by Bria Marche
“Ten days here just doesn’t seem like enough,” Aaron commented. “I could get used to this. And this is where you grew up, Sasha?”
“Oui.” A smile broke out on Sasha’s face as she announced her ideas for the honeymoons. “Today will be a day of relaxation and checking out the chateau and grounds. We can go to Monte Carlo, Cannes, Antibes, or anywhere you guys want to go over the next week. The Picasso museum is in Antibes, and Eze Village is one of the most beautiful places on earth.” Sasha glowed with happiness to be home in France with her family and friends.
Mariana came to the table and announced that all the rooms had been prepared for the guests, and lunch would be at one o’clock.
“Who wants the nickel tour?” Alina asked while sipping her mimosa.
“I sure do,” Mia called out, followed by everyone agreeing.
For the next hour, they toured the chateau with Mariana acting as a guide. She explained the history of the estate, what famous people had slept there in the past, and who the original landowners were. They walked from room to room, admiring each one with oohs and aahs. After everyone freshened up, they met again in the foyer and were introduced to Andre. He led the group outside, showed them the vineyards from a good vantage point, and took them to the wine cellars, explaining the winemaking process.
“Do you actually sell wine commercially?” Josh looked at the enormous operation, clearly impressed.
“Of course. Renaud Vineyards is well known locally and has a sterling reputation for producing exceptional wine, sir. Our own wines are served here with lunch and dinner. I’m sure you will find them wonderful.”
***
“Do you need to rest, darling? You look somewhat pale. The long trip and time change have likely worn you down a bit. You don’t want to overdo it. Today is a day for rest anyway, and you do want to be fresh and revived before touring the Cote d’Azur, no?” Alina brushed the bangs out of Sasha’s eyes and kissed her cheeks.
“You’re right, Mama. I’m just excited to be here. Do you guys mind if I take a nap until lunch?”
“Of course not, honey. I’ll walk with you to the room,” Josh said. “I’ll be right back, guys.”
Josh and Sasha sat on the tufted bench at the foot of the heavy four-poster bed. Handwoven, ornate floral rugs sat beneath their feet, and gold-painted plaster trim lined the ceiling. A Murano glass chandelier hung from the center of the room.
“We don’t have to do everything on this trip, honey. Don’t forget you’re pregnant and carrying twins. You’re going to wear yourself out. There will be plenty of vacations here—I can see that already. This chateau and the grounds are unbelievably beautiful, and your parents are more than generous. Let’s just tour the few places along the coast you mentioned. I know Mia and Aaron will be fine with that.”
“Are you sure?” Sasha asked, already fading as she climbed up on the high bed and snuggled under the blankets.
“I’m absolutely sure. I’ll be downstairs when you wake up, honey. Sweet dreams.”
***
Saturday, the two couples drove to Monaco, a tiny principality less than a square mile in size. Ritzy stores and restaurants lined every available inch of space with beautiful people entering the glamorous and famous Casino de Monte Carlo. Mega-yachts filled the harbor, million-dollar sports cars drove down the streets, and diamonds dangled off the arms and fingers of gorgeous women sitting at outdoor cafés.
“I can’t believe we’re in Monaco.” Mia rubbernecked in every direction, gasping at the wealth lavished throughout this small country. “I had no idea people could actually be this rich.”
“Believe it.” Sasha chuckled. “And they like to flaunt it. Let’s have lunch—I’m starving.”
They sat at an outdoor café facing the casino, the lush gardens, and the beautiful fountain across the street. Lunch consisted of a ham-and-brie baguette, frites, and soft drinks for each of them. The prices on the menu for their meal totaled up to nearly one hundred dollars.
“I know one thing for sure,” Josh joked as he bit into his baguette. “We could never afford to live here.”
“I’m open to suggestions, but I don’t think we can squeeze everything into today’s trip,” Sasha said. “We could head back and stop in Eze Village for a few hours. We can’t miss that—it’s too beautiful to pass up. Then in a few days, we can go to Antibes or Nice and hang out on the beach. What do you guys think of that?”
“I’m game for any of it. This entire area is so gorgeous—it’s definitely eye candy,” Mia said. “Check out that lady at the table to our left. She probably has on more diamonds than the value of all of our houses combined.”
The couples walked up and down the hilly cobblestone streets of Eze Village on their way back to the chateau. They browsed and bought souvenirs in small, cave-like stores squeezed into the lower levels of ancient stone buildings. The views of the Mediterranean from high on the hill were magnificent.
“I really can’t remember being anywhere this beautiful in my life,” Aaron said as he and Mia snapped picture after picture. “Let’s find a little outdoor place overlooking the sea and have a cup of coffee. Sound good?”
“That sounds great,” Sasha agreed. The hills and altitude were taking a toll on her, making her breathing labored.
***
Sasha woke at three o’clock in the morning, her stomach cramping. It was a feeling she’d never experienced before. Could it be from the rich food we ate today? She lay there, worried and rubbing her belly, waiting for the pain to subside. “Josh?” she whispered, tapping his shoulder.
“What’s wrong, honey? Why are you awake?” He rolled over to face her even though it was too dark in the room to see her worried expression.
“My belly hurts.”
“What does that mean?” Josh sat up in bed and reached for the table lamp. “Is it belly-ache hurt or baby-ache hurt?”
“I don’t know, but it’s scaring me. Will you knock on my mom’s bedroom door and tell her I need her?”
“Are you sure, hon?”
“Yeah. This doesn’t feel right. Please, Josh?”
“Okay, I’ll be right back.” Josh slipped on his bathrobe and left, returning a few minutes later with Alina, who was already dialing her cell phone.
Alina sat on the edge of Sasha’s bed, asking her daughter where the pain was. She had the local doctor on the phone as Sasha described what hurt. “Oui, merci beaucoup. Okay, darling, the doctor said to put a heating pad on your belly to calm the babies. He will be here in thirty minutes.”
Doctor Aragon arrived and gave Sasha an exam, the best he could do at their home. He suggested bed rest with light walking for the remainder of their stay. Sasha told him how her last appointment with Doctor Adams had gone and how he thought she was gaining too much weight and how her breathing could be strained because of the babies growing too quickly. Doctor Aragon listened intently and suggested a light, healthy diet consisting mostly of fresh fruits and vegetables with four ounces of protein, twice a day. He wanted her to remain on her prenatal vitamins and take calcium supplements as well. As she lay in bed, the doctor listened to her heartbeat and checked her pulse. He shook his head with worry. “Sasha, your heart rate and pulse are far too high, my dear.” He wrapped the blood pressure cuff around her biceps and pumped up the bulb. Sasha sat with tears streaming down her cheeks. “Yes, I’m afraid your blood pressure is elevated as well. Bed rest is necessary. You don’t want to upset your babies. How far along are you?”
“I’ll be six months pregnant in a few days.”
“I see.” He rubbed his chin while he thought.
The room was now full with Mia, Aaron, and Gerard joining the rest. Mariana had woken, too, and carried in water and tea on a silver tray, setting it on the rococo bureau. The group waited for the doctor to say more.
“You do realize, dear, that twins usually deliver early. It isn’t uncommon for twins to be born a month earlier than single births, and many times with a C-s
ection delivery.”
“Yes, I know. Doctor Adams explained that to me.”
“I would suggest two days of bed rest here then going back to America. Your primary physician needs to see you as soon as possible. He may suggest continued bed rest, or at least partial bed rest, for the duration of your pregnancy.”
“For two months?” Sasha began to sob on Josh’s shoulder.
Mariana handed her a glass of water to help calm her nerves.
“Possibly, my dear. Don’t forget, you’re carrying twins, which puts you at a higher risk to begin with. Secondly, your blood pressure is elevated, which can pose another problem. Let me see your ankles.”
Sasha lifted the blankets to expose her ankles. They were swollen to nearly the size of balloons. Her anklebones weren’t even visible.
“Just as I thought. You’re retaining water, as well. Let me see your fingers. Have you been standing or walking a lot?”
Sasha looked frightfully at everyone, knowing they all had the same answer. Well duh… we’re in France, for Pete’s sake. “Doctor Aragon, this is the French Riviera, and my friends and husband have never been here before. Of course, I’ve been on my feet, showing them the sights.”
“Yes, I understand. Mariana, dear, from now on, prepare only fresh food for Sasha. No desserts, caffeine, or sodium for the remainder of her visit. Sasha, only light walking. Stay close to the bed, and get plenty of rest. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, Doctor Aragon. Thank you.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The long flight back to the United States saddened everyone on Tuesday evening when they had to say good-bye. The honeymoons were cut short, but Sasha’s health and the welfare of the babies took precedence over everything else. Alina and Gerard promised to return to Tarrytown and stay for several weeks once the babies were born. As they sat at the gate, Mia called Vic, Karen, and Tina to update them on Sasha’s condition.
“We’ll be home late tonight, guys. Just an FYI: Sasha’s really bummed. She’s so worried about the babies, plus she feels like she let everyone down by going home early. She may actually need partial—or full—bed rest until the twins are born. She’ll have to see her doctor sometime later in the week. I’ll talk to you guys tomorrow. They’re starting to board the plane. We had a wonderful time even if it was cut short. I love you. Au revoir.”
***
“Man, that really sucks for all of them,” Tina said. “Poor Sasha, I bet she’s scared to death.”
The three friends sat at Vic’s house, going over paint swatches. Her kitchen desperately needed painting after she’d been living there for more than ten years. “With all the cooking I’ve done in here, I’ll probably have to scour the walls first to make sure the paint sticks,” Vic groused.
“Just use primer,” Tina said. “Any paint will stick after that.”
“Yeah, I guess. So should I go with yellow or cream? You know, I can’t even concentrate now. Let’s do this some other time. I think I’ll drive up to Peekskill and surprise Max. I’ll help him in the store for a few hours, then maybe he’ll take me out for dinner.”
“Good idea, sister. I’m going to call Dan and see what’s up.”
“You guys are really getting along, aren’t you?” Karen gave Tina a heartfelt smile. “I’m really happy for you, hon. Nobody deserves happiness more than you do.”
“Thanks. Didn’t Mario just have a doctor’s appointment yesterday?”
“Yep, and he got a clean bill of health. His ribs are healed, and his wrist is as strong as before. He’s pretty excited about feeling normal again. Pretty soon, he’ll be spending more time at the Summit.”
“I’m glad he’s feeling good. Okay, I’m out of here. See you guys.” Tina hit the call button next to Dan’s name as she drove. It was nearly noon.
“Hey, beautiful, what’s going on?”
“Did you have lunch yet?” Tina planned a detour to Amelia’s to pick up lunch if he hadn’t eaten.
“Nope, but I’m sure thinking about it. My stomach is growling like crazy.”
“Okay, good. I’ll be there in ten minutes. I’m bringing lunch.”
The sun poured through the patio doors as they sat in the kitchen enjoying the club sandwiches Tina had brought over. She told Dan the latest news about Sasha.
“Damn, that’s too bad. She was really on a high at the wedding.”
“You know, I think she overwhelmed herself with all the wedding plans and the trip. I mean, being pregnant with twins is stressful enough.”
“I wonder how she’s going to handle having twins? She’ll never get any sleep. Do you want kids, Tina?”
She laughed with surprise at his question. “Well, sure, I guess. To be honest, I haven’t given it any thought yet.”
“Why not? Want a glass of wine?” He got up to grab a beer from the refrigerator.
“Yeah, thanks. I guess because you need a husband. Or at least, I would before something as important as having kids would pop into my mind. I hadn’t even thought of having a boyfriend two months ago, and now look what happened.”
“So, you’re saying I’m your boyfriend?” Dan grinned at Tina, making her blush.
“Whatever… don’t be coy with me, Mister Mason.” Tina smirked and walked around the table to sit on his lap. She kissed him, tasting beer on his lips. “All I’m saying is that kids are a huge responsibility, and you need to be mentally and financially ready for them before you make that decision.”
“Do you think you’ll make a good mom someday?”
“Who knows? The only thing I’ve ever taken care of is Claire, Kismet, and now, Reggie. I think pets are far easier than children. I’ll practice with Sasha’s babies once they’re born. That should tell me if motherhood is something I’m cut out for.” Tina leaned in and kissed him again.
“I hope you’ll be.” Dan laughed. “Why do you look so shocked? Do you think I’m just doing this whole relationship thing for shits and grins? Tina Lawrence, I’m in love with you. You better get used to that and embrace it, girl. Look how fast you went from being a man hater to not being able to get enough of me.”
“You arrogant ass.” She laughed as she punched him in the arm. “Right now, pet sitting is the only commitment I’m making.”
“Yeah, don’t say I didn’t give you fair warning. Knowing how you are, you could change your mind on a dime. I’m ready to settle down and have a wife and a couple of kids. I’m just giving you a heads-up, babe. Let’s go practice getting you pregnant.” Dan lifted Tina as she kicked and squealed in delighted protest. They spent the afternoon making love. Tina was falling hard. She was falling in love with Dan Mason.
She thought about him for hours as she lay in bed that night. She couldn’t sleep. His words about settling down had startled her. She’d had no idea Dan was ready for that type of commitment. What would it be like to get married and have a family? I’ve never given either of those scenarios any thought. Would I like it? Am I mother material, or does that just come naturally? Tina thought about Sasha and the first day she met her at the salon. Man, did we give her shit. Tina chuckled out loud as she lay there reminiscing. In less than a year, Sasha went from an entitled, spoiled model having an affair with Jack to a beautiful, pregnant married woman with a heart of gold. I guess anyone can change, including me. I’ve already started. Tina smiled and happily drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Thirty
Once again, Sasha sat in the waiting room at the doctor’s office, fidgeting and worrying. This time, Josh sat by her side. She knew she was in trouble after the phone call with Doctor Adams two days earlier, when they’d returned from France. He wanted to do blood work along with the usual vitals and checkup. He considered Sasha’s pregnancy high risk since it was her first, and she was carrying twins. He also thought that getting married and working on the Victorian and vineyard had been way too much stress for her to deal with.
She lay on the exam table while the doctor and Joan performed another ultraso
und to check on the babies. He wanted to make sure they weren’t under stress as well. The ultrasound would also tell him if one of the babies was growing faster than the other since in about 30 percent of twins, one baby would be dominant.
The ultrasound showed the babies doing well, active and kicking. Sasha was told she would still need extra bed rest during the remainder of her pregnancy.
“For now, I’ll let you get by with twelve hours in bed and twelve hours out. If at your next visit your weight gain hasn’t slowed down, I’m putting you on a restricted diet, meaning the only food you’ll get will be made by a prenatal dietician coming to your home and preparing it. For now, I’m going to trust you to eat right, meaning fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, calcium, and two servings of protein a day. Take slow walks around the neighborhood, and spend twelve hours in bed. I’ll see you in two weeks. This is your last warning, Sasha. Josh, I expect you to monitor her. I don’t want to take these babies too soon. The way it looks, they may be delivered as early as the beginning of September.”
***
With help from her friends and Josh, Sasha settled into a healthy routine. Karen, Mia, and Sasha took slow walks around the neighborhood daily with Kismet and Reggie in tow. The girls helped prepare delicious, low-calorie meals that could be kept in the refrigerator or freezer for a week at a time. Tina and Vic came over every Tuesday to relieve Karen and Mia. The girls made the evenings easy on Josh, all he had to do for meals was warm everything up. Josh was busy. Home sales in Westchester County were booming, especially during the summer months when kids were out of school.
A dinner party was planned at the Victorian. Josh wanted to show his appreciation for all the support, help, and hard work the girls had been doing. Nobody was cooking. The dinner party was catered, and the group relaxed on the deck that mid-August, evening enjoying a healthy and low-calorie meal that tasted wonderful. Sasha sat back on the chaise, her belly swollen with babies and her ankles just swollen.
