by Gina Henning
I roll my eyes. “No, but he hired some woman and didn’t tell me. Don’t you think that’s weird?”
There is a silence. Brianna is actually considering this situation. Which makes me believe that I’m not out of line to be bothered.
“Well, it is a bit odd, but do you share every detail about your work with him?”
I twist my lips to the side. I didn’t tell him about the lunch with Trent. “No…not everything.” I bite my inner cheek. “But this is different, hiring someone…someone that my grandmother is impressed with, it just seems like something he should have shared with me.”
“Lauren Hauser, you’re jealous.” Brianna tsks.
“I am not.” My eyes bulge out.
“Yes, you are. It’s so silly. Why are you jealous? Is it just that Jack hired a woman or is it that your grandmother is impressed by her?”
“Neither.”
“Oh, okay…take it easy. You don’t want to sound like a wacky, crazy girlfriend. Be happy that another woman has gotten a good job. Hopefully he pays her well and maybe she will be impressive enough that he will leave the place for her to run and come to Baltimore to live with you.”
I can imagine Brianna high fiving herself in front of her mirror.
“Maybe.” I purse my lips, considering this.
“Not maybe. Remember, as women we have to raise each other up, not push each other down.”
I roll my eyes. But she’s right. “Okay, all right, I’ll be cool.”
“Exactly. Be like Fonzie. I’ve got to go. Owen’s taking me to Fiona’s.”
“Fiona’s…che-ching, that’s nice.”
“Exactly, so I’ve got to finish creating my masterpiece of a face before he arrives. Ciao.”
The dial tone sounds in my ear. She never says goodbye. Ciao is an upgrade from her normal phone conversation ending where there is silence and I realize our chat is over.
I put my phone back in my purse. I’ll call Jack after I’ve seen the babies. From my room there is a narrow hallway and the sounds of babies crying leads me to the door closest to me.
“Here, Aurora, I can hold Terra.” My mother’s voice is soft.
“No, I can hold both of them. They are both my babies.”
“I know, sweetie, but you must be exhausted. You’ve hardly slept.”
I stand in the doorway of what I assume is the nursery. It’s like a woodland forest. There are two cribs made out of wood. Not wood like a standard wood crib bought from Babies ’R’ Us. No, these are curved branches smoothed down and varnished and each one has a branch leaning over the top with a whimsical star mobile hanging above. It’s really beautiful. The walls are painted a light mossy green with dandelions delicately positioned, some with their petals blowing over the walls. It’s so light and airy. I feel an immediate sense of calm.
“Wow,” escapes from my lips.
Both my mom and Aurora’s eyes focus on me.
Silence fills the room, countered by the tension of my mom and Aurora. One of the babies cries. Aurora is sitting in a wooden rocking chair with both babies in her arms. One is nursing and the other is fumbling around and crying.
“Ah…congratulations, Aurora, the babies are beautiful.” I sidestep into the room and lean down to hug her and kiss the baby that is crying. I’m assuming it’s Clay. Terra seems to be happily nursing and is wearing a pink onesie. I can’t imagine even with their different parenting styles that Luke and Aurora would put Clay in a pink outfit.
“Thanks.” Aurora strokes Clay’s face. “I can’t nurse them at the same time.” A tear falls from one eye. “I’m failing.”
“What, no…Aurora.” My mom brushes her hair back. “Darling, let me take Clay while you feed Terra and then we can switch.”
Aurora stares at me. “Lauren, will you hold Clay?”
My eyes are wider than what would seem possible. I don’t want to step on my mom’s toes, but I also want to help Aurora out. She definitely needs reassurance.
“Sure.” I open my arms and maneuver Clay into them. He lets out a little cry and then nuzzles in towards my breast. I laugh. “Sorry, little guy, I’m not your mommy. Those are empty.”
I rock him in my arms. His scent is delicious. So new and fresh. I lean down and kiss his head. His eyes close and he is quiet. I can’t believe I’ve rocked him to sleep in such a short time. I’ve held babies before, but this is like having the magic touch or something.
“Oh dear, Lauren, he is asleep. Aurora, should we put him in the crib or wait a little bit?” My mom glances at Aurora.
“He needs to be held for much longer. He was just born.” Her eyebrows furrow and she eyes Terra and the wrinkles smooth.
I rock Clay back and forth in my arms and turn and face the doorway. Megan is leaning against the doorframe.
“You want to hold him?” I raise my eyebrows to her.
“Oooh…um let me go and wash my hands.” She turns and dashes down the hallway.
Crap. I didn’t wash my hands. Guilt covers me with the idea of me possibly giving any type of germ to my sweet new nephew.
“That’s not really necessary. We want them exposed to germs and not to live in a bubble. It will help them to build their immune systems the healthy way.” Aurora lifts Terra up and pats her back gently. There is a small sound resembling a burp.
Megan re-enters the room. “Okay all clean.” Her arms are open. I slide Clay into the crook of her elbow. Clay makes a few grunts. His eyelids remain shut. What a gorgeous baby. My heart warms. I held both Winter and River when they were younger, but that was over three years ago. I can’t think of a time since then when I’ve held another baby.
I rub my lips together and glance up at the clock on the wall. It’s more of a mural type of art exhibit. There are twelve different framed photos and each one has a different yoga position. It seems that the short hand is on the halasana, which resembles a backwards somersault, and the long hand is on a plank, but the text reads phalakasana. For a non-yogi this means it is almost seven-thirty.
My time ten-thirty and I haven’t had dinner, as my stomach growls to remind the room.
“Oh honey, have you eaten?” My mom peers at me.
“Uh, no not since lunch.” I glance at Aurora. She has fallen asleep in the chair. I’m not sure how. It doesn’t look like the type of chair to doze off in. She must be exhausted. I nod my head towards my mom to check out Aurora.
“Lauren, why don’t you see if you can pick Terra up and I’ll get Luke to help Aurora to bed. The poor dear is completely worn out.” My mom exits the room.
Megan must have taken Clay with her to the living room. I lean down and slowly try to unwrap Terra from Aurora’s arm. Aurora startles and eyes me. Her eyebrows crinkle and then, recognizing me, she nods and releases Terra into my arms.
I rock Terra in my arms. She is precious beyond words. I wonder what mine and Jack’s babies will look like. My chest squeezes almost as if my heart is being drained. Will we even make it to the point of being parents? We never even discussed children or the idea of them. There is so much I don’t know. I swallow hard.
Luke and my mom return to the room and Luke lifts Aurora into his arms as if she is as light as the newborn twins. She stirs in his embrace. “Shhhh, baby, it’s okay; I’ve got you.” He carries her out of the room.
My mom wanders towards me. “Can I hold her?” I shift Terra into my mom’s arms and my mom’s face glows. Her mouth breaks into a deep smile and her eyes fill with water. She blinks and kisses the top of Terra’s head.
She begins singing a soft lullaby to Terra and this is my cue to exit. I saunter down the hallway to find Winter and River playing with some colored wooden blocks.
“Wow, that’s a big castle!” I kneel down next to them.
“Aunt Lauren, do you want to be the princess?” Winter passes me a little doll.
“Sure, but then what will you be?” I scan the ground to find another toy doll.
“I’m the Magic Fairy.” She
holds up a Tinkerbell knockoff-looking doll. “And River is the butler.” She points to the little doll dressed in a tuxedo in River’s hand.
“What is my princess going to do today?” I position the doll next to the window.
“She’s going to look for her prince.” Winter digs through a toy box.
“I can be da prince.” River walks his guy to my doll’s window.
“Hi.” River waves his doll at me.
“Hi there, prince, are you hungry?” My doll peers out through the window at him.
“No, that can’t be the prince. That’s the butler!” Winter puts her hands on her hips.
“Well, it’s okay in this story.” I hop my doll out of the castle. “We can all be friends.”
“No, that doesn’t work.” Winter shakes her head.
“I think we might have some hungry kids. Why don’t you come with me and we can be scavengers on the hunt for some tasty food?”
“Yay, I love playing the scavenger game!” Winter hops up and down.
***
After Winter and River filled their tummies, I read them eighteen thousand books and they finally fell asleep. In the nursery I find my mom and Terra. They are sound asleep. My mom has her Proud Grandma shirt on. It has a tree decorated with embroidered leaves and on each one are her grandchildren’s names.
I sigh and make my way down the hallway and into my room. I need to talk to Jack.
“Hey, are you awake?” I glance at the clock on my phone. It’s ten o’clock there.
“Yes, I just got home.”
“From where?” My eyebrows push together.
“I hired a manager for Vintage Estates and she had some issue with her garage door and asked if I could help her fix it.”
Hmmm. “Why didn’t she call a repair place?” I blink several times.
“I don’t know; she might have. But by the time she called me it was after nine and she seemed really upset.”
“Oh.” I bite my lip.
“How are things there?”
“Good, taking care of kids is exhausting though.” I roll my head back. It’s eleven o’clock my time. I know I haven’t done as much as Aurora or Luke, but after a day of traveling I just want to crash…on my yoga mat. My eyes bulge out at the sight of it.
“I bet…do you want to get to bed?”
I imagine Jack rubbing the back of my head and curling up in his lap. Not lying on the plastic mat on the floor. I close my eyes for a moment.
“No, tell me about this new manager.” I try to sound as nonchalant as possible.
Jack laughs. “She’s got her MBA from Baylor and worked for a few different residences over the past few years while she was finishing up her degree.”
“Interesting, and she’s met my grandmother?” I can’t help it. It does bother me.
“Yes, you know your grandmother likes to check everyone out. Anyways, she gave her full approval of Corinne and that was enough for me to offer her the position.” Jack laughs.
I squint. Corinne. That is not an ugly-sounding name…hmph. I really want to ask him what she looks like, but I can’t. That will be too obvious.
“How old is she?”
“I’m not sure. I can’t remember what she put on her application.”
“Well, if you had to guess, what would you say?” I bite my lip.
“Hmm, I guess I would say she’s probably your age.”
My eyes bulge. Great. My age and with a pretty name.
“Did you interview a lot of people?”
“No, just a few. But Corinne was definitely the most qualified.”
I roll my eyes and slump down onto the floor.
“So where are you right now?” Jack’s voice is husky.
I close my eyes. “Um, in the somewhat of a room they have me staying in.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, it’s the front room and there is a big bay window with no curtains or blinds and no bed.” I sigh. “And no door.”
“What? Lauren, that doesn’t sound good. Why don’t you go and stay at a hotel?” Jack’s voice is full of concern.
“I can’t. I’m supposed to be here to help and from a hotel that isn’t really helpful.” I purse my lips. “Besides it’s just two nights, then I’m back on a plane.”
“Is it a direct flight or do you have any layovers?”
“Direct.” I wish I had a layover in Austin and we could be together, even for an hour. I miss him so much. Being without him for a week is torture…by the time I see him again it will be two whole weeks.
“Hmm, well, listen if things go well this week with Corinne, I might be able to change my flight so I can get to Baltimore earlier on Friday.”
Though I appreciate the idea of him getting to me sooner, “things going well with Corinne” doesn’t bode well for my internal insecurities.
“That would be great… I wish it were even sooner than just earlier on Friday.”
Jack sighs. “Are you sure you can’t change your flight for a layover in Austin on Sunday?”
I let out a laugh. “If only.”
“You could fly out early Monday morning.”
“Ha, that’s not a layover, that’s a completely different ticket.”
“A ticket for fun. I’ll pay.”
“I wish I could take you up on it…but I can’t miss work.” I sigh.
“All right…so how’s the apple pie planning coming along?”
“Well, it would have been coming along better if a certain distractor hadn’t obstructed my baking schedule last weekend.” I let out a giggle.
“You know you liked the distraction. I seem to recall you moaning my name and asking me for more.”
“What?” My eyes widen. I wish I could toss a pillow at him, especially since it would mean we were in bed.
“I’m sorry, that’s right—you weren’t asking, it was more like begging.” Jack’s voice is deep. It’s almost as if he is in the room with me. My body is warmed all over.
“Hmph, well I think your memory is a little off.”
“Not a chance. I could never forget the sound of your voice as you asked me for more, the scent of your skin, the fullness of your lips and your taste…your sweet juicy taste… You remind me of an apple pie, and I want another slice right now.”
My insides are on fire. If only I had a door and I could listen to Jack in privacy. I close my eyes.
“Mmm apple pie? I could go for a slice right now too…” I swallow. Last weekend when we were baking together we tested out the apple pie mixture on each other. “I read over the ingredient list and I think I might have come up with a different mix.”
“Lauren, do you want to give me a taste?”
My eyes bulge. “Yes.”
“Good, have that new batch ready for me because on Friday, I plan to savor every bite.”
Little tingles cascade over my shoulder blades and down my back.
“I’ll be ready.”
“Good. Sweet dreams.”
“With you in them.”
I wish I were in a hotel… I’m so hot now. Jack does something to my blood pressure that I have never experienced before. I sigh. I’m exhausted and I need to get settled on the floor. In the bathroom, I change into my flannel pajamas and mosey back to my room.
There is no pillow in sight. I shuffle back to the living room in search of a couch pillow or throw, but there is nothing on the sea grass couch or recliner chair. I’m disappointed and shuffle back to my room. If Jack were here, I wouldn’t care about a pillow or blanket. I would be warmed in his arms and sleeping on his chest.
I put one of my T-shirts on top of my book bag and cover myself with my coat. Though we are in San Diego, lying on the floor with no real blanket is tepid to say the least. I close my eyes and drift off into a cold, dark sleep.
I’m not sure if I’m dreaming, but I’m being strangled. I can’t breathe. My airways are completely blocked. It’s like I’m under water, but I’m not wet. I reach up and
try to find my nose and mouth. Soft fur is covering my face. I’ve never had an issue with facial hair before. This would be way too much growth for one night. I try to find my face, but I can’t. My fingers poke and grab and it’s nothing but fur.
Hiss.
What in the world? Is there a snake in my room? I jump up and open my eyes. Baba is standing in front of me with his back arched and hissing at me.
I scream.
Luke comes rushing into the room. “What’s wrong?”
“That cat.” I point at it. “It tried to smother me in my sleep.” I shake my whole body.
Luke runs his hand through his hair and rolls his eyes. “Okay, Lauren, I get that you don’t like cats, but can you please have some respect for my wife and babies? They need their rest.”
“Luke, I’m sorry, but seriously that…that cat was on top of my face. I couldn’t breathe.” I let out a deep breath.
“Well, why are you sleeping on the floor? What do you expect?” Luke rubs his fingers over his eyebrows.
“Where else am I supposed to sleep?”
Luke rolls his eyes and storms towards a wall paneling and flips some switch that drops down a bed with a pillow and blanket. And magically blinds roll down from the bay window.
My eyes are wide. I take a deep breath. “Oh, well how was I supposed to know that? Thanks, Luke.”
Luke shakes his head, reaches down, and grabs the cat. He stands in the doorway.
“I’ll close this so Baba doesn’t bother you.” He tugs on a knob inside the door hinge and he slides a door across the entrance of the room, shutting me in.
Wow. I shake my head. So I have an actual bed, blinds, and a door. It’s like I’ve been upgraded from a hostel to the Hilton. I lie back down on the bed and pull the covers over my head. I’m glad he shut Baba out. I don’t care what he says; that cat was trying to kill me.
Chapter Six
After I’m completely dressed I make my way into the kitchen to find my mom at the kitchen table. A montage of different shapes and colors of wood have been nailed together to form a rectangular table. Eight chairs of various textures and colors surround it. My mom has several binders stacked up and one spread open.
Shiat. She brought her wedding planner books with her. I take in a deep breath.