PROLOGUE
TWO WEEKS EARLIER
Friday, October 8th, 2032
Life as a teen mom of twins has always been challenging. When my boyfriend, Zach, was 16, and I was 15, we became unexpectedly pregnant with our daughter, Selena Marie, and our son, Ashton Zachary. I wasn’t expecting this.
Zach and I had our struggles as teen parents, raising two children in high school. I don’t think I could have gotten through the pregnancy, birth, and raising Selena and Ashton without him.
He’s the best father to our children. He stepped up when he found out that he was going to be a father, and everything he has sacrificed for our babies makes me fall in love with this man every day.
I see a bright future with my high school sweetheart and our almost three babies. Yes, I said nearly three because I’m currently expecting our third baby.
I’m 35 weeks pregnant with our second daughter. This pregnancy was planned because we always wanted our children to be close in age. Although I wasn’t expecting to get pregnant so soon, I did.
Our daily lives are always wild with two children. We have been living together since the twins were 8 weeks old. I felt better living with my parents during my pregnancy at a young age, without feeling overwhelmed, and I decided to move out with my boyfriend after giving birth to Selena and Ashton.
Life has been hectic ever since becoming parents. I don’t think I’d change things because I love my kids. Selena and Ashton are now one year and nine months old now. The baby and the twins will be 22 months apart if I go to 40 weeks.
I’m due November 17th. Zach and I have been preparing for the arrival of our daughter. We have a three-bedroom townhouse that Zach and I have been renting for the past year. We will be here for another year before we have to move out.
The only thing we haven’t decided on is her name. We have a few different options, but we can’t agree on the name. We both like unique names, and it’s been a nightmare coming up with names for this baby.
Zach is now eighteen years old, while I’m seventeen. I’m graduating from high school in June. Zach is in his first year of college.
Watson and Layne Martin, my cousins, are also seventeen. We all grew up together, alongside our parents’ friends, London, Addison, Woody, and Maddie’s children.
Aunt London and Uncle Todd have two kids, Leigh and Landon.
Aunt Maddie and Uncle Trevor have four kids: Danielle, Dana, Dakota, and Dahlia.
Aunt Addision and Uncle Woody have three kids: Amelia, Annelise, and Austin.
We are all close in age — it’s like having extra unbiological cousins. It’s been fun growing up together. We lived close to each other since we were babies.
I have five siblings: Everleigh, Stephen, Paisley, Josephine, and Tristian. My mom is currently pregnant too — they are having a girl. They are due in February. Weirdly, I’ll be eighteen years older than my youngest sibling, but I’m excited as hell.
My Aunt Maya and Uncle Zack have four other children, in addition to Layne and Watson: Mackenna, Merliah, Skylar, and Meredith. Like my parents, they are also expecting. They are expecting a boy. Watson is so fucking excited to have a baby brother finally.
He bawled his eyes out when Aunt Maya told him he was getting a baby brother. Layne gave him shit for it for a week straight. It was fucking hilarious.
Aunt Maya is due in February as well. Both my mother and Aunt Maya are currently twenty-three weeks pregnant. My daughter, sister, and cousin will be two months apart — that is, if my mother and aunt go full term.
It’s unbelievable.
Very.
I know Zach is my forever. I know I’m his. I’d do anything for my babies, too. They are thrilled to be a big sister and brother to their baby sister. I’m not planning on having another baby until I’m married.
Having three kids as a teenager is going to be hard enough. It sounds pretty stupid to have another before graduating from college — I’m going to the University of Massachusetts Amherst in August. It’s a four-year college. Zach is already studying there.
My cousin, Layne, and her boyfriend, Josh, have a thirteen-month-old son named Carter Watson. Like Selena and Ashton, Carter was an unexpected addition to Layne and Josh.
Like me, Layne had her son as a teenager. She had Carter at sixteen. Josh was seventeen when Carter was born. Zach and Josh are the same age. They are best friends.
Zach and I have been together for almost three years now. Our anniversary is coming up soon. Our anniversary is in January. It was the day we met when I was fifteen.
It was Friday night, and after another long week at school, I felt ready to relax with my family. I just picked up Selena and Ashton from daycare, and I was driving home when Selena giggled.
“Mommy, are we going to watch a movie tonight with Daddy?” My little girl, who was born first, was followed by her brother, 6 minutes later. She was blessed with my boyfriend’s dark curls and his smile.
A smile appears on my face thinking about my boyfriend and my baby’s father. “Yes, baby. Daddy will be watching the movie with us,” I reply.
“What movie do you want to watch, Sel?” I ask my daughter.
“Cinerella!” My daughter squeals, which causes her brother to whine in his car seat beside his sister.
“Again?” Ashton, my son, asks his older sister. “We watched that last weekend, sissy!” He whines.
Ashton was blessed with my dirty brunette-blond hair and blue eyes. Meanwhile, Selena got Zach’s dark brown curls and brown eyes.
“How about we decide together as a family when we get home, how about that?” I suggest to my babies, who happily agree, so the rest of the car ride is peaceful.
When I pulled into the driveway of our townhouse a few minutes later, I parked beside Zach’s 2022 Chevrolet Silverado. My kids immediately scream and kick their feet in excitement.
“Daddy’s home!” Both Selena and Ashton scream and kick their feet. “Momma!” They squeal.
“I’m coming. Your baby sister is kicking my bladder,” I groan, climbing out of my car with my eight-month pregnant belly. My daughter has been kicking my ribs and bladder and kicking up a storm.
Just as my hand touches Ashton’s side of my car, I feel an arm wrap around my waist, and I’m pulled against a rigid body. “Hey, beautiful girl,” My boyfriend of almost three years, Zach Kingston, says as he whispers into my ear.
“Hi,” I giggle. “They are impatient. They want you,” I whisper as Zach kisses my cheek.
“You know they love you. You’re their mom, baby,” He reassures me as he opens the back of my car after I had grabbed my bag from the passenger seat, and I watch in awe as my boyfriend lifts Ash into one arm and then walks over to the passenger side to get our eldest daughter.
“Daddy!” Selena squeals as Zach lifts her up into his other arm, and I follow them into our home. The smell of pasta and meatballs fills my nose as soon as I enter the house.
“How was daycare, my babies?” Zach asks as he helps them take off their shoes. They look so big in front of my eyes because they’re turning two in January. Time is a thief,
“It was good, Daddy! We are making Halloween pictures in a few weeks!” Ash grins as Zach kisses his cheek.
“It smells fantastic in here,” I smile at my boyfriend, who smiles.
“I made your favorite, and we’re going to make ice cream sundaes after dinner,” Zach grins at our kids, who jump up in excitement before climbing on the couch.
“Thank you,” I smile as I remove my shoes, and as soon as I touch the spatula to stir the sauce, Zach shakes his head.
“Sit your beautiful ass down, Em,” He says in a stern tone.
A sigh leaves my lips. “But, I…” I began, but he shook his head again.
“No. Sit down, Emma Rose. You need to rest, baby,” Zach says, leaning down and kissing my lips softly and passionately. Knowing I’m not going to be winning this, I nod and join my babies on the couch.
“What movie do we want to watch?” Zach asked our son, daughter, and me after we had finished eating dinner, and now, we’re stuffing our faces in sundaes.
“Aladdin!” Ash grins, looking over at Selena, his father, and me.
“Alright, let’s watch Aladdin,” Zach chuckles as he pulls me close into his arms and rubs my belly. “I love you, Selena, Ashton, and…” He chuckles and throws his head back before groaning as he rubs my growing belly.
“Fuck,” He whispers. “We need a name,” He laughs.
“It will come to us soon, baby,” I smile as I lean up and kiss his jaw.
“I couldn’t imagine doing this shit without you, Ems,” My boyfriend says, rubbing his fingers up and down my belly, feeling our daughter kick around inside of me.
“I know,” I sigh. “If you had to, I know you’d do a fantastic job.”
I know we’re young, but I know Zach is mine and mine only forever.
What happens next is something I never expected.
