18. Chapter 18
Chapter 18
Lily
“You’re back!” I exclaim, the excitement spilling into my voice as soon as I hear Loren over the phone. “I can’t wait to see you guys. How are the kids? How’s Aaron?”
“The kids are great,” she replies, her smile almost tangible through the line. “Aaron’s been asking a lot of questions about you and Noah.”
“About me and Noah?” I repeat, my heart tightening.
“You know Aaron has always been protective of you. We promised your mother we’d look after you, Lily.”
“Is it our age difference that bothers him?”
“No,” she sighs. “It’s not that. It’s Marian. Lily, she’s... she’s not a nice person.”
I swallow hard at the mention of Marian's name. “Trust me, I know. I’ve had the displeasure of meeting her, and I’ve been on the receiving end of her wrath.”
“What? How? When?” Loren’s voice sharpens with concern.
I fill her in on the unpleasant encounter Noah and I had with Marian the other night.
“So, you two are waiting for her to bring Davey home?”
“Yeah. Noah’s at the house waiting for him.”
“What time is she dropping him off?”
"Forty minutes ago," I confess, anxiety tightening its grip around me. "She was late picking him up, so I’m trying not to freak out about her bringing him back late."
"Oh my gosh!" she exclaims.
"I know," I mutter, the tension rising in my voice. "Can we just talk about something else?"
“Of course!” Loren says brightly. “If you’re in the mood to hear about the pregnant lady, we can talk about morning sickness, water retention, bizarre cravings, mood swings, and how my husband is the most patient man alive. I honestly don’t know how he puts up with me.”
I laugh, and the image of Aaron doting on her immediately comes to mind. "That man is head over heels for you."
I remember when Aaron hired me to watch his daughter, Holly. He was so in love with Loren, even back then. When I joined him, Holly, and his parents on their holiday trip to California, I sometimes overheard him and Holly talking about Loren. The love they both had for her was deep and sweet. It never faltered. I knew even back then that they'd end up together.
“Don't twins usually come early?" I ask.
“My sister, the doctor,” she says—I can practically hear her playful eye roll as she refers to Laila, the pediatrician. “She has me on this strict diet—protein, folic acid, omega-3s, you name it. Her master plan is to keep me pregnant until at least thirty-six weeks.”
I smile. “Sounds like Laila has everything under control, as usual.”
“And she insists on knowing the babies' genders so they can get the nursery ready. Aaron and I don’t want to know, so we’ll have to keep the nursery door shut and locked the entire time. Only she and Katherine will know. Do you want in on it? Everyone else has already said they don't want to know. They say they don't want to spoil the surprise. I say they can't keep a secret. If you want to help set up the nursery—”
“I want to know!” I exclaim, excitement bubbling up. “Yes, I want in, I want in!”
She laughs, the sound warm and teasing. “Okay then. Laila and Sam will be here next week. I’ve got the envelope with the results from our last ultrasound. The three of you can put your heads together and come up with a plan.”
"I can't wait!" I reply, my excitement bubbling over.
"By the way," she adds, "Aaron ran into your dad this morning during his run and invited him to dinner tomorrow night. We’d love it if you could join us, too."
"Yes, absolutely!" I say, smiling at the thought. "I wouldn’t miss it."
***
When I walk in, Noah is sitting on the edge of the couch, his hands clasped tightly together and his face troubled.
“Where are they?” he asks, his voice panicked. “She’s an hour late. I’ve called her three times, and nothing.”
I walk over and sit next to him. As I place my hand on his knee, he takes it without hesitation, lifting it to his lips and gently kissing my knuckles. Even in the midst of this stressful situation, he's kind and gentle. His actions remind me that, no matter the storm, he’s always a gentleman.
We exchange glances when the sound of tires crunching on gravel reaches us. He stands and peers out the window.
“It’s them!” he exclaims, relief flooding his features.
"I should probably go wait in the other room," I say, not wanting to witness another confrontation.
"Please wait," he says. "When they come in, could you take Davey upstairs so I can speak with Marian?"
"Yes, of course," I manage, forcing a smile.
He steps outside, and within minutes, the door slams behind a whirlwind of energy. Davey bursts into the room, his voice breathless with excitement. "Lily, guess what?!"
"What?!" I ask, my gaze sweeping over him. He's dripping water from his swim trunks, barefoot and shirtless, his backpack bulging like it's ready to burst—and then I see it—a gap where his front tooth used to be.
"Mommy took me shopping! We went swimming! We went to the park! We had ice cream! And..." He takes a deep breath before blurting, "She's taking me to London!"
My heart lurches, but I plaster on a smile, desperate to match his joy. "Wow! That sounds amazing, Davey. Did you have fun?"
"Aha!" he exclaims, dropping his heavy backpack with a thud before eagerly unzipping it. "Look, I got new shirts, pants, and toys!"
I smile at his excitement. "Davey," I ask gently, crouching down to his level, "what happened to your tooth? I don’t remember you saying it was loose."
His grin widens, the gap more prominent now. "I tripped and knocked it out."
"You tripped where?" I ask, my eyes catching the faint bruise blooming on his chin and the scrape on his knee.
"At the pool," he says nonchalantly as if it’s no big deal.
"Are you okay?" I ask, unable to mask my concern. "Does anything hurt?"
"I have an owie on my knee," he shrugs, lifting his leg.
Where’s your tooth, Buddy?"
"Mommy has it."
"Come here," I say softly, taking his hand. "Let’s go into the kitchen and put some ice on that chin."
The moment the ice pack touches his skin, he squirms. "It's cold!" he exclaims, pulling back slightly.
"Keep it there for a few minutes," I encourage him, stepping toward the hallway. "I'm going to grab some antibiotic from the bathroom for that scrape on your knee. Wait here, okay?"
"If you don't mind, I'm going to say goodbye to my son!" Marian’s voice cuts through the air, stopping me in my tracks as I head toward the bathroom.
She strides in, Noah right behind her, both wearing expressions that scream battle. I suddenly wish I could disappear into the walls.
"Well, if it isn’t the other woman," she sneers as soon as she sees me, her sarcasm sharp enough to cut.
"I'm getting some antibiotic," I reply, keeping my voice calm. "Excuse me."
"Antibiotic? For what?!" she snaps, her voice rising. "He's fine!"
"He’s got a bruise on his chin," I say, pointing to the spot, "and he scraped his knee when he fell."
Marian's eyes narrow, her gaze dropping to my hand. "Why are you wearing Sharon’s ring?" she asks, her voice laced with disbelief and simmering anger.
Before I can respond, Noah steps forward, his voice commanding. "I've asked Lily to marry me."
The room feels like it’s shrinking, the words hanging in the air. Marian's shock is evident, but I don’t stay to see what happens next. "Excuse me," I mutter, slipping past them and retreating down the hall. I escape into the bathroom and quickly shut the door behind me, but their voices seep through the walls. Every word finds me—each one sharp and cutting, reminding me that the storm is far from over.
"So playing house isn’t enough for you, Noah? You're going to marry her?" Marian's voice is bitter, each jab aimed at him—or maybe they’re aimed at me.
I feel their sting, like invisible daggers piercing through the walls. I can hear the resentment; it feels so personal, as if I’m taking something that was never meant to be mine.
"Marian," Noah replies, his tone tight but controlled, "our son is in the kitchen. Can we talk about this later?"
Her laugh is harsh, almost mocking. "So he doesn’t know? He doesn’t know that his father is trying to replace me?"
I press my back against the bathroom door, my breath catching. The walls feel paper-thin as Marian's words slice through the quiet, and all I can do is stand here, frozen. Get it together, Lily! I admonish myself, fighting the urge to cry.
Steeling myself, I walk back into the living room, my steps firm despite the turmoil inside. "I’m going to take Davey upstairs," I announce.
"Don’t you dare touch my son!" Marian’s voice is a fierce roar, each word raw and angry.
The room goes still for a moment, and I can feel the weight of every gaze on me, including Davey’s, now standing in the doorway, his small frame tense and unsure. The silence is intense, pressing in from all sides. But when I meet Noah’s gaze, his eyes plead with me to take Davey.
I walk over to Davey and take his hand in mine, offering him a reassuring smile. "Let’s go upstairs so you can shower and get ready to visit your aunt and uncle."
His face brightens instantly. "And my cousins?!" he asks, his voice bubbling with excitement.
"Of course," I say softly, squeezing his hand, grateful for the small moment of joy. We exit the room, but the silence we leave behind is deafening. Like the calm before the storm. Each footstep up the stairs echoes despite Davey's chatter about his cousins.
Once in his bedroom, I quietly shut the door and help Davey into the shower. The sound of water fills the room, but I can’t shake the tension still clinging to me. I stay close, setting out his outfit, trying to focus on the small, familiar tasks.
Walking over to the window I pull the curtain aside to peer down at the driveway, anxiously waiting for Marian’s car to pull away.
The soft knock on the door a few minutes later breaks the silence, telling me Marian’s gone, and Noah has come to check on Davey. "Come in," I say, hoping my voice sounds normal. He steps into the room, and without saying a word, he walks over to me and pulls me into his arms, his embrace warm and grounding. "Lily, I’m so sorry," he murmurs, his voice thick with guilt.
“You did nothing wrong,” I whisper, resting my head against his chest. I can hear the strong rhythm of his heartbeat, slowly easing the tightening in my chest.
"How is he?" Noah asks, motioning toward the bathroom door. "Does anything hurt?"
"No, he hasn’t complained of any pain," I reassure him. "The scrape on his knee is a little raw, but the antibiotic should help."
Noah exhales, his shoulders relaxing. "Good," he says softly.
"Noah, he knocked out a tooth," I say gently.
"Is the tooth fairy still on duty if the tooth was knocked out?" he asks, gazing at me with a playful smile.
"Absolutely!" I laugh, matching his grin.
But then his expression shifts, his voice growing serious. "Lily?" he pauses, his eyes searching mine. "Why on earth would you want to be with me? My life is not easy."
"Easy is overrated," I whisper, my heart swelling. "I love you, Noah."
He presses his lips to mine, smiling softly between each tender kiss.
"Are you coming with me to see Jon and the gang?" he murmurs against my lips.
I pull back slightly, meeting his gaze. "No," I say with a smile. "I'm meeting Dad for a late lunch."
"Can the three of us spend some time together tonight?" he asks, his eyes twinkling with love.
"Yes!" I exclaim, grinning. "Dinner and a movie?"
"Of course." He smiles, but it fades when he notices the shift in my expression.
"Noah," I begin, dreading what I must tell him.
His brow furrows, sensing my hesitation. "What's wrong?"
I take a deep breath. "Davey told me that Marian said she's taking him to London."
I watch as all the color drains from his face, his eyes widening with shock. He shakes his head, panic creeping into his voice. "No, no, no. Absolutely not!"
"Noah," I say, trying to stay as calm as possible, "maybe she meant sometime in the future, or she said it just to get under your skin."
"I have sole custody," he says, his voice rising. "She can’t just arbitrarily decide to take him out of the country without consulting me. She can’t even watch him for one day without him getting hurt. Over my dead body! She’s not taking my son anywhere!"
"Noah," I say soothingly, placing a hand on his arm, "please try to stay calm, Babe. We’ll figure this out."
He rakes his fingers through his hair and takes a deep breath before pulling me back into his arms. I hug him tightly, breathing in the comforting scent of his cologne as we both try to steady ourselves before Davey returns to the room.
"What can I do to help?" I ask, gazing directly into his worried eyes.
"You already are," he replies, his voice softening with gratitude. "You're my rock, Sweetheart."
He kisses me with such tenderness, and for a few moments, everything else disappears. There's no worry, no troubles, no distance between us. At this moment, all I know is that this man is my life, and I would do anything to protect him and Davey.