Stanton Bliss(61)

We live at Willowvale now with Jordy and our other two children. Estella, who we call Ellie, is two and a half, and Blake, our son, is one. We are outnumbered. There are more little people in this house than adults and we don’t stand a chance of getting out of here alive.

The beautiful mansion that I once thought was a museum is now strewn with toys, highchairs and nappy wipes. Joshua’s office has Lego on the floor and tiny little handprints are all over the windows. Ellie waddles after Joshua and holds her hands up. He picks her up without thinking. Ellie is the only placid child we have, and Joshua says she’s the only drama free person in the house. Being attracted and married to a dominant male is hot… but bringing up his two dominant children is just damn hard work. Ellie points to the walk in pantry and Joshua walks over and opens it for her. I watch them together. In fact, I watch him with all of our children. This huge, muscular man is a *cat at the mere mention of the word daddy.

“A banana?” he asks as he holds one up.

She shakes her head. She has sandy hair that curls on the ends, and large blue eyes. She is fairer than the other two “Yogie,” her little voice tells him.

“Yoghurt?” he questions.

She smiles broadly and nods as he takes it from the fridge. He fills her a bowl and sits her in her high chair, placing everything out for her to devour.

He watches her lovingly for a moment as she spoons it into her mouth. This one has him wrapped around her little finger.

Jordy and Blake look like Joshua with darker hair and darker skin and blue eyes. They are like him in personality, too – strong willed and unmanageable. Joshua is getting payback, and I love every moment of watching him try to control them. It’s a battle of the wills, constantly.

The dog barks and we hear the crunch of tyres. Jordy’s eyes widen in excitement and she runs to the front of the house to peek out the window.

“Mercy is here!” she yells excitedly.

Mercy… also known as Murphy, as in Adrian Murphy.

Jordy heard the boys calling him Murphy once and couldn’t say it, so she started calling him Mercy and it stuck. Now the other kids just think that’s his name.

The door opens and Jordy squeals in delight and he picks her up, laughs and spins her around. Cameron is behind him and he growls like a monster, chasing them up the hall as Adrian runs with her in his arm.

“He’s scary.” Adrian laughs. “Hide me, Jordy. Hide me.”

She laughs out loud as Cameron pretends to chase them. Jarvis follows them in, carrying a couple of suit bags. They burst into the large kitchen area. We have extended and now have another living room off the kitchen, seeing how we seem to be here all the time with the kids. Cameron swoops Blake off the floor and kisses Ellie gently on the head as she continues eating her yoghurt. The boys all dote on the children. They come to visit them weekly, not us, I’m sure of it.

Bridget is living in Australia and so is Abbie. Bridget is coming for a visit next week with Mum, not that I’m counting the days or anything. Mum lives between here and Australia. She has met a nice man from the village here who she calls her friend. Cameron is back at University to be a surgeon and Adrian is running the company for Joshua and living in L.A.

Joshua works from home for four days and in the office in L.A. on the other day. I have opened a small psychology practice in town here but I only open two days a week. Birgetta helps Joshua with the kids on those days.

Ben has returned to South Africa after he went and worked with my brother, Brock, for a while. Oh, and get this: Jesten works with my brother. There are five ex Special Forces men working together in his security company named Marx. Pretty cool, hey?

“Did you remember the dresses?” I ask Adrian.

He rolls his eyes. “Yes, that’s the reason we came, isn’t it?”

He puts Jordy down and she runs upstairs while Jarvis retrieves the suit bags for Adrian. I smile broadly and kiss Jarvis on the cheek as I take them from him. He has become so dear to all of us and I am beyond grateful that Joshua brought him into our lives.

Joshua stands behind me, slips his arms around my waist and kisses my temple. I smile against his lips. How did I ever get so lucky? Cameron spins Blake around and he laughs out loud.

“You are growing up, little man.” He smiles broadly.

Blake puts his hands on Cameron’s face and squeals with laughter and then he spots Joshua and all is forgotten in the world. He holds his arms out to him and scrunches his little hands open and closed. Joshua takes him from Cam and kisses the top of his head.

“Dad, Dad, Dad.” He smiles.

Adrian opens the suit bags on the kitchen table.

“So, we have this one.” He pulls out a black dress and Cameron and Joshua roll their eyes at each other. Jarvis smiles and flops onto the lounge.

“This is important!” I snap.

We have opened a charity: The Stanton Mental Health Institute, and we have our first annual ball next week. I’m speaking and I’m as nervous as hell. I have to look amazing. Nicholas is on the committee and we are following his lead from his work in Australia.

He pulls out a black gown.

“Oh, wow.” I smile, and I hold it up to me. “This is gorgeous.”

“It is, isn’t it?” Adrian smiles. “But I think I like the pink one better.”

He starts to unzip the bag but we are interrupted by Jordy.