I look over at Leo as Claire finishes tending to the boys. He nods in agreement to my silent question.“Claire, Mason thinks that we should have a police officer here for security during the storm - as a precaution.” I sit silently as Leo starts. I watch as Claire seems withdrawn.“Charlotte is coming, isn’t she?” She asks coldly as she stills.“We’re not sure but we’d rather not take any chances.” I add softly.“When will her charges reach arraignment?” Leo interrupts. I knew what he was trying to do but unfortunately, Charlotte could not be moved to the county jail while under admission for mental health evaluation or treatment. “Her first arraignment for what she did to Claire along with your previous partners begin tomorrow. I did take the liberty of speaking to the judge this morning and he was no interest in postponing the hearing. But there’s one thing you should both know.” I watch as their eyes remained fixated on me, waiting for my revelation. I felt almost guilty for havin
It’s now just the day before the storm and I can see Claire’s anxiety had settled. She’s quickly adapted to motherhood and I can see it distracts her from her own emotions. I worked on a few preparations to keep her from feeling uneasy. Thankfully, she’s barely noticed. She’s been too busy tending to our boys. Her postpartum depression seems to have faded as well.I, on the other hand, have become restless in watching her to make sure my wife is okay. Mason called about an hour ago and said there was something he’d like to tell Claire and I. Part of me wanted to refuse but it seemed crucial. Mason never wanted to intrude unless necessary and I knew that better than anyone.I hear a knock at the door as I make my way downstairs quietly. Elena opens the door and makes a shushing motion to Mason.“Ms. Claire is asleep with the boys. You must be very quiet.” Mason nods in understanding.“Hey, let’s take this out back. I don’t want to wake Claire for another thirty minutes.” I motion for M
My long awaited escape was slowly coming into view. In just four days, there would be a severe tropical storm. This would surely trip the power for a few good minutes allowing me to fit the first access vent before the generator kicks on. Once I’m inside, I could rest easy, knowing that I would be undetectable. I decide to read over the blueprints one last time for good measure. Then I’d dispose of them secretly through the toilet to ensure no one is the wiser of my escape.Soon, Claire would be permanently out of the picture. Leo will be mine as he should be and his motherless child will be the only misfortune in my plan but I could raise the twerp to be an asset. Surely, if the child loves me then Leo will have no choice but to kiss the ground I walk on. He’d never be able to leave me then.“Your delusion is greater than your plan.” My mother mocks as she’s seated on the bed next to me.“I’d really love it if you’d just say something nice for once. Or better yet, say nothing and dis
I wake up to pump and check on the boys again. Lucas was sleeping peacefully while Logan seems to be dreaming. I can see little twitches and movements. I decide to pull him out of the bassinet and begin rocking him in my arms until he’s soothed into a peaceful sleep. I then change his diaper and place him back in the bassinet to repeat the same cycle with Logan. I found it amazing how consolable they were for newborns. I begin pumping and decide to turn on the news to distract myself from the nerves that refused to settle.“Breaking Weather Report, it seems that there is a severe thunderstorm on its way. In just four days, we will be facing winds of up to thirty-five miles per hour and extreme rain. Residents are warned to seek shelter inside or to evacuate if in the red zone pictured behind me.” A storm is coming? I pause the television to see that we’re safely outside of the red zone and realize that Leo’s plan for vacationing would have to wait. There was no way for us to make it o
I can’t say that I’m proud of Celeste’s actions. To sell an article about Claire’s personal life for money was just despicable but then again, I knew better than to expect the highest regards from her. I had spoken to her about giving our marriage another shot after the conversation that I had with Leonardo but she seemed more interested in the benefits it would bring her - not the love I thought we shared. Apparently, Celeste lost a hefty amount of the divorce money by investing in Jordan’s business and now she was left with almost nothing but the house. Although I wouldn’t take that as an excuse for her actions.The only good thing that had come out of her incarceration is that I get the opportunity to potentially adopt her son, Lexington. I rushed at the opportunity to have custodial rights of him as soon as Mason stopped by to inform me of the mess Celeste had made. If Celeste is charged and given any time, I’ll have the option to adopt Lexington and the idea of being a father thr
I wake up two hours later as Leo turns off the alarm on my phone and motions for Elena to step in with my pump and tray of food.“It’s time to pump and eat, Ms. Claire.” She says softly as she brings the tray to the bed.“How long was I out for?” I ask as I sit up and consume a bite of food immediately. Pumping made me extremely hungry.“You’ve been resting for two hours.”“Oh.” I look over at the boys who are still asleep in their bassinets and ready myself to breastfeed. They only drank about two ounces every two hours. Which meant I needed to pump after since it was already time for their feeding.Leo and Elena help set a baby on each side and grab diapers for changing right after we burp them. In just twenty minutes, the routine was done and the boys were fast asleep once again. Elena removes the tray and leaves the pump for me. Leo assists me in putting the pumps on.“Leo?” “Yes?” I could tell that he was focusing on me and deflecting from the issue at hand or whatever occurred