Gwen's POV:

"Brantley wants everyone to meet here so that they can tell us what he and Delaney found out at the doctor." said Becky, sinking back into the rocking chair that she had been sitting in before her phone had rang. When it had, she'd taken the phone into the house to be able to hear since all four kids were playing on the porch swing, laughing and being loud like kids typically are.

Her words called on that intuition that a mother develops as soon as she finds out she's pregnant. You know the one I'm talking about. The one that convinces you that you might be pregnant before you even take a pregnancy test. The one that tells you when something isn't right with your child. The one that tells you when things are about to change. The one that tells you without even having to know the details that your child is dealing with something big. That intuition didn't always have to be a bad thing either since it often told you that your child had good things going on in their life as well. It had been that same intuition that told me when things were getting rocky between her and Alex and it had been the same thing that told me that her moving back to Jefferson was going to be the best thing that ever happened to her and my grandkids.It had never let me down and so I knew that if it was hinting on something, I knew that it would be right.

"Do you think they found out that she is pregnant with more than one?" Asked Becky when I didn't immediately respond to her previous statement. Her words pulled me from my thoughts and back to reality. She knew of Delaney's condition since I'd called her and we'd talked.

"Instinctually, I know that that's what this is." I said. "But something tells me that there is more to it."

"What do you think it is?" she asked. I could tell from the glint in her eyes and the smirk on her face that she was of the same thinking that I was.

"I think you know." I said, not wanting to utter the words and jinx what I thought I knew was about to come. But just because I didn't want to jinx it didn't mean that I wasn't about to burst with the need to say what my gut told me to be true. When I looked over at Becky, the smirk that had been on her face seconds ago doubled in size, confirming that she really was on the same page as me, that we were riding the same train of thought.

She kept her voice as low as possible so that the kids didn't hear what she said next. "Since Delaney came back to town and those two started hanging out, I've been thinking that it won't be long before wedding bells start chiming. There is just his spark between them, a force that has pulled them together. I don't know how to explain it but something is just... more between those two."

Before I could respond, the sounds of gravel crunching under the tires of a vehicle pulled my attention to the driveway. Delaney's SUV came up the driveway with her fathers work truck and what I assumed was some of Brantley's family following closely behind. Almost immediately, the kids recognized the vehicle and took off at a run for their parents. When Barrett and Braylin had tried to run to the car before it was stopped, I watched as Chloe and Colton each stopped them, making sure they didn't hurt and it made my heart swell with pride. If I was right in my thinking about what was to come for Brantley and Delaney, I knew that Chloe and Colton would make a great big brother and sister to those two and the baby that Delaney was carrying.

My heart swelled with pride and love when I watched Brantley round the hood of the truck and walk around to Delaney's door, opening it for her and helping her climb down. I watched as she immediately went into his side. But the tears that formed in my eyes made it hard for me to see when I watched all four kids engulf them and Delaney and Brantley cocoon their arms around them.

Those tears only began to fall faster when I noticed the way that Brantley looked at my daughter. All I had ever wanted for her was to be happy, to know what it meant to be loved completely and love someone deeply. Knowing that she has finally found that, knowing that she has a man in her life now that would never hurt her, did my heart so much good.

"Those two, I swear they just can't get any more adorable together." Said Becky, walking up beside me. I felt her arm wrap around my shoulder as she did and I immediately wrapped one over hers. When I looked over at her, she had tears in her eyes too. "Delaney has made such a major change in Brantley's life. I thought I would never see that smile of his again after he lost Amber."

"For all the good that Delaney had brought to Brantley's life, he's brought just as much to hers. When she came back home, she wouldn't tell anyone this, but she felt deflated. And all it took was a few hours spent at Brantley's for me to see that things were going to change. Honestly Becky, I don't know that there are words to say how much him coming into her life means to me."

"I can say the same thing." she said, her voice cracking. "For so long, I was scared that I was going to lose him again to his addictions. He fought hard to keep his demons at bay and does every day still, but the moment I knew that he and Delaney were hanging out again, I knew that she would be the one to force him to pull himself out of that deep, dark depression he had been in. They've had their ups and down, but I think it's safe to say that those two have nothing but bright skies, sunshine, and a whole heck of a lot of love and happiness in their future. And honestly, I can't think of better inlaws to have."

"I can't either Becks." I said, pulling out the nickname that she'd had in high school, reminding her just how long the two of us had known one another. Granted, many of those years we hadn't been really close, more like friends in passing who spoke when we bumped into one another, but back in our hay day, the two of us had been on the cheer team together.

Before she could respond, Brantley, Delaney, the kids, Nick, Keith, Kolby, and Kolby's wife and kids all made their way up onto the porch. I could tell from one look that Delaney was about to burst with the need to spill what the surprise was and it only confirmed my suspicions that wedding bells wouldn't be far off.

"Let's go inside, get some tea, and y'all can tell us the big news." said Becky, already turning towards the house. Everyone followed her without hesitation.

While everyone went into the living room, I made my way to the kitchen to help Becky with getting the ice and sweet tea from the fridge. We placed everything on a wooden serving tray. As if her southern ancestors were speaking to her, Becky grabbed some plates and the freshly baked pie that she had made earlier with the help of the kids and some of the chocolate chip cookies that she always brought to anything church related and the two of us made our way to the living room.

It didn't take us long to dish out the gooey apple pie, cookies, and sweet tea. Nor did it take long for everyone to practically inhale their goodies. Well, everyone but Delaney. She looked as if the pie and cookies were going to send her running for the nearest bathroom. And boy, did I remember those days. When I was pregnant with her, I'd spent the first three months sitting in front of a toilet whenever I would smell certain smells or eat certain things.

Keith seemed to notice that Delaney was looking a little green around the gills then, asking her if she was okay. Delaney gave a half laugh as she passed her pie off to Brantley, looking at him. The two of them shared a silent conversation before she nodded softly and a big smile broke out over Brantley's face.

"Hey kids, come here for a second. Sit her in front of us." he said, gesturing to the coffee table that doubled as a bench when needed apparently.

All four kids made their way over as they were told, Chloe and Colton sitting on the ends with Barrett and Braylin between them, almost protectively. My heart raced and the room fell silent, everyone waiting to hear what Brantley and Delaney were about to say.

"Kids, there is something that we need to tell you." said Delaney, lacing her fingers with Brantley's. They shared another look before she continued. "You know that Brantley and I love all of you very much. So much so that we couldn't even picture a life without any of you in it. But we also have more love to give. How do you all feel about being big brothers and big sisters?"

"We're already big brothers and sisters to Barrett and Bray." said Chloe, making tears pool in my eyes.

"You are." said Brantley. "But we mean that Barrett and Bray would be big siblings too."

All around me, the adults had picked up what was still unsaid, all of them smiling big, and a few with tears in their eyes. But no one wanted to say the words until the kids officially knew.

"Mama, what does Brantley mean?" said Colton.

"Bubba, he means that mama is pregnant. You, Chloe, Barrett, and Braylin are going to have siblings."

"Like me and Colt?" asked Chloe.

"Well, kind of," said Delaney, looking at Brantley. She nodded at him then, silently telling him that he should break the news.

"Instead of you having twin siblings like you and Chloe are Colt, mama had three babies in her tummy," said Brantley.

All around me, I heard the gasps of shock and awe, heard the sniffles of everyone as they absorbed the fast that it was triplets that Delaney was pregnant with, myself included. From beside me, Nick wrapped his arms around me and hugged me tightly to him, whispering in my ear about how our family was growing.

"Three?" asked Colton.

"That's right buddy. Your mama and I are going to give y'all three siblings in a few months. Three siblings that I am going to need all four of you to help protect, to help feed, and to help love. Think yall can do that?"

"We sure can, daddy." said Chloe, springing from the table and flinging her body at Brantley. The tears that had already been falling flowed even faster at hearing her call him daddy. I could tell from the look on his face and Delaney's that it was the first time that it had happened. And I felt thankful and blessed to be able to witness it.

"We will help mama and be the best big siblings in the whole wide world." said Barrett, flinging himself into Delaney's arms much like Chloe had done with Brantley. Colton and Bray followed suit, the six of them engulfing one another into one massive bear hug.

All around us, tears were shed, smiles were shared, and everyone accepted their fate that from this moment on, our fates would be forever entwined. Two families were about to become one big one and I couldn't be more thankful.

"I don't know who has been pulling the invisible strings between you two, but I am so very thankful for it." said Becky after everyone had soaked in the news and everyone was mostly silent again.

"I think we all know who had a hand in this." Said Delaney, looking at Brantley.

"We do." he smiled. "I know for a fact that Amber is the reason that I found the love of my life, that I get to raise our kids together, that I get to add to our family, and why I get to marry my best friend this weekend."

I was pretty sure my jaw was lying on the floor somewhere with the way that Brantley dropped that bomb as if he was talking about the weather. But it was Becky that spoke, asking if she had heard what he'd said correctly.

"You did. All of us are headed to Frisco, North Carolina were going to have a private beach wedding, so I can make this woman my wife and spend the rest of my life proving to her that she is worthy of love and show her what it means to be loved by someone that can't breathe without her in his life."