Updated Dec 29, 2025 • ~4 min read
Emma turned one on a sunny Saturday.
Tessa went overboard. Decorations. Cake. Balloons. A “Wild One” theme because Emma loved animals.
“This is a lot for a one-year-old,” Liam said, surveying the chaos.
“She’s only one once.”
“Fair point.”
Julian and Madison came early to help set up. Madison was showing now—four months pregnant.
“You’re glowing,” Tessa said.
“I’m nauseous,” Madison corrected. “But thanks.”
“When do you find out the gender?”
“Next week. Jules wants to be surprised. I want to know immediately.”
“Team find out. Definitely. Planning is so much easier when you know.”
Julian rolled his eyes. “You two are ganging up on me.”
“Because we’re right.”
The party was perfect. Friends from preschool. Family. Neighbors. Emma in her little birthday dress, cake smashed all over her face.
“She’s beautiful,” Rose said, taking a thousand pictures.
“She’s a mess,” Tessa laughed.
“A beautiful mess.”
Leo “helped” Emma open presents. Meaning he opened them himself and explained each toy to his sister.
“Look, Emma! This is a truck! I’ll teach you how to play with it!”
“She’s barely one, buddy.”
“It’s never too early to learn about trucks.”
After guests left and Emma was down for a nap, Tessa sat with Liam on the back porch.
“Another year,” she said.
“Another year of what?”
“Of us. Of this family. A year ago, Emma was brand new. And now she’s walking. Babbling. Growing up.”
“They grow fast.”
“Too fast.”
Liam pulled her close. “You want more?”
“More what?”
“More kids. You keep talking about how fast they grow. Are you—are you thinking about having another?”
Tessa hadn’t consciously thought about it. But now that he mentioned it…
“Maybe? Someday? I don’t know. Two is a lot. But also—also I love this. Love being a mom. Love our family. So maybe. If you want to.”
“I’d have ten kids with you.”
She laughed. “Let’s not get carried away. But maybe. Someday. When Emma’s a little older.”
“Whenever you’re ready. I’m in.”
“Good. Because I love you and I love making babies with you.”
“Is that so?”
“That’s so.”
He kissed her. Slow and deep and full of promise.
“Later,” he whispered. “After Emma’s asleep. After Leo’s in bed. Later, I’m going to show you exactly how much I love making babies with you.”
Heat flooded through her. “Is that a promise?”
“Absolutely.”
Later that night, they did exactly that.
And three weeks after, Tessa took a pregnancy test.
Positive.
Again.
“Are you kidding me?” she said to the test. “We barely talked about this!”
But despite the shock, she was smiling.
Baby number three. Another piece of their family. Another—another adventure.
She told Liam that evening.
“Pregnant. Again. Already.”
He started laughing. “Seriously?”
“Seriously. I’m as surprised as you.”
“How do you feel about it?”
“Terrified. Excited. Overwhelmed. All of it. How do you feel?”
“The same. But also—also happy. Because yeah, it’s fast. But Tessa—I love our family. Love being a dad. Love—love all of it. So if we’re having another baby, then we’re having another baby. And I’m thrilled.”
“Even though we’ll have three kids under six?”
“Even then. We’ll figure it out. Like we always do.”
“Together?”
“Always together.”
Tessa looked at the positive test. At her husband’s face. At the life they’d built.
Three kids. A full house. Even more chaos.
It was insane. Overwhelming. Perfect.
Just like everything else they’d built together.
“Okay,” she said. “Let’s do this. Baby number three. Here we come.”
“Here we come,” Liam agreed.
And despite the shock, despite the timing, despite everything—Tessa was happy.
Really, truly happy.
Because this was her life. Her family. Her—her everything.
And she wouldn’t change a single thing.
Not for anything.
This was perfect.
All of it.
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