Chapter 38
Chapter Thirty-Eight
SIX WEEKS LATER
Lucas
I couldn’t believe the twins were already six weeks old.
This time around, Jenna agreed to hire some help.
We hired a full-time housekeeper named Maria.
She was an older Italian woman who made the best lasagna I’d ever had, and she could clean like nobody’s business.
Jenna and I really liked her, and she quickly became part of our family.
But the most important thing was that Scarlett loved her too.
Then there was Gemma—the nanny we hired to help with the twins.
I was sitting in my office when my phone dinged with a text message from Jenna.
“Hello, my lover. Looking for a little fun? Meet me at the Mandarin, Suite 3610. I’ll be waiting.”
With a smile on my face, I instantly replied.
“I’m on my way.”
Grabbing my suit coat, I opened my office door and stepped out.
“Laurel, I’m heading to lunch. I’ll be gone at least a couple of hours.”
“Enjoy your lunch, Mr. Thorne.”
“I intend to.” I gave her a wink.
Thaddeus dropped me off at the Mandarin, and I took the elevator up to the thirty-sixth floor. Knocking on the door of Suite 3610, Jenna opened it, grabbed my shirt, and pulled me inside.
“You didn’t tell me your doctor’s appointment was today,” I said as our lips tangled.
“I wanted to surprise you.”
“Are you sure you’re ready?” I asked as we made our way over to the bed.
“I’ve never been so ready for anything in my life.”
She slid my suit coat off my shoulders and frantically unbuttoned my shirt as my hand untied her robe, and it dropped to the floor.
Are you okay?” I asked as I softly stroked her shoulder.
“I’m fine. Are you okay?” She lifted her head, and a beautiful smile crossed her lips.
“I’ve never been better. Do you hear that?”
“Hear what?”
“Exactly. It’s quiet. No screaming Scarlett, no crying twins. Just pure silence.”
“It’s nice.” She smiled as she brushed her lips against mine and then stared into my eyes.
“It is. Isn’t it?” I brought my hand up and softly stroked her cheek. “Booking this suite was an excellent idea. Let us do this at least twice a week. Rent a suite and escape for a couple of hours. Just us. No children allowed.” I smirked.
“I love that idea.”
“Consider it done.” I rolled her on her back and hovered over her. “I love you, Mrs. Thorne.”
“I love you, Mr. Thorne.”
It was hard to believe the twins would be a year old in a week. Like their sister, they were highly intelligent children, and we ensured their little brains were always stimulated. It was tough and exhausting, but we wouldn’t trade it for the world.
When I walked through the door after a long day at the office, I could hear the screams of all three children. Scarlett was having a meltdown, and the twins were crying on the floor.
“What is going on?” I asked as I set my briefcase down.
“Scarlett wanted the toy Serena was playing with, so she took it from her. Serena started crying. When Sam heard her cry, he started crying. I took the toy away from Scarlett and told her it wasn’t nice that she took it away from her sister, so she’s having a meltdown.”
I let out a sigh as I brushed my lips against Jenna’s.
“I’ll take Scarlett upstairs and calm her down while you calm down the twins, and hopefully, peace in this house will soon be restored.”
Jenna let out a laugh. “In about eighteen years or so.”
Jenna
I had come down with the flu the day after the twin’s first birthday party.
At first, I thought it was food poisoning, but everyone else was fine.
My life had been incredibly busy over the last couple of months between the kids, planning the twin’s first birthday party, and putting together a surprise party for Lucas. I was nauseous and extremely fatigued.
“Jenna, you’ve been feeling like this for a week,” Maria said as she made me some chicken soup. “Is there a possibility you could be pregnant again?”
I let out a laugh. “God, no. Lucas had a vasectomy when I was pregnant with the twins. We made sure we weren’t having any more children.”
“Sometimes they fail. I had a cousin who got pregnant five years after her husband had one.”
“Was she sure it was her husband’s?” I smirked.
“Well, it did cause some family drama at first, and he truly believed his wife had cheated on him. After the baby was born, a paternity test was done, and he was the father.”
I swallow hard as I set down my spoon.
“But if you had your period last month, all is good. I’m sure it’s some nasty virus, and it’ll be gone soon.”
I was so busy last month that I couldn’t remember if I had a period. I hadn’t even been keeping track since Lucas had the vasectomy.
“Jenna, are you okay?” Maria asked.
“I don’t know, Maria. Thanks for the soup. I’m going to lie down for a while.”
As I lay there, I thought about how there was no way I could be pregnant again. No possible way. There was only one way to find out. I ran to the store and picked up a test. It was so silly that I was even doing this. I had a virus. Or maybe something else was going on. Pregnant? No. Impossible.
I went into the bathroom, peed on the stick, and waited.
I laughed at myself for even thinking it.
Once the test showed I wasn’t pregnant, I’d call my general doctor and get in for a checkup and some tests.
The timer on my phone went off, so I picked up the stick and stared at the two pink lines staring back at me.
My heart started racing, and I felt like I was going to pass out.
Splashing some cold water on my face, I leaned over the counter and stared at myself in the mirror.
How the hell was I going to tell my husband, who had a vasectomy, that I was pregnant again?
We need to talk,” I said as I grabbed his hand the minute he walked through the door and led him upstairs.
“Okay. Can I put my briefcase down first?”
“No!”
“Jenna, what is going on?” he asked as I closed the bedroom door.
“I have a question for you, Lucas.”
“Okay?”
“After your vasectomy, did you ever get your semen checked? Remember you had the appointment scheduled for eight weeks later?”
“Um. You know. I believe I had to reschedule that appointment due to an emergency meeting. And I may have forgotten. Why?”
“Why?” I cocked my head at him. “I’ll tell you why.”
I stormed into the bathroom, grabbed the stick, and threw it at him.
“What the fuck, babe?” He furrowed his brows at me. “What is this?”
“What does it look like?”
He stared at the stick for a moment, and I could see the color drain from his face.
“I don’t have the flu, Lucas. I’m fucking pregnant!” I shouted.
“No. No way. I had a vasectomy. This test is defective. It has to be. Did you try another one?”
“No.”
“Well, didn’t you have your period last month?”
“I don’t remember!” I shouted.
“How can you not remember?”
“Because I was busy caring for your three children and planning parties!”
He walked over to me and firmly gripped my shoulders.
“We both need to calm down. I’ll run out right now and buy another test. Okay? The store is right on the corner.”
“Okay.” I nodded my head.
Within in fifteen minutes, he walked back into the room with a plastic bag and dumped five additional tests on the bed.
“Go on. Take them, and let’s find out for sure.”
“I can’t pee on command, Lucas.”
“Then you need to start drinking because I’m freaking out here, Jenna.”
“You’re freaking out?” I shouted.
After drinking an entire bottle of water, I was able to take all five tests. As they were lined up in a row on the sink, we both stood there and watched as all five came up positive.
“You call your doctor in the morning, and I’ll call mine,” he said.
“This time, it’s your fault, and I want to hear you say it. Say it, Lucas!”
“It’s my fault,” he shouted. “There, are you happy now?” He walked out of the bathroom, sat on the edge of the bed, and placed his face in his hands.
Sitting next to him, I placed my hand on his thigh.
“I’m sorry. I just can’t believe this.”
“I can’t either.”
He placed his hand on mine and brought it up to his lips.
“I guess it’s meant to be that we’re the parents of four children,” he said.
“Or five.”
“Don’t say that, Jenna. Fuck.”
“What are we going to do?” I asked.
“I don’t know. Live life and raise our kids the best way we know how. Millions of couples have four or more kids. If they can do it, so can we. And one day, our kids will be all grown up, they’ll move out, and we’ll be sitting here wishing we had this time back.”
“Somehow, I don’t think so,” I shook my head.
“Yeah. Me either.”