“Hey, munchkins!” Lance shouted as he opened the door. 

“Uncle Lance!” they shouted back, giving him a big hug. 

“Good to see you two, too,” Lance greeted.  “No Justin?”

Mikayla and JC looked at each other awkwardly. “No. Just us, we’re doing JC’s first Father’s Day with the twins…”

“That makes sense. I guess I assumed Justin was with you guys.  Come on in.”

They went into the backyard, the kids practically pulling their clothes off to jump into the pool in their bathing suits.

“Is that… safe?” JC wondered. 

“We have a pool, we got them swim lessons when they were babies.  They’re set for a while,” Mikayla answered. 

“When do you guys wanna eat?” Michael asked.

“We finished breakfast about an hour ago, so we could wait a while. If you guys are hungry, then by all means, eat,” Mikayla encouraged. 

JC pulled his shirt off, wearing his swim trunks already, joining the twins in the pool.  “You gonna change, Kay?”  It took everything he had not to call her babe or some other pet name, possibly giving away their secret relationship.

Mikayla went inside, her stomach knotted as she walked into their guest bath. She’d tried to pick something she thought would be high waisted, which turned out to not be the case.  She pulled her hair up once she was in her bikini, hoping it wouldn’t get too wet, despite having two 4 year olds in the pool.

She walked out with a towel around her, feeling very self conscious around people she’d never really been nervous around.  Certainly not since first meeting them.

“Something is up, you’re not acting yourself,” Michael noted as Mikayla came back out.

“Just not my normal bathing suit, that’s all,” she sighed. She unwrapped the towel as she stepped into the shallow end, JC watching her cautiously.

“You look great,” Lance said. “Take that as you will.”

JC smiled at her. “You look incredible.”

A blush rose in her cheeks, feeling a little better now that she was in the pool and could put her attention on the twins.  They splashed around for a while before the kids got hungry.

They got out and dried off, sitting at a table in the backyard. The twins grabbed hot dogs and macaroni and cheese, the adults opting for burgers and potato salad.

Mikayla finished her plate, getting up to clear it, when Lance threw her a look.  “You’re a guest, and pregnant, one of us will get it.”

“Can I go lie in the sun for a bit?” Mikayla teased.  Lance nodded with a smirk, wanting to call her a smartass, but not in front of the twins.

Mikayla laid on a lounge chair, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her. She closed her eyes with a smile before she felt a finger poking her belly. 

“What’s that?” Joshy asked. 

“What, buddy?” Mikayla replied. 

She looked down, seeing she was finally starting to show. “Oh, that’s your brother…”

“Really?!” he asked excitedly.  Barb ran over, curious to see. 

Mikayla put her hand on her small bump.  “Right there, that’s Silas.”

The twins put their hands where hers had been.  Mikayla’s eyes widened.

“You ok?” JC asked, rushing to stand up.

“He’s kicking. He hasn’t done that yet.  Josh, come feel.”

JC felt awkward to feel Justin’s son moving around in Mikayla, but felt a bit more like a dad in that moment.  He wished Silas was his, theirs together.  “I should call Justin, text him at least. I’m sure he’d want to know…”

“I’ll do it,” Mikayla said.  “It’s nice you thought about him, though.”

JC started to walk back to the table, Lance pulling him inside.  He closed the sliding glass door behind them.  “C, what’s going on? The look on your face right now…”

“That should be my baby, not his,” JC sighed. 

“You know, Justin said the exact same thing when she was pregnant with the twins.  You had your chance and you blew it. You could have been with her for all of it, it didn’t have to be this way.”

“You think I don’t know that?!” JC spat back. “Now that I know just what all I walked away from, I kick myself every damn day that Justin gets to have it and not me.  I don’t know that I can do this, being a third wheel…”

“You’d really walk away from them again? This time for good? Never seeing any of them again?”

“I… I don't… I don’t know.  I’m their dad and I don’t get a lot of time with them. Just every other weekend, and really just a day and a half.  Barb used to really like me, and now that she knows I’m her dad… It’s like I’m the most terrible person on Earth.”

“It didn’t seem that bad earlier, not since you’ve been here.”

“It’s gotten better, but I haven’t had alone time with them since then. Kayla or Justin are always around. Not that I mind, but I’m second fiddle to whichever parent is with us.  Don’t even get me started on the sex…”

“Sex with WHO?” Lance raised his voice, admittedly confused.

“Shit, ummm, no one, forget I said anything.”

“Are you and Mikayla having an affair?!”

“No. I mean, maybe, but Justin knows.  It’s not like it’s a secret.”

“He’s your best friend, she’s his wife…”

“She was my girlfriend first, the mother of my kids.  He gets everything and I get the shit end of the stick, again… This is just like with Jive all over again.”

“You’re comparing a woman and your kids to a sour record deal? Really?”

“I never saw myself as a solo artist, sure. Hell, I never saw myself wanting a wife and kids, but when I thought I lost Mikayla to him… It hurt more than any of the shit they put me through with Kate…”

“C, I’m not gonna say it’s a bad idea, what you’re doing, I guess I understand… But what if one of you gets in too deep and Justin is fucked over as you two get back together?”

“He’d been telling Kay for YEARS that he would be ok with it.  I mean, now he’s not, and that’s part of why we’re in the situation we are, combined with her being pregnant with his kid.  Was it weird that I put my hand on her stomach to feel the baby kick.  I know she asked me to, but still.  That’s not my baby, and I wish it was, so I could get to experience it all.”

“You will, just not as the dad.”

“She said that’s how Justin felt with the twins.  But he also married her, so he got more than I’m getting now.  She’s his wife, they’re having a baby, I’m just an ex she still fucks every other weekend, barely seeing my kids or the woman I love and want to be with.”

“Josh,” Mikayla sighed, hearing the last of what he’d said.  “I wondered what you two were in here for for so long…”

“Who’s watching the twins?” JC wondered.

“Michael’s with them in the pool, they’re fine.  So now that I know Lance knows, and therefore Michael will once we leave… I’d ask if I can tell my friends, but seeing as I don’t really have the friends I used to…”

“You still have Erin and people from the school,” JC said.  “But yeah, I’d prefer this be kept close to the vest.  I didn't even mean to tell Lance, it kinda slipped out.”

“This is something we need to talk about, and maybe bring up in therapy.  I’ll set something up for us.”

“Let’s just talk things out first,” JC sighed. “I don’t want to jump right into telling a therapist better we try and work things out ourselves.”

“I’ll agree to that. Tonight, after the twins go to bed.”

Oh, something’s gonna happen after the twins go to bed, Lance thought to himself.

“Mommy, when are we giving Daddy his presents?” Joshy asked as he walked into the room.

“They’re at the house, so once we leave here and go back to his house.”

“I can’t wait for you to see it, Daddy!” Joshy said excitedly.

“I can’t either, bud,” JC said, looking at Mikayla. “You’re making this a great first Father’s Day for me.”

“Well, don’t let us keep you from the rest of your day,” Lance said.

“Dude, you know it’s all good.  The twins had a great time, we got to hang out.  Thanks for the invite.”

“Enjoy the rest of your Father’s Day, C.  It’s been a long time coming that you get to actually spend it with your kids, your family.”

They got into the Jeep and headed back to the house, Joshy rushing to his room to grab the presents for JC.

“Open them, Daddy, open them!” the boy was practically bouncing with excitement.

JC sat on the couch, the bags on his lap.  He pulled out the framed artwork, seeing their representations of him. 

“What’s on my head?” he asked, looking at the pink blob. 

“It’s a beanie,” Mikayla said. “I know you hate your ears getting cold,” she smiled.

He tilted his head.  “I’m gonna find the perfect hot pink beanie someday to wear if you guys aren’t around. It’ll be our little code, that I miss and love you.”

“Why would you miss us?” Barb asked. 

“Well, your mommy and daddy are married, so I can’t be with you guys all the time. You’ll go on vacations, go on tour, and I won’t be there with you. I’ll make sure I send Mommy a picture of me wearing that beanie so you know I’m thinking of you.”

They ordered pizza and spent the rest of the day watching movies or playing games, JC wanting to feel like the family they should have been.

Joshy had fallen asleep on JC, Barb was still awake as bedtime neared. 

“Well, you ready for bed?” Mikayla asked Barb.

“I want JC to put me to bed,” Barb replied. 

“Oh,” JC blinked, “Ok.  Sure. Mommy, stay right there I guess.”  He picked up Joshy, Barb following him down the hall. Mikayla gave a 30 second head start, curious what would happen. She stood outside the open door, listening to what was going on on the other side.

“Did you have fun today?” JC asked Barb. 

“Yeah.  I liked swimming at Uncle Lance’s, that was fun.”

“You have a pool, maybe you’ll do more swimming now that it’s summer.”

“Mommy told me something earlier,” Barb said.

“What was that?”

“That you didn’t wish for Joshy when you and Mommy wished for a baby.”

“Well, it doesn’t exactly work that way…”

“She said you wished for me, a girl…”

“I did want a little girl, if I’m being honest. It’s great that I have both of you, though.”

“You love me as much as Joshy?”

“I do.  I love you very much, Barb. Mommy and I wished for a long time to have you.  I’m sorry I wasn’t there from the beginning.  The second I knew I was your daddy, saw your picture, I was head over heels in love.”

“I’m sleepy, I wanna go to sleep now,” Barb said very matter of factly.

“Ok. Goodnight, Barb.”

“Goodnight.  I love you, Daddy.”

JC halted in his tracks. So much had been said in 4 simple words before she closed her eyes.  

Mikayla quietly began to walk down the hall, hoping JC wouldn’t catch her. She wasn’t fast enough, JC catching her by the waist.

“I’m guessing you heard what she said?”

“I did.”

“I love the presents they made, but hearing her say that made my day, maybe my life.  I knew Joshy had taken well to this whole thing, but Barb…”

“I know,” Mikayla sighed. “I think her knowing you wanted her as much as Joshy, possibly more, helped her feel better.”

“I would have been happy with one, but was blessed enough with two. I’m just sorry I wasn’t around for all of it.”

“I know that, too.  Can I give you my Father’s Day present now?” she asked with a smile, her voice low.

“Mmmm, I’d love to unwrap it, that’s for sure.  Play with it all night long…”

“Whatever Daddy wants, Daddy gets…”