#(tal)

You absolutely loved the difference in the personalities of your twins.

In fact, for being twin girls they had both managed to have always found a way to unintentionally distinguish themselves apart from the time they both came shining from your womb on June 3rd as the pair of Gemini twins that your Gemini husband had so desperately wanted.

Each having their own unique glow about them.

Your eldest by five minutes and twenty six seconds, Tiana Michelle Richmond, was almost every bit of your husband not only in face, but in spirit and personality. The quieter and more reserved of the two, she was everything positive Terry had hoped for his girls to gain from him. Polite, mannerable, sweet, perceptive as hell at her young age, but most of all disciplined in a way that he’d seen grown men unable to reach. With a big heart and an abundance of gentle kindness for anyone she encountered, she was your “moon child”. Her glow was soft but still strong enough to illuminate and beguile all those who meet the teensy human.

On other hand your second, Edith Denver Richmond, was the fire cracker of a child that you just knew was your reckoning in life for how you treated your poor mother in your adolescence. And while she may have also stolen her Daddy’s face along with her sister, this one had been sure to rob you of your personality on her way out.                                                                                                                                       

She was hard headed, stubborn, tempered, but most of all, she possessed a smart mouth that had been known to challenge yours since the time of her sassy babbling as an infant. 

And while you were to blame for some of her more…rougher characteristics, you believed there were others she’d also inherited from you like your determination, strong will, and that famed Dubois family charm. All of which paired well with the strength, charisma, and fascination to learn she’d gotten from her father. Always outspoken and the loudest in the room at her tiny size, your sunshine girl was perfect.

Thus, creating two very different little girls, who together, kept you and your husband on your toes since the moment they arrived. 

“ C’mon, baby girl. Give Daddy a smile.” Terry cooed at the three month old twins, both laid out on the special blanket reserved for their monthly milestone pictures. Each dressed in a cute ruffled navy jumper and matching bows.

You watched as your husband, all 6 '4 and 248 pounds of him, was at the mercy of two small 13 pound babies. With one giggling and smiling in appreciation of her father’s antics, while the other just blankly stared. Clearly unamused, with a small scowl resting on her face.

“ There’s a smile. Show off them’ gums, girl. Pretty mama.” He cooed at Tiana, snapping a few pictures before turning his attention to Edith who still refused to smile.

“ C’mon now, Tiny. Please. Smile for Daddy. C’mon sugarfoot. Smile.” He reached down to grab and playfully tug at her little feet, only to result in a half a grunt and her pulling her foot from his grasp just as quick as he got it.

You laughed watching an identical frown appear on his face at the stubbornness of his daughter, “ Really Edith Denver. That’s how you gone do your pops? Hmm? The same man who slips you extra tiddy milk when your mama won’t give up the tap.” 

It was your turn to frown now, “ Uh excuse me, who do you–” 

Quickly he silenced you with a plea, “ Hold on, mama. I can only handle one attitude filled Richmond lady at a time. Now back to you, little girl.” He turned. 

Frustrated he groaned, “ Look ya’ mama is rich and ya’ daddy is good looking. Now smile, baby. Please.” 

Curiously you looked on at the frustrated giant, unsure if his phrasing of the famous line was correct, “ Poppa, I think you said it backwards.” You giggle, watching your husband’s animated movements that made your eldest squeal in glee. “ I think I’m the one who's pretty and your suppose to be rich.” 

“ Nahh.” He held up the camera in one hand, the other waving Edith's favorite stuffed lion around, “ I said it the right way, Miss two time funeral director of the year. I know you sitting on all that cash, under all dat’ ass. Business is booming.”  He wiggled his eyebrows at you. 

“ Terry.” You blushed, chiding his language, “ Don’t talk like that in front of them, babe.” 

“ Girl, please. How you think they got here? .” He smirked, “ Besides they’ve definitely heard worse from both of us while they were in utero. You remember the Denver trip? How this little mean gnome here got her middle name and why?”

Vivid memories of yours and Terry’s unexpected lover’s getaway to Denver, Colorado had flashed in your mind. It had been a wild couple of days of fun skiing, food tasting, and absolutely filthy sex all of which unknowingly resulted in you getting pregnant.

" You damn near flooded our hotel room, girl. Never had I ever had to pay a cleanin' fee at a hotel until I married your freaky self."

Almost immediately you went into a defense, “ Hey! Ain’t nobody tell you to do all that to me, sicko! Poor cleaning lady had to wipe it off the walls, all because you wouldn’t listen and let up. How was I supposed to know I could do that?! I barely could control my legs let alone that!” You recalled your rather...explosive reaction... to certain tricks your husband had pulled that night.

“ Aye’ I never heard the magic word. So I proceeded to do my thing, and I’m glad I did cause that’s the day I learned how to turn on that there firehose you got on you. Damn sure put out my fire that night, and I LOVED IT.” He goofed, licking his lips in an exaggerated manner and blowing you a kiss.

“ Here’s the proof.” He pointed to your two oblivious babies who babbled away, eyes darting and exploring the room, “ Aren’t they cute? Daddy’s babies.” He cooed, “ Turned y’all mama every which way but loose for three days to get y'all here. But hey. I got ya’. Even if it meant leaving a tip as big as a piece of cabbage cause y'all mama wanted to play fire woman that one night.” 

An audible gasp of horror overpowered the sound of your husband’s deep laughter at your expression, since you couldn’t believe was speaking this way in front of your angels, “ Terrance Richmond.” You groaned, half laughing as you picked up a decorative pillow, hitting your husband’s bareback with it. “ Excuse you, meathead. But don’t be acting like it was all me Mr. “ oh yeah, baby. Don’t hold back. Let me feel it. Let me feel you get wet for me.” 

“ I know what I said, woman.” He laughed, moving to poke and attempt to tickle your sides, “ But what I didn’t say was to hose me down, mama.” 

“ OH MY—Ugh!”  The two of you laughed and joked as you continued your playful assault on your husband until not one…but two tiny giggles accompanied yours and his laughter.

Looking down you were surprised to see the wide and drool riddled smile on Edith’s face as she practically burst her gut laughing along with her sister, who too found amusement in their father’s fluffy misfortune. 

Immediately Terry's eyes narrowed something silly as he reached to scoop up the giggly baby, “ So that’s it, huh Miss Denver. That’s the winning ticket to get you to smile. To watch Daddy be mistreated by Mama.” 

“ Boy, ain't nobody mistreating you. If anything you're the one out here embarrassing me, telling our children about how they were made. What’s wrong witchu’.” You laughed.

“ Boy?” His head snapped your direction, eyebrows raised in a clear signal to allow you to ‘ try that shit again’. 

His eyes danced with glimmers of the same mischief that had gotten you in this position of folding endless piles of baby garments in the first place, “ Nobody is mistreating you, sir.” You corrected yourself.

“ Better.” He acknowledged, “ But don’t worry, my love. They won’t remember this.” A hand came to rub you on your back, “ Besides, I’m proud of what we did that night in that hotel room. It was a big milestone in our relationship and unknowingly the start of something so absolutely beautiful for us.” He said, placing his daughter back next to her sister and being absolutely mesmerized by the image of your two gorgeous and healthy girls laying and kicking their chunky legs around before him.

You smiled, joining in on the admiration of what your love for one another had created. It had been a long and bumpy road to get them here, but all the baby scrunches, little yawns, and first smiles had all been worth it, just like you knew being able to raise them would be worth more than anything you could have ever imagined. 

“ It was, wasn't it, Poppa.” You sighed, moving over more so you could find your way into his lap, he welcomed you, arms receiving your body into his embrace.

“ Of course.” He pecked your neck, “ Just the same way the next set will be an even bigger milestone for us after we take that trip to Peru this summer.” 

Immediately your eyes bugged out of your head as you began trying to wiggle and shift your way out of his grasp, “ Dear, Lord. He’s lost his mind. Terrance I am not giving you another set of twins?! Are you insane?!” 

You turned your head to look at the way he was biting on his lip, head leaning to nuzzle into your neck, “ They’ll need brothers…or more sisters.” 

“ Plus I’m trying to see what that thang’ do when I give you this hot five alarm kinda love on a balcony somewhere.” He said, “ Imma’ need it on full blast and ready for duty.”