The next morning Chuck woke up to an empty bed, he rubbed his eyes and put on his robe finding Blair in her closet with her laptop all the clothes had been moved and she was only wearing a robe. He came up behind her before she could notice him and caressed her.
"Good morning beautiful, I see you've already started on the nursery." Chuck said.
"Well not really I just got up about 5 minutes before you; I had them do this last night when I woke up. Oh and I have something exciting to show you." She said
"Oh really what is it?' Chuck asked
"Look." She said opening her robe and turning around to show him her slightly protruding belly.
"Wow you are starting to show already you're only 2 months along." Chuck said
"Yeah, I know but all the books say with women who are on the thin side you start to show earlier, and plus we are having twins." She looked up to see Chuck's face, which looked terrified. "What's wrong Chuck?" She said.
"Nothing. It's just so real now that in 7 months we'll be parents, I'll be a father and you a mother, I mean, am I going to be just like Bart?" Chuck said in the saddest voice Blair had ever heard.
"Where is this coming from Chuck?" Blair asked trying to understand him
"Well I don't know I've been trying to be strong but with the progression of your pregnancy, it's all becoming really real. And I guess I know I'm going to be good I just don't want to screw our kids up like our parents screwed us up." Chuck said taking her hand in his.
"I don't think we will, we are committed to this and that is all that matters right?" Blair asked becoming unsure herself this is when Chuck realized that he started remembering the past few months and all the years they've been together and saw something he hadn't seen before through thick and thin they had stayed together. She was his only constant and together they had conquered the UES. And he realized that these children, his children, would only aid and brighten that.
"I'm sorry B it just took me some time to realize it but I know we are going to be great parents and these kids are going to be spoiled rotten not only with material items but with love, time and care." Chuck stated and in that one sentence they both knew that they could raise these kids although it would be tough they would have a family who loved them around to aid them in any way possible. Blair cried happy tears and Chuck wiped them away with his thumb and they hugged.
"So Blair sweetheart show me your plans for this beautiful nursery? And then we need to make ourselves presentable and go down stairs or your mother will come up and find us." Chuck said pulling her laptop up to his lap as she leaned into his shoulder.
"We can get all this stuff done now and buy the furniture but we cannot pick a colour or anything personal until we know the sex of the babies. So maybe the contractors can get this done while we are here just so I can supervise and then we can look at furniture either here because of the superior quality or we can look in New York when we get back." Blair said.
"Sounds perfect and I think I should call the contractors this morning as I have a meeting at the new Bass Industries building/ branch here in Tuscany. It will be covering all of Europe and is only about 15 minutes away from here so it's perfect. And we should defiantly get Italian made furniture here not from some New York retailer who claims it was made in Italy you can make some appointments for that and then we can go together." Chuck said.
"Wait why are you opening a branch here?" Blair asked
"So that we can spend extended periods of time here with our children without me having to cut it short for business. And we needed to expand to Europe and where better than in Italy, considering we already own many properties and hotels here." Chuck said.
"Awe Chuck see you are already thinking of me and our children. Now get to your meeting so that you can come back and we can celebrate all the headway we are making." Blair said kissing him and forcing him out of her closet/ nursery.
They went about their days separately, Chuck looking at the designs for the new office from several architects and looked into several new sites for hotels whether they were teardowns or new sites to build on.
Whereas Blair got dressed and went downstairs to find the dining room table had a beautiful breakfast spread that Chuck had ordered. Her mother and Cyrus were still in their robes making plates of food.
"Good morning dear." Eleanor said making her way over to her daughter "you didn't have to get dressed up for us Blair." She said hugging her daughter. as soon as she got Blair in her arms her face lit up. "Oh my goodness Blair you have popped. Cyrus come over here and see Blair's little belly."
Cyrus approached and hugged Blair good morning feeling her little stomach as he did. "Oh your right dear, she has popped. You can barely tell with that flowing dress." He said.
"Oh Blair this is so exciting, but it means I will have to get going quickly to make you those couture outfits." Eleanor exclaimed sitting down where she had placed her plate.
"You can think about work next week darling lets just enjoy this time with Blair. So what did you want to do today? I know your father and Roman are coming in late this afternoon but we have time before that to do something? and where is Chuck?" Cyrus asked.
"Yes Blair where is Charles?" Eleanor asked.
"Well he is opening a new Bass Industries office here in Tuscany so he went to look at some properties and meet with some architects. He wants to have a full-fledged office here so that we can spend extended periods here with the children." Blair said.
"What a marvelous idea. Charles is thinking ahead. and with our flexible schedules we can come and join you as well." Eleanor said, with excitement. It made Blair so happy that her mother was so supportive of her and her family.
"Yes, I cannot wait to spend time with our first grandchildren." Cyrus said.
"As for today Chuck and I were speaking last night and I thought that since our bedroom is on another level, which you will see when I give you a proper tour after breakfast. That it would be best to convert one of our walk-in closets into a nursery so I won't have to run up and down the stair with the twins. I mean I will get a nanny to help but I also want to try and do as much as I can myself. So Chuck called a contractor to come by and get started today. I was hoping to get your input mother on the designs and colours. And Cyrus I know how great you are with furnishings and furniture so I thought you could help chuck and I distinguish what we should get for the nursery and where we should get it." Blair said sitting down with her plate of food.
"Blair we would love to help you. After breakfast. Now eat something I'm sure my grandchildren are starving in there." Eleanor said watching Blair eat.
After they ate Eleanor and Cyrus excused themselves to get dressed and then told Blair that the tour could wait till Roman and Harold arrived so that she would only have to give it once. Instead she showed them to her and Chuck's room and began pulling up the designs on her laptop to show them.
Half an hour later the maid had brought the contractor chuck had commissioned to work on the house up to the room and he and Eleanor (who is fluent in Italian) were going over Blair's designs.
"Blair he says what you are asking for will take about a month. If you and Chuck are planning to stay which I doubt; you will have to sleep in one of the guest bedrooms." Eleanor said.
"Tell him we aren't planning to stay but the staff will be here as they live on the property and can let him in to do his work." Blair said.
"Dice che parte per New York venerdì e che può iniziare a lavorare la settimana prossima. Ci sono membri dello staff che vivono nella proprietà che ti fano entrare per fare il lavoro." Eleanor said. The contractor nodded and told Eleanor that he just needed to take some more measurements and then he would be on his way.
Eleanor called her decorator friend who said that it would realistically only take her about a week or two. So Blair told Eleanor to tell her to wait since they wanted to find out the sex before they decorated.
"It really won't matter the sex of either baby, I guarantee you and Chuck will just choose purple." Cyrus said to no one in particular. This made Blair and Eleanor laugh as they knew it would be the case.
While all this was going on Cyrus had been making some inquiries into local furniture makers and had found the names of the best two baby furniture makers in Tuscany and made appointments to meet with them later in the week.