by Cee, DW
“You do, huh? What makes you so sure and where are we off to after Tuscany?”
“That will remain a surprise until we get there. In the meanwhile, I need us to agree on children.”
This was not a topic I thought we’d have so soon. What happened to courtship, engagement, marriage, and then baby planning? We went from not being friends for ten years to courtship to baby making to a wedding—though that last part hadn’t been settled yet.
“Call me old-fashioned but I’d like to be married before I create children. I don’t want my kids asking me why they arrived that much earlier than nine months after our wedding date.”
“Chlo-No,” Michael lightly chided and kissed me. “If that was the case, we needed to have discussed birth control back in Asia. A few weeks and many countries have passed. What were you thinking?”
What the hell was I thinking???
“Well…I was just really, really happy. It wasn’t that pregnancy didn’t occur to me; I guess I didn’t care at the time. Geez, has it been a month already since we started having sex?” For some reason, mental math didn’t work. I was having trouble keeping track of dates.
“We are already in early December, Chlo-No.” Suddenly, Michael had the biggest grin on his face. “At the risk of sounding like a pervert, have you had your cycle in the past month? I don’t remember you telling me you were indisposed.”
“Shit.” I thought and I thought. Why the hell couldn’t I remember whether my period had come last month? “This is all too much, Michael. I don’t know!”
“I think I know the answer to that, but only you can confirm it. As soon as we land, we’re headed to a pharmacy. This trip to the altar can’t come soon enough!” I didn’t realize Michael would be this happy with news of a possible baby. Truth be told, I secretly wanted to have this baby too. What I didn’t want was to have a protruding belly at our wedding.
“Let’s not jump the gun. Once we land, all riddles will be solved.”
Who would have thought I’d be happy walking down the aisle, barefoot and pregnant???
Michael: Maximus Celebration
Our trip was coming to an end and unbeknownst to Chloe, our wedding was already in the works. With family and friends coming to my aid, everything was going according to plan. I was told to enjoy my time with my soon-to-be bride and to convince her to be my wife.
“Is it true everyone is on board with the wedding but the bride?” Max surprised me as he walked into the villa, alone.
“Uh...you came all the way here without your better half?”
“My better half is with your better half talking about something that did not require a male presence. As soon as we arrived, I was excused.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Good thing you’re here. I just raided the cellar and found something spectacular. It’s never fun to drink alone.”
“Well, if you say it’s spectacular, I’ll have to believe it. Open it up and let’s see how much of an oenophile you really are.”
I uncorked the bottle and took our glasses with some cheese and crackers, outside. We sat and watched the rolling hills of Tuscany beyond Grandfather’s villa.
“What do you think?”
“The view is spectacular. The wine is a close second. The company…not too bad, I suppose.” Max always had a good sense of humor. “I’m not particular about too many things in life. As long as Jane and the boys are healthy and happy, life is good.”
“Of your lot, you appear to be the most easygoing,” I made a casual comment.
“Yeah? You think so? Nick’s right there with me and Jake and Donovan have their moments too.” Max answered with a grin. I’d forgotten about Nick. He was the epitome of laid back as well. “So what’s the big secret?”
“I’m not a hundred percent sure, but I think it might have to do with Chloe being pregnant.”
“Yeah?” Max raised his glass in a toast. “When did this happen?”
“We’re not sure. She refuses to take a pregnancy test. She says she can’t be pregnant before she gets married. That’s against the law in her book.”
Max chuckled. “So if she doesn’t know she’s pregnant before she gets hitched, it’s all right that the baby will arrive in seven or eight months?”
I joined in the humor. “Something like that. I guess for her, she doesn’t want to walk down the aisle with a nine-month pregnant belly.”
“Well good thing she’s getting married in a few weeks. And good thing your baby will be among a new generation of cousins.”
“What?” I asked, surprised with his statement.
“Jake, Donovan, and I have been trying to have one last kid before nature closes the door on us.”
“Donovan mentioned something like that. Anyone pregnant yet?”
“I’m pretty sure Jane is carrying our fourth, though she’s yet to mention anything. I’m waiting for her to realize she’s carrying our daughter.”
“A daughter, huh?”
Max nodded firmly. “Have you not met Ellie and Lilah? I need one of those in my life.”
“I agree. I’d love a daughter first.” A mini version of Chloe would be ideal. “Any baby news with Emily or Laney?”
“The other day I was over at Jake’s house, and the mother of his children was spending an awful lot of time in the bathroom. Emily has a history of having severe morning sickness. By the stupid grin on Jake’s face, she’ll be in the delivery room at the same time as my Jane.”
“And Laney?”
“Well, the almighty Donovan Taylor claims he has impregnated his wife during their vacay last week. None of us knows yet, but Laney, too, might be carrying.”
“He’s that sure of himself, huh?”
“I asked Donovan the same thing and eventually he fessed up that he had flushed all of Laney’s pills down the toilet at the start of the trip, and they used no other protection.”
That brought out another round of laughter. “Brave man.”
“I think he, too, is dying for another girl. He convinced Laney to try one last time so they can give Lilah a sister.”
“If we all have kids around the same time that would be fantastic!”
“You just need to move into the cul-de-sac and your child will have instant playmates.”
I couldn’t wait until we married and joined the Reids. “All the couples who’ve joined us so far have regaled us with their dating stories. Tell me something about you and Jane that will entertain us until the women come back.”
Max didn’t have to think hard for that answer. “Jane and I had a difficult road getting to the altar. From the start, we had obstacles that appeared insurmountable.”
“How so?”
“To start, Jane hated that Emily and I had dated. It’s hard to ignore four years with someone who’s married to the brother of the girl you’re dating. Not that Emily and I had anything to hide, but Jane always felt insecure.”
“Emily is a hard one to compete with. She’s about as perfect as they come—sweet, kind, gentle—I can see why Jane would feel inadequate.”
“Couple that with Donovan Taylor—the epitome of a perfect man—flirting with her emotions. What an asshole he was when Jane and I were dating.”
“Yeah? For you too?” We clinked our glasses. “Did he steal your girlfriend from right under your nose?”
“Just about…” Max took another sip of his wine. “The thing was, Jane wanted to be stolen. She’s always had a crush on that asshole and he took advantage.”
“Why do we still talk to him?” I inquired.
“Because Laney’s made him grow up and he’s changed his ways. In fact, he told us the other day that the reason he made the move on Jane was because he found out that Laney had started dating you. I think you might be the culprit to all our mess.” Max kidded.
“At that time, I never thought I’d get over Laney Reid. What a difference a decade makes. So, how did you get back on track?�
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“I loved Jane but needed a little time to vent and regroup. I knew our eventual path was to walk down the matrimonial aisle. I wanted Jane to be sure I was the one she wanted. In the end, Jake, Roland, and Donovan played matchmaker and helped us toward our happily ever after.”
“If you were to do it all over again, what would you do differently?”
“I would’ve married Jane months before. There was no doubt in my mind that I loved her and wanted her as my wife. Had I made my intentions clear, Jane wouldn’t have been so insecure. Have you told Chloe how you feel about her?”
“Not really.”
Max chuckled again. “That will get the bride to the altar—for sure!”
“By this point, Chloe would be crazy not to understand how I feel about her. I want to make a grand statement when we arrive at the wedding.”
“What if she won’t show up because she doesn’t think you love her?” Max was joking, I think.
“It’s just a little bit longer. Soon, I’ll reveal everything to her. I just hope she’ll reveal the contents of her belly.”
“Not spoken very eloquently, my man. Maybe before you tell your future bride how much you love her, you might practice the words a few times. If you utter words like ‘contents of her belly,’ it might not garner you too many points. How about words like ‘love,’ ‘adore,’ ‘soulmate,’ ‘cherish,’ just to name a few.”
“Yeah? Is that how you got the girl?”
“Naw. I got her by proposing in front of fifteen thousand people in Lajatico at the Andrea Bocelli concert.”
“And I thought Donovan Taylor was the show-off.”
“We all have our moments.” There was something comforting about Max’s easy grin. It made you feel like he was your best friend since childhood. “What’s our plan here aside from consuming expensive wine?”
“Eating fresh pasta? Dining under the stars? Making love to our respective women?”
“Sounds like all the other times I’ve been here. I’m digging your villa, Cousin Michael.”
“What’s mine is yours, Cousin Max.”
“I think Gram marrying Harry has been her smartest move yet.”
Yep. All was going well. Once we arrived at our last destination, we’d end up as Mr. & Mrs. Michael Bennington.
Chloe: A “Will You Marry Me” Celebration
“So…I have a confession…” Why??? Why me???
“I’m listening.” UGH! By the stupid grin on his mug he knew already.
“Well...before I confess, I want to know where we’re off to next and why you didn’t ask me if I wanted to get married at the Villa. You know how much I love Tuscany.”
“If I recall, that’s your second favorite place.”
What? “Where’s my favorite location if the Bennington Villa is my second favorite?”
“Before we head there, we’re headed to London to pick up my sister’s family and a few of our belongings.”
“Yay! Are they next on the list? Are we spending time with Sarabeth?”
“You really like babies, don’t you?”
“I do. If I were younger, I’d want to have at least four kids.”
“And now?”
“I’ll be grateful with two. I do think I’m a little old to be thinking of much more than two.”
“Speaking of babies...” Michael’s eyes sparkled with joy.
“I took the test with Jane in Florence and...”
“And???”
“God! I can’t believe this!” I was freaking out, badly.
Michael pulled me off my seat and placed me on his lap. I seemed to be a regular here. After placing a few soft kisses on all the right places, he said, “Tell me what I already know.”
I smacked him on the arm and said, “How did you know?”
“Um, if you recall, I’m the one who told you that we might be having a baby. Was I correct?”
“Yes.” Tears glistened and I was getting all emotional. The kisses came back.
“Are you crying because you’re happy or because you’re upset? I hope it’s the former because I’m over the moon about you being pregnant.”
“But I’m not married yet. I don’t want a pregnant belly while walking down the aisle. That’s embarrassing. My parents would be mortified to know that their daughter is sexually active.”
The expected laugh didn’t surface. What I received instead was a loving hug and an encouraging statement. “I think your parents will be thrilled to know they have their first granddaughter on the way.”
“A granddaughter, huh?”
“A brown-haired, brown-eyed beauty who takes after her mother on the inside and outside. She’ll be the next thing to perfection.” When had Michael turned this sweet? Had he always been this loving?
“So, do we get married after she’s born?”
“Nope. I was hoping to hold off for a couple more weeks, but I think it’s time to do the big reveal.”
“What reveal? There’s more to these months than traipsing through the most incredible places in the world?”
“Why don’t you sit in your seat and let me explain all that I’ve planned. Just know that if you don’t like any of it, you can change it—though a few people might be disappointed.”
“Now you have me really curious.”
“Before I say anything, let me make my feelings be known. I love you, Chloe Darcy.” That felt damn good to hear such a declaration. “A little while back, I know I disappointed you when I couldn’t answer your question about being in love with you. When you asked, I couldn’t give you a definitive answer not because I didn’t love you, but because I wanted to make sure I loved you enough for a lifetime.”
“Please explain.”
“Embarrassingly enough, I’ve been in and out of ‘love’ too many times. I believed I loved two women enough to want to marry them, but that wasn’t truly the case. Had I not opened my eyes when I did, I would’ve been twice divorced.”
“I don’t know about that, Michael. You would’ve tried to make it work.”
“At what expense and at whose misery?”
“Was it that bad?”
“Not initially, but if I were honest with myself, both relationships ended miserably.”
“So you don’t think it will end miserably with me?”
He held both my hands and said, “You and I were meant to be a couple since we could walk and talk. Contrary to what you might think, you’ve never left my heart. This might not sound right, but after each failed relationship, I always thought it wouldn’t have ended had I been with you. You have always been a part of me, even when we were separated for ten years. It took that long for me to mature and to take action. I was fortunate that you never found anyone while I was getting my act together.”
“What would you have done had I met someone and decided to marry him?”
“Maybe I would’ve woken up sooner? We could’ve been on our third pregnancy by now.”
“As happy as I am to be carrying our child, I’m still very embarrassed.”
“I’m overjoyed we are having a baby, Chlo-No. Today, I want to ask you and our child,” he suddenly got on one knee and asked, “will you marry me? I will love and protect you both with my life. Please say you’ll be mine forever.”
Was my answer ever in jeopardy of changing? “Yes, Michael! Yes!”
“Thank you, Chlo-No. I promise to make you happy. We started later than most people, but we’ll make up for lost time.” Before Michael had a chance to get up, I threw myself at him. “I love you, Chloe Noel Darcy.”
“I love you too, Michael. We will be happy together.”
“Do you need me to explain any more about the last ten years of my life?” Michael asked with hesitation.
“Why don’t we let go of those years. Let’s look at it as a learning curve for the both of us and use it to our advantage.”
“So, to continue this celebration, I need
to explain that a wedding is being planned in our honor, already. We’re getting married in two weeks, on Christmas Day, on your birthday, at the Bennington Castle in Fife.”
WHAT???
Michael: Celebrations Big And Small
“I see I have finally astounded you and rendered you speechless.”