JAY-JAY POV
The next day I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open. The triplets hadn't let me or Keifer sleep — waking us up one after another like they had rehearsed it. My body felt heavy, my head foggy, and all I wanted was to stay curled up in bed.
"Ate, Section E is here," Keiran said, peeking into the room.
I groaned. "Tell them to come to my room. I'm too tired to go downstairs."
Within minutes, the door burst open and chaos followed.
David was the first one to speak, smirking as he leaned against the wall "Jay, Keifer… did you sleep at all last night?"
I shot him a glare, my voice hoarse. "Do I look like I slept?"
Ci‑n, of course, never let a chance to tease me. "You look like a zombie… and not the cute kind."
The room erupted in laughter.
"Harsh, Ci‑n," David said, shaking his head, though his smile betrayed him.
And they were teasing me and Keifer, their voices overlapping in jokes and laughter, when suddenly one of the kids started crying.
The room went quiet instantly.
"Why are they crying?" Ci‑n asked, his smirk fading into a worried look.
"Are they hungry?" Edrix guessed, leaning forward.
Keifer shook his head. "No, they just had milk."
I sighed, already too tired to guess. "Check."
Keifer nodded and went to the crib. A moment later, his voice rang out, sharp and urgent. "JAY!"
My heart jumped, and I scrambled out of bed. "What happened?" I asked, rushing toward him.
He turned to me, his face twisted between horror and disbelief. "They pooped."
The room exploded.
CI-n fell to the floor laughing. "Operation Chaos: Poop Edition!"
"Keif, change them," I said, already crawling back into bed, my body begging for rest.
"Why me?" he asked, his voice half‑whining, half‑pleading as he stood frozen by the crib.
I buried my face in the pillow, trying to find more excuses. "Because you're the father… and I'm too tired."
Keifer groaned loudly, dragging a hand down his face. "That's not fair. I carried you through the hospital, I stayed up all night, and now I'm on diaper duty too?"
I peeked at him from under the blanket, smirking despite my exhaustion. "Exactly. You're the father. This is your job description."
He muttered something under his breath, too low for me to catch, and went to pick up the kids one by one, determined to change them.
But while changing Kade, disaster struck.
A sudden stream shot out, catching Keifer right across his shirt. He froze, eyes wide, mouth hanging open in shock.
"Are you kidding me?!" he shouted, staring down at the mess.
Ci-n doubled over, clutching his stomach. "Keifer, you just got baptized by your own son!"
Felix fell to the floor, howling. "Kade's already a prankster! He's got perfect aim!"
David tried to hide his smile but failed. "Well… at least he's healthy."
Edrix smirked. "That's karma, Keifer. You complained about diaper duty, and now look."
Keifer groaned, grabbing a towel and glaring at me. "Jay, this is not funny!"
I laughed so hard my sides hurt, even through my exhaustion. "It's hilarious. Welcome to fatherhood, Keif."
He shook his head, muttering again as he cleaned up, while Kade cooed innocently, as if proud of his little stunt.
And in that moment — with Section E's laughter echoing, Keifer sulking, and Kade smirking in his sleep — I realized: chaos wasn't just part of our lives now. It was our lives.
After some time, Section E finally left, their laughter and teasing fading down the hallway. The room felt strangely quiet without their chaos, almost too quiet.
It was just me, Keifer, and the kids now.
The triplets weren't in their crib anymore — instead, they were sprawled across the bed between us, tiny bodies curled into blankets, their soft breaths filling the silence. Kevin's hand rested against Keifer's chest, Kade's head nestled against my arm, and Kiara had somehow claimed the middle, her little legs kicking in her sleep as if she owned the space.
Keifer lay back beside me, his eyes fixed on them, a tired smile tugging at his lips. "They don't even want the crib anymore," he whispered.
I chuckled softly, brushing a strand of hair from Kiara's forehead. "Of course not. They want us. They always want us."
For a moment, we just watched them looking at us.
Kevin's wide eyes blinked slowly, curious and calm, as if he was trying to memorize our faces.
Kade's little smile tugged at his lips, his hand reaching out toward Keifer's shirt like he wanted to hold on forever.
And Kiara — bold even in her tiny frame — stared straight at me, her gaze sharp and unyielding, as if she already knew she was the boss of this family.
Keifer chuckled softly, leaning closer to whisper, "They're studying us. Like we're the strange ones."
I laughed, brushing my fingers gently across Kiara's cheek. "Maybe we are. We're the ones who look tired all the time."
I picked up Kade and Kevin, their warm little bodies settling against me, while Keifer scooped Kiara into his arms.
"Why are you looking at Mama like a stranger?" I asked softly, gazing down at Kevin and Kade. Their wide eyes blinked up at me, curious and unblinking, as if they were studying every detail of my face.
Keifer chuckled, bouncing Kiara gently. "Maybe they're just surprised you're still awake. They're used to seeing you half‑asleep."
I rolled my eyes, kissing Kade's forehead. "Don't listen to Daddy. Mama's always here."
Kevin reached out, his tiny fingers brushing against my cheek, and Kade let out a small giggle, as if answering me without words.
Keifer leaned closer, smiling at the sight. "See? They don't think you're a stranger. They're just memorizing you… making sure they never forget."
I felt my chest ache in the best way, tears pricking my eyes. "Then let them look. I want them to know me forever."
The triplets stared at us with those innocent, trusting eyes, and in that moment, I realized: even in their silence, they were speaking — telling us we were theirs, and they were ours.