AGAINST THE TIDE Book #2

Chapter Forty Eight: Wake Up Dear

Marcelle's POV
"To being parents." Reli lifted his glass. "It's hell on earth. I can confidently say I didn't know what I was signing up for."

"And you just kept asking for them." Renée laughed at him. We should have stopped at Rehan."

"I wanted a daughter." He defended himself.

"So we wouldn't have stopped after ten sons, you will just keep trying?"

"Honey, no one has ten sons."

"I have five... halfway there."

Reli burst out laughing. He nearly choked on his drink.

"If you knock up Vee at least three times, assuming your twin gene is the reason you got three sets of twins there's a high probability that you'll have eleven sons."

"Don't have eleven sons." Reli cleared his throats."

"The debate of who are better between sons and daughters will forever persist."

"I think my daughter is only child who doesn't give me sleepless nights."

"Rehan. Oh Rehan." Renée shook his head. "The heir to the throne-"

"I haven't decided if he's succeeding me." Reli interrupted with a tone matching his serious expression.

That marked the end of the discussion. I don't think Renée is soft but how she respects her husband, how she gets it when he's not joking anymore is something that is not natural to the St Patrick sisters. Only Laila is soft.

"You have no idea how happy I feel being away from them!" Renee ended the awkward silence. "The last few days have been the most peaceful days of my life! I don't remember ever being this independent."

They clinked their glasses.

"Wait. You guys don't miss your kids?" I asked them.

"No." They answered at the same time.

"You can't be serious. I miss my kids all the time. In fact I feel bad for sending them away while I stayed here."

They both burst out laughing at me.

"Even Nerina? She's my niece but man I dislike her!" Renée exclaimed. "Ramona is my favorite niece. Tough and well mannered."

"Yes I miss Nerina." I smiled fleetingly.

"Privileges I lost when I became a father. Privacy. Peace of mind. Freedom not to give a fuck."

"The palace is a big place. How can you not have privacy?" I asked him.

"He has a little leech called Nas. She stalks him."

"It's cute..." Reli shrugged. "But the rest of them always bug me about this and that and blah blah that. I get headaches from dealing with those extroverts."

"I'm an extrovert!" Renée exclaimed.

"You are an extrovert I like."

"You wanted heirs. Stop complaining."

They will go on and on about this.

"I'm not! Marcelle, do your kids exhaust you? Do they invade your personal space?"

"Gio, Juan and Sofia are introverts. No issues there. But Gian, Nicolò, Marco and Nerina... very invasive."

"So are you having any more kids?" Renée asked me.

"Hmmm... It was not my intention. But someone told me I'm being selfish so if Vee wants to..."

"I think you should have a family with her. Just to complete things." My best friend suggested.