Chapter 11
On their drive home from the restaurant, Renee had been mostly silent. Elliott didn’t want to upset her more than she already was, so he didn’t press her too much. He had already decided to file paperwork banning Maggie from seeing Renee. His main priority was to make sure that Renee and their babies were okay, and that meant that Renee had to be calm and stress-free.
As they were walking into the house, Renee finally ended the silence and said, “Well, that was something. Leave it to Maggie to make her presence known at the most inopportune times. I mean, just who the hell does she think she is? Tonight was about Matt and Kayla. Isn’t it ironic that she disowned us, turned all our lives upside down, and now she has the nerve to think that I would talk to her or listen to anything she has to say?”
Elliott could see that Renee was becoming more and agitated, pacing around the bedroom, her voice rising. “Renee, baby, please just sit down. She’s not worth getting upset over. It pisses me off too that she kept us apart all that time, but in the end she really played herself. What’s important is that we’re all here now, and nothing can ever get in the way of us ever again.”
Renee took in a deep breath and then exhaled. Her body relaxed, and her tension headache was lessening. She knew that Elliott was right. She could not let Maggie upset her. “I know you’re right, Elliott. She always puts herself first, though. This was a celebration tonight and she ruined it.”
Elliott pulled Renee close to him as he sat on the bed with her. “Look, she’s not going to bother you again, I’ll see to that myself. I don’t want to keep talking about her, but I just have one question. You actually saw her the whole time we were there and you didn’t say anything? Why didn’t you tell me you saw her? I wonder how she just happened to be there at the same time we were?”
Renee chuckled and said, “Well, first, that’s three questions. I saw her sitting in the corner right after we had been seated. I’m sure she didn’t realize that I saw her, though. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to spoil the party. I think the reason she knew we would be there is because I was talking to Alexandria earlier in the week and mentioned to her that we were celebrating Matt’s and Kayla’s birthday tonight. Alex must have mentioned it to Joan.”
Elliott nodded. “Well, it makes sense, or at least as much sense as anything that involves Maggie.” He took in a deep breath and said, “We should get ready for bed. It’s been a long day. Maybe we could sleep in late tomorrow, take a shower together, eat some breakfast, get back in bed, have a snack, get back in bed . . . “
Renee laughed. “I think I see a pattern with your plan for tomorrow, and I gotta tell you, I’m really loving it.” Just as she was standing to go into the kitchen and get a drink of water, her phone rang. She said to Elliott, “It’s Alex. Go ahead and get in bed and I’ll be there in a minute.”
Alex apologized profusely to Renee, explaining that she had indeed been the one to tell Joan that Renee and her family would be at the restaurant that evening. Joan was Alex’s mother. “Don’t worry about it, Alex. Aside from being surprised that she thinks she has anything to say that I actually would listen to, no harm was done. I’m fine, really.”
Renee and Alex chatted for a few more minutes, Renee had three weeks left before her scheduled delivery. She promised Alex that she would call her to let her know that everything went okay. The conversation ended with Alex promising to come for a visit when Renee was ready.
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Once they were in bed, Renee was having a difficult time going to sleep. No matter what she did, she just was not able to do it. She did not want to wake Elliott up with all of her tossing and turning, so she decided to go into the kitchen and make some hot tea. Just as she was walking into the living room, she felt a sharp twinge in her side and back, followed by a fast release of red-tinged water going down her legs. The pain was so fast and so sharp that she was unable to move, and unable to call out for Elliott to help her. She gripped the edge of the island and lowered herself to the floor. Once the pain subsided, her plan was to crawl back into the bedroom so that she could awaken Elliott. The pains grew sharper and harsher, and she was really starting to panic. She attempted to move herself across the floor, but the pain kept her in the same spot. The last pinch made her lose focus and then everything faded to black.
~~~~
Noah and Noelle James were born later that night. They were born three weeks early and had to be monitored very carefully for a while, but they had an excellent team of doctors and other healthcare professionals who helped them. They were able to be discharged home after being observed in the neonatal intensive care unit for a bit. Renee felt a multitude of emotions following the delivery of the twins and their subsequent release from the hospital. She was, of course, concerned because they were born a little early, she was thankful that she had the support of her husband and family, and she was grateful because she had everything that she ever thought she wanted, and more.
When Elliott had awakened the night that Renee went into labor, he quickly realized that she was not in bed with him. He first checked to see if she was in the bathroom. When he didn’t find her in there, he went into the kitchen where he found her nearing unconsciousness. He immediately dialed 9-1-1 and then called Dr. Middleton to let him know what was happening. His heart and mind were racing, but he knew that if he let panic set in, things would only get worse. He followed the instructions that the emergency operator gave him, and within minutes the EMT crew had arrived to take her to the hospital.
When they arrived at the hospital, Dr. Middleton was already there. He and his surgical team were ready to take Renee to the operating room where he performed a C section. Following the surgery, Renee was able to convalesce in the hospital along with the babies. Once they were all determined to be healthy and strong enough to go home, Dr. Middleton was able to manage coordinating Renee’s discharge along with that of Noah’s and Noelle’s.
Their first few days at home were busy and joyous. Elliott’s mother, along with Kayla and Matt had offered to come over and help out, but Elliott insisted that since he had taken a leave from his office, he would be able to handle things. He wanted the chance to bond with the twins. He did have to concede to letting Lena prepare meals for them. Renee knew what it was like to have two babies at once. It took Elliott a few days, but he quickly caught on and was a tremendous help to Renee. He was so doting and careful with them. It was very touching for Renee to watch her big, strong husband being so gentle and tender with his babies. Similarly, he also made sure that Renee was comfortable. He ensured that she was eating properly and getting enough rest.
At her six week follow-up visit with Dr. Middleton, Renee was given a clean bill of health. Her blood pressure, which was what caused things to spiral out of control with her early labor and delivery, had normalized, and she was feeling much better. He asked her how the twins were doing. “They are perfect,” she beamed. “They had their first round of shots and the pediatrician said they are doing great. All things considered, we were all very fortunate to have things turn out so well, thanks to you and everyone else involved.”
Dr. Middleton inserted a non-hormonal IUD for Renee during her visit. “You can resume sexual intercourse when you feel comfortable. Might have some cramping and spotting for a bit. If you start feeling really sick though, you will need to see me or my nurse practitioner immediately.”
When the appointment ended, Renee thanked Dr. Middleton again. She and Elliott drove away from the medical facility and went to Ben and Lena’s. They had been very excited about getting to watch Noah and Noelle while Elliott and Renee went for her follow-up visit. When they walked into the house, they heard Elliott’s parents playing with the babies.
“They are so beautifully perfect,” Lena said as she cuddled Noelle close to her. “We just finished feeding and changing them, so they will probably be sleeping at any time now.”
As if on cue, Noah, who was being soothed by Ben, let
out a tiny burp as he lay his little head on his grandpa’s shoulder. Ben chuckled softly and placed a kiss on the now sleeping baby’s arm. “They’ve been quite busy today keeping the both of us entertained, so I think they deserve a little nap.”
Elliott kissed the top of Noelle’s head as he retrieved her from Lena’s arms. “I know what you mean. These two seem to always do something to keep their mom and me amazed and entertained. They are growing so fast. It’s really something to watch.”
Lena and Renee went into the kitchen. Renee had attempted to retrieve Noah from his granddad, but since he was sleeping, Ben smiled at her and shooed her away. Lena asked, “Did Dr. Middleton give you a clean bill of health?”
“Yes, he did,” Renee said. “He said everything is fine and to see him again in 3 to 6 months. Sooner if anything strange happens.”
They discussed that Elliott would be returning to his law practice the following week. “Call me anytime if you need help with them, dear. I know you know how to handle two babies, but it means so much for us to spend time with them.”
Renee smiled at her mother-in-law and said, “Of course I will call you, Lena. You guys are welcome to spend as much time with them as you want. I’m going to start looking for salon spaces soon, and it will certainly make me feel less pressured knowing that they are with you and Ben.”
Lena agreed and went on to inquire about Kayla and Matt. “I know that Matt and Sonya are in their own little lovey-dovey worlds right now. They came by a few days ago, but didn’t stay too long. They had that same look and vibe that you and Elliott would get when you couldn’t wait to get out of our sight and into each other’s arms.”
Renee laughed and said, “Yeah, they’re pretty much the same way when we see them. It’s really comical watching them try to make up excuses to leave. Like we don’t know what they’re doing over there.”
Lena and Renee laughed and chatted a bit longer. Lena asked if everything was okay with Kayla. She had noticed that Kayla didn’t seem to be her usual cheerful self and was concerned that maybe she wasn’t feeling well.
Renee sighed and said, “She told me that she’s really putting in a lot of hours at the ad agency. Evidently, she is working with one of the company’s biggest existing accounts and she really wants to make a good impression on her bosses. She also said that Mik’s practice is really getting busy, so he’s been working a ton of hours. I don’t know though. I think more is going on than she is saying.”
Lena agreed. She and Renee talked a few minutes longer. Elliott and Ben came into the kitchen to join them. They tucked Noah and Noelle into their car seats, said their good-byes and headed for home.
Chapter 12
Eleven Months Later
Renee, Elliott, and the twins had settled into a normal, albeit busy, family routine. Elliott had successfully won a case in which an unarmed young man was shot. Police officers had been alerted that a young black man had stolen a red BMW and that he was carrying a gun. The man they arrested had been driving a silver Porsche that his parents had given him permission to drive. He had been on his way to his girlfriend’s house for a date. When police saw the young man, they did not take into consideration that the car that he was driving was not the same as the one that had been reported, nor did the man fit the physical description of the man they were seeking. Since starting the firm, Elliott’s practice handled cases that had to do with celebrity clients and their contracts, corporate law, medical malpractice, and advising politicians. While he enjoyed his practice, he really did appreciate the opportunity to turn his focus to cases that may not get the attention they deserved. This particular case had been a prime example of that.
After finishing the case, Elliott and his firm had been swamped with potential clients and requests for interviews from local and national news organizations. This case was not the first one of outside of his usual practice that he had won. He had handled many cases similar in nature prior to this latest one. While serving as a law clerk, Elliott had assisted the judge on opinions on these types of cases.
“So,” Renee inquired of Elliott, “Now that this case is over, and you worked so hard to make sure that the right thing happened, are you planning to take a little time off?” He was sitting at his desk in his office at their home. Renee was standing behind him, massaging his shoulders.
Elliott rolled his neck from one side to the other to release some of the tension that had built up in his neck and shoulders. “Mmmm,” he moaned as Renee’s nimble fingers worked their magic on his aching muscles. “You smell so good, baby.” He swiveled his chair around so that she was standing directly in front of him now.
She sat on his lap and he kissed her slowly and deeply, their tongues dancing together. She broke the kiss and said, “That was really nice, but you haven’t answered my question yet.”
Elliott’s eyes darkened. He said, “What was your question again? Oh, that’s right . . . you asked me if I’m going to fuck you straight out of your mind tonight. Why yes, I’m absolutely going to do just exactly that.”
She pressed her chest flush to his. “There was never any doubt in my mind about that.” She attempted to stand up, but his hands were on her hips, planting her firmly in place so that she could feel his erection growing harder. She shifted her body so that she was straddling him now. He gave her his sinfully sexy smile and moved in to give her another fiery kiss. Before things progressed much further, Renee’s phone rang. It was Kayla.
“Are you sure?” Renee asked Kayla. “Your dad and I know how busy you’ve been lately. Noelle and Noah can be a handful. You should probably just rest and enjoy some much-deserved time off.”
Kayla reassured Renee that she would be fine and that she just wanted to have the babies to spend the night with her since Mik was going to be making rounds at the hospital late into the night.
Renee agreed to Kayla taking the babies for the evening. After the call ended, Renee walked over to where Elliott was standing and told him that Kayla was coming over. “I don’t know,” she sighed. “Lena and I were talking and Kay just seems down lately. I mean, with her landing that huge account and with her promotion, I was really hoping her stress level would go down, but it just doesn’t seem to be any better.”
“Is she on her way here?” Elliott asked. “Maybe we can get a better sense of what is really going on when we see her. I’ve been worried about her, too, but I don’t want her to think that I’m prying too much.”
“Yes, she’s on her way. As much as I hate to even say it, I think this may have something to do with Mik. He and Dr. Sokolov have seen a big increase in the number of patients they are seeing in the office and at the hospital. I’m sure Kay doesn’t see him very much since they both have been so busy. Which reminds me, you didn’t answer my question, Elliott. Are you taking some time off?”
Elliott stood and walked over to where Renee was standing. “Yes.” He kissed her neck. “I’m going to be here with you for the next month. I do have a couple of cases that I want to start paperwork on for when I do go back. But until then, I will be here, spoiling the kids by day and filling your tight little pu . . . ”
Kayla walked in and saw her mom and dad holed up in a corner of his office. She didn’t hear what Elliott had been about to say to Renee, but she knew that by the way he was standing in front of her, and the wide-eyed expression that was on Renee’s face that they were probably up to shenanigans. The same way she and Mik used to be before their lives had become so strained.
Renee maneuvered herself out of the corner and went to Kayla, pulling her into a hug. Kayla’s already petite, small frame felt even smaller. “Hey, pretty girl. How are you?” Renee tried to keep her feelings of concern from crossing her face and out of her voice.
Kayla hugged them both and said, “I’m doing great.” This was a complete lie, but she didn’t want to worry her folks. “Just so glad to finally have some time off. How about you guys? Am I interrupting?” she teased them.
Elliott sat
at his desk, shaking his head at his daughter. “So, what are you and Mik planning to do since you will have some time off?”
Kayla was about to answer just as Noelle started to awaken from her nap. She avoided Elliott’s question. “Oh good, they’re up!” She stood up and walked quickly to their nursery where Noelle was grinning and reaching her chubby arms for Kayla to pick her up, and Noah was rubbing his sleepy eyes awake.
Renee, still in the office with Elliott, looked at him with a small frown between her brows. He looked at her and shrugged his shoulders.
Renee joined Kayla in the nursery. She picked Noah up and kissed his face. “Are you and Mik going to drive up the coast this weekend?” Renee was trying to get a feel for what was going on with Kayla. She knew undoubtedly that something was wrong.
Kayla finished changing Noelle and sat down with her on the settee by the window, allowing the warm sunlight to bathe them. She sighed and said, “Things have just been so busy for him. Well, both of us really. He and Dr. Sokolov have decided to open the office on Saturday for half a day.
Renee noticed that Kayla avoided making eye contact with her. A move that she employed when she didn’t want Renee to know what was really going on with her. The problem with that move, however, was that Renee was onto it. “Kayla,” Renee said softly as she sat beside her, “What’s the matter? And please don’t tell me it’s nothing. I can see that something is really bothering you.”
A Couple of Forevers (This Time Forever Book 2) Page 12