William's P.O.V

I groaned as I felt a small body nestled against my chest. A little finger poked my nose, and I growled, swatting the hand away. A giggle filled the room, and I opened my eyes to find a pair of gray ones staring back at me.

I sat up, and Adam squeaked in delight, clapping his hands. I chuckled as he reached out with grabby hands, wanting me to pick him up.

"Hi, baby. Where's Dada?" I cooed, noticing that Arthur and Jess weren’t in the room.

"Dada's bringing Jess to bathroom," my three-year-old son replied, and I chuckled.

"Yeah? And what about you? Why did you wake Papa?" I asked, lifting him onto my lap.

He nuzzled into my neck and pouted. "Hungry!" he exclaimed, and I rubbed his back.

"Feeling lazy today, little Adrian?" I teased, and he giggled.

"How’d you know?" he asked, and I laughed.

"Because you’re talking so lazily! You can definitely say you’re hungry," I said.

"Uh-huh, too lazy," he trailed off, and I sighed contentedly, kissing his forehead.

"Good morning, my two babies," Arthur greeted, entering the room with a small Jess in his arms.

"Is he still sick?" I asked with concern, and Arthur smiled.

He walked over, kissed my cheek, and ruffled Adam’s hair. "He’s fine, love, just a little cold," Arthur reassured me. Just then, Jess sneezed, and I winced as he started crying. Arthur cooed, trying to soothe him, while Adam pulled away from my chest.

"Iris!" Adam exclaimed, and Jess looked at his brother with tear-filled eyes.

"B-Brother!" Jess whined, and Arthur gently placed him on the bed. I smiled as Adam wiped his brother’s tears and kissed his cheek.

"No crying, Iris. Don’t cry," Adam whispered, and Jess nodded, sniffling.

"M-Mama," Jess mumbled, staring at me with his gorgeous chocolate brown eyes, and I smiled.

"Hey, bub," I cooed, bending down to nuzzle his nose, and he giggled.

"Love Mama," he whispered, and I groaned playfully, covering his cheeks with kisses. Adam pouted.

"Want kisses too!" he exclaimed, and I laughed, giving him his share of kisses.

My sweet babies!

...

31-year-old William 38-year-old Arthur 10-year-old kids

...

"Papa, look at that girl!" Jess exclaimed in awe as he spotted a little girl wearing a cute red dress that trailed on the ground.

Jess frowned, looking down at himself before glancing up at me. "A-Am I allowed to wear a pretty dress?" he whispered hesitantly, and I stiffened.

"What?" I asked, thinking I had misheard. Jess gasped and shook his head, quickly averting his eyes from the girl.

"N-Nothing," he whispered, and I pressed my lips together, nodding.

"If you say so," I replied as Adam ran over to us.

"Iris, come on, let’s play!" Adam called, pulling Jess towards the other children. I watched them with amusement, noting the wide grins on their faces.

After a while, Adam returned to me while Jess continued playing with his friends. I knelt down, studying Adam for a moment, and he furrowed his brow.

"What?" he asked, and I stroked his cheek.

"Adrian, tell me something. Do you think boys can wear dresses too?" I asked, and Adrian frowned before breaking into a grin.

"Iris asked me the same thing!" he exclaimed, and my heart started beating faster.

My poor baby was so confused.

"And what did you tell him?" I asked, and Adrian shrugged.

"Yeah, they can. I saw one on TV, and he looked beautiful!" he said, and I hummed in response.

"Adrian, promise me something," I said, holding his hand in mine, and he nodded.

"Promise me that you will always love your brother the most. Promise me that you won’t listen to anyone who tries to tell you that boys who wear dresses are freaks. Promise me that if your twin wants to wear a dress, you won’t judge him," I said, and Adrian shook his head quickly.

"I will never, Papa! I promise. I will always love him and respect him," he said earnestly.

"Adrian, you’re only 10, but you understand so much. This world isn’t always kind, kiddo. Your brother might receive hurtful comments, and sometimes, others might try to influence you. But always listen to your parents. Your brother isn’t a freak; he isn’t strange or ugly for wanting to wear a dress or a skirt. Keep that in mind," I said, and he nodded firmly.

"I promise you, Papa. I will always listen to you, and I will support Iris if he wants to wear a dress," he said, and I grinned.

"That’s my boy."

...

Arthur frowned as he watched Iris and Adrian play. "Why can’t we reassure him that it’s okay to wear a dress?" Arthur grumbled, and I chuckled.

"We will. Right now, if you say so," I replied, and Arthur grinned.

"Adrian, come here," I called, and the boy instantly obeyed.

Arthur handed Adrian a gift box, and he grinned excitedly. "Is it time?" he asked, and I nodded.

"Iris, come here!" Adam called, and the younger boy approached with a frown.

"Here’s a gift for you! I chose it, and Papa and Dada bought it for you," Adam said, handing the gift to a curious Jess.

Jess took the box and slowly opened it, gasping when he saw a gorgeous pink dress inside. His curly hair fell just below his ears, and he looked almost like a girl except for his pants.

He gently touched the fabric and looked at us worriedly. "C-Can I try it on?" he asked shyly, and we nodded.

"Go ahead, Jess, try it on," I encouraged, and he nodded, heading to the bathroom. When he came back, tears filled my eyes as I gazed at my beautiful child. Adrian gasped, and Arthur hugged my waist, a phone in his hand.

"My beautiful little boy, or should I call you, little girl?" Arthur asked, and Jess pouted, shaking his head.

"Nu-uh! I am a beautiful boy," he declared, and we all chuckled.

"He isn’t transgender, at least not for now. Who knows about the future?" I said, and Adrian smiled.

"You look gorgeous, Iris. Your big brother will protect you, I promise," Adrian said, and Jess smiled.

"Thank you, brother," he whispered with a smile.

Arthur pulled me close as the brothers went to play.

"How do you feel about Iris in a dress?" Arthur asked, and I shrugged.

"It’s not about me; it’s about him. I feel nothing but pride and hope—hope that everything will be okay for Iris," I said, and Arthur smirked, nuzzling my nose.

"You know, Papa wanted the kids to stay at his place for a week. Maybe we should send them this Saturday and have some time to ourselves," he purred, and I smirked, my hand slipping around his waist.

"Who’s taking the lead this time, Daddy?" I purred back, and he shuddered.

"I don’t want another baby!" he exclaimed, and I laughed, shaking my head.

"I love you, Arthur," I whispered.

"I know, I love you too, baby," he cooed.

Arthur was my second chance at love, and look at us now—we have this amazing family.

All I hope for is that my babies find their place in this world.

End.