21st of July Friday
"Baby? Baby, how are you?" Sara got on her knees and kissed Sofia's belly.
"Baby is fine, the mother could use a kiss. If she's important enough to get kissed."
"We'll see…yes, she is." Sara got up and kissed her lover. "How are you?"
"Pregnant. My breakfast…why do I even bother to eat anymore?"
"That bad?"
"Yes. But, the bright side is, as long as I have morning sickness, I'm still pregnant. Four weeks, we're getting closer to our baby."
"I can't see anything of it and I know every inch of your body."
"You do…wanna check if everything is still on its place?"
"Mhm." The brunette pulled the blonde into her arms. "Later. We have guests coming over tonight. Babies."
"Right, our twins. The room is ready for them."
"I can't wait until we prepare the room for our baby…although, it looks nice…do we need to prepare it at all? And where do we leave the twins? We will have them over, we need a place for them. Or baby sleeps in our room when they're over…so many decisions."
"We go shopping." Sofia grinned. "Baby shopping."
"We barely need anything, Jules has all the stuff we need and said already, we can have it."
"Won't keep us out of the shop. Or do you believe, we won't buy anything for our baby?"
"No." Sara laughed. They had already started to buy new things for the baby, telling each other to stay calm until they were sure, they would be parents next year. Somehow, excitement always won over sensible sentences.
"But you are right, we need another room. I mean, when our baby is there, we don't have a spare room left. And when we're pregnant with twins, we're one room short. Your accountant won't like the idea."
"Well, he can fu…figure the problem out himself. Baby, or babies, need a room, they get one. They gym has to go. Two more rooms and a bath room…oh boy, that won't be cheap."
"Are you still insisting you pay all of it alone?"
"Yes, we agreed it's my house, I pay for it, you pay your rent…and I'm not happy about your idea to pay more because of the baby."
"Well, technically I need half a room more with the baby, or a third, the rest are your and Don's parts. Stop complaining or I pay even more and before you can do anything, your accountant has the money and makes the happy dance. Naked on his desk."
The blonde made a grimace. "I think I feel sick!"
"And for the rest: I think we can work some things out. Greg, Don and me can build the rooms, only the electric and water stuff have to be done by professionals. Maybe one of our friends know somebody, who can help us out for less money. We can dismantle cars, we can build a few walls, get some light on the ceiling. We might need an additional window around the kitchen area, but otherwise can we turn the gym into two bedrooms and a bathroom. Let me talk to the guys tonight."
"Do it yourself rooms?"
"Sure. It's not like we're unable to build something with our hands, we were or are CSIs, we can do it." The brunette kissed the blonde.
"Okay, why not, when the guys help you, I'm afraid I can't really help a lot."
"No, you will have a supervisor job, acting supervisor. You know how to do that."
"Bitch."
"Maybe I'll be your bitch later, keep your fantasy for yourself when our friends are over."
Sofia laughed and pulled Sara back in her arms. It seemed like whenever they finished a project on the house, a new one appeared. But it was true, if Sofia was pregnant with twins, they needed a second room sooner or later. And it always came in handy when there was a guest room. Maybe they could make most of it on their own and the rest by professionals. It was worth a try and somehow they would pay for it. Without having her accountant coming after them with a knife.
Sara took Eric in her arms. "Hey my baby, how are you? Did you have fun at day care?"
"I'm sure he had, he started crawling." Jules hugged the other woman. "Now he can chase his sister. Give him a few more weeks and he'll walk into the forest and say hello to you."
"The talking part might take a little bit longer. No pressure." Sara took Eric with her into the garden. "Look what we have here for you. A pool without water but thick blankets so you and your lovely sister can crawl around without picking up any dirt or crawl away when the grown-ups are lost in their conversation."
"You prepared everything for your godchild."
"Of course, next year that might be the pool for them to refresh. And another year or two later, they can have a water fight with baby. I hope."
"Everything will work out." Jules squeezed Sara's hand. "Don't worry, getting pregnant was the most difficult part, the rest will be done by nature."
"Yeah." Sara let Eric down in the pool. "All will be good."
"It will." Jules sat Jorja next to Eric. "There will be three babies next year in your garden." Or four?"
"Maybe." They walked to Greg, Sofia and Don, who sat around the barbecue. "How are you steaks doing?"
"Just over English, turning into medium. Want one?"
"Medium rare please. And I see somebody decided it's a beer night." She looked at her fiancé.
"Yes." He offered her the bottle. "Want to have a beer night too?"
"Who takes care of the twins?"
"Me!" Sofia smiled. "I can't drink anyway, neither does Sara. Jorja and Eric are in the best hands and have a couple of beers and when you're too drunk to take your babies home, the room is ready for them anyway, they can just stay and sleep here. It's not like we don't have everything for them here."
"Are you playing fairy on our relationship? First the premiere tickets, now the beer night."
"We like happy couples around us. And the twins."
"I can see that." Jules sat next to Greg and gave him the beer back. "Did you give them our present yet?"
"No, I wanted you around when we do." He smiled and kissed her. "It's our present, so we have to give it to them."
"Okay." She took the bag from under the chair and got a little box out. "For you, mothers."
"Oh, thanks. It's your time to open it." Sofia handed it over to Sara.
"Like Christmas, only warmer." The brunette opened the box. "Hugging teddies?"
"Yes, if you have twins, there's one teddy for each, if you've one baby, they're together, like one bear."
"Thanks. They're cute."
"Like the two of you." Greg smiled. "So, what are the next plans for the baby?"
"Well, baby made us decide, we need to get rid off the gym, sorry Don." Sofia said.
"Another room?"
"Yes. If we have twins, we need one more rooms and we want to keep a spare room for the twins or other guests. Which means, the gym has to go and give way for two more bedrooms and a bathroom."
"Makes sense. And hey, this is L.A., south California, and we learnt, it never rains in Southern California, we can leave the gym stuff outside, have fresh air when we work out and cover them up in case it rains."
"Good idea."
"And what do you think about us building the rooms?" Sara asked. "I mean, the walls, not the plumbing and electric stuff. Do you think you can build a few walls, get doors in them and do the basics, like wall paper all these stuff?"
"Of course! Hard physical work, better than any workout. Are in too, Greg?"
"Sure. I like seeing Sara covered in sweat."
Sara laughed while Greg got a slap from Jules.
"Somebody gets in trouble with the Missus, poor Greg. She wears the pants, it's obvious." Don teased.
"So what? She looks good in pants. While you, my dear friend, you might have your pants, but you don't have the guts to tell us about your better half."
Don's face turned red when everybody looked at him. He hadn't said anything about him and Tanya, but the other had talked about it a couple of times.
"I've no idea what you're talking about."
"You sleeping with my cousin." Jules said. "Since almost two weeks. Do you really thought we don't realize that? Two CSI, a former CSI and a psychologist. We know what's going on, what is the hiding for? You're both not serious with the relationship and afraid, we give you a hard time? If you both just want some fun, we're fine with that, just stop pretending nothing happened, we're not stupid."
"That's my woman, I love it when she's having the pants on, because she's so sexy with it. Without too, but that's not for you guys to see. So Don, what is your excuse?"
"Did Tanya say something?"
"Not a damn word and I'll give her a hard time for it when she comes here later. First she doesn't mention her divorce, now she hides her new…whatever you are. So, what are you? An affair or a relationship?"
"We haven't talked about it."
"You're too busy with…how did Kyle call it, Honey?" Sara asked amused.
"Jump'n hump."
"Right. I like that one, suits perfect for two video games junkies."
"He knows…?"
"Since almost two weeks, since he was over when we knew Sofia is pregnant. We all know it, Don, we only waited for you and Tanya to come out of the closet. It's not that bad you date her, or whatever you call it, what you have. For a dentist she's nice." Sara smiled.
"She's my cousin, of course she's nice. What does she say about you becoming a dad?"
"Uhm…congratulation."
"That's it? Boy, you really haven't talked about your relationship, have you? We can do that when she's here."
"Why can't you stay out of my private life?"
"Because we're your friends and we're curious. A new romance, one that was about time. I mean, you spent so much time with her…did nothing happen before? All the month, did you really just play video games?"
"Yes!"
"Oh." Sofia furrowed her brows. "Strange. But okay, in the end it got you here…got you to her."
"I go and get a few more beer out of the fridge." Don got up and walked into the house.
"Wanna bet he calls her now?" Greg grinned.
"Oh, he can't." Sofia smirked.
"Why?"
"Because I snitched his cell phone out of his pocket."
"You don't plan to read his messages, do you?"
"No, of course not, Greg. I plan to put it in the grass, next to his chair. If he comes back, picks it up immediately without saying a word, we know he looked for it."
"A cop, a CSI and a pickpocket. That's my woman, she's very talented." Sara kissed Sofia.
"Hopefully your baby won't be like her, it will steal all the candy." Jules chuckled.
"No, it won't. Sofia will have stolen it before, our child can be happy when it gets a little bit from my sweet tooth monster."
"Hey, I barely eat candy and chocolate anymore, the doctor ordered healthy food and I eat it. More than before. Still can't understand how people can prefer it over chocolate."
"With chocolate and fruits it's like with water and whiskey. Chocolate and whiskey is made by the devil, water and fruits by God." Greg explained.
"Luckily I booked my ticket to hell already. Heaven sounds like an awful place to be, no fun. Plus there'll plenty of barbecues around in hell, where fire is, there's barbecue. A good roasted steak is worth a sin."
"Sorry it took me so long, guys, I had an emergency. Hey doggies, I brought you two bones, if your mommies agree, you can have them." Tanya held up a bag so the dogs couldn't reach it.
"Go ahead, they can have it for dinner." Sofia said.
"Okay. Here you go, two lovely big bones." She gave each dog a big bones and watch them disappear with their prey. "Made two men happy."
"And there's your third man, you can make happy." Jules said to her cousin, pointing to Don.
"You mean, fav cousin?"
"We know you and him are doing more than playing video games and no, he didn't say a word, we knew it anyway. Gave you almost two weeks to tell us, nothing happened, so we decided we do the talking. First you don't tell me about your divorce, now you hide your new relationship."
Tanya looked at Don. "So, what did you say?"
"Nothing."
"Then I'll do the same."
"Seriously?" Jules looked in disbelieve at her cousin.
"Jules, there's nothing to tell, we haven't talked about it ourselves, so all I tell you might not be true."
"Okay, when will you figured it out? Or are you planning to go on like this?"
"If we have figured it out, I let you know."
The psychologist looked at her cousin and shook her head. "Still hasn't changed."
"No, and you love me for being consistent. Are we done with the interrogation?"
"Yes."
"Good. Any news on the baby?"
"No, no news. There won't be any news until we have been with the doctor. The only news is, we get the gym down into the garden and get two more bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. In case we have twins." Sara said, her hand running over Sofia's back.
"Good idea, you can rent the additional room, make some money on the side."
"That wasn't the plan."
"Think about it. I'll do the same with my office room. It gets a pull-out couch, a sideboard and I rent it out for visitors every now and then. There is this web page, I used it once to book myself a room in San Francisco, checked what they want for L.A. and this area, you can make up to a hundred bucks and more per night, depends on what you offer. I ask seventy dollar a night and have already a few people asking for it."
"And your office stuff?"
"The folders are in the dental office, my personal stuff gets into a locked up filing cabinet in my room. Some nice money for my own place or a nice vacation."
"Money for your accountant." Sara looked at her lover.
"Another housemate? It's getting full here."
"No, not a permanent one. Maybe with a limit of two weeks, only when we feel like it."
"Okay…but…not upstairs, not with the baby."
"You do have a huge living room." Tanya said.
"So?"
"So why not get a little room in there? Next to the bathroom, say two by three or four. Won't be worth a hundred bucks a night - unless the people know how much fun you guys are - but it can get you fifty bucks or so, give it away for two weeks, you do the math."
"Seven hundred. My accountant will love that. What do you think? Sara? Don?"
"If the room won't be rented out the whole time it's fine with me. Plus, we can use it as an additional room for our visitors. I mean, if we have twins and Don's parents come along, we need a room for them and if they bring more of the New York team, like the other kids, we need places for them."
"When baby is born, you can bet my parents will be here and might bring more of the family. And yes, after I met your accountant, you might want some more money - especially with three more rooms to build. Sounds like easy money and like Tanya said, we set a limit of two weeks, get extra money and have the house for ourselves again. Plus, it could be fun to have one or two people around for a short time, from different countries, a lot of interesting stories."
"Can you show me the web page and how to do these things, Tanya?" Sofia asked.
"Absolutely."
"Perfect. But first we need to talk to Sally and Tony, they live here, they must agree too. I don't like making decision, that effects all of us without talking to everybody. Gosh, so many changes, so much to do."
"Lucky for you, you have friends, who will do a lot of work. I'm sure Kyle and Lynn will join the builder group too. In fact, we can start with the room in the living room tomorrow, when Sally and Tony agree. Two walls, a door, a light, should be possible, what do you think, Greggo?" Don asked.
"I need to work, but will join you after work - if that's okay with Jules."
"Sure, I plan to help myself."
"You can build walls?" Don asked surprised.
"No, I can go shopping with Sara, you need wallpapers, a bed, a sideboard, maybe a little table and two chairs. What do you think, Sara? We leave the twins with Sofia and hit the shops."
"Furniture shopping? Why not. I do have tomorrow off."
"And I put the room in the internet, with Tanya's help. I bet she'll be here anyway."
"I do have a video game night here tonight, need to do some shopping in the morning, but after that, yes, we can do it."
"No comment on the video games night." Sara smiled.