23. Mommies and Daddies

~Jackson

It was his scent that pulled me out of a deep sleep. I almost couldn't believe it - I had to still be dreaming. It's why I didn't want to open my eyes yet.

But when I definitely knew I was awake and his scent was still very much right under my nose, I slowly opened my eyes. And there, laying down next to me - watching me - was Kyle. Maybe I was still dreaming.

"Hey, beautiful," he said softly. "How's your head?"

"Absolutely fine. Why?" He didn't even have to answer when I remembered last night. The car accident. The hospital. Kyle. "Oh. Yeah, I'm good. Really good." Even better because he was here.

I leaned forward to press my lips against his, but the moment our lips made contact, the bedroom door creaked open slowly, making us both look over.

"Dad?" Ashley whispered rather loudly. "Are you awake?"

Kyle sat up. "What's up, sweetheart?" he asked.

She continued with her whisper-yelling. "Papa said breakfast is almost ready if Daddy is awake yet."

That all sounded fine, except I had no idea who Papa was. Obviously it was either Leo or Josh, but when had that been decided?

"Okay," Kyle was saying. "Tell him we'll be down in a couple minutes."

"Kay!" That was one was actually yelled. And then she slammed the door shut and I heard her footsteps as she ran back down the hallway. If I wasn't already awake, I definitely would be now.

"So which one is Papa?" Kyle asked, looking down at me.

I decided it was time to also sit up. I looked at his serious face - because he really thought I would know - and laughed. "I have no fucking idea."

He kissed me again, a proper one this time, without any interruptions. "I'm glad things haven't changed too much in the way things happen around here," he said against my lips.

I smiled. "Never."

A few minutes later, we both found ourselves down in the kitchen. Josh was at the stove, making pancakes, and the kids and Leo were sitting at the table. The three of them were chatting away about something that Ashley seemed extremely excited about, although Leo looked slightly grumpy, even though he was trying his hardest not to look it. Josh had probably banned him from getting up and helping, which Leo always does in the mornings.

I wrapped my hand around Josh's waist, since he was the closest to me. "Need help, babe?" I asked him before gently kissing his cheek.

He glanced up at me. "I'm just about done. But can you set the table?"

"Sure." I started turning, but then stopped. "By the way, which one of you is Papa?"

He faltered, sending the pancake he was about to flip flying onto the counter. "Papa? We have a Papa now?"

"You're Papa!" Ashley called, having apparently heard us.

Josh looked at her. "Me? Really?" She nodded excitedly. "Okay, then."

"Do I have a cool name too?" I asked, looking back and forth between the kids. "Or am I still just Daddy?"

To my surprise, it was Logan who answered. "You're Daddy."

"What about me?" Leo asked, making both of them turn their attention to him.

Again, Logan answered. "You're Injured Daddy."

I burst out laughing, unable to help myself. Leo, too, started laughing. I only noticed because he immediately clutched his side in pain.

"Don't make me laugh," he gasped out, still laughing, though. "Oh, wow. That hurts."

"Leo!" Josh scolded, rushing over to his side. "Don't make it worse."

He smiled up at Josh. "That's inevitable, love. I'll never stop laughing. I'm just too happy of a person. But don't worry, I'm good."

~Josh

"Daddy?" Ashley asked as she walked down the hallway.

Out of habit, I looked up from the laundry I was folding. "What's up, sweetie?"

She stopped in the doorway to the laundry room, shaking her head. "You're Papa. But I guess you can answer it too. Why don't me and Logan has a mommy? Everyone else at school has a mommy and we don't."

I sighed. I had forgotten they were starting to ask that. "Didn't you ask Auntie Alyssa that last night?"

"Yeah, but she just said we're special. And Henry says it's weird and wrong. He says everyone needs a mommy to be born so was I not born? Am I not a person 'cause I don't has a mommy?"

I knelt in front of her, wiping away a tear that was making its way down her cheek. I wish I knew how to tell her this without getting into the full birds and the bees story. "Ashley... of course you are a person, just like me or your brother or any of your other daddies. But let's go find them so we can talk about this together, okay?"

A few minutes later, I had gathered everyone into the kitchen, mainly because that's where Leo was, trying to go through his store's books that Kyle went and grabbed for him this morning to find the missing money. Leo had wanted to go in to work, but I wasn't letting him leave the house today.

"So," I started, because I was apparently voted the one to have to explain things. "People are born because of a mommy and a daddy. That's why most people have one of each."

"Henry says that too," Ashley spoke up. "That's why he says we're not people."

I had no idea who this Henry kid was, but I definitely wasn't liking him. Kyle seemed to have the same thoughts when he asked, "Who's Henry? Is he in your class?"

She shook her head. "He's a fifth grader."

"I think we need to talk to the school," Jackson whispered to me, "maybe get a hold of his parents."

I nodded, still looking at the kids. "Well just because he's older than you doesn't mean he knows everything. Okay? Would you say I'm not a person because I have two mommies and no daddy?" They both shook their heads. "Then why can't you be a person for not having a mommy?"

"He said we have to be born from a mommy," Logan said softly.

I looked to my husbands for help. I shouldn't be the only one talking here. But, unfortunately, all I got where blank stares and a couple shrugs from them. Thanks guys. Love you too.

"Okay. Well, a baby is made when a boy and a girl want to make one together." Leo snickered and I shot him a quick glare. "Since we couldn't make you guys with the four of us, we had to have some help."

"Do they have mommy stores?" Ashley asked.

I had to try my hardest to keep a straight face. "No, sweetie. It doesn't work quite like that. Um, actually it was your Aunt Alyssa who helped us make you guys."

I watched the realization flash across their faces. "So Auntie Lyssa's our mommy?" Logan asked, wide-eyed.

"In a sense," Kyle said before I could answer. "She wanted us to raise you guys, so she doesn't see herself as your mommy, just as your aunt. But that doesn't mean she doesn't love you."

They seemed pretty content with that answer, asking us no more questions on the subject. At least we managed to avoid the whole sex talk with them. They did not need to learn about that until they were much older.