Opening Video - 'Stand Up For Something' by Andra Day featuring Common

Monday, November 30th, 2020

Kam's POV

It feels so good to be back home with my kids and Cris these past few weeks.

Layla delivered Natasha exactly on November 8th. They were staying with Bliss until she is able to fly home. Austin and Kim took Braelyn back to New York so she could go back to school.

Bliss and Kim searched for space for another location for The Elegant Canvas in Miami. She has one that is being built in the heart of downtown already, which is sweet. I can't wait because I love her makeup. For now, I buy it online.

My kiddos - Rocco and Día are back in school. Next year, Devin will be going to school. I think I am going to cry.

Isabella and Kekoa will be two next month. And, they are into everything they can get their little hands on. Nonna Isabela helps me with them. She is actually watching them today because I have an appointment to see how baby Fiore in my belly is doing. Cris is coming with me.

We just pulled up to the hospital parking lot, looking for a parking space. Cris found one and parked close to the entrance.

Once parked, we both got out and made our way inside for my appointment.

After approaching the receptionist, "Hi, my name is Mrs. Kamea Fiore and I am here for my appointment with Doctor Michaels."

"Sure. Hold on for one moment." The receptionist checked her computer.

"Mrs. Fiore, Doctor Michaels is waiting for you. You would need to take the elevator to the 4th floor. She is in room 414."

"Thank you." Cris and I know the drill, so we made our way to the elevator, then pressed the 4th-floor button.

Once on the 4th floor, we walked to room 414.

"Doctor Michaels?"

"Come on in. I have a gown for you right on the bed. I'll give you a few minutes to change." Doctor Michaels left the room and I changed into my gown, then laid down on the bed. Cris went to tell Doctor Michaels that I am ready.

Doctor Michaels entered the room, washed her hands, and placed gloves on them. Then, she took a tube of the cold gel out and placed some of it on my belly.

"Okay, for this visit we can see how many babies you are expecting."

If I am pregnant with twins again, I am going to pass out on this bed. We have been managing well Día, Rocco, Kekoa, and Isabella. If it is twins, then so be it.

I saw the look of surprise on Doctor Michael's face. "Mr. & Mrs. Fiore looks like you are going to have twice the bundle of joy again. You are expecting twins."

Cris and I looked at the monitor, looked at each other, then passed out at the same time.

~~~~~~~

"Mrs. Fiore, are you okay now? You passed out for about 20 minutes there."

"I'm fine, Doctor Michaels. Sorry about that. I was just in shock that you said twins again."

"Honey, that's okay. Your husband is resting on the other bed. I had a couple of nurses come in to help him on the bed. I have your sonogram right on the stand with your purse. And, your due date for your twins is June 19th, 2021. Now, looking at the calendar, the week of January 25th, we can see the gender of your twins through ultrasound. However, we can do a noninvasive prenatal test on December 9th to see what your twins are."

"What is a noninvasive prenatal test and what would be the procedure?"

"The NIPT or noninvasive prenatal testing is a blood test for mom-to-be and it can be done throughout pregnancy starting from as early as the 9th week of the pregnancy. The test checks for the presence or absence of the Y-chromosome. If the Y chromosome is present then the baby's sex is a boy, otherwise, it's a girl. However, the main reason to do this test is to check the baby's risk of chromosomal abnormalities. If any abnormalities are discovered, we would need to do additional testing to confirm the abnormalities."

We both noticed that Cris was waking up from the bed next to me. "What happened?"

"We both heard the word twins and passed out. Two nurses came in and carried you from off the ground to the bed. Would you like to know what the twins will be? Doctor Michaels will explain."

Doctor Michaels explained the dates and procedure for the noninvasive prenatal testing to Cris. He listened intently. "What would you like to do, Kamea?"

"Come back December 9th so we can get an early start on the twins' names and bedrooms."

"Okay. Kamea, you can get changed now. That will be all for today. I'll let you change and go get an appointment card for December 9th." Doctor Michaels left the room and I changed back into my clothes.

"Another set of twins? Wait until we tell everybody this news, especially Marco."

Doctor Michaels entered the room again. "Here is your appointment card and I will see you both on December 9th. Enjoy the rest of your day."

"Thank you, Doctor Michaels."

"Well, let's go home and tell everyone the news."

Cris and I left the room, walked towards the elevators to go back down to the lobby.

Once in the lobby, we made our way to his Range Rover to drive home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When we pulled up into the driveway, I found myself looking at the remains of the house next door. I still can't believe he lived right next door to us.

"I just thought of something. Can we buy the land next to us, and turn it into something positive, maybe like a park for just for our neighborhood, or a community flower garden?"

"That would be a great idea. I'll call the number on the posted sign over there."

"Thank you, handsome."

We then walked hand in hand in the house. My dad should be coming home soon with Día and Rocco. I'll call Bliss and Shane to see if they can come over for dinner tonight. That way we can tell everyone the news.

We heard squealing kids in the living room, so that is where we went. Devin, Kekoa, and Isabella were sitting quietly on the couch, watching television with their Nonna.

"Hey, you two, how was the appointment?"

"Boy, do we have a surprise for you. I'm going to call Bliss to see if they can come for dinner. And, Marco too. I am pregnant with twins again."

Isabela started smirking before she said, "Well, well, well - another set of twins. You two have been quite busy there. I promise not to say anything before dinner."

"Thanks."

I went into the kitchen to fix lunch for everyone. Since all of the kids like peanut butter and jelly, that is what I fixed. For me, uh fixed some leftovers - salad, lasagna, and a piece of garlic bread. Perfect timing because I hear little feet running in the house.

Now, the little feet are coming this way. "Mommy!" It was cute, a trail of little ones coming my way - Día and Rocco were first, then Devin, Kekoa, and Isabella. Just think, our house will have two more babies. I don't care how many we have, I love kids. I always wanted a big family, and it looks like it is happening.

"Hi, kiddos. Lunch is on the table." I put Kekoa and Isabella in their high chairs. Once the kids were settled with lunch, I called Bliss first.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kam to Bliss: "Hey sis, I have a question for you. Are you and Shane free for dinner tonight?"

Bliss to Kam: "Yes, we are. What should I bring? And, you know I am going to bring something even if you say nothing."

Kam to Bliss: "Okay. Can you make rice and peas? Or some of the plantains? The kids love your rice and peas."

Bliss to Kam: "I can make both. What time should we come over?"

Kam to Bliss: "Come over at 6:00 pm."

Bliss to Kam: "Okay. We will see you then."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I called Marco too. They are coming over as well. I still don't feel safe going anywhere by myself. "Cris or daddy, can either one of you go to the grocery store with me?"

"Cris you go ahead. I want to spend time with the kids."

"Thanks."

As I walked past Cris, I could smell alcohol on him. Now, I know he better not be drinking. It's too early in the day for that. I'm going to question him on it when we get in my truck. I'm driving this time.

I grabbed my Range Rover keys and went to the truck. Shortly after, Cris came out of the house and got in the passenger seat. Then, I pulled off towards the market.

Within 5 minutes of the drive, I asked Cris, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Why did you ask that?"

"Because when I walked past you in the kitchen, I smelled wine. How many glasses did you have? I may not be a Dietician anymore, but when it comes to you and me I need to keep us in check."

"I had two glasses."

"Cris, be honest with me. Did you drink when I was kidnapped and how much?"

He sighed, and that told me he had too much.

"I can't even count. I didn't drink in front of the kids."

"Listen, I know you were stressed out, but you and I need to watch our sugar intake as well as alcohol. And, then hearing that I am pregnant with twins again probably added more stress. But, Día, Rocco, Devin, Kekoa, Isabella, and I need you. Our now conceived twins need you. Promise me you will stop the increased drinking?"

"I promise, Kamea."

"Good." We stopped at a traffic light, so I leaned over and gave my hubby a sweet kiss. Once the light changed, we drove to the grocery store for food for dinner.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

6:00 pm

"Thank you Bliss, Shane, Marco, and Noeli for coming. We figured it would be best to tell you all at the same time. I already told Layla over the phone. Congratulations. You all will be aunts and uncles to another set of twins."

They all started choking on their water, except Marco. "Marco, remember kids are present before speaking."

"Dang, Cris you have some powerful swimmers there."

My dad sighed, "Seriously, Marco? Swimmers?"

Antonio and Isabela chuckled. I squeezed Cris's hand.

"Congratulations, Kam and Cris. Just let us know when Aunt Bliss and Uncle Shane need to babysit."

"Thank you, Shane."

"Sorry about that, bro. Congratulations. This news is just what we all needed, especially after what happened. Uncle Marco and Aunt Noel will babysit too."

"Thanks, Marco."

"Mommy, can I have some more of the fried bananas?" Rocco asked.

"Yes, you can sweetie." He passed me his plate, and I gave him some more plantains. I gave Devin a few more too. He likes to copy what Rocco does.

"Kam, when are you due?" Bliss asked.

"June 19th. No way I am going to miss the wedding of the year. I am going to waddle down that aisle. I can't wait to see your dress and Shane's facial expression. I already know it is going to be fierce."

"If you feel tired, let me know. I don't want you to jeopardize the twins or yourself."

"Girl, I am going to make sure I am well rested before your wedding."

"Adrian scheduled dress shopping for us in January. She is flying to Miami, along with Carly, Andrea, Nina, and Tati. I spoke with Janiyah and wanted her to be a part of the wedding too. She has helped me so much by being the accountant for my business. So, she is going to fly down too. Layla is not sure if she will make it."

"I'll be there." I made a sugar-free Hawaiian poke cake. So, I went to grab it and cut everyone a slice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After dinner, Cris and I gave the kids their baths and put them to bed for the night. We then went to join Bliss, Shane, and my dad.

"We are going to head out too. Congratulations, you two. And, thanks again for dinner." We gave Bliss and Shane a hug and walked them to their truck. I am so glad they live with us in Miami. Now, if only we can get Layla and Ryan down here. But, that is going to be difficult.

"I'm going to leave too, Kami and Cris. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, daddy." My dad got in his truck and left too. Cris and I went back inside.

When I looked at the clock, it was just 9:00 pm. So, we cuddled and watched television, but eventually fell asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tuesday, December 1st, 2020

Cris' POV

After taking the kids to school, I came back home. Kamea, Devin, and the baby twins were watching television. So, I joined them.

While sitting and watching television together, we heard a knock on the door. I peeked through the peephole and saw a man that looked like a lawyer. So, I opened the door. I wonder what this is about.

"Excuse me but are you, Mr. Cristiano Fiore?"

"Yes, I am. How can I help you?"

"My name is Mr. John Johnson, the lawyer for Chase Dalton's estate."

"Come in." Kamea and I both had the same look on our faces, "What in the world did Chase do?" He is dead and still bothering us.

"Before Mr. Dalton's untimely death, he changed his will. Here is the will and what he left for you."

His death was timely if you asked me. In a surprise move, I was totally shocked that Chase left his companies to me in his will. It is almost like he knew he was going to die. He also owned Soft Seaside Resort & Spas, which are located around the world. I had no clue that he owned that. He was wealthier than anybody thought. He even included a note that read:

"Cris, I know it was my fault that our friendship ended. You were really the only friend I had until I took Miranda from you. It all boiled down to jealousy - I was jealous of everything you had, from Miranda to your wife. I let that jealousy consume me. I even built the same businesses that you had. You were always successful, and I wanted that same success for myself. I left you my businesses because I know you will take care of them. I'm sorry for all the heartache and pain I caused you and your family. I don't ever expect your forgiveness or for you to feel sorry for me. Please know that I am sorry."

"Mr. Fiore, I have with me the deeds to each property that Mr. Dalton owned, as well as contracts and all the information you would need in this USB device. All you need to do is sign these documents Mr. Dalton had drawn up."

"Cris, I will support you with whatever decision you choose."

"Also, Mr. Dalton left you access to the largest of the bank accounts that he had. Here is the account number and the money available in it."

"Mr. Johnson, I want to put those businesses up for sale and have the money divided in each state to women's shelters. I don't want to associate my name with anything from Chase Dalton. He caused my family too much pain and suffering."

"I'll get started on the paperwork to sell the properties. What would you like me to do with the bank account?"

"I'll think of something for it. Thank you for coming by."

Have a good day, Mr. & Mrs. Fiore." I then walked Mr. Johnson to the front door, and he left the house.

I showed Kamea the amount that was in the bank account. She fainted right on the living room couch. Then, I looked at it. "Holy moly!" This must have been his business account because it has well over 5 billion dollars in it.

I went and took the paperwork into my home office and took my secret stash of wine. I needed a glass after what just happened. Make it two glasses. I made sure to drink some water after the wine. Then went back to the living room.

Kamea was now sitting up on the couch. I made sure to not walk near her so she wouldn't smell the wine.

"Oh my gosh, he was loaded. But, he was miserable. Money is not a cure-all to happiness. Chase was a handsome guy. He could have had any woman he wanted. Why did he want me so bad?"

"Jealousy. In the letter he wrote to me, he said it was jealousy. He wanted what I had. It consumed him, and it led to his death."

"What are you going to do with the money?"

"I'll think of something because I sure don't want it."

"The twins will be coming home soon, so I am going to fix lunch." Kamea got up, and her twin, Isabella, followed.

I'm still in shock - Kamea pregnant with twins and Chase willing me his businesses. My mind is boggled. I feel like I am going to lose it.

I was so deep in thought that I didn't hear the kids run in the living room.

"Daddy!!" Día and Rocco hugged me.

"How was school today?"

"We read stories today, daddy," Princess says.

I gave Día and Rocco a high five. "Good job. Mommy is fixing lunch. Let's go to the kitchen."

After picking up Kekoa, we walked into the kitchen. Kamea was fixing grilled cheese sandwiches today.

"What would you like for lunch?" She asked as I put Kekoa in his chair.

"Grill cheese sandwich is fine."

"Okay." After Kamea fixed one for me and one for herself, we both sat at the table with the kids. And, I pictured the additional twins sitting with us. I felt depressed. I know we wanted a big family, now that we have it I am afraid. Afraid I won't be good enough for all of my kids. We are going to have 7 kids before we both turn 30 years old. And, what if she gets low blood pressure again, but this time dies? I can't lose her. I swear I will die with her.

"Cris, are you okay?" Kamea had a worried look on her face.

"Huh? Oh, I was just picturing the new babies sitting with us at the table. We are going to have to buy a custom-built table for both the kitchen and dining room."

"And, probably a bigger refrigerator and stove. But, we'll manage. Don't worry, we will be okay," Kamea says while rubbing her belly.

"Yeah, we will be okay. "

I say it, but still not sure about it.

Kam's POV

I need to keep my eye on Cris. He says we will be okay but seems unsure.

"Día and Rocco, can you put everyone's plate in the sink for me please?"

"Yes, mommy." They got up and took the plates off the table and placed them in the sink.

"Let's all go to the playroom. Everyone grab a hand." After taking Kekoa and Isabella out of their seats, I put them down so they can walk. Rocco took Devin's hand. Then, Devin took Kekoa's hand. I then held his hand and Isabella's hand. Isabella held Día's hand and we made our way to the playroom.

Cris disappeared but I can't leave the kids alone to check on him.

"Día and Rocco, do you have homework?"

"We have to read to our mommy and daddy. And, the teacher gave us a paper." The twins ran to the living room to get their school bags. Then, they came back and handed me the papers.

The teacher wanted us to sign the assignment sheet to know that Día and Rocco read a story.

"How about you guys read now?" I grabbed the baby twins and sat them on the couch. Devin sat with them.

Día and Rocco grabbed one of the children's books from the bookshelf. Then, they read their books to us.

The little ones seemed like they were really paying attention to the stories. It was cute.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I heard my dad's voice, calling out for me. "We're in the playroom, dad!" I yelled out and he heard me.

I looked at the clock and saw it was 5:00 pm. The kids all fell asleep with me. "Oh my gosh, time to start fixing dinner. Hi, dad. Can you watch the kids for me while I fix dinner?"

"Of course, Kami."

"Thanks." I kissed my dad on the cheek, then headed towards the kitchen.

I'm making spaghetti tonight, so I used some homemade sauce that Cris made. We had some Italian sausage in the fridge, so I can cook it so it can brown in a frying pan. I am not feeding my family rare meat.

I have not seen Cris since lunch. After the sausage was done, I cut it into small pieces and put them in the sauce. I placed the sauce pot on low heat so I can look for my husband.

The first place I checked was outside to see if he was still home. And, he was. So, I peeked in every room on the first floor. Nothing. The last room I checked was his office.

The door was closed, so I knocked, then opened it.

"Cris!!" He was laying on the floor, passed out! I saw a wine bottle sitting on his desk, empty! I dialed the emergency number.

"848, what's your emergency?"

"Please hurry! My husband is passed out!!"

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Thank you for reading chapter 65.

And, thank you for your comments and votes. 😘😘