Athena
Four Months Later
"Sebastian, Vincent, I need to feed Asher. You two need to give him to me, right now!" I yelled for the second time, standing at the doorway with my arms crossed over my chest.
"Do you want to go to Mama?" Sebastian asked, planting soft kisses on Asher's cheeks, eliciting a chorus of giggles, "We don't think so. He's happier with Daddy and Uncle Vince."
"Yeah, our little fighter is happier with us than with you, Athena. You seem to bore him all the time," Vincent chuckled, gently taking Asher in his arms and playfully nibbling on his ear, "What a big boy you are, huh?!" He planted a loving kiss atop Asher's head.
"Yeah, Mama's boring," Sebastian joked, pretending to lie down across Asher's lap. Asher, ever the daddy's boy, leaned in and gave Sebastian a kiss of his own, complete with a cute but slobbery open-mouthed smooch. That was his way of kissing.
"See, even Asher agrees with us," Vincent said with a proud grin.
Goodness! When I had Asher, who could have predicted I'd be raising two more grown babies?
These two men had regressed into children ever since Asher came into our lives, and they couldn't resist keeping him close, unwittingly disrupting his routines.
"Enough of this, you two! I need my boy now; I need to feed him!"
"You just fed him a few minutes ago. And he's not just your boy; he's our champ," Vincent retorted. Sebastian flashed a thumbs-up, proud of his friend's response.
"Did you hear that?" Sebastian looked at me. "Your room's that way," he said, motioning toward the door.
My jaw nearly hit the floor. The audacity.
"Good job, mate!" Vincent gave Sebastian a high-five.
"You two..." I clenched my fists at my sides, closing my eyes. "You've had him for an hour; how much more time do you need? Are you little children? God! I will lose my mind with both of you today! Give Asher to me right now!"
"Oh no," Sebastian was the first to jump up from the floor and stand, "It was mostly Vincent who said things, not me," he protested, pointing an innocent finger at Vincent, who stared at him in disbelief.
"Hey, it was your idea to 'borrow' him!" Vincent said, standing up beside Sebastian.
"When? I could never do such a thing," Sebastian denied, though his lie was written all over his face.
"You—"
"Enough of this nonsense!" I pointed at Sebastian, "Go help Shelly make the banana purée for him. And Vincent, you'll be driving her home. If you two don't get it right, there's no dinner waiting for you two."
"We can always order takeout," Vincent chuckled.
"Well, then, you'll have an Asher-free week. How does that sound?"
"Hey, that's blackmailing!"
"Yeah, well, if that's the only way to get you two to move your arses and be productive. And yes, you're going to that business meeting today; you haven't been to the office in over a week."
"Look, Athena—"
"Do you want to spend time with Asher or not?"
"You're using him against me; it's unfair," he glared at me.
"I can be unfair as long as it ensures you do your work properly."
"Fine, I'm going!" He huffed and handed Asher to Sebastian, "You're one cruel woman, Athena."
A laugh nearly escaped my lips, but I managed to suppress it. Despite our age difference and past conflicts, we had become a family, with Vincent more of a brother than anything else. And, of course, he cherished Asher more than anything in this world. He spent more time at our place than his own, bringing an endless supply of toys and clothing for Asher, despite the fact that he already had plenty.
Who would have ever thought that Vincent Thompson would become one of the closest people to me, a brother and a loyal friend?
"Yes, I am. Now, go and get the job done!"
"Let Asher grow up; I'll show you what we can do as a team."
God, Athena, don't laugh, or he'll seize the opportunity to drag this for another half hour.
"Okay. Now, get out."
Huffing, he walked out, and a smile finally broke across my face.
What a child!
My eyes then turned to Sebastian, who had once again become captivated by every detail of Asher's face, gazing at his eyes, nose, and lips as if it were the first time he'd ever seen them.
As he caught my stare, he flashed me a smile.
"Why are you smiling? Give him to me and go!" I barked.
A frown settled on his face, and I could tell he was on the verge of saying something ridiculous, but I shot him a glare, daring him to speak, and in the end, he swallowed whatever words were about to escape his lips.
"Fine. But after I make the purée, he's mine again," he conceded, walking closer and handing Asher over to me. My baby boy clung to me with his tiny arms and planted a sweet kiss on my shoulder.
Sebastian couldn't help but notice this affection, “Such a flipping little thing you are, aren’t you?" he snickered, stroking Asher’s cheek.
"He seems to prefer Mama now, so Daddy will have to wait," I chuckled.
"Okay, fine. I'm going, but..." Sebastian rested his hand on the doorframe, leaning in to lock eyes with me. His voice deepened, and his gaze took a more intense turn, causing my breath to hitch, “Once he's asleep, you're all mine."
My cheeks burned with a crimson hue. "You're unbelievable," I stammered, looking away to conceal my flustered state, “Just go already!"
"I'm not joking, love. You know that," he whispered, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips before he planted a gentle kiss on my cheek and left.
Well, I guess, some habits never change.