Infinite Love (48 page)

‘Having fun?’ I called as she floated on her back, her massive stomach protruding up though the water. ‘You look like a beach ball.’

‘Charming.’

‘I could have said a floundering whale,’ I shrugged and she pulled her tongue out at me.

‘It’s so nice,’ she grinned. ‘It takes all the pressure off my back.’

‘Are you really suffering?’ I frowned, feeling guilty.

‘Terribly,’ she pouted. ‘I need me another of those massages from that hot boy you hired for me last time and a big something from the secret chocolate stash.’

‘Sssshhhh, he has ears like an elephant, you know he hones in on illicit talk,’ I giggled.

‘Why’s it ears like an elephant?’ she frowned.

‘Because they have big ears,’ I giggled.

‘They have big feet and trunks but no one says feet like an elephant or nose like an elephant.’

‘Ok, I’ll give you that,’ I nodded.

‘And why is it deaf as a goat?’

‘Deaf as a post.’

‘What?’

‘DEAF AS A POST,’ I yelled.

‘I heard you, I just don’t get it.’

‘A post can’t hear because it has no ears.’

‘Ok. Why a post though? Why not a chair, or a rock?’

‘Google it on your iPad,’ I laughed. ‘Always with the questions, Clarke.’

‘I’m bored. Now I’ve finished college, I’m bored. I have time to sit around and ponder the meaning of the Universe while I’m preggers.’

‘Hardly the theory of Pi, Lex,’ I smiled with a shake of my head.

‘I loved that film,’ she sighed, totally not getting my response.

‘I know you did.
I
particularly loved the bit in the cinema back home when everyone was watching quietly and you shouted out “O no, did the Zebra just die?” and made all the kids cry. We nearly got thrown out for creating uproar. Give me a second to shower and change and I’ll join you before lunch.’

‘Food,’ she grinned. ‘What’s on the menu?’

‘A bacon, avocado, walnut, pine nut and cranberry salad with a spinach and gruyere quiche, then lemon sorbet for pudding as it’s so hot.’

‘What’s the main course?’ she pouted.

‘He made you your own whole quiche.’ I smiled as her face lit up and I went to get changed. We screeched like kids as we splashed each other in the water and Gabe came to sit on the sun lounger to watch us, smiling. We’d never been happier. Our new home was complete and we had friends over for dinner on a regular basis. Our careers were going well, our sex life was as hot as ever and we hadn’t had one argument since we’d moved in. The odd squabble about his over protectiveness of Lexi, but nothing serious. I’d even relented and agreed to have a nanny, on the condition that it was mornings only as I wanted to spend afternoons, evenings and weekends with them myself.

‘Ok, I’m done,’ sighed Lex as she panted. ‘I need a quick snooze before lunch and my afternoon nap. Give me a push, will you?’ I couldn’t stop giggling as I tried to shove her backside while she tried to pull herself up the ladder. ‘Push harder.’

‘I
am
pushing, you’re not exactly light you know,’ I objected. ‘And I’m terrified of you farting in my face. Your wind is out of control.’

‘So is my wee, but you haven’t complained about swimming in it for the last twenty minutes.’

‘You never!’

‘No,’ she chuckled. ‘But I will if you don’t get me out of here soon.’

‘Give me your hands, Lex,’ ordered Gabe as he stood over us with a disapproving scowl. ‘No going in the pool on your own in future if you can’t get out yourself. What if you’d had an emergency?’

‘I suppose you’ve read the statistics on
that
too, haven’t you,’ she chuckled as he hauled her out.

‘Actually, they’re very interesting. The fact is that …’

‘O sorry,’ Lexi interrupted with a snore. ‘I think I just fell asleep there for a moment. Seriously fascinating, Gabe, thanks for sharing all those statistics.’ I giggled as I watched her wink at me and waddle to the toilet and turned to see Gabe with another scowl on his face.

‘Come on,’ I laughed. ‘So
not
interesting.’

‘Whatever,’ he sighed as he reached down and helped me out. ‘I’d like to finish the nursery this afternoon while she’s having her sleep.’

‘Make sure you put the child locks on the fridge then if we’re out of sight. She can’t work them at all,’ I smiled. I put my arms around his neck and kissed him. ‘I
love
that you check all the statistics making sure our family is safe.’

‘I’m finding this hard now,’ he sighed. ‘I’m not patient and I just want them here.’

‘Me too.’

‘Do we have time for a quickie before feeding time at the zoo commences?’ he asked as he gripped my backside. ‘You looked so hot on your pole and now in this tiny bikini.’

‘Too late, she’s back,’ I giggled as he groaned.

I helped her to bed after lunch and snuck in the chocolate for her.

‘Thanks,’ she smiled and her eyes filled up.

‘Hey, what’s the matter?’

‘I
love
chocolate,’ she nodded.

‘You’re getting emotional over chocolate?’ I asked smiling. She was emotional over everything since pregnant.

‘It’s
good
chocolate.’

‘It is. You’re hormonal and tired, come on have a bit to eat and then go to sleep.’

‘Are you off to have sex?’

‘Why?’ I smiled.

‘I saw him eyeing you up as we ate. I can’t even remember what sex was like,’ she sighed.

‘I thought you had your new Hitachi wand vibrator to keep you happy.’

‘Yeah, but I can’t reach around my stomach anymore.’

‘Well don’t look at me, there are limit’s. You don’t have long to go and it will all be over.’

‘I guess,’ she sighed as she patted her pillow and made herself comfortable.

‘You can talk to me if you’re feeling unhappy about the birth or giving the twins up, you know,’ I reassured her as I stroked her forehead.

‘I’ll be fine. They’ll make you so happy and I’ll still be a big part of their lives. I’ll just miss this, us, living together again.’

‘I’ll miss you too, but you can come and stay whenever you want and you know that we’ll be happy for you to baby sit. You’ve looked after them for us so well up to date.’

‘You don’t hate me?’

‘Hate you?’ I looked at her surprised.

‘Because they’re not in your tummy?’

‘I love you for having them in your tummy, Lex. Would I have preferred they were in mine? Sure, but I couldn’t think of anyone else I’d have wanted to look after them for me, you’re doing an amazing job. I love you, now go to sleep or you’ll be cranky again tonight and Doug, Cindy and Max are coming for dinner.’ I kissed her forehead and waited for her to fall asleep. I was so proud of her. She’d passed her counselling course and we’d been to her graduation with her parents, siblings, Mum and Gerry and even Doug, Robert, Sofia and Ava had come too. With the exception of the secret chocolate stash she’d not even veered from Gabe’s healthy eating plan. What she was doing for us was so wonderful and I didn’t know how I’d ever repay her. I wandered upstairs and smelled fresh paint and opened the nursery door and giggled to hear Gabe trying to sing along to the radio while he worked.

‘I can hear you,’ he laughed.

‘Sadly, I can hear you. I’ve lost my upper frequency,’ I smiled as he turned to look at me. He was painting the room a sunny yellow, as we had no idea what we were having, we wanted it to be a surprise. He’d sourced matching cribs, wardrobes, nappy changing stations, everything we could possibly need and then some, including loads of fancy electrical gadgets. I screamed as he flicked paint at me, then giggled as he rushed me flipped me onto my back, onto the dust sheet protecting the cream carpet, and took my mouth possessively.

‘I’m going to make you scream so loud I’ll lose mine,’ he growled and I wrapped my legs around his waist and yanked him down on top of me.

‘MIA,’ yelled Lexi from downstairs waking us up.

‘O God,’ groaned Gabe. ‘She wants more food
again
and she’s too lazy to waddle to the fridge to get it.’

‘She has become a bit more demanding lately hasn’t she?’ I laughed. ‘It’s good practice for when we have screaming babies. I’ll go this time.’ I kissed him and got out of bed and quickly pulled on some shorts and a t-shirt. It was nearly Halloween and fast approaching her due date in November and she was
huge
. Seriously huge. I don’t think I’d ever seen a pregnant woman so big. She couldn’t walk without bending backwards, and also needed help getting up off the sofa and lowering herself down onto it. Even getting in and out of bed was challenging for her, and often had me in hysterics.

‘MIA,’ she yelled again. I frowned as I walked to the bedroom door. That wasn’t her usual
I’m hungry
, or
I’m floundering in the sofa
,
help me
yell. I quickly opened the door and raced down the stairs.

‘Lexi?’ I called as I ran to her bedroom, my heart racing.

‘Kitchen,’ I heard her cry. I ran in and looked at her horrified. She was doubled over the island and looked really pale. ‘O God, what’s wrong? Are you ok?’

‘No,’ she groaned. ‘
Really
bad cramps and they’re not moving like normal. I think something’s wrong.’

‘O God,’ I uttered as I quickly walked to her and rubbed her back trying to soothe her. I was trying to breathe calmly, when really I was ready to go into complete nervous meltdown. ‘We’ll get you straight to the hospital. Cover your ears.’

‘Will that stop the pain?’ she gasped.

‘No, but it will stop you from ruptured ear drums when I yell for Gabe,’ I advised and she nodded and did as she was told. I screamed his name at the top of my lungs, hurting my throat as I did. I heard him banging about upstairs and then hammering down the stairs.

‘Mia?’ he yelled and skidded into the kitchen and pulled up to a stop as he looked at us horrified.

‘Hospital, now,’ I nodded.

‘Her waters have broken? It’s too early.’

‘They haven’t,’ I replied with a shake of the head and he read the concern on my face immediately.

‘Shit, you get the Range Rover ready, I’ll help her.’

I flew out of the front door, opened the garage and backed his dad’s Range Rover out and opened the back door. Gabe came out of the house holding Lexi up and I ran to close the front door and then hopped into the back to help her in. He lay her down, so I lifted her head and put it on my lap, as Gabe jumped in the driver’s seat and tore out of the drive with a wheel spin. I grabbed one of Lexi’s hands and stroked her forehead with the other.

‘When the pain gets really bad you scream as loud as you like and you grip my hand really hard,’ I told her and she nodded up at me.

‘Mia, what if something’s really wrong? What if … I
can’t
put you through that again.’

‘
Sssshhhh
. Nothing’s going to go wrong Lex, the doctors will check you and they’ll know what to do.’

‘But what if …’

‘Stop,’ I interrupted. ‘Nothing is going to go wrong, because I say it won’t. No one is that unlucky, we’re not going to be that unlucky, do you hear me?’ I was trying to convince myself more than Lexi. Gabe and I really did seem to be that unlucky, and if this went wrong it would break me. Not to mention how it would make Gabe and Lexi feel.

‘Talk to me, keep me distracted,’ she begged and then winced through the pain.

‘I think you need to talk to me. Don’t think I haven’t noticed Doug hanging around more than normal. What’s going on?’

‘Nothing gets past you does it?’ She gave me a half smile as she looked up at me.

‘No, so spill. Though if you’ve been having sex I’d really rather not know. The thought of Gabe and my babies in your tummy is weird enough, without the thought of Doug’s penis up there as well.’

‘Stop it,’ she giggled as she clutched her stomach. ‘There’s been no sex. Besides, how the hell could I when my stomach is the size of a cow. He’d be rocking on top of me like a seesaw.’

‘So what’s going on? He’s not coming round all the time to hang out with Gabe, and I’ve seen the looks he’s giving you.’

‘I wasn’t going to tell you … Oooo, shit,’ she groaned and I squeezed her hand, ‘until after all this as I wasn’t sure how much …excitement you could take.’

‘He’s asked you out hasn’t he?’

‘Yes,’ she nodded.

‘I
knew
it. He’s been getting this soft fuzzy face as he looked at while you were pregnant. More than his normal adoring looks at you. So? Have you said yes?’

‘I … don’t know what to do,’ she panted and gripped my fingers so hard I had to bite the inside of my lip to not wince in pain myself.

‘You’re still scared after last time?’ I asked, remembering how devastated she’d been when he’d backed out of seeing her again, after telling her that he loved her.

‘Yes,’ she whispered.

‘Ok, well you’re a qualified counsellor now who’s looking for a day job, so your only responsibilities are to Greyson’s at night. I’m going to pay for you to go on holiday for a couple of weeks, somewhere warm where you can relax and recharge after all this, and I’m sending Doug with you. No interruptions,’ I warned as she started to protest. ‘The surrogacy counsellor told us it would help you to have some distance after giving birth and having to hand the babies over to us, and you agreed that you wanted that. This way you get to have a break with Doug, who you’re already friends with, and you can see how things develop.’

‘Mia,’ she moaned. ‘What if ….
Owwwwww
… what if it doesn’t work out with us?’

‘What if it does? Look at Gabe and I. This time last year we were separated, but if it’s meant to be
nothing
will keep you apart.’ I smiled as I stroked her hair, then grimaced as she went even paler and palmed her stomach harder. ‘Gabe, tell me we’re not far, please.’

‘Two minutes,’ he called back over his shoulder.

‘Drive faster,’ I ordered. He did, he skidded to a stop right outside the A&E entrance doors and yelled for help as he flung open the door. My heart was pounding, Lexi had gone all clammy and her eyes were rolling and unfocussed. I had a feeling she was on the verge of passing out and I’d never been so scared. Not even when Adam had me chained with a knife on my face.. Some hospital staff came running out with a gurney and helped to lie Lexi on it.