Tripped Up Love

by Farley, Julie

  “Guys, we have one more thing to show you. Why don’t you hop in my car?” said Heather. They looked at each other quizzically but followed their orders.

  “Where are we going?” asked Hayes.

  “You’ll see. I think you’ll like it.” Peter hoped. He had a few things set up in the house even though he didn’t own it yet. The realtors were more than happy to agree to all of his demands in this slumping real estate market.

  Peter drove to the house. The van was uncharacteristically quiet. Heather was holding her own hands hoping the kids would be ok with this. When they pulled down the driveway, Henry asked, “Whose mansion is this?”

  “That’s what we need to talk about,” said Heather. “We want it to be ours.”

  “WHAT?” yelled three voices from the back. “I don’t want to move,” said Hayes.

  “Let’s go in, check it out, and then we can discuss it,” said Peter, hoping there wouldn’t be a discussion later.

  The Meadows-Adamson clan walked through the doors. To the right of the foyer was a huge pool table. Heather was shocked. She thought that was a living room. The kids ran through the first floor. Henry looked out back and saw funny stakes in the ground.

  “What are all those things in the backyard?” asked Henry.

  “The outline for the pool,” said Peter. Heather looked at him with a sweet smile. She realized he was trying to make them love the house, hence the pool table and the pool. Gracie and Hayes ran over to see.

  “That’s pretty big,” admired Hayes.

  “Let’s check out the upstairs,” said Heather and led the way. Heather gasped when she saw the big screen TV in the loft outside of the kids’ rooms. “That’s new,” she said.

  “I wanted the kids to be able to visualize it all, so we moved that in early.” Henry, Hayes and Gracie ran in and out of each room arguing about which would be theirs. Heather smiled, realizing that if Hayes was arguing then a discussion about moving was no longer needed.

  “Want to see our room? First one to find our shower gets a dollar,” said Heather.

  “Holy Cow!” screamed Henry. Gracie found the shower. Henry got in the bathtub and did an obscene dance. Heather walked over to Hayes and put her arm around him. “This ok with you?”

  “Yeah, I guess. I don’t really want to move out of our neighborhood, but at least it’s close. I still get to go to Robious Middle right?”

  “Definitely. We need more space with the baby coming, and Peter wanted us to have a pool and a bigger house for this new life.”

  “I get it.”

  “I’ll drive anyone over here whenever you want. I’ll also take you to them. I promise.”

  With everyone thrilled and on board with the new move, Peter sprang his last surprise. “Ok. We all have to go home and get changed for an engagement party at The Boathouse.”

  Henry chanted “partay,” and Gracie started planning her outfit. Heather was surprised and wanted to know who would be there.

  “Donna, Phil, your mom, Janie et al, Lauren, and Jenny and her family.” That sounded just about perfect to Heather. Everyone piled back in the van and waved good-bye to their new home. They got changed in the blink of an eye. Heather lost her breath when she saw Peter. He had a white button down shirt with a pair of dark pants and a dark blazer on. She stared at the ring on her finger in disbelief and then back up at him. She hadn’t been this happy in a long time.

  The engagement party was dreamy. Heather told the proposal story over and over, complete with the puking. Congratulations were said, and toasts were made. Heather could not believe Peter had done all this. She knew how much help Jenny and Janie had been. She gave each of them a special hug. “Thank you. My dreams, the dreams I didn’t know I had, came true today. And I can’t thank you two enough for all you did. Sorry about the flowers.”

  “We were both worried about them after we watched you throwing up through the bushes,” said Jenny.

  “What!? You saw me?”

  “We dropped off the car and were watching to make sure no one took the ring,” explained Janie. “We knew the smell of the flowers would make you sick. Peter wanted it to be tropical. Obviously, he’s never been pregnant.”

  “Only I would throw up after that guy proposes.”

  “You’re right there! A lot of firsts where you two are concerned,” said Jenny smiling.

  The rest of the night was spent discussing plans, move out dates and wedding details. Heather felt slightly overwhelmed by all of it. She was so happy Peter had hired Jenny. And from the sound of it, Janie was their official wedding coordinator. Heather knew she could breathe a sigh of relief.

  Chapter 42

  Heather spent the weekend feeling miserable and trying to get the house ready to sell. Peter planned on moving them out as soon as he closed on the house. It would be easier for all of them if they didn’t have to keep the house clean while it was on the market. Peter did all of the fix it things around the house, and the kids worked in their rooms. Heather supervised and did as much as she could. It was a busy weekend that flew by.

  Before they knew it, Heather and Peter were on their way to Heather’s first ultrasound. Peter could hardly contain himself. He had so many questions about Heather’s condition and if it was normal that she was so sick. They were both quiet and pensive on the ride over. Everything was on time, and the doctor saw them right away. Heather was nervous. She was always nervous during a doctor’s visit though. The doctor introduced himself and got started. He asked a few questions about how Heather was feeling and then started to chuckle. Peter held Heather’s hand tighter, afraid of what was coming next.

  “Umm…doctor? Why are you laughing?” asked Heather.

  “Because I see two heartbeats. You’re having twins, Mrs. Meadows.”

  “TWINS?” they both yelled at the same time.

  “Yes, twins. You’ve been blessed with double happiness.”

  Peter started laughing, a really scary nervous laugh that made Heather uneasy.

  “That is probably why you have been feeling so sick. Twins start early on with double of everything.”

  The doctor proceeded to discuss the medical side of having twins at almost 40. He talked about precautions and the risks. Most of it went in one ear and out the other for both of them. They were in a state of shock. Peter rubbed Heather’s hand. The doctor finished the exam and sent them on their way. Peter kissed Heather passionately once they were in the car.

  “I have to go buy a new car. This one’s not going to fit all of our kids.”

  Heather texted Jenny, Janie and Lauren on a group text.

  10:03 Heather: TWINS!

  10:04 Jenny: OMG! I can’t f*&$% believe it.

  10:04 Janie: You are kidding me! Double Trouble. My brother has powerful sperm.

  Ewww, thought Heather. She was slightly grossed out that Janie was talking about her brother’s sperm.

  10:05 Lauren: Double happiness…can’t imagine anything better.

  Heather and Peter called their families and spread the news. Everyone was thrilled and completely surprised. They waited to tell the kids until they were all home. No one could believe it. Two babies…double happiness. Peter doted on Heather even more. He was nervous about this being a high-risk pregnancy. Jenny and Janie pitched in and made sure Heather didn’t do a thing. Heather was in a state of shock herself. She couldn’t imagine giving birth to two babies. The thought terrified her. Heather realized she was getting her happily ever after and then some. It just looked different than the one she dreamed up when she was six. In her dreams, happily ever afters never had any bad things in them. But Heather learned even if the worst thing happens, good things could still come after that. And it was all part of your fairy tale, the good and the bad. Her real life happily ever after had a dead husband, three kids, a fiancé and twins on the way.

  Heather beat everyone to Facebook and simply wrote….Happiness Doubled.

  Epilogue

  The flight to Hawaii was l
ong and uncomfortable for Heather. She couldn’t calm her nerves with a Bloody Mary or drugs since she was pregnant. Two long flights ahead of her added to the growing list of things stressing her out at the moment. The twins and her stomach were just big enough to force the seamstress to add panels to her wedding dress. Keeping Henry occupied on the flight was a daunting task. Peter and Heather had downloaded movies and games to all of their iGadgets. Of course, all of the wedding guests were on the same flight. There were lots of helping hands but also lots of people checking on Heather. She really needed to just focus and hold Peter’s hand and didn’t really want her mom or mother-in-law to watch him rub her inner thigh for the next ten hours.

  The wedding was planned for the day after Christmas on the beach on Maui. Jenny and Janie were busy making sure everything was just right. Heather knew it was going to be perfect in their hands. Selling a house, moving into a new one, working on the edits in her manuscript, being pregnant with twins and a mom to three others, forced Heather to give up control of the wedding. Life had vomited a bunch of happiness into Heather’s lap, and she was forever grateful.

  After a ten-hour journey, they landed in Maui and were greeted with leis. Cars were waiting to take them to their resort. Peter had shipped everyone’s Christmas gifts to the resort and arranged for a Christmas tree in their suite. Heather had been a little skeptical about Hawaii for Christmas. Henry and Gracie were still so young, and she wanted them to have all the regular Christmas stuff. As had everything since Heather met Peter, it exceeded her expectations. Opening Christmas presents and then sunning yourself on the beach could not be beat.

  The wedding day arrived. A stylist came and did all the women’s hair and make up. Heather wore her hair down and curly. It was the perfect match to her off white gown. Her dress had a plunging neckline and crisscross straps in the back. The satin skimmed over her growing tummy and fell to her soon-to-be cankles. Heather and Gracie were going to be barefoot as were Peter and the boys. Henry was the ringbearer, and Gracie was the flower girl. Hayes walked Heather down the aisle. There was not a dry eye on the beach watching Heather and Hayes walk down the aisle to meet Peter. Handsome Peter in black pants and jacket and a white tux shirt open at the neck.

  Heather and Peter wrote their own vows and stood as a family with the kids during the ceremony.

  I, Heather Nester Meadows, take you Peter Adamson, to be my husband and my second chance at a happily ever after. I will cherish you for the rest of my days. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry on you, loving my knight in a shiny blue Lexus through good times and bad, regardless of the potholes we may face together. I give you my heart and my love, from this day forward.

  I, Peter Charles Adamson, take you Heather Nester Meadows, to be my wife and the love of my life. I will cherish you and our children for the rest of my days. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and wipe away your tears when you have fallen down and when you are standing strong. Heather, Hayes, Gracie and Henry, I give you all my heart and my love from this day forward.

  After they kissed and were pronounced husband and wife, Heather looked out at her family. The people who had kept her together when everything fell apart. They were the same people that were there to celebrate it coming together. A tear dropped down Heather’s cheek. A tear filled with happiness and the rest of her old sadness. Heather looked at Peter. Her heart skipped the figurative beat. Peter and their new life were her everything.

  After a luau themed reception, Peter and Heather went off to a honeymoon suite…complete with a tropical outdoor shower that made for the perfect honeymoon night.

  And so began a new phase in Heather’s happily ever after.

  Julie Farley is a mother of four fabulous children and a wife to an amazing husband who puts up with her Adam Levine obsession. Julie is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and resides in Richmond, Virginia with her family. Follow her adventures and read about her next book, The New Ever After, on www.juliefarley.com.

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  [1] http://www.tokenrock.com/numerology/numerology-compatibility-7-11.html