Quadruplets Make Six

by Nicole Elliot

  “Okay,” I said as I nodded my head. “Okay. I’ll talk to Graham.”

  “Good. Now, what’s the gender of this child you’re carrying?” she asked.

  “We still don’t know.”

  “What!?”

  “Yeah. Every time we go in for an ultrasound, she gets stubborn.”

  “So you feel it’s a girl?”

  “It seems more natural to call our child that, yes. But I’m really not sure.”

  “A mother’s intuition is powerful. Never doubt it,” she said.

  “Didn’t you use mother’s intuition to explain why you thought your child had cancer instead of colic?” I asked.

  “Okay, don’t always trust your intuition. But it’s good sometimes.”

  I giggled at my friend as I grabbed my water to drink.

  “You’re going to be a fabulous mom, Libby.”

  “I don’t know about all that,” I said. “But I can tell you I’m ready for the journey.”

  “Then brace yourself, because it’s gonna be a doozy.”

  Nineteen

  Graham

  Every time I saw her my heart filled with joy. Libby had just hit her six-month mark, and she looked fabulous. Officially into her third trimester with the most incredible baby bump, I loved taking care of her. She was still insistent on staying in her apartment even though I was vehemently against it, but she stayed over on the weekends and came over every night for dinner. I was beginning to see how fiercely independent she was despite her quiet demeanor, and there was something incredibly alluring about that. Never once had she ever asked me for money, though I knew she was struggling. She wasn’t tutoring the further along she got in her pregnancy, and I knew it was taking a chunk out of her monthly finances.

  So every once in a while, I’d draw cash out of the ATM and stick it in her wallet without her noticing.

  Every day was a new experience with her. Lizzie was bouncing off the walls and constantly asking when her newest sibling was coming. She was convinced it was going to be a girl. That she was going to have a younger sister to go along with her two younger brothers. And sometimes, I caught Libby saying ‘she’ instead of ‘it’. Whenever we went for our ultrasounds we tried to figure out the gender, so we would know how to plan things out for a nursery, shower, and clothes. But every time the ultrasound technician went to zoom in on our little one’s body parts, that kid would burrow so far back into Libby’s spine it would bring tears to her eyes.

  I didn’t have the heart to let the ultrasound technician press any harder into Libby, so we always stopped the process there.

  Whenever I was lucky enough to wake up with her in my arms, I couldn't stop staring at her. The way the light streamed through the windows of my home and bounced off her luscious features was something that set my veins on fire for her. More than once, I’d woken her up with my kisses on her beautiful skin.

  I loved mornings like that.

  Mornings where the kids slept in and I could have her properly.

  But every time I fell asleep without her there, my heart ached. Every time I walked into my home and didn’t see her smiling face waddling around, it chipped at a piece of my heart. I wanted her there. Needed her there. After a long day at work, she was the first person I wanted to call. If we hit a milestone with one of the kids, she was the first person I wanted to celebrate with. She was the first thing on my mind in the morning and the last thing on my mind before I went to bed, and I wasn’t willing to live another second of my life without her.

  So, I started planning.

  “Where are we going?” Libby asked.

  “You’ll see. I thought it would be a nice surprise,” I said.

  “Why are the kids with the nanny again? They could’ve come with us. It’s Friday night. We always go out on Friday nights.”

  “Don’t worry. I ran it by Lizzie and she said it was just fine,” I said with a grin.

  “She’s the one that really runs that house, isn’t she?”

  “Now you’re catching on.”

  I pulled up into the parking lot of the Stan Mansion and Libby gasped. She whipped her head over at me and I took her hand within mine. Bringing her knuckles to my lips, I kissed every single one of them. She looked beautiful in the dress she had picked out to wear, and I couldn’t wait to get it off her.

  But first there was something I had to do.

  “Come on. Dinner’s waiting for us,” I said.

  “I didn’t know the mansion did dinner service like that,” Libby said.

  “They don’t, but I called them up and they made an exception for us. Come on. I think you’re going to like what we’re eating.”

  I helped Libby from the car and held her hand as we walked in. There was a line of waitstaff and cooks waiting to greet us as we walked in. I led her to one of the reception rooms and it was dark. The only source of light was a spotlight on a table in the middle of the room.

  “Graham? What is all this?” Libby asked.

  “Just take it all in. I wanted us to have a special night together.”

  I pulled out her chair and helped her to sit down. She was getting to that point in her pregnancy where she required a lot more help to do basic things, which was why I was so adamant about her moving in. Whenever she was with me, I listened to her struggle to get out of bed sometimes. My greatest fear was that she would be alone in her apartment and take a tumble and not be able to get herself back up.

  “You look worried,” Libby said. “Is everything okay?”

  “Everything’s fine,” I said.

  “Shouldn’t we have menus?” she asked.

  “I already put in our order for the evening.”

  “What are we having?”

  And right on cue, our waiter for the evening appeared with two full plates of food.

  “Duck confit for the father, and a toasted banana, marshmallow, and mustard sandwich for the mother.”

  “You did not,” Libby said with a giggle.

  “Oh, I did,” I said.

  “I know you hate it, but it smells wonderful.”

  “I’m glad. I wasn’t sure what you would like as a side, so I went with crisp vegetables and a cheesy risotto.”

  “It smells heavenly,” she said. “Thank you so much.”

  About halfway through the meal I smelled it, the cake I had ordered. I watched the waiter move cautiously in the shadows and I prepared myself for the inevitable. Everything was out of my hands now. I eyed the waiter as he approached the table, coming into the spotlight and catching Libby’s attention.

  Then, I watched her expression fall.

  “I think someone might’ve messed something up, Graham.”

  “Why?” I asked.

  “This is a wedding cake.”

  “It is.”

  “What did you tell them to do for dessert?” she asked.

  “I promise, this cake is for the two of you,” the waiter said.

  Then I nodded at him before he bowed and walked away.

  “I can go back and talk to someone if you want me to,” Libby said.

  “Why don’t you take a look at the cake first? Maybe you might like it,” I said.

  I watched her eyes fall to the cake as I clenched my fists in my lap. I waited for her eyes to catch it. To scan the top of the cake and take in what was there. I watched her eyes journey up the intricate piping and graze past the fondant flowers. I watched her finger dip into the icing before she popped it into her mouth, moaning with delight. Her eyes crept farther and farther up the dainty cake made especially for two, and when her eyes stopped at the top I did what I needed to do.

  I slid out of my chair and got down onto one knee.

  “Graham? What is that?”

  I reached up to the top of the cake, plucked the ring from its stand, and took hold of her left hand.

  “Libby, from the moment I laid eyes on you at that wedding eight months ago, I thought you were beautiful. I saw you struggling with your parents, try
ing to bat them away, and all I could think about was helping you. I had no idea why I felt that pull towards you, to help you and rescue you when you needed it the most, but I did. And ever since that night, I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

  “Graham,” she said breathlessly.

  “The more I got to know you, the more I enjoyed the woman you were. Despite our differences in lifestyles, you understand me better than anyone I’ve ever come across. Now more than ever, I know that you’re the woman for me. I know you’re the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. I want to raise my family with you and I want to wake up to you. I want to help you through all the good times and the bad ones and stand by you, even when no one else will. I want to give you everything, Libby. Everything I have is yours if you want it. And if you don’t, then we’ll give it all away and go find what is it you truly want. All I ask is that we become a family. Together, forever, no matter what. Libby Tressler, I love you. With every fiber of my being and every atom of my soul. Will you marry me?”

  I watched Libby’s eyes well with tears as she dipped her lips to mine. The kiss was soft. Kind. Sensual… just like her. I felt her hands cup my cheeks as I stood up, clasping the ring tightly in my hand. I felt her stomach pressing into mine as she stood with me, her hands wrapping around my neck and pulling me as close as she could get.

  Then she answered.

  And tears of my own sprang to my eyes.

  “I love you, Graham,” she said. “All I’ve ever wanted was a family to call my own. Someone to love and cherish for the rest of my life. I’ve been so scared to tell you how I feel because I was terrified that you wouldn’t feel the same way.”

  “I love you, Libby,” I said. “Please marry me. I don’t want to do this life without you.”

  Libby pressed a kiss to my ear before she pulled back, her dazzling eyes dripping with tears of happiness.

  “It would be an honor to marry you, Graham Alexander.”

  The music started as I slid her engagement ring onto her finger. Despite the swelling in her hands, it still fit her beautifully. The music was low and the reception room was empty, and as I pulled her into me and started moving her across the floor my heart exploded with joy.

  I finally had everything I could’ve ever wanted.

  And I saw my future blossoming in her tear-stained eyes.

  Twenty

  Libby

  “Oh my gosh, Libby. You look spectacular.”

  “I still can’t believe this is happening. Joanna, I... I’m getting married.”

  “If I looked that good at eight and a half months pregnant, I would’ve gotten married then, too,” Joanna said.

  “I still can’t believe he threw this together so quickly,” I said.

  “I told you. All you had to do was be honest with a man like Graham. That man out there loves you. He’d give you the world if he asked for it.”

  “All I want is him, Joanna. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

  “And in a few more minutes, he’ll be all yours,” she said.

  The dress I was wearing framed my very pregnant body wonderfully. It had a heart-shaped bodice made of shining fabric and light, lacy sleeves that slipped off my shoulders. The body of the dress fell around my stomach nicely and hung towards the floor, billowing out at my ankles. Every time I moved, it swished against my legs, making me feel like the princess I had always wanted to feel like at my own wedding.

  “Ready for the finishing touches?” Joanna asked.

  My veil was a full-length veil that had a beautiful lacy train behind it. My makeup was minimal, but Joanna insisted on the ruby red lips. Graham had left me a gift that morning in my room before we parted ways to get ready, and I was wearing it around my neck: a beautiful pearl necklace with matching stud earrings that went well with my hair piled high on my head.

  I’d never felt more beautiful in my entire life.

  “Is it normal to be nervous?” I asked.

  “I was petrified,” Joanna said.

  “So… I should be,” I said.

  “What? Nervous? Not all brides are. Why, are you not nervous?”

  “No. I’m really not.”

  “That’s a good thing. It means you have one less thing to worry about,” she said.

  “I think my biggest worry right now is going into labor during my wedding.”

  “You’re getting married today even if I have to hold you up with my bare hands. Nothing is stopping this from happening. By the time today is over, you will be Mrs. Graham Alexander.”

  “Joanna?”

  “Yes?”

  “Thank you for being my matron of honor.”

  I turned around and hugged my friend, holding her as close as I could get her. This was it. We were minutes away from walking down the stairs to get ready for the ceremony. I tried to keep the tears at bay as Joanna rubbed my back, cooing in my ear that things would turn out just fine. It wasn’t that I was worried about my future. A life with Graham was the only thing I wanted from the moment I watched his daughter dance on that stage.

  But I was worried about raising three kids that technically weren’t mine.

  “You’re going to be a spectacular mother,” Joanna said breathlessly. “To all of those kids.”

  “How can you always read my mind?” I asked.

  “It’s a gift,” she said. “And it comes with a great deal of responsibility.”

  “You’re insane.”

  “And you’re ready. Want me to help you down the stairs?”

  I took Joanna’s hand and we went to take our place at the same altar I had watched Logan say his vows at all those months ago. The music struck up and she processed down the aisle, her beautiful bouquet of flowers in hand. I gripped my flowers tightly as I focused on the beautiful pinks and yellows and reds. Neither Graham nor I could decide on which two colors to pick, so we simply went with all three. Pink for the dress I wore that he first saw me in, yellow for the sun Graham claimed that shined against my body in the mornings, and red for the fiery passion that had been stoked between us.

  He was such a romantic, and it was one of the main reasons I loved him.

  The music changed to my processional and I drew in a deep breath. I raised my head as two men opened the doors for me, and I felt the air leave my lungs. There was Graham, in a tailored tuxedo, looking straight at me. With his crimson-red button-down shirt and a pale-yellow tie, he had a light pink flower attached to the collar of his tuxedo jacket. He looked spectacular with his piercing eyes and his strong stance.

  I wanted to go to him.

  I wanted to run into his arms and never let go.

  “Are you ready, princess?”

  I looked over at my father as he offered his arm to me.

  “Are you okay, Daddy?” I asked.

  “I have to admit; your mother and I were worried about how quickly the two of you were diving into this. But I see the way he looks at you and I see the way you look at him. It’s reminiscent of the way your mother and I used to look at one another.”

  “Probably not the best omen to start my marriage with,” I said with a grin.

  “If there’s one piece of advice I can give you, princess, it’s this. Don’t allow yourself to get caught up in the small things. Your mother and I did that. We focused so much on you that we lost ourselves. The anger from our arguments made us focus on things that didn’t matter. Where we were spending holidays, what presents to get you for Christmas, stupid things like that. Take time to be with Graham. It’s okay to use the nanny if you need time off. And never, ever, ever go to bed upset. Always resolve. Always compromise. And always cling to one another. Even if you can’t stand to look at him.”

  “Thanks, Daddy,” I said breathlessly.

  I threw my arms around my father, willing my tears to stay at bay. I linked my arm in his and we started down the aisle, my mother peeking her head around from the crowd to get a glimpse of me. Lizzie was standing by Joanna up at the front and Jake was
wrangling Deacon and Daniel in his arms. It had been a doozy meeting Jake, and he sure was a wild one. He was insistent on Graham having a bachelor weekend in Las Vegas, and when the two of them returned Graham looked like he had been run through a wood chipper.

  He was a good friend to Graham, and though he was wild and very boisterous at times, I enjoyed being around him. He was supportive of the two of us and very excited at the idea of Graham having another child.

  Despite him being a party boy, he really was good with the kids.

  My eyes locked with Graham as my heart thundered in my ears. This was it. This was my chance at my own happily ever after. My father lifted the small veil over my eyes and kissed my cheek, then he handed me off to Graham as our fingers laced together.

  Then the ceremony began.

  “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in front of God and family to celebrate the union of these two people. If there is anyone here who objects to this union, speak now or forever hold your peace.”

  I scanned the audience and saw someone stand. Who the hell was that?

  “That’s okay. If they have issues, they know where the door is. Don’t panic,” Jake said.

  As I looked up again I recognized the woman walking out of the wedding. It was Graham’s ex. She had finally given up. She had let him go. Let the kids go. I didn’t even know why she showed up, honestly. Except maybe, this was her way to make peace. To know that he was okay. That her kids would be taken care of. That she could finally let go.

  Graham was mine.

  A massive smile peeled across Graham’s face. He was free.

  “Thanks, Jake.”

  “Not a problem, Libby,” he said with a wink.

  “I hear the couple have written their own vows,” the minister said. “Mr. Alexander, I’ll hand it over to you.”

  “Libby, there are no words to describe what this moment means to me. But that’s all this is. It’s a moment. A triumphant celebration in a long line of celebrations I want to have with you for the rest of my life. This isn’t an end point, or a final leg of the race. It’s the beginning of something new between us, and I want you to understand that I know that. I know it doesn’t end here. I know this isn’t the end goal for us. And no matter what I have to do—no matter where I have to go—as long as you are happy and taken care of, I don’t care. Nothing else matters to me. I love you, Libby. I loved you the moment I saw you hold my sons, I loved you the moment you told me you were pregnant, and I will always love you. No matter what comes our way.”