Chapter 31

9/20/2041

Luca had been released and was headed back home. Luca slowly opened his eyes when they pulled into the garage.

"Hello, sleepyhead," Tyree smiled at him and said.

"Sorry, I was tired," Luca apologized.

"Don't be sorry," Tyree said. "You needed the rest," he said. Once they entered the house, Alicia ran up to Luca

"I missed you, mommy," she said, hugging his waist.

"Not too rough," Tyree said. "Mommy is still sore," he said.

Luca sat down on the couch. A blanket was wrapped around him. Tyree sat down next to Luca and repositioned the blanket so it covered them both. Alicia sat with Elena on the living room floor, and they played with their toys.

"Daddy, can we go trick or treating this year?" Alicia asked.

"What do you want to dress up as?" Tyree asked.

"Elsa," she said.

"Okay, pumpkin," Tyree said.

"Momma, can you come with us?" Alicia asked, turning to face Luca.

"It's best if I stay home and pass out candy," Luca said. "It will be too cold for Elena to go out," he said.

9/23/2041

Luca woke up, did his usual routine of feeding Elena and then getting some food into his belly. After he ate, Luca turned on his laptop and noticed a message from the video game company.

Dear Mr. Hodges,

We merged with a bigger company, and we will be creating a major video game. Our artists will be paired with someone from the other company. The project will begin on 10/1/2041. You can earn up to $8,000 for every project we do. Your partner should contact you shortly via email.

Luca instantly linked with Tyree, who was in the kitchen cooking breakfast.

"Ty, I have good news," he said.

"What's the news?" Tyree asked.

"The company merged with another company, and I'll be paired with another artist from that company," he said.

"Your workload will be cut in half," "That's good," Tyree said.

"Plus, my monthly earnings will be doubled," Luca said.

"When do you start?" Tyree asked.

"My partner will contact me via email soon," "But the project starts October 1," he said.

"I'm proud of you, babe," Tyree said. Luca smiled internally once the link was cut.

Luca was excited about this new development. One, his workload would be cut in half. And two, the house would be paid off sooner. All he needed was to meet his partner. Luca rubbed his swollen stomach when he felt the twins kick.

"Are you as happy as your momma?" he asked. Luca glanced over his shoulder when footsteps entered the bedroom.

"Are our children kicking again?" Tyree asked, kissing Luca on the cheek.

"They are just happy," Luca said.

"Who wouldn't be?" Tyree asked. "Their momma is living his dream," he said.

Tyree did the housework while Luca lay on the bed and rested his feet. Alicia sat on the foot of the bed and told Luca what she did in school.

"You are doing so well in school," Luca said. "We're so proud of you," he said.

"I want to draw like you, momma," Alicia said.

"Just keep drawing and you will," he said. Alicia glanced at Luca's tummy and asked, "Are my brother and sister sleeping?"

"Yes," Luca said, nodding his head. Luca had his eyes closed, listening to Alicia play on the floor, when he felt a kick. "Alicia, hon," "Come here," he said in a quiet voice.

"What is it, mommy?" she asked.

"Put your hands here, and you'll feel your siblings move," he said. Alicia sat down next to Luca and put her hands on his stomach. Her eyes widened when she felt the kicks.

"They kicked, mommy," Alicia said with a big smile.

9/25/2041

Luca sighed loudly as he stood in front of the floor mirror. "I look ugly," he groaned. Tyree came up behind him and wrapped his arms around Luca.

"You are not ugly," he stated. "You are the most beautiful person I know," Tyree said.

"But I'm fat," he explained.

"You're carrying my puppies," "That makes you pregnant, not fat," he explained. Luca turned to face Tyree and kissed him on the lips.

"You always know what to say when I'm down," Luca said. Luca moaned as Tyree pulled him close and kissed him passionately.

After their makeout session, Luca sat down at the desk and turned on his laptop. He opened the email app and checked for new messages. A heading called "video game partner" caught his attention. Luca clicked the label and opened the email.

Hello, Mr. Hodges,

My name is Sabrina, and I am your partner. I understand that you've done everything all by yourself. I hope that you will accept my help on this project. If you need any help on your end, just email me.

Sabrina Jacobson

Luca pressed the reply button and started typing.

Hello,

It's nice to meet you. I hope that our partnership is a profitable one. Yes, I've done the art without a second person checking it. I'm willing to try anything new. To tell you now, I'm three months pregnant, so when it's time I'll need to take time off.

Mr. Luca Hodges

Luca double checked his message, then hit send. With that said, he turned off his laptop and went into the nursery to check on Elena. He changed her dirty diaper and carried her into the kitchen. Elena was hungry, so Luca put her into the high chair and fed her some crackers and baby food. Luca left Elena in the chair while he got a snack from the fridge for himself. Luca grabbed a handful of berries and sat down next to Elena.

Once Luca was finished eating, he took Elena out of the chair and put her back in the crib with a couple of toys. He went back into the kitchen and cleaned up the messy high chair. Luca found Tyree lounging on the couch and sat down beside him.

"My partner's name is Sabrina Jacobson," he said. "She seems nice and understanding," Luca said.

"Will she be your partner just for this project, or is it permanent?" Tyree asked.

"I'm not sure," Luca said.