the happiest guy in the world

May 2039 - James and Anne Smith are 58, Pierce Phillips is 30, Jamie Phillips is 29, J.P. and Jodie are 6, Parker is 3.

Pierce is pretty sure that his father-in-law is the happiest person he's ever met.

"What's your secret?" Pierce asks him.

"There's no secret. I've spent my life married to my college sweetheart doing what I love to do and raising four wonderful children. What more could I have wanted out of life?"

Pierce has been thinking about this a lot ever since Jamie told him she was pregnant again. They'd been halfway trying for a fourth child, but it still took him by surprise. Parker is potty-trained now, but in a few months they'll have another diaper to change.

That's not to say that he has any regrets; he doesn't. J.P. and Jodie are 6 this year, and they've grown into such interesting, spirited kids. J.P. is active and athletic, just like him. Jodie loves science, and she can spend hours watching her ant farm.

Between taking care of a toddler and getting ready for a new baby, Jamie and Pierce are pretty busy, but Jodie and J.P. don't mind. They're pretty self-sufficient kids, and they can always entertain each other.

For their sixth birthday, their parents got them a video game system, and the twins have been hooked ever since.

"Ha, got you!" Jodie yells.

Jamie and Pierce have been trying to spend extra time with Parker before the baby comes. They're worried about some sibling rivalry, but so far he's excited about being a big brother.

It helps that Parker has two parents and two grandparents to spoil him rotten.

"Are you sure you're ready to do this all over again?" Jamie asks Pierce one night.

He grins and rubs her belly. He never stops being fascinated by the fact that she's growing a person inside of her. "Hey there kiddo," he says. "It's Daddy. You'll get to meet me soon, plus your big brothers and sister." He wraps his arms around her and gives Jamie a kiss. "Definitely," he says.

*****

Even after two pregnancies, Pierce is very freaked out by childbirth.

"Oh my god, are you okay babe?" he asks.

Jamie just ignores the question.

Their son is born a few hours before dawn. They name him Peter. He has his mother's blue eyes and his father's dark hair.

"He's perfect," Jamie says.

"Does this mean you still want ten kids?" Pierce teases. "Because we're not even halfway there yet."

She laughs. "I think four is plenty for now."

Everyone is excited about the new baby, especially Parker. "Can the baby play army men with me?" he asks his dad.

"Uh, not yet kiddo," he says. "But once he gets bigger you two can play all the time."