JAY JAY POV
We finally pulled up in front of the mansion. Looking at the massive iron gates and the familiar sprawling driveway, my heart did a nervous little flutter. I hadn't seen this place in eight months. It felt like a lifetime ago that I was running through these halls without a giant belly and a secret.
"Come on, let's go," Keifer said, his hand immediately finding the small of my back to guide me out of the car.
I nodded, taking a deep breath of the familiar air. As soon as the front doors opened, the silence of the house was shattered.
"Kuya! Did you find Ate?" Keiran's voice echoed through the foyer as he came sprinting down the grand staircase.
He skidded to a halt at the bottom, his eyes wide as saucers. "Ate Jay!"
He let out a joyous shout and started charging toward me, arms wide for one of his signature bear hugs. My heart warmed—I really missed this kid—but before he could even get within three feet of me, a strong arm shot out.
Keifer grabbed Keiran by the back of his shirt collar, halting him mid-air.
"Don't run up to her like a bull!" Keifer barked, holding his younger brother back with effortless strength.
"Kuya! Let go! I just want to hug her!" Keiran complained, his legs still moving like he was trying to run on a treadmill.
"No. You're too clumsy," Keifer said, his eyes narrowing as he positioned himself like a human shield in front of me. "Look at her, Keiran. Use your eyes. She's carrying precious cargo. If you knock her over, I will personally make sure you never play video games again."
Keiran stopped struggling and finally looked at my stomach. His jaw dropped so far I thought it might hit the floor.
"Whoa," he whispered, his eyes darting from my face to the bump and then back to Keifer. "Is... is that a mini-Kuya in there?"
"It's a girl, Keiran," I said with a laugh, peeking out from behind Keifer's broad shoulder. "And ignore your brother. He's been acting like a bodyguard since yesterday."
"It's a boy," Keifer corrected automatically, finally letting go of Keiran's collar but still staying close enough to catch me if I breathed wrong. "And I'm not being a bodyguard. I'm being a husband."
"You're being a boulder," I muttered.
"Ate! Does this mean I'm going to be an uncle?" Keiran asked, his excitement returning, though he stayed a safe two feet away this time. "Can I teach him how to use a slingshot? Can we buy him a mini-dirt bike?"
"No dirt bikes," Keifer and I said at the same exact time.
We looked at each other and I couldn't help but giggle. Gago. We really were back.
Just then, I heard more footsteps. Keigan appeared at the top of the stairs, looking much more composed than Keiran, but the way his grip tightened on the railing told me he was just as shocked.
"Welcome home, Jay-Jay," Keigan said, his voice soft but sincere.
I looked around the foyer, at the three Watson brothers who felt more like my own family than my actual cousins sometimes. Despite the threat from Jason and the fear that still lingered in the back of my mind, being here felt right.
"I'm home," I whispered.
"You're home," Keifer echoed, his hand sliding down to interlace with mine. "And this time, the only way you're leaving this house is if I'm carrying you."
"Possessive," I teased.
"Always," he replied, and for the first time in months, I didn't feel like a runner. I felt like a queen.
"JAY-JAY! OH MY GOD, YOU ARE FINALLY BACK!" Percy's voice boomed through the foyer as he and Aries came rushing into the hall. Apparently, my brothers had been staying here with the Watsons during the search.
Percy reached me first, pulling me into a big, dramatic hug. He squeezed me tight, but as he pulled back, his eyes traveled down to my oversized hoodie. He froze, his jaw dropping as he took in the sheer size of the bump I was sporting.
"Jay... you have gotten, well, chubby. While he became more slim," Percy said, gesturing between me and a very exhausted-looking Keifer. "How much did you eat while you were gone? Did you find a secret bakery?"
I felt my eye twitch. Gago. Eight months of hiding and the first thing my brother notices is my weight?
"I am pregnant, Percy! Not chubby!" I shouted, swatting his arm. "There is a whole human being in here!"
Aries stepped up next, looking much more emotional than Percy, though he was trying to hide it behind his usual serious face. He placed a hand on my head, ruffling my hair. "We were worried sick, Jay. Don't ever do that again."
"He's right," Percy chimed in, though he couldn't help himself. He leaned in to look at my stomach more closely. "But seriously, Jay. You look like you swallowed a prize-winning watermelon. Are you sure there is only one in there? Or did you just eat for three because you were stressed?"
"Percy, shut up before I let Keifer throw you out of the house," I hissed.
Keifer, who had been watching the reunion with a protective scowl, stepped closer and put his arm around my waist, pulling me back against him.
"She looks beautiful," Keifer said, his voice flat and warning. He gave Percy a look that could have curdled milk. "And for your information, she didn't eat too much. She's carrying a Watson. My son needs space."
"It's a girl!" I argued back, leaning my head against his shoulder.
"See?" Percy laughed, pointing at us. "Barely five minutes back and they are already bickering over the gender. Welcome home, Jay. The house was way too quiet without your shouting."
"And it was way too clean without her snack crumbs everywhere," Aries added with a small, rare smile.
Despite the teasing, I could see the relief in their eyes. We were all together again. I looked at the three Watson brothers and my two brothers, all standing in one room. It was messy, loud, and slightly chaotic—exactly how it was supposed to be.
"I missed you guys too," I admitted, my voice softening. "Even if you are all annoying."
"Especially Percy," Keifer muttered, tightening his grip on me. "Now, enough talking. Jay needs to sit down, and I need someone to bring her that five-course meal I ordered. Move."
As my brothers scurried to help, I looked up at Keifer. He was still acting like a bossy boulder, but I didn't mind. For the first time in eight months, I wasn't just surviving. I was home.
Just as Percy was about to make another comment about my appetite, the heavy front door slammed open with a force that made the crystal chandelier rattle overhead.
Kuya Angelo marched in, still wearing his barong from work, looking like a storm cloud had taken human form. He didn't even look at the other brothers; his eyes were locked onto me.
"Jay-Jay!" he roared.
I instinctively hid further behind Keifer's back. "Hi, Kuya..."
Angelo stopped dead in his tracks. He stared at me, then his gaze dropped to my stomach, then back to my face. His eyes bugged out, and for a second, I thought he was going to have a stroke right there on the marble floor.
"You..." Angelo pointed a trembling finger at me, then shifted his glare to Keifer. "MARK KEIFER WATSON!"
Before anyone could react, Angelo lunged forward. Keifer didn't move an inch—he just braced himself—as Angelo grabbed him by the front of his expensive shirt.
"You told me you found her! You didn't tell me she was carrying a whole extra person!" Angelo yelled, shaking Keifer slightly. "Eight months, Keifer! My cousin has been out there for eight months like a pregnant turtle, and you just now find her? I should punch you a third time!"
"I deserve it," Keifer said calmly, his eyes never leaving mine even as Angelo gripped his collar. "But do it later. Jay needs to eat and lie down."
Angelo let go of Keifer with a huff and turned back to me, his expression softening into pure brotherly worry. He wrapped his arms around me, being much more careful than the others. "Don't you ever do that again, Jay. Do you know how many gray hairs I got searching for you? Truly, you are the most stubborn girl in this family."
"I'm sorry, Kuya," I whispered into his shoulder. "I was just trying to keep everyone safe."
"Safe?" Angelo pulled back, glancing at my bump. "You're lucky this baby didn't take after your clumsiness, or you would have tripped and fallen all the way back to this province months ago."
"Hey! I didn't trip once!" I defended myself, though we all knew that was a lie.
"She's right about one thing," Aries said, crossing his arms. "She's safe now"
He leaned in, whispering so only I could hear, "See? I told you he'd shout. But don't worry, his bark is worse than his bite... mostly."
"I heard that, Watson!" Angelo snapped, though he was already beginning to usher us toward the dining hall. "Now, bring out the food! My niece is hungry!"
"It's a nephew!" Keifer shouted back as we walked.
"Gago! It's a girl!" I yelled, and just like that, the mansion felt full again. No more silence, no more shadows. Just my loud, protective, slightly insane family.
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