Wounded Souls
Epilogue
By: crystal rose
Edited by: ladysolo
June 11, 2003
***
"Ohh. Go lower," Serena moaned, arching her back to meet Darien's touch.
As ordered, Darien moved his hands lower. "Here?" His only response was a throaty sound of appreciation.
"Yeah, that's the spot. Keep going. Harder," Serena whispered, the urgency straining her voice. She felt his hands cease movement after a while. "Don't stop now."
Darien chuckled silently, knowing that the pout on Serena's lips would only grow if he didn't do as she 'requested'. As much as he loved seeing that pout of hers, he loved to pleasure her even more. Her little sigh of satisfaction told him that he was on the right track.
Finally, Serena exhaled one final time, stretched her arms up over her head and purred happily. She snuggled under the covers and rested her head on his bare chest. "Thanks, I couldn't reach that spot."
Darien raised his eyebrow wryly. "Do me a favour, Serena. Next time you feel an itch in the middle of your back, just grab the backscratcher instead of waking me up..." he glanced at the alarm clock on the night table, "at 1:13 in the morning. I thought you were having a seizure."
Serena had the grace to look embarrassed. "It fell on the floor when I was reaching for it. Getting it from under the bed would've cost me precious scratching seconds."
Darien grinned naughtily and rolled over on the bed, pinning her with his arms. "Well, as long as we're both up..."
Although Serena rolled her eyes, the tiny smile she was hiding revealed that she wasn't averse to Darien's idea one bit. Darien kissed her softly, letting his hands touch the body he knew so well. Slowly, carefully savouring the moment, Darien slid his hands under the white cotton nightgown she wore, caressing the silky skin he felt underneath. Serena lifted her upper body to allow Darien to pull the garment off and lay with her golden hair strewn about her on the bed.
They smiled at each other, anticipation in their eyes. Darien lowered his head so that his lips lightly touched upon Serena's navel, holding her gaze with his own. He felt-as ridiculous as it sounds in this day and age-like a conquering warrior about to reap the spoils of his plunder. Of course, Serena's small sounds of encouragement didn't do anything to help dispel his fantasy.
He worked his way up her torso with remarkable patience for a man who liked to get things done with as much speed and efficiency as possible. Serena's breathing hitched just as Darien's mouth arrived at her breast. She waited impatiently, dragging her hands through his hair, urging him along but this time, he followed his own lead. Serena almost cried out in frustration when he turned his attention to her other breast to begin the whole process again.
"Stop teasing me, Darien." Her voice was smoky and full of need. Taking this as encouragement-'as if he needed any', Serena thought vaguely-he opened his mouth to take her nipple in.
"WAHHHH!"
"Oh no," Serena groaned, flopping her head back against the pillows.
"She'll go right back to sleep," Darien assured her, although deep down he knew full well that the crying baby wouldn't.
"Ignore her," Serena urged. "Maybe she'll tire herself out and fall asleep again."
"Please go back to sleep, please go back to sleep," Darien chanted softly, even going the extra mile by crossing his fingers. The sexually frustrated parents listened hopefully through the baby monitor for a full five minutes-because, according to Darien, "crying lets the baby's lungs expand or something like that. What kind of parents would we be if we deliberately hampered our daughter's lung growth?"-but the baby's cries only grew louder. Finally, unable to ignore her child's cries any longer, Serena reached over and grabbed her nightgown, which Darien had carelessly tossed on the bed beside her.
"Oh no, no, no. Please don't tell me you're doing what I think you're doing."
Serena poked her head through the neck hole and kissed him soundly on the lips. "I have to go; it's time to feed her."
Darien growled with pent up frustration and tried his best not to pout, failing miserably. "Okay," he conceded grumpily. "But hurry back."
Serena patted his cheek in reply and walked across the hall to the nursery. When she was gone, Darien closed his eyes to block out the suddenly harsh light streaming from the lamp beside him.
He must have dozed off because the next time he glanced at the clock, it was fifteen minutes later and the door had just creaked open. In his sleep-fuddled mind, he saw a tiny version of himself creep over to the bed, clutching a ragged-looking teddy bear in his hand. He watched this little person through his lashes, not quite sure if he was dreaming or awake, only that the child in front of him held his teddy bear, looking as if he were about to cry.
"Daddy?" The one word spoken in a tremulous voice brought Darien back to his senses as he struggled to sit up.
"What is it, son?" He used his thumb to brush away the tear tracing a path down the young boy's cheek.
He held up the stuffed animal. "Boo Bear had an axi-dent."
Darien nodded in understanding. Taking the boy's hand, he walked out the room and into the hall, stopping at the linen closet before going to the boy's room.
"Aw that's okay, Boo Bear, accidents happen." The boy, whose black hair had been mussed in his sleep, looked at the man he resembled so much with adoration in his deep blue eyes. Together, father and son changed the sheets on his 'big boy bed' and changed his pajamas.
In the nursery across the hall, Serena sat in a rocking chair holding a baby to her breast. Not quite the attention she wanted moments ago, she thought, but satisfying nonetheless. "You get your appetite from your daddy," she told the baby hungrily sucking at her breast. "There's no way you could've gotten that from me."
Rini, with her blonde hair curling softly around her ears and her wide blue eyes framed by sooty lashes, was a surprise to her family when she was born. Isabella and Kenneth Walter may have had their father's dark features but Rini-Serenity Jr., Darien would sometimes call her-was all Serena's, from the golden blonde fuzz on her head right down to the shape of her toes. Of course, Darien was absolutely thrilled that one of his children finally took after their mother. "Third time's the charm," he told her proudly when the nurse placed the swaddled baby in his arms.
Rini finished suckling and was now contentedly batting her chubby fist in the air, gurgling happily at her mother. She stared wide-eyed at her surroundings and, without warning, swung her fist, hitting Serena squarely in her tender breast. She yelped in pain, her eyes stinging with tears.
Muttering curses under her breath, Serena took one look at Rini and smiled. She was so cute it was impossible to stay mad at her. Just as Rini's eyes were beginning to close, the nursery door was flung open and Isabella dashed in from the hall, her long curly hair trailing down her back and face red from crying.
"Mommy!" She ran to the rocking chair and wrapped her arms around Serena's neck. "I couldn't find you!"
Alarmed, Serena kissed her wet cheeks. "What's wrong, sweetie?" Isabella sobbed something into her neck. "What did you say?"
"The bad man was going to take you away and then I couldn't find you or daddy in your room!" she wailed. "I thought you were gone!"
Serena shifted Rini, who was again fully awake and watching her older sister intently, in her arms to let Isabella sit partially on her lap. "It's okay, baby. Mommy's here." Serena let Isabella cry for a little while before asking if she wanted to talk about her dream.
Isabella said nothing, content to snuggle with her mom. With the new baby and everything else taking her mother's time, Isabella hadn't been babied the way she was used to before her icky little brother came along, and she for one, was going to milk it for everything it was worth. She stuck her bottom lip out in a small pout for good measure.
Finally, after a few moments of silence, Isabella felt ready to talk. "I dreamed that the bad man stole you away from daddy and took you to his glass castle."
"What bad man, sweetheart?" Isabella's lower lip trembled and she dashed the back of her hand across her eyes dramatically.
"The bad man with white hair and three eyes. He wanted to marry you so he made you wear a fairy dress and the eye in the middle of his forehead started glowing. He wanted to kiss you but daddy saved you before he could." This time, Isabella's shudder was not made for dramatic purposes.
Serena kissed Isabella on the head. "See? There's nothing to be scared of. Your daddy rescued me."
"But what if he comes back?" Isabella clutched Loopy tighter. Loopy had gotten Serena through many a tough night and now she was giving her daughter the same support. Thankfully, Isabella's tough nights weren't anywhere as bad as her mother's. Oh, the tales that doll could tell. "What if he takes you away again?"
"It must have been a scary dream, huh?"
Isabella nodded. "Uh huh." Despite her residual jitters, Isabella giggled. "Daddy was wearing his fancy suit with a superhero cape when he rescued you. He looked kinda silly."
Serena giggled along with her daughter, glad that Isabella's fears had been mollified for the moment. "How did he rescue me?"
Isabella scrunched her mouth, going over her dream again. "I think he hit him with a cane..."
Because she knew it would hurt Isabella's feelings if she gave in to temptation and laughed, Serena bit the inside of her cheek and focused on Rini, who was beginning to fuss. She felt the baby's diaper-covered bottom and thought, 'Hmm, squishy already. Ah, the wonders of breast milk.'
"I think your sister needs a new diaper, Isabella. Would you like to help me?"
Isabella nodded, and although she was more of a hindrance than she was help, Serena enjoyed her company and allowed her to participate. Together, they sang Rini a lullaby and Isabella tucked a ratty toy cat that had once belonged to Serena in the crib with her. They congratulated themselves silently on getting Rini down in her crib without waking her and were about to leave the room when Rini opened her eyes and let out a plaintive wail.
Serena sighed. 'So close', she thought, and went to pick her baby up. Rini stopped crying immediately and even cooed against Serena's ear, making it very difficult on her mother's part to be annoyed with her. Once the baby quieted down, Serena tried to put her back in the crib to no avail; Rini just wouldn't let her leave.
"Darien's not gonna like this", she muttered, bundling Rini up in her blanket. She was going to let Rini sleep in the bassinet in their room for the night. "Come on, Isabella. Time for bed."
Isabella's face was troubled but she allowed her mother to lead her by the hand all the way to her bedroom door. "No mommy!" she cried and threw herself down on the floor. "I don't wanna sleep there tonight!"
Serena stared in astonishment at her daughter who had just wrapped herself around her leg, crying and begging her not to let the 'bad man' take her away. Just as she was about to utter words of comfort, Isabella wailed the very words she was dreading to hear.
"I wanna sleep in your room, Mommy!"
"What's going on?" Serena turned around to see Darien exiting Kenny's room, its occupant and a battered teddy bear in his arms.
"Isabella had a bad dream and Rini keeps crying every time I leave the room. What's your story?" Darien grinned ruefully over Kenny's head.
"We had a little accident to deal with." Darien patted the boy's bottom. "Don't worry, we took care of it, didn't we, Kenny?" The little boy nodded and clung to his father's neck like a little monkey.
"Aw, honey, it's okay. It was just an accident." Serena shifted Rini, who was asleep for the moment, in her arms to nuzzle Kenny's cheek. "Do you wanna sleep with us tonight?"
Kenny nodded. "Can Boo Bear come too?"
"Of course Boo Bear can come! The more, the merrier, right Daddy?" She shot a cheeky glance at Darien over Kenny's head. Kenny wriggled out of his father's hold and ran to his sister who was watching them from her position on the floor.
"Come on Iz-bella, we're gonna sleep in Mommy and Daddy's room tonight." Kenny offered his sister a hand, which she promptly refused and got up on her own.
Isabella, embarrassed to be caught begging at her mother's feet by her father, whom she idolized, and her little brother, who idolized her, ignored his outstretched hand. "Just make sure you don't go peeing all over the bed, Kenny," she informed him haughtily. Stung, Kenny turned to his parents and stuck a finger in his mouth, tears in his eyes.
"Isabella," Darien admonished her. Isabella's face was at once contrite for displeasing her father and making Kenny-whom she thought wasn't so bad, at times-feel bad. Always a daddy's girl, Isabella hated having her daddy be anything other than proud of her.
"I'm sorry, Daddy," she said in a rush, not wanting her father to be mad at her. She took Kenny's hand and began dragging him to her parents' room. "Come on, Kenny. Race ya to the bed."
Serena and Darien watched as the two kids raced down the hall and into their room. Darien wrapped his arm around Serena's shoulders and led her and Rini at a more leisurely pace to what had once been their sanctuary.
"It's okay, really, Kenny. When I was your age, I had the same problem too," they heard Isabella saying from their room. They smiled as they listened to their seven-year old daughter explain the mechanics of controlling one's nightly bathroom urges to their four-year old son as if she was the leading expert on the matter. "Just follow my advice and you'll have this thing down in no time."
Darien leaned down to whisper in Serena's ear, "What say you and I finish what we started in the bathroom when the kids are asleep?"
Serena flushed. Even after six years of marriage, Darien still had the power to make her insides flutter. 'We've been through a lot over the years', she thought. They got married in a lavish ceremony three months after they got engaged. The Shields estate had been decorated to the nines for the event, which some catty women at the country club where Darien's parents belonged called a "belated shotgun wedding". Naturally, neither couple gave them the time of day-or invitations to the wedding.
Serena wore a simple sheath-a vintage Valentino, she was informed at the boutique-with her tiara. She carried a replica of the very bouquet Darien had given her on their very first date-white miniature roses, day lilies and sweet peas-while Kayla and Isabella walked hand-in-hand down the aisle, scattering rose petals. Her bridesmaids were, of course, Amy and Raye, and her matron-of-honour was her aunt Celeste. Serena had specifically requested that Walter walk her down the stone steps from the house to where Sammy, who walked her to the makeshift altar, stood waiting. Together, they walked down a silk and rose petal covered path, and when the minister asked who was giving the bride away, Sammy's hand tightened on Serena's arm and he glared at Darien, saying, "I am, but if you make her cry, I swear I'll-" Serena jabbed him with her elbow before he could finish.
Serena and Darien were so wrapped up in each other; they barely heard the minister's words as the world slipped away. When it came time to say their vows, Darien choked up twice and Serena had to wipe away his tears with her handkerchief. Serena was no better when it came time to say her own. Every word and every vow was said with the utmost sincerity and reverberated with the love they had for each other. Finally, the minister pronounced them man and wife and gave Darien his blessing to kiss his new bride. The guests watched as Darien leaned in and gave Serena a slow, lingering kiss that threatened to move the G-rated occasion to PG had the photographer not taken a picture, reminding the newlyweds where they were and who was watching them.
After the ceremony was over, to the guests' delight, Isabella clapped her tiny hands, shouted "Daddy love mommy!" and ran into her father's leg, begging him with outstretched arms to carry her. All the guests walked a few feet to the white tent already set up with tables and chairs for the reception. The pool was covered with more rose petals over which a layer of clear, strong Plexiglas lay and was instantly transformed into a dance floor. The guests and the newly married couple danced the night away and when it was time for Serena and Darien to leave for their two-week Caribbean cruise in Darien's yacht, fireworks burst in the night sky in a spectacular display that lasted a half hour.
About six months after their wedding, Serena received a phone call from a very excited Sammy.
"Serena!" She had to hold the phone away from her ear being deafened by the whoops and hollers in the background.
"Sammy, is that you? Where are you?" Serena strained to hear what her brother over what seemed to be a collective cheer. "Did you just say that you're at a hockey game?"
"Yeah," he shouted. Whatever he said next was lost into the roar of the fans. "I said I just asked Mika to marry me and she said yes! I'm getting MARRIED!" The crowd cheered again. Serena was mildly amused to hear them chanting his name. "I proposed to her on the in front of everybody! It pays to be a sports writer!"
Another six months passed before Sammy and Mika got married in a simple ceremony in Toronto to which Darien and Serena flew back to attend. Having no other immediate family there, Serena stood in as Sammy's best man while Isabella once again played a flower girl, only this time, she got confused halfway down the aisle and started crying, forcing Darien to walk the rest of the way with her. Now, five years later, Sammy and Mika are the proud parents of a three-year old boy named David, after Mika's father, with another on the way.
One lazy Sunday morning, Serena and Darien were lounging on the sofa in the living room after having breakfast sharing the newspaper. Isabella had gone to spend the day with her grandparents, who were taking her to the club for a "fancy brunch", as Isabella had called it. Darien was, of course, reading the business section of the newspaper while Serena amused herself with the entertainment section.
Serena took a sip of coffee, turned the page, and promptly started choking. "Darien!" she said in between coughing fits. "Stop hitting me! I'm fine!"
Darien looked dubious but stopped whacking her back with his hand. "What happened, the coffee go down the wrong way?"
Still winded, Serena could do nothing but point to the newspaper. Darien glanced at the page and grinned. "Robert's new book made it on the bestseller list!" Serena nodded happily and grabbed the cordless phone from the side table.
"Hello, Aunt Celeste? Darien and I were just reading the paper and guess whose name we saw topping the bestseller list?" Serena listened for a moment and squealed with delight. "That's right! Robert's book made number one!"
Serena put Celeste on the speakerphone so that Darien could hear the excitement as well. With the speakerphone activated, they could hear the twins clamoring in the background. Celeste and Robert, married too late in life to have children of their own, adopted twins from China whom they named Irene and Matthew. Both active toddlers were being taken care of by Celeste, who had decided to be a stay-at-home mom so that Robert could write full-time.
"Yay, Daddy!" they shouted, clapping their tiny hands. A crash was heard and then Robert's robust laughter.
"My three kids," Celeste said wryly, although both Serena and Darien could hear the fondness and love in her voice. "And in a few months' time, it's going to be four." She went on to say that she and Robert had adopted another child, this time, a little boy from Romania.
Amy and Zack were finally able to save for a house and immediately began trying to have a baby. Unfortunately, two years had passed and still the couple had not been able to conceive. They had already tried fertility treatments to no avail and are now looking into invitro fertilization. Serena hoped that their next visit to the fertility specialists would produce some good news for her friend-God knew how much Amy wanted to be a mother. Serena remembered a conversation she had with Amy just a few days ago on the terrace in the backyard.
"You're so lucky to have the kids, Serena," Amy said wistfully, watching Isabella and Kenny squabble over a ball. The children's screaming was beginning to give Serena a headache.
"Kids! Aunt Amy and I are trying to have a little talk. Could you please keep it down?" Isabella and Kenny looked at each other and continued their argument in hushed whispers for about a minute, which resulted in a full-blown war. Serena groaned and stoically tried to ignore them. "Were you talking about my kids? By all means, please take them. Then you'll see just how overrated kids really are. I don't even know why you-" Serena broke off, her face red with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Amy. I didn't think. I feel horrible."
Amy attempted to laugh it off, but the damage had already been done. They sat in awkward silence, watching the children playing in the playhouse Darien had built for them, the ball forgotten. Serena bit her lip nervously, cursing herself for not thinking before she spoke.
Thankfully, Rini's sniffling cries gave Serena an excuse to visit the playpen erected just a few feet away from the table. "She's hungry," she said softly, almost to herself. She turned to Amy. "Would you like to feed her? I've got a bottle here. It would be good practice for you."
Amy nodded and opened out her arms, ready to receive the baby. Serena placed her carefully in her arms and handed her a tiny bottle. Serena sat back, watching her friend nurse her child, thinking how natural the scene looked. "You'd make a great mother, Amy."
Amy smiled shyly, pleased. "You think so?"
Serena watched Rini stretch her arms lazily and yawn. "If you doubt me, look at Rini. She couldn't be happier."
"Serena..." Amy hesitated. "Do you think the reason I can't have a baby is because I'd be a bad mother?" Just then, cool, confident Amy looked very vulnerable.
Serena felt a pang of sympathy for her friend. It was hard seeing Amy, the only girl in the fifth grade to have a life plan at five year intervals, have such a hard time conceiving a child when it came so naturally for her and Raye. Because she knew that Amy's femininity was suffering a personal blow, Serena resisted the urge to overcompensate her pity by coddling her. "For such a smart woman, that was a pretty stupid thing to say. You and I both know that your difficulties in conceiving have nothing to do with being a good mother-which I know you'll be." She hugged Amy and her daughter. "I think that this situation only proves how good a mother you're going to be since you're willing to do anything to be one. And how good a father Zach is going to be. You'll see, the wait will be over soon."
Serena prayed that her words would prove to be true. She didn't think Amy and Zach could suffer another disappointment...
***
Continued in Epilogue II
Epilogue
By: crystal rose
Edited by: ladysolo
June 11, 2003
***
"Ohh. Go lower," Serena moaned, arching her back to meet Darien's touch.
As ordered, Darien moved his hands lower. "Here?" His only response was a throaty sound of appreciation.
"Yeah, that's the spot. Keep going. Harder," Serena whispered, the urgency straining her voice. She felt his hands cease movement after a while. "Don't stop now."
Darien chuckled silently, knowing that the pout on Serena's lips would only grow if he didn't do as she 'requested'. As much as he loved seeing that pout of hers, he loved to pleasure her even more. Her little sigh of satisfaction told him that he was on the right track.
Finally, Serena exhaled one final time, stretched her arms up over her head and purred happily. She snuggled under the covers and rested her head on his bare chest. "Thanks, I couldn't reach that spot."
Darien raised his eyebrow wryly. "Do me a favour, Serena. Next time you feel an itch in the middle of your back, just grab the backscratcher instead of waking me up..." he glanced at the alarm clock on the night table, "at 1:13 in the morning. I thought you were having a seizure."
Serena had the grace to look embarrassed. "It fell on the floor when I was reaching for it. Getting it from under the bed would've cost me precious scratching seconds."
Darien grinned naughtily and rolled over on the bed, pinning her with his arms. "Well, as long as we're both up..."
Although Serena rolled her eyes, the tiny smile she was hiding revealed that she wasn't averse to Darien's idea one bit. Darien kissed her softly, letting his hands touch the body he knew so well. Slowly, carefully savouring the moment, Darien slid his hands under the white cotton nightgown she wore, caressing the silky skin he felt underneath. Serena lifted her upper body to allow Darien to pull the garment off and lay with her golden hair strewn about her on the bed.
They smiled at each other, anticipation in their eyes. Darien lowered his head so that his lips lightly touched upon Serena's navel, holding her gaze with his own. He felt-as ridiculous as it sounds in this day and age-like a conquering warrior about to reap the spoils of his plunder. Of course, Serena's small sounds of encouragement didn't do anything to help dispel his fantasy.
He worked his way up her torso with remarkable patience for a man who liked to get things done with as much speed and efficiency as possible. Serena's breathing hitched just as Darien's mouth arrived at her breast. She waited impatiently, dragging her hands through his hair, urging him along but this time, he followed his own lead. Serena almost cried out in frustration when he turned his attention to her other breast to begin the whole process again.
"Stop teasing me, Darien." Her voice was smoky and full of need. Taking this as encouragement-'as if he needed any', Serena thought vaguely-he opened his mouth to take her nipple in.
"WAHHHH!"
"Oh no," Serena groaned, flopping her head back against the pillows.
"She'll go right back to sleep," Darien assured her, although deep down he knew full well that the crying baby wouldn't.
"Ignore her," Serena urged. "Maybe she'll tire herself out and fall asleep again."
"Please go back to sleep, please go back to sleep," Darien chanted softly, even going the extra mile by crossing his fingers. The sexually frustrated parents listened hopefully through the baby monitor for a full five minutes-because, according to Darien, "crying lets the baby's lungs expand or something like that. What kind of parents would we be if we deliberately hampered our daughter's lung growth?"-but the baby's cries only grew louder. Finally, unable to ignore her child's cries any longer, Serena reached over and grabbed her nightgown, which Darien had carelessly tossed on the bed beside her.
"Oh no, no, no. Please don't tell me you're doing what I think you're doing."
Serena poked her head through the neck hole and kissed him soundly on the lips. "I have to go; it's time to feed her."
Darien growled with pent up frustration and tried his best not to pout, failing miserably. "Okay," he conceded grumpily. "But hurry back."
Serena patted his cheek in reply and walked across the hall to the nursery. When she was gone, Darien closed his eyes to block out the suddenly harsh light streaming from the lamp beside him.
He must have dozed off because the next time he glanced at the clock, it was fifteen minutes later and the door had just creaked open. In his sleep-fuddled mind, he saw a tiny version of himself creep over to the bed, clutching a ragged-looking teddy bear in his hand. He watched this little person through his lashes, not quite sure if he was dreaming or awake, only that the child in front of him held his teddy bear, looking as if he were about to cry.
"Daddy?" The one word spoken in a tremulous voice brought Darien back to his senses as he struggled to sit up.
"What is it, son?" He used his thumb to brush away the tear tracing a path down the young boy's cheek.
He held up the stuffed animal. "Boo Bear had an axi-dent."
Darien nodded in understanding. Taking the boy's hand, he walked out the room and into the hall, stopping at the linen closet before going to the boy's room.
"Aw that's okay, Boo Bear, accidents happen." The boy, whose black hair had been mussed in his sleep, looked at the man he resembled so much with adoration in his deep blue eyes. Together, father and son changed the sheets on his 'big boy bed' and changed his pajamas.
In the nursery across the hall, Serena sat in a rocking chair holding a baby to her breast. Not quite the attention she wanted moments ago, she thought, but satisfying nonetheless. "You get your appetite from your daddy," she told the baby hungrily sucking at her breast. "There's no way you could've gotten that from me."
Rini, with her blonde hair curling softly around her ears and her wide blue eyes framed by sooty lashes, was a surprise to her family when she was born. Isabella and Kenneth Walter may have had their father's dark features but Rini-Serenity Jr., Darien would sometimes call her-was all Serena's, from the golden blonde fuzz on her head right down to the shape of her toes. Of course, Darien was absolutely thrilled that one of his children finally took after their mother. "Third time's the charm," he told her proudly when the nurse placed the swaddled baby in his arms.
Rini finished suckling and was now contentedly batting her chubby fist in the air, gurgling happily at her mother. She stared wide-eyed at her surroundings and, without warning, swung her fist, hitting Serena squarely in her tender breast. She yelped in pain, her eyes stinging with tears.
Muttering curses under her breath, Serena took one look at Rini and smiled. She was so cute it was impossible to stay mad at her. Just as Rini's eyes were beginning to close, the nursery door was flung open and Isabella dashed in from the hall, her long curly hair trailing down her back and face red from crying.
"Mommy!" She ran to the rocking chair and wrapped her arms around Serena's neck. "I couldn't find you!"
Alarmed, Serena kissed her wet cheeks. "What's wrong, sweetie?" Isabella sobbed something into her neck. "What did you say?"
"The bad man was going to take you away and then I couldn't find you or daddy in your room!" she wailed. "I thought you were gone!"
Serena shifted Rini, who was again fully awake and watching her older sister intently, in her arms to let Isabella sit partially on her lap. "It's okay, baby. Mommy's here." Serena let Isabella cry for a little while before asking if she wanted to talk about her dream.
Isabella said nothing, content to snuggle with her mom. With the new baby and everything else taking her mother's time, Isabella hadn't been babied the way she was used to before her icky little brother came along, and she for one, was going to milk it for everything it was worth. She stuck her bottom lip out in a small pout for good measure.
Finally, after a few moments of silence, Isabella felt ready to talk. "I dreamed that the bad man stole you away from daddy and took you to his glass castle."
"What bad man, sweetheart?" Isabella's lower lip trembled and she dashed the back of her hand across her eyes dramatically.
"The bad man with white hair and three eyes. He wanted to marry you so he made you wear a fairy dress and the eye in the middle of his forehead started glowing. He wanted to kiss you but daddy saved you before he could." This time, Isabella's shudder was not made for dramatic purposes.
Serena kissed Isabella on the head. "See? There's nothing to be scared of. Your daddy rescued me."
"But what if he comes back?" Isabella clutched Loopy tighter. Loopy had gotten Serena through many a tough night and now she was giving her daughter the same support. Thankfully, Isabella's tough nights weren't anywhere as bad as her mother's. Oh, the tales that doll could tell. "What if he takes you away again?"
"It must have been a scary dream, huh?"
Isabella nodded. "Uh huh." Despite her residual jitters, Isabella giggled. "Daddy was wearing his fancy suit with a superhero cape when he rescued you. He looked kinda silly."
Serena giggled along with her daughter, glad that Isabella's fears had been mollified for the moment. "How did he rescue me?"
Isabella scrunched her mouth, going over her dream again. "I think he hit him with a cane..."
Because she knew it would hurt Isabella's feelings if she gave in to temptation and laughed, Serena bit the inside of her cheek and focused on Rini, who was beginning to fuss. She felt the baby's diaper-covered bottom and thought, 'Hmm, squishy already. Ah, the wonders of breast milk.'
"I think your sister needs a new diaper, Isabella. Would you like to help me?"
Isabella nodded, and although she was more of a hindrance than she was help, Serena enjoyed her company and allowed her to participate. Together, they sang Rini a lullaby and Isabella tucked a ratty toy cat that had once belonged to Serena in the crib with her. They congratulated themselves silently on getting Rini down in her crib without waking her and were about to leave the room when Rini opened her eyes and let out a plaintive wail.
Serena sighed. 'So close', she thought, and went to pick her baby up. Rini stopped crying immediately and even cooed against Serena's ear, making it very difficult on her mother's part to be annoyed with her. Once the baby quieted down, Serena tried to put her back in the crib to no avail; Rini just wouldn't let her leave.
"Darien's not gonna like this", she muttered, bundling Rini up in her blanket. She was going to let Rini sleep in the bassinet in their room for the night. "Come on, Isabella. Time for bed."
Isabella's face was troubled but she allowed her mother to lead her by the hand all the way to her bedroom door. "No mommy!" she cried and threw herself down on the floor. "I don't wanna sleep there tonight!"
Serena stared in astonishment at her daughter who had just wrapped herself around her leg, crying and begging her not to let the 'bad man' take her away. Just as she was about to utter words of comfort, Isabella wailed the very words she was dreading to hear.
"I wanna sleep in your room, Mommy!"
"What's going on?" Serena turned around to see Darien exiting Kenny's room, its occupant and a battered teddy bear in his arms.
"Isabella had a bad dream and Rini keeps crying every time I leave the room. What's your story?" Darien grinned ruefully over Kenny's head.
"We had a little accident to deal with." Darien patted the boy's bottom. "Don't worry, we took care of it, didn't we, Kenny?" The little boy nodded and clung to his father's neck like a little monkey.
"Aw, honey, it's okay. It was just an accident." Serena shifted Rini, who was asleep for the moment, in her arms to nuzzle Kenny's cheek. "Do you wanna sleep with us tonight?"
Kenny nodded. "Can Boo Bear come too?"
"Of course Boo Bear can come! The more, the merrier, right Daddy?" She shot a cheeky glance at Darien over Kenny's head. Kenny wriggled out of his father's hold and ran to his sister who was watching them from her position on the floor.
"Come on Iz-bella, we're gonna sleep in Mommy and Daddy's room tonight." Kenny offered his sister a hand, which she promptly refused and got up on her own.
Isabella, embarrassed to be caught begging at her mother's feet by her father, whom she idolized, and her little brother, who idolized her, ignored his outstretched hand. "Just make sure you don't go peeing all over the bed, Kenny," she informed him haughtily. Stung, Kenny turned to his parents and stuck a finger in his mouth, tears in his eyes.
"Isabella," Darien admonished her. Isabella's face was at once contrite for displeasing her father and making Kenny-whom she thought wasn't so bad, at times-feel bad. Always a daddy's girl, Isabella hated having her daddy be anything other than proud of her.
"I'm sorry, Daddy," she said in a rush, not wanting her father to be mad at her. She took Kenny's hand and began dragging him to her parents' room. "Come on, Kenny. Race ya to the bed."
Serena and Darien watched as the two kids raced down the hall and into their room. Darien wrapped his arm around Serena's shoulders and led her and Rini at a more leisurely pace to what had once been their sanctuary.
"It's okay, really, Kenny. When I was your age, I had the same problem too," they heard Isabella saying from their room. They smiled as they listened to their seven-year old daughter explain the mechanics of controlling one's nightly bathroom urges to their four-year old son as if she was the leading expert on the matter. "Just follow my advice and you'll have this thing down in no time."
Darien leaned down to whisper in Serena's ear, "What say you and I finish what we started in the bathroom when the kids are asleep?"
Serena flushed. Even after six years of marriage, Darien still had the power to make her insides flutter. 'We've been through a lot over the years', she thought. They got married in a lavish ceremony three months after they got engaged. The Shields estate had been decorated to the nines for the event, which some catty women at the country club where Darien's parents belonged called a "belated shotgun wedding". Naturally, neither couple gave them the time of day-or invitations to the wedding.
Serena wore a simple sheath-a vintage Valentino, she was informed at the boutique-with her tiara. She carried a replica of the very bouquet Darien had given her on their very first date-white miniature roses, day lilies and sweet peas-while Kayla and Isabella walked hand-in-hand down the aisle, scattering rose petals. Her bridesmaids were, of course, Amy and Raye, and her matron-of-honour was her aunt Celeste. Serena had specifically requested that Walter walk her down the stone steps from the house to where Sammy, who walked her to the makeshift altar, stood waiting. Together, they walked down a silk and rose petal covered path, and when the minister asked who was giving the bride away, Sammy's hand tightened on Serena's arm and he glared at Darien, saying, "I am, but if you make her cry, I swear I'll-" Serena jabbed him with her elbow before he could finish.
Serena and Darien were so wrapped up in each other; they barely heard the minister's words as the world slipped away. When it came time to say their vows, Darien choked up twice and Serena had to wipe away his tears with her handkerchief. Serena was no better when it came time to say her own. Every word and every vow was said with the utmost sincerity and reverberated with the love they had for each other. Finally, the minister pronounced them man and wife and gave Darien his blessing to kiss his new bride. The guests watched as Darien leaned in and gave Serena a slow, lingering kiss that threatened to move the G-rated occasion to PG had the photographer not taken a picture, reminding the newlyweds where they were and who was watching them.
After the ceremony was over, to the guests' delight, Isabella clapped her tiny hands, shouted "Daddy love mommy!" and ran into her father's leg, begging him with outstretched arms to carry her. All the guests walked a few feet to the white tent already set up with tables and chairs for the reception. The pool was covered with more rose petals over which a layer of clear, strong Plexiglas lay and was instantly transformed into a dance floor. The guests and the newly married couple danced the night away and when it was time for Serena and Darien to leave for their two-week Caribbean cruise in Darien's yacht, fireworks burst in the night sky in a spectacular display that lasted a half hour.
About six months after their wedding, Serena received a phone call from a very excited Sammy.
"Serena!" She had to hold the phone away from her ear being deafened by the whoops and hollers in the background.
"Sammy, is that you? Where are you?" Serena strained to hear what her brother over what seemed to be a collective cheer. "Did you just say that you're at a hockey game?"
"Yeah," he shouted. Whatever he said next was lost into the roar of the fans. "I said I just asked Mika to marry me and she said yes! I'm getting MARRIED!" The crowd cheered again. Serena was mildly amused to hear them chanting his name. "I proposed to her on the in front of everybody! It pays to be a sports writer!"
Another six months passed before Sammy and Mika got married in a simple ceremony in Toronto to which Darien and Serena flew back to attend. Having no other immediate family there, Serena stood in as Sammy's best man while Isabella once again played a flower girl, only this time, she got confused halfway down the aisle and started crying, forcing Darien to walk the rest of the way with her. Now, five years later, Sammy and Mika are the proud parents of a three-year old boy named David, after Mika's father, with another on the way.
One lazy Sunday morning, Serena and Darien were lounging on the sofa in the living room after having breakfast sharing the newspaper. Isabella had gone to spend the day with her grandparents, who were taking her to the club for a "fancy brunch", as Isabella had called it. Darien was, of course, reading the business section of the newspaper while Serena amused herself with the entertainment section.
Serena took a sip of coffee, turned the page, and promptly started choking. "Darien!" she said in between coughing fits. "Stop hitting me! I'm fine!"
Darien looked dubious but stopped whacking her back with his hand. "What happened, the coffee go down the wrong way?"
Still winded, Serena could do nothing but point to the newspaper. Darien glanced at the page and grinned. "Robert's new book made it on the bestseller list!" Serena nodded happily and grabbed the cordless phone from the side table.
"Hello, Aunt Celeste? Darien and I were just reading the paper and guess whose name we saw topping the bestseller list?" Serena listened for a moment and squealed with delight. "That's right! Robert's book made number one!"
Serena put Celeste on the speakerphone so that Darien could hear the excitement as well. With the speakerphone activated, they could hear the twins clamoring in the background. Celeste and Robert, married too late in life to have children of their own, adopted twins from China whom they named Irene and Matthew. Both active toddlers were being taken care of by Celeste, who had decided to be a stay-at-home mom so that Robert could write full-time.
"Yay, Daddy!" they shouted, clapping their tiny hands. A crash was heard and then Robert's robust laughter.
"My three kids," Celeste said wryly, although both Serena and Darien could hear the fondness and love in her voice. "And in a few months' time, it's going to be four." She went on to say that she and Robert had adopted another child, this time, a little boy from Romania.
Amy and Zack were finally able to save for a house and immediately began trying to have a baby. Unfortunately, two years had passed and still the couple had not been able to conceive. They had already tried fertility treatments to no avail and are now looking into invitro fertilization. Serena hoped that their next visit to the fertility specialists would produce some good news for her friend-God knew how much Amy wanted to be a mother. Serena remembered a conversation she had with Amy just a few days ago on the terrace in the backyard.
"You're so lucky to have the kids, Serena," Amy said wistfully, watching Isabella and Kenny squabble over a ball. The children's screaming was beginning to give Serena a headache.
"Kids! Aunt Amy and I are trying to have a little talk. Could you please keep it down?" Isabella and Kenny looked at each other and continued their argument in hushed whispers for about a minute, which resulted in a full-blown war. Serena groaned and stoically tried to ignore them. "Were you talking about my kids? By all means, please take them. Then you'll see just how overrated kids really are. I don't even know why you-" Serena broke off, her face red with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Amy. I didn't think. I feel horrible."
Amy attempted to laugh it off, but the damage had already been done. They sat in awkward silence, watching the children playing in the playhouse Darien had built for them, the ball forgotten. Serena bit her lip nervously, cursing herself for not thinking before she spoke.
Thankfully, Rini's sniffling cries gave Serena an excuse to visit the playpen erected just a few feet away from the table. "She's hungry," she said softly, almost to herself. She turned to Amy. "Would you like to feed her? I've got a bottle here. It would be good practice for you."
Amy nodded and opened out her arms, ready to receive the baby. Serena placed her carefully in her arms and handed her a tiny bottle. Serena sat back, watching her friend nurse her child, thinking how natural the scene looked. "You'd make a great mother, Amy."
Amy smiled shyly, pleased. "You think so?"
Serena watched Rini stretch her arms lazily and yawn. "If you doubt me, look at Rini. She couldn't be happier."
"Serena..." Amy hesitated. "Do you think the reason I can't have a baby is because I'd be a bad mother?" Just then, cool, confident Amy looked very vulnerable.
Serena felt a pang of sympathy for her friend. It was hard seeing Amy, the only girl in the fifth grade to have a life plan at five year intervals, have such a hard time conceiving a child when it came so naturally for her and Raye. Because she knew that Amy's femininity was suffering a personal blow, Serena resisted the urge to overcompensate her pity by coddling her. "For such a smart woman, that was a pretty stupid thing to say. You and I both know that your difficulties in conceiving have nothing to do with being a good mother-which I know you'll be." She hugged Amy and her daughter. "I think that this situation only proves how good a mother you're going to be since you're willing to do anything to be one. And how good a father Zach is going to be. You'll see, the wait will be over soon."
Serena prayed that her words would prove to be true. She didn't think Amy and Zach could suffer another disappointment...
***
Continued in Epilogue II
