The Vegas Random

by Ellie Gerrard

  “Reputation to keep?”

  “Safer for my children,” I replied. “With power comes security problems. Especially, since I put Kate in the position of being my sole heir.”

  “Have you written your eulogy?”

  I nodded and pulled out a couple pages from my pocket.

  The priest sat in silence and read it.

  I just continued looking up at the stars.

  “This sounds like a press release.”

  I laughed. “Really?”

  “Yeah. How about we go to my office and rewrite it?”

  “Ok. But you’re going to have to read it on the day, okay?”

  The priest smiled. “Anything to make it easier on your family, huh?”

  “Yep.” I’d never really been true to my religion and I admitted that to him. But I’d always believed in God. I spent the night at the church. Talking and getting my ceremony together. He never once complained of being tired. He made me feel like a friend. And when the eulogy was done, he made it sound like he’d known me for a lifetime. He absolved me of all my sins. And I felt as free as I did when I was sky diving.

  “Thank you, Father.” I shook his hand.

  “Charlie, it has been an absolute pleasure. And your secrets are safe with me.”

  I gazed around at the beauty, the serenity. “The next time I will be here, I’ll be dead.”

  The priest nodded. “Beautiful isn’t it?”

  I nodded with him. “Yeah. It is. Bye Father.”

  “God is with you Charlie.”

  Kate

  I was at work and was feeling like shit. I’d been nauseous for days now and it was getting on top of me.

  Sam came in for our meeting. She took one look at me and said, “You look like shit. What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing, how did you go with the reshuffle?”

  She sat down. “Well, there are a few pairs of panties in a bunch but they will suck it up.”

  I smiled… I liked her. She was tough and very business minded.

  “And how are you dealing with the new bitch boss?”

  “Oh, I have no issues.” Sam grinned. “She and I are on the same page that we will continue to grow the business and have Charlie’s legacy live on.”

  I nodded and a wave of nausea hit me. I covered my mouth and took a couple breaths.

  She observed silently.

  When it passed, I sighed.

  “Go home and don’t you dare be giving the office a bug,” she said flatly. “I’m serious Kate, you give me a bug and I will kick your ass.”

  I laughed weakly. “You could try.”

  She and I talked for close to half an hour before I had a dizzy spell that had me cold sweating in my chair. I leaned back and took a couple breaths.

  “You’re not all right,” Sam stated getting up. “Come lay on the couch. You’re white as a ghost.”

  I shook my head. “If I move, I’m going to faint. Or vomit.”

  Sam picked up the phone and dialed out. “Ambulance.”

  I groaned, fucking hell. The last thing I needed was a trip in the wham-bulance.

  After that, she called in Katerina. She came in and Sam was quick with instructions.

  I was feeling worse and a moment later, I was looking at medics. “When did you get here?” I asked as they moved me out of the chair to the stretcher.

  “You’ve been out for five minutes,” Sam said. “Ian is at the hospital waiting.”

  Dizziness and nausea overtook me as I was about to be put on the stretcher. My knees collapsed and the medics held me as my body just went limp. They lay me on the stretcher and fussed as I proceeded to throw up.

  Charlie

  Sitting with Dad and Ian having a coffee at the hospital, I had a check-up only because I was alive when I should’ve been dead. The test results revealed I was dying. No shock. Just not as quick as I’d been told. I was now on borrowed time. I had lived a month longer than expected.

  Ian’s phone rang and he frowned when he saw the number “Kate?... Oh, hi Sam… Huh? What do you mean she’s unconscious?... I am at the hospital. I’m having coffee with Dad. I will meet her in the ER… Ok thanks.” He hung up and stared down his phone. “Kate collapsed.” He put his phone down and took a sip of his coffee. Blinked a couple times. “Not surprised. She’s been off color for three days. She works too much. I picked her up last night and tied her to the bed, so she would go to bed early.” He was looking so calm.

  Meanwhile, I was having a mild heart attack at the thought of my precious Vegas random being ill.

  Ian glanced up at me. “Relax. She won’t be here for another ten minutes; the ambulance had just arrived,” he calmly stated.

  “Ian, why is she sick?”

  “I don’t know Charlie. She works stupid hours. She’s probably just tired. Just relax. I’m sure it’s nothing to be worried about.”

  The fucker had a little smile on his lips that I wanted to wipe off him.

  He just sat there and finished his coffee.

  I so wanted to kill him. “Aren’t you the least bit worried?”

  He nodded. “Of course, I am. But you have to remember I was married to Aria so… I’m used to drama.”

  That made me smile.

  Dad’s pager went off. He stood up. “She just arrived.”

  We got into the ER and she was hooked up to machines while a nurse was taking blood. She looked white as a sheet under her oxygen mask. Her eyes shut.

  Dad barked a couple orders and she waved her hand dismissing him. He cocked an eyebrow.

  “I’m sick, stop fussing,” she mumbled “And please stop spinning the bed or I will vomit again.”

  Dad clenched his jaw before he ordered up anti-nausea medication. “You my dear Kate, will just let me sort out what the hell is going on.”

  “You’re fussing like an old hen.”

  Dad put the IV in personally before he gave her the drugs. He put a rush on the bloodwork.

  “What’s wrong with her?” I asked, freaking out.

  “Oh relax. I have a stomach bug.” She opened her eyes and looked at me. “I am fine.” She glanced over at Ian. “Don’t fuss.”

  Ian smiled. “I’m not. Charlie is.”

  “If you don’t stop smiling, I am going to put you in the bed beside her.” I snarled. “Why is she sick?”

  Ian smiled at me. “I have no idea. Dad, a word?”

  They left the cubical and I took her hand. “Is the stress too much? Is it making you sick?”

  “No Charlie. I promise you, that it is nothing like that. I’m upsetting some people with the reshuffle but meh, they’ll get over it.” She looked at me. “Come over for dinner. The kids would love to see you.”

  I nodded. “I would love to.”

  “Good. I miss you.”

  “I have been running amuck.” I grinned.

  She smiled.

  I whispered, “My dick doesn’t work anymore.”

  “I love you for more than your dick,” she whispered back putting her little hand over my heart.

  I held her hand there. “I know. Has Ian done the right thing yet and sealed the deal?”

  She nodded. “Yes, I believe he’s very keen on keeping me.”

  “He will make you happy. And you will make him happy.”

  “No, I will send him grey but he did say he was ok with crazy.”

  I laughed as Dad came in with Ian and a nurse. They said they were moving her and I just about had another heart attack. We were wheeled into a private room where Mom was waiting. The nurse left and shut the door leaving Ian with Mom, Dad and my Vegas random. Dad picked Kate up.

  She protested, “John! I am not a bloody cripple!”

  He smiled at her and put her on the examination bed.

  Ian sat down and patted the chair beside him, inviting me to sit.

  I did because now I was feeling sick.

  “I need to pee,” Kate stated.

  “Good,” Mom said as she lifted her shirt a
nd then opened the fly of Kate’s jeans before tucking in a little towel “That will make this scan easier.”

  “What the hell am I having a scan for?”

  Mom squirted some gel on her belly. “When you were pregnant with Ryan and Ella…”

  “I adopted them. I’ve never been pregnant,” Kate snapped as Mom put a probe on her belly.

  She moved the probe a couple times and then smiled. “Well Charlie, you can tick kids off your bucket list.”

  “Huh?” Kate and I said in unison looking at each other.

  Ian chuckled and I punched him in the arm. He laughed harder. I hit him again.

  Mom pointed at the screen. “One jelly bean and two jelly beans. Kate is pregnant and you are going to be a father.”

  Kate and I stared at the screen. Then at each other.

  “You told me in Vegas.”

  “I know.”

  “You told me in Vegas!” I exclaimed taking her face in my hands and kissing her lips chastely before moving so I could look at my children. I watched their heart beats. “They are beautiful. Boy and a girl just like I asked. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything more perfect.” I sighed.

  “I am pregnant?” Kate asked weakly. “Ian, am I pregnant?”

  “Yes, you are.”

  “Oh. Ok.”

  I would have looked at her but I was watching my children.

  “I’m going to have a baby?”

  “Not just one baby. You’re going to have two,” Ian told her.

  I could hear him smiling. That little shit knew and didn’t say anything! Well played, Ian. Well played.

  “Oh. They told me I couldn’t get pregnant. Too much damage when I got shot. They had to take out an ovary. And the other one was polycystic. They said I couldn’t. Chris and I tried for years and I couldn’t do it.”

  “Charlie,” Mom called to me. “I want to move the probe and have a look. Would you like me to take a couple photos?”

  I nodded. “Just another minute. I want to hear their hearts beat just a little longer.”

  I would remember their heartbeats for the rest of my life.

  Mom handed me a couple pictures. I handed one to Kate and sat down beside Ian. I stared at my babies.

  MY BABIES!

  I was a father.

  Kate

  Charlie had been quiet at the hospital but the second I was home through the front door, he hooted like he’d won the bloody lottery. He hugged Ian who smiled and hugged him back. Then he picked me up and carried me upstairs. I grinned back at Ian who just smiled. In the two moments we had to ourselves, Ian had told me to just go with whatever Charlie wanted to do.

  Charlie put me in the bath and bathed me like a child. I had the cleanest belly in history. He dried me off and put me in bed. He touched me gently. He gazed at me with awe and every time he looked at my belly, he was more in love.

  He fussed getting me dressed into my favorite pajamas and then lay beside me touching my belly, kissing it. Talking to his children. I played with his hair and neck.

  After an hour, Ian appeared at the door. He leaned against the door way and smiled.

  “I’m the luckiest man in the world,” Charlie said looking up at his brother as Richard appeared beside Ian. “Richard, I’m a Dad.”

  “I heard,” Richard said coming in. “What are their names?”

  “Charles Johnathon and Alexia Rachael,” Charlie replied with so much love, I bit my lip so I wouldn’t cry. “CJ and Lexie.”

  Richard nodded. “I like it. Feeling like a million bucks, then huh?”

  “I am over the moon.”

  Ian and Richard sat down on the bed with me and I smiled. “Oh well Richard, it’s happened. All three of you in my bed.”

  Richard laughed. “Not like I wanted Kate my dear and I’ve been informed that my beloved wife is not up for any threesomes.”

  I giggled. “I don’t blame her. One insatiable man is more than enough, two… well, that is just madness.”

  Ian chuckled. “You loved every second of it.”

  “I love the men I was with,” I said softly and took Ian’s hand while I continued to play with Charlie’s hair. “I want Charlie to sleep with us tonight.”

  Ian nodded. “Absolutely.” He kissed the back of my hand. “Rita is making you some broth. Richard just dropped of some medication to hold off the nausea.”

  I looked at Richard who was watching his big brother with mild amusement. “Thank you, Richard.”

  “Hey, when I saw the news with you getting carted out of work—”

  “Oh FUCK!” I exclaimed, “Where is my fucking phone? I have to ring Brian and Gerrard, Harry and Billy before they fucking kill me.”

  “I already spoke to them.” Ian smiled. “The whole family is coming over tomorrow night for a jam session. They’re going to let you rest tonight.”

  I kissed the back of his hand and thanked him. “Charlie? Are you hungry?”

  “Nope. But you have to eat.” He turned to look at me. “I know you aren’t well, but you need to eat.”

  I stroked his beard. “I’m pregnant. Not ill. I just had a sissy moment at work. I am ok.” Had the fucking shock of my life if I were to be completely honest. PREGNANT WITH TWINS! HOLY FUCK! Just like we’d said in Vegas.

  The only thing I was worried about now, was not being able to carry them. If I couldn’t and lost them, then it would be a million times worse when Charlie passed. I’d sustained a lot of damage over the years. Years ago, I was told I would never get pregnant. I had told them this at the hospital. What I didn’t tell them was that if I did, there was a good chance I would die birthing them.

  I’m a lot stronger than I was then. My injuries had healed. I decided stay silent and seek advice when no one was looking.

  Charlie talked to his brothers then fell asleep with me in his arms.

  Ian smiled and kissed my forehead. “Are you ok?” he whispered.

  The man was uncanny, he always seemed to know when something was off.

  “Just tired.”

  Ian

  Kate lay asleep in his arms. It was nearly sunrise. Charlie would’ve been an overprotective bastard. The kids would have gotten away with nothing. He would have protected them with his last breath. Just as he was now.

  She moaned and then shot up out of bed nearly kicking Charlie off as she did. She ran into the bathroom and started vomiting.

  Charlie who’d been woken rubbed his face and looked to the bathroom then at me. “Does she do that every morning?”

  “Yes, she does.”

  “That sucks,” he said glancing back at the bathroom. “Where’s her medication?”

  “It’s morning sickness Charlie, it is normal.”

  “I don’t like it. I don’t like her being sick. Make her better.”

  Ian chuckled. “She’ll be ok in a moment. Then I’ll get her some water and medication and hopefully, she will still enjoy the smell of coffee.”

  The toilet flushed and she wandered to the sink looking wrecked. “Fuck me dead. That was terrible.”

  “I don’t want you to be sick,” Charlie told her.

  She smirked at him.

  “I am serious. I don’t want you to be sick.”

  “It’s ok, all part of the experience.” She kissed his temple and then kissed mine. “I’m going to go have some toast.” She left the room.

  Charlie lay back and stared up at the ceiling. “I love that woman. She is the mother fucking jackpot.”

  I nodded. “I love her too.”

  He turned his head and stared at me.

  “Yep. I love her.”

  He smiled and sighed. “Good. Look after her.”

  “I will. I’ll make sure they know who their very awesome Daddy is too.”

  He nodded and swallowed. “Thank you, Ian.”

  I patted his shoulder and got up. “You’re more than welcome.”

  Charlie

  I was going to be a father. Best news ever. We had a jam sess
ion to celebrate. Best fun ever. Playing, singing, dancing. And Kate although under the weather, was beautiful. I told my Vegas random every moment I had how much I loved her and thanked her for giving me this gift.

  I felt a little shitty though on Saturday which I’d booked matinee tickets for a Broadway show for my parents. I wanted to spend as much time with my babies as possible. The Lion King had been sold out for months. But I got three tickets and was glad I did. Mom had wanted to see it for so long.

  The show was incredible. But it’d been the look on Mom’s face that made me very glad that I did come. She’d asked so little over the years. This was the one thing for her. The pure enjoyment of the visual but I think it was the music and singing. She would shut her eyes, take a breath and just listen. Taking it all in.

  I would take her hand and she squeezed it. Then she looked at me with a sad smile. “The Lion King was the first movie you wanted to watch when you came to live with us.”

  And that was why she wanted to see it. Why it was important to her to see it with me. I remembered watching it between them and feeling loved, wanted and safe.

  Dad was simple. He just wanted time, hence me going to the hospital when he was on break and having coffee or dropping by and having a scotch with him. It was all he wanted. When I took them home, I had a nightcap with them before going back to Ian’s.

  Ian was holding a sleepy Ella in his arms when he opened the door. “She wanted to stay up to see her Charlie.” He smiled and handed her to me.

  Her little arms wrapped around my neck and I hugged her tight.

  “Hello, my Charlie.”

  “Hello, my Ella, why aren’t you asleep?” I asked kissing the top of her head.

  “Because I wanted to cuddle you and give you kisses.”

  “Ok.” I sat on the couch and she rained kisses all over my face. I looked over at Ian who smiled and indicated he was going to have a drink of water. I nodded. “You give lovely kisses.”

  “Cause we love you.” Then at the top of her voice she yelled, “Charlie is HOME!”