by Jude Ouvrard
Okay, she was really confusing me. I’d expected her to go to Carter’s grave today, so I couldn’t understand why she was so devastated. ''Calm down, and tell me what's going on.''
I drew back so I could have a better look at her face. She looked so worried, and whatever it was, she was only making it worse by not telling me.
''When I woke up this morning, I realized it wasn’t normal that I was late.'' She grabbed something from the pocket of her skirt and handed it to me. I looked down and saw a white plastic stick, which looked like a pencil. I turned it over and saw a small window and looked up at her in confusion. ''I'm pregnant, Remy, we’re going to have a baby.''
I heard her, but it took me a couple of seconds before I could process the words. ''You... you’re... we... we’re pregnant, sweets?'' She nodded. ''Oh my God! I'm going to be a father!'' All the anxiety I’d felt just seconds ago was gone and replaced by overwhelming happiness. I swear to God, I was the happiest man alive! I cupped her face and kissed her repeatedly, I just couldn’t get enough of her.
''I'm sorry I went to Carter before I told you, that was extremely selfish and...'' She shook her head, unable to find the right words.
Avery was anything but selfish. ''Sweets, today is your wedding anniversary, I expected you to go to Carter. It's normal, sweets. You have too many emotions to deal with, right now. I understand and I'm not mad. I love you, so very much.''
She repeated the words against my lips and we kissed once more. The tears left a salty taste to her lips, but I didn’t mind, she was mine to comfort.
''Go, get ready, sweets. I'm taking you out.'' I had to make this day memorable for her, to take away the sadness with something she could remember with happiness.
She worried about her swollen eyes, but it made no difference to me, she was gorgeous. I changed into appropriate clothes and made a last minute reservation in one of the nicest restaurants in town.
Less than an hour later, she walked out of our bedroom and left me speechless. Ave looked stunning in a turquoise summer dress, her long blonde hair falling down around her shoulders and her pale blue eyes made her look angelic. I could still see a trace of her tears in the red rims of her eyes, but it didn’t matter, she was now happy. ''You are absolutely beautiful, sweets.''
''So are you, babes,'' she smiled softly.
We walked into the restaurant and I wanted to tell the world that this beautiful woman was carrying our baby. This was definitely one of the happiest days of my life. We sat in a quiet corner of the restaurant, our hands clasped together on the table, both loathe to let each other go. I couldn’t stop staring at her, something had changed between us since the announcement of her pregnancy. Our connection was deeper and my love for her felt like it had tripled. My reflex action was to order two glasses of white wine, but I had to stop myself, knowing Ave wouldn’t want to drink now she was pregnant. The waitress offered us two glasses of cold water when she brought the menus. Avery was looking at the menu, turning the pages as she decided what she’d like, but I couldn’t take my eyes off her. I loved her so much, I couldn’t find the words to say how strong my love was for her.
''Aren't you going to look at the menu, Mr. Taylor?'' she teased.
I smirked. ''I'm already thinking about dessert, love.''
She peeked at me through her thick black eyelashes. ''I always knew you had a weak spot for sweets.''
I chuckled. ''You have no idea how much I want sweets, right now.''
She blushed ten shades of red and I kissed each of her knuckles, my eyes never leaving hers.
''May I take your order?'' the waitress asked, breaking our intense moment.
I opened the menu and ordered the first thing I saw, while Avery ordered the meal she had carefully chosen. We ate quietly, but I couldn’t stop thinking of all the things I wanted to do with her tonight. The sexual tension was building between us, and I had a hard time thinking about anything else.
The waitress came to our table to offer us the sweets menu. Avery blushed again as I declined, and asked for the bill.
The blood rushed through my veins as we drove home, I wanted her and I was impatient to touch her. As soon as we set foot in the house, her lips crushed against mine. She kissed me intensely, letting me know she was feeling the electricity between us. She unbuttoned my shirt and murmured against my skin. "Show me how much you love me." Her voice was sensual and demanding. Avery pushed me against the wall, her body pressed against mine. She undid the belt on my pants, loosening the button and unzipping them, then let them fall to the floor. We were both panting and we’d only kissed.
"Let me love you, Avery," I whispered into the hollow of her neck, taking a moment to catch my breath. I turned around in a swift movement, pushing her against the wall. My need to feel her skin against mine grew stronger with every second. I pulled her dress over her head and removed her underwear within seconds. I lifted her into my arms, positioning her legs around my waist.
"Please, babes." she begged, her voice barely audible. Not able to wait any longer, I made love to the woman I loved until we both came, sated and out of breath. We scrambled onto the floor, her legs still straddling me. My body was trembling from exhaustion. We stayed there until our bodies began to recover. I wanted to stay close to her, and placed my hand over her tummy. She still had a flat belly, but it didn't stop my mind from imagining her baby bump in the future. I couldn't wait to see her as she grew bigger with our child, how beautiful she would look.
"Are you happy, babes?" She broke the silence, her voice quiet.
''I'm beyond happy. You make me a better man, Avery." I kissed the tip of her nose. "This child is our future, our happy ever after."
That night, I fell asleep watching her, with my hand resting against her stomach. I had a desperate need to touch her and the baby she carried in her womb. She was carrying a very precious little human being - our child, and I had to constantly pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.
The following morning, I ordered a bouquet of colorful gerbera daisies and red roses to be delivered to Avery, along with a box of fine chocolates. I wanted to spoil her all day because she deserved that, and so much more. I remembered hearing her complain about her nails being broken and chipped, and realized nothing could please her more than a manicure and an afternoon at the spa. Why not?
I also called my parents, talking to my mother first. She knew how I felt about Avery from the very beginning and now we were together, she wished us everything we desired and more. My mom and Ave had met a couple of times over the years, and they shared a special bond. I meant no disrespect to Carter, but I was starting to believe in my heart that maybe Avery and I were always meant to be together. Everything had gone so smoothly between us, the transition from being friends to a couple was amazingly easy. It took Avery a little while to loosen up to the idea, but I understood her reasons and with my support and love, she hadn’t been able to deny the obvious for very long. She felt the connection between us and it had grown stronger, faster than I could ever have imagined.
Later that night, after her visit to the spa, we were sitting in the living room together. ''Thank you for the chocolates, babes. They’re really good. Do you want a piece?'' she offered.
She pressed the chocolate against my lips, and I opened my mouth to accept the treat, while I kissed the tip of her fingers in return. ''Thank you, sweets,'' I muttered around a mouth full of chocolate. It was excellent chocolate, I had to remember the brand for the future. I loved to spoil my girl with treats.
Since the fiasco at her wedding with Carter, she had struggled with contacting her parents. The fact that they were a no-show at the most important day of her life had really angered her, and she’d never really let it go, I wondered if she’d called them about the baby already, or if she had any plans to. She never talked about them and they rarely called her. When they found out about Carter, I thought things were going to change, but his death did nothing to change their relationship with Ave.
Her mother had called a few times, and they had a normal conversation each time, with no rudeness or anything. Maybe that was their problem, their phone calls lacked any emotions. Avery always kept everything to herself and wouldn’t share too many details, she kept the conversation going without getting too personal. In all honesty, I didn’t think Avery was ever going to forgive her parents for not being at her wedding, but I thought the baby was important information to share. I had to think of a plan to make her understand, but not today. Today was reserved for making her happy.
After spending three hours at the spa, getting her nails and hair done, she was well rested. Her smile was radiant and it was all I needed for now, to see her happy.
~~~ * ~~~
The following days were filled with many happy moments, including when we bought the baby's first onesie and a blanket. I couldn’t control myself enough to not buy them. Some people said it would bring bad luck, but I didn’t believe a word of it. I bought them out of love and excitement, my life was changing and I was already the proudest father in the world.
Avery called her doctor to make an appointment, we had to wait two more weeks until the visit and it was killing me. I wanted to hear the baby's heartbeat so badly, I figured it would make everything even more real. Patrick had told me that hearing Juliet’s heartbeat for the first time, when Megan was pregnant, represented one of the best days of his life. Megan and Patrick were thinking about adding another child to their family, as per Juliet's request. She wants a little brother and I thought she was going to be the best big sister ever. Juliet was such a nice little girl, always laughing and smiling. Her heart is pure and it was a beautiful thing to witness.
''Sweets? Are you okay?'' Noise coming from the bathroom alerted me to the fact that something was wrong. I ran into the bathroom to find Ave vomiting in the toilet. I giggled a bit, realizing this was morning sickness. It was confirmation she really was pregnant, we couldn’t have any more doubts about the fact.
''It's not funny, Remy.''
''I'm sorry, sweets. Are you okay?'' I grabbed a towel for her. ''Take this.''
She wiped her mouth and turned to look at me. ''Stop smirking at me, Remy Taylor.''
''You’re pregnant, sweets, I'm sorry, but it makes me so happy.''
She rolled her eyes, angry with me. ''You like seeing me sick?''
''No, of course I don't, my love, but... it confirms you really are pregnant and that a little Avery or Remy is growing in your tummy and that makes me happy.'' I smiled. ''Very happy.''
She chucked. ''You are such a fool.''
''Yeah, maybe I am.'' I placed my arms around her waist and looked directly into her beautiful blue eyes, ''I love you, Avery.''
''Don't look at me like that.'' She blushed. ''You are so intense, your eyes are... damn, I'm sure I'm blushing. '' She kissed my lips. ''I love you too, babes. You are my life.''
She had no idea how perfect she had made my life. In the past ten years, I had been through hell, both literally and figuratively, but she had always been my angel, the one who stood out above everyone else, the one I wanted. I was now one very lucky bastard.
Someone knocked at our door. I didn’t want to leave Avery alone, even though I’d joked about her morning sickness making me happy, she needed me and we weren’t expecting any visitors at this time of the day.
“Go, babes, it could be important. I’m okay” she ordered.
I studied her for a couple of seconds. She seemed to be better now, but it was the third time in five minutes that I’d thought she was going to be better. I finally ran to the door, because all I wanted was to get this over with and get back to Avery. Whoever it was had knocked a second time by the time I reached the door, so I turned the handle and wrenched it open as fast as I could.
I expected Megan, Patrick, William, or one of the other guys, but I’d never expected Liam to be standing on our doorstep. My jaw hit the floor and my anger flared, the second I saw his face.
“Liam? What the fuck are you doing here?” I spat out the words, furious with him. Avery had made it very clear to him that he was supposed to be leaving her alone.
“Hi Remy. I need to speak to Avery privately.” He stood in the doorway, trying to see past me and into the house. I shifted slightly, so he couldn’t see a fucking thing.
“So, you decided to come here, to my house, to knock on my door, to talk to my girl, privately?” I heard the toilet flush and the faucet turn on and then off again. I knew Avery was on her way out here. My anger had already reached boiling point, I wanted to push his sleazy ass down the stairs and off my property. “You have nothing to do with her anymore, don’t you get it? She’s pregnant with my child and about to become my wife. You need to leave her the fuck alone or you’ll have me to answer to.”
“Liam?” Her voice was filled with anxiety, she obviously had no clue why he was here. “Leave me alone, please! You need to go before this gets out of control,” she warned him, intertwining her fingers with mine and squeezing. She was trying to remind me that violence wouldn’t make things any better, and she wanted me to calm down. I knew I had to try, for her sake. Avery was pale and she looked exhausted, and I didn’t want to put her through this type of stress today.
“What do you think is going to happen? You think I’m scared of him?” Liam chuckled nervously, despite his brave words.
“You should be,” Ave said. She knew I had dealt with a lot worse and she also knew what I was capable of.
Liam ignored me and looked at her, with desperate eyes. I didn’t know if he was playing a game, or if this was real, I just couldn’t trust my instincts anymore where he was concerned. “I need you back, Avery. We were so good together.”
That was it! I knew I’d had more than enough of his bullshit, and I wanted him gone before I blew my cool completely and my fists conducted a meeting with his mouth. I stepped forward, closing in on him. I stood tall and inhaled sharply, squeezing Avery’s fingers as I got in his face, determined to intimidate him. Ave didn’t want me to hit him, but I didn’t think scaring the shit out of him was against her rules. “What is it that you don’t get? When a woman is asking you to leave, you’d better listen, you motherfucker! Didn’t your mother teach you any manners?”
Liam stumbled backwards and I heard a quiet “okay”, before he turned around and ran to his car. What a damn pussy! I didn’t even get a chance to threaten him. While Avery ran inside to the bathroom, I call the police and asked if we could file a restraining order against him. I didn't want to wait for something serious to happen to Avery or my unborn child, I wanted to keep them safe and this was the only way to be certain he would never contact her again.
There were noises coming from the bathroom when I hung up the phone, and I heard Avery heaving again. It wasn’t amusing anymore, I wanted her to feel better. She needed me, I had to help her through this.
EPILOGUE.
December 22nd, 2009
Avery
Holding our baby in my arms, whether it was two in the afternoon or two in the morning, it didn’t matter. The happiness and joy I felt, the pride which overwhelmed me, and the love which paralysed me with its intensity was worth every hour of sleep I’d missed. I never knew a mother's love could be so strong. The sound of Remy snoring in the next room made me laugh and my little angel looked at me with his big round eyes. Remy had been working many extra hours during the past few weeks, as he was in the middle of a major project. Staying at home, taking care of my beautiful baby had been a blessing.
Nine months had already passed since the birth, and it was still impossible for me to stop smiling at the memory of that day. The weather was awfully cold but we kept the baby warm, wrapped in soft blankets. Remy's parent were in town and thank God for them, they helped us so much with everything; buying groceries, washing laundry, diaper shopping. They’d stayed with us for a couple of days and I didn't want to let them go. Their help and presence in the house meant so much to us both, we had seen them quite a lot
in the months before the birth and I had a really good relationship with his mother, Nicole.
I heard the wooden floor creaking right before the door opened. ''Sweets?'' Remy’s voice was low, his voice rusty with exhaustion.
''In here,'' I whispered.
''How's little ‘C’ doing?''
''A little thirsty, he’s almost done with his bottle.''
Remy entered the room, looking more tired than he had before he went to bed. ''Do you want me to take over?''
''No, go back to bed, you need the sleep.''
"It’s not just you now, sweets, you look tired. Let me help you."
Always so protective of me, he was always making sure I was okay when he was the one with the tired, dark eyes. "Remy, you go back to bed. End of discussion." I gave him my best ‘don't mess with me’ look. "Little ‘C’ is fine and... well... the other one is still very small."
"Yeah, I know. I’m going back to bed, but on Saturday, you sleep in and I’ll take care of him."
"Okay, that sounds like a plan. Go back to bed now." I blew him a kiss, and he caught it and placed it against his heart.
Remy was always doing everything for me and William Carter, our little family was his pride and joy. Every day, he tried to spend quality one-on-one time with his son, and it was a beautiful thing to witness. Little ‘C’ is blonde, like me, but he has the same facial expressions as his father. He is a very calm baby who likes to sleep, just like me. He’s started crawling already and he stood alone for a few seconds, only a few days ago. Having him with us has represented a true blessing, with his unconditional love, he’s healed us both.
Yesterday, we found out I was pregnant again. A little sooner than we expected, but we are both ecstatic about the news. I’m trying not to think about it too much, because it’s going to be the longest pregnancy ever, but I would love a little girl.
Tears were sliding down my cheeks as I thought about Little ‘C’ and the other one nestled in my belly. Life was fantastic - I may look like a zombie most of the time because of the lack of sleep, but I’d never been happier than I was at this moment.