Chapter 23
Times Like These

Sariel stirred in her seat and stretched her lithe frame. She laughed when she saw Elliott had donned her sunglasses as he continued their drive towards Zuzu City. Her stomach growled slightly and she pulled the box of crackers in her purse free and started devouring them.

"Feel better, dear?" Elliott asked gently.

"Mmrpf." Sariel nodded with a mouthful of cracker.

Sariel reached towards the still chilled can of ginger soda and happily guzzled some of it down. She hiccupped ever so slightly as the carbonation hit her stomach. She turned her gaze towards the window and saw a sign indicating they were nearly in Zuzu City.

"That's way better." Sariel spoke brightly.

"I'm glad you were able to get some rest." Elliott commented.

"Me too. I'm so tired all the time. Constantly feel like I've only gotten twenty or thirty minutes of sleep, even though I'm getting nine hours of sleep at night." Sariel pouted as she lamented slightly.

"While we're visiting would you like to get a massage and get pampered at the Spa?" Elliott inquired gently.

"I'll have to ask Mom. Not sure she has a Certified Prenatal Massage Therapist on staff. It wouldn't surprise me if she does though. A pedicure would be awesome." Sariel replied sweetly.

"In the event, she doesn't, I am positive there's one licensed in Zuzu City. Might I suggest you call your parents, or Lilly and let them know we're almost in town?" Elliott asked softly.

Sariel nodded and retrieved her phone from the center console. She quickly flicked the screen to life and pulled up her call log. She happily selected Lilly's work number and waited for the call to connect.

"Thank you for calling Lilly's Café. This is Tyler, how may I help you?" A soft male voice called out.

"Hey Tyler, this is Sariel McCoy, is Lilly or Red around?" Sariel asked.

"Yeah, lemme grab one of 'em, do you mind holding?" Tyler asked.

"Not at all, thank you." Sariel replied.

The line went quiet as soft music fluttered through the line. Sariel laughed when she realized the album playing and thoroughly planned to tease her friends about it later. A few moments ticked by and eventually the line activated again.

"Rinn! How in the heck are you?" Lilly chirped.

"I'm doing great. Ellie and I are about ten minutes away from the city. Would you and Red like to get dinner with us?" Sariel asked sweetly.

"Of course. Whatcha thinkin'?" Lilly responded.

"Poseidon?" Sariel returned.

"Greek food? Count Red and I both in!" Lilly exclaimed happily.

"Great! I need to run a few errands before we come over, but I'll text you once we're done!" Sariel chirped.

"I'm looking forward to it, Rinn. Give Elliott my love!" Lilly called out as she disconnected the line.

"Lilly sends her love, honey. There's a maternity store called Blush within walking distance of The Peachtree. Their reviews are great and they've got some really cute stuff online." Sariel stated.

"Then that's where we shall head. I'll park at the hotel and we can take our bags up then walk over." Elliott replied.

The next twenty minutes flew past as Elliott navigated towards the hotel from memory. He pulled into the same parking spot Sariel always used and smiled when he noticed Evynne had added a sign to it denoting it as being theirs. He killed the engine and unbuckled his seatbelt before hopping free from the truck.

He slung Sariel's travel bag strap around his broad shoulders and hefted their large suitcase out of the bed. Sariel had packed what little she was bringing with her in her smaller travel bag, due to needing to get more clothes. She had stashed Elliott's slightly smaller suitcase in her larger bag.

Elliott swung around her side of the truck and gently pulled open the door. He took Sariel's hand in his and gently eased her out of the truck. He brought his lips to her forehead and pressed a light kiss to her skin.

"I love you." Elliott whispered.

"I love you too, honey." Sariel replied sweetly.

She laced their fingers together and beamed when Elliott started leading them inside. As they made their way to the check-in desk Sariel spied her mother training a new employee. She stepped up to the desk and waved at Evynne.

"Hello sweetie. Give me just a minute and I'll get you both checked in." Evynne stated.

"Thanks, Mom. We're doing dinner tonight at Poseidon, would you and Dad like to join us? Lilly and Audrey will be there." Sariel spoke softly.

"Absolutely. Once I'm done with Maisie here I'm done for the day." Evynne replied.

"Excellent! Elliott and I have a bit of shopping to do, so we're going to drop off everything in the room and head out." Sariel stated.

"That sounds like a wonderful plan, darling. Have you made a reservation yet?" Evynne inquired.

"Not yet. I was waiting to see if you'd be joining us." Sariel admitted.

"I understand. I'll call and get it set up. Just the six of us, correct?" Evynne countered.

"Yep!" Sariel smiled.

"Alright. What time did you tell Lilly?" Evynne asked.

"I didn't, but does 5:00 work?" Sariel gently asked.

"Of course. Your father's at a job site helping finalize some details, but I'm sure he'll be able to join us. Does that give you enough time to run your errands?" Evynne countered.

"It does. I love you, Mom." Sariel chirped.

"I love you too, Rinn." Evynne replied.

Sariel took the room key in her mother's outstretched hand and slid it into her jeans pocket. She smiled softly when Elliott looped his arm around her slender waist and fell into step beside her. The pair quickly crossed to the elevator and made their way to their room.

As they entered the well-decorated room, Sariel gleefully off-loaded their luggage. She darted into the bathroom and unpacked her toiletries bag and gently rubbed the small swell in her abdomen. Butterflies were swirling in her gut as the thoughts of having to buy maternity clothes fully sank into her brain.

She exited the bathroom and pulled Elliott into a tight hug. As she pressed her head against his chest she felt tears slip down her porcelain cheeks. She smiled weakly when Elliott pulled away from her and gazed into her eyes.

"Darling, what's wrong?" Elliott inquired with concern in his voice.

"I'm scared I'm going to be a horrible mother." Sariel croaked out.

"Nonsense. You're kind, caring, compassionate, loving, and amazing." Elliott purred.

"You have to say that because you're married to me." Sariel weakly admitted.

"Regardless of our marital status, I would still hold the same opinion of you. You're tenacious, too. Not once in the year, we were dating did you ever turn your back on me when I felt like I couldn't amount to anything. You've been best friends with Lilly and Leon for an entire decade of your life, darling. Think of that. Think of what you've accomplished in the last two years of your life. I am constantly in awe of you. Every day you challenge my opinion of you and prove why you're my beloved soulmate. I fully believe that you can accomplish anything you set your heart to, including being an amazing mother. You're already an amazing wife, best friend, and lover. I love you, Sariel." Elliott lovingly stated.

Sariel nuzzled her head against his broad chest and smiled as he wrapped his arms around her protectively. She was always comforted when he held her in his arms. He constantly exuded safety and peace to her and she was eternally grateful for that fact.

"I love you too, Elliott. Thank you." Sariel murmured.

"Do you feel up to shopping? We can wait until tomorrow if you'd like to have a few hours to relax." Elliott stated.

"I do, yeah. I've been looking forward to this since I told you I was pregnant." Sariel admitted bashfully.

"Shall we go then?" Elliott asked.

"We shall, Handsome." Sariel lovingly answered.

She took the lead and expertly navigated them out of the hotel and down Main Street. Expansive storefronts and brightly lit windows lined the walkway as they moved past a seemingly endless amount of designer stores. They eventually found Blush and were drawn in by the soft lighting and gentle music playing from inside the store. Sariel stepped inside and was greeted by an employee standing near the entrance.

"Welcome to Blush! My name's Aria, have you shopped with us before?" The young blue-haired woman asked.

"Erm, no. My name is Sariel, this is my husband, Elliott. We're expecting our first baby." Sariel stammered.

"Congratulations! Would either of you care for a water, sparkling water, ginger ale, or orange juice?" Aria asked.

"Water, please and thank you." Sariel smiled.

"You're very welcome!" Aria exclaimed.

She reached behind the expansive counter and pulled a chilled bottle of water from the fridge. She handed the drink to Sariel and cast a critical gaze towards her. She tucked a strand of her blue hair behind her ear as she watched Sariel take in the sights around her.

"If you don't mind me asking, how far along are you?" Aria gently inquired.

"13 weeks. I'm tiny though, so, unfortunately, my clothes aren't fitting well anymore." Sariel lamented.

"A common problem. What size do you normally wear?" Aria queried.

"Small to medium Shirts, size 4 jeans, and a 32C bra." Sariel blushed furiously.

"Wonderful! The great thing about maternity clothing is your size stays the same. You're going to wear items that are the size you're currently wearing." Aria stated.

"Oh, really?" Sariel asked.

"Mmhmm. If you'll follow me, I can help you pick out a few things." Aria answered.

Sariel nodded and followed Aria as she made her way towards the section of clothing designated for Sariel's size. Her eyes fell onto a beautifully designed lace sleeve dress in a deep, rich teal color. Sariel pulled it from the rack and held it against her small frame as she gazed into a floor-length mirror.

"An excellent choice!" Aria exclaimed.

The soft purr from Elliott behind her, made Sariel smile brightly. She and Aria worked through picking out several outfits and Sariel was growing increasingly tired from trying on all of the clothing. So far she'd picked out fifteen pairs of pants, four skirts, six dresses, ten shirts, and five sweaters. She was currently weeding through her choices of pajamas and frowned when she realized she and Elliott had spent almost their entire afternoon here.

She hurriedly picked a few of the garments and added them to her growing pile. She graciously accepted Aria's opinion on bras and added a few of them to the pile as well. She spied an adorable maternity trench coat in a deep gray color and slipped it on her slender shoulders. Pleased with how it looked, she added it to the pile and triumphantly announced she was done.

Sariel giggled when she saw the stack of baby books Elliott had placed on the counter as well. She smiled when he looped his arms around her waist and kissed the top of her head. She internally groaned when she got the total of the purchase but happily paid for everything.

"I truly wish you a blessed pregnancy, Sariel!" Aria sweetly exclaimed.

"Thank you, Aria." Sariel replied brightly.

She and Elliott loaded their arms with their bags and made their way back to the Peachtree. As they entered their room Sariel glanced at her watch and frowned when she saw it was nearly four already. She rather unceremoniously sat the bags on the floor and rummage through them for the teal dress she'd purchased.

She dashed into the bathroom and doffed her clothing as quickly as she could. She reapplied her perfume and deodorant and slid the silky dress onto her body. She smiled when she stole a glance towards the mirror and saw how radiantly beautiful she looked. She slipped on a pair of silver flats and exited the bathroom.

"Hey, Handsome? How do I look?" Sariel asked sheepishly.

"Extraordinarily radiant, Beautiful. Teal suits you well." Elliott purred.

"You just like it because it's your favorite color." Sariel scoffed playfully.

"I like what's beneath the clothing far more." Elliott taunted.

"Mmm, careful there, Wordsmith. That's how I got pregnant in the first place." Sariel teased.

"Very well, Angel. Ready for dinner?" Elliott asked.

"Indeed. I'm starving." Sariel whimpered.

Elliott knelt before her and pressed a kiss to her abdomen. He lovingly stroked Sariel's sides and whispered to their unborn child. As he rose he gently kissed Sariel. He held out her bright white long-sleeved cardigan and smiled as she slipped it on her shoulders.

Sariel grabbed her phone and her keys and slipped them into the inside pocket on her cardigan. She threaded her fingers with Elliott's as they exited their hotel room. They wove their way downstairs towards the parking garage and made their way towards Sariel's truck.

She climbed behind the wheel and waited for Elliott to join her. She jokingly set the satellite station to a Broadway & Show Tunes channel and laughed gleefully when she and Elliott started singing along. She flawlessly navigated the streets towards Poseidon and smiled at the Valet Attendant when she took the keys to the truck.

"Mom's name carries some weight around town, though Dad's carries more." Sariel admitted.

"I imagine they would, with your mother's hotel being as magnificent as it is. Your father is quite an accomplished Architect, is he not?" Elliott asked.

"He is. It was how he and Mom met, actually. He was engaged to one of her best friends, and mom contacted his firm to design The Peachtree. They fell for each other, but my dad is a man of honor, and wouldn't leave Cassie. But then stuff went down involving Cassie and Richard, Dad's brother, and Dad called off the engagement and proposed to…" Sariel stated.

"Me." Evynne interrupted Sariel softly.

Evynne wrapped her daughter in a tight hug and kissed her temple. She pulled Elliott into a gentle embrace and kissed him on his cheek. She smiled when Peter joined the trio and gave embraced their daughter.

"Hi, Daddy!" Sariel called out.

"Hello, Princess." Peter replied lovingly.

"Hello, Peter." Elliott warmly stated.

"Son, you're married to my only child, I think you've more than earned the right to call me any rendition of father you'd like. Peter's so formal." Peter bemoaned.

"You know Elliott's always formal and proper, Dad." Sariel chuckled.

"It was the one thing my parents got right with me." Elliott scowled.

"Nuh-uh. No frowny faces today." Sariel chirped.

"Of course, beloved." Elliott brightly smiled as he spoke.

"Rinn! Princess Lia!" Lilly yelled out as she ran towards them.

"Oh Jesus, hi Lilly." Sariel stammered.

"Princess… Lia? Is that why your father calls you Princess?" Elliott asked.

Sariel and Peter blushed an equally deep shade of red. Their shoulders heaved as they lost themselves in their laughter. They attempted to collect themselves and continued chuckling.

"Yeah. Daddy's a dork. Mom loved the name Sariel. Dad wanted to name me Leia. Mom said no. They compromised on Lia, which was Dad's Mom's name. So, to tease Mom, he started calling me Princess Lia. I can't believe I'd never told you that before." Sariel frowned.

"It's quite alright, my love. There are still stories about my youth I've yet to tell you." Elliott smirked.

Evynne took charge and led the group into the expansive silver doors of Poseidon. The air inside the restaurant smelled deliciously like fresh seafood and the ocean. Decorative lights around the waiting area reflected on the ceiling causing the appearance of ocean waves.

Elliott pulled Sariel to him and pointed at the exceptionally drawn mural on the wall. He pressed a light kiss to her temple when she realized the location of the mural. The smile that spread on her face warmed his soul.

"That's Thessaloniki!" Sariel exclaimed.

"Thessa-wha?" Lilly asked.

"Thessaloniki. Greece's second-largest city. Elliott and I spent a week there during our honeymoon." Sariel explained.

"Right. I forgot you can speak Greek." Lilly pouted.

"Hey, you can speak Mandarin and Japanese. I can't even do that." Sariel offered.

"Yeah, yeah." Lilly tutted.

"Mrs. Shade, your table is ready." A rather handsome host stated.

"Thank you, Ezio." Evynne replied.

Ezio turned and gently motioned for the group to follow him as he led them towards their private table. Elliott pulled Sariel's chair out for her and gently pushed her towards the table before taking his place at her left side. He took her left hand in his right hand and laced their fingers together.

"Kaló apógevma, good evening, my name is Theo, I'll be your waiter this evening. Would the gentlemen like to select a wine?" Theo asked.

"Kalispéra, Theó. Den boró na píno krasí, boreí na écho tsái?" Sariel asked.
(Good evening, Theo. I can't drink wine, can I have tea?)

"Apolýtos, despoinída." Theo replied.
(Absolutely, miss.)

"Theo, we'll take a bottle of the Duckhorn." Peter announced.

"An excellent choice, sir. Your daughter's Greek is excellent, Mrs. Shade." Theo stated proudly.

"Thank you, Theo." Evynne replied.

Theo bowed and departed towards the wine cellar to retrieve the 2014 wine was a powerful red, with concentrated flavors of red plum, cherry, and boysenberry that were layered with plenty of rich spice and mineral accents. Slight touches of slate and cardamom made for a complex finish. The exceptional wine was over $98 a bottle. He quickly made his way back towards the table and started pouring glasses of wine. He swiftly removed Sariel's wine glass and departed from the table.

"No wine tonight, honey?" Evynne asked.

"Nah. I don't want a headache later. Plus I'd like to be able to drive back to the hotel." Sariel smiled brightly.

"Of course." Evynne replied.

Sariel drew a breath into her lungs and felt Elliott squeeze her hand. She saw his slight nod and waited for everyone to swallow their sips of wine before clearing her throat. She steeled herself and smiled brightly.

"Actually, that's a fib, Mom. I can't have wine because I'm pregnant." Sariel stated.

"Oh, that's… wait, what?" Evynne asked.

"We're pregnant, Mom. 13 weeks." Sariel happily stated.

"Oh honey, really?" Evynne asked with tears in her eyes.

Sariel nodded and handed the morning's ultrasound pictures to her mother. She gasped when Audrey pulled her into a tight hug. When she was loosed from the embrace she stood up and was crushed under her father, mother, and Lilly hugging her.

"Aww, yes, Rinn's having a baby! We need to call the boys and tell them!" Lilly proudly yelled.

"They kind of already know. I'm so sorry. I had wanted to tell you guys first, but I'm so skinny I'm starting to show already, and Lia asked why I was wearing one of Ellie's shirts this morning." Sariel frowned.

"You were wearing one of his dress shirts! You were trying to hide your bump! The errands you ran, you were buying maternity clothes, weren't you?" Evynne asked, critically.

"Yep. This dress was one of the things I bought. Are you guys mad?" Sariel frowned.

"Of course not, honey! Elliott, are you still taking care of her?" Evynne scolded.

"With every breath, I draw. I've been to every appointment with her and I'm expanding my knowledge via reading baby books. I promised I'll always do right by your daughter, and that includes while she's carrying our child." Elliott answered.

"He's been amazing, Mom. So supportive and caring. I couldn't have asked for a better partner." Sariel proudly stated.

"Tomorrow I'm setting you up with Saoirse. She's a certified prenatal masseuse. Your friend, Emily, I believe, is she capable of giving you massages?" Evynne asked.

"I'm not sure, Mom. I'll ask her when we're back in town." Sariel admitted.

"I'm happy for the two of you. If you need anything, anything at all, you call us, okay, Princess?" Peter asked.

"Of course, Dad. I'm due April 12th. We'd like for the two of you to come stay with us after the baby is born if you're up for it." Sariel stated.

"We will absolutely be there! I'll schedule everything tomorrow. We'll come down for the month if that's alright?" Evynne asked.

"Oh, wow, that'd be great." Sariel happily answered.

"As of right now, Chris, Leon, Linus, and I are doing the brunt of the farmwork. Harvey hasn't had any concerns about Sariel's health yet, as she's in excellent physical health. We're hoping to alleviate stress on her though, by helping as much as we can." Elliott stated.

Theo reappeared and took their orders. He returned a few moments later with everyone's meals and quickly served them. He took pride in his work and when Evynne blurted out Sariel was pregnant, he was quick to offer her his congratulations.

The rest of the meal proceeded relatively quietly. Occasionally Lilly or Audrey would question of Sariel should be eating what she was and Evynne would be quick to assure them she was fine. It brought a smile to Sariel's heart to see her family so concerned about her. She found herself constantly rubbing her abdomen and she finally felt like she was able to make it through the pregnancy.