Previous Disclaimers Apply

Chapter 37

The next morning the kids stopped in at Company for breakfast for five, well six, including Peanut. Rafe came in and Buzz helped him to the car with the bags of food, coffee, tea and juice. He wouldn't take Rafe's money no matter how much the young man insisted. No one noticed Nicky across the street leaning against a lamp post watching the events unfold. Nicky waited for Rafe and the girls to leave before approaching the restaurant. Rafe drove them across the street and into the visitors parking lot and the three of them gathered up all the goodies for their moms.

About an hour and half earlier, Dr. Rick Bauer entered Natalia's room. He frowned, then laughed upon seeing the two women all snuggled up together sharing the very small bed. He walked over to the window and opened the blinds. The bright sunshine quickly filled the room.

"No…it's too early. Turn off the lights." Mumbled Olivia.

Rick proceeded to flip on the overhead light and the light behind Natalia's bed.

"Time to get up sleepy head and get out of my patient's bed, please." Stated Rick playfully.

"Why? I'm comfortable, we're comfortable." Said Olivia having still not opened her eyes.

"Come on, Olivia. I heard what happened. I know you guys had a rough day yesterday. I would like to examine your wife and son if I may."

Feigning sleep, Natalia decided to join in.

"You may. Honey, go ahead, get up. The kids will be here soon with breakfast remember."

"Do I have to?"

"Yes, you do."

"Spoil sport." Said Olivia starting to get up.

"Hey, where's my good morning kiss?" Said Natalia as she gently grabbed her wife's wrist.

Olivia now sitting up on the bed at her wife's hip, leaned down and placed a lingering chaste kiss to her wife's mouth.

"We can sleep in tomorrow." Offered Natalia.

"You promise?"

"I do."

"OK, I'm going."

Olivia got up and grabbed her bag and went into the bathroom in Natalia's room. While Rick was examining his patient, Olivia did a quick wash up and changed clothes. Rick was just finishing his exam when she came out of the bathroom.

"So, Doc, what's the verdict?" Asked Olivia who had reclaimed her seat on the bed by her wife.

"Everything looks good. Thank you for humoring me and staying the night." Said Rick.

"Not a problem, we both want to make sure that our Peanut here and Natalia are both OK." Said Olivia.

"Well they are just fine. So, I'll get your discharge papers ready so after you finish breakfast you can go home."

"Yay!" Cheered Natalia quietly.

"Woohoo!" Replied Olivia.

"Any instructions?" Asked Natalia.

"No, no bed rest or anything like that. Your pregnancy has been normal and uneventful and there's nothing in your labs that leads me to think the remaining few weeks won't be normal. Just keep getting plenty of rest and lots of fluids."

"Can do, Rick. Thank you." Said Olivia.

"You're welcome. I'll see you in a bit when you are ready for discharge." Replied Rick as he left.

"OK, you ready to freshen up before the kids get here?" Asked Olivia.

"Absolutely, I want to get dressed too. I'll wait until we're home to take a shower." Said Natalia.

"Same here, maybe a shared shower?" Asked Olivia with a raised eyebrow.

"Maybe." Replied Natalia with a quick kiss to her wife's lips.

About 15 minutes later, Natalia was dressed and feeling more like herself, well, her pregnant self. She settled back in bed while her wife was packing their belongings. Olivia was just about finished when there was a knock to the door. Ava stuck her head in first to make sure everyone was decent.

"Hey, you. Come on in." Replied Olivia seeing her daughter at the door.

"We come bearing sustenance." Replied Rafe holding the drink tray filled with beverages.

"What do you have for us?" Asked Natalia.

"Don't know. Buzz had it all ready when I got there." Said Rafe as they set the food on the tray table.

The drinks were easy, juice for Em, tea for Natalia and coffee for the rest. Buzz has prepared their meal family style so they could pick and choose what they wanted. There were scrambled eggs and boiled eggs, turkey sausage, biscuits with an array of jellies and jams, mixed fruit and yogurt. Ava started serving everyone's plate with their requested food while Rafe got Emma settled nest to her Ma on the bed. Once all the plates were served, Ava joined Olivia and Rafe on the sofa and the family enjoyed their meal.

Meanwhile, after Nicky saw Rafe leave, he crossed the street and entered Company. It was bustling with the morning rush. He took a seat at the bar and turned the coffee mug over. Quickly, a waitress was there filling it and taking his order. Buzz came out of the kitchen and delivered an order to a table; on his way back to the kitchen he noticed the man at the bar. He saw his reflection in the mirror behind the bar and recognized him as Rafe's father. He went on about his business and waited until Nicky was mostly through with his meal. Buzz went behind the counter and approached the man.

"Morning." Said Buzz.

"Morning. Didn't know where else to go for breakfast." Replied Nicky.

Which was not all that untrue. He was hoping to get more insight on his wife and his son's life since his "death".

"Where are you staying?" Asked Buzz.

"Rafe got me a room at a nice hotel, The Beacon."

"You could have eaten in the restaurant their or ordered room service. So what's the real reason you're here?" Asked Buzz seeing straight through Nicky's charade.

Nicky was surprised that Buzz was calling him out, but he didn't want to show it.

"Well, a place like that is a bit too uppity for me."

"Really, you are a Spaulding are you not?"

"Yes, but wasn't raised one."

"You could have stayed at the mansion."

"Rafe took me to the Beacon, not sure why he chose there. A motel off the highway would have been fine and cost less."

"Well, I'm sure Rafe's not paying for that room."

"What do you mean?"

"The Beacon, that's Olivia's hotel."

"What do you mean Olivia's hotel?"

"She owns it."

Nicky was surprised to hear that Olivia owns such a nice hotel. He realized now that he should have done more digging on Natalia supposed husband.

"What did she get it from an ex husband or something?" Asked Nicky sarcastically.

"No, Olivia is gay, through and through since the day she was born. She and a business partner bought the place oh, I don't know, ages ago. Maybe 10 years back, Olivia bought out her partner when she moved away."

"So what's Olivia's story and how they hell did she end up with my wife?" Asked Nicky dumbfounded.

"Well, first off, Olivia, Natalia and her whole family, well they are family to me. I think of Emma as a granddaughter. Her father is my step son. So you won't be getting story from me. Sorry."

"Wait, so Olivia was involved with a man? She has to have been to have a daughter?"

"Again, not my place to tell. I would really appreciate it, if you would finish up your meal and leave." Replied Buzz now starting to get angry.

"Whatever!" Said Nicky as he stood drinking down the last swallow of his coffee. He reached for his wallet and Buzz stopped him.

"Nope, your money is no good here. Please leave and don't come back unless you've had an attitude change.

Nicky angry with himself mostly, shoved his wallet back into his pocket and left. He started walking. He needed to walk off the anger his was feeling. He wasn't paying attention to where he was going until he ended up at the front gate of the Spaulding mansion. He sighed and walked up to the guard house. The guard called up to the house and soon Phillip arrived at the front gate on a golf cart. Phillip motioned for him to climb on, so he did.

Phillip brought him into the study, offered his brother some coffee. He took it and started wandering the room. He'd only been there a few times before. Phillip let him roam as he fixed his own cup of coffee. Nicky stopped at the mantle when he noticed a picture of a little girl that he no knows to be Olivia's daughter.

"How come you have a picture of Olivia's daughter here?" Asked Nicky as he turned to face Phillip.

"She's my daughter too." Said Phillip as he sat down on the sofa.

"What, I don't understand? Buzz said that Emma's father was his step son."

"That's right. I'm married to Beth. Beth's mom is married to Buzz."

"But, Buzz said that Olivia's gay, so you had an affair with her or something?"

"No, no affair. Look, I don't feel quite right discussing all of this. Yes, you are my brother; but I don't know you at least not yet. What I will say is that Olivia and I have been friends for a very long time. We have never been intimate with each other. Olivia was involved with another woman years ago, they were to be married. They wanted kids and at the time I was not married. I offered to be their donor. Originally, I was not going to be involved in the child's life, but Olivia's fiancé was killed in a car accident. Not long after Emma was born, Olivia began having some health problems and she asked me to take a more active role in Emma's life and be a real father to her. I agreed and that's the way it's been ever since. You want to know anything more than that, you need to ask Olivia."

Feeling defeated, Nicky let Phillip change the subject and the men started to get to know one another, slowly.

Not too far away, Rafe and Ava were loading their mom's things into their car; with Emma they headed for home. Olivia and Natalia were not too far behind them in Olivia's car. Once home, Natalia and Olivia both headed upstairs for their promised shared shower. Afterwards, Natalia took up residence on the sofa. Rafe and Ava each headed back into town, to work. Olivia and Natalia did their best explaining to Emma who the man was at the door and that he was Rafe's father and Natalia's supposed dead husband. She asked several questions all of which the ladies answered with no problems until the last one.

"So does this mean that you aren't my Ma, you aren't married to my mom?" Asked Emma of Natalia.

Olivia saw her wife begin to pale; she reached into her pocket and fished out her phone.

"It'll be OK." Said Olivia to Natalia.

"Come here JellyBean." Said Natalia as she motioned Emma into her arms.

"I will always be your Ma, no matter what, OK. There are some things that we need to figure out, but we are a family and we are going to stay one." Said Natalia as they pulled out of their hug.

Natalia had a hand on each of her daughter's cheeks; she kissed her forehead.

"You trust me, you trust in our family. Do you believe me?"

"I do." Said the little girl fighting tears.

"I love you, JellyBean."

"I love you too, Ma.

Natalia pulled Emma back into another hug and glanced over to her wife who was on the phone.

"Mel, hey. We got a situation. Can you come to the farmhouse, now." Said Olivia into her phone.

TBC…