“Mama, I've been a little busy.” It was after ten in the states which meant that it was around four in London where her mother lived.

  “Is that husband of yours treating you right?”

  “He is.”

  “You sounded a little bit distracted. Is everything okay?”

  “Mama, I'm fine. My marriage is great.”

  “You don’t have to lord it over me girl,” she said bitterly. “I thought I had a great marriage until that no good son of a bitch left me for another woman.”

  “And you need to let it go. Both of them are dead Mama so you should be able to let it go once and for all.” Carole leaned her head back against the cushions on the sofa in her living room. She had the embryos to implant tomorrow and had figured that she should take the day to rest.

  “Do you have any idea what I went through?” the woman asked shrilly.

  “You told me over and over what you went through, Mama, so I have a pretty good idea.”

  “He stripped me of my pride and stamped on my heart. I thought we were happy together and he left me to take care of you alone.”

  “But you didn’t, did you?” Carole couldn't help but ask.

  “What do you mean?”

  Carole wished she could take the words back because it now meant that her mother was going to start on her. “Forget it.”

  “You're just like him!” her mother cried. “I gave up everything for both of you and this is the thanks I get!”

  “I'm sorry Mama,” Carole closed her eyes as she felt a headache coming on. “I shouldn't have said anything.”

  “But you said it. God sits high and he looks low. He alone sees what I am going through.”

  “Mama, I have to go now.”

  “You're trying to get rid of me?” she demanded.

  “Mama I'm tired and I'm weary of this conversation. I'm sorry if you feel as if I'm disrespecting you but to be honest I'm not going to sit here and listen to the same story over and over again. I'm done.”

  There was silence for a long time and then Carole heard the dial tone in her ear. She moved the phone and closed her eyes wearily. Her mother would sulk for two weeks and then call again to say that they were family and they should stick together. She bit her lip sharply and willed the sadness to go away. She was about to embark on one of the happiest times of her life. The first was when she'd met Walter and fell hard and then the second one was when they said their ‘I dos’ in front of all those people. She couldn't afford to let her mother or his ruin what they had.

  *****

  Walter found her in the darkened bedroom when he came home that night. He'd called and told her he had meetings with the sales staff so he would be a little late. He'd heard something in her voice and had asked her what was wrong but she'd said she was okay. Now coming into the room and seeing her curled up on the bed he knew that his first instinct had been right.

  He turned on the bedside lamp and sat on the side of the bed. “Hey.”

  She didn't answer or turn to face him so he turned her around. “What’s wrong?”

  “My mother called,” she said with a wobbly smile.

  “Ah,” the one word had a wealth of understanding. He kicked off his shoes and climbed in next to her, pulling her into his arms. “What can I do?”

  “You're doing it now.” She wrapped her arms around him and inhaled his spicy cologne.

  “When we have our children we'll have the experience to know what not to do,” he said gently.

  She lifted her head to look at him. “You always know the right thing to say.”

  “That’s because I love you. Have you eaten?”

  She shook her head.

  “Okay, let’s go see what there is.”

  Chapter 3

  “We're going to insert a catheter inside the uterus,” the fertility specialist explained as soon as Carole was prepped and ready.

  Carole took a deep breath and closing her eyes said a quick prayer. She'd been trying to avoid thinking about today for the weekend but it had been hard. Walter had done his best to distract her by taking her to the ballet on Sunday to watch Swan Lake. She was not exactly a ballet fan but she'd been moved by the production. He'd held her close last night until she'd fallen asleep.

  “You might feel slight cramping but that’s it.”

  “How long?” Walter asked as he held her hand.

  “Five minutes at the most.”

  “I'm ready,” Carole told him.

  *****

  “How do you feel?” Walter asked as they made their way home. He was rushing to go back to the office for a series of meetings.

  “A little sleepy,” she reached over and placed her hand on his thigh. “But I'm fine.”

  “Good,” he glanced over at her briefly before putting his eyes back on the road. He was still wary of this procedure but he wanted to please her and he must admit that he was starting to hope that it would work. “I'm going to have to go to Italy for a few days.”

  “When?”

  “I was thinking maybe Thursday.”

  “We were invited to Olivia’s birthday on Saturday. Will you be back by then?”

  “I should be.” He pulled up at the apartment building and immediately a valet came rushing forward to open the door. “We'll talk later. Want me to come up with you?”

  “I'm fine,” she leaned forward and kissed him softly. He gripped the back of her neck and deepened the kiss, not really caring that the young man was standing out there waiting. He broke off the kiss, his breathing harsh as he rested his forehead against hers, fighting for control. “God!” he swore softly. “Go before I forget where we are and take you right here.”

  She rubbed her hands down his arms before moving away and stepping out of the vehicle with the help of the valet.

  *****

  Carole waved and watched as he drove away before walking towards the building.

  “I'm going to take a rest before I eat something, Sara,” she told the housekeeper quietly as she made her way into their suite. She took off the clothes she'd worn for her appointment and rested them on the sofa in front of the bed. When she'd first seen Walter's apartment she'd been bowled over. She'd been selling houses since she had finished her realtor course and had seen some very posh ones but Walter’s apartment had touched the designer inside of her. It was almost starkly beautiful, with few furnishings and expensive artwork dotting the walls. His suite was comprised of two bedrooms, a study, two bathrooms and a sitting room with a tiny kitchenette attached. His bedroom was large with a tall four-post bed dominating the room. There was a walk-in closet that was half the size of the bedroom and had shelves from floor to ceiling. He'd wanted to make some adjustments when she'd moved in and she'd told him that there was plenty of room for her things. The décor was a creamy tan mixed with chestnut. He'd told her that she should add her own touch to the place but she could see no way she could make it different. She had every plan to suggest that they buy a house with a large yard. She loved the manor where his mother lived but even though she knew it belonged to him she had no intention of living there with her mother-in-law.

  She wandered over to the full-length Cheval mirror and put her hands over her flat stomach. “Please God, let it happen for us,” she whispered.

  ******

  “How did it go?” Savannah called her in the afternoon.

  She'd rested and eaten and was sitting on the balcony. “Very well, I think.”

  “And you have three to four days before you know?” Savannah asked.

  “Yes. I'm keeping fingers and everything crossed,” Carole said with a laugh. “I think Walter's getting on board.”

  “I wish you all the best, honey. In the meantime I'm at home. My husband threatened to tie me inside the house if I didn't stop working,” Savannah said with a laugh.

  “When are you due?”

  “In two weeks.”

  “You're impossible!”

  “I figured that I would try to take the stress off him and stay home until I'm ready to go to the hospital. It means spending some time with our son as well.”

  “You're having a girl?”

  “A baby girl, I cannot wait. My two men do things and leave me out. At least this time I'll have company. And besides, I love shopping for girls. They have prettier clothes. What sex would you prefer?”

  “Three girls and a boy.”

  “A set of triplets and a single? That would be so cute.”

  “I'm designing their rooms in my head as we speak,” Carole said with a laugh.

  “All the best girl, and keep me in the loop.”

  “I will.”

  ******

  “The implantation was a success!” Doctor Miller told them with a big smile as he finished the examination.

  “What does that mean?” Carole asked anxiously.

  “It means, young lady, that four embryos survived and are currently growing inside your womb.”

  “You mean—”

  “I mean that you are on your way to getting your wish of having four babies,” he told them. “But I have to caution you that you stand the risk of miscarriages.”

  “How do we prevent that?” Walter asked him.

  “Your wife is going to be closely monitored by a Perinatologist, who specializes in high risk pregnancy. For now you can go about your life as usual but when your delivery date approaches you might have to stay in bed. There's also the risk of gestational diabetes but as I said before we will be monitoring you very closely.”

  “What's the risk to her?” Walter asked him tersely.

  Dr. Miller looked at both of them for a moment. “In every pregnancy, whether it's single or multiple, there are risks but for now I'm not anticipating any.”

  “Are we—will we be able to have sex?” Carole asked.

  Both men looked at her in surprise and then Walter looked at the doctor to hear the response. “Yes, you may.”

  “Thanks,” Carole said softly.

  ******

  She started showing in October. One day she was staring into the mirror and wondering when she would show signs of pregnancy and then the next day her belly seemed like it had gotten bigger overnight.

  Walter came out of the shower and saw her standing in front of the mirror with her silk pajama top hiked up almost to her breasts. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” her eyes met his in the mirror. “I'm starting to show.”

  He grabbed the towel and wrapped it around his waist before coming over to her. He turned her to face him and passed his hand over her belly, feeling the swelling there. “Christ!” he whispered as he kept his hand there, “It’s really happening.”

  “It is.” she placed her hand over his. “We're going to be parents.”

  “We have to tell Mother.”

  “It’s still too soon,” she protested.

  “If we don’t tell her and the press gets wind of this she will never forgive us.”

  Carole bit her lip. “Okay, but I'm also going to have to tell Mama.”

  “I'll tell mine if you tell yours.”

  “Your mother loves you.”

  He used his other hand to tilt her chin up. “I'm sure yours loves you too, baby, but she's bitter about her life and takes it out on you. Want me to be there when you tell her?”

  Carole shook her head. “I have to get used to dealing with difficult situations. I'm going to be a mother.”

  “That you are.” He pulled her into his arms and ravished her lips with his. “My baby Mama,” he whispered as he looked down at her. He pulled off the tiny silk shorts that matched her top and passed his hands over her naked body.

  “You're going to be late,” she moaned softly.

  “I own the company,” he reminded her as he spread her legs and found the warmth of her sex, his fingers dipping inside her slowly, exploring her wetness.

  “Walter,” her breath was like a sharp object passing through her throat.

  “Hmm,” he ventured up, his thrusts lazy. He removed his fingers and without warning he lifted her up and put her on the shiny marble tile. Carole leaned back as he went on his knees before her, his head bent as he inhaled her scent before using his mouth to capture her tight bud, his teeth grazing her gently before sucking it into his mouth.

  Carole screamed as his tongue dipped inside her and reached upwards to her core. She placed her feet on his shoulders as his hands gripped her hips, pulling her towards him. She didn't last long. Her body shuddered as the orgasm crashed through her body and his tongue swirled inside her as he caught every ounce of her eruption before pulling his mouth away and entering her swiftly. He bent his head and caught the tears drifting down her smooth cheeks, his movement unbelievably tender. Carole wrapped her hands around his neck as she dug her heels into his back, moving in sync with him. He lifted her up against him and took her lips with his in a kiss that shook both of them to the core.

  *****

  “I'm so happy you came to lunch, dear. How are you?” Barbara peered at her intently as she placed the napkin onto her lap. When her son had called and told her the news of the impending birth of quadruplets she had been horrified. How on earth could the girl expect to take care of four children at the same time? She knew that her son would make sure that there would be nannies around the clock but still…

  “I'm fine. Thanks,” Carole laughed as she gave the order for the beef. “I'm not really looking forward to the weight gain that is expected to happen because of multiple births.”

  “Who came up with this idea?” Barbara asked as she sipped her wine. Bad enough her son no longer had time for her with the time he spent with his wife, and now add on four babies.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Come now Carole, I'm sure my son wouldn't have thought about multiple births. I'm sure all he needed was a son to carry on his heritage,” she said with a smooth laugh. “It was your idea wasn’t it?” She nodded at the telltale look on the younger woman’s face. She had to admit that the woman was positively glowing and her complexion was even more beautiful. When she was pregnant with Walter she was ill for most of the time and her face had splotches that had driven her crazy.

  “We both want it.” Carole hated that she sounded defensive.

  “Do you now?” Barbara tsked and waited until their orders were brought to them. “My son has a billion dollar business to run and happens to be a very busy man. Bingham Inc. is one of the largest online businesses in the world. Becoming one of those takes a lot of hard work.” She leaned forward. “Tell me dear, are you planning on staying home and taking care of those children all by yourself?”

  Carole leaned forward and looked at her squarely. “I know you don't like me—”

  “Nonsense!” Barbara blustered.

  “I know you don't like me,” Carole repeated. “But I'm here to stay. Walter and I love each other and we're going to have a family together. I'm happy to be a wife and mother and to dedicate my life to that. I love your son and if you cannot accept me then it’s your loss. But I'm not going to let you make me feel like I'm less than I am.”

  “I'm just concerned,” Barbara said coolly, surprised at the girl’s resolute expression.

  “You have no need to be. I'm certainly not going to call on you for grandmotherly duties,” Carole told her with a curl to her lips. “Be careful Barbara,” she warned. “I'm carrying your son’s children so that no longer makes me just a wife but also a mother. Your son already treats me like a queen. Can you imagine once the babies are here?”

  Barbara stared at the girl for a moment and felt fear go through her. Carole was right. She'd never seen Walter behave this way around another woman in the past. When they were together he could hardly keep his hands or his eyes off of her. She was very important to him.

  “Do you really love her?” she had asked him one night as they were having dinner. It had been the night before the wedding.

  He had looked up at her and his grey eyes had darkened a shade. “More than I could ever imagine. She has me twisted up inside.”

  “Maybe it won't last,” she had said lightly.

  He had laughed at that. “Each time I see her it gets worse. I'm here now with you because being the old fashioned person she is, she doesn't want me see her before the ceremony and I'm afraid that I won't be able to sleep tonight. I cannot make it without her.”

  She blinked and looked down at her bowl of salad. “I hope you didn't misunderstand me. I want what’s best for my son.”

  “I am what’s best for my husband. Me and these children I'm carrying. I am not going to let you stress me out with your constant negativity when it comes to our relationship. I am here to stay Barbara, so deal with it.”

  *****

  Barbara paced the length of her sitting room restlessly. The lunch had ended abruptly because Carole had felt sick and had to go home. She'd called Walter and he had sent a driver to take her home. She had overheard her talking to him on the phone and had seen the expression on the girl’s face as they spoke. She'd forgotten that Barbara was sitting opposite her as they talked and heard when she reassured him that she was fine.

  Barbara dragged slim hands through her thick dark hair as she walked from one end of the room to the other. Calvin had called and wanted to come over but she wasn't in the mood for him tonight. The girl was having quadruplets! She wasn't sure how she felt about it. Being a grandmother of one was bad enough, but of four? It was unacceptable. What would the women in her circle think of her?

  Her phone rang just then. She picked it up and realized that it was her son. “Darling, what an unexpected pleasure,” she cried out as she went to sit on one of the sofas.” I had a lovely lunch with your wife.”

  “I know.” His deep voice was warm. “And I guess the babies took a dislike to the beef soup.”

  “She got sick.” She paused a little bit. “Darling, is this something you want?”

  “What do you mean?”

  She laughed to dispel the heaviness of the question. “I never thought you would want so many children.”

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22