The Twelve Tables Ch. 19

"Ya drink like a fish," Manuel accused Constantine picking up the empty bottle. "Let's go back to the bar where we won't run out in a hurry," he said giving Vincenzo a cheeky grin.

"You don't have to ask me twice," Constantine responded, and the two men led the others back out into the entertainment lounge.

"Well played," Vincenzo murmured to Joseph as the others began to move back into the comfortable lounge. "I wondered how you were going to get that to play out. I doubt Dante would have been anyone's f irst choice for Oracle. I expect there is more going on between the three of them than even I know," he said his voice rising at the end of his comment as if it was a question.

"We have reason to be cautiously optimistic," Joseph gave a sly smile. "As always the mother of the table is the key to everything."

*****

Peri smiled as her phone buzzed softly below her pillow. She never minded getting up during the night for her babies, and she wanted to feed them as much as she could on her own. She'd managed over the weeks since bringing the babies home to begin expressing enough milk to be able to sleep through the night and have the nannies feed them, but she liked to do it herself. She slid from the bed trying not to wake Josh, who had been working hard going into work at dawn so he could be home during the evenings when the babies seemed most alert and happy.

"Do you want me to come?" he murmured as she pulled a light robe around her to ward off the small chill of getting out of a warm bed.

"No get some sleep, I like the quiet night time feeds," she said softly leaning over to kiss his cheek realising he was not truly awake.

She walked through the short corridor to the dimly lit nursery where Madeline stood holding Blaze. The nannies took shifts during the night, but the babies were good and tended to sleep well, and seemed content to wait their turn when they began to wake to be changed and fed.

"Blaze is always hungry," Madeline said softly. The doe-eyed girl's gentle nature endeared her to Peri, who smiled.

"It seems so, but I don't mind. I love his chubby little cheeks," she held out her hands for her son. "Hello my handsome boy," she whispered stroking his cheek. "Are you hungry already?" She asked rhetorically taking a seat in the cushion rocker she used for feeding during the evenings. Peri began feeding Blaze and Madeline picked up Cruze and went to the change table. The middle of night feeds seemed eerily quiet; even the babies seemed to cry softly in the dim light.

The babies had easily adapted to the four-hour routine starting at six each morning and going through ten, two and then starting all over again at six in the evening. Pete and Dr Bliss had come to do the babies weekly check-ups and were pleased with the amount of weight each had gained. Eden continued to lag behind the boys as she lost a good deal more of her birth weight in the first few days in the hospital. At two weeks she was almost back to her birth weight while the boys continued to make gains, Blaze more so than Cruze. They were happy and healthy babies and she was enjoying every moment of motherhood.

"I'll take him," Peri said softly, "Can you give Eden a small bottle and I will feed her first next time?"

"I'd like that, Peri. Thank you," Madeline arranged Cruze onto the feeding pillow for Peri and went to pick up Eden. Bridgette had become territorial with Eden and the other two younger girls rarely had the opportunity to change or feed her. Madeline was enchanted with Eden and her small pixie like face, and she hurried over to the crib that held the squirming, pink bundle. "Hello princess," Madeline whispered lifting her up to cradle her against her body.

Peri looked down at her sons, all her worries about recognising them and loving them immediately had been unfounded. Her heart burst every moment she held them knowing that she had created these little human beings within her body. Josh was a proud father who seemed to revel in his instant family. He got up before her in the morning and dressed for work before going into the nursery and waiting for the babies to wake so he could spend some precious time with them and feed one or possibly two before he left for the day. It was the one time of day when her phone didn't buzz to wake her and Josh would bring in the still hungry baby for her to feed in bed. While they talked for a few minutes before his left to start his day.

Peri went back to bed after the babies were settled again, sliding in and snuggling up next to Josh. She couldn't imagine being any happier with life than she was at that time. She only had one niggling worry which for the most part she chose to ignore. She'd had several dreams about Dante since having the babies and the morning after them she found it hard to look at him over breakfast which they always shared together.

Josh and Dante seemed to have bonded even closer because of the shared experience of bringing the babies into the world. Peri tried to tell herself that the dreams had come from that bonding. It was as if she had two husbands now and although she lacked the sexual intimacy with Dante it seemed they were intimate in a different way. He had seen her at her worst and most emotional and yet had nothing but love for her. She just had to convince herself of that and the dreams would subside she decided.

She could talk to him about anything and everything, and he often asked about how the details of how she was recovering and the state of her breasts. She was a little embarrassed at first but as he pointed out he had been there and seen her as she gave birth, so after that she had nothing to be embarrassed about with him. She tried to rationalise the dreams and her feelings for him from that perspective, but it wasn't always so easy.

Peri woke as Josh kissed her forehead and lay Eden on the bed beside her as he sat on the edge of the large bed. She sat up, and he helped her prop up the pillows behind her back. Picking up her little girl, she smiled softly and looked up at Josh. "We make the most beautiful babies."

"Good morning sweetheart. Did that big bad Papa wake you up?" she crooned as she opened her wrap around nightshirt and offered the nipple to the baby's open mouth.

"As if I would do that," Josh chuckled guiltily. "I've got to go in early this morning. D. and I are going to meet with Papa and Andreas this afternoon so I will be home around lunchtime," he said softly watching her nurse his daughter.

"They're coming here?" she looked up at him.

"Andreas will use any excuse to come and see the babies; I wouldn't be surprised if Marisol and Mama are with them as well," he mused. "It's not a problem is it?"

"No, of course not," she said quickly, "You could have told me last night," she said with a slight complaint.

"Why what would you have done differently last night if you knew earlier?" Josh was amused by her comment.

"I guess I wouldn't have, but that's not the point. You and Dante seem to be running rings around me lately, and I feel right out of the loop," she tried to explain how she was feeling.

"You have three little people to look after now and a house full of new staff, we are just trying to lighten the load a bit," Josh held her hand. "You're the most important person in this whole house, everyone who visits comes to see you, not me or D. and if we didn't treat you like the queen of the castle, there would be something wrong. Plus, Mama would probably skin us alive."

"When did you become we?" she asked carefully. "I knew you were a close family, but I suddenly feel like I have two husbands or something like that."

"Is that such a bad thing? He needs us, he's been lost without Lio, and we have become his anchor, his surrogate," Josh said seriously. "He's shared one of the most important days of our lives, more than one if we include the wedding. I'm not asking you to sleep with him," Josh chuckled misreading the strange expression that came over her face as he said the words. "We've talked about this. I thought you agreed that he should be part of our family."

"I did, I mean I do, think that," she shook her head slightly. "It just seems like you are becoming interchangeable lately and it's taking some getting used to," she admitted.

"For you and me both but I feel better knowing he's here, especially when I can't be," Josh said. "You're mine, and I admit that normally I'm not good at sharing," he grinned. "It's different with D. though. He doesn't push or cross any lines, he just takes what we give him without crossing any lines. I'm happy he is here and we," he stressed the word, "are a family. He loves us, and he is possibly the one person I trust to look after you and the babies the way I do."

"I understand," Peri said and lifted her free hand to his cheek in the familiar gesture of love. "Thank you for telling me that. I trust him with the most precious things in my life, too," she looked down at Eden, who continued to nurse happily.

"I have to get going we can talk more about this tonight, with him if you like," Josh offered before kissing her and dropping a kiss on Eden's little cheek. I'll see you at lunch time my beautiful girl's"

"Have a good day, we'll be here waiting for you," she said softly watching him stand and smooth out his pants.

"Have a good morning. I love you," he said turning and walking from the room.

Peri finished feeding Eden and got up from the bed to return her to the nursery and say good morning to her boys.

"Their Papa wore them out with a big playtime this morning," Heather the second of the nannies whispered as she entered with Eden.

"That's okay I will have my playtime with them at the next feed," Peri whispered back and placed Eden in her crib patting her gently until she was sure she was settled and asleep once again. "I need to get a few things done this morning anyway, so this will give me more time."

Peri took some time to express and fill up the extra bottles needed for her hungry babies after not having to feed the boys this morning, then went to have a shower. She let herself enjoy a long shower pampering herself with the myriad of products she had been given as a new mother. The girdle from Dr Bellino had helped greatly, but she hated that her belly still felt so spongey, and the stretched out skin puckered in places. She needed to be more routine with her visits to the gym room Josh had built in the cellar. She knew that she needed to be doing more pelvic floor exercises at the very least.

Peri walked out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel to find Dante in her room. She let out a squeak of surprise as she saw him lounging on her bed looking at his phone.

"I missed you at breakfast and thought you may not be feeling your usual energetic self this morning so I brought you breakfast in bed," Dante grinned at her. "Except you are no longer in bed," he said plaintively.

"No, you're in my bed," she laughed and shook her head. "If you let me get dressed I will come out for breakfast in a little while. I need to dry my hair and try and look halfway decent if we are having visitors this afternoon."

"You always look great," he scoffed. "Motherhood suits you."

"Have you had your eyes checked recently," she raised an eyebrow at him. "I still look six months pregnant," she exaggerated, but her belly still seemed swollen to her. She walked through into the wardrobe out of his sight and pulled on some underwear and the girdle Dr Bellino had prescribed before picking up one of the firm fitting maternity bras.

"Want any help in there?" Dante called out with a chuckle.

"No, I've been managing to dress myself for a few years now, thanks anyway," she called back. Choosing a loose fitting skirt and one of the cross over blouses Andie had found her, that were so easy to breastfeed in, she quickly dressed. Then walked back into the room towelling her hair dry.

"Eat something," he encouraged as she brushed out the tangles in her wet hair.

"Fine," she said picking up a bowl of muesli and yogurt, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I think you have all forgotten I am a grown-up too and can look after myself."

"You're so cute when you pout, now eat your breakfast like a good girl," he chuckled. He sat up helping himself to a piece of cold toast as she ate. "I think I will go and check if my baby is awake enough for a cuddle before I go into work."

"Blaze is not your baby," Peri laughed. "The other two are going to think you don't like them at all if you keep this up."

"You forget Carlo won Josh's first born son in a bet years ago, so I have to claim Blaze before Ben gets his hands on him. You can keep Eden, it's not like you don't have a few babies to spare after all," he said as if it was perfectly reasonable logic.

"You and your brothers are going to drive me insane long before my boys do. Thank goodness I had a girl to even it all out," she sighed dramatically.

"See it all works out. I don't know what you're complaining about," he chuckled and walked down the small corridor to the nursery.

Peri shook her head and finished her breakfast inspecting the ends of her hair. She wondered if Andie knew a hairdresser that would come to her home all the way out here. She still wasn't ready to leave the babies with their nannies and go out for the morning. She was content being at home and being at their beck and call. She blow-dried her hair, brushing it out as straight as she could, before pulling it up into a loose ponytail so it sat softly around her face.

"Well, this is as good as it gets," she said to her reflection and pulled a face.

*****

"Zio!" Josh greeted his Uncle Constantine with a warm embrace. "It feels like years since I have seen you."

"Triplets how could I not come and see such a miracle," Constantine said loudly in cheerful tones returning the embrace.

"If we waited for an invitation we'd never see them," Manuel pushed through the door past the two men grumbling in his usual gruff way. "Dan, go and tell that little Mama we are here to inspect her handiwork," he grouched at the stunned Dante, who was embracing Constantine.

"Yeah, we'll bring them out to the living room," Dante seemed to recover himself enough to realise that this many visitors would be too much of a crowd for the nursery.

Josh stood back greeting each of his five uncles as they followed his father through the door feeling like he had just been ambushed. "Better go and tell Bridgette to do her loaves and fishes trick," Josh quietly instructed the house maid who stood near the door collecting jackets as the men entered.

"Yes, Sir," she gave a small curtsey and hurried off after resting the jackets on the entrance sideboard carefully.

Dante had gone the opposite direction in search of Peri knowing he would find her in the nursery, She had known Joseph and Andreas we coming and that the babies would need to be changed and ready, but to have the full table of men here was different, and he wasn't sure how to explain how momentous it was to have them all in one room at the same time.

"Peri, you remember when you researched the current table of Donati's," Dante asked without preamble.

"You and your brothers were not exactly research," she laughed.

"No the current table," Dante said with an urgency in his voice that made her look up from the baby she held in her arms.

"Yes, your father and his brothers, there are six still living including him," she smiled, "Why what's wrong is there a problem with the research?"

"No but you need to remember all of their names and pictures because they are all in the living room waiting to meet you and the babies," Dante said. "It's a big deal. I can't even remember the last time I saw them all together. Not even at the gathering."

"I'm sure they are just curious about the babies. Triplets seem to get a lot of attention I am finding," Peri gave a soft smile and tickled Blaze's chubby cheek. "Let's not keep them waiting then. Here, you can take your baby," she teased and handed Blaze to his uncle and went to pick up Cruze. "Madeline, could you bring Eden please?"

"Thank you, Ma'am," Madeline said happily and immediately swept the little girl into her arms.

"Once we are settled could you bring in two of the rockers?" Peri considered the nursery. "We may not need them but just in case. She picked up a few small towels for accidents and led the way back to the living room confidently. She was proud of her babies and loved being able to show them off to visitors. She hadn't expected the feel the powerful presence of these men when they all stood as she entered.

"You must be the little Mama I have heard so much about," a man she thought was Charles stepped forward to greet her.

"You have known me for quite some time now Charles, you gave me away at my wedding," she gave a confused laugh as he kissed both her cheeks.

"I'm the better-looking twin, Constantine," he chuckled. "That fat guy over there is Charles," he pointed to his mirror image.

"Gosh, you look identical even at your age. I'm so sorry," she blushed realising what she had said.

"And who is this handsome young man?" he asked taking Cruze from her arms.

"Cruze Joseph," she whispered watching how he held her son and satisfied that Joshua was close by she turned and took Eden from Madeline. "This is Eden Ann and Dante is holding Blaze Emilio."

"Interesting names you have chosen," he smiled and began to sway slightly from side to side as he held the baby.

Peri was introduced to each of the men she had not as yet met, and she smiled at the gruff Manuel embracing him and whispering her thanks once again for the work he had done on her car and asking if he might make sure it could be fitted with three safety belts for the baby's capsules. "I just couldn't trust anyone else," she said sincerely, appealing to his pride.

Andreas and Vincenzo hung back from the others watching as Peri spoke with the others individually, charming each of them in her own way. She listened and discovered something about them that she could engage with before beginning to speak. When she could have bored them all with talk of baby milestones and the joys of motherhood she refrained and made each of her conversations more about them than her new family.

"She's impressive to watch in person like this," Vincenzo said. "I knew she was what we needed but to be proven right is so refreshing."

"You need to get out more," Andreas said dryly. "I guarantee Ben won't be happy being stuck on that barge twenty-four hours a day."

"What he does with the role is his choice," Vincenzo shrugged. "I'm happy to retire on the old girl if Ben doesn't want her."

"I had hoped that Josh would build on my place and take over the winery when I retire. Marisol and I intend to travel eventually," Andreas said.

"We still have a few years yet until they are ready, but it seems closer now than it ever was," Vincenzo murmured, seeing Josh walk toward him with a baby in his arms.

"Have a seat Papa," Andreas moved over so Josh could sit between them.

"Is someone going to tell me why all of you are here together. I'm not stupid enough to think this is a social call anymore," Josh looked directly at Andreas who he believed had always been honest with him.

"What's for lunch?" Andreas asked, "I'm starving how about you Vin?"

"Starving," he agreed. "I've heard this cook is good though so I bet it's worth the wait."

"Give me Princess Eden and go and check on lunch for us," Andreas said with a grin. "She is such a pretty little thing, not like the usual babies who don't get any personality for a couple of months. She's a heartbreaker already."

"You're going to have to tell me eventually," Joshua grumbled.

"I suppose we will eventually," Andreas agreed causing Vincenzo to chuckle. "I bet you're getting hungry too aren't you little one," Andreas spoke to Eden in a crooning tone. "Your Papa is going to find us both some food." Eden stretched and looked up at the man holding her as if recognising the words making him smile.