Modern Arrangements: Complete Trilogy (Modern Arrangements #1-3)

by Sadie Grubor

  "Here comes another one." I told her while watching the monitor. This time I was going to help her more. She started panting and breathing through the contraction.

  "I can’t do this." She whimpered into her arm as she lay on her side facing me.

  "Yes, you can." I looked into her eyes. "You already did it." I motioned to our son. "Squeeze my hand, okay?"

  She nodded and then grimaced with pain. My head shot up and I realized that she was having another contraction.

  The doctor arrived about thirty minutes after her contractions had started again.

  "Let’s see where we are." He performed his check between her legs and then furrowed his brow. "Hmmm…the sack hasn’t broken but she has moved down and into position. We are going to break your water and watch for progression.” He looked over at the nurse who was busily going through drawers.

  She handed him a long, plastic stick with a hook on the end. He pushed Lilli’s legs apart further and went to work.

  "There we go." He smiled lightly and the nurse brought towels over and started placing them under Lilli. "It’s clear, a good sign." He patted her knee. "I’ll be back in a little bit to check on you again."

  For the next seven hours we went through breathing and panting. It was nine at night and dark outside. Lilli was getting tired.

  Finally, she had progressed well and far enough that the doctor allowed her to get the epidural injection. Once she got it, she felt much better and was able to sleep again.

  A nurse had taken the baby to the nursery for feedings and to be looked over by the pediatrician on duty. I decided to try to get some sleep in the recliner.

  Being shaken awake was not a fun way to be woken up. But, when I heard Lilli groaning, I got up quickly. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and realized that Viola had woken me. I stood next to Lilli and Sarah was on the other side of the bed.

  "Okay, Lilli, we are going to need another good push from you." The doctor instructed just as he had before.

  Lilli’s face turned red as she pushed down.

  "Good, good…take another deep breath and, with the next contraction, push again."

  She did as he asked, collapsing back onto the bed when it was over.

  "I can’t do this anymore." She exclaimed with labored breathing.

  "Yes you can." the doctor said firmly. "Come on, we are almost there."

  "You can do this." I looked directly into her eyes. "Come on!" I pulled her up and watched her push with all the strength she had left in her.

  "Okay, we have her head. Control your push, Lilli."

  Lilli took a couple of breaths and slowly pushed down. Crying resounded through the room, our second baby was here.

  "We have our girl." the doctor announced, "and we just made it. They will have the same birthday." I looked up at the clock and realized that it was now eleven forty-eight at night.

  There was no holding back my tears this time as the doctor placed my daughter on Lilli’s stomach and wrapped her up in a cotton blanket. I laughed and cried at the same time, kissing Lilli on the side of her head.

  Tears were now streaming down Lilli’s cheeks. I looked up and took in the room, noticing everyone with tears streaming down their face. Sarah and Viola were huddled together, smiling and crying. I had never felt so fulfilled in all of my life.

  Once the doctor was finished, one nurse moved to clean Lilli while the other cleaned our daughter. The nurse brought her back to us and Lilli took her into her arms, cradling her.

  "Can we have Walsh, too?" Lilli asked the nurse, who looked at her funny. "The other baby." Lilli fought laughing at her. The nurse smiled and left to get our son.

  "Did you say Walsh?" Sarah asked curiously.

  "Uh-huh." Lilli said, smiling at the little girl wrapped in pink, lying quietly in her lap. "You are quieter than your brother." Lilli cooed to her.

  "So, you’re naming the baby after Aidan?" Sarah asked.

  "Yes." Lilli said again, still focusing on the sleeping angel in front of her. "It’s a family name."

  The nurse returned to the room, pushing the bassinet that held Aidan.

  "There he is…" Lilli said with a smile and then turned to our little girl. "Did you miss your brother? You want to see him don’t you?" The nurse handed Walsh to Lilli. She laid the babies side by side on her lap, her smile never faltering. She looked beautiful.

  "I’m going to go tell everyone." Viola said happily.

  "Viola." Lilli called after her.

  "Yes, dear?"

  "Can you just have them all come back?" Lilli smiled as Viola nodded, even happier, and hurried to get everyone.

  "Are you sure that you want everyone in here at once?" I asked her without taking my eyes from the babies. She scooted over a little and patted the bed. I sat next to her easily and wrapped my arm around her as we both lay there with our new additions.

  "I say we get it over with in one shot. Like pulling of a Band-Aid." She laughed.

  Everyone filed into the room. Everyone, Lilli smiled warmly and greeted them all.

  "Everyone, meet Aidan Walsh Iverson IV and Olivia Arwen Iverson. Walsh and Livy, this is everyone." Lilli smiled wide and I smiled with her.

  "Walsh and Livy?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. She nodded with a smirk.

  "Arwen?" Phoebe asked as she moved to get a closer look. Celia was close on her heels, a large smile on her face.

  Lilli nodded and held up Livy. "Olivia was Aidan’s grandmother’s name, the grandmother he knew. Arwen is his grandmother Isobel’s middle name." She shrugged. "I saw it in some of the things Aidan had gotten and fell in love with it."

  I hadn’t even realized Isobel’s middle name. My eyes filled with more tears at her explanation.

  "Thank you." I whispered to her. When she turned to me with a smile, I kissed her and cupped her cheek, "For everything." Then she kissed me.

  "Okay, enough! Stop scarring my little cousins!" James walked over and picked up Walsh.

  "I’ll save Livy!" Phoebe swooped in and picked her up.

  Everyone passed the babies around and ‘oohed’ and ‘awed’ over them for about four hours before everyone started to leave.

  Lilli lay on her right side, snuggled up to me, her head resting on my chest and her arm over my stomach. Both of my arms were wrapped around her tightly and there was no stopping the kissing I was compelled to shower on her.

  Dixon was holding Livy and giving her a goofy smile.

  "I think that a little girl would suit you, Dixon." He looked up at the sound of Lilli speaking to him.

  He shrugged. "I guess." He turned to Celia. "What do you think, baby? Wanna make a little girl tonight?"

  Celia leaned in seductively. "Sure." She purred out and Dixon’s eyes widened.

  "Really?" He spit out anxiously.

  "I’m joking." Celia shook her head. "I thought that you would be scared away from the idea if I agreed." Celia looked flabbergasted.

  "Hell no!" Dixon earned a ‘shush’ from Phoebe. "I can just see it now, a little girl with your eyes and lips, my smile and curly brown hair." He shrugged and turned back Livy. I think that we all watched Celia fall even more in love with Dixon in that very moment.

  "But, if you aren’t ready…" he handed Livy to Sarah, "I’m all about the practice makes perfect motto." He wiggled his eyebrows at her while swiveling his hips. Everyone burst into laughter and Celia hid her face.

  Looking at the time. I realized that it was almost four thirty in the morning. I ushered everyone out of the room and the nurse took the babies to the nursery.

  I was instructed to use the recliner next to Lilli’s bed. However, there wasn’t anyone or anything that could keep me out of that bed with her. Even if she hadn’t just given me the two most precious things in my life, I had slept next to her for so long that I didn’t think that I could ever not sleep next to her.

  Two days later, we were making our arrival home. Jay, Rachel, Mrs. White and Alex were all in the foyer awaiting us.
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br />   Lilli was still sore but feeling really good. Though, she was upset that I didn’t allow her to carry anything, not even a baby. Once inside, the things were taken to the nursery and we let everyone visit with the babies before we headed to the nursery with them.

  "I’ll prepare something to eat." Rachel called up the stairs after us.

  "Oh, Rachel, do you know how much I love you?" Lilli exclaimed. "That hospital food has nothing on yours! At all!"

  I could hear Rachel laugh as she headed toward the kitchen.

  "We’re home." I announced as we walked into the nursery with both babies.

  "Finally." Lilli exclaimed as she laid Livy into her pink crib.

  Having already laid Walsh down, I quickly moved behind her and put my arms around her waist. She leaned back into my chest and sighed.

  "I love you." I whispered into her ear and kissed her neck.

  "Mmm…I love you too." She whispered back.

  "You have made me the happiest man on the planet, you know that?" I turned her around.

  She smiled up at me.

  "I’m not sure about that, but I am glad that you are happy." Placing her small hand on my cheek while she spoke, I covered her hand with mine and leaned into her touch. Before letting her pull away, I kissed the palm of her hand.

  Lilli went to shower and change her clothes while I stayed in the nursery. I sat in the reclining chair between both cribs, listening to their steady breathing and the small noises they made while sleeping. Walsh was definitely the wild child already; he was very vocal. Livy was quiet and peaceful. I wondered if it was a sign of what their personalities would be like as they grew up.

  My mind started to drift, thinking of Lilli at my side while we watched our children grow. I started picturing the future years to come. Surprisingly to me, I saw Walsh with wild auburn hair and his mother’s hazel eyes, full of depth, emotion and intensity. Livy shared the same hair color with more curl, as well as my green eyes. Her skin was the mirror image of her mother’s; soft, porcelain and perfect. Then, there was Lilli. Still as beautiful as ever, her stomach swollen with another child. It was the last part that surprised me the most. I already knew that I wanted to have as many children as she would allow me, silently praying that she would want more, too.

  Rachel’s voice broke me out of my daydream.

  I grabbed one of the portable monitors as I walked out of the room to get Lilli. Still looking down at the monitor, I hadn’t seen the bedroom door open and Lilli walk out. We smacked into each other, her head connecting with my nose.

  "Oh my god! Aidan? Are you okay?" Lilli exclaimed. "I’m so sorry…I didn’t see you coming."

  I cupped my nose and blinked a couple of times to clear the spots that I was seeing. I leaned against the wall. Pulling back my hand, Lilli gasped and ran back into the bedroom.

  Looking down at my hand, I saw that it was covered in blood. Lilli returned with a towel from the bathroom and held it up to me. I took it and put it to my face.

  "I’m so sorry." She said again.

  "It was an accident." My words were muffled from the fluffy Egyptian cotton that was pressed to my face. Lilli followed me to our bathroom.

  I pulled the towel away and saw Lilli cringe in the mirror.

  "I’m so, so sorry." She covered her face.

  "It’s okay." I chuckled out.

  Turning the water faucet to a cool temperature, I washed the blood from my face and used the towel to clean off the blood before it dried. Once I was finished, I could tell that my eyes were going to turn black. Lilli obviously could tell too.

  She sat down on the side of the tub, placing her head in her hands. I turned around, focusing my attention on her.

  "Lilli?" She wouldn’t look up. "Lilli, look at me?" She shook her head. "Please?" I walked closer to her. She lifted her head and I could tell she was crying.

  Pulling her up and into my arms, I tried to soothe her.

  "Don’t cry, love, it was an accident."

  "Your eyes are going to turn black." She sobbed slightly. "It’s my fault. I’m so, so sorry."

  I rubbed her back. "Calm down. It’s fine, really." I pulled away and looked at her. She looked at me and wiped her cheeks. "Okay?" She nodded, but couldn’t bring herself to smile.

  Moving in to kiss her, she pulled away. "Keep your face away from my head. I’m dangerous." She said and walked away, clearly still upset.

  I moved to her side quickly and wrapped my arms around her, turning her to me. I kissed her before she could pull away from me. The kiss was meant to be loving, but immediately turned passionate. The taste of her on my lips was so amazing.

  Sliding my tongue over her lips, she opened her mouth to me. I took full advantage, plunging my tongue into her mouth greedily. My hold on her tightened and I backed her to the wall, pressing my entire body against hers. Soon my hips were rocking into hers slowly.

  "Aidan…" she mumbled against my lips. I kept kissing her, moving my mouth over her neck. "Aidan…" she panted out.

  "Hmmm…?" I hummed against her neck.

  "You need…oh god…you need to stop." She slid her hand into my hair and gripped as I lightly bit her collar bone.

  "Mmhmm…" I mumbled against her neck and rocked my hips into hers again.

  "Ai…" I covered her mouth with mine and brought my hand up to cup her breast, softly massaging. She pulled my hand away.

  "Stop." She murmured against my mouth and pushed me away.

  "What?" I asked confused, both of our breathing labored.

  She blushed and then motioned to her chest. I looked down.

  "Oh…I’m…I’m sorry." I pulled myself back from her.

  "We can’t…uh…do anything…not for a couple of months." She looked uncomfortable with the conversation. "And…well…these." She motioned to her breasts, one with a wet spot on it now, "will sort of be off limits while I’m breast feeding."

  I nodded, embarrassed at my lack of control.

  "I’m gonna…uh…go change." She moved away from me as quickly as she could.

  I was such a fucking idiot. I pressed my forehead against the wall, tapping my nose. "Shit." I groaned low. The pain in my nose was nasty.

  Lilli returned with a different shirt on, attempting to walk passed me quickly, keeping her eyes away from looking at me.

  "Hey." I grabbed her hand and walked with her down the stairs. "Don’t feel…look, I’m sorry that I started…I mean, I forgot that…"

  "It’s okay." She shrugged, "just slightly embarrassing."

  "Don’t be embarrassed." I squeezed her hand. "Should I be embarrassed that I’m jealous?"

  "Jealous?" She looked confused. "You want to leak from your..?"

  I laughed. "No, no, no. I mean that I am jealous that they get to put their mouths on you and I don’t." I smirked.

  She smacked my arm.

  "Don’t make it sound like that!" She laughed.

  We sat at the dining room table where Rachel had set the food out. As we were eating, Jay announced that Sarah had arrived.

  "Hey, Mom." Lilli went to stand up.

  "Don’t get up. Eat, you’ll need it." She smiled.

  "Please, sit and eat with us." I stood and pulled a chair out for her.

  "Thank you." She smiled up to me.

  We sat in comfortable conversation until the first cry in our home broke up the conversation. Lilli got up and I followed her.

  "Someone is finally awake." I said halfway up the stairs.

  "It’s Walsh." Lilli laughed.

  "How do you know that?" I asked her.

  "I can just tell." She shrugged and headed toward their room.

  Sure enough, it was Walsh. Livy was lying quietly awake in her bed, though she was slightly fussy. Lilli changed Walsh and then sat in the chair with him, lifting her shirt to feed him. I changed Livy and then stood rocking her in my arms while watching Lilli.

  It was the most natural thing to watch and yet it was so erotic. She was naturally good at th
is and it scared me that maybe I wasn’t as good.

  "Can you hand me that receiving blanket?" Lilli pointed toward Walsh’s crib.

  I walked over and looked around at the different blankets that were hanging and lying around. I heard Lilli giggle and turned around.

  "The one with the ducks." She smiled affectionately.

  I grabbed it and held it up. She nodded in approval. After handing it to her, she laid it over her shoulder and draped it down over Walsh.

  "Why are you covering yourself?" I walked over and sat on the stool in front of her. She shrugged. I pulled the blanket back and she glared at me slightly.

  "I like to watch. If I can’t feed them I want to be able to at least be a part of it this way." She sighed and relaxed back into the chair. "Besides, it’s not like I haven’t seen your…"

  "Aidan." She hissed and then threw a bib at me. I laughed.

  She handed Walsh off to me and gave me his receiving blanket with orders to burp him, though he may not burp. This stuff was just a tad bit confusing.

  Lilli took Livy and placed her against her other breast. I sat patting Walsh as Livy fed. I was glad that I had taken the week off from work and planned to work mostly from home the week after that. Then an idea hit me.

  "Lilli?"

  "Hmm?" She looked up from Livy to me.

  "What if we have your mother stay here this week?" Lilli’s brow furrowed. "She can help you out this week and I will work half days from home. Then, when your mom leaves, I will arrange for a full two weeks home."

  "You don’t have to do all of that. We will be fine."

  "I know you’ll be fine, but this will give you more help during their first month home, until we all get adjusted."

  "I’m fine with asking my mom to stay, though you don’t need to take more time off from work. I’m going to start interviewing nannies like we discussed."

  "Lilli, please let me do this? You can still interview nannies but, this way, you will have help with these two while you look." I put my hand on her knee and rubbed. "You do realize that I want to be here with you three? I want to be a part of their lives."

  She sighed in defeat and nodded. "Okay. I guess when you put it that way." She squinted her eyes at me playfully.

  "Good, then it’s settled." I pulled Walsh up and held him in front of my face. "You hear that, buddy, I’m gonna be home with you for a while." I turned Walsh around to face Lilli. "Yeah, Daddy!" I mimicked a baby sounding voice and moved Walsh as I spoke. Yeah, I used my son as a puppet.