" He jabbed Kevin in the side. "What did I say? I called this forever ago."

"I still remember that blog he wrote about the red-headed grandchildren," I said with a laugh, trying to lighten the mood. Addy reached over and stroked Landon's cheek. Molly wasn't far behind. "Remember that Kev?"

"I remember," he said quietly.

"We'll have to see about that," AJ said. "Hair color is going to be a crap shoot."

"What?" Nick asked in surprise.

Kevin glanced at Shelby and Mason. Oh shit.

"We're going to have a baby in May," Shelby squeaked. Her eyes were wild. Panicked. The hand Mason held wiggled a little bit. She was nervous. Scared. Who wouldn't be?

She was only sixteen.

"Oh honey," I said sadly, my heart going out to her. For once in his life, Nick looked speechless.

After a couple awkward seconds, Mason cleared his throat.

"Hey Dan, let's get your costume on!" he called out. Joe and Dan followed Mason down the hall. Molly took Ally and the twins to get changed.

"Mom, Kay wants more lipstick!"

I turned. Brooke ran up to me, the beads on her flapper costume swished around her long legs. It had taken forever to get her hair just right. Long, almost to her waist, but curled so that she had the Roaring Twenties look framing her face.

"I got the tube!"

Kayleigh was right behind her. Her blonde hair fell in soft curls and her big blue eyes looked at me adoringly. She had Brian's light-up-the room smile. A matching flapper, she looked just as beautiful as my daughter. I thought about Shelby and felt my stomach flip.

We were in so much trouble. Why couldn't we have ugly children?

"I need more," she said, holding up the tube. Freeing one hand from Landon's little baby bottom, I rolled up the stick. Kayleigh puckered and I applied it as carefully as I could.

"Good?"

"Good," she confirmed. I struggled to roll back up the tube. With my arm feeling as if it might fall off, I turned to Nick.

"Nick, can you hold Landon? I want to see where Noah ran off to."

"Sure thing."

I passed the little wiggling baby into Nick-ula's arms and headed down the hallway. Pey passed me on the way. She was dressed as a fairy, complete with light up wings and layers of mesh.

"DADDY, LOOK!"

While I hadn't been lying about my intention on finding Noah, I took a moment to lock myself in the bathroom. It's amazing how even the simplest things can seem like luxuries after giving birth. Take for instance peeing without feeling like you're being clocked on a stopwatch. Or being able to actually rub in the good smelling bathroom soap. Or--

Thump.

The noise came from above my head. It came from the attic.

"Noah," I groaned, knowing exactly what he was up to. While Nick was at the hospital with me, mom had stumbled upon Noah. And Noah had stumbled upon Nick's ridiculous collection of Playboys. After refusing to throw them away, Nick had at least promised to hide them.

And now, of all days, my son was on the hunt.

Sure enough, five minutes later I found him in the dusty attic, cloaked in a matching black and blood red cape, going through boxes.

"Find anything interesting?" I asked.

"SH--oomph!" He came up fast, knocking his head on the rafter. His hand flew to the point of contact. I couldn't help it, I smirked.

"Whatcha dooo-oing?"

"Mom!" he gave me a tearful wince. "You...scared me."

"Uh-huh," I grinned. The box labeled Playboy was open. I had packed the whole box with about a hundred of the same photo: Baby Noah naked in the tub. "Busted."

He glanced back at the box and his face turned much redder than any vampire's face could get, even after a full body feeding.

"I, um--"

I thumb-pointed behind my shoulder.

"Let's go."

If ever there was a march of shame, this was one. Noah shuffled behind me, shoulders slumped. The walk of defeat.

"Where were you?" Nick asked as we reemerged. Noah finally smiled.

"I was hanging upside down in the attic," he said.

"No, he wasn't! He was trying to find your," I realized small children were still in earshot. "er, magazines."

Nick and AJ started to laugh. I put my hands on my hips.

"Do you still have the first one I bought you?" Kevin asked.

Nick stopped laughing. "I think we should head out!" he declared. I held my arms out; Nick slid Landon back into my embrace. Now he was blushing through the powder. I shook my head.

"I'm going to stay here and help Liv get the rest of the food ready," Addy said.

"Shel, do you want to stay here?" Molly asked.

Shelby still looked like a red ship without a sail. Slowly, she nodded.

"I'll stay here too," Mason said. "I'll hand out candy at the door." He shared a look with Kevin. Kevin nodded.

The door had barely closed, before Addy wanted to jump into action. I almost wanted to kiss her. Help, at last!

"What can I do to help?" Addy asked.

"I need some vegetables cut up," I said. "And I've got to get the lasagna layered. Ugh."

I glanced over at Shelby. She was still staring at the floor. I had a spur of the moment thought.

"Hey Shel, can you sit with Landon?"

She looked up at me in surprise.

"What? Oh...sure."

She held out her arms and I noticed they were shaking slightly. Very carefully, I handed Landon over. She stared down into his tiny face and exhaled. Landon, blessedly, was asleep. Shelby sank down on the couch and straightened the blanket around his face.

"How old is he?" she asked.

"Tomorrow he'll be two weeks old," I said. I wanted to stay right by her. I wanted to talk and let her talk. I wanted to help her.

Instead, I headed towards the kitchen knowing that Landon might just be the best help at all at the moment. Just him.

"She's scared," Addy said as I walked up behind her. I patted the remaining water from the cooked lasagna noodle.

"Wouldn't you be?" I asked. "She's sixteen."

Addy didn't answer. I stared out the window. Nick was probably only a few blocks away, Brooke, Noah, and Peyton at his heels. Those three kids and the tiny baby beginning to cry in the living room were the result of a love that might not of had the purest start, but had been cultivated from tenacity, patience, and understanding. Despite any past, current, or future flaws, our children were living, breathing reflections of the perfection that formed Nick's and my unity.

"They'll be fine," I said, feeling abnormally wise.

"All they need is each other."

"And love."