Not Even Once//PT2 of Just Once Series

Chapter 48// Nine Months

ID LIKE TO PREFACE THIS CHAPTER W/ A LITTLE A/N!

THANK YOU ALL FOR READING AND FALLING IN LOVE WITH THE CHARACTER ALICE, EVEN IF SHE WAS HARD TO LOVE! I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU SO MUCH.

MUCH LOVE, BUTWHYMITCH_

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Preston Joshua Minter
August 8th
Born to: Alice and Simon Minter
Siblings: Emilia Anne Minter (Half sister)
Family: Joshua Zerker (Uncle) Hazel and Emmi Zerker (Half aunts)
God parents: Ethan Payne and Harry Lewis (Joint, not married)

"I told you it was boy." Emilia clung to the side of the hospital bed.

"You did! I believed you." Alice laughed, rocking Preston in her arms.

"I was so sure it was a girl. Guess I was wrong." Simon giggled.

"Yeah, guess you were."

Josh had suggested time for them to be alone, considering the horrible events that occurred after the last baby. Hopefully, pray to God, that wouldn't happen to Alice again.

"I think we should call him Pressy." Emilia poked his nose, "Can I hold him?"

"Sit down if you'd like to hold him, I don't want you dropping your new brother."

"Mom, I'm ten. I think I can hold my own brother without sitting down."

"Okay, but if you drop him I'm grounding you." Alice placed the small child in Emilia's arms as Simon quickly snapped a picture of the two, sending it out to the medias.

Wedgeman Simon @miniminter:
Preston and Emilia, what a special moment for a father of two.

Of course, he'd probably get the "you're not Emilia's real father" comments or the "stop trying to be Vik" ones but he didn't care. As far as he knew, Emilia's last name was Minter now, and he was a legal guardian.

"He's so precious." Emilia rocked her brother back and forth, as if she'd done this before.

"How are you doing that so well?"

"You know, my friend Jen? She has a baby sister, and I got to hold her a few times." She explained. She looked older to Alice, now.

"Wow." Alice replied, looking up at Simon who was smiling down at her.

"We did it," Simon smiled, taking a seat in the chair behind him, "we had a baby."

"Yes, yes we did."

Hours of crying and nap times later, they returned to the apartment. The boys in the house really didn't not want to deal with a baby crying all night, so the went back to the apartment. Everything was how it was left when she left, years ago.

Sure, Alice and Simon had lived there for a time after Vik died, but they only stayed a few months before moving into the Sidmen House for support. The place still reminded her of Vik. And that's why she wanted her children to grow up there.

With Uncle Ethan and Tobi just up the steps or down the hall, and Uncle Harry, Cal, and Freezy up a few floors, it was the perfect place to grow up.

Alice placed baby Preston in his new crib, and Emilia sat and stayed with him for a few hours, making him laugh instead of cry. It was nice, Alice and Simon finally getting some alone time to just figure out the rest of their lives.

Alice cuddled up next to Simon on the couch, "Who woulda thought that we'd have two kids by the time we were 30..."

"Well, I don't know about you but I had one child, and his name is Preston."

"You have two, don't even try to joke about that. Emi would be very hurt if she heard you say that." Alice punched him in the arm.

"Ouch! I love both of them equally. Both are my children."

"How are we going to explain Vik to Preston? I mean-his sister has a different dad than he does... Will he even care about Vik?"

"I don't know... We'll touch on that subject when we get there." Simon pulled her closer to his side, as if she could get any closer.

"I don't know, it's just an awkward situation... That I was married twice."

"Don't worry about it. It'll be fine."

"It probably will... I don't know, I guess I just shouldn't worry as much."

"Emilia will probably make sure that Pressy knows about Vik, and if not her, the rest of us." Simon kissed her forehead.

"I just want his legacy to live on..."

"It will, with Emilia."

Suddenly, an outburst of tears and Emilia, "MOMMY PRESSY'S CRYING!"

"I'll get it, you sit right here." Simon stood up, and ran to the room where Preston was.

"Thank you." She whispered, closing her eyes. She was unbelievably tired, having just gotten home from the hospital.

She began to drift off, and as she did, a voice rang out in her head, "He's beautiful. Keep him safe, Alice."

"I will."

"So why'd you name him Preston?" The next morning, Hazel and Emmi called, congratulating her on the new baby.

"After a good friend of mine, who told me a few months before Preston was born that I was such an inspiration."

"Was it TBNR?"

"Yes. Now I carry a piece of Vik's British friends and a piece of his American ones." Alice explained.

It was quite a brilliant idea, in the end. She'd have Emilia, born British, with a British name, and she'll have Preston, born British, with an American name. Ten years apart in age, but not in heart.

"Cool, cool. It's Preston Joshua, isn't it?" Emmi asked.

"Yeah. After our brother."

"Oh right..."

"Well, I have to go guys but please stop by anytime! I'm always here taking care of child number one and child number two." Alice laughed, looking up at her two children playing in the living room.

"Okay, definitely! It's been forever since we've seen you. We'll stop by soon... Bye." Hazel hit the end call button, leaving Alice to the sounds of children shows and other things.

"Emilia! Josh'll be here soon! Are you ready?"

"Yes! I just need to get my jacket on."

Emilia and Preston were going to the Sidemen house for a few hours as to "take the weight off of Alice" and give her a break.

"Okay, is Preston ready?"

"Yes, yes. I put his shoes on and everything."

"All by yourself?" Alice asked, walking into the living room.

"All by myself."

Sure enough, Preston was laying in his play pen, dressed. Shoes and everything.

"Good job! Thank you, that helps mommy a lot."

"You're welcome."

It was going to be a hectic couple of months...