by Sierra Rose
After that, he shut off his phone. Time had no more meaning to him. There was no difference between night and day in the ICU, no alteration in light or sound, merely the continual footsteps of nurses, the beep of monitors, and the rush of cold air from the vents overhead. It might have been day or night, he would never have known. He slept on a chair.
Greta came to visit, and he gave her some time alone with Bella. When he came back, she was crying, grief-stricken with worry.
“She’s going to make it.”
“The thought of losing her just about kills me.”
“I love her too. I’m going to ask her to marry me when she wakes up and is well enough.”
“I always knew you two were meant for each other.”
“She and the kids are my world.”
“I haven’t met her kids yet. Just saw a few pictures.”
“They’re my kids too.”
“You’re adopting them?”
“They’re my biological children. She got pregnant when she left me. And she never told anyone because she was afraid my mother would take them away.”
“Oh my gosh!”
“I know it’s a shock.”
“She never told me.”
“Because she was scared of my mother.”
“And when did she tell you this?”
“She didn’t. I went over to see her and saw the kids. They were the spitting image of me. I had no doubt in my mind that those kids were mine.”
“I remember when she was your fake girlfriend for the press.”
“But it turned into something real.”
“Yeah, I remember how much you loved her when you two started dating for real. It wasn’t for the press anymore. You two were hopelessly in love.”
“She was always the one, I just needed to grow up.”
“Are you ready for all the responsibility of a wife and a family?”
“I’ve never been more ready than at this very moment.”
“Because I don’t want to see her get hurt.”
“She’s all I want. I want to spend the rest of my life with her, and nobody else.”
“I’m so happy you’ve finally found love. Oh my gosh! I’m so happy for you.”
“I’ll never forget the first day I laid eyes on her.”
“You’re just lucky I hired her, or your fairytale would’ve never happened.”
“I can’t thank you enough.”
“A paid day off, preferably on a Friday sounds really good about now.”
He chuckled. “Sure. Take Friday off. But I can do better than that. How about a trip to Hawaii?”
“Seriously?”
“Dead serious.”
“Thank you, Harvey,” she said clutching her heart in excitement. “I would love that!”
“It’s the least I can do for the person who brought the woman of my dreams into my life.”
“I love seeing this responsible, family man side of you. It melts my heart.”
“I guess the right trainer can tame any wild lion.”
They both laughed. She stayed another hour, and then left.
***
He drank coffee from the lounge and ate whatever was in the nearest vending machine. The nurses told him that no flowers were allowed on the floor, that balloons could affect latex allergies, so they were also forbidden. He couldn’t fill her room with roses. He couldn’t surround her with the bright promise of anything money could buy. So he did what she’d want. He left to go see her kids, their kids.
Harvey went to the house with Chinese food and a gallon of ice cream and sent Maria home. She protested, she wrote pages of instructions, and then she kissed the twins and left. He was alone with his children, which he’d fought for and argued about for weeks. Now he had a moment of uncertainty. What should he do? Would they ask him questions? He set the food down on the kitchen table and looked around for plates.
“The plates are in the cabinet by the refrigerator,” Corinne informed him knowledgeably. “And I hope you got the soil sauce on the side.” He smirked at her.
“I remembered.”
Harvey set out plates and forks and opened the paper containers and sat down. The kids stood by the table and stared at him.
“What?”
“You have to put some on the plates,” Caden prompted.
“And tell us to wash our hands,” Corinne said, and Harvey snorted.
“Fine, wash your hands. With soap! And I’ll put some of everything on your plate.”
“NO!” Caden bellowed.
“Don’t give him shrimp, whatever you do. Or those green bits in the rice.”
“Can he pick them out?”
“No. You have to.”
“Oh,” Harvey said dismally, spooning some rice onto a plate and poking around in the warm slippery pile of grains to find and remove tiny bits of green onion. He got about twelve out before the kids came back. He scooped them onto a napkin and declared the rice green-free.
“Are you sure?” Caden demanded.
“Of course, I’m sure,” he said, hoping the kid would dig in without examining his food. No such luck. Caden sat on his knees in a chair and proceeded to use his fork to pick through the rice and locate a seeming arsenal of green bits.
“There’s a bunch of green!” Caden said, his voice getting higher, his chin trembling. Corinne climbed out of her chair and put an arm around him, acting very official and adult.
“It’s okay, Cady. I can get them out,” she said, giving Harvey some serious side eye and seeming to judge him incompetent.
Corinne squeezed into the chair with Caden and started picking out the green pieces and putting them on the table. Harvey got a paper towel and wiped up the mess she was making. But since she was finishing what was apparently his job, he didn’t comment on her methods. Caden leaned his head on his sister’s shoulder as she took care of the offending onion particles. By the time she had excised all the green, the rice was cold.
Harvey had dished up his own hot and sour shrimp and rice and was shoveling it in while the kids picked at their chicken and rice. He made the mistake of offering the picky Caden an egg roll. The child reacted as if he’d offered to feed him a severed human hand.
“We don’t like those,” Corinne informed him loftily.
She ate a bite of chicken, and he wondered if dinner was always a three-act drama with these kids and if either of them ever ate a vegetable. Corinne was skilled at picking them out of her chicken and sauce, while Caden wouldn’t even let them be on his plate.
After supper, he threw away the leftovers and put the plates in the sink. He had a strange thought that there wasn’t a maid to put the dishes in the dishwasher and maybe he should do that. But he’d never used a dishwasher and didn’t have time to learn. So he decided to wash them in the sink. He attempted to clean up the kitchen and took out the trash. He then followed the kids voices, who had wandered off. He heard water running and trailed into the bathroom after them.
“Bath time,” Corinne said patiently.
“Both of you at once?”
“No, silly,” Caden said. “I go first and play boats.”
“Then I go after he’s done, and play mermaids,” Corinne corrected, and her twin shrugged his acceptance.
He hadn’t meant to bother Maria, but he called her to come over and help him. She was with her elderly grandmother at the nursing home who was on Hospice care. So he told her not to come. Just help with some advice.
“You have to wash their hair last and rinse it with lots of water.”
“Should I really be bathing them? I mean, we don’t know each other that well.”
“You are their father,” Maria chuckled.
“But that doesn’t mean that I know how to do this.”
“Then you figure it out. They can wash themselves. You stay in there to make sure they don’t drown, do their hair, comb it out, and then put them in pajamas. Don’t you worry, Corinne will tell you what you’re doing wrong,”
Maria said.
“I noticed.”
“You will be fine. Just do not let Corinne use the shower sprayer. She will say that she can, but you cannot let her. Or you will be cleaning up water for weeks.”
“Thanks for the tip. I won’t bug you again, I promise. I’ve got this.”
“I will see you all tomorrow, around ten.”
“After lunch is fine,” he assured her, sounding more confident than he felt.
“Okay, bye bye,” Maria said.
He knew enough to check the water temperature and make sure it wasn’t too hot. He got out towels and washcloths. The doorbell rang and he knew he couldn’t leave the kids by themselves, in case they went into the tub.
“Let’s see who is here, then you can take your baths.”
They agreed and ran downstairs in fuzzy, Snoopy robes. When Madison stopped by to check on the children, he was grateful. Squealing, the children ran up to her and hugged her. She had a small cheese and noodle casserole and put it in the fridge.
“Thanks for the dish,” Harvey said. “That was very kind of you.”
“Not a problem. It’s the kids’ favorite. Hey, you cleaned the kitchen,” she said in a shocked tone. “I didn’t know a billionaire bachelor could clean.”
He laughed. “Yes, I might have maids, but I know how to clean a little.”
“It looks great!”
“Thank you.”
“Looks like you have this under control.”
“Not really. Do you think you can help with the baths?”
She smiled. “Sure.”
They went upstairs. Madison got Corinne in the tub, then he came in. Corinne kept splashing water everywhere and Madison asked her nicely not to do that. She didn’t listen.
“Hey! I said no splashing,” Madison said.
“We’re not. The mermaids are fighting,” Corinne said.
“Can you tell them to please quit? Or else I’ll have to go fetch a mop.”
“It’s okay,” Harvey said. “I can mop.”
“You wouldn’t know what to do with a mop.”
“Do you think I’m all washed up?” he laughed.
“Funny. But I didn’t think you could mop or sweep.”
“I can sweep too.”
“Sweep the room with a glance like the playboy you are. Nah, that doesn’t count.”
“Those days are long behind me now.”
Corinne splashed and Madison told her to knock it off. She huffed but quit splashing. She washed herself with soap and they practically had to wrestle the showerhead away from her. She was slippery and they didn’t want to make her fall, but the kid had one hell of a grip when she was set on doing something!
After draining the water and wrapping Corinne in a warm towel, Madison went to get Caden.
She looked at Harvey. “I know you’re soaked, but are you ready for Round 2?”
“Next time I’ll wear a raincoat,” he joked.
Caden cried because Harvey had gotten water in his eyes, and acted like a rabid cat who’d been dunked. He had shrieked, choked because he got water in his mouth from shrieking and had clutched his head and screamed, and Harvey didn’t ultimately get the right side of his hair rinsed very much before he gave up and Madison took over.
“Okay, so where are your pajamas?” he said.
“Did you, like, forget to bring them in? Because we’ll get cold,” Caden said, a note of disgust creeping into his remaining sniffles from the hair-washing tantrum.
“Sorry,” Madison said. “I’m new at this too. I don’t usually do the baths. I’m the fun aunt who takes the kids to carnivals and movies.”
“You forgot my clothes? Mommy never forgets.”
“You kind of barged into the bathroom and started the water,” Harvey said. “I didn’t go off on a scavenger hunt for pajamas.”
“They’re in the dresser,” Corinne said. She tossed the corner of the towel over her shoulder with the aplomb of a woman donning her opera cloak and led the way. She chose a pair of flannel pajamas with white ruffles.
Harvey rummaged through the clothes. “It’s too hot to wear those. You’ll sweat.”
“No, I won’t. I don’t ever get sweaty,” she protested.
“How about this gown with the rabbit on it?”
“No! That movie scares Caden. I won’t wear it because it might scare him.”
“He’s scared of the rabbit?”
“No. Officer Judy Hopps does not scare Caden. He’s scared of the otter.”
“Why is he scared of an otter? They’re like furry dogs.”
“The one in the movie is crazy. It tries to attack,” Corinne said, “Haven’t you seen it?”
“No.”
“You have to watch it. It’s really good. We have the DVD.”
“Can we watch it now?” Caden said excitedly.
“I thought it scared you,” Harvey said dubiously.
“Not anymore. That was when I was little. I was maybe one year old when it scared me.”
“It was last month,” Corinne said knowledgeably. Because of course she knew.
“I’m not scared. I wanna watch it. And you can wear your bunny gown.”
“Fine,” Harvey said, digging around for some pajamas to put on Caden. Finally, the kid settled for his spaceman pajamas, and Corinne was in her bunny nightgown and had on, for some reason, a hoodie with rabbit ears on it.
Harvey thought about telling her take it off or at least demanding to know why she had on a sweater with her pajamas when he realized it didn’t matter and decided not to mention it. He congratulated himself on picking his battles and avoiding an unnecessary argument with a small child. He took a picture of the kids to show Bella tomorrow, all cuddled up in their pajamas on the couch. Madison stayed for the movie and they all laughed. The kids fell fast after the movie.
“Okay,” Madison said. “Looks like this is all under control.”
“Thank you for helping us out. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“You’re a good dad.”
“I know you see me fumbling around, but I promise I’ll be more organized and get better.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. I think you did just fine.”
“Thanks.”
“Bella is going to come home, and she’s going to come home to a wonderful man who truly loves her children. I can see that now. And I can see why she was so hung up on you. I’m glad she broke up with Max. He didn’t really care for the children.”
“That’s not good.”
“He just wanted Bella. But she came with two beautiful bundles of joy.”
“Should I get these beautiful bundles of joy to bed?” he asked.
“Nah. They love sleeping on the couch at my house during a sleepover. I can’t ever get them to go to the spare bedroom.”
“I’ll watch some television, then put them to bed.”
“Sounds like a plan. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
Madison left and he put on some television with the remote control. He hadn’t slept well at the hospital and this couch was really comfortable. Caden had nestled up against him and Harvey just went right to sleep. It was fine until Corinne started screaming.
“He PEED on the COUCH. Mom is gonna be so mad!” she yelped.
“What?” Harvey said, startled awake but fairly sure he hadn’t peed on anything.
“Caden. The otter scared him…and he wet his pants.”
“Oh, oh, okay. Are you—okay? Do you need to go to the bathroom, buddy?” he said.
“Little late to ask him now,” Corinne observed unhelpfully.
“You could go get a towel,” Harvey suggested, turning off the movie. Caden burst into tears.
“I want Mommy!” he said and cried very hard. Harvey picked him up, noting that the child’s pajamas were, in fact, clammy and wet, and took him into the bathroom. He knew without a doubt that Bella wouldn’t get mad at her scared little boy. She’d tell him it was okay. So Har
vey told him that.
“It’s okay, buddy. Mom isn’t feeling good right now, but you can see her in a couple of days. She’s going to get better and come home. I promise. Right now let’s get you cleaned up.”
Harvey got him in dry pajamas and kissed the top of his blond head with affection. Poor little guy just needed his mom. And having a sister like Corinne had its advantages, but having such a competent sibling could also probably make him feel small and helpless sometimes. Harvey told him how brave he was, how proud he was of him. “Your mom loves you so much. And so do I.”
“Because you’re our dad,” Corinne said flatly.
“Where’d you hear that?”
“I heard Mom talking to Maria.”
“Ah. I see. How long have you known?”
“Right before she got hit by the car,” Caden said. “Is it true? Are you my daddy?”
He peered into his eyes and nodded. “Yes, I’m your dad.”
He could feel the emotion choking him as he said the words.
Corinne stared at him. “I have a daddy? For real? He didn’t die.”
“He’s right here,” Harvey said, hugging them.
“Where were you?” Corinne asked.
“It’s a long story. But just know I’m here now. And I love you two more than anything.”
“I didn’t have a dad for the dinner at school. Max went with me. But he’s not my dad. He’s my mom’s boyfriend. And I don’t think he likes us that much.”
“I promise you that you’ll never have to do that again. I will always be there for you. And next year, I’ll proudly attend.”
He smiled.
“Okay,” Harvey said, remembering how little they were, “let’s get you tucked in.”
“Can you tell us a story like Mom does. Please!”
“Fine, get in bed and—”
“We don’t have to brush our teeth?” Corinne said brightly.
“Brush your teeth.”
Harvey was secretly pleased that she was picking up the slack until he got the hang of this. He was looking forward to the bedtime story and snuggles, and also to them being asleep so he could get some sleep. After tooth brushing and drinks of water and a book about some kind of aardvark or anteater or something, he tucked them in.
