by Mj Fields
The nurse pushed more medication in Tessa���s IV and Tessa laughed, ���Did my husband request that?���
���No, Dr. Brown did, go to sleep Tessa,��� Rosie told her.
When she woke up, she rubbed her eye���s and tried to stand up.
���Hello, Tessa.���
She closed her eyes and lay back, ���Hello how was your flight?���
���It was fine. How are you feeling?��� he asked and lay on the bed next to her and pulled her close to him.
���Great, how are the boys?��� she asked.
���Your Mom said they were still asleep, apparently Ben played with them until they passed out,��� Collin rubbed her cheek with his nose.
���Good, when can I go home?��� she asked pulling away.
���Dr. Brown will be back in about two hours from now and we���ll find out then,��� he kissed her.
She turned away and lay on her side away from him. He took a deep breath and laid back.
���Tessa I was scared. I was a long way from you, and I wanted to make sure you were alright. I���m sorry I upset you, but I���m not going to apologize that I wanted you here until I knew you were going to be alright here. So I���m sorry��� sort of.���
���I sort of accept your apology,��� she said quietly.
���Then please move back over here,��� he said calmly.
���I wouldn���t want my blood pressure to rise. Then you might feel it���s your fault,��� Tessa said dryly.
���Tessa, come here,��� Collin pulled her to face him.
���I���m scared,��� Tessa whispered quietly because if only he could hear her it wasn���t real.
���Me too. Me too, please rest Tessa,��� he kissed her and rubbed her back.
* * *
They went home, and Collin took care of Tessa, the boys, and Leia. She was on bed rest and could be active for only an hour a day. Which he smirked about and made sure the doctor clarified that sexual activity was alright.
Jade and Phoebe both gave birth to their sons a week apart. Tessa was very upset she was not able to be there, and Collin knew it. She missed Ashley���s shower but made up for it in gifts for their little girl. She played piano a lot and the boys were walking. She knew she was missing the last few weeks with just the two boys, and it made her very sad.
Tessa���s blood pressure spiked at thirty- six weeks and everything indicated that Tessa and Collin���s little girl was ready for the world. Collin and Tessa went to the hospital that day, and she was put on a Pitocin drip and they broke her water. If she hadn���t delivered within twenty- four hours, she would have a cesarean.
It hit her hard after only two hours. Her contractions were one on top of the other, but she was not dilating fast. He rubbed her back and talked to her and soothed her and did everything he could think of, but she was in pain.
���Tessa, it���s alright to get something to relax you, or to stop the pain,��� Collin said several times throughout the day.
She didn���t talk much at all she concentrated on her breathing and focused through the pain. It was nine hours straight until she finally was dilated eight centimeters. She finally broke down and cried when he went to use the bathroom. She held a pillow over her face and screamed, and he walked out.
���Tessa don���t you think that enough is enough? You���re tired,��� Collin tried to remain calm as he rubbed her back.
She shook her head ���no.’ An hour later she asked him to get the doctor, she came in and checked Tessa she was finally ten centimeters after twelve hours of horrible labor. She pushed for an hour, and she cried when their daughter was born, she had blonde curls and big blue eyes. She weighed six pounds and six point seven ounces and was nineteen and three- quarter inches long. She was beautiful; her lips were full and lovely. She looked like their Matthew but softer. She held her and cried.
���I love you girls so much,��� he said, and a tear rolled down his face.
Tessa kissed him and held his face to hers. Harper Ann Abraham was here and safe and healthy. Tessa���s blood pressure was still dangerously high, and she was to stay in labor and delivery when they took Harper to the nursery. She sobbed knowing that she wouldn���t be able to keep her with them for her first night. Harper hadn���t even latched on, Tessa was a mess and Collin held her until the sleep medicine kicked in. He went between the nursery and her room the entire night. Tessa slept, only waking once when he wasn���t there.
The next morning she woke, and he looked exhausted.
���Collin you look tired, you should go home and sleep,��� she whispered in his ear.
���Good morning,��� he kissed her. ���I���m not going anywhere. Harper is doing very well, you���re going to be moved, your blood pressure is down, and your parents are going to be bringing the boys up as soon as I give them the word.���
���I didn���t see them much yesterday,��� tears formed in her eyes.
���Tessa, they���re fine, you���re fine, and our little girl is perfect. Don���t be sad,��� he held her gently.
���And how are you?���
���Much better now,��� he said. ���Would you please rest?���
���If you do.���
* * *
They went home two days later, and she was so glad to be there.
Over the next two weeks, Tessa was overwhelmed with company and Collin���s constant need to ask her if she was alright.
���I���m going to take a walk,��� she said, ���Alone.���
Tessa walked to the pond with Leia and sat on the dock, she was happy with her life, but somehow she felt empty. She didn���t know why and it made her mood very poignant. She sat and cried for a long time holding her knees. She heard the Gator and wiped her face she saw Collin walk up and she continued to look at the water. He looked at her and wondered what was going on, but for the past few days she had been very distant. He sat beside her and looked at the water and said nothing. She looked at him and buried her head in her knees. He just sat beside her feeling helpless and tired. It started raining, and she continued to sit. Tessa kept her eyes closed and tilted her head back. He watched her and remembered the first time he told her he loved her, how she danced in the rain and looked so beautiful. He was smiling at her when she finally looked at him, and he looked down and shook his head. He stood up and reached out his hand, and she took it, he pulled her up and hugged her.
���You ready to go back?���
���No, she said holding him tightly.
Collin rubbed her back as they stood in the rain. He took her arms and lifted them in the air and twirled her around, and she laughed.
���Tessa, I love you,��� he yelled with his hands in the air.
Tessa giggled and hugged him. ���I love you.���
They walked back to the house in the rain leaving the gator by the pond. When they walked in arm in arm, they had more company. They didn���t let go of each other they were soaked. They changed and came back down just as Harper woke up. Tessa took her in the family room and fed her as Ben and Kendall talked about trip plans and Jade and Ryan fixed the dinner they had brought. Alex and Phoebe held little Liam, Lucas and Ashley stopped over with a gift as well.
Lucas went to pet Leia, and she growled, ���Seriously Dog��� I thought we were friends now.���
Leia sat in front of him and he pet her.
���Much better Dog,��� Lucas laughed.
���Did you like your book, Collin?��� Jade asked.
���I have no idea what you���re talking abou
t,��� Collin looked confused.
���Tessa didn���t give it to you yet, oops sorry,��� Jade laughed.
Tessa walked out burping Harper and smiled, ���We���ve been a little busy.���
Collin had the boys at the table, and he turned and looked at her.
���Yeah, a little,��� he laughed.
���Have you two decided on a name?���
���No, it is a little hard coming up with a girl���s name with Lucas,��� Ashley looked annoyed.
He put his head down and Tessa tried not to smile.
���You never banged a Harper, did you Collin?��� Tessa asked.
���I don���t bang Tessa and no.���
���Bang,��� CJ yelled.
Everyone laughed and he and Matthew started chanting, ���Bang Bang Bang������
Tessa giggled and smiled, ���You boys will not be doing that either.���
���I don���t know Tessa, looks like Lucas���s little girl will be the only one in town they aren���t related to,��� Collin laughed, ���Sorry Ashley.���
���That would be fine with me,��� Lucas looked at Ashley like he was pissed,���What do you expect Lucas?���
���She���ll be a good girl,��� Lucas said.
Tessa laughed
���This is not funny,��� Lucas scowled at Tessa.
���Maybe she���ll like Harper,��� Lucas said and laughed amused by himself.
They all laughed, except Collin. Tessa looked at him and smiled.
���She���s my daughter, we have no worries. Let���s help you figure this out Ashley.���
���Please do,��� Ashley said encouraging her.
���Alright, no Maria, no Chantal, no Amy, no Leah, no Sally, no Tina or Tammy. No Carly, no Jamie, no Madison, no Sadi, no Jessie, no Ashley or Tessa and I���m not sure about the football groupies or San Francisco what was her name?��� Tessa asked.
���Tipper,��� Lucas said looking down.
���No Tipper, nice name��� Tessa laughed, ���I think that���s about it.���
���How do you know all their names, I just got a number?��� Ashley rolled her eyes.
���Oh, I had the pleasure of meeting all of them actually, now that we have met,��� she laughed. ���All crazy except you, I got beat up by how many Luke?���
���Four,��� Lucas looked down shaking his head.
���Yes and three were in the same hour,��� Tessa laughed.
���The three?���
���Yes,���
���Did you try to help her?���
���She took care of it herself, she���s very mean,��� Lucas laughed.
Collin sat next to her with the boys and rubbed her back ���And I thought my life was rough.���
She sat back against him and smiled.
���I think you should consider an A name, isn���t that your thing you and your sister and the girls are all A names right��� Tessa smiled and looked at Harper.
���Ava,��� Ashley whispered.
���Ava?��� Lucas asked.
���Yes why?��� Ashley scowled.
���No, I like it, Ava Links,��� he said and hugged her, ���I like it, but when we have a boy, it has to be an L name.���
���Agreed, Ava it is,��� Ashley said and kissed Luke.
* * *
Tessa showed Collin the responses she received about starting an organization right here in the United States. He was amazed, and they worked hard to get it off the ground. The boys were now jabbering a lot and Tessa and Collin enjoyed them so much. They were gentle with Harper, and it reminded Tessa of her husband and the way he was with her. They had been married less than two years, together less than two years, and she felt more comfortable, loved, secure, respected, and desired than she had ever in her whole life.
They worked in the States for the next year, and when Harper was one and the boys were almost two they took their first trip out of the country. Collin had decided they would go back to Nicaragua so that she could see what had become of it. The village had flourished, they were self- sufficient. The girl, Alejandra, they sent to college was now in charge of the clinic. She was very grateful to them, and she was helping others realize what they could do with a little help she could give. It wasn���t about money it was about the effort. When they tucked the kids in that first night, she hugged him.
���Collin I get it.���
���I know Tessa,��� he kissed her.
���I want to do what we had planned before. I want our kids to see all this and understand that what we have is a blessing and��� ���she started and looked up at him and smiled.
���I know beautiful, I know you,��� Collin kissed her and stepped back. ���I get it too, the treasure that family truly can be. My heart, all four chambers are more full than I ever thought possible.���
They walked out of the room they once occupied that was now full of portable cribs. He sat in the chair and pulled her onto his lap. He lifted her shirt above her head and looked at her breast.
���Thank God they���re mine again.���
She pulled his off and kissed down his belly and smiled up at him. He slowly shook his head from side to side and smirked. He lifted her up and kissed her and laid her on the ground.
���No fair,��� she laughed.
Collin kissed her and his hands were on her pleasing her, within seconds she didn���t think of anything but the two of them. Not only the physical ecstasy she felt every time they became one, but the unbreakable bond between two people who loved each other truly and deeply. Two people whose delight was truly in loving one another. Whose bliss was in watching their children grow, whose joy came from knowing that no matter what they came from or where they were going it was each other that mattered the most in this life. They were blessed.
THE WRAPPED SERIES
WRAPPED IN SILK
Book 1
CHAPTER ONE
���Good night London, I love you.��� Emma kissed her daughter���s milky white cheek and pushed her brown hair out of her eyes as she tucked her into bed.
Her perfect little girl, who she would move mountains for, and has done exactly that for the past seven years. Emma spent two years taking fertility drugs in the hopes that someday she would have children. Something she assumed would come easily, London hadn���t come easy. For years she felt like less of a woman and less of a wife. She cried each month when she menstruated. She was devastated each time she miscarried. She silently mourned, hiding in the bathroom, holding her stomach wanting to hide the anger and self- loathing she felt from those she smiled brightly for every day. It always surprised her that no one could tell how she was feeling.
When Emma miscarried with her first pregnancy, all her soon- to- be ex-husband Troy could do was give her a cold hug ��� the kind you give an ex or an old acquaintance, one you really didn���t like all that much. He acted as if he could have cared less, but was adamant that they wouldn���t adopt. After they had London, Emma wanted more children, but he���d refused.
Before they married, they had discussed children, but after marriage he said he didn���t want them. Troy enjoyed his friends and her driving him from party to party. Or picking him up from golf, or whatever activity he had decided to do that always involved drinking.
Before they married Emma had known Troy through college, all four years. Although he changed as soon as they said, ���I do.��� His partying didn���t change, but his need for all things except fami
ly did. The final straw was when she found out he���d cheated.
Emma had checked through cell phone bills and credit card statements and found information that looked suspicious. She���d taken his phone while he slept and made calls to two of the numbers. When they���d answered she wouldn���t say anything ��� the women would say his name with a knowing smile in their voice.
The next morning she confronted him about it. Troy looked at her not even denying it and only said, ���So leave if that���s what you want to do.���
He would come home and eat the meal she���d made. When she���d give him his food he���d never say anything more than thank you, he would sit on the couch with their daughter, never even looking in her direction. One evening, three weeks after finding out that he���d cheated, London was in bed and she���d had enough.
���I don���t like you drinking in front of her every day,��� Emma finally confronted him.
���I don���t care,��� he replied coldly rolling his eyes at her.
���No kidding,��� Emma quietly replied.
���I can���t stand you, I have to drink to be around you. I haven���t liked you for a very long time!���
���Well that makes two of us,��� she laughed.
���Then fucking leave,��� he screamed.
���You leave,��� she demanded.
���Oh that���s right if you did, that would mean you���d have to get off your fat ass,��� Troy spewed at her.
Sure Emma had gained weight over the years, but he���d never mentioned it before. It stung.
���You know what, I agree��� our daughter certainly deserves better than a miserable drunk father and a fat mother. So get out,��� she yelled.
Troy left that day and was gone for two weeks. He sure wasn���t happy, when Emma filed papers for custody.
���Thanks for the papers,��� Troy said as she answered the phone.