Little Red (30 page)

By the time we reach the room, Red is wrapped in blankets and a fresh gown, resting.

The babies are perched by her bed in small clear cribs.

Ruby is wrapped tightly in pink, and Ian in blue.

I look down at them.

Such perfect, tiny little creatures have done something so huge; they’ll never understand
the magnitude

“Can we hold them?” Ian asks

Red gives him a happy and sleepy little nod, and he lifts Ruby from her resting spot.

He holds her to his face and gives her an inspection.

He smiles.

“I knew you were a girl a long time ago.”

I can’t help but to laugh as Aaron lifts Ian into his arms.

Funny seeing such big boys hold such tiny, fragile creatures

“Ethan.” She seems to sigh my name in such a way that I feel as weak as I did when
she was in labor

I smile and have a seat on the edge of her bed

“You did it, honey.” I hear James say.

“You did it.”

She smiles and gives her head a shake.

“Ethan did it.

This was all Ethan.”

I can now hear my brothers fighting to hold Ian and Ruby.

“Ian, you’ve have had her long enough; trade up.” I laugh and shake my head

“You’re my hero right now,” I tell Red.

“This is all you.

Every ounce of credit we owe to you.”

She looks up to see my brothers take a break from “sharing” to nod their heads.

James now reaches for baby Ian, who Ian is cradling in his arms

“I think we should call him Jamie,” James smiles

Ian shakes his head.

“No way, he has my first name.”

“You’ve been calling him a girl for nearly thirty-six weeks,” James protests

“But there was a girl!” Ian says

“Yes, and you get Ruby,” James tells him.

“Since you insist on acting like her.”

Ian shakes his head.

“I do not act like a baby.”

James coos for little Ian.

“I didn’t say you were acting like a baby; I said you were acting like a pretty little
girl.”

“Alright boys, you can learn to share later,” I say, walking over to them.

“Right now, I’m pulling rank.

I’m the Alpha in this family, and we’re going to see mommy.”

I hear Aaron laugh.

“Like hell he’s Alpha.

Red is the Alpha.”

James laughs.

“Alright, everyone out.

Let‘s give them some time alone.”

They shut the door behind them, leaving me to cradle both of my children in my arms.

I carry them, very slowly, to Red, who gingerly lifts Ruby from my arms.

“They’ll never learn to share, will they?” she asks

I give my head a shake.

“They never shared as kids; I don’t expect much of a change.”

She lets out a soft laugh immediately followed by a long yawn.

“I think mommy is exhausted,” I tell baby Ian.

“For good reason, too.”

She laughs and tenderly touches Ruby’s tiny face.

I look at Red.

She’s perfect.

Our children are completely healthy and perfect.

On the full moon, a night full of rage and arguments, the twins’ grand debut made
it perfect.

I glance at the clock.

It’s past nine o’clock at night.

I laugh, roll my eyes, and climb from my recliner to trot up the stairs to the room
that Ruby and Ian share.

James and Ian are firmly planted in the room for story time.

I stand in the doorway to listen

“Did you ever hear about Little Red Riding Hood?” Ian asks them

He receives a loud “no” from both three-year-olds

“Well, one night, the beautiful Red Riding Hood ran out of gas on a big motorcycle,”
Ian starts

James is quick to interject.

“That’s not how it goes.

She’s walking in the woods to get to her grandma’s house.”

Ian is quick to retort.

“Trust me.

She’s riding a motorcycle.

How else do you think she got the name Little Red Riding Hood?”

Both kids laugh, and I find myself trying not to laugh as well

“Anyway, she runs out of gas and hops off her bike to go through the woods, where
she meets the Big Bad Wolf,” Ian says

I finally walk in the room, laughing.

“She did not meet the Big Bad Wolf.

He comes later.

She met this really nice guy who took her to a cabin so she could sleep until morning
and get gas for her motorcycle.” Both kids stare at me.

“It’s true,” I insist

“Okay,” Ian corrects.

“This guy isn’t the Big Bad Wolf.

He’s a Big Good Wolf, and he really likes Red Riding Hood.”

“Wha’ does she do?” Ruby asks

The three of us exchange glances.

“She follows him into the woods,” I say.

I make a face.

“They go for a walk under the moonlight.”

I hear Ian laugh so hard he coughs

“Uncle Ian, you ‘kay?” Little Ian asks, giving his back a good whack

I’m quick to shoot him a dirty look as James starts to laugh himself.

I’m quick on my toes and shoot him the same look

“So, wha’ hapsens to Li’l Red?” Ruby asks with her little girl lisp, now climbing
on James

We all exchange glances.

I’m going to guess Ian and James didn’t plan this one out.

I hear the floor creak as my Red enters.

“Do you remember that first Big Wolf she met?” Both kids nod.

“Turns out, he really liked her and she really liked him, too.

So she and the Big Good Wolf decided to love one another forever.

And he took her away to his cabin in the woods.

But, that’s when the Big Bad Wolf comes in,” she says, looking from Ian to Ruby.

“You see, he really liked Little Red for himself, but he was a Big Bad Wolf, and that
was just no good, so he tried to take her from the Big Good Wolf.” The kids react
with shocked expressions and gasps.

“But, don’t worry.

The Big Good Wolf saved her, and he got rid of that nasty old Big Bad Wolf.”

Ruby gives her a strange look.

“What hapsen to Little Red, mommy?”

Ian smiles.

“She and the Big Good Wolf decided to love each other forever and ever, and have little
baby wolves.” His eyes fall to her.

“Isn’t that right, Red?” He winks

Ruby erupts with laughter.

“Mommy! Are you Red Ridin’ Hood?”

Red thinks for a moment.

“Why yes, yes I am.”

Ian laughs.

“Daddy!” He thinks.

“Does that make you ‘da Big Good Wolf?”

“It does!” I pretend growl.

“And if two little kids don’t go to sleep, I’m going to huff, puff, and blow this
house in.”

Ian laughs as he climbs into bed.

“That’s ‘da three li’ piggies, daddy.”

“I’m the wolf; I can do what I want,” I tease, giving him a kiss goodnight

Red follows my lead, giving them each kisses as we click off the light and head downstairs

“Seriously,” I tease Ian and James, “it was one story.” I feel around the house.

We may have lost our rage the night the twins were born, but the senses are still
full throttle, which the twins will one day inherit.

Red and I have a plan to call it their “special” gift.

“Eli is here.”

Red nods.

“He had to help Maggie get the baby to sleep.”

I nod.

I remember those nights all too well.

Walking, rocking, pacing, singing.

There were times out of my own exhaustion I would sing to who I thought was Ruby,
only to find I had Ian once it was time for a diaper change.

I was terrified that I’d scarred him for life by calling him my beautiful little girl

“Trent just got back from his date with Molly, but said he’d be right over,” Red says,
trailing into the kitchen

Like every Friday in this house, it was family movie night.

Usually, the kids get to stay up a little later and enjoy the time with their uncles,
but this night Aaron decided we needed to watch
Silver Bullet
…not happening

Trent bursts through the door, making us all turn

“Sorry, I’m late.

The restaurant screwed up our order, so we were late eating.” His gaze suddenly turns
to stare at me.

“Where’s Red?”

“In the kitchen,” I say.

“Why?”

His eyes focus on Eli who smiles and shrugs.

Ian and James both laugh

“What?” I ask as Red begins trailing in with two large bowls of popcorn

Their eyes suddenly turn on her

“Red,” Ian sings

She shoots him a funny look as she sets the popcorn on the table.

Out of the corner of my eyes I see her give them a small, nonchalant shake of her
head

Aaron laughs.

“Ethan, are you really that stupid?”

I look at him with my mouth hanging open, not quite able to comprehend what they’re
talking about.

I shake my head and shrug

Trent laughs.

“He didn’t feel it back then, and you think he’d feel it now?

“Seriously,” Red says.

“Remember, I’m Alpha.

All of you shut up.”

My eyes narrow in on hers as she crosses her arms in front of her

“Honey, you might as well,” James says

She rolls her eyes.

“You think I could keep one secret in this house.

You and your wolf senses my ass.” She shakes her head.

“Party poopers, every last one of you! That was supposed to be a surprise.”

I give her another funny look, still not understanding.

She laughs and shakes her head.

“At least I have the one who doesn’t feel it at all.” She trails off for a moment
and returns with something small, thin, and white in her hands.

“No thanks to your brothers.”

“We’re
your
brothers, too.” Aaron laughs

He receives a dirty look and a laugh.

“Will you let me do it, please? Just this one time, please?”

She fiddles a moment with the small white thing in her hands.

“I wasn’t planning on telling you until this weekend, but since they,” she stops and
eyes every last brother, “just couldn’t wait.” She sighs happily and hands me the
white stick

My eyes grow large.

There’s no mistaking it.

The tiny digital screen in the middle reads “pregnant.” My mouth drops.

My Red is pregnant…again.

My lips curl up and into a large, wide smile

Her smile is unmistakably large.

I begin to hear the chatter behind me

“All girls!”

“I bet more twins.”

“I got money on two boys!”

“No way, I’m calling triplets!”

I laugh and pull Red into a more quiet section of the hallway.

She smiles, and I take her left hand in mine and begin twiddling with her wedding
rings.

“So,” I say, “the Big Bad Wolf gets a happily ever after?”

She stands on tiptoe to loop her arms around my neck.

“Every single one of you.”