“So, you got my daughter pregnant,” my father said.
“Daddy. Cool it,” I said.
“No, no. He has every right to be upset with me,” Preston said.
“It was a two-person job. If he’s upset with you, he’s upset with both of us,” I said.
“Phillip, are you ragging on those kids already?” my mother asked. “At least let them eat first.”
My mother came into the room with two trays of food. One had her famous deviled eggs on them and my mouth began to water. The other tray was a tray of sweets, and that was the one Preston went for. He had a massive sweet tooth and could never resist a bowl of sweets sitting on someone’s desk. So putting a tray of it in front of him was like sitting him at a dessert bar.
“So, Preston. Delilah has told us little to nothing about you,” my mother said.
“How did the two of you meet?” my father asked.
“Wow, she really hasn’t told you anything, has she?” Preston asked.
“Want me to take this one?” I asked.
“I don’t know. It’s a point of pride for me,” Preston said.
I playfully slapped him on his leg as he grinned down at me.
“Did you guys do that online thing? I don’t recommend that. Gets you into trouble,” my father said.
The tension started growing in the room as I rolled my eyes. I leaned up and grabbed a deviled egg, then settled back into the cushions. Usually, my parents were more reserved than this. But I guessed they were wanted to put on a good facade for Preston, so I rolled with it.
“He’s my boss,” I said plainly.
My father’s gaze hardened onto Preston as the two of them stared at one another.
“Did he take advantage of you?” my father asked.
“Nope. It was a mutual thing, Daddy. Can we drop the act now, though? You guys are freaking me out,” I said.
“She’s right,” my mother said. “I’m already getting tired of the exchange.”
“What exchange?” Preston asked.
“Are you done trying to intimidate him like you feel you need to, Dad? Because I’m ready to hear about the latest book you’re reading,” I said.
“Oh, come on Phillip. Tell her about it. I got it for you a couple of weeks ago,” my mother said.
My father sighed and relented, pulling his gaze from Preston and landing onto my stomach.
“Do you need anything, honey?” he asked.
“I’m just fine. If I need something, I’ll let you know,” I said. “Now what is this book Mom got you?”
“It’s an incredible memoir. Ever heard of Lili Elbe?” my father asked.
“Can’t say I have,” Preston said.
“You’re reading Lili Elbe’s memoir. You have to give that to me once you’re done reading it,” I said.
“You know who Lili Elbe is?” Preston asked.
“Lili Elbe was the one of the first documented men to ever go through gender reassignment surgery. She eventually tried to have a uterus implanted into her body so she could have children, and that’s what killed her,” I said.
“Seriously?” Preston asked.
“Yep. It’s because of her that we have so much knowledge on the topic now. Lili Elbe is a cultural icon in that community today,” I said.
“Her memoir is gut wrenching. And very eye opening. If you two are staying for the weekend, I should have it finished and I can send it with you,” my father said.
“I’d love that, Daddy. Thanks,” I said.
“Mrs. Kent, are you a reader?” Preston asked.
“Oh, no. Well, not in the way Delilah and Phillip are. I’m more of a random facts woman. Crossword puzzles are my thing,” she said.
“It’s hard to make me feel like I’m in a room full of people smarter than me. But the three of you are slowly making it happen,” Preston said.
“Don’t worry. I’ll help you cope with that reality later,” I said.
I patted his knee as my parents settled into the couch. Finally, they were relaxing a little bit. The protective parent stance wasn’t natural for them. I was fiercely independent because they were so wrapped up in themselves during my formative years. Them getting protective now felt a tad bit hypocritical. It was nice they were willing to try, but right now I wanted to talk with them. To catch up on their lives and see how things were going with them.
“Do you still do them in that red pen?” I asked. “The last time you did a crossword, I think it was in just a plain black pen.”
“Oh, that thing finally ran out of ink. And it was the last in the pack. I keep meaning to buy another package of them, but I always forget whenever I go to the store,” my mother said.
“That red pen gives me the creeps,” my father said. “My English teacher in college used a red pen and slaughtered my essays. That woman was no joke.”
“Where did you attend school?” Preston asked.
“Just the community college up the road,” my father said. “Marcia and I grew up in the area.”
“I didn’t go to school, but Phillip got a two-year degree in electrical engineering,” my mother said.
“I have no idea where Delilah got her love of math from,” my father said. “I hated the stuff.”
“Me, too,” my mother said.
“Then it’s something that’s simply unique to her,” Preston said with a grin.
The initial meeting with my parents went well. We stayed for a few hours and talked until I started getting tired. Then, Preston and I headed off to the hotel we had booked. We spent the majority of the weekend with my parents, discussing the plans we already set forth. We told them about the apartment I had moved into and how the nursery was already set up for the babies. Preston offered to fly them in once I went into labor and my parents wholeheartedly accepted. I was excited at the idea of them being there. I wanted my family there with me when I gave birth to my babies.
Then, it was time to go.
My father sent me with Lili Elbe’s memoir and I started reading it on the plane. I flipped page after page, devouring the book as we flew back home. My speed reading came in handy for many things, like books I couldn’t wait any longer to read. We flew from my hometown of Raleigh, North Carolina all the way back to Philly, and I was finished with the book just before we landed.
“You’re already done?” Preston asked.
“It was good. You wanna read it?” I asked.
“You sure you’re not just scanning those pages and taking in the headlines?” he asked.
“That’s one of the speed reading tactics. But no, I’m not,” I said.
“I still can’t believe you can read that fast,” he said.
“It came in handy in college and it comes in handy now,” I said. “You sure you don’t wanna read it?”
“I’m sure. Not really a reader.”
“Unless it’s articles about yourself,” I said with a smirk.
“Hey, those are good articles. And I have to make sure the pictures of me in the magazines are nothing short of phenomenal.”
“You should put that on your resume when you shake down this company and move to your next one.”
“And what’s that?” he asked.
“‘Tooting your own horn’. You’re very good at it. I’m sure there’s a job out there for it somewhere,” I said.
“You mean you don’t want to toot it for me?” he asked.
His hand began to slid up my leg, dancing dangerously close to my heated pussy. I grasped his hand and stopped him as the plane landed onto the tarmac. We had spent a wonderful weekend together, rolling around in the sheets and waking up to the feeling of his tongue between my legs. But now we were back to reality, and we had to put distance between us.
“Are you driving off first, or am I?” I asked.
I saw Preston’s face falter a bit before he drew his hand back.
“Since this suit looks so fabulous on me, let me go first. If there are people here waiting to get pictures, they
’ll get them of me and leave. Wait a half an hour, then disembark. I’ll let the pilot know you’re staying behind so he doesn’t leave you here alone.”
I watched as Preston got up and smoothed out his suit. I knew he wasn’t happy to be back, but there wasn’t anything I could do about it. This was for the best, and visiting my parents only solidified my decision. I had to think about this rationally. My children’s well-being was at stake because of it. I couldn’t always give into the demands of my body just because it wanted something then and there.
Sometimes, people had to give up things they wanted in order to reach for a greater good.
“We have a meeting tomorrow morning at nine. Don’t worry about coming in until then,” Preston said.
“Okay,” I said. “I won’t.”
Then, I watched him get off the plane as people began to emerge. They were there taking pictures and asking for comments, and I slid down into my seat. I sat on the floor of the plane as the pilot emerged, then he came to sit with me as the commotion died down. When the two of us were sure everyone was gone, he escorted me to my beat-up car and watched me drive off.
Back into a world where I was pregnant with an unknown man’s children.
Twenty-Two
Delilah
“Doctor, what’s going on? Why am I bleeding?”
Preston was holding my hand tightly as my obstetrician sat beside my body.
“You have what’s called ‘placenta previa’. It just means your placenta is lying so low that it’s partially covering your cervix opening. It’s very common in women who are carrying multiple children like you are.”
“What do we need to do?” Preston asked.
“She only has a partial previa, which means about half of her cervix opening is covered. The bleeding isn’t much, but she is going to have to go on bedrest. If she moves around too much and the placenta breaches the cervix opening, it could swing her into preterm labor.”
“Bedrest?” I asked. “I-I-I can’t go on bedrest. I have a job. I have to work. Accounts that have to be settled.”
“Delilah, relax. We’ll take care of that,” Preston said.
“Don’t you tell me to relax. You might be my boss in work, but outside of work I’m the woman carrying your children. You don’t get to tell me to shut up,” I said.
“That’s another thing you have to control,” the doctor said. “Your heart rate can make this worse. Here’s the course of action we’re going to take. I’m going to see you for tests every two weeks. I want to check and make sure these babies are doing fine despite the stress they’re putting on your body. I’ll also schedule someone to come to your home and administer regular steroid shots.”
“Steroid shots? What are those for?” Preston asked.
“To mature the baby’s lungs. If she goes into preterm labor and her placenta fully detaches from the wall of her uterus, we can’t stop things from progressing. Making sure these babies lungs are as strong as they can be readies them for their NICU visit.”
“Oh my gosh,” I said breathlessly.
“Just relax,” Preston said. “We’ve got this. I can move you into my place, you can cash in the rest of your vacation time for the duration of your pregnancy, and I can hire someone to look after you while I’m at work.”
“I’m not moving anywhere with you,” I said. “I have a perfectly fine apartment we just got me into a month ago. The baby’s things are there. That’s where these kids are going after I have them. That’s where I’m staying.”
“Delilah, this isn’t a time to be independent. Someone has to be there to watch over you.”
“Actually, if you stress her system even more with dramatic changes, it’ll make her condition worse,” the doctor said.
“You couldn't have sided with me on this?” he asked.
“While I respect you, Mr. Walker, you’re not my patient. Delilah is. And right now, what her body needs is rest and relaxation.”
“Thank you,” I said. “Finally. A voice of reason.”
“But bedrest doesn’t mean walking around your apartment and not going anywhere. It means in the bed, resting. You don’t go anywhere and you don’t do anything. It’s the hardest thing for women to comprehend. If your placenta pulls away from your uterus, that’s it. Game over.”
“I hear you,” I said with a grumble.
“I’m going to give you your first steroid shot now, then in two weeks when you come back for your appointment I’ll give you another one,” the doctor said.
“I thought you said someone was coming by to administer it?” Preston asked.
“That’s if she has to miss her appointment for some reason. Which you shouldn’t, so get it on your calendar. But if something happens and she has to reschedule, someone will come out to at least give her the shot. Those are just as important, if not more important, than these appointments.”
“Thank you, doctor,” Preston said. “We appreciate it.”
Preston help me off the bed and escorted me to the car. He got on the phone with someone and started rattling off instructions. Something about packing bags and picking them up and keeping the lease on his apartment. I had no idea what he was talking about, but then there was a phrase that clued me in to what was happening.
“Yes, just drop those bags off at Delilah’s place. I’ll be there to receive them.”
“Excuse me?” I asked.
“Yes,” Preston said as he held up his finger to me. “Uh huh. Yep. That’s right. Keep the lease, yes. Tell the maid to come only once a month. Just a good dusting should do.”
“A good dusting? Preston, you’re not moving in with me,” I said.
He shot me a look that boiled my blood as we wound through the streets of Philadelphia. He hung up his phone and dropped it into his pocket, then slowly turned his head towards mine. There was a seriousness in his eyes I’d only seen once. It was during a meeting with the investors when things kicked up and he had to chastise them for acting like children.
I felt the hair on my arms stand on end as his unwavering gaze locked with mine.
“Your independence is refreshing, but now it is harming your body. I am having my things packed and delivered to your doorstep, where I will then stay with you for the duration of your pregnancy. We will bring those children back together, where I will help you with feedings as well as help you recuperate. Your body is no longer sustaining this pregnancy well, and I will not leave you alone. And I won’t let you fucking bully me into not helping. I will wait on you so your body can heal, and I will be there to make sure you obey those doctor’s orders. Are we clear?”
I swallowed thickly as my head began to swim. Who the hell did he think he was talking to? Where did he get off addressing me like that? I didn’t need him hovering over me. I was capable of doing this on my own. I could stay in bed and take care of myself. I didn’t need him to do anything for me.
But having him around did sound nice.
“Preston, I-”
“The only answer that needs to come out of your mouth is ‘okay’,” he said.
“What?” I asked.
“The gravity of this situation is serious, and I made you a promise at the beginning of this. But I also made myself one. I told myself that if this situation ever escalated to the point where I had to intervene for your health and the health of these children, then I would. This is that moment. You can be angry all you want, but those are your choices. Either you move in with me, or I move in with you.”
“And I don’t get a say in this at all?” I asked.
“You do. You get to choose,” he said.
I was angry with him, but he had a point. My body was no longer able to healthfully sustain these children with the work I was putting in. So, Preston moved in with me. He cashed in the rest of my medical leave and paid vacation to get me through until the company would allow me to take maternity leave, then filed the paperwork himself. I was worried about how that would look, but Preston had other things o
n his mind. Like hiring someone to be around the apartment whenever he was needed at work. And having him around was a big help. I was so big that getting out of bed to do basic things was hard. He had to grab my hands and pull me up just so I could get to the bathroom to clean myself up.
The more I tried to do and the more I found how weak my body was, the more thankful I was that Preston was there.
But I didn’t tell him that. If I did, I would never hear the end of it.
Preston was there to do everything. If I was hungry, he brought me food. If I was thirsty, he brought me something to drink. If I needed to sit up and take off my socks, he sat on the edge of the bed and took them off for me. I fell asleep every night to him massaging my legs and woke up every morning to his cock easing between my thighs. He was always gentle with my body and stern with my reality. He never rubbed the fact that I couldn't do anything in my face. But when I became stubborn he was quick to remind me of the position I was in.
He took my shit without taking my bullshit, and it seemed to work with us.
The entire time I was on bed rest, Beethoven didn't leave my side. He would sleep at my feet or curled up around the protrusion of my stomach. He would purr in my ear and lick my face, trying to heal whatever is was that was ailing me. He was wary of Preston in the beginning, but he warmed up quickly. Soon, I was waking up to Preston bringing Beethoven into my room after Beethoven had snuck off in the middle of the night to go find him.
It was a precious sight, seeing Preston cradle my cat.
There was one day, however, we had not planned for Preston to go into work. There was an emergency meeting called with the board of investors because some project was using more money than they had originally intended. I wanted to go with him to the meeting. To be there to run some quick calculations and figure out what had gone wrong. But Preston was insistent on me staying in bed. I knew he had to go in for this meeting, but I wanted to be there with him. I felt like we were some sort of secretive power couple, holding the company up with our knowledge and strength whenever things started to crumble.
The issue was that he couldn't get in contact with the woman employed to look after me when he was gone.
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