Drama Momma (Surprisingly Perfect Sequel)

New Year, New Everything

Our New Years Eve parties always felt so big in our small house, but with all the extra space it was great to spread out.

I took a few breaths and leaned over the kitchen island. It'll be over soon, girly. You can do this.

"Braxton Hicks again?" Destiny asked, taking a sip of her milkshake.

"Yup," I said.

"You wanna sit down?" she asked.

"No, I feel like that makes them worse. If I get up and move around that always helps them go away," I said. "Ten more days till my C-Section. Just ten. More. Days."

I grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and started doing laps around the island again. All I had to do was just keep walking it off.

"So how happy are you that the witch is gone for good?" Destiny asked.

"She's not a witch, Dest."

"Your opinion really changed that quickly? After her staying with you only three days? I bet she put some kind of spell on you or something."

"I dunno," I said, already getting winded on my fourth lap. "I kinda felt bad for her. She was away from her family and Jace was doing awful things to her!"

"Hot take, but she got what she deserved after what she did to us all those times. Karma's a bitch, and she shows no mercy."

I looked down and suddenly saw a toddler running into the kitchen, an evil smirk on her face as she looked up at us through her glasses. She was clutching two phones to her chest.

"Georgie, get back here!" Julia said, running in the room at full speed with Chrys. She slung Georgie over her shoulder, who was now giggling up a storm. "Look out, Poppy. Once they start running, they don't stop!"

I looked down at my bump and held it. "With her motor skills, I'll be happy if she walks at all before she's one."

"Keep your chin up. I was told they'd miss all their milestones as preemies, but look at them now! The second I put my phone down, it's gone!" Julia said.

Ollie and Blaze were running around with Genny under Chrys's watchful supervision. Now that the boys were one, they got into so much trouble. They were sweet as can be when they were apart, but once they got together and started babbling in their weird twin language to each other, it was over.

"Oh, excuse me ladies, just coming through to get a refill!" Karen said, shuffling past me to the wine cooler.

"Again?" I asked.

"Hey, it wasn't just the Everstons who had a crazy year! I think we all did," she said as she filled up her glass. "Cheers!"

She walked back down to the basement, where Mom was streaming that live New Years' show from NYC on the movie theater screen. I checked my buzzing phone on the counter. There was a big "happy birthday" text full of emojis from Marisol. Destiny leaned over so she could see, then gave me a goofy smile when I noticed that she was looking.

"Uh...happy birthday?" she said.

"Did you seriously forget? How many years have you been at our New Years' party?" I asked.

"Did somebody say party?" Mom said, peeking her head out from the basement stairwell. "Because I'm pretty sure there's some birthday cake to be had! Come on, everybody to the kitchen!"

She motioned with her hand and one by one, this big crowd of family friends and her coworkers came up the stairs, one by one. Carlos and Julia brought in the girls. Chrys walked in holding Ollie, and Chase came next to me with Blaze on his hip. He put his arm around me with his free hand.

"How are you doing, Gumdrop?" he asked.

I took another quick sip of water. "I'm hanging in there."

Mom opened the fridge and took out my big sheet cake. Karen helped her slide it out of the box. It was a classic red velvet cake with the words Happy Birthday Poppy written in cursive. My sweet sixteen was fancy enough. I told Mom I didn't need anything else special.

Mom reached into the drawer where we kept all our different numbered candles, then grabbed the pink number one and the green number six, which was covered in blue polka dots. I always loved our old, mismatched candles.

Mom lit the candles and put away the lighter.

"Remember, on your sixteenth birthday, your wish has to be extra special," Mom said. "On my sixteenth birthday, I was living in a group home. My mother had me at sixteen and left me in the custody of my Grandpa, Oscar. A few months before I turned sixteen, he became too sick to take care of me, so I was given over to the state."

I rolled my eyes. "Mo-om, I've heard this story like ten times already!"

"I know, but you haven't heard this part. Just let me finish." She took a breath and droned on. "On my sixteenth birthday, one of the volunteers gave me a cake and told me to make my wish extra special. I wished I could have a normal family. I found out I was pregnant with Chrys four months later."

"How is that a normal family? You were having a baby as a teenager!" I said.

"There were two happy parents and a baby. I wished for the two parents for myself, but it turned out that I was going to be the happy Mom instead. Life works in crazy, but perfect ways," she said.

I looked over at Chrys, who was trying her hardest to hold back tears.

"Just sing me the song! I know what I want to wish for!" I said.

That version of Happy Birthday was the longest in my life, especially because I was having another contraction I was trying to hide at the same time. When they hit that last note, I closed my eyes.

I wish my little girl could have the most amazing life!

I blew out the candles, then there was some clapping, and then we stood around and ate cake. Everyone kinda dispersed after a while, and I started going back to my laps to manage those pesky Braxton Hicks.

Thankfully, I had the greatest bff and the best boyfriend ever, because they started doing laps around the island with me. Destiny tried to lighten the mood by dancing around the island backwards and moon-walking. It really made things a lot more bearable, because my contractions weren't getting any better.

I kept watching the clock on the oven. Once that stupid ball dropped, everyone would start going home and I'd have enough peace and quite to hopefully sleep these things off.

"Come on! Everybody downstairs!" Mom said from the basement.

"You guys go ahead. I'll grab Chrys," I said, waddling over to the living room.

The TV was on, but no one was watching. Chrys was on one end of the couch with Julia on the other. Both of them were out cold. The four toddlers were passed out on their playmat. I thought it would be best to just leave them, so I went ahead and waddled downstairs on my own, now that I was getting a short Braxton Hicks break.

"Hey, you're just in time!" Chase said, taking my hand as I got to the bottom of the stairwell.

I stood next to him and Destiny, trying to see the movie screen over everyone else's heads. The ball was dropping, and everyone was already starting to count down.

"Ten! Nine!"

I looked around and took everything in.

"Eight! Seven! Six!"

My little girl wiggled around inside of me. I gave her a quick pat.

"Five! Four!"

This has really been one hell of a year, hasn't it?

"Three! Two! One!"

Gush.

Chase saw what I felt running down my pants. My water was dripping onto the basement carpet. Seriously, why me? I was literally seconds into the New Year and it was already starting off completely insane. 

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So there's only a few chapters left. I hope you all are okay with double uploads until the end of the story!