Hey everyone, just wanna thank you all for reading and leaving those wonderful reviews for me :) I really do appreciate it and can't thank you enough.
Here's the next chapter for you all :) enjoy.
Sunday 2nd March 2008.
Placing the breakfast tray down on the ottoman at the foot of the bed, Joseph stood back up straight and moved to sit on the edge of the bed with a smile. Clarisse was laid on her side in the middle of the bed with her arms outstretched in front of her, her hair covering over her face and the sheets pulled up to her waist.
Reaching his arm out, he brushed her hair back out of her face and chuckled when her hand flew up to brush his hand away. "Clarisse," he said softly and smoothed the tip of his finger down over the bridge of her nose a couple times to try and wake her. "I bought you breakfast in bed."
Slowly, she opened her eyes and sleepily smiled up at him. "What time is it."
"Twenty past ten," he smiled down at her and placed his hand down on her hip, "how did you sleep?"
"I slept good, but why didn't you wake me earlier?" She asked, followed with a yawn.
"Because I figured, after being awake most of the night that you needed to sleep," he smiled, smoothing his thumb back and forth over her hip. "I didn't hurt you though, did I?" He asked and watched as she shook her head.
"Oh god no, it was amazing," she said and smiled up at him, "just what I needed."
"Oh really," he laughed and shook his head in surprise.
"Yes, really," she said and sat up. Putting her arm up, she placed her hand on the side of his neck and her thumb on his jaw, "thank you," she whispered and leant closer, kissing him deeply.
Pulling back a moment later, Joseph put his hand up to cup her cheek and smoothed his thumb over her beautiful soft lips as they looked into each other's eyes a long moment. "Come on," he said and stood to his feet, "you better make a start on your breakfast before it gets too cold."
"Ok," she smiled, watching him as he moved to the foot of the bed and picked up the tray. "Oh it looks delicious, thank you," she said as she slumped back against her pillows.
"You're welcome," he smiled and placed the tray over her lap before leaning over to kiss her a couple times. "Would it be ok if I borrowed your car? I have a couple errands I need to do."
"On a Sunday?" She asked in surprise as she picked up her cup of tea and took a sip.
"Yes," he nodded, "I haven't been here for a few days and need to pick up a few bits."
"Good point, and of course you can," she smiled while putting the teacup back down on the tray, "you know where the keys are."
"Thank you," he smiled, "I won't be long."
"Alright," she smiled and looked up at him as he bent over to kiss her once again.
"Do you need anything?" He asked as he made his way over to the bedroom door.
"No, I don't think so," she said as she thought about it and shook her head.
"Alright, well I will see you soon then," he smiled, "I love you."
"I love you too," she smiled and watched as he walked out before turning her head to look across the room with a contented sigh.
Late Morning.
Coming back into the bedroom after getting ready for her day, Clarisse stood smoothing her hands down over her hips when she heard a car pulling into the drive. "That can't be Joseph already," she said to herself and checked the time on her watch as she walked over to look out of the window. But seeing that it was Laura's car, she turned and made her way downstairs to open the front door.
"Laura, what a lovely surprise," she said when she saw her walking up the porch steps with the girls. "Is everything alright?"
"Mommy doesn't feel very well," Laura's youngest, Rebecca, said before Laura had a chance to say anything.
"Oh dear," Clarisse exclaimed as she looked down at Rebecca then back up at Laura, "you better come in and I will get you a glass of water." She said while stepping back, allowing them to enter.
"Thank you," Laura said as she and the girls entered and turned back to Clarisse as she closed the door behind them, "I just picked up the girls from their dads and came over all faint. I hope you don't mind us stopping by."
"Of course not," Clarisse said as she turned back to them, "I'm glad you did and didn't continue to drive," she nodded and looked at the girls, "now why don't you both go into the living room while I take your mom through to the kitchen to get a glass of water."
"Okay," Rosie, Laura's eldest said and walked through into the living room with her sister as Laura turned to Clarisse.
"Would it be alright if I use your loo," Laura asked before they had a chance to go anywhere. "I'm really not feeling that great."
"Of course," Clarisse nodded, "you know where it is, don't you?"
"Yes, thank you," Laura nodded and started making her way up the stairs as Clarisse watched.
Nodding her head slightly, Clarisse made her way into the kitchen and prepared drinks for the girls and the glass of water for Laura before placing them on a tray with the cookie jar before carrying it through to the living room and leaving the girls to watch cartoons, Clarisse took Laura's water upstairs to her.
"Laura, I figured you might need your water up here," Clarisse said from outside the door and listened as Laura threw up.
"I am so sorry about this," cried Laura from inside the bathroom a moment later and threw up again.
"Please don't be sorry, sweetheart," Clarisse said while placing the glass of water down on the floor by the door and got her mobile phone from her pants pocket. "It's absolutely fine," she said as she tapped out a text message to Joseph, "and I'm right here if you need me."
"Thank you, are the girls okay?" Laura asked.
"Yes, the girls are fine," Clarisse nodded to herself as she put her phone back in her pocket and looked at the door. "They are enjoying cookies while watching cartoons," she said and smiled when she heard Laura chuckle.
"Oh god they would do that all day if given the chance," Laura said.
"Pierre and his brother was the same when they were younger," Clarisse said as her phone started ringing. Pulling it from her pocket, she looked down at it then back up at the door. "I just need to take this, I'll be right back."
"Okay," Laura said and threw up once again.
Walking into her suite, Clarisse pushed up the door while answering the phone and put it up to her ear. "Hello."
"Hello," Joseph smiled, "do you mind explaining to me what that text is about?"
"Well, what it says really?" Clarisse smirked, knowing exactly what was about to come.
"Now," he laughed before continuing, "I know we don't use protection, but I am pretty sure that we our past the stage of needing a pregnancy test."
"I knew you were going to say that and obviously it's not for me," she laughed, "but can you please pick me one up."
"Of course I can, and now I know it's not for Mia because she's already pregnant, so who else can it be for," he said, trying to think. "Not Charlotte?" He exclaimed.
"What? No," she said and shook her head, "and it's not Bea either."
"Which means," Joseph said in surprise.
"Yep," Clarisse nodded.
"Ok, I'll pick it up now and be back soon," Joseph said.
"Thank you, see you soon."
"Clarisse?" Joseph called as he walked through the front door and closed it behind him.
"I'm here," Clarisse said as she appeared at the top of the stairs and started walking down towards him, "did you get it?" She asked.
"Yes," he nodded and moved to stand at the bottom of the stairs while holding out a brown paper bag to her as she stopped on the step in front of him. "I had a few strange looks, so you owe me."
"Thought you would, but thank you," Clarisse said and leant closer to kiss him while taking the paper bag.
"You're welcome," he said, looking up at her.
"Is my mommy okay," Rebecca asked from the doorway and watched as Clarisse and Joseph looked over at her.
"Of course sweetheart, she's just feeling a bit under the weather at the moment," Clarisse said softly.
"Are you looking after her?" Rebecca asked, "like how she looks after me and Rosie, when we are poorly?"
"Yes, I am," Clarisse nodded and watched as the little girl looked down at her teddy a moment.
"She's always looking after us, but she's never had anyone look after her before," Rebecca said sadly and looked back up at her.
"Aww darling," Clarisse said softly and looked at Joseph as he looked at her.
"Well," Joseph began as he looked back at Rebecca, "your mommy is in good hands here, so why don't you, me and your sister all go out and water the garden while Clarisse looks after your mommy?"
"Can I water the roses?" Rebecca asked as her sister appeared behind her.
"Of course you can," Joseph smiled and looked up at Clarisse as she placed her hand on the top of his back.
"Thank you," she whispered and looked back at the girls as they walked over to them.
Smiling, Joseph looked back at the girls, "right then, let's go," he said and they disappeared through into the kitchen.
Heading back upstairs, Clarisse stood a moment before knocking on the bathroom door. "Laura, how are you feeling?" She asked.
Opening the door, Laura looked up at Clarisse and nodded, "a bit better now that I've been sick," she said and stepped back, "which I am so sorry about, I really didn't want to throw up in your bathroom."
"It's fine, honestly," Clarisse nodded and grabbed a towel for her from the towel rail, "splash your face with water, it might make you feel a bit better." She said, placing the towel on the side next to the sink.
"Thank you," Laura nodded and bent over the sink as she put the cold tap on, "are the girls alright?" She asked and splashed her face with the cold water.
"Yes," Clarisse nodded, "they are perfectly fine, Joseph has taken them out into the garden to water the flowers."
"Oh, Rebecca loves doing that. She takes great pride in looking after our garden," Laura said and dabbed her face with the towel.
"I thought so, her little face lit up when Joseph mentioned it," Clarisse said as she watched Laura a moment.
"I wish I knew why I'm so sick this morning," she shrugged, "maybe I drank to much at the party last night."
"Maybe," Clarisse said while stepping closer to her and placed the pregnancy test on the side before slowly pushing it to be in front of her as Laura looked down at it, "or it could be another reason."
Looking up at herself in the mirror, Laura gasped and turned her head to look at Clarisse, "of course, it all makes sense now." She exclaimed and turned her back to the sink, leaning back against the side as she covered her face with the towel. "How could I have not realised before."
"Sometimes we get so busy with our life's that we simply don't think about it," Clarisse said as she looked down a moment then back up at Laura as she lowered the towel.
"I'm a nurse, that should have been the first thing that crossed my mind," Laura said as she looked back at Clarisse with tears in her eyes. "Why are you being so nice to me?"
"Because," Clarisse began as she studied her face a moment, thinking carefully about her answer, "my son is madly in love with you, and I know that you don't really have any family about. Anyway," she said softly and tapped the test box sitting on the sink behind her before turning to walk out of the bathroom, "take the test and if you need me I'll be in my suite."
"Thank you," Laura nodded and turned to look at the test as Clarisse stopped in the doorway.
"Anytime," Clarisse said as Laura looked up at her. Stepping back, Clarisse smiled and closed the door before making her way to her suite.
Standing in Clarisse's suite doorway, Laura watched Clarisse a moment as she absentmindedly folded the blanket from the back of the sofa and placed it down carefully on the table before folding her arms and standing to look across at the bay windows.
"It's done," Laura said as Clarisse turned to her and lowered her arms, "I just need to wait for the results."
"Okay," Clarisse said as she glanced down at the test box in her hands before looking back up at her and moving to stand in front of the sofa, "why don't you come in and we can have a chat, we haven't really had chance to do that have we?"
"No we haven't," Laura said as she slowly walked over to her and sat down. "May I ask what Pierre told you, about me and the girls?"
"He hasn't said much, just that your mother passed away and you don't see your father," Clarisse said as she smoothed her hands down the back of her legs and sat down beside her as she nodded and looked down at the test box sitting on her lap. "He said it wasn't his place to tell us, that you will when you are ready."
"She passed away when I was seven," Laura said as she looked up at her, "she was my best friend, I never really spent much time with my father before that but after she died it brought us closer, until I married the girls father and we fell out."
"Didn't he approve?" Clarisse asked and watched as Laura shook her head.
"Something like that, yes. To him no one was good enough for his baby," she said and looked across the room, "I have two sisters too, who took his side," Laura added, "none of them have seen the girls. I sent photos of them when they were born but they were returned, unopened."
"Oh dear, that is sad," Clarisse said as she studied Laura, "and its their loss. You and your girls are such wonderful people, it really is their loss on having missed out on so much." She said as Laura looked back at her.
"That's what Pierre says," Laura nodded as she looked at the coffee table with tears in her eyes, "but sometimes I do miss them, I miss having my family around me. Especially at times like these," she said while looking down at the test box in her lap.
Taking the pregnancy test box from her lap, Clarisse placed it on the coffee table and grabbed two tissues from the box on the coffee table and handed them to her before wrapping her arms around her. "It'll be okay," she soothed while smoothing her hand up and down her arm as Laura cried on her shoulder. "I know I could never replace them, and I'm not trying too but know that I am here for you and your girls."
"You have no idea how much that means to me," Laura said tearfully a moment later and sat up, "thank you," she said as Clarisse took hold of one of her hands as she dabbed her eyes with the tissue with her other hand.
"You are welcome," Clarisse said softly and put her free hand up, brushing Laura's hair back behind her ear.
"Oh god," Laura cried a moment later, "what am I going to do if I am pregnant? Me and Pierre have only been together six months, he's going to run a mile."
"He won't darling, I know my son and I know he will support you one hundred percent," Clarisse said softly and watched as Laura looked up at her. "Yes, it's happening fast and will be a shock at first but I know he loves you and those girls, so he wouldn't just abandon you."
"You're right," Laura nodded, "he tells me he loves me everyday, I've never had that before and he does so much for the girls too."
"There you go then," Clarisse smiled, "I mean it's not everyday a man takes on other men's kids, and then decorates one of the rooms in his new house for the girls for when you all stay over," she said and watched as Laura let out a little laugh.
"That's true," Laura nodded, and dabbed her eyes before looking at the test. "Well it's time to check," she said and took a deep breath while picking up the test.
"Ok," Clarisse said as she smoothed her hands up her legs to rest on her knees, "just remember whatever the outcome, I am here for you."
Looking up at Clarisse, Laura nodded, "thank you," she said and removed the test from the box. "Here we go."
"Well?" Clarisse asked as she put her hands up, clasping her face as Laura stared down at the test.
"It's positive," Laura said and showed her the test with tears in her eyes.
To Be Continued.
