JAY-JAY POV
"Why do you want to be with your dad?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at Kiara.
"Because I love Papa more than you," she said without hesitation, her little voice bold and dramatic.
I gasped, clutching my chest like she had just betrayed me. "Kiara!"
Keifer smirked, scooping her up and kissing her forehead. "See, Jay? My princess loves me more."
I rolled my eyes at him, though a secret smile tugged at my lips. He was enjoying this way too much.
"It's okay," I said, turning to Kevin and Kade with exaggerated pride. "At least I have my boys with me."
Kevin straightened his back, nodding seriously. "Mama, I'm always with you."
Kade grinned, wrapping his arms around my waist. "Me too, Mama!"
Keifer chuckled, raising a brow. "So what you're saying is... I win one out of three?"
I shook my head, laughing softly. "No, what I'm saying is... you can keep your princess. I've got my princes."
Kiara stomped her foot, her dramatic spark flaring. "Papa and I are the best team!"
Kade giggled, bouncing between us. "No, Mama and us are the best team.
Kevin crossed his arms "I think we're the best"
I raised my hands quickly. "Okay, let's stop before this gets out of control."
The triplets froze, waiting for my verdict.
"So," I said, pointing around the kitchen, "we're making chocolate cake. Me and Kade, Kevin in one team, and Kiara and Keifer in the other."
"Let's start!" I declared.
Instantly, chaos erupted.
Kiara squealed, dragging Keifer toward the counter. "Papa, we're going to win!" she shouted, already pulling out the sugar.
Kevin adjusted his sleeves like a serious little chef. "Mama, I'll make sure our cake is perfect."
Kade grinned, grabbing the flour. "And I'll make sure it's funny!"
Keifer smirked, shaking his head. "This is going to be a disaster."
When we were done baking, the kitchen was a disaster zone. Flour coated the counters, sugar stuck to the floor, and the smell of burnt chocolate filled the air.
"Ma, our cake is brunt," Kade said, pouting as he poked at the charred edges.
"Yeah, ours too," Kiara admitted, wrinkling her nose at the blackened top of her masterpiece.
Keifer crossed his arms, smirking like he had been waiting for this moment. "See? That's why you should always use measurements when you bake."
I shot him a look. "Oh, please. Like you measured anything."
Kiara gasped dramatically, pointing at him. "Papa, you didn't measure?!"
Kevin sighed, his serious little voice cutting through the chaos. "That's why both cakes are ruined. Papa didn't measure, and Mama didn't either."
Kade groaned, flopping onto a chair. "So no cake?"
I laughed, shaking my head. "No cake. Just burnt chocolate."
Kiara stomped her foot. "This is the worst competition ever!"
Keifer chuckled, ruffling her hair. "Or the funniest. Look at this mess."
The triplets all groaned in unison, but then Kade burst out laughing, and soon Kevin and Kiara joined in.
I sighed, smiling despite the chaos. "Well, at least we learned something today."
"Yeah," Kade said between giggles. "That Mama and Papa are bad at baking."
Keifer raised a brow, smirking. "Next time, we're buying the cake."
"Okay, let's go out to eat today," I said.
The triplets' heads shot up instantly, their eyes wide.
"YAY!" Kiara squealed, jumping up and down. "I want chocolate cake! And fries! And... and... maybe pizza too!"
Kevin tugged at my sleeve, his little brows furrowed. "Mama, can we go somewhere with soup? I like soup. And rice. Rice is healthy."
Kade was already running in circles. "I don't care! I just want nuggets! Nuggets, nuggets, nuggets!"
Keifer chuckled, shaking his head. "See, Jay? Three kids, three different menus."
I sighed, smiling despite myself. "Chaos or not, we're all going. And no arguments."
"Okay!" Kiara shouted, already racing to get her shoes. "Shotgun!" Kade yelled, even though we weren't near the car yet. Kevin followed more calmly, muttering, "I'll sit in the middle. I don't want fighting."
Keifer leaned toward me, smirking. "This is going to be loud."
I laughed, watching them scramble. "Loud, messy, and sweet. Just like us."
By the time we reached the restaurant, it was chaos.
Kiara burst through the doors first, twirling like she was on stage. "Papa, look! It's so fancy! Can we sit by the window? No, wait—by the big plant! No, wait—by the fish tank!"
Kade ran right behind her, nearly tripping over his own feet. "Mama, do they have nuggets? I want nuggets! And fries! And nuggets with fries!" He was already bouncing toward the hostess stand like he owned the place.
Kevin, ever the serious one, tugged at my hand. "Mama, we should sit somewhere quiet. Too much noise isn't good when you eat." His little brows furrowed as if he was making a business decision instead of picking a table.
Keifer chuckled, shaking his head. "Jay, we haven't even sat down yet and they're already running the place."
I sighed, smiling despite myself. "Chaos. Pure chaos."
The hostess gave us a polite smile, clearly trying to hide her amusement as Kiara dramatically announced, "We're here for chocolate cake!"
Kade jumped in, shouting, "And nuggets!"
Kevin added calmly, "And soup."
Keifer looked at me, smirking. "So... chocolate cake, nuggets, and soup. That's our order?"
I groaned, covering my face. "This is going to be a long dinner."
We got seated and the kids were bouncing in their chairs, eagerly waiting for their dinner.
The waiter came — young, pretty, probably in her twenties — and she smiled right at Keifer. "Hi, Mr. Handsome," she said sweetly. "What do you want for dinner?"
My blood boiled instantly. I stared at her like I was about to set the whole restaurant on fire.
I turned to Keifer. He looked at me like it was the end of the world. And honestly? For him, it was.
"Ma, why are you looking at the waiter like that?" Kade asked, tilting his head, his little voice full of curiosity.
"Nothing, sweetheart," I said quickly, forcing a smile. "Order what you want."
Kevin leaned forward, serious as always. "Mama, you look mad. Are you mad?"
Kiara, of course, gasped dramatically. "Mama's jealous! Papa, you're in trouble!"
Keifer groaned, burying his face in his hands. "Can we just order food before this turns into a scene?"
Kade giggled, bouncing in his chair. "I want nuggets! And fries! And a milkshake!"
Kevin raised his hand like he was in school. "Soup. Please. And rice."
Kiara twirled her hair, smirking. "Chocolate cake. And maybe pizza. And maybe... more chocolate cake."
The waiter scribbled down their orders, still smiling at Keifer.
Before I could answer, Kiara gasped dramatically, her little hands flying to her mouth. "Mama, are you gonna fight Papa?!"
Kade burst out laughing, bouncing in his chair. "Fight! Fight! Fight!" he chanted, earning a glare from Kevin.
Kevin shook his head, his voice calm but firm. "Stop it. Mama doesn't fight Papa. Mama just wins."
Keifer groaned, covering his face with his hands. "This is exactly what I was afraid of."
I smirked, leaning back in my chair. "Relax, Mr. Handsome. You're safe... for now."
Kiara leaned toward Keifer, whispering loudly enough for everyone to hear. "Papa, Mama looks scary when she's mad."
Kade giggled, pointing at me. "Yeah, she looks like she's gonna throw the cake at you!"
Kevin sighed, folding his arms. "Can we just eat? I'm hungry."
The waiter returned, setting down the plates, clearly amused by the chaos at our table.
And just like that, the tension melted into laughter, the kids turning my glare into another family joke.
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