by MJ Masucci
She went through the house to see the backyard. Michael had said that a lot of changes were made to it. Her father had built up the pool house. What used to be a cabana sized hut to change your clothes was now a large structure. The shrubs surrounding the pool had been cut down, and a new glass fence installed. The pool deck had been redone with pavers, and new plantings surrounded it. The pool itself was resurfaced and a small waterfall installed.
She opened the gate to the pool and went to look at the new pool house. The front wall of the pool house had sliding glass doors, and the whole wall could be slid back to open to the outside. A large kitchen with all amenities had been installed. On each side of the house was a large bedroom with a private bath. There was another bathroom just off the living area. Wow, daddy spared no expense with this place. She opened the refrigerator and found it fully stocked with drinks of all types. She took a can of ginger ale to try and calm her nausea.
“Ava, are you down here?”
“Yes, Daddy, I’m looking at the new pool house.”
He entered the pool enclosure, and she ran to him to give him a hug. “I’m sorry I wasn’t home when you arrived. I was trying to clean up some loose ends, so I can be home all week to assist with the wedding preparations. Have you seen the babies yet?”
“Oh yes, they are beautiful. I hope that any babies I have look as beautiful.”
Her father pursed his lips. “Well, not too soon I hope though I would love more grand babies.”
“Daddy, I’m twenty-four. I can’t very well have babies when I’m fifty.”
“I know, but you have plenty of time to have children.”
She didn’t answer because she could see where the conversation was leading. He didn’t want her to get pregnant before she was married. And what's more, she wasn’t too sure that he wanted her to be involved with Xander. She walked back to the house with him to unpack the rest of her things. She was tired from the trip and took a nap in her cool room until Natalia called everyone for dinner. The babies were sleeping in their bassinets right next to the table through the entire meal. Ava forgot what it was like to have family dinners. She was always invited to join Uncle Daniel and Aunt Mavis, but it wasn’t that same as having dinner with her father and brother’s family. She hoped one day to fill the chairs around her dinner table with children. Preferably children fathered by Xander who would be her husband.
After dinner, she decided to take a swim in the pool. It looked so inviting and even in the early evening it was still very hot. She put on one of the string bikinis that she had brought with her. It was white, and she was sure if her father saw it that he wouldn’t approve. It didn’t hide much but she was an adult living on her own so why shouldn’t she be able to wear the things that she liked? Xander had loved the bathing suit when she modeled it for him. In fact, he liked it so much that it ended up on the floor next to the bed after he had stripped it off her. Her father definitely would not approve if he knew she was having sex with him.
She entered the cool water and started to swim laps. When she was younger, she did this often during the summers especially after her mother died. It was very freeing to be gliding through the water, closing out the world while your arms and legs sliced through the cool liquid. She went back and forth several times before she realized it was getting dark. The pool lights automatically came on which startled her. Her father must have them on a timer. It was getting a bit late, and she was tired, so she made her way up to the house. Alicia was finishing up with the twins feeding before she put them to bed. They were delicious smelling after their baths and Ava sniffed at their little heads before she kissed them goodnight.
What is that noise? Ava woke up with a start feeling disoriented. She forgot she was in her childhood home and reached for the light by her bedside that wasn’t there. Then she remembered and clicked the switch for the light above her headboard. She shrank away from the brightness and got out of bed. It must be one of the babies that woke her. She went to the nursery in time to see Alicia coming down the hall in her nightgown.
“I’m sorry they woke you up, but they need their feeding.”
“Can I help?”
“I would love that. I told Michael to go back to sleep because he needs to go to the office tomorrow to check on a couple of things. You would make my job easier if you could feed one of them for me. It’s hard juggling two of them at once with bottles.”
Alicia went downstairs to prepare their bottles. Ava tried to comfort the twins from crying, but they were hungry and very fussy. When Alicia came back, she instructed Ava to sit in one of the rockers and put a bottle down on the table next to her before handing her Elizabeth. She couldn’t stop smiling while she watched the baby suckle at the bottle. She wanted this too. She had no idea how much until she saw her niece and nephew.
The next morning Ava slept extra late. She was feeling very tired and hoped her brother didn’t have a lot of things he needed help with today. She wanted just to laze around for the day. By noon, she was downstairs just as Michael came home from the office.
“Are you just getting up?”
“I’m tired. I helped Alicia with the babies at onethis morning.”
“Oh, you think that makes you tired? Try getting up three times a night and then going to work. Sometimes I dictate the same thing three times because I am so bleary eyed. My secretary has stopped asking me if she needs to transcribe the same line three times because she knows already.”
“Do you have anything for me to do today or this is a day off?”
Michael scowled, “We have plenty to do, but it’s not too strenuous. We are going over the guest list and doing the table seating today. Can you help me with that or you need to take a nap?”
“Very funny, Michael. I can help with that and then go take a nap.”
He sat at the table with a bunch of lists and a thick pile of cards. “Look through the cards and count how many people have RSVPed and write down their names on this.” He handed her a legal pad and pen. “We need to let the caterer know how many tables they need to set.”
She carefully went through the cards writing down each name. Her heart started to pound when she found the card from Mr. and Mrs. Albridge.
“This says three but only has Mr. and Mrs. Albridge’s name on it.”
“That’s because Vance is coming and they forgot to add it.” Michael looked up and saw that Ava was as white as a ghost.
“Ava what’s wrong?”
She didn’t want to get into it, so she told him that she needed to use the bathroom. She vomited her morning juice in the toilet. This was becoming too much of a habit lately. She opened the doors to the sink cabinet and saw the scale they used to keep there was still there. She stepped on it and was flabbergasted to see that she was ninety-eight pounds. She wasn’t gaining weight as the doctor had asked. She was still losing weight. She started to think of the worst things that it could be then calmed herself when Michael knocked on the door.
“Ava, are you alright in there? You have been in there for awhile.”
“Yes, I’m fine. I’ll be right out,” She said as she splashed cold water on her face. This heat is getting to me. I’m not used to this southern heat and humidity anymore, she thought. She came back and sat at the table and for the next two hours they figured out a seating chart.
“Now all we have to do is get Alicia’s approval, and we are all set to go.”
“Can I go now?”
“What’s the hurry?”
“I want to go swimming. Is that alright with you, boss man?” He threw a piece of crumpled paper at her.
“Just for that I am going to make myself scarce for the rest of the day,” She said.
Ava went upstairs and chose a light blue bikini to wear to the pool today. Her father was outside supervising the landscaping crew as they planted some shrubs and flowers in several gardens around the property. A few of the workers were planting shrubs and flowers near the pool area. They looked up, and
she felt their eyes following her as she opened the gate. She had worn a long t-shirt, and she knew that when she took it off, they would stare. Instead, she decided to sit on the edge of the pool with her legs dangling in the water until they moved to another location in the yard. She lay back on the pool deck until she heard footsteps.
“Ava, maybe you should wait to go swimming,” her father said in a low voice.
“Daddy, why should I have to wait? I’m not inviting them to look at me. They are doing it on their own. Why should I be the one to suffer because they have no control?” She was getting angry. She felt her father was blaming her for being so scantily clad.
“Calm down. You are getting worked up for nothing. I just thought you might be more comfortable if you waited until they left.”
“I don’t care. I’m not going to hide.”
She got up and pulled off her t-shirt. It got the response she thought it would. Several of the workers were staring at her while she bounced on the diving board and dove into the cool water. She ignored their stares and started to swim laps. By the time she had finished twenty laps both her father and the workers were gone from the pool area. She sat on the stairs to the pool with her feet in the water and pulled out her phone. She needed to hear Xander’s voice. The phone went straight to voicemail which meant that either he was on the phone or had shut it off. She left a voicemail for him.
I just needed to hear your voice. I’m probably as close to miserable right now. I wish you were here with me. I miss you. Please call me back.
She waited several minutes for his call back, but she got none. She went to the house and to take a nap. She was extremely tired and had no idea why.
Xander turned on his phone, and a missed call and voicemail came up. Ava had called. His parents insisted that when he was having lunch with them to turn off his phone. To avoid arguments he usually did but this time, he wished he kept it active. He missed her call, and he wanted to talk to her. He called his voicemail and listened to her message. He checked the time stamp for the call. It was two hours ago. He dialed her number hoping she would pick up.
“Xander?” She sounded sleepy.
“Sweetheart, how are you? I got your message. You sound like I woke you.”
“You did. I’ve been so tired lately. I’m not used to this humidity and heat. It was ninety-four today. I swam some laps and was exhausted after, so I came in the house for a nap. I had sort of a tiff with daddy.”
“What happened?”
“He had a landscaping crew planting flowers around the yard. A few of the workers were by the pool and he said maybe I should wait to go swimming. I told him why should I wait because they can’t control themselves?”
Xander felt a pang of jealousy. That was HIS girlfriend. If anyone was going to look at her in a bikini, it should be him. He wanted to be the one to do that.
“He was just looking out for your best interest. In a way, he was right to ask you to wait.”
“How was he right? I should be able to do whatever I want. I’m not asking for them to look. I can’t believe you are taking his side.”
“I’m not taking his side. I’m just trying to see both sides.”
Ava was getting agitated. She felt emotional and didn’t want to start crying on the phone.
“I have to go. Daddy is calling me for dinner. I’ll talk to you later.”
She abruptly hung the phone up leaving Xander to wonder why she was so upset? She didn’t even tell him she loved him.
Ava went downstairs to scrounge around the refrigerator for leftovers. Sunday was Natalia’s day off, and everyone was on their own for dinner. She found her brother and Alicia eating sandwiches at the kitchen table.
“Hey, Button. Want to join us? There are plenty of cold cuts.” She sat down at the table and started making herself a sandwich.
“Where were you?” Alicia asked.
“I was taking a nap. I’ve been tired lately. Plus I have this stomach thing. I have been feeling nauseous on and off for the past two weeks.”
Ava didn’t see the look that passed between Alicia and Michael. If she had, she would have realized that they might have a clue about what might be causing her symptoms. But they decided to keep their speculation to themselves. They made small conversation with Ava until she went upstairs to take a shower.
Later, when Alicia and Michael were in bed, they had a discussion.
“Michael, do you think Ava might be pregnant?”
Alicia heard Michael sigh loudly. “It sounds like it. Didn’t you have those same symptoms when you were first pregnant?”
“I did. I survived on crackers and ginger candies most of my first trimester, remember?”
“I do because I remember you sending me out to the supermarket at 2:00 AM to get you some.”
“Do you think I should talk to her, Michael?”
“You might want to wait until Xander gets here to have that conversation with her. She will panic about it and will need his support in person. I don’t think my father will be very happy if he finds out she is pregnant out of wedlock.”
Alicia snorted, “But you got me pregnant out of wedlock.”
“That’s different. You are not his daughter. Also, Ava is his baby, and he would not be very happy that she is having a baby so soon into her relationship. He hasn’t said as much, but I get the feeling that he is not that thrilled about her dating Xander. Even after all he did for my sister.”
Alicia agreed, “Okay, I won’t talk to her until he gets here. When is he coming?”
“He said Thursday night with his parents. They are on the same flight and will get a rental car from the airport.” Michael kissed Alicia, and they went to sleep until the babies next feeding which would be about three hours for them.
The next day Ava woke up early. She had gone to bed well before nine and even with getting up to help Alicia with the 1:00 AM feeding, she still felt good. No nausea today. She asked Natalia to make her a big breakfast which is where Alicia and Michael found her eating at the kitchen table.
“Someone is feeling better today,” Alicia said.
“I do. I think whatever that was has gone away. I was starving this morning, that’s why I’m having such a big breakfast.”
Again, Michael and Alicia exchanged knowing glances. Ava had all the signs of pregnancy; increased appetite, nausea, extreme tiredness. For her sake, they hoped it wasn’t true because there was a shit storm coming if she was. Michael didn’t want to be around when she told their father because he would have a fit.
“Ava, are you going to help me with the place cards today?”
“I guess, Michael since you have elected me your assistant.”
Michael chuckled, “Great because we have to print the cards on the printer in dad’s office. Then they need to be folded. The caterer is coming today, and we have to give him the seating chart and the cards.”
The next couple of days were busy with wedding preparations. Ava had bouts of nausea and tiredness, but she shrugged them off telling herself it was the heat. She missed Xander and had only gotten a few texts from him. He had said he was busy working on a case and was in the office from early to late. She didn’t worry though because Wednesday night had come quickly and tomorrow night he would be here with her.
After dinner, she got changed into her white bikini. She wanted to get a few laps in the pool. Today had been busy, and there was much too much activity on the back lawn to go swimming. The caterer had put up the tent today and brought all the tables and chairs under it. Tomorrow the electrician would be coming to get the air conditioning unit set up so that they could be comfortable during dinner. Cocktail hour would be held out on the lawn, and Michael and Alicia had several food trucks coming. They had another tent set up with small tables for people to eat and be shaded from the sun. There would be all kinds of lawn games and a picture booth, too.
Ava dove into the pool and swam many laps until it started to get dark. The lights around the pool are
a had not come on, but the ones set in the pool walls had. So she continued to swim. It was when she was going into one of her last laps that she bumped into what felt like a pair of legs.
She raised her head out of the water there was Xander. He looked so good.
“What are you doing here? It’s only Wednesday.”
“You haven’t seen me in a few days, and that is the greeting I get?”
“No, sorry, I’m just shocked to see you. You said you were working on a case.”
“I had a case, and I worked extra to get the contract to the client before I left so I could come down here early and surprise you. But, if you don’t want to see me early then I will just go to bed.” He got up and started to walk to the pool house.
“Xander, wait. That’s not what I meant.” She climbed the stairs to go after him. She stumbled over a lounge chair in the dark, and he turned to catch her before she broke her neck.
“I was only kidding Ava. Do you think I came down here early to be rejected?”
“No, but I thought you were serious.” He placed his fingers under her chin and tipped her face up to kiss her. Then he took her by the hand and started to walk to the pool house.
“Where are you taking me?” He stopped to look at her.
“This is probably the last time for the next few days we will be able to make love. Do you think I am going to give up this opportunity?”
“We can’t do this here in my father’s house.”
“This is not your father’s house, is it? Your father’s house is up there,” gesturing to the main house. “
“Yeah, but he will know.”
“How is he going to know unless you tell him? Are you going to tell him that I took you into the pool house, seduced and then fucked you hard?”