The Song Books (Ghost Bird)

Two

Gabriel closed his eyes as the last strains of 'Love Me Tender' drifted through the quiet room. For a moment silence reined before he sighed and the spell was broken. Gabriel slipped off his glasses, hiding the fact that he was making sure he hadn't been crying, and tucked them away in his shirt pocket. Fucking old age, everything makes me sentimental.

Gabriel looked across the room and met his wife's eyes. There snuggled up between his brothers was the only woman he would ever love. He saw all the years stretching back to the morning he had gotten the book, the birth of each of his children and everything in between. Sang smiled at him and he knew his face got the dopey grin he normally had when he was thinking about his wife. Gabriel stood and put the orange book next to the others.

 Adam nudged Nathan's elbow his green eyes and curly blond hair making him look so much like the doctor in the family. "Aren't you up next Pop?" Cullen, Adam's 2 year old son clapped his hands, his Poppa was obviously the little guys favorite. "Poppa, Pop, Pop, Poppa!!!" Cullen's antics and obviously excitement making the whole family laugh.

Nathan slung Cullen up on his hip and went to grab the bright red leather book from the shelf. "You want to help your Poppa Jelly Bean?" Nathan bent down to grab the book but a quick whiff of his grandson up close convinced him that his book was going to have to wait a moment. "Whose turn is it for diaper duty?"

Almost as one all of Sang's husbands and all of her sons stood up and began pairing off for rock, paper, and scissors. It had been Sang's rule that everyone take turns but her boys had long ago made diaper changing a competitive sport. Giggling softly Sang helped her Struggling Twins off the couch as they let the men continue to battle it out. Even Cullen was shaking his fist trying to get in on the action.

Owen's voice Rang out over the library. "Ok Silas is the looser for the 'Dads' which one of my sons is facing their Pateras for the honor of helping Cullen out of his sticky situation." Evan shoved his brother forward. "Right here father, Easton is ready to go."

Silas stood to his full height and smiled his eyes twinkling as he looked right into the eyes of his son. Easton just raised an eyebrow and smirked back at him. North clapped Easton on the shoulder. "Είστε έτοιμοι ο γιος μου; (Are you ready my son?)"

Easton grunted, so much like North that Silas rolled his eyes. "Αυτός είναι πάντα έτοιμος Βορρά. Αυτός είναι ο γιος μας. Ας το κάνουμε αυτό, Cullen χρειάζεται μια νέα πάνα. (He is always ready North. He is our son. Let's do this, Cullen needs a new diaper.)"

Gabriel, Evan, Lillian, Luke, Aria and Adam looked over at Sang. "Trouble, Forever, Momma...they're  doing it again!" Sang laughed while the rest of the family rolled their eyes while Nathan made faces at Cullen to keep him happy while the smell got worse. I don't remember diapers smelling this bad when our kids were small. Nathan grimaced as his wife's voice calmed the whining down. "You know they are not talking about you, you crazy kids."

Kota chimed in noting Nathan looking a little green from the smell. "Get a move on Si, our little man needs a new butt"

Easton lost grunting good naturedly when Silas clapped him on the shoulder hard enough to make most people stumble. Taking his young nephew away from his Pop he headed for the bath down the hall where his Vati and Pateras had installed a permanent baby changing table before he was born.

While his pregnant girls were taking bathroom breaks, diapers were being changed for more than just Cullen and his children were in a good natured with Lilly's fiancé's about NFL teams. Nathan slipped around the outside of the room and pulled his wife into an alcove between the bookshelves. All to myself at last.

"Hi there Peanut." Sang snuggled into Nathans chest as he kissed her softly. Turning her head slightly she smiled at the sea of their family happy in their home. "Hi Honey. Don't you just love it when they are all home?" Nathan tipped her face up caught in the green eyes that he and his brothers loved. "It's great Peanut, but you know what I would like better?"

"Hm?"

"A kiss from my wife." Sang giggled as she pulled Nathan's head down and their lips met.

"Eeewwww! Dad, Dad!!! Poppa is kissing Gran!" Nathan pressed his forehead to Sang's "When do they go home again?"

Sang nipped his lip in a small punishment. "Hush Honey. It will be bedtime soon enough" Giggling when Nathan pinched her bottom in retaliation Sang slipped out of the alcove. Nathan followed to take his seat on the couch with his 'Song Book'.

Cullen freshly changed and wiggling down from his Uncle Easton's grasp took a running leap into Nathan's lap.

Nathan shifted so that Cullen could look at the book, with one last glance at Sang who was now perched across Kota, Victor, and Sean's laps and then began to read.

"My dearest honey..."