Something Forever

by M. Clarke

  “You’re going to be grandparents soon,” Max announced.

  Silence.

  Matthew squeezed my hand so tightly, I thought he was going to break it. Or was I holding his hand tightly? He looked at me, letting me know everything was going to be okay.

  Dead silence.

  Ellen burst into tears. Rob stood up, looking baffled.

  Oh shit! I swore if they said anything negative, I would have lost all respect for them. My fear vanished when Ellen dashed toward Jenna and embraced her. “I’m going to be a grandmother!” Ellen squealed. Tears escaped her eyes, falling over her cheeks.

  Jenna got out of her chair, looking surprised and happy. With tears flowing down her face, she gave Ellen a proper hug.

  “Congratulations, Max,” Rob said, with a hug. “Finally, we’ll have grandchildren before we get too old.”

  “Thanks, Dad.”

  After the tears were wiped, everyone settled back down. Ellen looked at Matthew and me. “I’m going to assume we’re the last ones to know.”

  I smiled and kept my mouth shut.

  Matthew shrugged his shoulders. “I’m his brother and you’re our parents. You said parents before friends.”

  “That’s right. No matter how old you are, we are your parents first, then friends.” Ellen turned to Jenna. “My dear, soon to be mother of our grandchild, you have nothing to worry about. I understand your dilemma and what you must have been thinking. I assure you, we will embrace our grandchild with loving arms.” Ellen slipped her hands into Rob’s. “We were so busy as working parents that we missed too much of Max and Matthew’s childhood. It’s going to be different for our grandchildren. I promise.” Ellen started tearing again.

  “Let’s toast,” Matthew said, raising his glass. “To Max and Jenna’s wedding and their child.”

  With a clink of glasses, everyone took a sip.

  “When’s the wedding? We have to hurry and plan. Many vendors get booked up so fast. Sometimes you have to wait for a couple of years,” Ellen informed.

  “Jenna and I already discussed having a small wedding with our family and close friends. Becky is going to be her maid of honor and Matthew will be my best man. That is all,” Max said. “I’ve already spoken to Pastor Sam. He agreed to marry us. We would plan this wedding sooner, but one of Jenna’s closet friends is getting married in three weeks. We also need to get ready for the fashion show in Australia.”

  “There’s so much to do,” Ellen said. “I can make some phone calls. We can...oh my...we can...can we? ” I could tell Ellen was running with thoughts in her mind from her smile and her sparkling eyes.

  “Mom,” Max chuckled. “Slow down. I think I read your mind. And yes, Jenna and I were thinking that it might be a wonderful idea to have the wedding at our favorite getaway. The Grand Del Mar in San Diego.”

  “San Diego, here we come.” Ellen nodded her head in delight and slipped her hand around Rob’s arm. When she snuggled closer to him, he kissed her forehead. It was the sweetest sight. “I’ll make some phone calls for you, Max.” She turned to Jenna. “Please, let me help you. With my connections, they will treat you like a queen and cater to your needs.”

  “I can use all of the help I can get,” Jenna said with a smile. “We don’t have much time.”

  “Perfect. I’ll make an appointment for your wedding dress. We need to contact the florist. Decide on the flavor of the cake. Oh, the invitations. We need to get those out. There’s so much to do. The list goes on. I’ll contact you as soon as I talk to the manager at Del Mar.”

  I wasn’t sure how long the list would be, but it had taken Nicole at least half a year to prepare everything for the wedding and the reception. With Ellen’s connections, I was sure Jenna was in good hands.

  Chapter 13

  Jenna

  “Hi, Jenna,” Mom greeted from her phone.

  The sound of her voice got my heart thumping so fast, I could hear it beating as Mom waited for me to answer. “Hi, Mom.”

  “How are you? Is everything fine?”

  There was a little pause before I spit out what I needed to say...before I could change my mind. “I’m pregnant.”

  “I’m not sure if I’d heard you correctly. Did you say you were pregnant?” I knew it. Her tone was very concerned and I could just imagine her disapproving expression.

  I inhaled a deep breath and swallowed before I spoke. “Yes.” There was a stretch of silence. I thought I heard a soft cry, but I wasn’t sure. “Mom? Are you there? Before you get mad, Max and I are in love. We’re going to get married. And—”

  “I’m so happy for you, baby,” Mom blurted out, loud and fast. I could still hear the tiny gasps from her cries. She was making me cry, too. “I’m so happy that you don’t have to go through what I went through, years of misery of miscarriages and false hope. This is wonderful. And we can’t wait to be grandparents. I can’t wait to tell your dad. I know he will be so happy for you. We were hoping that you and Max wouldn’t have to go through what we’ve been through.”

  “Thanks, Mom.” Her blessing meant the world to me. And hearing my mom’s reaction, I knew dad would feel the same for sure.

  Matthew

  Jenna walked into the office elegantly dressed in a dark gray dress suit. Her hair was neatly pinned up with some lose strands by the sides. However, what caught my eyes after her outward appearance was how drained and pale she looked. Max had told me about Jenna’s morning sickness. If I felt the need, I was ordered by Max to send her home even if she disagreed. That was easier said than done. Knowing Jenna, she would fight me. And knowing myself, I would probably give into her.

  “Good morning, Matthew,” Jenna greeted me with a smile. After she acknowledged the others, she sat in her chair and turned her attention to the computer.

  Jenna had no idea that I was watching her from the corner of my eyes. She had an amused smile when she looked at her desk, as if she were recalling a memory. She chuckled to herself, then got to work.

  Oh my dear brother, Max...something happened on that desk. I snapped out of it when Jenna called my name.

  “Matthew. You can stop staring at me. Did Max tell you to watch me like that?”

  Shit! She caught me. “Max? What makes you think he did?” Forget this. I could be honest with her. I scooted my chair to her and whispered, “Jenna.” I waited for her attention. “Max told me about your morning sickness. If you don’t feel good, you can work at home. Please let me know if you feel the need to go home.”

  Jenna lowered her voice. “I haven’t told anyone in the office. Wouldn’t it seem odd if I went home often?”

  “You might as well start telling people; you can’t hide your pregnancy forever.”

  Jenna let out a snort. “True. But you know the rules, don’t you? Pregnant women never announce pregnancy until after the first trimester...just in case. Anything can happen in the first trimester.”

  “Oh,” I said, taking a pause to think. Those thoughts had never entered my mind; that was how little I knew about pregnancy. Then again, that was far from what I needed to know at this point in my life. “I’m sure everything will be fine. Just think happy thoughts.” I had no idea what I was saying, but it seemed to work.

  “Thanks.” Jenna smiled and some color was added to her cheeks.

  “Max told me he acted like an asshole when he first found out.”

  “He did?” Her eyes lit up with embarrassment.

  Shit! I didn’t mean to bring up the unwanted topic, and I certainly didn’t want to embarrass her. I had to fix this.

  “He did. And I’m pretty sure most guys would have responded in the same way. If Becca told me she was pregnant, I think I would have flipped. I mean...not that I don’t want children with her, but because we just started to get to know each other. Having a baby would complicate things. Becca and I haven’t even spoken about marriage yet.” I was rambling, trying to make Jenna understand Max’s actions from a man’s point of view.

  �
�I understand.” Jenna nodded.

  “Have you spoken to your parents about it?” Another slip of the tongue and this was none of my business.

  “Yes.” Jenna nodded with a smile. Finally, I saw a pinkish glow. “They can’t wait to be grandparents, my mom especially.”

  “That’s fantastic. I’m so happy for you.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Now...don’t take this in the wrong way, Jenna. You don’t look so well. Go home. Take a nap. You already turned in your formats. We can take it from there. This isn’t a suggestion. This is an order from your boss.”

  Jenna released a small smile. “I’m going to listen to my boss today. I haven’t been able to eat much, and I’ve been so tired lately.”

  “For a very good reason,” I added. “It looks like you’ve lost some weight.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll be gaining as soon as my morning sickness is over.”

  “Why do they call it morning sickness anyway? Are you only sick in the morning?” I was really curious about this.

  Jenna’s smile got bigger. “I wish I knew.”

  I was glad to temporarily help her forget her nausea. Little did she know a big surprise was waiting for her when she got home. I was just glad I didn’t have to twist her arm to get her to cooperate. Jenna agreeing to go home only indicated how much her sickness was affecting her. I felt so bad for her.

  When I had first found out about women’s monthly cycles, I was glad that I wasn’t one. Now, watching Jenna and what she was going through, and knowing what she would be going through, I was most certainly glad I was not a woman.

  Jenna

  I stepped into the apartment, dropped my workbag next to the sofa, and draped my coat on it. I was so tired and exhausted, my insides felt like they were doing somersaults. A bitter taste lingered in my mouth and though I was hungry, the thought of food made the feeling worse. The strong need to vomit took over, so I rushed to my room.

  Seeing a figure from the corner of my eyes, I screamed for dear life as my heart leapt out of my chest.

  “Jenna, it’s me.” Max ran to me and held me until I was able to calm my shaking body.

  I pulled back. “What are you doing here? I mean...I’m happy to see you.” I gripped his white T-shirt tightly. “Don’t scare me like that ever again.” My voice was stern. I didn’t mean to sound irate. I was already aggravated from not feeling well.

  “I’m sorry, babe.” He kissed my forehead. “I wanted to surprise you.”

  “You surprised me all right. Is that the reason Matthew wanted me to go home so badly? He was very convincing, you know, but he didn’t have to try too hard. I don’t feel good today. Sometimes I think I’m getting better, but then days like this happen,” I sulked.

  “I know, babe. It’s the reason why I took today off. I cancelled my appointments so I could take care of you. You’ve lost weight and you look drained. You’re making me worried. I’d like to go to your next appointment with you.”

  “You would?” I sounded surprised.

  Max arched his brows and cupped my face. “Of course I would. Why wouldn’t I? I told you I would be there for you every step of the way, and I meant it.”

  Wrapping my arms around the nape of his neck, I hugged him tightly in response. He knew my answer by my gesture...he always did.

  Max released me and held my hand. “Let’s get you something to eat. I didn’t take off work so I could scare you.”

  “I’m not hungry,” I fibbed. Somehow I found the strength to not act as sick as I felt in front of Max. He made me too happy.

  One of his eyes narrowed at me while his lips pursed. His forehead creased. It was one of his hottest expressions that made me melt. Yup, he could make me do anything with that look alone.

  “I don’t believe you.” He tugged me to the kitchen. “I made you homemade organic chicken soup with organic onions, carrots, celery, and fresh made noodles.” Max opened the lid and the smell of something delicious filled my nostrils. Why I didn’t smell this mouthwatering aroma when I first walked in was beyond me.

  Hunger pangs struck me like they had never done before, then tears started pouring. My pregnancy hormones were kicking in strong.

  “What’s wrong, babe? You don’t have to eat. I’m sorry. Shit...I didn’t mean to be so demanding,” Max rambled. His hands reached for me, then stopped. He looked confused on how to comfort me.

  Wiping my tears with my back to him, I turned to him with a smile. “These are happy tears. Thank you. You’re so good to me. I would love to have some soup now.”

  Max took me to the dinner table and, though he didn’t need to, helped me settle in my seat. He came back with a bowl of soup and crackers. I didn’t even know they made organic crackers. Leave it to Max to find me some.

  “Only the best for my family.” With a smile, he handed me a spoon. Finally, he got a bowl for himself as well and sat next to me.

  Warmth soothed my throat and down to my empty, achy stomach at the first sip. The more I ate, the less pangs I felt in my stomach. I couldn’t eat it all, but I ate enough.

  “I guess our baby was asking for Daddy’s chicken soup,” I commented. Feeling satisfied, and with the nausea fading, I felt good for the first time...just a little bit better.

  Max finished his last sip. “I have to say, I make one hell of a chicken soup.”

  I nodded to agree. “Yes, you do.”

  “I made a large pot for you.” Max winked.

  “Thank you so much,” I gushed, gazing into his eyes while caressing his cheek. Max leaned into the palm of my hand and kissed it.

  “Time for you to rest and time for me to work.” After taking me to my room, Max helped me out of my clothes into more comfortable ones. He lifted the covers and helped me into bed. When he’d cleared the dishes away, he laid next to me with the computer on his lap.

  “Are you staying the night?”

  “I’m right here, babe.” Max gave me kiss on my cheek and shuffled the blanket closer to my body. “I’m not going anywhere. We’ll have chicken soup for dinner unless you want something else. I’ll have to go to work tomorrow, but I’ll be back.”

  “I should go to work tomorrow.”

  “Only if you think you feel up to it. Matthew told me the layout was finished. He can take it from there. You need to take care of you and baby first. So whatever you need, it will be taken care of.”

  “Thank you.” I sighed, feeling full, loved, and gratified. Then sleep came quickly to my peaceful mind.

  Chapter 14

  Becky

  “You ready, Becca?” Matthew leaned against the frame of the bedroom door. With a form fitting black sweater and jeans, he looked like a GQ model on a shoot. And that sexy grin was just enough for me to want to rip the clothes off him.

  “I’m not sure.” I walked up to him, and running my hands across his ripped chest, I flirted with my eyes. Tantalizing him with my smile, I licked and sucked on the lollipop that was already in my mouth.

  A sexy, slow growl escaped Matthew’s mouth. I could feel his hot breath brush against my ear. “You’re such a tease, Becca. I love that about you.” His tone was low and smooth.

  Changing the subject, I ran my finger across his supple bottom, lip. “I really like your parents.”

  Matthew gently nipped and licked my finger. With a fast yank of my hips, he pulled me closer. His eyes shifted from my eyes to my lips. “They like you, too...but I like you even more.”

  Twisting my lollipop, I said, “I was so nervous they wouldn’t like me.”

  Matthew licked his bottom lip, mimicking what I was doing. “Of course they would...why wouldn’t they?”

  Hell, I was turned on the second I saw him, but now he was driving me insane. While one of his hands gingerly rubbed my ass, the other one was undressing me, unbuttoning my jeans. I cleared my throat, feeling the need between my legs building. “You know...the whole ‘she’s not good enough for my son’ kind of thing.”

  Matthew�
�s tongue licked my lips from bottom to top with one long stroke as if I was his lollipop. Holy shit! I was losing it. I was supposed to be the one playfully seducing him, not the other way around. “My parents aren’t like that. And if they were, it wouldn’t stop me from wanting to be with you. I’m all or nothing, Becca. You should know that by now.”

  “We haven’t gone out that long. How do I know?” I swallowed.

  “I practically stole my parents’ airplane, went to a book convention where I had to endure all that book boyfriend shit, and forced Jenna to tell me where you were. I think that proved it.”

  I closed my eyes and enjoyed Matthew’s soft kisses on the side of my neck. “I guess.” I chuckled lightly, knowing he was right but not wanting to admit it.

  Matthew’s kisses trailed down to my shoulder, up my back again to my jaw, and then to my lips. “What flavor is it?” he asked when I wouldn’t let his tongue slip into my mouth. He pulled back to look at me with a frown.

  I sucked on it harder to tease him. “I’m not going to tell you.”

  “I want to taste it,” he demanded with a hiss.

  With a soft laugh, I pulled out my lollipop. Maneuvering my tongue ever so slowly, I licked from bottom to top, taking my time and giving him the show of his life. Then I glided it in and out of my mouth while I bored my eyes into his. I had a huge smile on my face until...Matthew pinned me against where he had stood a second ago. It happened so fast, not only did I suck in air, I also bit into my lollipop and broke it in half.

  “You want to tease me, Becca?” he seethed through his teeth. “I can tease you right back.” With hungry eyes, he dove in for a kiss while his hands held tightly to my hips. Not only was his tongue playing with mine, he was licking and tasting the broken lollipop in my mouth, too. “Cherry, my favorite.”

  “It comes in all different flavors.” I managed to say the words between his lips devouring mine.

  “I’d like to taste every single flavor just like this,” he murmured, slowing down. “But now…it’s in the way.” Matthew pulled the stick out and continued to kiss me. Then he placed his hands on my cheeks and pressed in deeper.