Once again, I'd like to thank my friendly Ghost-writer for all her inspiration and help with this story.
The following morning Paul awoke to Gail looking down at him.
"Hey" he said as he put his arm up to rub her shoulder "Couldn't you sleep?"
Gail smiled "Just woke up about ten minutes ago, you looked so peaceful…except for the snoring"
"I do not snore" Paul protested
Gail shook her head and smirked "You snore darling…one day I'll make a tape recording of it just to prove it to you"
Paul laughed, sitting up he pulled Gail closer to him "How's my favourite girl?" he asked
"I feel fine…these three are still kicking but other than that everything's okay…what about you"
As he rubbed his eyes and yawned Paul replied "Fine…I feel slightly strange after yesterday…talk about every emotion you can handle!"
"It was one of those days"
Shaking his head Paul said "I still can't get my head around the fact that Mum was ill and I never noticed"
Gail sighed "It can't have been easy for her…knowing that she was putting her life in danger"
Paul looked down at Gail's growing stomach, placing his hand on her he felt the tiny kick and smiled; his children were thriving and reassuringly by the looks of it so was his wife.
"Gail…if you had to make that choice what would you have done? Do you think she was wrong to do what she did when she already had three children?"
Gail looked at him and paused "Well to be honest you're asking the wrong person, no I don't think she was wrong to do what she did, in fact she was incredibly brave to stand up for what she thought was right when possibly everyone else thought different. Darling she would have felt Lucy moving inside her and while everyone else may have been thinking that the fact she already had three children she wouldn't have seen it like that; for her that child, although she hadn't seen it or named it was as precious as you, Julie and Scott and she would do anything to protect it, give it a chance to live, even choosing it's life over hers"
"Which is what she did" Paul said quietly
Gail sighed sadly "I wish things had been different; that she had lived and seen Lucy grow up. I wish we could have met, she loved her children I would love to have seen her with our children"
"I know" Paul said "She would have been just like Gran was with us; getting back to the question I just asked you…what would you have done if you had been in the same position?"
Gail closed her eyes, trying to fight the tears that were beginning to form, she didn't have to think of an answer, opening her eyes she gently stroked Paul's face and smiled "Darling we've been so lucky that we haven't been placed in a position that we even have to consider anything like that…but if you want the honest truth…I would have done the same as your Mum…these children are so precious… I couldn't do anything that would harm them"
Paul took her hand "I'm so glad we never had to make any choices like that; we've got eight more days left before these children are born…let's make the most of them I want to spend every moment I can with you"
"Fine, you'll have no arguments by me" Gail said
At the risk of mentioning the office Paul said "But you do realise I have to go into work tomorrow…just to hand things over to Rosemary so she knows what's going on"
"Of course" Gail smiled
Paul kissed Gail before turning to sit on the side of the bed.
"How much does Lucy know about what happened to her Mother?"
Without turning around Paul replied quietly "Obviously not the truth…all that Dad told her was that Mum was ill and died when she was a newborn baby. There are no dates on Mum's headstone so Lucy can't put two and two together. He felt it was something she didn't need to know…at the end of the day it would hurt her"
"True" Gail said thoughtfully "She's been through enough without knowing the true reason behind what happened to her Mum"
Paul looked at his watch as he turned to look at Gail "I guess it's all water under the bridge now…thinking about it won't bring Mum back"
"No…but talking about things help, .look at yesterday; I knew something was bothering you and you needed to talk but didn't want to, you were brooding but when you finally told me it helped and it's made us stronger. Yesterday was good because I finally got back the man I love and married" Gail said, looking deep into his eyes.
Paul moved closer and kissed her "How about?" he whispered tenderly.
"How about what?" smiled Gail.
Paul pulled away with a smirk on his face "How about I go downstairs and make us some breakfast?"
Gail laughed and rolled her eyes "Such a romantic..mind you it's been a long time since you brought me breakfast in bed"
"Rub it in why don't you?" Paul laughed as he pulled on his dressing gown and headed out the door.
Gail laid back in bed, placing her hand on her stomach she felt the comfortable kick of the life growing inside her; she knew it wouldn't be long before the triplets birth…they were restless but at least they were healthy…she smiled as she heard the sound of Paul clanging plates and pans in the kitchen downstairs.
An hour later, having finished a lazy breakfast in bed and discussed the outstanding work in the nursery the couple went downstairs to wash the dishes.
"I still think we can train these three not to wake up and want feeding at the same time, it's just a matter of organisation"
Gail rolled her eyes and laughed "Just how do you propose to do that Robbo?"
"We could have a rota"
Gail looked at him, a little nervous that he might just be serious and shook her head "Paul are you suggesting that we set up a rota and present this to them when we bring them home and tell them they're only allowed to wake at the times specified…I can really see this working!"
"Oh I don't know there must be some way otherwise it's going to be mayhem with the three of them crying and wanting feeding and only the two of us. We haven't got enough hands"
"I think we need to suggest to the neighbours that they invest in some sound proofing for their walls…as I can imagine it won't be just us waking up in the middle of the night"
Taking the suggestion seriously Paul replied "I hadn't even thought of that…how are we going to cope?"
Gail put her arms around him "We'll cope…just remember we're a team and a good team at that. Don't go getting cold feet on me now Robbo; this is what we both want. We've got your family close by and I'm sure they'll help out as much as possible. Maybe the first year will be difficult but once we're past that hurdle everything will be fine and we'll look back and wonder what we were worried about"
"Yeah you're right, as usual" realising suddenly what Gail had just done Paul chipped in "hey you, get those wet hands away from me!"
"When is your next scan?" Paul asked "Isn't it tomorrow?"
"I thought it was but I checked again its Tuesday, so you don't have to worry about being too long at the office. I know you've got a lot to go through with Rosemary" Gail replied.
"Hopefully it won't take too long" Paul said
Gail smiled and gently stroked his cheek "Darling its fine…I might spend the day with Helen."
Paul smiled "She'll like that…but don't forget you're supposed be resting"
As Paul poured himself another cup of coffee their conversation was interrupted by the sound of the back door opening.
"Yo Dad" Paul said "You ready to start work on the nursery"
Gail laughed "Paul let the man step through the door before you jump on him…talk about Mr impatient"
"Do you want a coffee before this slave driver takes you upstairs, Jim" Gail asked
"That would be good….I'm sure it won't take that long to put the cots up" Jim said "How are you two today?"
Gail smiled "We're fine in fact Paul has just come up with this amazing idea of having a rota so that the babies don't all wake up at the same time, haven't you darling"
"I didn't say that!" Paul said "I just said that it's going to be difficult if they are all demand feeding at once…we could cope with two babies, but not three…if we had something like a rota"
Jim laughed "One problem with that newborn babies is you can't predict them…but I dare say if anybody can cope with three babies it's you two…..look how good you are as business partners"
Gail laughed "Yes well I have a feeling running Lassiters is easy compared to looking after three babies…but I'm up to the challenge"
Paul looked at her, putting an arm around her shoulders and smiled "We both are"
"Christmas is going be crazy this year though especially in our household" Jim said
"Why…because of these three?"
"Yes but also Julie is planning a visit…so you can guess we've got a houseful"
Whilst drinking his coffee Paul commented "I wonder why Julie wants to come home this Christmas…I mean she hasn't been back for several years"
"I've no idea…maybe she felt it was time to come for a visit…I mean you haven't even seen your niece and I've only seen her once…I have a sneaky feeling though that with your three on their way she may feel that we've forgotten Hannah"
"But it will be good to have the whole family here…Rosemary will hopefully still be here and Helen will be pleased" Gail said with a brief thought about meeting Julie at last after hearing the various stories of her authoritative character. Paul looked at Gail and raised his eyebrows in dismay as she smiled back.
"If it was only Julie, Phil and Hannah it would be fine..but there's the two older children, I can imagine the arguments already….Michael blames Julie for his parents' splitting up and they've never got on when they were here…can't imagine it's any different now" Jim said
"Well if you're worried about having a full house…Helen and Lucy could always stay here" Gail said
Jim looked at Gail and smiled "I have a feeling you two will have enough on your hands without two more house guests"
"Yes but if it helps out I'm sure we'll find a way to cope" Gail said
"Besides I'm sure we can find them a job here!" Paul chipped in.
"We'll see" Jim replied "I'm tempted to suggest they stay at Lassiters"
Paul laughed "Jules would love that…Dad I'm sure things will be fine"
Jim sighed "I don't know, this Christmas was supposed to be about you two; helping out with the babies and making sure you were okay but now with Julie coming…"
"Yeah and I can imagine I'm going to get it in the neck as well" Paul said "She's still not happy that we didn't invite her to our wedding"
"So much for a nice peaceful Christmas" Jim said "talking of which we better get started on putting these cots up otherwise your children will be sleeping in drawers"
Gail laughed "They'll probably be small enough to"
Paul walked up behind Gail and placed his hands on her shoulder massaging them, gently kissing her neck "Are you going to be okay down here?" he said "Do you want anything?"
Gail looked up at him and tapped his hand, she had all that she wanted "I'm fine, I've got my book, my tea…I'll start on lunch soon"
"Just don't overdo it" Paul said
Gail rolled her eyes as she watched the two men walk upstairs; smiling to herself she picked up her book and sat down. She felt a little tired but happy, she couldn't believe that she had her husband to herself all weekend and he hadn't showed signs of cabin fever or work withdrawal.
Standing in the doorway to the nursery Jim looked around "You really think you've got enough room in here for three cots?" he asked
Paul laughed "Well it's the second biggest bedroom; we purposely didn't buy big cots for that reason. I guess if we have to we could use the spare room but I'd sooner have the cots together in one room, for a while anyway"
"Ever thought of moving?" Jim joked shaking his head
"I suggested it a long time ago but Gail loves Ramsay Street too much…we also have you close so instant babysitters as well" Paul replied cheekily
"Don't push your luck" Jim laughed putting his hand on Paul's shoulder "You sure everything is okay?"
"Stop worrying Dad…everything is fine…things have just been crazy these past few weeks, well months to be honest, what with buying the Robinson Corporation, what happened with Rob; I guess things all blew up on Friday" Paul said. Looking down he continued "I shouldn't have left her on Friday, I read the signs wrong"
Jim walked over to start work on the first of the cots whilst Paul started to unpack the next.
"I know….I saw her face after you had gone…there just seemed so much anger and hurt there. She seemed to close down, didn't really talk, then she said she felt tired and left….we should have stopped her" Jim said
"It was nobodies fault but mine Dad…you should have stopped me…but then maybe her walking out was what I needed to bring me to my senses, the problem was I wasn't communicating with her, she thought I was only concerned with the business but I've been trying to get things organised so that I can take some time off" Paul said
Half laughing Jim replied "Paul her hormones are all over the place; believe me when the babies are born it's going to get worse..there's going to be tears, arguments, I can't count how many times your Mum and I fell out when she was expecting you" Jim said
Paul smiled "I know….I've been on the receiving end of her temper lots of times; but at the end of the day I couldn't imagine life without her. She's my best friend. We just need to talk to each other" he said
"Mmm, I have to say she looked much more relaxed last night; for some obscure reason she wants to spend time with you and not have you working all the time. She loves you; I saw just how much last night. Don't lose what you have with her" Jim said with a serious tone to his voice.
"I won't…I love her so much. I guess I always have, just didn't want to admit it at first; scared of the rejection, how wrong could I have been!" "It's strange, we were talking about the first wedding only yesterday, she mentioned about wishing we had a church blessing, perhaps I agree in a way, especially now with the children. I don't ever want them to know about the Marriage of Convenience." Paul said quietly
Jim stopped bolting the cot sides together and looked over at Paul working on the other cot "You know it's not too late"
Paul laughed slightly "yeah right, what third time lucky"
"I was thinking more of a celebration of a new family and a new start; a Christening come blessing"
Paul looked up nearly causing the cot to collapse that he was assembling. "I hadn't thought of Christenings yet, gosh there is so much, but I like the idea."
"Why don't you plan it and not tell her" Jim said "Surprise her at the Christening"
"Sounds even better, might keep it under my hat for now, just until this growing Robinson family are in a routine"
They continued working in silence for another hour or so with the odd sigh of frustration from Paul as he struggled to assemble the cots. Every now and then Jim offered to lend him a hand but Paul was adamant he was going to do at least one cot himself. Jim took the fifth "no!" from Paul to mean no and left him in peace and returned to work smiling to himself. Gail appeared in the doorway with a tray of drinks and biscuits and cleared her throat to gain their attention; Paul looked at her and shook his head whilst tutting. He put his screwdriver down and walked towards where Gail was.
"You're supposed to be resting" he said taking the tray from her "Not carrying trays of drinks upstairs"
Gail frowned "I'm okay…just got a bit bored down there so I'd thought I'd make a drink….but if you don't want it I can easily take it downstairs again"
"No…it's fine" Paul laughed placing the tray on the floor.
"That's a welcome break" said Jim
Gail looked at the nursery "You've worked hard in here today"
Jim laughed as he picked up his cup of coffee and cookie "Yes only one more cot to go…you two just couldn't make do with one baby you had to have three"
"Yep three times the trouble" Paul chipped in
"You two don't know the half of it; you just get past the sleepless nights when they're babies then you have the sleepless nights when they're teenagers…out all hours and you can't sleep until they're safely back home" Jim said
"Yes, but Dad you loved it all really, you wouldn't have missed it for the world!"
Gail laughed "Yes you've still got that part to look forward to with Lucy as well"
Jim rolled his eyes "I'm planning on locking her in her room for the next five years, I had enough worry with the other three"
"We weren't that bad" Paul said protesting and shrugging his shoulders "Well at least I wasn't"
Gail just looked at him knowingly "I bet"
A smirk came across Jim's face "Hmm now let me see who was it exactly who came home late one evening, totally drunk and dressed in nothing but a nappy and a baby's bonnet…" Jim said
"It was just a party that got out of hand that's all…we were young" Paul said in his own defence.
"You kept half the street awake that night"
Gail sat in the rocking chair laughing "Darling, now you haven't mentioned this before, is there something you should tell me?"
"Hardy de ha"
"Jim have you got any pictures?"
"Afraid not but I'm sure if you ask Des, he'll tell you all about it"
"Des, now I must remember that next time I see him" Gail replied
"Perhaps not Dad…it probably isn't a time he wants to remember" Paul said, changing the subject he looked at Gail "Hey are you okay?"
"Just got a bit bored downstairs…so I thought I'd come up here and annoy you for a while. I'm just feeling restless; my back is playing up too" she replied
Paul walked up to her and crouched beside her "How about I come down and help you with lunch, I'm sure Dad can manage up here" looking up at Jim as he said it in suggestion.
"Sure…I can" Jim looked around the room "Apart from the cots is there anything else that needs doing"
"I don't think so…we just need to go out and buy some things, like prams, nappies, bottles…things that we haven't really thought about" Paul said
"Hey you speak for yourself" Gail chipped in. "I've got a nice long shopping list for us to tackle over the next couple of days. Don't ever accuse me of not being organised".
"Before World War III starts here can I suggest you make sure that you have enough bottles so that you can make up enough feeds for 24 hours, that way you don't have to worry about making feeds in the middle of the night with the babies screaming" Jim said
"Jim, I didn't know you were so practical. I got a lot of advice from the Multiple Birth Association which has helped as well." Gail replied
"Didn't you make bottles up for Lucy?" Paul asked
"We did it with all of you; but I think with you after the age of four months you literally slept through. We could give you your last feed at 8pm and you wouldn't wake until maybe 5 or 6 the next morning. Julie was more temperamental; she would want feeding at least twice in the night…especially for the first six months, it was quite hard getting her to settle down for a full night, as for Scott…well he's just Scott…totally laid back and then Lucy…"
Paul smiled "Lucy was good from what I can remember; except for her Christening I only remember her crying when she needed feeding or a nappy change, she was such a cute baby"
"Yes and she knew just how to wrap you around her finger" Jim said "She still does and you fall for it every time"
"Do not" Paul retaliated
Jim and Gail both laughed "I can't wait to see you with our children" Gail said
"I've been thinking we also need a bigger car; I thought I might trade mine in as it's worth more than Gail's. I think we need to keep one of them" Paul said
"But that car is your pride and joy" Gail said in surprise
Paul laughed returning to Gail and taking hold of her hand "Yes, but there's more important things in life than my car now; one of us needs to change cars and I think mine would get a better part exchange"
"I'll help you choose one if you like" Jim said
"Great" Paul said "We also need car seats….I can't believe how much we still need"
Paul put down his cup and looked at his watch "Gran and Rosemary will be here soon, we better make a start on lunch, are you sure you don't mind me helping Gail?" Paul asked
"No" Jim said "You two go and spend some time together but just remember you're supposed to be making lunch!!"
Paul smiled coyly and looked back at Jim as he put his arm around Gail as they walked out of the bedroom which was fast becoming a nursery "Are you sure you're okay?" Paul asked as they headed downstairs.
"You're being a worrywart…I'm fine especially now that I have some company down here" she smiled "Come on you can do the fruit salad."
The couple set about making salad and sandwiches; Paul helped to cut fruit up to make a fruit salad while Gail prepared the sandwiches. Gail had the list of items they needed to get for the babies on the workbench and they discussed it as they prepared the meal. Gail had found out about a discount baby store on the outskirts of Erinsborough which catered for everything. They both agreed that would be their starting point after the scan on Tuesday. With that settled Paul started to lay the table for lunch.
"Are you okay about Julie coming?" Gail asked "It didn't strike me that Jim was very happy about it"
"Oh I think he's just worried about the cramp conditions in the house, I mean look what happened when Madge and Henry stayed for Christmas before; they were at each others throats most of the time" Paul said. Gail laughed "do you remember that time Madge knocked the fire hydrant over?" "Who can forget that?"
"I think it will be fine with Jules though. I haven't really spoken to her in ages…well apart from that phone call about us getting married"
"There's no reason why Helen and Lucy can't move in here though…it would make sense" Gail said
"We'll see, how things go" Paul said "Now all we need is for Scott and Charlene to turn up"
"Well they'd probably stay with Madge and Harold…I was actually hoping they join us for Christmas" Gail said quietly.
"The whole family back for Christmas…it would be just like the old days; everyone trying to get away from Jules' nagging" Paul said
"mmm" Gail went back to making the salad. Paul looked at her concerned and put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her forehead "Hey I'm sorry…I know this Christmas is going to be difficult for you; your first one without your Dad but I promise I will make it special"
Gail looked at him "It's okay, it's just when you mentioned your whole family being home for Christmas it just reminded me that it's just me left really…with Dad gone now"
Paul pulled her into an embrace "Hey you, you know that's not true…you're part of my family and we are about to have our own family" he said tenderly kissing her.
Gail smiled at him "I suppose I'm just being silly but I was hoping for a quiet Christmas…I'm not sure I'm up to meeting your sister"
"Don't worry, if you don't feel like it or if things get too bad over at Dad's we can lock all the doors and it will be just you, me and the children" Paul said
"sounds strange when you put it that way . . . our children"
"Well, Darling by the looks of it there is no going back now and it won't be long until there are five of us!"
Both smiling they continued with lunch.
"I had a letter from Ian the other day" Gail said "He wanted to know how we were; when the babies are due. I think he's looking forward to seeing them"
"I feel a but coming on here?" Paul said
"I just don't know what to say" Gail said shrugging her shoulders "I mean things have changed, if I let him see the children I feel I'm betraying Dad but then if I don't let him see them, then I'm doing to him what my real Mum did to him. Is that really fair?" she replied
"Gail you don't have to do anything you don't want to, nor do you have to feel guilty if you let him see them. Give yourself some time, if you want I'll phone him and explain, I'm sure he'll understand and when you're ready for him to see you then he'll be welcome" Paul said placing his hand on Gail's back "Just remember one thing; whatever you want, whatever you do I'm here".
"mmm" Gail smiled and handed Paul the plate of sandwiches for the table.
Half an hour later, Rosemary and Helen arrived and they sat down to lunch all together avidly talking about the preparations for the babies. Jim commented that Beverley was yet again on call so wouldn't be joining them and Lucy was still at Emma's.
As Paul poured further coffee for everybody Jim asked "So how long do you think you can stand being back in Erinsborough Rosemary?"
Rosemary laughed "It's not that bad here; in fact it's nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of New York…I guess I'll be here for as long as I'm needed. It's nice to catch up with the family as well."
"How about the next ten years" Paul mumbled cheekily with a sideways look from Gail.
"When are the babies due?" Rosemary asked
Paul looked at Gail hesitantly; she could see his mind ticking over. Smiling reassuringly at him she replied on his behalf "In about eight day's time"
Surprised Jim replied "That soon…I thought you had at least another three weeks"
"Hang on that makes the date …"
"November 24th" Paul answered "Yes we have worked that one out"
"Your Mother's birthday" Helen said thoughtfully "She would have liked that"
"We couldn't think of a better day" as she moved to stretch her back "only trouble is I think these three may have other ideas. They're getting more and more restless by the day" Gail said "We'll just have to see what happens after I've had my scan on Tuesday"
"Rosemary…do you think we can get everything done tomorrow in the office?" Paul said
Rosemary looked at him, remembering what Helen had told her about Gail almost walking out on him due to his obsession with work "I can't see that would be a problem…what time do you want to start?"
"How about 8am or earlier if you want" Paul said
"No time for jet lag then" Rosemary laughed "Make it 8 o'clock…just make sure you've got the coffee on when I arrive"
"no problem, we've got a good PA at the moment, she knows the routine, coffee first!" Paul replied laughing
"Oh Helen, in that case are you up for some window shopping tomorrow…I just want to make sure I have everything I need for these three" Gail asked
"that would be good. I've seen some lovely baby clothes and I'd prefer to buy what you like. Are you sure you are not supposed to be resting though" Helen replied
"Yep she is and she knows it" Paul replied chastising Gail "Gran just don't let her do too much"
"Okay, worrywart the only thing I'll do is cause serious damage to your credit card" Gail replied looking at Paul and raising her eyebrows.
"I don't doubt that" Paul said
"Honestly all I want to do tomorrow is have a look at the shops and get Helen's advice, then we can go shopping after my scan on Tuesday" Gail said looking at Paul
"Sounds like a plan to me" Paul laughed
"Rosemary are you going to be okay in the Managers Suite at the hotel?" Gail asked changing the subject
"Oh yes, besides I'm only going to use it as my base, I want to spend some time with the family whilst here…and Mum's cooking is always a good reason to come home" Rosemary replied
"We appreciate you coming over here Rosemary" Paul said "Lately things have been a little crazy"
"I told you that when you needed me to call me; I've got my business affairs in New York in order so that I don't need to be there, I only have one meeting in January I have to return for but I'll come straight back afterwards. For the next six months I'm prepared to stay here and look after the Robinson Corporation while you two look after your family" Rosemary replied "Besides by doing that I miss winter in New York"
They continued chatting about plans for the next day; Paul was still worried about leaving Gail for too long whilst he went to the office; he couldn't even think about a repeat of what happened on Friday. After lunch Rosemary said she wanted to have a rest after her flight so Helen offered to take her to Lassiters. As Paul showed them out he glanced back to ensure Gail was not in earshot.
"Gran promise me you'll look after Gail tomorrow; I just don't want her getting low or too tired" Paul said
"Don't worry; I'll take her shopping and then she can come home and spend some time with Lucy and me. She'll be fine" Helen replied linking arms with him in an effort to reassure him.
Gail walked over to Paul and Helen "Hey what are you too whispering about behind my back?" she asked placing her arm around Paul's waist.
"Nothing" Paul said innocently
Gail looked at Paul, smiled and nudged him "You still worried about the amount of damage I can do to your credit card tomorrow?"
"No, not really" Paul smirked and winked at Helen "I'm hiding it tonight"
Gail laughed "We'll just have to see about that won't we"
Jim came up behind them "I'm going to make a move too; I have to go and pick Lucy up soon. The cots are all up, just let me know if you need anything else"
"Thanks Dad, we'll let you know if we need anything" Paul said
"Thanks Jim, I don't think Paul would have managed without you" Gail teased
After saying goodbye the couple closed the door, Paul turned to Gail and smiled "Alone at last" he said
"I enjoyed lunch; I'm just glad Rosemary is here; it will take some pressure of you darling" Gail replied
They headed upstairs to have a look at the nursery.
"You two did do a good job today" Gail exclaimed as she saw the three cots set up with the nursery bedding in place.
"It's a bit of a tight squeeze really but I'm sure we'll cope" Paul said standing there rubbing the back of his head with one hand "If not we could always move"
Gail raised her eyebrows "I don't think so; I love Ramsay Street, besides I've got this thought that it would be good for the children to have their grandparents close by. Your parents managed bringing four of you up in their house so there's no reason why we can't do the same" she said
"Yeah, and I remember what it was like sharing a room with Scottie at times!"
Paul pulled her closer to him "You're going sentimental on me Mrs Robbo, whatever happened to the tough business woman" he laughed
Gail laughed "that's on the exterior but on the inside . . . . . . Anyhow, I was never that bad and besides someone has to keep you in line" she said
"Yeah right" Paul replied sarcastically
The following morning Paul woke early; glancing across at the alarm clock he saw it was 6.30am. He saw that Gail was still in a deep sleep after a restless night; slipping out of bed quietly in an effort not to disturb her he headed for the shower shutting the bedroom door behind him. A little while later as he walked downstairs for breakfast the house seemed so quiet that a chill went through him; his mind still consciously thinking about Friday afternoon and Gail leaving. Over his cereal and toast he thought of the past two days; he had enjoyed spending time with Gail at home relaxing, something he now realises he hadn't done for a long time. He knew she had always been there for him previously through their ups and downs and he wanted to be there for her now when she needed him the most; trust was key. Suddenly looking at his watch he saw that time was against him and he needed to make his way into the office. The sooner he got there the sooner he could get back. Going back upstairs he quickly wrote a note to Gail and placed it on the pillow next to her. She stirred slightly but remained in a deep sleep; he kissed her head before going back downstairs.
As he walked through the hotel complex Paul looked across at the coffee shop which would soon be opening up for the breakfast rush and looked up at the Robinson Corporation sign, with a sigh and still the feeling of pride he unlocked the office door whilst holding the post in his mouth and his briefcase in his other hand. Stepping inside he flicked the coffee machine on as he past it on his way in to the main office. Paul looked around as he stopped in front of his desk partly in shock; the office was immaculate – no post on his desk or messages as he had expected. The new PA was certainly more efficient than he had originally thought, remembering to make a mental note of this when discussing the office cover with Rosemary later that day. Ten minutes later as Paul was sitting at his desk with a cup of coffee, opening the post he heard the outer door.
Looking up Rosemary was standing in the doorway "Hi" she said "How long have you been here?"
"Oh only about ten minutes…it's funny but I didn't seem to have the enthusiasm today for work" he said
"How's Gail?" Rosemary asked as she put her briefcase down on the spare desk, understanding why Paul was slightly worried
"She's fine, still asleep when I left" Paul replied putting the post aside and going to get a coffee for Rosemary.
"That's good…what about you?"
"I'm not the one carrying three babies" Paul laughed
"Tell me to mind my own business but Mum told me what happened on Friday" Rosemary said discretely
Paul looked down partly ashamed "I nearly lost it all" he said quietly
"But you didn't, and I doubt you ever will. Paul, Gail's almost left you before; the first time she turned down an executive position in New York; the second you talked her into returning from New York to Ramsay Street and then Friday afternoon…" Rosemary smiled "Well she's still here…what does that tell you?"
Paul looked at her confused.
Rosemary looked at him and rolled her eyes "Men, Paul she loves you!, I think more than you realise, but what she doesn't want is a distant husband, one that she hardly ever sees and from what I understand that is what has been happening. Now what ideas do you have for the office?"
"Okay" Paul said jumping up with a file in his hand and going over to where Rosemary was sitting behind the desk "I was thinking that maybe I need to hire a PA or perhaps an Assistant Manager, Jane has submitted her resignation as she wants to remain in England with Mrs Worthington. I've also been considering a way of consolidating some of our debt"
"Well I've still got my contacts out there, I'll get on to them straight away and see what Executives there are who might be swayed in to working for the corporation, after all the company has good prospects at the end of the day. I'll need to look at the books as well; I take it they are up to date"
"Sure, I'll get the books, mind you don't expect too much"
Gail woke to the feel of the babies kicking against her ribs; gently she placed her hand on her stomach trying to calm them. She turned to look at Paul's side of the bed and saw the envelope and picked it up, reading it she smiled. She had sensed Paul was anxious last night about going into the office but he hadn't mentioned anything, no matter how much she told him she loved him he still feared her leaving him. She shook her head because the truth was she wasn't going anywhere. Gently she eased herself into a sitting position and got out of bed; heading towards the shower, having given up on her baths due to the difficulty getting in and out now. Gail frowned and half smiled as she came down to breakfast to find a tray set up by Paul all ready for her breakfast with the newspaper beside it. Helen arrived shortly after she had finished washing the dishes and they discussed their plans for the day.
The Mall was quiet at that time of the morning and Helen and Gail wandered through the shops looking at the baby wear. Helen picked out some baby clothes that she wanted to buy after getting Gail's opinion, both commenting on how small the clothes were and how difficult it was to even contemplate how much laundry there would be ahead. By mid morning both agreed it was time for a coffee break and chose a quiet street brasserie.
"Wonder how Paul is doing?" Gail said and she sipped her cappuccino
"I had a quick chat with Rosemary before I came out; apparently Paul had gone to supervise the setting up of the conference room for a meeting, she said he's not really concentrating; his mind is on you and the children" Helen said
"I know…he left me a note this morning, promising me that he wouldn't be long even though I told him it was fine; I understand he has to go into the office today and I'm fine with it" Gail said "Besides I haven't spent any time with Lucy in ages, perhaps I'll get to hear how she's doing with her flute"
Helen laughed "Please not the flute" she joked
"She can't be any worse than I was. Mind you I only kept it up for a couple of lessons then lost interest" Gail said
"Jim keeps threatening to hide it…I swear sometimes she plays it wrong just to wind him up" Helen said
Gail laughed "I used to play it wrong just so that I didn't have to take anymore lessons; I wasn't really musical"
"Lucy was sorry that she missed lunch yesterday" Helen commented "Her and Emma had a falling out before she left"
"What happened?"
Helen rolled her eyes "Teenage girls…probably about a boy"
"Yes I remember being that age" Gail said "Life feels like one big drama"
Helen laughed "And if there ever was a major drama queen…it's Lucy"
Gail laughed "Wonder what these three will turn out like…" looking down.
"I'm sure they'll be perfect" Helen smiled "Are you getting tired yet?"
"No…why"
"Well I was thinking why don't we go and do some more window shopping then surprise Rosemary and Paul and see if we can tear those two workaholics away from the office to have some lunch" Helen replied
As they walked towards the shops again Gail commented
"I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised at Paul this weekend; he didn't look to go into the office once and I saw no signs of cabin fever" Gail said "We made a deal that after Rosemary leaves then maybe we'll job share or he could find a way of only working at the office in the morning and bring work home for later, that way he can spend time with the children; but we made a pact that weekends are for the family" Gail said
"You two have done a lot of talking by the sounds of it. I'm hoping Rosemary will stay for a while if that's helpful; I hate her being so far away" Helen said
"Jim told us that Julie is also coming back to stay for Christmas" Gail said
"Don't remind me…our house will be cramped, luckily Todd is going to stay with his Annette and Katie so that will be one less mouth to feed"
Gail thought for a moment and stopped Helen in her path by holding her arm "You and Lucy could always move in with us, there's the spare room, that's if you don't mind three screaming babies"
"Thanks but I don't want to burden you two with house guests when you've got the children to look after" Helen said
"We don't mind…and if it helps makes Christmas a little easier….at least think about it" Gail replied
"We'll see…but I wouldn't shout that too loud because you might find the whole family around at your house trying to escape Julie" Helen laughed
"She's not that bad surely" Gail said alarmed, perhaps a little too quickly as Helen looked at her.
"No…she just gets . . . .a bit overpowering at times; in fact she's a lot like Hilary" Helen said "Still I'm sure it will be okay"
"Do you mean, she's bossy?"
Helen smiled knowingly and Gail said "ah, message received!"
An hour later Helen and Gail walked in to the office to find Rosemary sitting at the receptionist's desk. Looking up she smiled
"Hi you two…looks like you've been busy" eyeing Helen's shopping bags
"Yes, we've had fun this morning. We just wondered if you wanted to join us for lunch in the coffee shop" Helen asked
"Sure…give me a few minutes and I'll be with you" Rosemary said closing the file on the desk.
"How's it going?" Gail asked inquisitively
Rosemary laughed "Well your husband's mind is definitely elsewhere today; he's been looking at his watch every ten minutes; but having said that we've got quite a bit covered and a few things sorted. We've started looking for another Assistant Manager and a secretary. We've just got to organise interviews and see whether Paul wants to be involved or if he trusts me enough to go ahead and appoint. Whatever way, it's something that can be organised around anything else"
"Rosemary I'm not asking him to give up work, I just want him to spend a little more time with me and the children when they arrive. I guess the real problem is that we've always been together whether it's at work or at home but these past few months…things have changed" Gail said
"Hey why don't Mum and I meet you in the Coffee Shop and you surprise Paul" Rosemary said
Gail's eyes brightened with a smile "Okay"
Rosemary picked up her handbag and left with Helen while Gail pushed the office door open quietly. Paul was standing this side of the desk with his back to her so didn't hear her come in. He was on the phone and was just ending the conversation. Gail put her hands on his hips and called out sprung. Turning to see her Paul smiled and kissed her hello.
"Hey you, I didn't expect to see you until later, everything okay?" He asked
"Fine but these three have been active, it'll be interesting to see what the Consultant says after my scan…I have a feeling that they're going to appear before 24th November" she replied
"Is that a warning Mrs Robinson, I'll make sure I know the quickest route to the hospital! You're not overdoing it are you?" Paul said concerned as he caught sight of Gail's swollen ankles.
"Of course not...We've just come to invite you to lunch then I'm planning on spending the rest of the day relaxing with my feet up" Gail said
"But you're staying at Dad's aren't you, I don't want you alone" Paul said
Gently she stroked his face "Yes I am, hopefully when Lucy comes home I can spend some time with her, if you're not finished work beforehand" she said
"I'm sorry, I'm doing it again aren't I; it's just after what happened on Friday . . . . ." Paul said
"Darling don't worry…I am not going anywhere. That is all behind us now, I love you too much to even think about leaving you; at the end of the day I couldn't do it…you're stuck with me Robbo whether you like it or not" she laughed
"Hmm I like the sound of that" he said
Gail moved closer and Paul took her hands in his "Do me a favour?" she said
Half expecting a request for a back or foot rub later Paul was pleasantly surprised when Gail asked for a hug and kiss.
"Well I think I can just about manage that" as Paul pulled Gail closer for a hug and kiss.
She giggled when she felt at least one of the babies give a sharp kick; Paul pulled slightly back and laughed shaking his head.
"I'm going to be having words with those three soon" he said
"How about we go and get lunch, I'm suddenly starving and I'm sure Helen and Rosemary will be wondering where we are" Gail said
Paul let the PA know where he would be if needed and opened the door for Gail.
"Hey I'll try and not be too long this afternoon" Paul said "How about I phone you before I leave and then go to the supermarket, we need to stock up"
"Fine…I'll probably be with Helen so try there first…if you're going shopping can you get some popcorn" Gail replied
"Popcorn…what do you want popcorn for?" Paul questioned as they walked across to the Coffee Shop
"I thought we were going to watch a movie…well we need popcorn" Gail laughed
Paul rolled his eyes "Okay…anything to keep you happy…anything else you need?"
"Thinking about it are you sure you don't need a shopping list, I know how much you enjoy shopping!" she looked at him raising her eyebrows smiling.
Paul laughed "don't push it" kissing her cheek "Come on let's go and get some lunch"
After lunch Paul and Rosemary returned to the office while Helen and Gail headed back to Ramsay Street. They spent the afternoon relaxing; Helen decided to do some painting while Gail read a little and slept for a while on the couch. When Lucy came home, Gail chatted to her for a while about her day and then listened to her playing her flute; glancing at her watch she saw that it was four o'clock and wondered how Paul was doing. At the same time the phone rang, Helen answered it in the kitchen where she was painting and Gail could hear it was Paul from their conversation; he was just leaving for the supermarket.
Later that evening after returning home Paul and Gail sat together on the sofa eating dinner. Both had had long days and just wanted to kick back and relax.
"So how was your day?" Gail asked with a tinge of inward jealousy as she still felt left out of the business.
"Not too bad" Paul paused and continued "….I missed you around the office though; all I could think about was getting everything done that needed to be done and coming home"
"Ah, darling I'm flattered. I missed you too but it was nice having Helen to keep me company"
"I got so annoyed…especially this afternoon, the phone didn't stop ringing and I was just wanted to get away"
Gail laughed "Well, I can't help it if my husband is popular can I! Anyhow, Rosemary said your mind was on other things today"
"It's just that these are our final days as a couple, soon we'll have our own family" Paul said
"Mmm, it seems amazing just thinking about it, having a family of my own was not something I ever saw happening" Gail said smiling and resting her hand on the babies "Ah, that reminds me I saw some prams this morning that we can have a look at tomorrow, and there's a good discount shop in town with really good baby clothes"
Paul laughed "You've been busy I see…hope you haven't overdone it"
Gail shook her head "No…besides I think I slept a lot of it off this afternoon, until Lucy came home at least"
"And how is my sister's flute playing these days?"
"A bit rough still but better than mine ever was" Gail replied
Finishing his dinner and putting their plates on the coffee table Paul stretched his arms up and relaxed back on the sofa as Gail put her feet on his lap for a foot rub "at least as far as the office goes, that's me finished for a while, oh I might have to go in and do some interviews; I've left it to Rosemary to contact me if she wants me for the interviews, I trust her business judgements, well apart from Morris but that's in the past. I'm still hoping that you will come back to work with me at some point" Paul said
Gail smiled "We'll see"
"Rosemary agrees that it should be possible for me to work from home, which will help you…..she also gave me a lecture about keeping my weekends work free. Gran told her what happened on Friday apparently" Paul said
"Yeah, I had a feeling she might have; sorry I couldn't warn you in time"
Sitting up a little and looking down Gail continued "Paul I wasn't thinking straight, I was depressed about Dad, annoyed at you and everything finally caught up with me."
Reaching across to cup Gail's cheek in his palm Paul replied "I know…communication was never our strong point but hey look at us now. This weekend we've come out stronger than ever, from now on I'm going to make sure that you never feel the way you did on Friday but in exchange you've got to promise me that you don't shut me out"
"mmm" Gail replied taking Paul's hand in hers.
"Hey come on, I thought you wanted to watch this movie and the popcorn" Paul said "I'll go and start the popcorn"
"If you don't fancy the movie I got we could see what's on t.v. we could just snuggle up and eat popcorn" Paul laughed.
"That sounds like a good idea…not sure I could keep awake to watch the movie now" Gail said
Gail watched Paul in the kitchen as he attempted to make the popcorn. For both their sakes she decided to rescue him just before the popcorn started to pop in the pan without a lid. They both looked at each other and burst out laughing "and you're going to trust me with baby bottles and sterilizers?" exclaimed Paul.
"Mum always used to make popcorn with us" Paul said "Gran used to do it with Lucy, mind you it never lasted very long with her"
Gail laughed "Dad and I always use to make it, Mum hated the stuff. I remember whenever we watched a movie; he used to push it under her nose trying to tempt her."
"You're Dad was definitely a character" Paul said
Gail smiled as she placed the popcorn into a bowl "Come on popcorn's up"
Before she could stop him Paul grabbed the bowl from her "Hey that's mine!" Gail declared
"You'll going to have to come and get it" Paul laughed as he went to sit down, holding the bowl above his head.
"Paul give me that bowl!!" Gail laughed "You wouldn't deprive a hormonal pregnant woman would you"
Paul looked at her, smiling cheekily he replied "Could do…I love it when you're angry"
"You also want to sleep in the spare room tonight do you then?" Gail asked, knowing that if she made him sleep in the spare room she'd probably end up in there with him.
Paul looked at her and smiled "Okay, okay come and sit down"
"Not until you give me that bowl"
Paul reached for her hand and gently pulled her towards him, carefully making sure she didn't hurt herself, Gail gently fell onto the sofa laughing; Paul put the bowl on the floor and put his arm around her and went to kiss her but Gail pulled away slightly, shaking her head she said
"Robbo…I want that popcorn now!!"
Paul pouted and handed her the bowl "So you love popcorn more than me then"
Gail reached into the bowl to grab a handful and smiled "hmm just at the moment you might have to come second"
Paul watched her, she looked so happy and contented, glancing down he noticed her swollen ankles and sighed, he was glad he didn't have to go into the office; he needed to look after his wife and make sure she didn't overdo it. Gail saw him staring into space and offered him the bowl.
"Hey, you're miles away what are you thinking about?" she asked
He smiled turning to face her "Nothing, just how relaxed and happy you look"
"And why shouldn't I be, I have the man I love and in a weeks time we'll have our own family, now there's that detective programme about to start that you like"
"yeah, sure"
Paul stretched back putting his feet up as he did so on the coffee table. Gail snuggled closer to him, laying her head on his lap while she stretched out on the sofa. Paul made Gail more comfortable with a cushion and looked down at her.
"You sure you're comfy" he said
Gail nodded "Mmm, I'm fine…"
A comfortable silence settled as Paul watched the T.V. Half an hour later Paul realised Gail was sleeping so gently he reached for the blanket on the back of the sofa and placed it over her, making sure he didn't wake her; he returned to watch the TV, glancing at Gail every now and then. She looked peaceful; he knew she wasn't sleeping very well at night as she was uncomfortable. Without thinking Paul gently stroked her back, listening to her breathing as he waited for the news to start. He checked his watch, it was only 9.30pm but it felt later. Today had been tiring for both of them for different reasons; he trying to get everything sorted that Rosemary wanted him to do before he left and Gail the shopping. He was so relieved to finally be able to relax. Half an hour later he gently kissed Gail's cheek, trying to gently wake her, knowing that she couldn't really be very comfy.
"Hey" he whispered.
Gail opened her eyes and hazily smiled "Ahh, what time is it?"
"10pm..you fell asleep, my company must have bored you, either that or the TV programme"
"Why didn't you wake me?" Gail asked
"I was enjoying the peace and quiet" Paul smirked innocently
Gail awkwardly sat up with help from Paul and looked at him "Well matey anytime you want to we can easily ensure that you have all the peace in the world" she said raising her eyebrows in his direction.
Paul laughed "Is that a threat or a promise?"
"Robbo you should know me by now, I don't do threats" she smiled
Paul looked at her and gently stroked her face "I didn't want to disturb you, you're not exactly getting much rest at night right now"
"Is there any popcorn left?" Gail asked looking in the direction of the bowl on the coffee table
Paul laughed "Nope you ate the lot…how about I make us a hot drink before bed"
"That would be good"
After making the drinks Paul went to sit back down, placing the mugs on the table he sat back down and placed his arm around Gail.
"So did you have a nice sleep?"
"I did actually, better than if I'd gone to bed" Gail replied, picking up her drink.
"I think this is what I'm looking forward to, our children safely tucked up in bed while we snuggle up down here on the sofa" Paul said
"if that's how you think it will be I think you might be in for a shock, do you remember how Des was when Jamie was weeks old?"
"I still can't actually believe that I'm going to have these children." Gail said "Five years ago I didn't even believe I could ever have a baby…something I just put out of my mind"
Paul looked at her and paused "Do you ever wonder what would have happened if you and Jeremy had stayed together, if he was still alive I mean."
"What whether we'd have tried the IVF?"
"Mmm, yeah or maybe adoption"
"….I doubt it, Jeremy was more interested in cars, than anything else. The IVF costs money which he wouldn't have wanted to spend and you also need patience which he didn't have very much of" Gail replied "He would have stopped at the first hurdle, besides I don't think our relationship was secure enough to consider bringing a child into the equation, anyhow you forget one important aspect!" Gail said taking Paul's hand "Jeremy was remarried so we didn't really have a future together"
"Funny how things turn out isn't it" Paul said smiling to himself "I mean, I would never have guessed that we'd end up together, not after how things were when we were worked on the Airline"
"Hey, I wasn't that a bad boss! It was just you didn't like having a woman as a boss, you definitely didn't like taking orders from a woman, you made that perfectly clear" Gail said teasing
Paul laughed "And now you take the orders from me darling"
Gail shook her head "Yeah right. ...don't be fooled darling; I just let you think you get your own way"
"I'm glad things turned out the way they did, I wouldn't want it any other way" Paul said
"Careful" Gail laughed "You're going soft on me"
Paul pulled her closer and kissed her "Maybe you bring out the best in me; you give good advice, every now and then!"
Gail smiled "What are friends for?"
Gail looked at him thoughtfully, thinking about what she almost did on Friday sent a chill through her; "You drive me crazy at times" she said pinching his chin gently "But we're a good team, we've got this far together. I know if it had been anybody else I left last week I would have kept on walking"
"Mmm that's good to hear – does my ego good to hear that" Paul replied whilst winking at Gail "The future looks fine; all we need is to get the Robinson Corporation sorted so that I have more free time; Rosemary's on the case"
"I was thinking if I work from home, you can still be involved in decision making and contribute ideas that way we can still work as a team, but right now these children and you are my priority and making sure all four of you are happy is priority" Paul said looking at his watch "Come on it's getting late I think it's time we call it a night"
The following morning as Paul and Gail left the house ready for the hospital appointment they chatted about the shopping they needed to do, Gail reminding Paul that she knew of a great discount store that she wanted to visit. Paul tried to stifle a smile as Gail awkwardly lowered herself in to the car but failed to hide his amusement although Gail flashed him a warning look. For the first time the journey to the hospital seemed to take longer although the traffic was light. As Paul pulled the car into a parking space and turned off the engine he glanced at his watch and commented they were early, looking at Gail he smiled and said
"Are you okay…you've been quiet all the way here…it's not like you"
"You're a fine one to talk" Gail laughed
"What is it? Are you nervous, about this scan I mean?" Paul asked
Gail sighed and looked at Paul, "Mm slightly…I guess each day that goes by makes me more and more nervous"
"Yeah, I know how you feel?" Paul said
"Paul, this is a huge responsibility, and I guess I'm scared that I'm not up to it; to have someone completely dependant on you for everything, and not just one baby but three who will need all the love and attention we can give them. Then I've been thinking . . . . . . what if they need medical help, there's always a risk with multiple births" Gail replied
Paul took both of Gail's hands in his "Of course we're up to this; we're in this together and whatever happens we will face it together. You've been so strong throughout the IVF, you always look on the bright side" he said
Gail smiled "There's something else too" she said thoughtfully
Paul looked at her curiously
Gail bit her lip thinking "These babies are as a result of our love, and when they're born we'll be a real family; the past has gone, what we have now is so much better…part of me is so scared, I want to get this parenthood thing right but another part of me is excited…we'll finally have what we both want"
"And there is only one person I want to share it all with" Paul said as he made a move to get out of the car. "Hey come on…let's go inside" Paul said "Whatever life throws at us we'll face it together"
Hand in hand they walked into the hospital. Once inside the consulting room, Paul held Gail's hand reassuringly as they watched in amazement as the Consultant showed them the movements of the babies on the screen and reassured them that everything was fine; there were three healthy heartbeats although it was possible that their birth was imminent as Gail's blood pressure was slightly raised and the babies were in a good position. Finally they were given the choice of knowing the sex of each baby but once again Gail said that she didn't want to know although Paul frowned, and explained that it might be beneficial to know whether they were having girls or boys. The Consultant gave Gail the envelope containing the information, which if she changed her mind could be opened.
"Come on Gail…aren't you the least bit curious?" Paul asked as they walked back to the car with the relief of knowing all was well with the babies clear on their faces.
Gail shook her head and laughed, turning to Paul she replied "You're so impatient…does it really matter what these children are…will you love them any less if they're all girls instead of boys?"
"No of course not…it's just…"
Gail rolled her eyes "Paul you're being like a two year old who can't wait until Christmas to open his presents…you'll just have to wait a little longer"
Paul pouted knowing he wasn't going to win this argument.
As they browsed in the discount shop at the car seats and prams Gail commented "Come on we need to look at baby bottles and sterilising equipment, I think Jim is right . . . . . . . . .you know with making the feeds up darling"
"We're going to need a hell of a lot of bottles" Paul said
Gail sighed "You bet ya…we also will probably need a bigger fridge"
"A bigger fridge…how about a bigger house…these babies are going to takeover" Paul said
Gail laughed and realising Paul wasn't joking looked at him seriously "You don't regret this though do you? I mean the babies"
Paul pulled her into an embrace "Of course not…I think I've just realised the enormity of what is about to happen to us" he said
Gail kissed him then pulled away "Come on…I want to go and look at some more baby clothes" she said
Paul laughed and gently grabbed her arm "Hey you're supposed to be taking it easy…not running about the store like a headless chuck" he said, then lowering his voice he said "Or like a waddling duck at that"
Gail looked at him in disbelief "What did you just say, Robinson?"
"Nothing" Paul replied innocently shrugging his shoulders
Gail glared at him "Go on say it again"
Paul laughed "You heard what I said and you have to admit just at the moment you do a pretty good interpretation of a waddling duck"
"I do not" Gail rebuked looking at Paul in disbelief "Paul…just at this precise moment you're in danger of sleeping in the garage due to your pig ignorant attitude"
Paul moved closer to her, aware of other people in the store and Gail's raised voice "Hey I'm only joking…I quite like the way you're walking at the moment if you really want to know"
Gail shook her head and slapped his arm away "I'm going to look at some more clothes, I suggest you find someone who appreciates your warped sense of humour and throw abuse at them instead, I have no wish to even be within 10 feet of you right now"
Paul called out after Gail but she didn't stop. He watched her walk away knowing that he hadn't helped the situation, deciding to let her cool down he went back to choosing the car seats, after a little while with his mind on Gail's outburst and not wanting to leave Gail any longer he went in search of her. Finding her amongst the baby clothes he picked up a pair of sleep suits. "There you are, I can't believe these things are so small" he said in an attempt to break the ice.
Gail looked briefly at him holding the clothes up but continued to add items to her basket and ignored him
"Hmm it would make more sense to know what sex these babies are especially when buying baby clothes"
"Oh for goodness sake!" Gail exclaimed, taking the envelope out of her handbag and thrusting it at Paul "If you really want to know…here…open it but I don't want to know. I'm going back to the car, you can finish the shopping as you're so confident you can do it all!" dropping the basket on the floor and heading for the exit.
Paul saw the tears in her eyes as Gail had spoken the words "Gail . . .wait…I'm sorry" but she had disappeared out of the door before he could reach her. He left the shopping in the aisle and followed her outside, slipping the envelope into his back pocket. He found her leaning against the car, walking up behind her he gently said her name; when she didn't respond he attempted to gain her attention by placing his hands on her shoulders.
"Hey…come on I didn't mean to upset you. I was just joking I thought you knew that, I know how you are feeling right now" Paul said quietly
Gail stayed where she was with her back to him, tears rolling down her face.
"Darling look at me" Paul said, as he gently turned her around to face him. Gail continued looking at the ground; Paul placed his finger under her chin and gently lifted it. "Hey, come on, what's wrong?"
"Paul, how can you honestly know how I feel? I don't need you telling me I look like a waddling duck, I feel fat and I don't know . . . . .frumpy" she replied through tears. Paul wiped the tears from her cheeks and pulled her closer to him for a hug. She paused and whilst in his embrace continued "I don't know I guess I'm just feeling tired and over sensitive. I don't need you telling me how I look I'm reminded every morning when I look in the mirror".
"Ssssh, hey you couldn't look fat and horrible if you tried. You are gorgeous, I'm sorry I shouldn't have said anything but I thought you knew I was pulling your leg"
"Mmm, funny way of showing it!" Gail said unconvinced
Paul laughed "Yeah well, bad call by me I admit…how about we go get a bite to eat and then finish up the shopping?"
Gail brightened "Are you paying for lunch?"
"I guess so" Paul laughed rolling his eyes and smiling
They headed off towards the nearest coffee shop, Gail suddenly feeling hungry. After they had ordered, Paul put his hand in his back pocket and pulled out the envelope containing the babies' gender.
"Did you open it?" Gail asked dubiously across the table
"No" he replied
"Why not…you seemed so desperate to know earlier" Gail said waiving her fork in Paul's direction casually "I thought about what you said earlier, in a way you're right it would make more sense to know what we were buying for"
Paul smiled "Ah, that's before I thought about it more as well we've already said we wanted it to be a surprise so why change now"
"You can look if you want to" Gail said, placing her hand over his.
Paul picked up the envelope and looked at it, Gail watched thinking that he was going to open it, he looked up and smiled at her as he tore the envelope in half, and then half again until there was nothing left except small pieces of paper.
"Now we'll never know" Paul said "Well not until they are born anyway"
Gail smiled "Mmm, might be sooner than we both think by the sounds of what the Consultant said this morning. Looks like these children are in a hurry to be born" Gail said "In a way I wanted them to be born on the 24th November" looking down and feeling the babies move with her hand.
"Hey, it doesn't matter" Paul said "Just as long as you're okay and they're healthy. Are you sure you're up to more shopping?"
"Of course" Gail said defensively, pulling out her shopping list and handing it to Paul, reciting everything that they needed to get.
After spending the afternoon going from shop to shop, they eventually arrived home. Gail was first through the door and sat down taking her shoes off to stretch her feet. Paul came through the door a couple of minutes later with as much as he could possibly carry whilst being able to see where he walked still. Gail took one look and started laughing "this is no laughing matter Gail!"
"I'm sorry darling, it's just the way you fell in the door, here let me help you"
"no you just sit there and rest, I'm fine"
"Okay if you insist" Gail replied coyly smiling at Paul struggling with all the bags
Gail told Paul to take everything up to the nursery as she got up to put the kettle on. Finally Paul came downstairs after unpacking the bags and putting the items away. He slumped down on the sofa picking his coffee up.
"Well, the pram and car seats are being delivered in a few days, I've put the baby alarms out, attached the mobiles on the cots and bought the bottles and sterilisers down and put them out in the laundry for the time being. I've left the bouncing cradles upstairs for now. By the way I've left the bedding for you to make up the cots, do you think there's anything else we need?" Paul asked
"Well we've got everything on my list, we also have plenty of clothes and I know Helen has brought some too…so I think we're almost sorted. I'll just send you out with a shopping list otherwise!" Gail said
"What about you…how are you feeling?" Paul asked moving putting his feet up on the coffee table and relaxing back
"To be honest really tired, my back is hurting and the babies are kicking" Gail replied
"I'm sorry about today" Paul said
Gail smiled "It's okay…I was just being oversensitive, today was great, we sorted out the shopping that we need and we spent time together; and you haven't thought about work all day long" poking him in the ribs teasingly
"Hey…how could I think about work when I've got my favourite girl by my side?" Paul said winking
Gail laughed "Such a charmer" she said
Later that night lying in bed Gail felt restless; the babies appeared to be constantly kicking and moving making it near impossible to get comfortable. Paul was asleep and Gail didn't want to worry him so decided to get up and have a hot drink. As she sat downstairs her discomfort intensified and her thoughts moved to the pain rather than the babies kicks. There was no doubting it now the Consultant had been right and the babies were not going to wait any longer. Gail returned upstairs and sat on the side of the bed quietly for a little longer.
Out of the darkness suddenly Gail heard Paul "hey you, what are you doing?"
"Oh I'm glad you're awake now, I was going to wake you in a minute. I've not been to sleep. I think this is it . . . ."
Paul sat up promptly and rushed around to her side of the bed "why didn't you wake me earlier!"
"I wasn't sure and just wanted to be definite" Gail replied
"Well what do you want me to do? How long?, are you in much pain?, can I do something?" Paul exclaimed in a sudden rush realising the enormity suddenly
"Hold on, one question at a time" Gail replied trying to laugh as another contraction started.
The contraction passed and Gail looked up at Paul as he held her hand and rubbed her back.
Gail was slightly shocked by the fear that she suddenly saw in Paul's eyes in the semi-darkness "Hey Darling, it's going to be okay, it should be me that is nervous, don't look so worried!"
"I'm sorry I can't help it, I hate seeing you in this much pain" Paul replied
Normally they would have telephoned Beverley to ask her to come over but she was in Adelaide at a seminar and wouldn't be back until the next day.
"I think we need to get to the hospital" Gail said "The contractions are getting stronger"
It was 3am as they left the house and Paul helped Gail in to the car. As Paul turned the ignition on she turned to him "This time tomorrow it will hopefully be over…we'll have the children we've always wanted, and as far as I'm concerned that will be worth the pain" she said
Paul kissed her hand "I'll be right beside you all the way Darling"
"I know" Gail said
The drive to the hospital was quick with hardly any traffic on the roads at that time of the morning. Paul remarked that he would phone the family in the morning, he didn't want to wake them this early, Gail lent back against the head rest and closed her eyes, trying to breathe through the pain, Paul glanced sideways nervously at her, not really knowing what to do or what to say. Silently Paul was relieved when they had reached the hospital and were settled in. When they were alone Paul broke the silence.
"What do you want me to do for you to help?" He said
Gail half laughed as another contraction started. Afterwards she continued "I think this is something only women can do Darling!"
"you know that's not what I mean Gail, now's not a time for joking"
Gail stroked his face "Darling don't worry" she said "as soon as we see the Midwife everything will be fine"
"that doesn't answer my question Gail" Paul was getting more anxious now and Gail could see it and knew why.
"Paul I just want you to stay with me and hold my hand" Gail said
As time went by Paul glanced up at the clock discretely without Gail seeing. He knew she was in pain but felt helpless, apart from holding her hand and rubbing her back there was nothing he could do, even with pain relief Gail seemed to be in such pain to Paul.
Gail glanced up at Paul and faintly smiled. She knew what his deep fear was but she couldn't reassure him anymore, by 12pm she found she had to use all her energy to concentrate on the contractions.
The Midwife had informed them both that Helen and Jim had arrived early that morning after Paul had telephoned them. Paul hadn't wanted to leave Gail since so they had not spoken yet.
Paul noticed that Gail was becoming more tired. The Consultant was contacted by the Midwife which heightened Paul's anxiety even further although he attempted to hide this from Gail to ease her concerns. She was offered a caesarean but declined, wanting to have a natural birth if possible. Paul tried to persuade her but her mind was made up and he couldn't change it.
It was four o'clock in the afternoon when finally the cry of the first baby was heard, both Paul and Gail were in tears. The midwife informed them that it was a boy and although slightly underweight he appeared to be healthy. She handed the baby to a nurse who then placed the child in an incubator, through their tears Paul commented on the powerful set of lungs the baby seemed to have and Gail laughed saying that he was just like his father then. Half an hour later another boy was born.
As Paul watched their babies he felt Gail relax back on the bed and looked around. She looked pale and started to close her eyes.
"Gail! Come on Darling just once more"
The Consultant and Midwife became concerned at this point as Gail's blood pressure increased suddenly and they were worried she wouldn't be able to deliver the final baby naturally. Paul continued talking to her, trying to keep her alert, scared of what would happen if she closed her eyes again. Suddenly Gail began to lose consciousness, she was extremely weak, Paul pleaded with her to wake up but to no avail. The Consultant looked at her blood pressure which had risen dramatically; there was no choice but to do a caesarean section. Quickly they rushed her from the delivery room into the theatre, Paul had a gown and hat passed to him in the hurry by the nurse and was running alongside Gail as she was wheeled out towards the theatre. They passed Helen and Jim sitting in the corridor but he could only make eye contact with Helen as they passed.
Jim and Helen watched speechless as Gail was wheeled into the operating theatre; neither knew what to say, both lost in their own thoughts. Helen had seen the look of fear on Paul's face as their eyes met. Jim looked back down the corridor to see Beverley running towards them. She called his name.
"I've just got back from the conference, Lucy told me what happened? Do you know anything?" she asked looking at them both
"No" Jim said "What is it about hospital, nobody tells you anything!"
"Let me go and see what I can find out" Beverly suggested
Jim and Helen watched her go, they sat down back down.
"I can't believe this is happening" Jim said in shock "These past few days they have been so happy"
"Jim…I'm sure Gail is going to be fine" Helen replied placing a hand on his arm reassuringly
Minutes later Beverly returned to them and explained that two of the babies had been born and were doing well in incubators but Gail had become distressed and lost consciousness so they were performing a Caesarean to deliver the third baby.
"How is she?" Jim asked
"She's under anaesthetic at the moment and her blood pressure is raised slightly although it has reduced considerably from what it was. It's just a case of waiting now" Beverly said
"How's Paul?" Helen asked
"Not good…he's anxious, to be honest I'd sooner he wasn't in the there with her, the Consultant needs to concentrate on Gail and not have to worry about him. I did suggest he go and see the babies or wait with you but he won't leave" Beverly said
Helen sighed and quietly stated "He must feel his nightmare is coming true"
Jim looked at her confused "What do you mean?"
"I wasn't sure to tell you or not but Gail told me that a few nights ago Paul dreamt Gail had high blood pressure and the triplets were delivered early, although they were fine . . . . . Gail wasn't…."
"don't" Jim stopped Helen mid sentence
She didn't need to go any further; Jim knew what she was going to say "It makes sense now, that's why he wanted to know what happened to Anne, why didn't I realise? Why didn't he tell me?"
"You can't go blaming yourself Jim" Helen said
Jim put his head in his hands "This cannot happen to this family again…I don't want Paul to go through what I went through; I'm not sure he'll survive without her"
"Jim will you listen to yourself" Beverley said "Don't be so pessimistic"
Silence filled the air as each reflected on the events, an hour later the Consultant appeared who explained that the last baby had been delivered safely and Gail was being taken to recovery, where her blood pressure was being monitored.
Beverley looked at Jim and Helen "Lucy told me how long you two have been here, why don't you go home? I'll stay here and let you know what happens, at the moment there's nothing you can do" she said
"I'm not leaving Paul to face this alone" Jim replied
"Someone needs to go home for the kids; look I'll go but keep me informed" Helen said
"Okay, of course I will" Beverly said
Jim thanked Helen and she reassured him further.
Jim waited in the corridor alone whilst Beverley started her shift elsewhere in the hospital. The hours went by slowly, day turned to night as Paul and Jim waited for Gail to wake; Paul remained next to her in recovery, gently holding her hand and talking to her. He couldn't bring himself to talk about the babies, as if blanking them out of his thoughts until he knew Gail would be okay. Jim watched outside through the window not wanting to interrupt the private moment. Beverly joined him but he wasn't really registering her presence.
"Jim, listen they've got her blood pressure stabilized and she has had a blood transfusion; at the moment it's a matter of the anaesthetic wearing off. In layman's terms, she's sleeping, it's her body's way of recovering, she's been through a traumatic experience but it looks positive…you have to believe that"
Meanwhile back in Ramsay Street, Helen had made dinner for Todd and Lucy; although no one was really hungry as Gail was on their minds. Helen tried to reassure them and encouraged them to do their homework and watch TV. Helen sat quietly in the living room, looking at the phone willing it to ring, she tried to remain calm and composed for the sake of Todd and Lucy.
On hearing the days news Madge and Harold had dropped in to see if there was anything they could and Des had caught her as she returned home from the hospital.
At 9.30pm there was still no news from the hospital, she sent the kids off to bed and waited alone, her thoughts turning to her daughter and hoped that the same fate wouldn't befall Gail.
Paul sat quietly by Gail's bedside now having run out of things to talk about; listening to the machine monitoring her heartbeat and blood pressure. To him it appeared steady, the Consultant had informed him that her blood pressure was almost back to normal and it was just a case of Gail's body healing, it was up to her now. Beverley and Jim had tried to persuade him to get some fresh air and take a look at the babies in the special care unit when they had been allowed in a short while ago. Paul was adamant that he wasn't leaving Gail alone; he wanted to see the babies for the first time with Gail. Holding her hand tightly he spoke to the silent room.
"Gail…you've got to wake up…we have so much to look forward to, I want to share everything with you, I love you so much. Stupid really I guess I always have even though I denied it in the early days. Come on darling; we finally have what we wanted; our children are healthy and they…we . . . need you. I don't want to be without you…please wake up…just give me a sign that you can hear me. You're my best friend…please wake up"
Paul clasped her hand in both of his, looking at the clock he saw that it was gone midnight, he had been awake for over twenty four hours and he suddenly felt his tiredness overcome him.
Helen sat alone in the living room; the door opened and she saw Lucy walk towards her.
"What are you doing up madam, you should be in bed" she said
"Gran, I can't sleep…any news from the hospital?" Lucy replied
Helen shook her head "No, darling not yet"
"Is Gail going to be alright?" Lucy asked
Helen took a deep breath "I'm sure she will, there is no need for you to worry though"
"Can I stay up with you?" Lucy said "I don't want to go to sleep"
"Okay" Helen said reluctantly as Lucy sat down and snuggled up closer to her. Helen looked at the clock on the wall, it was 12.50, and a sense of déjà vu surrounded her, as she thought of another night when she had stayed up late to hear news from Jim about Anne. That time it was Paul sitting close to her, not wanting to leave her. Helen thought about what Paul was going through now; experiencing the same emotions he had all those years ago; her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the telephone ringing.