CHAPTER ELEVEN
W hen we arrived at Liz’s house, the triplets were in the playroom, busy playing with a tube of toothpaste one of them must have retrieved from the master bathroom. Their toothpaste-streaked faces lit up at the sight of us.
Noah went for the dog, Emma went for Robbie, and Olivia lifted her arms to me.
I picked her up and carried her to Liz’s room, where I found her lying on her bed, tears trailing down her cheeks.
She looked up at Olivia. “Oh, my word. What have you three been up to now?”
Olivia patted her cheeks. “Pretty.”
“No,” I said. “It’s for your teeth.” I set her down. “Go with the others. I’ll be right there.”
I sat on the edge of the bed and took hold of Liz’s hand. “Tell me what’s going on.”
“I’m spotting,” said Liz. “I’ve felt so tired lately. I’m worried this baby isn’t going to stay with me.”
“Try Dr. Benson’s office again. Did you tell them what was happening?”
“I just said I needed Dr. Benson’s advice,” said Liz. “I was crying too hard to say more.”
“Oh, here’s her office calling you now.” I handed the cell phone to Liz.
“Hi, Dr. Benson,” said Liz, trying not to cry. “My mom is here, and I’m putting you on speaker phone, okay?”
“Certainly. Now tell me, what’s going on?” Dr. Benson answered calmly.
Liz gave the doctor the details. “Is it true hurricanes can cause women to go into labor? Is the storm doing this to me?”
“There has long been anecdotal evidence of early labor and delivery in severe weather events leading to preterm birth. Significant barometric pressure changes are associated with hurricanes. But I don’t think that’s the case here,” said Dr. Benson kindly. “The first trimester can be tricky because of the changes to your body. Nature has a way of determining the viability of any pregnancy. I need to know exactly what’s going on with you.”
I listened as Liz gave Dr. Benson more details.
“Having three children under the age of four is difficult for anyone. I think the best you can do is take it easy as much as possible. I’m sure your mother will help you. Right, Ann?”
“Oh, yes,” I said. “I’ll see that she has help.”
“Try not to lift the children, and let’s see if this bit of rest will make a difference. What you’ve told me so far doesn’t make me believe that you’re having a miscarriage. But as soon as any changes take place, you’re to come right into the office to see me. You’re a strong, healthy woman, Liz. It’s common for some light spotting to occur. I’m here if you need me.”
The call ended, and I hugged Liz. “Let’s take care of you, and we’ll let nature do its job.”
Tears streamed down Liz’s face. “I feel so guilty about not wanting this baby at first. Maybe this is my punishment for feeling that way.”
I lifted her chin and made her look at me. “I don’t believe life works that way. Do you?”
Liz shook her head. “I guess not.” She caressed her stomach. “I promise to love this baby.”
“I have no doubt you will. I know you and Chad were surprised about it, but that’s all your reaction was. Surprise. Not anything awful. Look at the way you’re caressing your stomach. You’re already protecting this baby. That’s love, honey.”
Liz drew a deep breath. “I don’t care if it’s a boy or a girl. I just want this baby to be part of our family.”
“I know you do,” I said, hugging her. “Now, let’s see how the T’s are doing. Thank God, toothpaste is washable.”
“What about help for the next few days?” Liz said. “I know you’ll be busy at the hotel with the storm.”
“Why don’t I call Liana and see if she can stay here all week instead of working part-time for each of us? I’m sure I can get help with Robbie if needed.”
“Thanks. That would be such a relief. Liana is at class right now but should be here sometime soon.” Liz grinned. “In the meantime, my little brother might be very busy.”
“I’ll explain he needs to help,” I said, giving her a last, comforting squeeze. “Now, you rest as much as you can.”
I left her and went to the playroom.
“How about a snack?” I asked the triplets, opening the gate to their playroom.
They jumped to their feet and headed for the kitchen. They climbed into their booster seats, and while they were busy eating, I washed each sweet little face.
Robbie sat with the triplets, eager for a snack, too.
I quietly explained to Robbie that Liz would have to rest as much as possible, so it would be up to him to play with the triplets until Liana came to help.
Robbie gave me a solemn look. “Can I go see Lizzie?”
“Of course,” I said, pleased they shared a special bond. My ex had fathered them both. And though he’d thought Liz would raise Robbie if anything happened to him and Kandie, she was too young to be able to do so, which is why Vaughn and I had adopted him. It had turned out to be a perfect solution.
When the triplets finished their snack, I rewashed their faces and hands and led them into the playroom, where they could each choose a book for Robbie to read.
Once Robbie was seated with them, I locked the gate to the playroom and said, “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Liz is right here. I don’t want her lifting the children.”
“Okay, I can do this,” said Robbie. “Lizzie told me not to worry. We’d all be fine. Uncle Chad is on his way home.”
Cindy was curled up between Noah and Olivia, and Emma was sitting next to Robbie, holding a book for him.
At the touching scene, I blinked away sentimental tears and turned to go.
###
A t the hotel, things were chaotic. The lobby was filled with guests milling around. I noticed that a coffee service had been refreshed and now held plates of cookies.
I went to Bernie’s office and found Rhonda there, along with various department heads.
“Thanks for joining us, Ann. Everything all right at home?” said Bernie.
“Yes, thank you. What’s going on?” I answered.
Bernie briefed me on each hotel department’s chores. “In a matter of hours, things have become more serious than we’d thought. Housekeeping will see that all the patios, balconies, and the pool deck are cleared of furniture. The same goes for the sunset deck. The beach chairs have already been stacked and tied together.”
“We have the library set for high tea today and tomorrow,” said Lorraine. “We’ve also planned a few party games for those who might be interested, and we’re having special cocktail hours both days.”
“The kitchen is aware of all these plans,” said Bernie, answering my silent question. “Manny and his crew are doing what they can to prepare the landscaping.”
“When are we going to get the worst of it?” I asked.
“It’s forecast to hit east of New Orleans in a few hours,” said Bernie. “We’ll post extra security during the night in case we need help.”
“Thank you, everyone, for all your help. It’s times like this when it counts to have a cooperative team,” I said.
“We appreciate all of you,” added Rhonda.
“Okay, then, we will meet back in my office in a few hours for updates,” said Bernie.
We all rose.
Rhonda pulled me aside. “Let’s talk to the women in the guesthouse. I want to know if Amy made it back from seeing to her ex.”
We went to our office and called Jane.
“How are things with Amy? Is she back yet?” Rhonda asked her, putting her on the speaker phone.
“No, she and Slade are staying there. Amy’s son, Nick, is flying into Miami from Philadelphia, where he attends the University of Pennsylvania. They’re making some family decisions there.”
“So, they’ll wait until after the storm hits here,” I said. “Right?”
“Yes,” said Jane. “Slade can stay with her. After the details are taken care of, he’ll bring her back here. Amy told us she doesn’t know what she’d do without him. He’s been so supportive of her.”
Rhonda and I glanced at one another.
“No matter what happens, Amy says they’ll be friends forever,” Jane added.
I couldn’t help repeating Rhonda’s smile at that bit of news. “I’m sorry about what happened, but maybe some good will come from it. Will Amy’s son return with them?”
“No, he’ll go right back to school. It’s a critical time for him. Besides, Nick has been through a lot with his father for several years. He might need both the time alone and the diversion of school.”
“I understand.” I was someone who needed to work through my feelings alone, at least initially.
“I’m going to go home and make sure everything is set there,” said Rhonda. “Rita’s cousin will take care of the landscaping and getting everything cleared off the patio and the balcony.” Rita Ramos was Rhonda’s housekeeper and had been with her since her marriage to Will. Her sister, Elena, had worked for me before she got married and went into business with her husband, who ran a few spas in the area. They were a terrific family.
I told Rhonda about Liz and said, “I’ll check in with her to make sure everything is all right, and then I’ll work here until things have settled down a bit. It’ll be helpful to see how many people sign up for high tea. I’ll work on some ideas for Christmas high tea services. Inviting someone to the hotel for high tea is a delightful holiday gift.”
“Maybe we can get a deal on holiday chinaware,” said Rhonda. “That will add to its glamour.”
“See you later. But if Bernie doesn’t think it’s necessary for us to stay, I’ll call you. We might be needed more tomorrow when there will be cleanup and assessments to do.”
“Yes,” said Rhonda. “That makes more sense. Good luck with everything.”
“You, too,” I said.
###
A fter working for a few hours and assessing the situation outdoors, I decided I’d feel better about riding out the storm at home with Robbie and Cindy. Liz needed the quiet without having guests in her house.
As I headed out of the office, the palm tree fronds were whipping around in the wind, and the sound of the rain hitting the windows was more like angry slaps.
I drove to Liz’s to pick up Robbie and Cindy and to make sure my daughter was okay. Liz wasn’t usually emotional, but earlier, I could tell she was at her wit’s end with worry.
I parked as close to the front door as I could and dashed through the rain. Robbie answered it and held a finger to his lips. “The T’s are finally down for a late nap.”
When I walked into the kitchen, I found Chad alone. “Where’s Liana?” I asked.
“She went home to help her family get ready for the storm. They grow vegetables for the local markets, and they’re trying to do what they can to save them from being ruined by the wind and rain.”
“How’s Liz?” I asked.
“Asleep,” said Chad. “We think she’s going to be alright, but she’ll never forgive herself if she doesn’t do everything the doctor said and then have something go wrong.”
“I understand,” I said. “How are you feeling about what’s happening?”
“I think Liz and the baby are going to be fine. Liz feels bad because we remember how excited we were to think we would have a baby before we found out we were having triplets. It’s different this time, but it doesn’t mean we don’t want this baby.
I gave him a quick hug. “I love that you support Liz like you do. I’m going to leave with Robbie and Cindy to go back home. I think I need to be there in case anything goes wrong.”
“Vaughn’s boat is going to be okay?”
“He thinks so. We’re lucky that we live inside an inlet. It protects the boat.”
I tiptoed to Liz’s room and peered inside.
She was lying on the bed curled up like she used to do as a child, holding onto one of Olivia’s Teddy bears. Tears stung my eyes. She’d always been resilient, but I knew if this situation went bad, it would break her heart. I blew a kiss into the room and went to get Robbie and Cindy.