Ben and Becs: A Novella

Ben’s POV “Daddy! Daddy! Wake up!” Poppy giggles as she climbs onto my stomach. She’s four years old and ready to take on the world. In typical Poppy fashion, stepping on my groin in the process. Just like her mother. “Ugh. Careful girlie.” I drowsily grunt. Been working long week lately, so I nap when I can. “Sorry, daddy.” She giggles some more sitting up on my stomach. “Can you read me this?” She reaches for the a book on the coffee table and almost falls. “Hold on, I got it.” I reach over and grab our wedding album. “This isn’t a book girlie girl. This is me and mommy’s wedding pictures.” I tug one of her curls. She could be Becs’ clone. Its truly amazing. “I know, daddy. Tell me your story.” Just like that, I turn into goo. “My story, huh? Where should I start? When I first saw mommy or just about our wedding?” Poppy reaches down and puts both of her hands on my cheeks. “When you first saw mommy.” She then proceeds to squish my cheeks so I make a funny face. That’s her favorite thing to do. “Silly girl.” We both laugh. “In that case. I reach over and grab an other photo album that is stored on the lower shelf of the coffee table. She opens it to the first page starting with the infamous milkshake picture. “Once upon a time, when I was 17 years old, I moved to a new house and went to a new school. Your uncle Matt was my first friend and we drove in together on the first day of school. When we go there, I saw the most beautiful girl with crazy red curls standing by the flag pole.” I tug on her curls again and she giggles sweetly. “I just had to meet her, so Uncle Matt introduced us. And it was love at first sight.” Her cute little face lights up. “Awww, that’s so nice!” She claps her hands joyfully. “Did you kiss mommy?” She asks right away. “Why, yes I did. And it was the most amazing kiss. Mommy and I went on a date and shared this milkshake.” I tab the picture. “You and mommy always share a milkshake!” She is so observant. “Yes we do, baby. This was the very first one. Then we talked and got to know each other more. And I kissed her some more.” I grin and playfully pinch her cheeks. “I like when you kiss and hug mommy.” Poppy runs her itty bitty fingers across the picture of Becs. “Me too. Mommy is the best.” I tell Poppy of our grand adventures around town. And how much I love her mother. “Mommy and I went to a party and shared a slow dance. She sang just for me.” I’ll skip over the dirty dancing bit. “Then in this picture we were at a fancy dance with nana and grandpa.” I explained. “Mommy looks like a princess!” Poppy cheered. “She sure did, I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. In this picture, we were celebrating my birthday. You mommy surprised me!” I told her about Red sniper and how we all got covered in paint. She loved it. “This is our prom picture. We danced the night away.”  I told her about summer vacation right here on the lake. I told her about going to the Christmas festival with Jingle and Jangle and the talent show where her mommy shined and led the story directly to our wedding. Poppy only needs to know the good things. “Wow! Mommy is so bootiful.” She smiles down a picture of Becs in her wedding looking into the mirror. “She is absolutely bootiful. She took my breath away when she walked down the isle towards me.” Best day of my life. “And you look bootiful too, daddy!” She sees the next picture with Jay and I standing up front. “Jay Jay is cute too.” She giggled. “Thank you baby girl.” She has a little crush on him. “And Eliza is so pretty!” Poppy is so excited. Just then the triplets came barreling in. “Slow your roll, guys.” I chuckle. “Whatcha doing?” Grayson asks. “I’m telling Poppy about me and mommy’s wedding. Where is mommy anyway?” I ask. “She’s upstairs cleaning. She said she will make dinner soon.” Aiden speaks up as he sits on the ground in front of the couch. “Can we listen too?” Carter asks. “Of course, boys. The other sit next Aiden ready for me to continue. I recited both of our vows and the boys pulled their faces and laughed as I talked about each picture with family and friends. “In this picture, I’m giving mommy a dirty dance and it was epic.” I chuckle. “What’s a dirty dance?” Grayson asks innocently. “You all will learn about that stuff when your teenagers.” Becs will kill me if they repeat that. “Here’s me and mommy kissing during our slow dance. We danced under the stars as the beach waves washed over our feet.” I love this picture. My office is covered with our family picture. But the milkshake photo along with this one sit on my desk. “Ewww. Gross.” The boys cry and run away to cause destruction in another part of the house. Poppy and I laugh. “I guess they’ll miss the best part. Right after the dance, I picked mommy up and toss her into the ocean.” Poppy gives me a shocked look. “Just like you do here!” She points towards the lake. “Yup, mommy pretends she doesn’t like it, but she really does.” I whisper. She giggles and lay down on me. She likes to listen to my heart beat. Just like her mother. “Daddy?” She asks softly after a minute of quiet. “Yes, Poppy seed.” I hold her close as I rest my eyes. Becs’ POV I finally make it back downstairs to start dinner when I overhear the sweetest conversation. “When I grow up like mommy, can I marry you?” Poppy asks her daddy. I swear my heart doubles in size every time my babies say the sweetest things. Ben has been the best father and best partner in life. These last few years have been a struggle having triplets and then Poppy less than a year later. But the struggle has been worth it. I would not trade our life for anything. I still fall for him every single day. “You are the sweetest little girl, Poppy seed. But I’m married to mommy for forever. One day, when your older. Like 35. You will meet the best man that will steal your heart and love you. He will appreciate your creativity and dreams and support you. Just like I love and support mommy. He will protect your heart and nurture and cherish you. But until then, I promise to protect, nurture and cherish your heart until the best man comes along. Poppy, you deserve the best in life. I have faith you will find the one that is meant for you just like I found mommy. But promise me you will have patience, okay? Let daddy take care of your heart until you are ready to give to someone.” Ben played with her hair the entire time as my heart melted. Such a beautiful moment. The boys came running back through making Poppy sit back up on Ben’s stomach and like clockwork, she gets him in his family jewels with her tiny foot. Poor guy. “Umph, careful.” He grunts. “Why is mommy crying?” Poppy points over to me. Ben is quick to sit up with poppy sliding into his lap. “Its happy tears, baby.” I walk over and kiss Poppy on her head and then kiss my husband. “Daddy told me your story just like you mommy!” She smiles sweetly. Ben raises his brow at her. “You mean to tell me mommy told you our story first?” Ben asks as he tickles her. “Yes, last night. It was our bedtime story.” She giggles. “Yeah daddy, mommy told us!” Carter yelled. “Yeah, but I get to marry mommy next.” Aiden chimed in. “No way, I do!” Grayson argued. “Nah huh! Mommy is mine.” Carter yelled again. “Hold up boys, mommy is mine forever and ever.” Ben spoke up and took my hand. Poppy and I laughed. “Yeah, daddy and mommy are married for forever. Daddy said he will keep my heart safe.” She hugged her daddy. “And I will keep each of your sweet hearts’ safe as well until each of you meets the best girl that will respect and love you forever.” I explain. “Yes, mommy and I will work together to make you all feel loved and cherished.” Ben pipes in. “And that’s a promise.” I kneel down and kiss each one on their messy haired heads. They are just like their father.