12. Gisele
The fireplace crackled with the first fire of the colder weather. Jamison had gotten on the roof and cleaned out the chimney, much to my father’s displeasure, so I could have the fire going for tonight’s pizza and sister night.
Elle had made it back to Blessings only an hour or so before she turned up to my house, and if I was being honest there was something very different about the way she was acting. She was being … vague with the details of her weekend in Gracefield and what she got up to there other than the legal work she had to sign.
My interest wasn’t the only one piqued, Claudia, too also watching our older sister with suspicious eyes. We both knew something was up with Elle, and I was positively sure I was going to find out what.
“Soooo, Ellie, how was the big smoke?” I asked casually as I reached for a slice of pizza with the works. Lots of meat, lots of pineapple and the perfect number of anchovies. I learnt years ago that I would never get a pizza to myself if I shared the same taste in pizza with Claudia and Elle. After a lot of experimentation, I came up with the two ingredients neither sister would accept on a pizza.
Pineapple and anchovies.
I already was addicted to pineapple, but the little fisheye’s were hard to get used too at first but now I loved them.
“Ewww, Gisele how can you eat those furry disgusting things,” Elle complained, watching me take a big bite from my slice.
“Easy,” I answered around my mouth full, opening my mouth to show Elle.
“Piglet,” my sister muttered, grabbing a slice of boring pepperoni off her plate, and deliberately ignoring my question.
“And proud of it,” I said back smiling wickedly, not all ashamed that food was falling out of my mouth.
“Detective hot stuff must find your eating extremely attractive,” Claudia said dryly adding her two cents, but her eyes remained narrowed on Elle. She too noticing that Elle was ducking on answering my question.
“Jamison loves me exactly as I am,” I replied confidently. “And you are ducking my question Elle Naomi.” I said pointing a sauce covered finger at her.
Elle’s face turned red, a dead giveaway that she was hiding something big enough that she was embarrassed. Now I really, really needed to know.
Letting out a frustrated groan, Claudia unfolded her legs and jumped up from the thick rug on the floor. “Okay, Elle spill. What happened over the weekend that has you wound tighter than a rubber band around a lamb’s tail?”
“I’m not?—”
“Don’t bullshit us Elle.” I interrupted her lie before she could go any further. “Obviously, you are worried about something. Did the legal stuff not turn out the way you wanted?”
“No, all went well there. I signed the divorce papers, Jake already signed them thanks to Jamison, so that was easy.” Elle explained, her voice suspiciously deceptive.
“God Almighty Elle, do I have to knock it out of you!” Claudia shouted so loud it was a wonder my daughter didn’t hear it from her room upstairs. Before he left for guys night, Jamison read Miracle three stories before she was ready to fall asleep. My man loved my daughter like she was his own, he made sure Miracle didn’t feel like he was taking me from her by always insisting to help her either with homework or bedtime stories. He even picked her up from school on the days he wasn’t needed in Gracefield.
Personally, I could not wait until he was here full-time rather than the commute he made nearly every day. Jamison was such a big part of mine and Miracle’s life; I couldn’t imagine living without him now. Thankfully we avoided an oops pregnancy, I was now on birth control and Jamison was happy he didn’t have to wear a condom anymore. Not that he had to for very long, he lasted about a week before he said no more and instead took the chance that the contraception had kicked in but still, I made him pull out. I wanted to have his child, just not so soon. We were still in the honeymoon phase of our relationship plus I needed more time to wrap my head around having another baby. Old ghosts rearing their ugly heads still I suppose.
Jamison totally understood my reluctance, but he was firm that we were going to be married by the year’s end. In fact, he made me promise on my grandpa’s old Bible for Pete’s sake. I did mention to my hot cop that he had not yet proposed to me, brought a ring, or asked my father for my hand in marriage. I recalled his face going white when I mentioned my dad, but I was sticking to my guns. I was an old-fashioned gal, and my dad would expect a man to do the right thing and ask him for permission. When I told Jamison that he mumbled there was no way he was going to take no for an answer from me or my father.
Something told me he was right.
“Helloooo earth to Gisele!” Elle yelled waving her hands in front of my face, “Please tell me you weren’t daydreaming about Jami and what he does to you in private.”
Feeling my tell-tale blush crept up my cheeks both my sisters made over the top retching sounds, but it was all done with love.
“Okay, okay let’s all calm down and get back to the subject of why Elle is being so weird.” Claudia demanded staring down Elle until one set of blue eyes gave in.
“Fine,” Elle huffed, knowing that we weren’t going to let her escape without dishing the details. “Dani and I went out for dinner the first night and then we went to a night club attached to the restaurant. End of story.”
“End of story my arse,” I huffed back at her. “If that was all why the red face?”
“Good grief Gissy, have you been cloned by Georgina?” Elle asked hotly, but I recognised a stalling tactic. We were all experts at it, so she wasn’t getting away with that trick.
“I can easily go over and get mum if you want,” I offered using the best trump card in my arsenal, “or you can tell Claude and me and Georgina will be none the wiser.”
Faced with the horror of one of mum’s interrogations Elle sighed in defeat.
“I met someone,” she announced quietly, her admission shocking both Claudia and me.
“A man someone?” I asked not believing my ears. Out of the three of us, Elle was the staunchest of us, she never did anything without thinking it through very thoroughly almost obsessively.
“Who was he?” Claudia asked in a rush. Her face also showing her surprise and disbelief.
Going even redder in the face, Elle dropped her face to her hands and let out a wail of despair. “I don’t know. We only exchanged first names then we went to his room and screwed like rabbits until the wee hours of the morning.”
“Holy fucking shit,” I breathed.
“Amen about time!” Claudia sang out, doing a little jig on the rug nearly stepping on her plate of pizza.
Shaking the fog from my head, I stared at me sister with joy and rapture “You had a one-night stand?”
Nodding her head that was still in her hands, Elle let out a long-winded groan. “I did.”
“Oh my God, I need alcohol.” Claudia declared turning to leave the lounge to look in my fridge for a bottle of wine we didn’t finish last week.
“No more grog!” Elle yelled suddenly. “That’s what got me in bed with a complete stranger and acting like a wanton whore!”
Laughing at my sister’s over dramatic description of herself, I leaned over and pulled her hands from her face. “Ellie, you are not and could never be a wanton whore,” I assured her calmly. “You were loyal to the douche bag your entire marriage.”
“I did things Gissy, things I have never done not even with Jake,” Elle cried, her shame very obvious but totally unwarranted.
Returning to the lounge with a half full bottle of white wine and two plastic cups, Claudia sat cross legged on the rug.
“Elle give yourself a break chickee, you are a free and single woman. Almost. You have nothing to be ashamed of.”
“What exactly do you mean by you did things?” I asked suddenly very intrigued that the eldest stoic straightlaced Blessing sister called herself wanton.
Waving her hands in front of her and pushing her fingers together she tried to mimic the act of sex. At least that’s what I thought she was referring to.
“You know we … he gave me … I had lots …oh god kill me now,” Elle stammered looking pathetically out of her comfort zone.
Out of now where, Claudia started singing. “He brought the woman in me so many times—” only to stop when a piece of pizza came flying at her face.
“Hey!” Claudia shouted, peeling the slice from her neck.
“Then shut up,” Elle retorted not impressed with the choice of song. She always hated that song; it made her go red every time we heard it on the radio. Of course, it didn’t help that mum loved that particular song and sang it at the top of her lungs then afterwards would explain what it was about. Every single time.
Pouring wine into the two cups, Claudia held one to me then offered the other to Elle despite her earlier insistence that she didn’t want any.
“Hang on what about you?” I asked Claudia, “there are more cups in the kitchen you know.”
Suddenly it was Claudia blushing furiously, her eyes wet and her smile large.
“NO WAY!” I screamed jumping to my knees, Elle doing the same.
Nodding her head vigorously, Claudia let the tears fall down her cheeks.
“We did it,” she whispered, looking happier than I have seen for a long time.
“You’re pregnant?” Elle whispered in awe, her eyes going straight to Claudia’s still flat tummy.
“The test indicated between three and four weeks, but we are going to see the doctor in Gracefield this week coming to confirm it,” Claudia explained her joy evident. “So, for now it’s just us and Josh who know. Got it.”
“Oh absolutely,” I agreed readily, so overcome with joy for my sister and her devoted husband.
“Josh must be over the moon,” I guessed knowing my brother-in-law and how badly he wanted kids with Claudia.
“He really is,” Claudia confirmed nodding again. She was beginning to look like one of those bobble head dolls Miracle had in her toy box.
Getting up, Elle raced to the kitchen then after a minute came back with a wine glass filled with orange juice and handed it to Claudia.
“A toast to another Blessing who will be joining our family in roughly eight months’ time.” Holding up our plastic cups to Claudia’s glass, we toasted the great news then dropped our drinks to the coffee table and huddled together.
“I love you both so much,” Claudia sobbed noisily, but happily.
“To pieces and back together again.” Elle and I said at the same time.
Elle’s night of debauchery forgotten for the time being.