When 3 turns into 4

Two futures

The women laughed.

"Don't worry," Alana said. "They all get stupid when their partners show up."

"Especially when they're glowing with twins," Layla added with a nudge.

I laughed, rubbing my belly lightly.

And for the first time in a while, I felt like I was exactly where I belonged — on and off the pitch.

Wednesday – 12:46 PM, Arsenal Training Grounds

Ric jogged off the pitch, shirt clinging to his back, hair damp with sweat, still grinning from the last drill.

I was sitting on the bench near the sideline, tucked between Layla and Alana, sipping water and pretending not to notice how often he looked over.

He walked straight up, towel slung around his neck.

"You're early," he murmured, leaning down, placing a quick kiss on my cheek.

"I like watching you."

"You mean laughing at me tripping in front of your new friends?"

"Maybe a little."

He knelt in front of me suddenly, hands sliding over my belly — warm, steady.

"You good?" he asked softly.

I nodded. "Really good."

He kissed my bump.

Then looked up. "You, me, and the chaos twins."

"And the other chaos twins we're raising."

"Exactly."

I threaded my fingers through his hair gently.

Even in the middle of it all — the world shrunk to just this. Just him. Just us.

⸻

3:10 PM – School Pickup, Front Gate

Something was off the second we saw them.

Lucy was holding Eli's hand like she was trying not to pull him into traffic.

They both had huge grins on their faces.

And not a single complaint.

They got in the car quietly.

No yelling.

No fighting.

No "I dropped my snack and now life is over" drama.

Ric looked at me across the front seats.

"They're broken."

"They're plotting."

"God help us."

Eli was whispering into Lucy's ear.

She giggled. "Nothing! It's nothing."

Ric turned in his seat. "You guys are acting like the Queen's on her way over."

"She might be," Eli said quickly.

"What?"

"NOTHING!" they both shouted.

Lucy added, "Can we stop at the store? We need... crayons."

"We have crayons," I said.

"No. We need special ones."

Eli nodded like he was in a spy movie. "It's for a school thing. With glitter. And stickers. And maybe balloons."

Ric raised a brow. "Are you building a float?"

"NO!"

Silence.