“I can see why you’d think that but I’m talking about making decisions about what it is you want. I can see that I’ve pushed you to do things maybe you weren’t ready for and now your parents are too. I want to stop doing that and I want you to know I’m in your corner and here to help you be you.”
She sighed and kissed his plump lips. “And that’s why I love you so much. No one has ever looked at me the way you do. You can see right into my heart and soul, I think. You can tell this way of living just isn’t me, can’t you?”
“You’re so uncomfortable here,” he said with a chuckle. “This place doesn’t look like a home you’d make for yourself.”
“Because it’s a home my mother put together. I do have one member of the staff who I really like. The head chef, Laura. She’s all about getting to know me and what I want. And I can see keeping her on. I don’t need the tons of other staff. The butler isn’t necessary. The place is huge, so a couple of maids should be kept on. Other than that, I see no need to keep the rest.”
“What about finding another place. A place where you’d feel at home?” he asked her then kissed her forehead. “A place we could call our home, peach.”
She shivered with his words. “Our home, West?”
“I want you and I to move in together.”
She took in a breath and held it as she thought about what he wanted.
Did she want that too?
She felt at home in his arms. She felt whole when he was around. To have him in her life, really sharing it, would be more than nice. “What kind of place do you seeing yourself living in?”
“Anywhere you are,” he told her then kissed her with a deep kiss that told her he wasn’t lying about that. “I could live in a ditch as long as you were with me, Aulora.”
“Well, we won’t have to go that far,” she said then giggled. “I could sell this place, couldn’t I? I’m not stuck here. As if anyone would consider themselves stuck in a Fifth Avenue penthouse. You know what I mean, though.”
He trailed one hand up to cup her chin and looked deep into her eyes. “I can see you do feel trapped. I don’t want you to let that happen to you. Why not think about some place that will help you be the artist you want to be? We could get a vacation place anywhere in the world. And we could get a place near New York too. That would be a necessity for my work and your artwork to be sold.”
She nodded and sighed. “You’re so level-headed, West. So, on top of things. I think I could be happy right here in this place. I just need to change the décor, you know. We could keep this place and get a vacation house somewhere. Maybe Paris.”
“I like that idea.” He kissed her again, this time with a fervor that told her their discussion was over. Their plan had been made, now to consummate their new arrangement!
She felt it too. The shift in what they would be to one another. They were going to move one step forward and live together. He’d help her to push away the things that had been tossed at her and replace them with things she wanted and liked.
Aulora had no idea that anyone could do that for another person. Step in and help them be who they longed to be. She had always wanted to be an artist. The loss of money got in the way, slowing that goal down for her. But the money was back and she could use it to help her move ahead in her career much faster than she’d been doing.
When their bodies connected, she felt a heat surge through her. They locked eyes as he moved slowly, letting her feel every inch of him as he made his strokes. He took her breath with his beauty, inside and out.
“I love you more than you will ever know,” he told her.
“I think I do know. Because, I love you that much too,” she said then took his handsome face between her palms and pulled him in for a kiss.
Their tongues danced as their bodies bid the others to move rhythmically to a song only they heard. Long, sensual movements had them sharing more with one another than they ever had before. Things were different.
They were now a real couple with a real commitment!
Chapter 4
The mural, done in soft pink pastels, oranges, and lilacs, had been done in her baby sister’s bedroom. Her father and stepmother were at the hospital, delivering the New Aulora.
Weston came into the nursery with a grin on his face.
“It’s beautiful, peach. Well done!”
Aulora stood back and looked at the wall she’d created for her sister. A unicorn, not an ordinary one, one with fairies embedded in its long, pearly mane, was the focal point. But there was so much more in that mural.
A couple of princesses hid behind tall trees with pale purple moss growing up their massive trunks. Aulora meant it to be the two of them, playing in a fairy forest. She knew they would never get to play together like real siblings, so she made up a fantasy childhood where they both could pretend they had known each other forever.
She couldn’t say she’d grown fond of her stepmother, Clara, who never wavered on her calling her mom. A thing she was finding humor in rather than aggravation. Clara was an odd woman. Though only a few years older than Aulora, she was ancient in many aspects.
Formal dinners were held every Sunday evening. Weston always attended them, with Aulora. Her family had accepted him and their living arrangement, though Clara often told Aulora she needed to get something more permanent with Weston. A ring should be on her finger, in Clara’s opinion.
Aulora was fine without one. She knew she and Weston had something special. No ring was necessary to prove to her that he was the other half of her.
His arm ran around her as they left the room. “I suppose we could go to the hospital now,” Aulora said as they walked down the massive staircase. “I’d like to be there when New Aulora is born.”
“Then we shall go,” Weston said then kissed the side of her head. “I too would like to meet her. I have a confession to make about her name, though.”
“And that would be?”
“I intend on coming up with a cute nickname for her. New Aulora isn’t doing it for me.”
She laughed and nodded. “I was thinking about doing that too. We can come up with something together and make it stick.”
Weston and Aulora were good at things like that. Getting together to make things more tolerable for one another. Life is seldom fair, one needs a cohort to help smooth out the ridges of unfairness.
The two had settled into a comfortable existence together. Aulora was only six weeks from graduating, and Weston was preparing her a surprise party, even though she’d told him not to.
He’d found she never wanted attention focused on her and he was determined to get her to accept a little attention now and then. When he’d asked her what kind of a wedding she’d dreamt of, he was astonished when she told him, she’d never dreamt of one.
Aulora wasn’t exactly a person who gave everything she had to others and expected nothing in return. She was more of a person who did what was necessary for others and never thought about asking anyone to do anything for her.
Weston had stayed true to his word. He didn’t try to fix things for her. He let her make her own way and she was selling her art to others without his help. But he was having a hard time with not giving her anything.
The ride to the hospital was made in silence. He knew she was in an odd spot with it all. She’d been an only child forever. Now she’d have another person in the world who shared her genetics.
“You know, it has run through my head more than a few times that my father could do to my little sister what he did to me,” she confided in Weston.
“I knew something was troubling you. I think your father has matured since he did that to you and your mother. I don’t see it happening again. And I think he and Clara will most likely have more children. My guess is it won’t be long before you have more little brothers and sisters.”
She looked down and he felt the agony that was exuding from her. “And they will all have a wonderful life that might be swept out from under th
em.”
He chuckled and wrapped his arm around her, giving her a firm squeeze. “I suppose it’s that dramatic flair that makes you so good at what you do. I don’t think you have a thing to worry about. You seem to be waiting for the other shoe to drop. Things to go wrong. Heartache to happen. Just live and don’t worry about the future or what might happen. It’s as if you’re mourning something that hasn’t happened.”
“It feels real, Weston. You have no idea what it’s like to have a great life then all of a sudden find yourself living near poverty level. And then, just as suddenly, put back into your old life. It’s not a thing most people go through.”
“Agreed,” he said as he contemplated her feelings. “But you’re safe from that ever happening again. You’re no child who’s at the whim of your father. What you have is all yours, he made sure of that. And you’ll always be around to make sure your little sisters and brothers never have to go through what you did.”
She looked at him and a smile broke over her face. “You’re right. I never thought about it like that. I have enough money to take care of a ton of kids. They’d never know what it’s like to go from lobster one night to Ramen noodles the next. Not any of my siblings will go a day without knowing if they’ll eat that day or where the hell they’ll get the money to make rent and other bills.”
“See, you can see a silver lining when prompted,” he said as he laughed and kissed her cheek. “I can’t wait to get my hands on that baby, Aulora!”
Her heart lurched as she suddenly realized how much Weston wanted a baby. She’d been pretty selfish, she thought. All about herself the last couple of months.
“West, I’m kind of afraid this is going to make you get back on that baby bandwagon again. And I hate to say it but I’m still nowhere near ready for that kind of responsibility.”
His golden eyes sparkled as he looked at her and tweaked her nose. “Not to worry, peach. I’m ready only when you are.”
She smiled and ducked her head. She had no idea when she’d be ready for such a thing. She knew nothing about babies. It was a distant hope that Clara would allow her to learn some about them with her new sister. But it was a vague hope, as Clara was more than a bit picky and bossy. She was sure she’d be the same way about the baby.
When Dustin pulled up at the hospital, he parked and came around to let them out of the back. “Are you coming up too, Dustin?” Aulora asked him as they exited the car.
“Should I?” he asked her as he frowned. “I’m not family.”
“You’re as much a part of this family as anyone else. You’ve been Dad’s driver forever and then some. Come on. Park the car and come up. It wouldn’t be the same without you,” she told him then kissed his wrinkled cheek.
“I’ll park then come up. See you in the waiting room.”
Aulora was happy he’d decided to join them. Her father had many acquaintances but no real friends. She knew Dustin was more of a friend to her father than an employee.
Weston held her hand as they went up on the elevator to the fifth floor where all the expecting mothers were. It was then that she realized this must be hard for Weston.
“If this is too much for you, you don’t have to stay, West. I just thought about that.” She gave his hand a gentle squeeze.
“It’s right where I want to be. Right here, by your side.” With a kiss on her cheek, the doors opened and they stepped out of the elevator.
Her father had texted her the room number and they went straight to it. With a soft knock, they found her father stepping out to greet them. “Hi! Thank God you’re here, Aulora!”
“Oh?” she asked, more than a little surprised.
“Clara’s mother was on her way here but she fell down the steps of her home, breaking her hip. Her sister is in Switzerland and she has no other female to help her out. She’s a disaster!” Her father ran his hand over his face with angst.
“So, I should go inside?” Aulora asked him.
He nodded. “Please. She’s a moaning groaning wreck. I don’t have a clue what to do for her. I wasn’t in the room when you were born. I came up to the hospital later, after you were delivered. This is new to me and quite frankly, I hate it!”
Her body went tense. Weston, felt it go rigid and hugged her, tightly. “You can do it, peach. Get in there and help her. All you have to do is stay calm and rub her shoulders. Hold her hand through the pains. You know, be a friend to her. She sounds like she needs one.”
“But I have no idea what to do, either. Dad, I’m sorry…”
Weston pulled back and held her by her shoulders. “No! No, you will not get out of this by saying you’re sorry, you can’t. That is your stepmother. And she is about to have your baby sister. And you will straighten up and do what you need to do. You see, I’m a big brother and I know the responsibility that comes with that. So, buck up and do what you have to.”
“Damn!” her father said as she shook his head.
“I know, right?” Aulora said as she began to grin. “He’s a real ball buster, isn’t he? And he’s absolutely right. I need to get over my damn self. I’ll do this for my little sister. And Clara too. She’s not all bad.”
“She really wants us to be a real family, Aulora,” her father said. “I know she doesn’t always go about it right but she wants that more than anything else in this world.”
With a nod, Aulora said, “I know that. She’s a weird young woman, isn’t she?”
“Weird?” her father asked with a frown. “I wouldn’t say that. I’d say she’s a different kind of young woman. And she loves me, Aulora. And she loves you too. She’ll really appreciate your help today.”
“And you’ll learn a lot,” Weston added.
She saw it in his eyes, hope that she’d want a child sometime a lot sooner rather than later. “I’ll be inside. You two wait in the little room over there. Dustin will be up soon, Dad. I invited him.”
“Good. I didn’t think about that. I’m glad you did. Such a Godsend you are, Aulora. I don’t know what I’d do without you,” her father said then took her in his arms, hugging her tight. “I’m so sorry for the lost years. I was more than a fool.”
Aulora pulled back to look at him. “I can forgive you for that. But if you pull that shit on any on my siblings, I’ll make sure your life becomes a living hell. Got me?”
With a nod, he looked at Weston and said, “She’s a ball buster too, Weston. Seems you’ve taught her a thing or two.”
“Seems I have. Go get ‘em peach. I’ll keep your dad company.” With a kiss, Weston and her father walked away, leaving her to go inside and deal with a laboring mother for the first time in her life!
Chapter 5
The grip Clara had on Aulora’s hand had numbed it. But Aulora let her hold it anyway. “Great job, Mom! You’re doing so great.”
Clara’s face was red when the contraction eased. Aulora grabbed the cloth from the bed rail and went to the little sink to rewet it. “How many more of these things did you say you wanted?” Aulora asked with a light laugh.
“None! She’s it! This hurts too bad!” Clara said as she tried to turn to one side.
“So, I should never do this, huh?” Aulora asked as she went back to hold the cool wet cloth to her stepmother’s forehead.
Clara’s eyes were watery. One tear fell down her cheek then she took Aulora’s hand in hers. “You have to have at least one, Aulora. I know this looks awful and believe me, it is. But you have to do this, at least once. Weston and you will be wonderful parents. I know you will. You have a deep love and that’ll help you to be great parents.”
“You think so?” she asked as she wasn’t sure of that herself.
With a nod, Clara’s face went red again with another contraction. Aulora found her hand being clenched in a death grip once again.
An hour and a half later, the time had come. Clara was bearing down as Aulora rubbed her shoulders and coached her to push. The nurses stood by as the doctor waited for New Aulora to c
ome on out.
“I wish my father would come in here,” Aulora mumbled.
Clara stopped pushing for a moment and tried to catch her breath. “Run and get him. He’ll come if you make him, Aulora.”
With a quick nod, she took off. Going as fast as she could, she slid around the corner and shouted, “Dad, come on. This is it. She’s not freaking out anymore and she wants you to see your daughter come into the world!”
His face was ashen as he sat perfectly still. Weston got up and pulled him up. “Come on, man! You need to see this. It’s awesome.”
He helped get Aulora’s father all the way to the room his wife was in. Weston earned a quick kiss to the cheek from Aulora before they both disappeared into the room.
Weston stood outside of it. His heart and mind a flurry of emotions. It had been so long ago but he could recall the exact feelings he’d had when his son was born. Terror, love, adoration, and most of all excitement.
He’d been so excited about the baby and their future. So many plans had been made. Weston Junior would be in little league. He’d be the best player on his team. He’d make tons of home runs and make him so proud. His son was going to be something! He’d just known it. How wrong he’d been.
With a heavy heart, Weston went to the bathroom. Tears had sprung up and he was in need of pulling himself together. It all came crashing down on him. He’d tried so hard to keep this about Aulora and not about him and what he’d lost.
But it was always there, waiting in the background of his soul. His loss was a part of him. It was such a part of him that at times he forgot it was there. Like you would a small freckle on your back that you seldom catch sight of. But it’s always there and you’re reminded of that, once in a while, when you see it in the mirror.
His son would always have a place in his heart. He’d moved on. But he could never forget the baby who never got a chance to play baseball, or even learn how to walk and talk. His life was cut short and Weston would never get to know that person.
The hole that was left when his son left this world, began to fill with longing. He longed to hold a baby in his arms again. He longed to hear the little cries they made. He longed to wake up and look into the face of his child.
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