Inked Chaos (26 page)

I reach
up and press my lips to his, trying to convey all my feelings within it.  I
guess I communicated them well enough, when the kiss became scorching hot.

“Damn I
love you Birdie.  How’s the hip baby?”  AJ asked.  

“Fine.  Why?”
 I ask quizzically in a whisper, slowly coming out of my hot AJ stupor.

“Good to
hear.”  He says smiling, as he places one arm around my back and the other under
my knees picking me up, and heads towards the bed, lowering his lips to mine as
we go.

Let’s
just say, my plan to dress ready for the scan, was delayed.

Walking into the den, I
dump my shopping bags onto the sofa, smiling at Tiny as he follows suit.

“Thanks Tiny.”

“Any time Jorgi.”

Since the kidnapping incident, Tiny and I
have become very close.  He’s usually with me instead of AJ, and I have to
admit, I love his company.  I also feel a lot safer when he’s around.

“From the racket I’d
guess that they’re out in the garden.”

“Yep, I reckon you’re
right.”  He laughs.  “Okay, if I knock off?”

“Sure.  I’m just going to
go see what the munchkins are doing.”

I listen as Tiny walks off chuckling to
himself.  He always finds my term “the munchkins” funny.  I don’t know why.

Following the noise of shouts and giggles,
I head out towards the pool area.  On reaching the French doors that lead out
to the garden, I hold back, sneaking a peak around the curtains so I can watch
unobserved.

It never fails to catch at my heart how AJ
is with the twins.

Yes, twins.

We’d found out on the day of the first scan.
 They couldn’t let us know the sex, but there was no mistaking the two
heartbeats on the screen.  I came out of the appointment in a state of shock.  AJ
came out of the appointment flying high, and I don’t think he’s come down yet,
nearly five years later.

It had been an easy pregnancy, well, as easy
as it could be.  I’d looked like a landed whale, and had been very conscious
about how big I became.  AJ on the other hand couldn’t keep his hands off me.  Whenever
he got the chance he would rest his hands or head on my enormous belly.

One of my favourite photos is in black and
white; showing AJs head resting on my protruding stomach, as he’d been softly
singing to the twins.  It’s a moment I will treasure forever, and I look at that
photo every day, where it sits pride of place on the mantle.

Watching them now, my heart swells with
love for my family.  AJ is sitting at the table, his guitar on his lap.  Bella
and Ethan standing at his side taking turns to twang the strings of his guitar.
 Bella with her already beautiful long hair, tied up in bunches on top of her
head.  Ethan with the same glint in his eye as his father.  Yes, my munchkins are
the image of their daddy.  They both have his dark hair, and his beautiful blue
eyes.  They definitely have more of AJs genes than my own.

With them is AJ’s mum Jeanie.  Sitting with
a contented smile on her face as she watches them.  She and I have become very
close and she often stays for weeks at a time, which I confess I love.

I once asked her, why she had thanked me
the day we told her I was pregnant.  Her answer was “Because you have made my
boy so happy”.  Yes, there had been tears, and yes, I feel very lucky to have
this special lady in my life.  

I named the day the twins were born, the
day of miracles.  A miracle they were ever born at all.  A miracle that AJ
survived the day due to his stress levels, and the fact that I threatened to
kill him several times whilst in labour.

The moment they had placed a twin in each
of AJs arms, his eyes had filled with tears, and he had looked at me with such
love, that my heart had swelled with so much emotion, I feared it would burst.

My mind comes back to the present when I
hear AJ laugh out loud, and I see Bella, standing hands on hips, with a pout on
her lips.  I smile as I watch her.  This is her favourite pose when she can’t
win her own way with daddy, and it works every time.  Yep, that little madam
knows just how to win over her daddy and so does her brother.  

Moving through the doors, on hearing my
heels on the patio, all four heads turn in my direction.  The twins shout
“Momma” and run headlong into my legs.  Jeanie smiles at me and waves, and AJ
stands up, walks towards me, and gives me a smacker right on the lips.

“Hi babe.”  He says softly
against my mouth.

“Hi.”  I smile.

I’m thinking I might just go in for a
follow up kiss, when I’m distracted by Bella, yanking down on the leg of my
jeans to gain my attention, whilst her other hand is strategically placed on
her hip.

“Momma, daddy won’t let
me play the guitar.”

Yep pouts in place I see,
as I hunch down to her level.

“But sweetie, I just saw you and Ethan
playing with daddy’s guitar.”

“Yes, but I want to
play
it.”  She explains forcefully.

Confused, I look up at AJ
questioningly.

“Little Bella wants to come on stage, and
play the guitar at the concert tomorrow.”  He explains.

“Ah.” I sigh gazing at my daughter.  “But
darling the concert tomorrow is going to be when you’re in bed sleeping, so
that’s not possible is it.”

She acquires a stubborn expression on her
face, as she sweeps her gaze from myself to AJ.  Just when I think she might
cry, AJ pipes up with the plan of the twins going to the stadium tomorrow
morning, just so Bella can “check everything is just as it should be”.  I have
to bite back my laughter as she straightens her back, looks at her father and
declares.

“I can do that.”  Before running over to
her grandmother informing her of tomorrow’s plans.

I stand up straight and look at AJ.

“Boy, are you going to regret that idea.”  I
state.  

Just as he goes to reply, a little voice
from below asks, “And me, Daddy?”

“Told you.”  I titter as I walk away, listening
to AJ assuring his son, that of course he was included too.

I walk over to Jeanie, kiss her on the
cheek and enquire after her day.

“Total fun.  You know how I love spending
time with my grandbabies.”

She isn’t lying, every moment she possibly
can, she spends with them.  As their only grandmother, I’m thankful that they
have such a huge input into each other’s lives.

Taking a seat, I turn and smile at AJ as he
returns to his chair, taking my hand in his own as he does so.  I count to five
in my head and right on cue, he starts playing with the rings on my wedding
finger.  The beautiful engagement ring he gave me on the beach.  The stunning
diamond eternity ring, he gave me the day Bella and Ethan were born, and the
wedding ring he slid onto my finger twelve months after the twins’ birth.  It’s
a habit he acquired shortly after our marriage.  A habit I adore.

He’s also acquired a new tattoo.  A
beautiful tiny humming bird on his left pectoral, signifying that I possess his
heart.  I love it.  In fact, I love it so much, I have a tiny matching tattoo
on my right hip.

Our wedding took place when the twins were
a year old, in the chapel of a stately home in Cornwall.  AJ had actually
surprised me by suggesting that we marry in England.  At first I had declined.  Apart
from Davy, Ben and Eva, everyone we knew lived in the states.  I couldn’t
envisage not having them at the wedding, but after talking things through, we
compromised.  AJ flew his family, Razor and Jen and the other members of the
band to England for a small wedding.  Followed by a retaking of our vows and
blessing a few weeks later, attended by everyone, over in LA.  

On both days we had been blessed with
perfect weather, but I wouldn’t have cared if it had rained.  I swear, I doubt
if I would have noticed, since all I saw was AJ waiting for me at the end of
the aisle.  We had taken our vows gazing into each other’s eyes, oblivious to
our audience.  Only to be made aware of them, by the clapping after we had
shared our first kiss as husband and wife.

After AJ surprised me with a honeymoon
touring the Caribbean, we had returned to our normal daily lives.  That’s if
you can call it normal.  AJ and the band have toured both in America and
worldwide.  The band going from strength to strength, having won Grammys, and
other accolades.

We spend our time between LA and the house
in Cornwall.  AJ loves Cornwall, and the time spent there with Davy and Ben;
watching the twins play with Eva and Leo, Davy and Ben’s son are memories we
treasure.

There had been the court case regarding the
kidnapping.  Which as you can imagine sent the press into a frenzy.  The case
was on every channel on the television, or at least it seemed to be.  Of
course, once the extra titbit of news about the pregnancy had broken, it seemed
like AJ and I had little privacy for months.

Having to attend court and give evidence
against Brooke and Martinez had been daunting.  It had also been tiring
attending court daily as my pregnancy progressed.  Nevertheless, I was
determined to see it through.  So when the jury passed the sentence of guilty, I
felt intense relief.  Grateful that I could finally relax and enjoy the
remainder of my pregnancy, knowing we were safe.

My own career has taken off too.  My first,
second and just recently my third book all reaching the New York best sellers
list.

I have accomplished so much in my chosen
career, and sometimes find it hard to believe, that people appreciate my little
stories so much.

Yes, I feel blessed.  I have the love of a
good man.  A hot sexy man, and yes, I do still wonder what he sees in little
old me.  A man who also loves his children, and isn’t afraid to show it.  Children,
which are our pride and joy.  Children I never thought to have.

Yes, it has to be said.  I count myself
very lucky every day, and I send my sister a huge bouquet of flowers every year
on
my
birthday, reminding us both, that but for her buying me that
precious concert ticket; I would never have found the love of my life.

For he truly is The Love of My Life.