While the men went outside to do their thing, Raso and Pratt spent time with the kids, Elizabeth, Kaitielyne, Sylvia and a couple of the other sisters. The women laughed, made jokes about the men and discussed what should be done for Christmas brunch.
It was after midnight before everyone either went to their rooms, back to their hotels or their homes for the night with their plans for the next day scheduled down to the wire. Or so it was thought.
When both Pratt and Raso woke up the next morning, they were both alone in their beds. Both women pouted about not being woken by their children’s excited chatter for the day’s festivities, the two women met in the hallway on their way down to the kitchen.
“Marcus gone too?” Pratt asked Raso in confusion.
“Yeah, I take it Highlander was gone also? What about the kids, did they not wake you up?” Raso asked, looking into Pratt’s room, over her shoulder.
“That’s weird. Even though he’s older, Cody’s always woken me up to share in the excitement of seeing what’s in their stockings and everything.” Pratt pouted, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Let’s go downstairs and see what’s going on. Probably just the excitement of being around new cousins and stuff.” Raso suggested, tugging on Pratt’s arm, heading towards the stairs that would take them downstairs towards the kitchen.
“Yeah, they even kidnapped the babies too. Fuckers!” Pratt grumbled, both women breaking out into fits of laughter.
When they reached the kitchen, they saw Sylvia fast at work in the kitchen with Elizabeth, Mary Marie, Mary Catherine, Kaitielyne and Catherine. When Pratt and Raso came into the kitchen, the women turned around and cheerily greeted them. Sylvia poured two cups of coffee and brought it over to the table, telling the two women to sit and relax.
“Ye men are outside with their da and the kids getting everything ready for today. Ye two lasses need to relax for a bit before everything gets started.” Sylvia cheerfully advised the two women as Elizabeth brought over two plates full of eggs, bacon, toast and pancakes.
“Why didn’t anyone wake us up? We could have helped you this morning with breakfast.” Pratt asked as she ate her breakfast.
“Because ye husbands asked that we let ye sleep. They took care of the wee ones so ye lasses could get some much-needed rest.” Sylvia smiled as she went back to what she was doing.
Raso leaned over towards Pratt, making sure she had her attention so she could read her lips as she spoke low. “Do you get the feeling something is up?”
“Yep” Pratt answered, popping her ‘p’ as she took a bite of her eggs and toast.
“Let’s hurry up and eat so we can find our scheming other halves and figure out what the fuck is going on. I’m sure Bella is hungry by now.” Raso finished up as she took a drink of her juice.
“I’m surprised Aurora hasn’t been heard screaming her head off yet too.” Pratt agreed, finishing up her breakfast. “Ready?”
“And just where do ye think ye two lasses are off to?” Sylvia asked Raso and Pratt as they stood up.
“We were going to go hunt down the beasts and rescue the children.” Raso informed her mother-in-law.
“That’s a negative, dear sisters.” Elizabeth said as she walked over to the table, sitting down with the two women.
“And why is that?” Pratt asked, quirking an eyebrow at her sister-in-law.
“Because both my brothers have something special planned, for ye both and while I am with ye in not liking surprises, this one, I will personally not allow ye to ruin for them. They have busted their arses on this surprise…” Elizabeth stated, her Scottish accent getting thicker with each word.
“Okay…” Raso and Pratty said in union, carrying out the ‘ay’ for a few seconds before looking at each other in mild amusement their hands in the air in surrender.
“Ah, my lovely wife is awake.” Highlander exclaimed, walking over to the table with Marcus trailing behind him.
Highlander and Marcus both had a baby strapped to their chest, walked into the kitchen, t-shirts and jeans on, sweat glistening on their foreheads, arms and the back of their shirts. Smudges of dirt on their handsome faces. Both men stopped to give their mum a quick kiss on her cheek before she shooed them off.
“Ye lad’s reek of sweat. It’s a wonder those wee ones are nae screaming in horror from the smell. Ugh” Sylvia said, waving her hand in front of her face.
“Ah but mum, our wee ones don’t care about our smell. We are their da’s. Let’s nae forget the smells that come out of their wee bottoms is way worse than what we smell like right now.” Highlander told his mother, his accent getting thick during their visit back to his homeland.
“Something tells me we’re gonna be knocked up before we leave this damn place.” Raso murmured to Pratt, her eyes not leaving her husband as he walked towards her.
“Yeah, I think my ovaries already exploded and got knocked up just from hearing my husband talk with that accent. Fuck me running!” Pratt agreed, watching her husband tease his mother before he prowled towards her.
“We are so fucked.” Raso surmised as her husband stopped in front of her.
“Not yet, but once we feed the babies, we will be…if we’re lucky.” Pratt smiled at her husband as he did the same.
