by Sandi Lynn
Lucas
I waited at the elevator because the workers were on their way up.
“Morning, Mr. Thorne,” Jimmy and Wes spoke at the same time.
“Good morning. Listen, I need you to do me a favor.”
“Sure. What do you need?”
“I need you to give Jenna a few compliments. She’s feeling really bad about herself right now.” I gave them each a fifty-dollar bill.
“Thank you, Mr. Thorne, but you don’t need to pay us to give her compliments. We give them out for free.”
“Just take it and buy yourself something with it. You guys have done a great job in the nursery.”
“Well, in that case, thank you again.”
I patted Jimmy on the back, and they headed up to the nursery.
When I walked into the kitchen, I saw Jenna leaning against the island holding a cup of coffee and scrolling on her phone.
“Was that Jimmy and Wes?” she asked.
“Yeah. They should only be here a couple hours. I got a text message from the delivery guys and they’ll be here around three o’clock.”
“Okay. I made a cup of coffee for Jimmy and Wes. Grab one and follow me to the nursery. Good morning boys,” Jenna said as we handed them a cup of coffee.
“Good morning. You look absolutely beautiful today, Miss Larson,” Jimmy spoke.
“Yeah. You’re like glowing.” Wes smiled.
“You’re one of the prettiest pregnant women I’ve ever seen.” Jimmy grinned.
“Thank you. You’re very kind and I appreciate your compliments. If you need anything, you know where to find me.”
“You’re welcome. You look stunning,” Wes said as we walked out of the room.
“How much did you pay them to throw compliments my way?” she asked, and I knew I was in deep shit.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, babe.”
“It was a little over the top, don’t you think?” A smirk crossed her lips.
“I thought it was very nice of them to say what they did.”
She rolled her eyes at me and went into her office to record a podcast.
I went down to the apartment on the fiftieth floor to inspect the final repairs of the ceiling. Everything looked great so I called my realtor and had her put it up for sale. There was no use in keeping the apartment any longer, not even for investments reasons. I had another investment I was working on as a surprise for Jenna.
One Month Later
Jenna
I sat in the rocking chair in the nursery and held the gray stuffed elephant Lucas had bought against my belly. As I slowly rocked back and forth, I had a little chat with my daughter.
“Listen up, kid. We have two weeks left until you make your arrival into the world. Mommy would be so grateful if you could speed it up a bit. Not today or anything, maybe just by a week. And whatever you do, do not be late. Because honestly, my back can’t take anymore. I’m just so excited to meet you and hold you in my arms. So, feel free to come out anytime in the next week.”
“Are you telling our daughter to hurry up and be born?” Lucas smiled as he stood in the doorway with his arms folded.
“Basically.” I smiled.
He walked over to me, took my hand, helped me up from the chair, and we started dancing.
“I can’t wait to meet her.” He smiled as we swayed back and forth.
Suddenly, I felt a trickling sensation running down my legs. I let go of his hand and looked down.
“Did you just pee on the floor or did your water just break?” he asked in a panic.
“I don’t know.” I looked up at him. “How do we tell?”
“I have no clue. Shouldn’t you know these things?”
“Have I ever been pregnant before?” I asked with irritation in my voice.
“Well, go sit on the toilet and I’ll get the book. It has to say something about that.”
“Good idea.”
I sat down on the toilet and Lucas walked in with the book.
“It says if it only happens once then it’s probably urine or vaginal discharge. It also says to wait a few hours and see. I bet you just peed. Nothing to worry about. Right?”
“You’re right. She is pressing really hard on my bladder. Can you help me up?”
“Of course, babe.” He held out his hand and the moment I stood up, a gush of fluid hit the bathroom floor.
We both looked down and then up at each other.
“I don’t think that’s pee,” Lucas said.
“I don’t either. I think my water broke.” I sighed.
“I’ll grab your bag and call Thaddeus to meet us downstairs.”
“OH MY FREAKING GOD!” I yelled as I doubled over in sudden pain.
“Are you okay?” Lucas came running into the bathroom.
“DO I LOOK OKAY?” I shouted.
“Shit. Come on, babe. We really have to go.”
He grabbed my bag and hooked his arm around me as we slowly walked to the elevator.
“Oh my God, Lucas.”
“It’s okay, babe. Just get in the elevator and we’ll get you to the hospital.”
I was highly agitated. Not just from the pain, but from the way the damn elevator kept stopping on different floors.
I grabbed his shirt.
“I just want you to know that I hate you for living on the 82nd floor. Hate you!”
“Duly noted, babe.”
When the elevator finally stopped on the floor of the lobby, I had to stop for a second while another contraction hit.
“OH MY GOD!” I doubled over in pain.
“Not need to panic. She’s in labor.” Lucas smiled at the people who were staring.
“Do you need help, Mr. Thorne?” Russell came running over.
“Thaddeus is waiting outside for us. We need to get Jenna to the hospital.”
“Okay. It stopped. I can make it to the car,” I spoke.
We were on our way to the hospital and the contractions were coming four minutes apart. I could barely breathe I was in so much pain.
“Are we almost there because I feel like this baby is coming right now!” I shouted.
“Jenna, you are not having our baby in the back our car. Hold her in.”
“Oh okay, Lucas. You idiot.” I slapped his chest.
“Listen, don’t get an attitude with me. You’re the one who just told her it was okay to come now.”
“You’d be wise not to say another word to me!” I shouted.
The car pulled up to the entrance of the ER, and Thaddeus ran inside to alert someone while Lucas tried to help me out of the car and into the wheelchair a nurse had brought out.
“I’m going to take you up to Labor and Delivery,” she spoke as she wheeled me inside.
“Listen to me, lady. I won’t make it. This baby is coming NOW!” I shouted.
“Okay.” She pushed the button on the wall while I let out a couple more screams. “What’s going on here? Why aren’t you taking her up to Labor and Delivery?” a doctor asked as he walked over.
“She said the baby is coming right now.”
“Is this your first baby?” he asked me.
“Yes.”
“Of course. First time moms.” He sighed.
“What did you say!” I shouted and Lucas gripped my shoulder.
“Get her in room four and in a gown so I can take a look. Call me when she’s ready.”
“I feel the need to kill him, Lucas.”
“No you don’t, babe. It’s the pain talking. Just try to breathe through it,” he said as he and the nurse helped me change into a gown.
“I need this kid out of me right now, Lucas. Just go down there and get her out. Please.” I begged.
“I’m going to check you, Jenna. Okay?” the nice nurse said. “Oh boy. You are having this baby now.” She ran out of the room.
Another contraction hit and I had to push. I couldn’t help it as I let out a scream.
“Breathe. Breathe thro
ugh it,” Lucas spoke.
“Tell me to breathe again and I swear to God I’ll scratch your eyes out.”
The doctor and nurse came running in. He pulled up a stool and sat down.
“You weren’t kidding. Your baby is coming.”
“NO SHIT!” I yelled. “NOW APOLOGIZE!”
“Get the fetal monitor hooked up,” he said to the nurse. “I’ve called Dr. Lewis and she’s here at the hospital. She’s on her way down now.”
“Thank God. Oh God, here comes another one.”
“Push, Jenna. One big push!”
I pushed with everything I had as Lucas supported my back and tightly held my hand.
“I see her head, babe. She’s coming.”
I fell back on the bed and I wanted to die. I felt like I was being ripped in half.
“Hello, Jenna. Oh look at that, I see a head.” She smiled. “I can take over from here. All I need from you is one more push. The biggest push you got and then it will all be over. Okay?”
I nodded my head as Lucas helped me up and I let out a scream as I pushed my daughter out. Instantly, I felt relief when I heard her cry.
“And here she is. Two weeks early. I guess she couldn’t wait to meet her mom and dad.”
Tears of joy fell down my face as Dr. Lewis laid her on my belly.
“You did it, babe. She’s beautiful. Look at how beautiful she is.” Lucas cried as he kissed my cheek.
“Hey there, Scarlett Elyse Thorne.” I reached out and touched her tiny hand.
Chapter 33
Two Weeks Later
Lucas
Life with a newborn. What could I say? It had been a tough past couple of weeks. We were sleep deprived and Scarlett was feeding every hour and refusing to sleep. Jenna started pumping into bottles so I could relieve her every now and again. Especially in the middle of the night so she could get some rest.
I had worked from home the past couple weeks so I could be here for Jenna and the baby. But now it was time for me to get back into the office. I tried to hire a baby nurse to help her out while I was gone, but Jenna wouldn’t hear of it. I kept the number close by just in case she changed her mind.
“I have to go now, babe. I’m sorry.” I kissed her lips as she stood in the kitchen holding Scarlett.
“Don’t be sorry. We’ll be fine.”
“I’m going to miss you girls so much.”
“Babe, I know you’re secretly excited about getting out. You can’t fool me.”
“How dare you say that. That is not true.” I kissed her forehead and then kissed Scarlett goodbye.
Once I hit the doors to the outside, I let out a sigh of relief. I loved them both so much and they consumed me. But fuck yeah, I was looking forward to going to the office.
Jenna
I’d finally got Scarlett down for a nap and sat behind my desk to record a podcast about the first two weeks of parenthood. As I was talking, I started to cry. I wasn’t sure why except I knew I was exhausted, both mentally and physically. Instead of stopping the recording, I cried my way through it for I promised my listeners I would be open and raw about my experiences. Just as I finished recording, I decided to lay down and try to take a nap. Grabbing the baby monitor, I quietly entered our bedroom. Peeking into the bassinet that sat next to the bed, she looked like a peaceful little angel. So I carefully laid down on the bed and smiled when my head hit the pillow. My eyes weren’t closed for a minute before the ear-piercing cries started.
“No. No. No,” I whispered as I reached over and gripped the edge of the bassinet and slowly rocked it back and forth which only made her scream more.
Picking her up from the bassinet, I unbuttoned my shirt and fed her for the hundredth time today. When she was finished, I changed her diaper, took her downstairs and set her in her swing. Immediately she started to scream and the moment I picked her up and held her, she stopped. An hour later, she finally fell asleep, and I desperately needed some coffee, so I set her in her swing, turned it on and headed to the kitchen. My coffee had just finished brewing when I heard the elevator ding. As I ran to the foyer, Lucas had just stepped out, and I immediately placed my hand over his mouth before he could say anything.
“Wake her up and die,” I whispered.
He nodded his head, so I removed my hand. He gave me a tender kiss and then pointed in the direction of the bedroom. After I grabbed my coffee from the kitchen, I walked to the bedroom, shut the door and talked to him as he changed out of his suit.
“You didn’t shower today?” he asked.
“Excuse me? What did you say?”
“I said, you can take a shower now that I’m home.”
“That’s what I thought you said.”
“Come here.” He held his arms out to me and I immediately fell into them.
“How was work?” I asked.
“It was okay. I missed the two of you terribly.”
“We missed you too, babe.”
“So, what about dinner? Did you—”
“What about dinner? And did I what?” I cocked my head at him.
“Did you decide what you’re in the mood for? Your choice. Anything you want.”
“Pizza?”
“Excellent choice. I’ll call it in right now.”
After Lucas called in the pizza, we walked to the living room, and I saw the wide grin on his face when he saw Scarlett was awake.
“Your daddy’s home, princess,” he spoke to her as he took her from the swing and sat down on the couch. “Daddy missed his sweet girl so much,” he said as kept kissing her cheeks.
Watching him with her melted me in every way possible. Especially when I thought back to a time not so long ago when he told me he couldn’t be a father. Every time I saw him with her and that thought popped in my head, I would start to tear up.
We had just finished dinner when Scarlett started to cry.
“Do you think she’s hungry?” Lucas asked as he held her.
“Probably. When isn’t she hungry?”
“Here. You better take her then.”
“Oh no. I’m going to take a hot relaxing bath. You can grab a bottle from the refrigerator and feed her since you haven’t seen her all day.” I placed my hand on his chest and smiled.
“Yes. Of course. Go take your bath, babe.” He kissed my forehead.
I went to the bathroom and locked the door. After pouring some lavender scented bubbles under the stream of hot water, I climbed in and let out a sigh of relief as I took in the silence around me. Closing my eyes, I took myself to a place filled with peace and released all the tension in my body. I was fully relaxed until I heard him walk into the bedroom with a screaming baby and jiggled the doorknob to the bathroom.
“Hey, babe?”
“What?”
“She won’t stop crying. I don’t know what to do for her.”
“Did you burp her?”
“Yes.”
“Did you change her diaper?”
“Yes.”
“Then I don’t know what to tell you. Figure it out! But whatever you do, don’t let her fall asleep or she’ll be up the entire night.”
“Okay. I won’t.”
I closed my eyes again and took in the silence.
“Hey, babe. You’ve been in there for over an hour.”
“What’s your point, Lucas?” I shouted.
“I miss you.”
“I’ll be out in a minute.” I rolled my eyes.
After drying off and slipping into my robe, I opened the door and saw Lucas sitting on the bed on his laptop.
“Did you enjoy your bath?” He smiled and closed his laptop.
“Very much.”
I climbed on the bed and right into his arms. He felt so good, and I wanted to stay like this forever.
“Lucas?”
“Yeah, babe?”
“Where’s the baby?”
“I put her down in her crib for now so we can spend some time alone, and I put on the star projector fo
r her. That should keep her quiet for a few minutes. I have a surprise for you.”
“If it isn’t at least twelve hours of uninterrupted sleep, I don’t want it.”
He let out a chuckle and reached into the drawer of his nightstand.
“I think you’ll enjoy this.” He held an envelope in front of my face as my head laid on his chest.
Taking the envelope from him, I sat up and opened it.
“A day at the spa for this Saturday?”
“Yep. Saturday is your day to be pampered.”
“And you’re going to be home with Scarlett all day, alone?” I arched my brow.
“Of course. She’s my daughter. We’re going to have a lot of daddy/daughter time.”
“You are the best baby daddy ever, and I love you so much.” I leaned over and kissed his lips.
Spa Day
“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” I asked Lucas as I put my shoes on.
“We’re going to be just fine. Go enjoy your day and don’t worry about us. Today is all about you relaxing.” He kissed my forehead.
“I don’t know what time I’ll be home.”
“You take as long as you want. We’re going to have so much fun today, aren’t we, princess?” Lucas spoke to her as he held her in his arms.
After giving him a kiss on the lips, I gave Scarlett a kiss and stepped into the elevator. The moment I stepped outside the building, I threw my hands up in the air. Freedom was mine for a day, and I was going to enjoy every minute of it. But as I was on my way to the spa, I felt this tremendous feeling of guilt wash over me. I shouldn’t be doing this. I need to be home with my baby. I was gone ten minutes and I already missed her terribly. This wasn’t a good idea and I needed to go back home.
“Thaddeus, turn around and take me back to the penthouse.”
“I’m sorry, Jenna, but I can’t do that.”
“What? What do you mean?”
“Lucas knew you’d probably say that, and he gave me strict instructions not to listen to you.”
“Oh come on. I need to go home.”
“You need this day more. It’s important you take care of yourself, Jenna. Consider it a mental health day and a chance to regroup so you can continue being the amazing mother you are.”
