“Now,” he continued, “Natalie if I haven’t said before, you also have my complete respect. You worked hard to look after your family and I have no idea how you stuck with Alex these past few weeks but I am glad you did. He needs you and our family is better for you being in it.”
“Thank you,” I said, “I really appreciate it. There is something else I need to say too and I might as well do it while you are here because it will affect all of us.”
Alex looked at me with uncertainty in his eyes. He loved me, I knew that much but the events of the last few weeks had rocked us to the core.
“I’m pregnant,” I said.
I was so pleased to see the grin on my husband’s face that went from ear to ear. Now we could put the last few weeks behind us and be a family again, it seemed apt that there would soon be four of us.
He squeezed me so tight I had to tell him off. “Alex, I can’t breathe,” I said with a laugh.
I looked across at Damian and his grin was nearly as big as Alex’s. “So I’m to be a grandfather again. Congratulations Natalie and you too Alex, I assume you had something to do with it.”
“Miraculously yes,” I muttered and he burst out laughing.
“Now I am back I think we need to do some restructuring in the business. I promise you Natalie, you will get plenty of time with Alex. You must do something now about finding a house, there’s a nursery to decorate.”
It would take some time for me to regain my trust in my husband but it would happen. Deep down I knew he wouldn’t cheat on me but now anyone who read that article would think that he had and that stung.
“I’ve also contacted the newspaper,” said Damian, “they claim to have a direct source for their gossip but I’ve told them if they don’t retract I will sue. They wouldn’t tell me who the source is but I have two suspects.”
I knew exactly who he was talking about. If it wasn’t Lisa directly, it would be Caroline. She wanted nothing more than to see her friend with the man she claimed to be in love with and to have me out of the picture. I wondered how she would cope being questioned by Damian, and smirked. What I wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall for that meeting.
Surprisingly Caroline confessed everything, though Lisa did drop her in it when asked about it and pointed the finger first. I don’t even know if Lisa really wanted Alex back, it was more that she wanted revenge on me. Damian promoted Alex, there would be no more running around after Lisa or anyone else. Finally Alex felt as if he had gained his father’s respect.
It was nice now, Alex was home every night like clockwork for dinner and there were no phone calls to distract him. Damian even let him setup a home office so he would be able to stay home and help look after Aaron as my pregnancy progressed.
We found a house and settled in, ready for our new life with our new baby. The last thing I expected was the knock on the door that came not long after we had moved in. To my surprise, Lisa stood on the doorstep.
“What do you want?” I asked.
“I want you to get Alex and his father to back off,” she said.
“Why would I help you?” I said, “you abused the power that Damian left you when he was away and tried to break up my husband and I. You’ve been nothing but nasty to me and I get that you were upset when Alex left but he didn’t love you.”
“I know, I’ve done some terrible things but I really love my job and they’re leaving me out of everything. Please Natalie, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s not my problem Lisa, you did this to yourself,” I said.
She was in tears now but I was still so angry that she had taken advantage of Alex’s good nature and though I harboured some resentment that he had let it happen, it was her who I held responsible.
“I know I did,” she whispered, “I knew Alex didn’t love me. When his father wanted to merge businesses with my father I took the opportunity to suggest a marriage to seal the deal. I hoped that he would grow to love me. You know all the time we were in high school, I only had eyes for him and he barely knew I existed.”
“You’ve loved him that long?”
“I thought so. Now I realise there’s nothing I can do to force him to be with me. He loves you, he told me as much when we were in New Zealand.”
That caught me by surprise, and I have to admit my curiosity was peaked.
“Dammit Lisa, come in for a coffee. Maybe we can talk about it and get some resolution. Don’t think I’ll ever forgive you though.”
She looked nervously around the living room. “Nice house you have here,” she said. Aaron squealed to get my attention from his spot on the floor and I moved towards him.
“Your baby is lovely, he looks so much like Alex,” she said wistfully. I kissed Aaron and put him back down with his toys while I made the coffee. “I hear you’re having another baby too.”
I came back and handed her a cup. “That’s right,” I said.
“Natalie, that article is all my fault. I told Caroline a story that wasn’t true because I needed you to have forced Alex’s hand to leave me. I couldn’t face up to the truth and admit he left me because he loved you and not me.”
“They didn’t want to print a retraction at first,” I said, “their source was an insider in our relationship apparently and they backed her. My family back in New Zealand saw it. I had my father on the phone demanding I go home with my baby because they read that my husband had deserted me.”
She just stared at me. “I’m so sorry Natalie, I didn’t mean for things to go as far as they did. Something in my head told me if I kept Alex with me long enough he would change his mind.”
“What were you saying about him telling you he loved me back in Auckland?” I asked.
“He told me it was one last fling before he settled down. That it was just a bit of fun but something changed really quickly. One evening we were talking business and he was distracted, as it turned out he was meeting you after work and that was all he was thinking about. So I asked him if it was still just a fling and he said he didn’t think so.”
Alex had never told me but then I had never told him about my growing feelings for him at that stage either. I couldn’t help but smile.
“I came home and on the first night back went out and got more drunk than I had ever been. When I ran into an old friend I went home with him for the night and in the morning felt guilty as if I had cheated on Alex. So I told him about the fling that Alex had, he was going to Auckland on business so I planted the seed for him to track you down and ask you for the same thing. I thought if you did sleep with him I could use it to stop him from caring about you but Neil called me to tell me that you had reacted badly and slapped him in public so I couldn’t even pretend.”
Neil Johnson. I hadn’t thought of that incident for so long but apparently it was yet another thing Lisa was responsible for.
“When Damian went away I saw the perfect opportunity. Alex was close and if I could keep him from you then maybe you would just get sick of him ignoring you and go but I was stupid. He loves you so much and you love him and there was no way I could win his affection. I was blind to it but now I know, there’s no one else for him but you.”
When Alex walked in the door, I ran to him and kissed him. He laughed. “What’s this for?”
“For being my husband and because I am crazy in love with you.”
“I love you too Natalie, more than I could ever say.”
Lisa’s visit seemed to exorcise the demons that had haunted me since those awful weeks where it felt like my husband had deserted me. I felt more like myself than I had for a very long time and I hugged my husband tight while he kissed me and laughed.
“Something’s happened,” he said, “what is making you so happy.”
“I think I finally feel settled here. I have my husband, our son and baby on the way. I’m in my dream house and not feeling so overwhelmed and lonely as I was. Things are so much better now Alex and now we can get on with our lives without any worries.”
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He grinned. “I am so pleased you feel that way Nat and I know this has been an awful time for you and my priorities have been so screwed up. I really thought that if I did whatever was asked of me that Dad would come to realise how serious I was when all I was doing was messing with what was really important. What has always been the most important.”
Alex patted my stomach, I was nearly three months pregnant now and had the tiniest of bumps that only Alex or I would have noticed. “Now we have to get ready for you don’t we little one?” he said to my stomach.
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
The End?
It was now Christmas and I was six months pregnant with our second child. There was a bit of an argument over where we should all celebrate. Maryanne wanted to celebrate at their apartment as it was her first Christmas married to Damian and she wanted us to unite as a family under their roof.
Alex and I wanted to do our own thing and have Damian, Maryanne and Colton over to our home. In the end Alex pulled the pregnancy card, claiming that travelling was too much for me to handle at this stage and I was constantly tired.
That much was true but it wasn’t really that far and as long as he was driving I didn’t have to do too much. If anything, I wanted to be a bit selfish and just be comfortable in my own home.
I promised Maryanne that the following year we would join them for Christmas dinner and she ended up helping me with the preparation anyway. She still glowed with that newlywed excitement and it made me feel warm inside watching her with Damian. He was besotted and I couldn’t reconcile that man who had been so rude to me back in Auckland with the man I saw now.
Aaron had just turned one and had just started taking his first wobbly steps. He was the centre of attention and I watched him thinking that next Christmas we would have another addition to the family.
This child had proven themselves unco-operative when it came to the scans. With Aaron we had known in advance what we were having, this one had hidden when it came time to take a look so in three months we would get a surprise. I didn’t mind either way, though I had heard that Alex’s friends at work had started betting on what sex the baby would be. I hoped the people I liked won their bets.
There was a knock on the door and with only one person missing I guessed it would be Colton. He still came to visit from time to time but his visits had become less frequent over time and I wondered if he had met someone.
Sure enough he was there in the doorway with another young man. I looked on curiously, Alex knew because I had inadvertently told him but I wasn’t sure if Colton had told Damian and Maryanne and I didn’t like to pry too much.
He looked a little worried when Alex opened the door but I was standing right behind him and greeted Colton with a big smile. He headed straight for me and hugged me. “See Eric, this is my amazing sister in law Natalie, she looks ready to pop but she’s not due for another three months.”
I looked sideways at him. “Are you saying I’m big?” I asked.
“Well I did wonder if you were having twins,” he said.
“Cheeky,” I said with a laugh. “I’ll get you two a drink, want a soda?”
“That would be great,” said Eric.
Colton continued the introductions and Damian followed me into the kitchen. “Why do I think you know something I don’t?” he asked.
I laughed. “You would need to talk to Colton about that,” I said.
He grinned. “His mother already knows, she worked it out a long time ago. It was one of the reasons why we decided to live here rather than settle back where she was living.”
“You thought about it?”
“You bet I did,” he said, “the chance to kick back with the woman I love and retire. With Alex back I grow more confident of doing that but it wasn’t fair on Colton to stay somewhere where he struggled to be himself.”
I could feel tears welling up, this was yet another side of him I hadn’t seen. “You’re a good man Damian Mercer.”
He hugged me. “Let’s face it Natalie, neither of us turned out to be the way the other expected. Maryanne and I love Colton as much as we love Alex or you and we would do anything for any of you. I know you’re a long way from your family but I really do hope you look on us as your other parents.”
I nodded and he hugged me tighter. “I’m so proud of you Natalie, what you’ve done and all you have achieved. I definitely underestimated you.” At that point the baby kicked and he laughed. “Hey kiddo, I felt that.” He spoke to my stomach.
Alex entered the room and looked at his father with one eyebrow raised. “What on earth is going on here?”
“I felt the baby kick,” said Damian, “it was fantastic. I missed out on that with Aaron so I am very pleased to share this pregnancy with the two of you.”
He looked at me. “Thank you Natalie for that, it was very special. Thank you also for sharing your home with us.”
“It is my pleasure,” I said, “I hope you like dinner. I also have to say that it is odd for me celebrating Christmas in the winter, back home we would be having a barbecue about now.”
“Well maybe one year we can all travel to see your parents and spend Christmas with them,” said Alex.
“I would love that,” I said.
“So would I,” said Damian.
Dinner was a roaring success and we ate until we couldn’t eat anymore. Aaron fell asleep at the dinner table and Alex put him to bed as we settled in the living room to open gifts. We had already given Aaron his gifts. He had spent more time playing with the boxes than the toys and he’d had a ball playing with the wrapping paper, laughing as he scrunched it to make as much noise as possible.
Even if he didn’t know what was going on he still had a lot of fun. Alex came back to sit next to me, slipping his arm around my waist which was no mean feat these days and kissing me before we began to swap presents.
I got a couple of books and some things for around the house, and finally we got to Alex’s gift for me. His face lit up with excitement and I guessed he had been keeping this a secret for a while. It was just a small box and I grinned at the sight of a ring box. “When we were married we couldn’t afford much, our budget was really small when it came to the rings and although I know you were happy I wanted to do something special now we’re having our second child.”
The tears rolled down my face as he opened it. It was a beautiful diamond solitaire ring. “I always promised to get you an engagement ring and never quite got there. I am kind of hoping this will do. Of course you might have to resize it after the baby is born but with any luck I’ve got the sizing right.”
“Alex, it’s beautiful,” I said, “I just don’t know what to say.”
“Tell me again how you’ll love me forever,” he said, “that’s all I need in this life.”
“Always,” I whispered, barely able to get the words out.
“That’ll do,” he said and kissed me while pushing it onto my ring finger. I could hear Maryanne and Damian whispering to each other and when Alex leaned back they both congratulated us.
After everything that had happened to us, we were still together and more in love than ever. Soon our family would be complete and everything was just perfect. Nothing could make this day any better. I hadn’t heard from my parents, wasn’t even sure if the gifts I had sent them had arrived and theirs hadn’t turned up yet but we would have our own celebration when that happened.
“Show me,” said Colton, coming over to look at the ring. He hugged me. “I’m so glad things are good with you and Alex now,” he said, “I would miss you if you weren’t around.”
“Right back at you,” I said.
Alex was huddled in the corner with his father and I looked at them with one eyebrow raised. “Now what are those two up to?” I asked.
“Another surprise for you,” said Maryanne.
“Alex? What’s going on?” I asked.
When the knock came on the door he grinned. “I have one more surprise for you
tonight, with a lot of help from Dad we believe we have some visitors.”
He opened the door and I think my jaw hit the ground when I realised my mother was standing there. “Mum!” I sad and pushed myself off the couch. Being so pregnant, it was easy to mould myself into the furniture.
“Look at you,” she said and moved towards me. Behind her was my father and Sean, followed by Rebecca and Troy.
The tears began again and I found myself surrounded by my family, the ones I loved and I don’t think I’ve ever been hugged so much my whole life. “Dad organised it,” Alex said, “it was hard as I’ve been distracting you the last few days from calling your parents while they were travelling.”
I laughed. “I didn’t even notice. It is so good to see everyone, I’m so sorry you missed seeing Aaron.”
“We are here for a week,” said Mum, “so there is plenty of time for us to see him.”
“Damian kindly arranged our travel here and we’ll be around until the New Year,” said Dad.
“Thank you,” I said to Damian and moved to hug him.
“You’re so welcome Natalie,” he said, “we all love you so much. There’s two more people supposed to be here though. Where are they?”
“Here,” said a voice from the door and standing there were Roger and David, large as life and arms full of gifts. “We thought you might like to get these under your tree if you have one.”
I believe the next noise out of me was a squeal at seeing them too and soon I was being hugged by both of them. “You’re getting fat,” said David affectionately.
“How rude,” I said with a grin, “you can sleep outside.” I turned to Alex. “Where are we going to put them all?”
“Maryanne and Colton helped to get the other rooms ready while you were in the kitchen earlier, there’s enough room for everyone though we had to setup a camp bed which Sean will have to sleep on unless he wants the couch.”
Sean shrugged. “Whatever.”
I laughed. “Some things don’t change at all do they?”
By the time we went to bed I was exhausted. Today had been so exciting and to see everyone I loved in one place had been rather overwhelming. “Thank you,” I said to Alex when he climbed into bed beside me.
After The Fall Page 15