Chapter 16

"Hey, Mila. Is it okay if Julian, Jazmine, and I come over for dinner later? We've got some big news." Naturally, this piqued my interest immediately.

"What kind of news? And of course, you can come over for dinner. You all can literally just show up anytime you want to; no need to ask." I heard a sigh of relief from over the phone.

"It's a surprise. I'll make sure to bring over dessert to pair with your mom's cooking. Also, send me lots of pictures of your new building! I can't wait till we have the grand opening." We exchanged goodbyes and got off the phone.

I was headed to my new building for work. I was really excited to see it. This will be the first time I'm going to be seeing it fully finished. I remember when it was just a foundation, and now it will be this big building that I sketched myself when I get there. Then, my dream work building would officially have come to life.

Driving up to the building, I was in awe. It was everything I had envisioned and more as I parked right beside Lori. She got out with a huge smile.

"Oh my god, can you believe it? It looks amazing." We both took this time to just take it all in and admire the building. This place is very meaningful to me. It represents my dreams coming true. I've always dreamt about owning my own business and selling my art; not only has this dream come true, but it's been successful.

It wasn't anything too fancy, just a two-story building with the top floor having a huge window to let in plenty of natural light; It was where I would do my photoshoots and had plenty of offices for the new employees I would have. The bottom level was the main art gallery and had a reception area. It was perfect.

"Are you ready to head inside and check it out?" I held up the key, and Lori squealed out with excitement.

"Hell yeah. Let's go!" Safe to say, we were just as excited as kids were for ice cream.

Emma's POV:

It's been an extremely long day. Between the council breathing down my neck and the rising hysteria of the people, I was crashing. Honestly, I felt like I was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

"Better be careful there, Emma; you keep pulling on your hair like that; you'll end up bald." I looked up to Lance to see his eyes sparkling with amusement.

"What do you want, brother?" I was not in the mood to deal with anyone—especially people who want to joke around.

"Well, then. Someone is in a bad mood. So I have some news..." He trailed off, and I could feel his nervousness rising.

"What is it? Why are you nervous? You know you can talk to me about anything." He was now sitting in one of the chairs in my office. He then cleared his throat.

"Elisia has been bugging me about having a baby. She says it's time to expand the family, and well... Chloe's mom has helped her, and now she's pregnant." My eyebrows raised at this.

"Holy shit Lance. I never thought you two would ever have kids." I heard him audibly gulp.

"Yeah, I know." He then shot forward and started pacing back and forth. "I mean, what am I going to do? I have never seen myself as a parent, and now we have a baby on the way. What if they hate me? What if I am just a horrible father in general? I don't know what to do, Emma." He was looking at me wildly before he collapsed back down into his seat. His head is now in his hands. "What the hell do I do?" I leaned back in my chair, and it was now my turn to look at him amused.

"Everything will be okay. You are going to be a great father, and Elisia is going to be a great mother. You have each other, and you have all of us there to help you. So, you aren't going to go through this alone." He looked back up at me with a concerned look.

"How do you know I'll be a great father?" I propped myself up on my desk with my elbows.

"Because of Lance. You wouldn't be freaking out like this if you weren't going to be a great father. Just remember there is no such thing as a perfect parent; you'll learn as you go. Focus on progress, not perfection." He gave me a weary smile, but you could tell he was a little less stressed.

Mila's POV:

The kids and I had just arrived home at the same time my mom did. We all did our after-work and after-school routine. I sat at the table with the kids and was scheduling clients. Every Time I got to the point where I would send the new address, I got so excited. I wanted to squeal out loud, but I refrained from causing a scene.

Emma had finally got home around 6:oo pm, which was perfect timing. The food my mom cooked would be ready soon, and If I know anything about Chloe and them, they'll definitely be here early. Speaking of Chloe and them, the doorbell went off. I shook my head while walking over to the door. They are basically family; I don't know why they don't just walk in.

"Hey there! I'm glad you are all here for dinner." I hugged everyone; the last hug I gave was to Chloe. Jazmine hurriedly ran upstairs to find her cousins.

"Wow, Chloe, you are glowing." She looked at me with a nervous smile. I wonder why?

"Thank you. Let's go into the kitchen so that I can put the dessert up." With that, we all went to the kitchen. When my mom looked at Chloe, she gave her this look. I couldn't quite pinpoint what it meant, though. It seemed like they both were aware of something I didn't like. I wasn't in on an inside joke.

"Dinner is ready Mija, go get everyone else." So I made my way to the bottom of the stairs and hollered up to the kids and Emma that dinner was ready.

Dinner went really well. The conversation was light for the first time in a while, and the atmosphere was wholesome. My mom's food had many compliments, and sometimes I wish I wasn't a vampire, just for a day so that I could enjoy my mom's cooking again. Chloe, as always, had made delicious desserts. She made a cheesecake this time and a coconut cream pie. Safe to say, the children were in heaven.

"So I have some news." Chloe looked over to Julian, who took her hand with a smile. Then she looked over to Jazmine, and I noticed that she was smiling too. "Well, more like we have some news." We all had our attention on her now. Even the twins put down their forks and stopped eating their pie.

"We are having a baby." I noticed we were all smiling.

"I knew it." My mom spoke up and gave Chloe a knowing look. "I'd recognize the glow of pregnancy anywhere." So that's what the look meant my mom was giving Chloe earlier.

"Wait! You're pregnant too?" Emma exclaimed out of nowhere. "Why is everyone pregnant all of a sudden?" She said this more to herself than the rest of us.

"Are you pregnant too?" She turned to me with a joking tone, but I could also tell she was being a little serious.

"Definitely not. Two is enough. Who else is pregnant?" I was very intrigued to know.

"Oh, are you talking about Elisia?" Chloe made her way into the conversation.

"Wait, you knew?" She shook her head at Emma.

"Of course I do. My mom was the one that helped them." She said in a duh tone.

"I never thought they would ever have kids." Emma pointed her hands at me.

"Right! Safe to say, I was stunned when Lance told me." I hummed in agreement. That is shocking news.

"Anyways, we are excited but a little nervous too." Julian looked over to Emma. "Have there been any pregnant women that have died from the virus?" The smile on Emma's face fell.

"I'm sorry to say this, but unfortunately, there has been. The virus doesn't discriminate or show mercy, and no one is really safe." You could see the worry etched into both Chloe's and Jullina's faces.

"Is there any progress at all to finding some type of cure?" Emma sighed out. The look on her face said it all.

"They have some leads, but nothing concrete. I hate to be the bearer of bad news. I'm sorry to both of you. Hopefully, we find it soon so we can eradicate this virus." The table fell quiet for a little bit.

"We'll just have to stay optimistic. You'll let us know if there is any progress, right?" Emma said she would, and with that, we all went back to our dessert. It took a little bit, but we were soon back into light conversations.

Chloe, Julian, and Jazmine had just made their way out the door. Emma, the twins, and I followed them out and watched them get into their car. We waved at them as they pulled out of the driveway and made their way home. I hope they stay safe and don't get sick. I don't know what we would do if anything happened to them and their babies.