A month later, Paul sat in the office of the Robinson Corporation; Rosemary had returned to America for a meeting but would be back within the week. His new office staff were on their rounds of the complex and things seemed to be running smoothly but something inside him felt unsettled. His mind was elsewhere and definitely not on work. Sighing he picked up another investment file and tried to get his mind concentrating on business. A few minutes later he looked up to see Jim walk into the office.
"How are things going?" Jim enquired as he sat down in the chair opposite Paul.
Paul sighed "Not too bad…Rosemary has this place running like clockwork" he said
Jim laughed "I never thought I'd see the day when you didn't look happy to be at work" he said
"I don't know there's just so much I could be doing at home and I'm stuck here. I never thought it would affect me but I miss the kids, even the endless feeds and nappy changes" Paul said
"Well Rosemary should be back soon, but the question is what are you going to do when she decides that she needs to return back to the States permanently?" Jim said
Paul laughed "I haven't thought that far ahead…but one thing is for sure I'm not planning on going back to the way things were" he said "perhaps I'll try working from home as much as possible so that I'm there when Gail needs me and also I think we can share the responsibility"
"Your sister called me last night, she wants to know when the babies' christening is, I told her to ask you" Jim said "Think she is hinting that perhaps she might be considered for a godparent"
Paul groaned and held his head in his hands "After her behaviour at Christmas, I don't think so, besides Gail and I have already discussed the godparents we want" he said
"And that includes Lucy?" Jim asked knowingly nodding his head in anticipation
Paul laughed "Afraid so…means your daughter has aged by a year, either that or we wait a year to christen them" he said "But she has been great with Robert…well she's great with the other two but she's bonded more with Robert"
"You do know that she was up at 6.30am Christmas day ready to come over to your place to help with the feeding" Jim said
"Why did you stop her?" Paul replied, smiling snidely
Jim laughed "So have you fixed a date yet?" he said
"February 18th" Paul replied
"Ah good, I was wondering if you were going home for lunch today mate" Jim asked
Paul looked at the work on his desk "I was planning on it…but I need to get some of this paperwork sorted and I don't want to be here after 5pm" he said
"Okay…so why don't I go back to Ramsay Street and look after the triplets and let Gail meet you here for lunch" Jim said "Surely you can spare half an hour away from your desk for you wife"
Paul laughed "For her I can spare more than that" he said "I might take some of these files home and work through them from home tomorrow" he said
"Well…I'll head back to Ramsay Street and babysit my grandchildren and let Gail join you here for lunch" Jim said
Paul's eyes lit up "You sure?" he said "I mean they can be a handful"
Jim laughed "I wouldn't have suggested it if I didn't mean it" he said "Besides Helen's at home and Beverley is going to be home for lunch so I'm sure between us we can manage"
Paul turned back to his files as Jim left the office; he had a couple of hours to at least try to get to grips with what was going on in the office. Meanwhile back in Ramsay Street Gail had finished giving the triplets their mid morning feed with the help of Helen. Robert and Cameron were settled in their cribs downstairs but Gail held Lucinda in her arms, trying to get the baby to settle. Helen watched her, as she made some coffee.
"This one is just not going to go to sleep" Gail said raising her eyes to the ceiling
"Ah she's exactly like Lucy" Helen said "She didn't like the idea of sleep either, felt she might miss something"
Gail laughed "This one is missing something" she said "Her dad, so am I to be honest"
"Is he coming home for lunch?" Helen asked
"I don't think so…he said he would try and get as much work done today so he can be home tomorrow…he'll bring work home with him" Gail replied
"Rosemary will be back shortly too…so that will give Paul some more time off" Helen said "I don't know, these past few months I've noticed a change in him, he's no longer a workaholic"
Gail smiled "true, he is keeping to his word but I know he enjoys spending time with the babies, even the early morning feeds" she said "He's even got up early this morning before the office"
"Well let's see how he copes with work when these three are teething and up all night" Helen joked
Gail laughed "Don't even go there…it's bad enough one child up all night can you imagine if you've got three all teething"
Just then there was a knock at the door, "Do you want me to get it?" Helen offered
"Oh yes please…I'll try and settle this one down" Gail said looking at Lucinda.
"Hi" Jim said as he walked through the door
"Shhhhhhhs" Helen said
"What's wrong?" Jim asked
"Lucinda's restless…she doesn't seem to want to settle" Gail replied gently stroking the baby's back
Jim walked over to them and smiled, gently touching the baby's cheek.
"In that case then how about a walk to Lassiters?" he said "That might help settle her"
"I did think about that but the boys are asleep and I don't want to disturb them just yet" Gail said
"I had a thought about that, I've just spoken to Paul and he's having difficulty concentrating" Jim said "So I told him that I would persuade you to meet him for lunch"
"I can't ask you to look after the boys though" Gail said "It's not fair to expect you to look after them while I go out"
"Of course you can, Gail I told you when you found out you were expecting triplets that the family would help in any way they could, so give yourself a break and go and have lunch with your husband, besides the walk will probably settle this one down" Jim said
"Yes and a cuddle from her dad will probably settle her too" Gail laughed.
"So that's agreed" Helen said "Let me take this little one and you can get ready"
Gail opened the main door to the Robinson Corporation office and gently pushed the pram through the door; the baby woke as she closed the door and began crying again. At his desk Paul heard the commotion outside and walked out to see what was going on. Smiling he walked over to Gail and kissed her.
"What's all this fuss about?" he said as he gently lifted Lucinda up.
Gail laughed as the Lucinda quietened with Paul's soothing. Stroking Lucinda's cheek she cooed
"There you've finally got what you wanted all morning,…a cuddle from your dad"
Paul laughed "Well it usually worked with you" winking at her as he said it
Gail shook her head and nudged Paul
Paul chuckled "It's nice to be wanted isn't it Lucinda"
"Don't get tickets on yourself matey" Gail laughed
"Well at least one of my girls appreciates me" Paul said, jokingly
Gail laughed; digging him in the ribs she replied "Don't push your luck, so where are you taking us for lunch then?"
"Oh I've ordered a picnic lunch and thought we could sit by the lake" Paul replied
Finding a shaded area by the lake, they placed the blanket on the ground and Paul made sure Lucinda was settled in the pram. Gail smiled at the protectiveness he displayed.
"So now that you've got our daughter settled, how about giving some attention to her mum" Gail said
Paul hugged her "Well since you asked so nicely how could I refuse" he said as he kissed her, after a few minutes Gail pulled away and opened the basket.
"So what have you got us for lunch?" she asked, looking inside she laughed
"I don't believe it you've got all my favourite things" she said
"See I can do things right sometimes" Paul replied as he snuggled up closer to her.
"What time do you have to get back?" Gail asked
Paul looked at her "I'm the boss remember, about an hour and a half" he said laughing "So how has your day been?"
"Well apart from this one being restless I have managed to get some housework done and Helen came round to help with feed time" Gail replied "How about you?"
"Not too bad, in fact everything seems to be running like clockwork at the moment, the hotel bookings are up on last year, the conference bookings are excellent and I've also managed to sell of some rezoned land which means we can get rid of some of that debt" he said
"That's excellent…the sooner we pay off the mortgage on the house, the better I'll feel" Gail said
"Darling, don't worry getting rid of the debt is my priority now" Paul said "Well that and making sure I look after you"
Gail smiled "You're not doing too badly" she said
Paul turned and checked on the baby next to him, lying in the pram carriage, smiling he sighed "It doesn't get much more perfect than this does it?" He said
Gail laughed "No it doesn't" she replied "I have everything I want and the one thing I never thought I would have, a family of my own"
Paul pulled her close to him and kissed her "I know what you mean…it's hard work, the sleepless nights and early mornings but just watching them sleep…it makes everything worth while" he said
"It will get easier…once we get past the teething stage and the temper tantrums" Gail laughed
Paul groaned "Don't spoil a perfect moment" he laughed
Gail laughed "I'm not…we'll get through it together"
Paul laughed "So you don't regret staying?" he said
Gail rolled her eyes "Now who's spoiling the moment" she said "Of course I don't regret staying, every time I see you with one of these three in your arms I realise that walking out would have been the worse thing I could have done for all of us…I would have deprived them of knowing a father who loved them , also I would have done exactly what Nina did to you and that wouldn't have been fair…I know how much having a family meant to you…it was just you let the business take priority" she said
"Not anymore" Paul replied "This family is more important, the success of the Robinson Corporation is important as it will give our children the security they need but the family will always come first, I promise"
Gail smiled "I know that" she said as she snuggled up closer to him.
"Oh by the way Dad had a phone call from Julie …apparently she wants to know when the christening is…dad has a feeling she's expecting an invite to be a godparent" Paul said, placing his arm around Gail's waist.
"What after her performance at Christmas…she has a nerve" Gail said "However I guess if you want to have her as godparent I won't object"
"No…we've got Rosemary, Charlene, Lucy, Gloria, Scott and Des…I think we've got enough besides after what she did to Lucy and you, it will take a long time before I forgive her" Paul said "The further she stays away from me the better"
"She's still your sister Paul" Gail said
Paul sighed "I know…speaking of families, have you given any thought about inviting Ian to the christening" he said
Gail looked at him "I don't know…maybe If dad was still here but I feel if I invite him then I betray dad" she said "I spoke to Gloria the other day and she told me that I shouldn't feel guilty if I let Ian see the children but I can't help it. Dad was looking forward to being a grandfather. Oh Paul I don't know what to do for the best"
"You don't have to do anything…I spoke to Ian at Christmas and he's fine…I told him that you needed time" Paul said "Maybe give it a couple more months and we can go to Tasmania and see him or he can come here."
"Mmm" Gail said "Families….why do things get so complicated"
Paul laughed "Don't ask me" he replied, looking at his watch he sighed "Guess I should get back to work"
"I'll be home by 6pm at the latest…if I'm not send out a search party" Paul said
"Darling its fine…I'll get dinner ready for 7pm" she said kissing him.
After saying goodbye to Paul, Gail made her way back to Lassiters, smiling at the fact that her daughter was now sleeping peacefully thanks to her husband. On arriving back at no 22, she was met by Jim as she opened the door.
"Hi" He said, helping her in with the pram "I was just on my way back to work"
"Sorry…I didn't mean to be so long" Gail replied
Jim smiled "You weren't" he said peeking into the pram "I see you got this one to sleep finally"
Gail laughed "Yeah five minutes in her father's arms and she settled" she said
"Well I better be heading off, Helen's upstairs" Jim said, kissing her on the cheek.
"Were the boys okay?" Gail asked
"Fine they woke up once wanting changing then went back to sleep" Jim said "See you later"
"Thanks Jim…bye" Gail said
Gail walked into the kitchen and put the kettle on as she heard Helen come down the stairs. Looking up she smiled.
"How did your lunch date go?" Helen asked
Gail smiled "Fine…Paul managed to get Elle settled in five minutes and we enjoyed a picnic lunch" she said "I didn't mean to be so long but Paul wasn't in a hurry to go back to work"
"That's fine..the boys have been really good" Helen said "What time is Paul coming home tonight?"
"He says no later than 6pm…but we'll see, you know how things crop up" Gail replied, as she poured milk into the mugs of coffee. Carrying them over to the coffee table, her and Helen sat down.
"Paul tells me that Jim had a phone call from Julie last night" Gail said "She wants to know when the babies' christening is"
Helen laughed "Yes…I think she feels that as she's Paul's sister she has an automatic right to be godparent…but that is for you two to decide" she said
"I told Paul it's up to him" Gail said "I'm not going to come between them…although I have to say that he's made up his mind that he doesn't want her as godparent."
"I don't think Julie realises how much she upset Paul at Christmas or Jim for that matter" Helen said
"I don't understand what her problem was…I mean she just didn't like seeing Paul happy, and as for what she did to Lucy…that was so unnecessary" Gail said
"From speaking to her last night she's having marital problems" Helen said "Phil apparently didn't want to come down and they had an argument about that…the kids aren't happy either. She says she thinks Phil is cheating on her because he's out all hours, in fact I get the feeling that they're almost living separate lives…just staying together for the sake of the kids"
"That's sad…I know how it feels to have someone cheat on you, Jeremy was the biggest cheat going. Luckily I don't have that problem with Paul, although I had a chat with Prue before I went into the office and she thinks that one of the new Office Assistants has a crush on him. Can't think why" Gail laughed raising her eyes to the ceiling
"That's my grandson you're talking about" Helen smiled "Actually he has got a reputation for starting relationships with his staff"
"Hmm I know but that's in the past. I could never trust Jeremy but Paul is different, I know I can trust him" Gail said "Besides between the business and the babies he hasn't much time or energy for anything else"
"I'm glad to hear that" Helen said "But make sure you have time for each other; don't let the babies drain all your energy, let us help you"
Gail glanced at her daughter still lying asleep in the pram "We will but we don't want you to think we're taking advantage, there's no point having these children if we're going to let someone else bring them up." She said
Helen smiled "All the same it does you good to spend time together without the babies" she said
Gail smiled "Don't worry, I intend to make the most of any time I get with my husband" she said "Do you want me to talk to Paul, ask him to reconsider letting Julie be a godparent or at least invite her to the christening?"
"No…after the way she treated you at Christmas…I don't think so. Who knows she'll probably be in touch with you two soon enough" Helen said "The other thing is I don't think Lucy will be too pleased to see her"
Paul looked at his watch, it was 5pm. The day seemed to have dragged although he had been busy catching up on what had been happening at the complex during his absence. He felt relieved in the knowledge that the new office staff were able to manage whilst Rosemary was away. Picking up some files he placed them in his briefcase to take home. There was a travel agent convention booked for the following day but it appeared everything was under control and his presence wasn't really needed. Walking out of the office he advised the receptionist that he was leaving and if needed could be contacted at home, before going to the car park he walked to the conference room to check with his office staff and advised them that he would be working from home and wouldn't be back into the office before Friday. Getting into the car he glanced at his watch again and was pleased to see it was just gone 5 and no later.
Gail sat feeding Robert as Paul opened the door, he walked over to her and kissed her and the baby, before putting his briefcase down and taking his jacket off by the desk.
"Hey" Gail said "I didn't expect you this early, I hadn't even thought about dinner"
"Don't worry about it…where's the other two?" Paul said
"Upstairs…they've been fed and bathed" Gail said "Just this little one left"
Paul laughed "How did you manage that" he said
"Helen just left…she's been here practically most of the afternoon, the other two woke at four so we decided to try and get them fed and changed and settled. Hopefully they'll sleep for a couple of hours and won't need a feed before 9pm" Gail said
Paul sat down beside them and put his arm around Gail "Didn't I tell you that we would manage" he said
Gail looked at him and rested her head on his shoulder, Paul looked down at the baby in her arms.
"Three babies all at once just seemed daunting" Gail said "Hey do you want to finish feeding him while I get you a coffee"
"Sure" Paul smiled as Gail handed the baby to him "This one is the best behaved of the three of them"
"The trick is to soothe the other two first and get them fed, because Robert will wait" Gail said standing up "Even as young as he is, sometimes I see a bemused look on his face when the other two are screaming, as though he's wondering what all the fuss is about" Gail said as she walked to the kitchen. Paul stood up feeding the baby and walked over to her.
"So how was your afternoon?" Gail asked "Did you get everything done that you needed to or do you have to go in tomorrow"
Paul looked at Robert and smiled "No…there's a travel convention in one of the conference rooms which the staff can handle, they know where I'll be if need be…mind you it might be better you going…after all it's more your expertise than mine" he said
Gail laughed "What and leave you with these three…"
"I'm sure I could manage besides Gran's only next door" Paul replied "I missed this today, I just didn't want to be in the office, I wanted to be here with you"
"Well that's something new for you" Gail laughed "I missed you too and so did the babies…you still intend to work from here tomorrow?"
"Of course" Paul said, looking at Robert he screwed his nose up in disgust "Robert, did you have to do that"
The baby looked at him and Paul thought he saw a trace of a smile
"Did you see that he smiled" Paul said "He's also filled his nappy"
"I'll take him upstairs and get his bath ready" Paul said
"Okay, I'll just put the dinner on and I'll be up" Gail replied
A short while later Gail followed Paul upstairs and found him in the bathroom, bathing Robert. Walking up behind him, she planted a kiss on his neck, Paul turned slightly.
"Hey" he smiled
"Hey yourself" she replied "How's our son?"
Paul looked at the baby, kicking in the bath "He's fine…doesn't seem very sleepy at the moment though. I checked on the other two and they're fast asleep" Paul said
"Hopefully they'll stay that way for a little longer" Gail said
After putting Robert down to sleep, Paul and Gail crept out of the nursery, hoping not to disturb the other two sleeping. After dinner they sat curled up on the sofa.
"This is lovely" Paul said "Those three safely tucked up in bed"
Gail looked at him and smiled "I know but I wouldn't be without them, for all the sleepless nights they put us through" she said
"I agree" Paul replied "But it will get easier, time goes so quickly they'll be in school before we know it"
"Don't say that" Gail said "I don't want time to go that quick"
"Neither do I" Paul laughed "Hey, talking of time it's our anniversary next month"
Gail laughed "Yeah…two years since we renewed our vows but almost three years since we got married" she said starting to fold the washing on the coffee table "Hopefully it will be better than last year"
Paul rolled his eyes "Don't remind me" he said "This year I plan on making up for last year, so Mrs Robinson what do you want to do?"
Gail laughed "Well we have a slight problem…we can't really go out!" she said
"We could always ask dad to babysit" Paul
Gail looked at him and laughed
"What did I say" Paul asked innocently
Gail shook her head "I can imagine it now "Hi dad, happy anniversary by the way can you babysit for us tonight" I don't think so do you?" she replied
"Whoops I forgot about that" Paul said "So how about I arrange a romantic evening in"
"Mmm no harm in a romantic night in" Gail said "music, wine, candles and each other that's all we need"
"Sounds good to me" Paul replied
"Changing the subject slightly" Gail said "I spoke to Helen today about Julie when I got back"
Paul stayed quiet
"She thinks that part of the problem at Christmas was that Julie is having marital problems" Gail continued
Paul rolled his eyes relaxing back in to the sofa "Darling that is no excuse for her attitude, besides I don't know why she wants to come to the triplets christening anyway, she kept telling us how much better Hannah was than our three" he said
Gail smirked "No that's impossible…" she said "Our three children are amazing…they'll special each one of them"
Paul smiled "I know and we'll make sure they know that every day of their lives" he said "Okay so what marital problems has Jules come up with to get the sympathy vote from Gran?"
Gail chastised Paul mildly for not taking Julie's possible marital difficulties seriously and explained what Helen and mentioned to her earlier that day.
Paul rolled his eyes "Well she knew what he was like when she married him" he said
Gail looked at him, slightly curious by Paul's words
"Well he was already married when he started seeing Jules, Phil was going to divorce his wife for her but their daughter Debbie tried to commit suicide so Phil stayed in the marriage, it was when his wife died that he came back to Jules" Paul said "I guess once a cheat always a cheat…can't imagine that Julie was the first"
"Why are some relationships so complicated" Gail said "I mean why can't people stay faithful to each other, why do they always have to think that there's something better waiting"
Paul kissed her forehead "I don't know…but I'm glad I've got you"
Gail smiled and kissed him "I love you" she said "though that doesn't work out whether Julie should come to the christening?"
Paul thought for a moment and sighed "I guess if she calls here we'll have to invite her especially if she finds out that Scott and Charlene are coming down but there's still no way she's going to be a godparent" he said "We also might have another problem"
"What?" Gail asked
"Well I can't imagine Lucy being too thrilled to see her" Paul said "The last thing I want to do is cause a rift between us and Lucy by her thinking that we've asked Jules to the christening so everything is alright between us"
"Don't worry…let me talk to Luce" Gail said "I think she'll be fine, once I've explained that we can't not invite her as she's still family"
Standing up Paul walked over to his briefcase and took out a copy of the hotel brochure, Gail watched him curiously "thought you might like to see this"
"I had the hotel brochure redone, well as Jane's gone and we've now got new members of staff in the office, the brochure needed a revamp" Paul said, handing Gail the copy
Gail looked at it, thinking about how upset she had felt when Paul had removed her name from it and replaced it with Jane's. She knew that it made good business sense but all the same it had upset her. Turning to the back, she was pleasantly surprised "Paul you put my picture back on the brochure" she said smiling
"I should never have taken it off, you were still my partner, and we put most of our money into the business which makes us joint directors" he said
"But you know that I'm not going to have much time for the hotel these days; not in the near future anyway" Gail said turning to look at him as he sat back down
"It doesn't matter, we were always a great team, we've made that place what it is today so you deserve acknowledgement as a director as much as I do" Paul said "Besides we can share the responsibilities of the children and the hotel, there's no reason that you can't still work and let me look after the babies"
Gail smiled "Maybe in the future sometime" she said
The following few weeks past quickly, Paul continued to go into the office from time to time but also worked from home for a few days each week, Rosemary returned to handle the day to day running of the hotel, but Paul and Gail both knew that the time would come when she would go back home permanently and they needed to be prepared for that day. The sun shining through the curtains woke Paul on a bright Valentines Day morning, smiling he snuggled closer to Gail, placing his arm around her, he gently kissed her on her cheek, feeling her move in her sleep. Paul knew she was tired as they had both got up twice in the night to feed the babies, and hadn't really got to sleep until 5am, now everything was peaceful so he decided to go downstairs and make breakfast. Kissing Gail once more he got up and put his dressing gown on, turning round to check on his wife once more before leaving the room. Quietly going into the nursery he checked on the babies, walking up to Robert's cot he gently placed his fingers lightly on the baby's cheek, smiling at how peaceful he looked. Walking over to the other two cots he checked on them, seeing everything was okay he walked downstairs, picking up the coffee mugs from the night before as he passed the coffee table. Placing them in the sink he then went and busied himself with preparing breakfast. Twenty minutes later he went upstairs, smiling that Gail was still asleep; he placed the tray on the floor and gently kissed her.
"Wake up sleepy head!" he whispered into her ear as he placed the tray on the bed.
Gail stirred and opened her eyes looking up at Paul staring down at her "Hey, what time is it?" she asked
"Just after 8am" Paul replied as he kissed her.
"You should have woken me" Gail yawned "Are the babies okay?"
Paul laughed "They're fine…still sleeping" he said, picking up the tray "I thought you deserved a lie in and I wanted to make breakfast today"
Gail sat up "So what do I owe this to?" she said, as he climbed back in beside her.
"Does that have to be a reason, why I bring breakfast upstairs for my wife?" he laughed
"No, I guess not" she said, kissing him "Come on let's eat, before it goes cold or the children wake up"
Paul turned and reached inside his beside cabinet, turning to Gail he kissed her "Happy Valentines Day" he said, handing her a small parcel.
"Paul, you shouldn't have" she beamed, as she opened the present. Paul watched her face as she saw the tiny ring inside the box.
"Paul it's beautiful" she said "But you've already given me your mother's engagement ring"
Paul smiled "I know…but I wanted to get you something special for this anniversary especially with the way things were last year and I guess I thought an eternity ring was a nice idea" he said, as he took her hand.
Gail smiled and kissed him "It's brilliant, I love it" she said
Taking the ring out of the box, he placed it on her finger.
"I didn't forget you" she said, as she lent over to her bedside cabinet, taking out her gift.
Paul laughed "You do realise that breakfast has probably gone cold now" he said as he took the gift from her.
"Who cares" Gail said "I love cold toast"
Paul opened the present and smiled at the new watch inside "Just what I need, my watch broke the other day" he said
"I know" Gail replied "Which is why I brought you a new one"
Paul turned the watch over and smiled at the inscription on the back "Gail..it's perfect, I sometimes wonder what I did to deserve you" he said "I love you so much"
Gail looked at him, gently she stroked his face "I love you too and there is nothing that could ever take me away from you" looking down at the bare finger on his left hand she frowned "Although I sometimes think that perhaps you should wear a wedding ring"
Paul looked at her "I don't need a wedding ring to prove I'm married to you" he said
Gail remained quiet for a moment, knowing he was right but thinking that maybe she'd change that at some point.
Paul kissed her "Come on let's eat before all my hard work this morning goes to waste" he said,
An hour later, they had finished their breakfast and got dressed. Going into the nursery they checked on the babies, Paul had the breakfast tray in his hand, Lucinda and Cameron were sleeping peacefully but Robert was lying quietly in his cot, but clearly awake. The couple looked down at him, marvelling at how he could be so patient when the other two didn't seem to have a patient bone in their body. The baby kicked and Paul saw what he thought was a trace of a smile.
"Come on let's take him downstairs with us and leave these two sleep for a little longer" Paul said
Gail gently picked up Robert and went and checked on the other two who were still sleeping.
"What's wrong?" Paul asked
Gail laughed "Nothing…just checking they're okay" she said, "Hey why don't you take the tray downstairs and make some more coffee while I change this little one"
Paul smiled and kissed her, marvelling at how his heart seemed to melt when he saw her with the children, he loved her more now than he ever had.
"What's wrong with you?" Gail asked as she turned to see him staring at her, as she placed the baby on the changing table.
"Nothing" He said "Just thinking how lucky I am...right I'm going to take this tray downstairs" kissing her gently before he walked out of the nursery. A few minutes Gail joined him downstairs as he was in the process of making the coffee. Paul turned when he heard her.
"Are the other two still asleep?" He asked
"Yeah" she replied
As Gail started the washing up and preparing further feeds they discussed what they might do that day and settled on a walk and a cosy night in to celebrate their anniversary. They were interrupted by a knock at the door.
"I'll get that before it wakes up Elle and Cameron" Paul said quickly as he finished the drying up. As he walked over to the front door he peaked at Robert in the basinet contentedly kicking the covers. Jim laughed when he saw Paul still dressed in his pyjamas and dressing gown.
"What is this...9 O'clock and still in your pyjamas Paul?" Jim said
Paul laughed "Yeah well your grandchildren got us up at 4am this morning, we didn't get back to sleep much before 5am" he said
"Aha the joys of parenthood, you did the same to me" Jim laughed "So are they still asleep?"
"Elle and Cameron are, Robert's down here in the basinet" Paul said "Do you want a coffee?"
"Sure" Jim replied
"Hi Jim" Gail said as she tidied the kitchen
"So what have you two got planned for the day?" Jim asked "I presume you're not going to work Paul"
"Nope, Rosemary offered to cover for me today" Paul replied "We're probably just going to take the children for a walk and get a takeaway later"
"Thought you might have been going out tonight seeing as it's valentine's day "Jim said
"What and leave these three home alone...nah Gail won't let me do that" Paul said smiling
"Well it's still not too late to do something, I can babysit for you" Jim said
"But we thought you'd be going out yourself" Gail said as she walked in to the lounge with Jim's coffee "Especially as it's your anniversary"
Jim laughed "Well I did plan on going out but Beverley informed me today that she's working, so I thought I'd see if you two wanted a babysitter" he said
Paul looked at Gail questioningly "What do you think?"
Gail thought for a moment, the babies were still small and she wasn't sure she wanted to leave them for too long but dinner out did sound inviting. "Are you sure Jim?" she asked
"Sure, I'm sure I can convince Helen to join me, the kids are out" Jim said
"Okay" Gail said "Thanks Jim"
"Well at least you two can enjoy your anniversary" Jim said
"I'll makes some phone calls shortly and see if we can find a restaurant that isn't booked up" Paul said "Unless of course you want to go to Lassiters"
Jim rolled his eyes "I'm sure you can think of somewhere more romantic than Lassiters Paul" he said
"Only joking" Paul replied
"You had better be matey" Gail said standing up, "Well I'm going to get dressed and check on the other two"
Jim watched her go; turning to Paul he said "She seems happy"
Paul smiled "I think things have settled down these past few weeks, we're learning to cope with the babies and of course Rosemary's help at the office has been great, it's allowed me to take time out to spend here"
"Do you know how long Rosemary is going to be here for?" Jim asked
"Another month roughly and then she needs to go back to America, after all she has her own business to oversee. She said she was happy to be contacted if there was anything else she could do though" Paul said
"That's good...just make sure you don't throw yourself into work again" Jim said
"I never realised how much I neglected her during the pregnancy, or how lonely she must have been. Eventually, if she wants, we could try to job share though and I plan to work from home maybe two of three days a week" Paul replied
"We'll always a phone call away" Jim remarked
"We know" Paul said "And it's appreciated"
"It's very easy to jump in and try and take over but we know that you need some space to learn to cope with these three" Jim said
"Well I better get to work?" Jim said "How about we come around at 7pm?"
Thanks dad" Paul replied as Jim let himself out.
Later that day, Gail walked into the nursery to find Paul deep in thought staring down at one of the babies in its cot after taking the laundry upstairs. Quietly she walked up behind him, placing her arms around his waist, she put her lips to his ear and whispered.
"It's amazing...my husband the ruthless, hard businessman softened by three small babies"
Paul quietly laughed and turned in her arms, placing his arms around her neck he replied "I am not ruthless...besides these three aren't the only ones that can soften me"
"Hmm that's nice to hear" Gail said kissing him "Are you nearly ready to go...Jim and Helen will be here soon"
Paul smiled and turned to look at the baby "These three are changing all the time, each day you can see something different in them" he said "Just wondering if we're doing the right thing leaving them"
Gail smiled "Darling we're not leaving them with strangers, we're leaving them with their grandparents and I'm sure Jim or Helen will contact us if there's any problems" she said, looking down at the baby in front of them "Are Robert and Elle asleep, it's unusual for Cameron to be awake he always goes to sleep straight after being fed during the evening"
"Enjoying the attention" Paul said
Paul laughed as Gail gently lifted the baby out of the cot, gently speaking to him as she stroked his back.
"I wasn't going to do that" Paul said "You know what it's like once you pick them up"
"I'll try and get him back to sleep while you finish getting ready" Gail replied
Paul gently kissed the baby's cheek "Okay" he said kissing Gail before he walked out the room. Gail continued to walk round the nursery gently rocking the baby and softly speaking to him. After a while she felt the baby's head get heavy on her shoulder and then heard the soft sound of breathing, smiling she placed him back in the cot, pulling the sheet over him to keep him warm.
"Is he asleep?" Paul asked as she walked into their room
"Yes" she smiled "with the possible sound of a snore...the boys definitely take after you"
"I don't snore" Paul replied
Gail laughed and walked over to him, giving him a hug "You do so but it doesn't matter...as I still love you" she said
"I love you too" he replied, kissing her
Having left details of the restaurant with Jim and Helen, Paul and Gail set off. On arriving at the restaurant, Paul presented Gail with a bouquet of roses that he had organised to be delivered to the restaurant.
"You're spoiling me" Gail laughed "Breakfast in bed...the eternity ring and a bouquet of roses"
Paul reached for her hand "You deserve it" he replied "I was thinking about our anniversary last year....wasn't much to celebrate was there"
"Oh Paul there were parts of last year that were terrible but we came through it together, and this year has been so much better, especially with the babies" Gail said
"Yeah even with the early morning feeds" Paul laughed raising his eyes to the ceiling
"We're getting used to it and it's becoming easier to settle them once they've been fed" Gail said sipping the wine
"Dad told me this morning that they're always available if we need them but he knows that we also need to have the space to look after our family ourselves" Paul said
"He should be out celebrating his anniversary with Beverley instead of babysitting our three" Gail remarked feeling slightly guilty for his babysitting
"Yeah, but if she was scheduled to work there's not much he could do about it" Paul said I sometimes wonder if he still thinks about mum, whether he still misses her even though he has Beverley"
"I doubt he'll ever forget your mum, they went through a lot together...had four children" Gail smiled
"Hey it's funny I can see a lot of you in Elle, but I can also see Lucy in her too" Paul said "And I know that dad always said that Lucy was the one who reminded him most of mum"
"Yes and the boys look exactly like you in your baby photos, just hope they don't grow up with your ego" Gail said
"Hmm we need another girl don't we, to even things out" Paul said
Gail laughed "Can we get the babies out of nappies first before even thinking about that one" she said smiling
"I didn't mean now but maybe sometime in the future if you wanted to and we are in the right situation" Paul said "I know Jules used to find Lucy tagging along with her a bit of a nuisance"
"Yeah well I don't think she'll have to worry about that anymore not after her performance at Christmas! " Gail said "I don't know that your dad has completely forgiven Julie for what she said"
"You're right there, I mean dad is all about family but he doesn't seem that bothered about her not coming to the christening" Paul said "There's something else going on there…dad just doesn't seem interested in her family…even before everything started off with Lucy he didn't seem to want to spend time with Hannah"
"It wasn't brilliant timing…our three were still in hospital and I guess he was concerned about them" Gail said "So getting back to your idea of another baby…"
"Aha didn't think you were interested in that!" Paul laughed
"Hmm but if it did happen I don't want to go through what I went through the last time" Gail said
A silence fell over them as the waiter brought them their food, Paul thought about what Gail had just said and realized how hard things had been for her during the pregnancy. Once the waiter left he resumed the conversation.
"I never meant to hurt you Gail, I got caught up in the Robinson Corporation, then with Hilary on my back all the time…and the fear of what happened to mum, I lost sight of us….I threw myself into work and pretended that everything was okay, but it wasn't" Paul said sadly "I promise the next time will be different"
"The sad thing was darling…you should have been able to talk to me…we're a team, a good one at that" Gail said "We need to get our finances sorted out before we even think about IVF again"
"In a couple of years we'll be there I guarantee it" Paul said "The hotel is doing well, and thanks to you we've got the travel conventions contract"
"I didn't do anything" Gail laughed
"No but Peter Llewellyn remembered dealing with you before and was happy with the way you dealt with things so was prepared to give us his business" Paul said "You're the best PR that anyone could wish for"
Gail laughed "And of course you're not bias" she said
Paul laughed "Maybe just a little" he smiled
"Are you going into work tomorrow?" Gail asked
Paul shook his head "No…there's still things to sort out for the christening on Sunday, unless of course you want me out of the way" he replied
"Never" Gail said "It will be good to see Scott and Charlene again, when are they coming down?"
"Friday evening" Paul said "They're staying with Madge and Harold.
"Helen's helping me with the buffet" Gail said "I think we've got the service organized now it's just a matter of making sure the babies behave themselves"
"Hmm..are you telling me to go into work tomorrow?" Paul said "You seem to have everything organized"
Gail shook her head "I'm not looking forward to you going back to work full time to be honest, I've got so used to you being around" she said
Paul took her hand "I told you I'm not going back to the office full time…we'll sort something out, maybe I could work two long days…the rest can be covered by the new staff and I'll work from home" he said "I have no intentions of creating a situation where you even think about walking out on me" he said
"I don't think that is likely to happen…I love you too much to do that" she said
"If you want we could job share when the babies get a little older plus don't forget that we have the crèche " Paul said
Gail laughed "Let's not make these three grow up too soon" she said
After finishing their meal, Paul paid the bill and the couple returned to Ramsay Street. Paul helped Gail out of the car, placing his arm around her shoulder he guided her to the front door. Gail leaned into him and gently kissed him on the cheek.
"Thanks for tonight…the meal was lovely" Gail said
Paul smiled "Yes but the company was better" he said, opening the front door, everything seemed to be quiet inside. Jim looked up from the sofa as the couple walked in.
"How was your evening?" he asked
"Fine" Gail said "Where's Helen?"
"She's just putting Robert back to bed" Jim said "They've all been fed and changed, so should be quiet for another couple of hours"
"Thanks dad" Paul replied "Have they been okay?"
"Yes" Jim replied
After Paul prepared a drink for them all they sat down in the lounge and discussed the plans for the christening.
After saying goodnight to Jim and Helen, Gail picked up the coffee mugs and took them to the kitchen; Paul shut the door and followed her. As Gail started the washing up Paul placed his arms around her waist and kissed her on the neck, she turned and kissed him tenderly on the lips, pulling him closer to her.
"Hey come on" She said smiling "let's call it a night this washing up can wait"
Paul and Gail sat in the church, the sun shone brightly through the windows, Gail looked at Elle lying peacefully in her arms then over at Cameron asleep in Paul's, on the opposite side of her Lucy sat cuddling Robert, at the moment he was still awake, watching closely as Lucy occupied him with the rattle. Surrounded by the Robinson Family Gail felt safe and secure but also a tinge of sadness that her dad wasn't with her, Paul sensed her apprehension and gently placed his arm around her. Reverend Sampson motioned for them to approach the font, Lucy placed the rattle on the pew and went out first, Gail followed noticing how peaceful Elle seemed in her arms. Gail gave a sigh of relief as the Reverend took Cameron and then Robert in turn in his arms, neither were concerned when he sprinkled water on their foreheads, he then reached for Elle, Gail looked at her tiny daughter, knowing any minute the peace was going to be shattered. Reverend Sampson looked at the sleeping child, as he sprinkled the Baptismal water onto Elle's forehead, Gail saw the child's eyes opened, confused by being in the arms of a strange man she opened her mouth and screamed in protest at being woken up. The reverend quickly handed the baby back to Gail, looking at Paul she stifled a laugh. Once the service at the font had finished Gail took the crying baby outside, to try and calm her down, walking up and down the church yard she spoke softly to her, rubbing her back, footsteps behind her made her turn around.
"Where's Cameron?" she said smiling at Paul
Paul moved closer to her, placing his hand on her back "He's with Scott, thought I'd come and check on you two...how is she?"
Gail laughed "She's fine…having cold water sprinkled on you when you're asleep and then find when you wake up it's in the arms of a strange man is not on…she was just making her feelings known" she said looking at the baby who seemed to have gone quiet.
"She definitely has a temper on her" Paul said
Gail laughed "She's going to have to be able to stick up for herself with two brothers to boss her around" she said "Come on I think it's safe to go back inside"
After the service the family returned to No 22, the babies were placed in the basinets downstairs while Gail and Helen got the buffet ready.
"That was a nice service" Helen said
Gail smiled "It was…apart from Elle" she laughed
"You knew she was going to do that didn't you" Helen remarked
"Well let's put it this way I knew if anyone of the triplets were going to make a fuss it would be Elle" Gail said "Although she's pretty easy to calm down once she starts"
"I also noticed how Lucy zooms in on Robert all the time, no one has a chance" Helen laughed
"I did wonder if the novelty would wear off, but it doesn't seem to have…Robert adores her that's one of the reasons I didn't hesitate to make her a godmother" Gail said
"How are you feeling?" Helen asked
"I'm fine…slightly sad that dad isn't here" Gail replied
"I know" Helen said "But you have us, Gloria…and of course Paul"
Later that night Paul and Gail watched the children sleep, it had been a long day and they had finally managed to get the three to sleep. Scott and Charlene had stayed with them for a while after the rest of the family had left, helping them to clear up and feed and bathe the babies, now they were alone. Paul wrapped his arms around Gail, as they stood in the nursery.
"What are you thinking" He whispered.
Gail laughed quietly "What makes you think I'm thinking anything" she said turning to face him
Paul kissed her forehead "Because I know you better than you know yourself" he smirked
"Today was amazing, I just feel so lucky…I've got you, the babies and the rest of your family" she said "But I wish dad was here to share it…he was looking forward to these three"
Paul sighed "Maybe he's looking down on you" he said
Gail frowned "Never thought I'd hear that from you" she said
"Gail I know my situation is slightly different, because mum has been gone for so long but don't you think I still miss I would have loved her to have been here with us" Paul said "When Lucy was little and used to ask dad about mum he always told her that she was watching her, looking out for her…maybe it's true I don't know"
"It's a nice thought" Gail said
"Gail I want for us and our family what my mum and dad had, we always knew that they loved us…they were always there for us and we never doubted that they loved each other, I want these children to know how special they grow up surrounded by two loving parents who love each other"
Gail was silent for a moment "You know after we told dad we had arranged a wedding date, and you had left for the evening…he gave me some advice…to marry for love and love only as that was the only thing that made anything worth while…I remember after he had gone back upstairs saying…love was for fools..at that point I believed it but at the end of the day he was right and I was wrong." She said
Paul smiled, looking back at the sleeping babies he said "Maybe our feelings were stronger than we cared to admit at that time but at the end of the day, love kept us together…it stopped you taking that promotion in New York, it gave life to these three children"
Gail smiled "I love you so much" she said "I can't imagine being anywhere else but here with you"
"Come on it's been a long day…let's leave these three to sleep" Paul said, putting his arm around her and pulling her closer to him, switching off the main nursery light and putting on the night light.