Christian's POV
Dinner was absolutely delicious. We had quite the selection, and Ana and I made sure to sample each and every dish that was served by our caterers. We also had a good time sharing our plate and feeding each other. I didn't care that we were surrounded by family. We kept it clean, and only did it with the last few bites of food. I am pleased that my girls finished a good amount of their dinner. I made sure to have the caterers brings some of the things that they like.
I can't get over Ethan's reaction to us not having a kid's table. I know that is the ideal set up for a family party. The adults would all sit together, and the kids would sit at a smaller table. I prefer to have my kids at the same table as Ana and me. That way we can help them and monitor how much they eat. I also like the company of my kids. There is no reason they should be made to sit at a separate table simply because they are children. We had two very long tables set up in our spacious dining room so that we could all sit facing each other in a big square, and then another long table for the food and dessert. Since we are full from dinner, we've decided to take a break and have dessert later.
Right now I am upstairs in Natalie's bedroom changing her. My poor girl had to have Elizabeth track me down because she couldn't find me after dinner. Sophie is up here too just looking around Natalie's room. It makes me so happy that my daughter and niece get along so well, just as Phoebe and Ava have at their age. They always had to be together anytime we had family events. They always looked out for each other, and I hope that Natalie and Sophie will be that close. After I finish with Natalie, I ask Sophie if she needs to be changed, but she shakes her head. I don't believe her of course, but I will let Mia and Ethan deal with that.
"Daddy, my foot hoots" Natalie says with a pout after she sits up. I sit on the bed and gently place my fingers on her right foot.
"This one?" She nods and leans back on her hands as I remove her sandal. The strap had left a red mark on the side of her foot. "How 'bout we take your sandals off and put on your slippers?"
"Can I still weaw the dwess?"
"Of course Sweet Pea." I go into her closet and bring back her pink fuzzy slippers. She smiles and allows me to put them on her feet. I look at Sophie and she is watching us. "Can Sophie borrower a pair of your slippers?"
"No"
"No? Why not?"
"Because, they'we mine."
"I know they're yours. But do you remember what Mommy and I said about sharing?" I ask her calmly.
"I don't want to."
"Natalie" I say a bit more sternly. "The last time you didn't share with Sophie, I put you to bed early. Do you want to be put to bed early?"
She shakes her head. "No"
"Okay. If you are a good girl and share with Sophie, you can stay up and go back to the party. So can Sophie borrower your slippers?"
Natalie thinks it over for a moment before she answers me. "Okaayyyy"
I smile and kiss her forehead before I walk back into her closet for another pair of slippers. I come back and squat down in front of Sophie. "Sophie, Natalie's going to share her slippers with you. Would you like to wear them?" She looks at them and then nods. I lift her and sit her on the bed next to Natalie so that I could put them on her feet. Before I can do that, Ethan walks in and insists on changing her. She gets upset and tries to avoid him, but he catches her and picks her up. Mia said she doesn't like to be changed, but I had no idea it was this bad. She is screaming at the moment and kicking her legs while still in Ethan's arms, so I excuse myself and take Natalie out of the room.
"Daddy, why…..why is Sophie cwying?"
I sigh and start walking toward my bedroom. "Well…" Christ, how do I answer this? I can't tell her that Sophie doesn't like to be changed. We certainly don't need Natalie picking up on that habit. "Um, she's sad about something Baby. But she'll be okay." I open my bedroom door and switch on the light.
"Daddy?"
"We're going to bring slippers down for Mommy. Do you want to pick them out?"
She nods. I put her down and guide her into the closet and over to where Ana keeps her slippers. Natalie picks up the light pink ballet flats and stands up. "These ones Daddy."
I smile at her and pick her up again. "These ones it is" I say to her before I kiss her cheek.
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Ana's POV
I am relaxing in the main room on our sofa with Mia and Kate. Kate has managed to settle Cameron and he is drinking milk from a bottle. His head is on a pillow in Kate's lap and she is gently stroking his hair. I'm sure he will fall asleep any minute now. Elizabeth has gone to join Lucas and Christopher in a game, and Sawyer and Brooke are keeping an eye on them. I don't want to say anything out loud and jinx it, but Christopher has behaved so well tonight. I'm sure that makes Mia happy. Every once in a while she looks over in his direction.
"I can't believe he's being so good" she says quietly. "We ought to invite Lucas to all of our parties." Kate and I laugh, although Mia may be onto something. Christopher is a very active and energetic child, and Lucas seems to be someone that can keep him distracted for more than five minutes.
Elliot comes over takes a seat next to Kate with a now sleeping Cameron in her lap. "Hey ladies. Where are all the men?" He is referring to our husbands.
"We sent them upstairs to change the girls" Mia answers him proudly. Elliot nods and chuckles at the same time. "Is that right?"
"I think it's great that the guys aren't afraid of dirty diapers, even though my brother had to be told to go up and change Sophie" Kate comments with a stab at her brother and her husband.
"Hey, I've changed diapers too. Maybe….. not as many as you….."
"Oh yeah, when's the last time you changed you son's diaper?"
"This morning" he answers defensively.
Kate snorts. "That doesn't count. You told me he woke up dry."
"I didn't know that before I was changing him."
Kate rolls her eyes and Mia and I just laugh.
"Has Natalie started toilet training?" Mia asks me.
"Not yet. Christian and I agreed to start after her third birthday. How about Sophie?"
Mia scrunches her nose and tilts her hand back and forth. "Yes and no. She sees what Christopher does and wants to mimic him. Ethan and I had to explain to her that she can't stand and pee and she doesn't like that." I can't help but giggle. Sophie wants to do everything Christopher does, and she can be stubborn when she doesn't get her way. "A few months ago she started hiding from us whenever she needed a new diaper, and because of that she would get these bad rashes. She also lies to us when we ask her if she needs to be changed. So we've tried to get her to sit on the toilet a few times a day when we're home, but it hasn't been working."
"She doesn't go?"
"No, she waits until we put the diaper back on her and then she goes. So we're going to wait a little bit before we try again."
"Natalie is good with telling us she needs to be changed, but she doesn't tell us when she needs to go. I remember Phoebe was able to do that pretty early."
"Elizabeth was the same way" she tells me. "She hated diapers, couldn't get out of them fast enough."
I look over and Natalie catches my eye. She is holding my slippers. "Mommy, I pick out slippas fa you."
I take them from her and praise her for being so thoughtful. "You did? Thank you Baby. This is just what Mommy needs." I look up at Christian and give him an appreciative smile. I lean down and remove my shoes, and Natalie sits on the floor and helps me with my slippers. "Thank you. These feel much better." I pull her into my lap and plant kisses in her hair.
"Mommy Sophie's cwying" she announces.
I pull her closer to me and hug her. "Oh Baby, I'm sure she's okay. Uncle Ethan's going to bring her back down here in a few minutes.
Right on cue, Ethan enters the room carrying Sophie. She is wearing a pair of Natalie's slippers. Our girls are so cute. I catch myself getting misty over just how adorable they are, and Natalie catches me. "Mommy, why aw you cwying?" She brings her little hand up to my cheek to catch a tear, and I can't help but let out a chuckle.
"Mommy is just so happy. I'm very proud of you for sharing your toys and your slippers with Sophie. You're being a very good girl today." I kiss her hair again and hug her tight. "Go play with Sophie for a little bit and then we'll have cake." I put her back down on the ground and watch as she runs over to Sophie and takes her hand.
I look over at Mia and she is smiling at the girls. She stands and wraps her arms around Ethan and he kisses the top of her head. "I'm really glad we moved here. Ethan, I'm so happy."
"Me too" he says to her, and I can tell she is surprised by his admission. She keeps her arms around him but pulls her head away from his chest to look up at him.
"Really?"
He kisses her lips and then looks down at her face. "Yes, really. It's an adjustment, but being here is what is best for our family."
Kate and I can't help but stare at the couple's lovely exchange. We both knew that Ethan was not 100% on board with this move. It means new schools for the kids, new sports and dance teams, adjustment to the weather, him having to commute back and forth to Los Angeles every week for work, but it also means they get to be closer to family. I'm so glad they are here.
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Christian's POV
Dessert is served. The caterers work to make sure that everyone has their choice of drink, whether its beer, wine, coffee, tea, juice or water, and then we have everyone choose their own desserts from the dessert table. The kids and teenagers settle with their desserts in the dining room, while the adults enjoy theirs in the main room. The two long tables have been pulled apart and cleaned from our dinner. Mia and I help the younger kids to make sure they take small bites and don't eat too fast. Natalie looks like she is getting tired, so I sit at the table and have her sit on my lap. After a few bites she is done, but I suspect it's because she is too tired. "Do you want Daddy to help you?"
She nods, she is even too tired to answer me properly. I take her fork and feed her small bites of the chocolate cake that she picked for herself. Not surprisingly, Sophie chose the same cake, as did Christopher. Elizabeth chose the red velvet cake. Mia told me that chocolate gives her a headache. The teenagers are sitting together enjoying the cheesecake. I look over and see that Phoebe is smiling. It's a relief to see her relaxed and happy. Trevor will be staying here with her tonight. I plan to talk with him in the morning about spending his money on the road trip. I've decided to reimburse him for paying Phoebe's way.
I look down at Natalie and she is asleep, her head rested against my chest. I chuckle and gently kiss the top of her head. I sit with her in my lap for a few minutes with my nieces and nephew next to me and eat some of her cake. Mia is sitting across from us with a piece of cheesecake. She keeps having to reach across the table to clean Christopher's face since he is being messy with his cake. It is all over his hands, his shirt and his face.
"Christopher, you look like the cake has exploded all over you" she says. Christopher cracks up at her comment and continues to work on his cake.
"That's what they have bathtubs and washing machines for" I say with a smile. This sort of thing would have driven me fucking crazy back in the day, but after having to clean up after Teddy, Phoebe and Natalie I've learned to deal with it and accept it. Teddy was quite the messy baby, and he loved getting dirty. The throw-up and dirty diapers were one thing. He was a baby and it was inevitable. But Ana had to calm me down the first few times he made a mess with his food or with his clothes in the sandbox or the dirt as a toddler. She said I shouldn't sweat the small stuff. She got quite the erotic spanking for allowing him to get messy, and for teasing me for getting worked up over the mess. It took some time but I did get used to it. Teddy was just too cute. I couldn't get angry with him. He also loved his baths so getting him cleaned up was never a problem for me. Mia has a quizzical look on her face. "What?"
"That sounds like something I would say, not you."
I chuckle and take another bite of the cake. "Mia, after three kids I don't think I can allow a mess scare me."
"I'm glad you said that" she says. I look up at her and she has that look on her face that I know all too well. Oh, she wants something.
"What is it and how much is it going to cost me?" I ask her as I take another bite.
"I need a favor" she says with a bit more nervousness in her voice.
"What is it Mia?"
"Ethan's getting a Soap Award, for directing."
I look at her and smile. "Mia, that's great news. So what's the favor?"
"Well, we'd like to go to Los Angeles to accept the award. They are having a ceremony to celebrate all of the nominees and winners."
I know where this is going. I decide to rescue her from her inner struggle. "You need me and Ana to take the kids?"
She looks even more nervous now. "I know it's a lot to ask, I mean you have so much going on with Phoebe, and Ana's pregnancy…."
"Mia, stop, okay? I'll talk to Ana but I'm sure it will be fine."
"Really?"
"Yes, really. How long would you be gone?"
"It would just be for the weekend, the second weekend of October."
I put the fork down on the plate and shift Natalie so that she and I are more comfortable. "You took care of Natalie and Ana while the girls were in the hospital. That's how it works in this family. We take care of each other. So you and Ethan will take this weekend trip to Los Angeles and Ana and I will look after your kids."
"Are you sure about this?"
"Yes, I insist." She reaches across the table and takes my hand, squeezing it. I can see so much appreciation in her face, something I didn't see much of when she was a kid. She just always got what she wanted with no questions asked. Marriage and motherhood has changed her, and it is definitely a delight to see.
"Thank you. Thank you a million times, thank you. You are the best brother on the planet. Don't tell Elliot I said that." I chuckle as I see the younger version of my little sister as she thanks me. She stands and tends to her kids, cleaning their hands and their faces with wipes that she keeps in her purse. I stand with Natalie in my arms and carry her to her bedroom to tuck her in for the night.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Christian's POV
After putting Natalie down for the night, I walk back into the main room to find my beautiful wife. She is seated with Carla between her and Scott, and she is lovingly holding her baby bump. I just stand and take in the site that is my gorgeous wife. My eyes are like a spot light on her, and no one else is around at the moment. She is my everything. Our kids are our everything. My spotlight is then blocked by none other than Kate. She leans down and hugs my wife, followed by Elliot. He helps her stand so that she could hug and kiss them properly. They talk for a moment before Carrick hands over a sleeping Cameron to Elliot. I approach them to say my goodbyes. I kiss Kate on the cheek and give my brother a one arm hug.
"Have you seen Ava? We need to get this little one home" Elliot asks me. I pat his back and walk away to find her. When I do I see her with Nathan on the back porch. They are lounging together on one of the chairs with his suit jacket keeping them warm. I feel guilty for intruding on my niece, but then again, she is a child and this is my house. I approach them with my hands in my pockets.
"Ava, your parents are about ready to leave."
"Oh" she answers sleepily. I just stand and watch as Nathan stands first and then helps her up. I look over and see her crutches leaned up against the table. I manage to retrieve them before Nathan and hand them over to her. I notice that she doesn't look well.
"Are you alright?"
"What? Yeah, I'm okay" she says as she supports her weight onto her crutches. "Just tired."
"You're welcome to stay the night if you need to" I offer.
"No, that's okay. Thanks Uncle Christian."
She sounds so weak. I look at Nathan and he seems to be worried about her too. Ava limps past me with her crutches and Nathan follows her. When we are back in the house I look around and find Phoebe. She and Trevor are saying their goodbyes to Sawyer, Brooke and Luke. I walk further into the house until I am in the main room again where most of the family is either sitting or standing. Mia and Ethan are getting their kids ready to leave as well. I find my wife standing and drape my arm around her waist. We settle in this spot as a receiving line of our family members say their goodbyes. When Elliot approaches me I make sure to let him know that Ava doesn't seem to be feeling well. He kisses Ana's cheek and is by his daughter's side in an instant. I watch as he tries to comfort her, but she brushes him off and limps toward the foyer with Nathan behind her. I shake my head. Why are all the women in this family so damn stubborn?
"You okay?" Ana asks me. My focus immediately shifts to her beautiful face.
"Yes, Baby. I'm very okay." I lean down and kiss the spot below her ear, and I have to resist the urge to nibble on her earlobe since her mother is next to say her goodbyes. She hugs Ana tight and then extends an arm out for a three way hug with me. I pull out of the hug after a few seconds. I don't like to hug anyone outside my immediate family for too long. Scott wishes her a happy birthday and kisses her cheek. I shake his hand and they are on their way.
After I close the front door to our leaving guests, I turn and wrap my arms around Ana from behind. She seems sad. I tilt her head slightly to the side and trail soft kisses from her neck down to her shoulder. "What's wrong?" I ask as I continue my trail.
"Oh, not wrong. I just wish that my mother accepted our invitation to stay the night. She's leaving tomorrow."
I turn her around to face me and place my hands behind her just above her delectable bottom. My nose connects to hers. "I'm sorry, Baby." I kiss the tip of her nose.
"Don't get me wrong, I'm glad she was here. I know it couldn't have been easy for her and Scott to get away for a weekend when he books his weekends with gigs." I nod and try to change my facial expression, but she catches on to me. "Wait" she says as she pulls away slightly. "You didn't….. did you pay them to come here?" Shit, I was hoping she wouldn't find out about this. "You did, didn't you?"
"Yes, but….. please don't get mad, Ana. I wanted them to be here for your birthday and I was afraid they would say no."
"I can't believe this" she says as she turns away from me and covers her face.
"Ana, please" I say as I put my hand on her shoulder, pleading with her to turn around and face me. But she pulls away from my touch.
"No, don't. Just don't."
She rushes upstairs in tears. Fuck, what have I done? I run my hand through my hair as I watch her until I cannot see her anymore. Phoebe and Trevor approach me hand in hand.
"Was that Mom? Is she okay?" Phoebe asks me.
"Yes, Mom is fine. Did you have a good time tonight?" I ask her, reaching for a distraction.
"Yeah, I did" she says and smiles at me. "I'm glad we had Mom's party here. I didn't feel so trapped and isolated in this house with everyone here."
I sigh and rub my eyes hard with my thumb and index finger. "I'm sorry, Phoebe. I know you hate being stuck in this house. It won't be for too much longer."
She nods. "Well, goodnight Dad. We're going to turn in." She walks up to me and wraps her arms around me, holding me in a hug that feels comforting. I wrap my arms around her and kiss the top of her head.
"Goodnight Peanut. Sleep well."
I turn my attention to her boyfriend. "Trevor, I'd like to have a word with you in the morning."
"Dad?" Phoebe asks, but I keep my eyes on Trevor.
"Actually, I need to head out early tomorrow morning. Me and the guys need to run a few miles a day in order to stay on the soccer team."
"Alright, how about now then?" I ask him. He nods and kisses Phoebe's cheek.
"Go, I'll be up in a few minutes" he tells her. Phoebe gives me a look that tells me she doesn't approve of what I am doing, but I don't care. This doesn't really concern her as much as it concerns Trevor. I nod at her, hoping that gives her reassurance that this isn't going to be a bad meeting. It works, because she turns and walks up the stairs. I have Trevor follow me into my study.
I close the door behind him and walk over to my desk. I sit and motion my hand out for him to have a seat in one of the chairs. He hesitates and just stands there with his hands in his pockets.
"Have a seat, Trevor" I tell him. He finally sits down but he seems tense. I internally smile at my ability to make him nervous. "Did you and my daughter have a good time at the party?"
"Yes" he says. He seems surprised by my question. "We did. Thank you for letting me be a part of it."
"You are important to Phoebe, and it is important to me that she is happy. It is also important to me that she feels safe, which is why I have allowed you to stay with her at night."
"I must admit, that really surprised me."
"Yeah, me too" I tell him, and I watch as he squirms in his seat. "I'm going to be honest with you. I didn't like you for my daughter. And it really hit the nail on the head when you took her on that road trip. That definitely didn't score any points with me."
"I understand" he says softly.
"I don't think you do. You can't possibly understand until you have kids of your own." He raises his eyes at me and I raise my index finger instantly. "Don't get any ideas."
"Mr Grey, believe me I am nowhere near ready to have kids. And… besides, you don't need to worry about Phoebe in that way. Not right now."
I already knew that my daughter wasn't having sex, but it is definitely nice to hear it from her boyfriend. I can't help the small grin that is growing on my face. "That's good Trevor. Very good. You respect my daughter, and you protect her. You were there when she needed you the most. And you are here for her now. The fact that you are not yet sexually active with my daughter tells me that your feelings for her are genuine."
"Thank you, Mr Grey."
"Compliments from me are rare. Don't let me regret it" I shoot back, but he does his best to stand his ground. I have to admit, I admire that.
"Sir, I cherish the relationship I have with your daughter. I love the fact that we are waiting because it is giving us the opportunity to grow together and get to know each other. I like being there for her and I like protecting her, and I like how she makes me feel when I'm around her. I'm learning so much from her, not just about her but about myself. I'm not going to ruin what I have with her with sex." He whispers the last word as he looks down at his hands and blushes. I have to work hard to hide my amusement, because as much as I'm amused by his embarrassment, I am also in awe of him. How many teenage boys can say that and mean it?
"Too much information?" he asks me.
"No, that's what a father likes to hear." I lean up in my chair and look down at the check that I have already written out to him. "I understand that you covered all expenses during your recent adventure."
"My Dad taught me that the man should pay for everything."
"Your father sounds like a smart man." I reach out my hand with the check gripped between my fingers. "Here, take it."
"What's this?"
"While I share the sentient that the man should pay for everything, I don't believe you should pay my daughter's way. She's my daughter and that is my responsibility."
He shakes his head at me and tries to give it back. "I don't want this."
"Take it" I say sternly, but then I soften my voice. "Phoebe is your girlfriend, but she is still my daughter. That will always take precedence." Well, until she gets married, but I don't need to offer that option.
"Sir, please. With all due respect I consider Phoebe my responsibility too. I knew she was nervous about going on that trip. Not just because she would be disappointing you but also because she was scared to be away from home. I made a promise to her that I would take care of her. And that meant financially too."
"I don't condone your decision to go on this road trip, or taking Phoebe along for the ride when you knew that I didn't approve, but you have proved to me over the past few weeks that you are someone she trusts and can rely on. Someone that respects her and cares about her well-being. That is the only reason we are here today without my foot connecting with your balls." Fuck, I'm losing my temper. I need to calm down. I run my hand through my hair, close my eyes and count to ten in my head. I look at Trevor and he looks frightened by my sudden outburst. I won't apologize, because at some point I wanted to physically hurt this kid for taking my daughter away. I've been able to make peace with that, I had to for Phoebe's sake. "You can take this check, or I can have the money wired into your account. Your choice."
I watch him as he sighs in defeat. Good. He has to know that I always get what I want. Before I dismiss him there is something I'd like to know, something that his background check didn't shine light on. "By the way, how did you manage to fund this adventure? As far as I know you don't have a job."
"I don't have a job" he confirms. "My parents insist that I focus on school and soccer, and I do chores around the house. They give me allowance and I've been saving my money since I was five so that I could buy a car. But my parents surprised me with a car for my birthday." He smiles at the memory, and I start to calm down since we're moving onto another subject. Another good quality, he knows how to save money. "I was totally shocked when they gave me the car. I was prepared to start shopping around after my seventeenth birthday."
Trevor and I spend a few more minutes discussing cars. I've never really had the opportunity to just talk with my daughter's boyfriend about something so simple, yet a big interest for the both of us. We are both more relaxed now, which is actually a relief. I don't want to dislike my daughter's boyfriend. That would only cause more problems for Phoebe and me. We are finally getting our close bond back, so I'll be damned if I let anything or anyone ruin that. I dismiss Trevor and tell him that taking the money is nonnegotiable. He smirks and tells me that he'll save the money and gradually spend it on his dates with Phoebe.
After he leaves I remain in my desk chair for a bit and look around at all of the pictures I keep in my study. There are some with Teddy and Phoebe as little kids, the four of us before Natalie came along, some pictures of each of my children by themselves, and some of me with Ana. A picture from our wedding day hangs on the wall. I remember that day like it was yesterday. Ana was so beautiful and innocent. I remember our vows, our first kiss as husband and wife, our first dance, the first time we made love as husband and wife on my jet, our honeymoon….. I can go on for hours. But I think I've spent too long down here. I need to get to Ana and make her understand why I did what I did.
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Ana's POV
I cannot believe my mother took money from my husband to be here for my birthday. God, I feel so foolish. I was going on and on about how happy I was that she was here. I had no idea that she had to be paid in order to come here for a weekend to visit her daughter. I cannot help the tears that continue to escape my eyes and drip down my cheeks. This is how Christian finds me. I am still wearing my party dress and slippers, and I'm sure my face looks hideous with my mascara running. He lies down behind me and drapes his arm around me, resting his hand on my baby bump and kissing my hair. I feel even more foolish for having him pay my mother to come here.
"Baby, please don't be upset with me" he whispers.
Oh no, he thinks that I'm upset with him. Am I? I don't think so. The anger and disappointment are aimed more toward my mother. I sit up and he sits up with me. I reach up and dry my eyes as much as I can, and the black makeup comes off onto my hands. Without a word, Christian disappears into our bathroom and comes back with a warm washcloth. My Fifty, always taking care of me. No, I'm not upset with him. How could I be? "Thank you" I say to him. My voice is trembling from all of the crying. He tries to soothe me by rubbing my back.
"Talk to me" he pleads softly.
I pull the washcloth away from my face and shake my head. "I'm not upset with you" I say to him shakily. He takes the washcloth from me and gently rubs it over my eyes to clear away the running makeup. I think he's relieved at my admission. I feel bad that he thought for even a second that I was upset with him over this. After all, he did tell me the truth when I asked him flat out if he gave my mother money. "How much did you have to give her?"
"It's not what you think" he says softly as he wraps the washcloth a different way and proceeds to clean more of my face.
"What do I think?"
"You think that I had to bribe your mother to come here. It's not like that."
"Okay" I say slowly.
He looks down at his hand holding the now black and brown stained washcloth. "I'll be right back." He climbs off the bed and disappears into our bathroom again. When he returns, he has my face cream and the same washcloth which he had run under the water. He sits in front of me again and patiently cleans my face. What would I do without this man? When he is finished, he puts a small amount of cream on his fingertips and gently smoothens it over my face. I close my eyes as he does it. When he is finished, he plants a soft kiss in between my eyebrows.
"Thank you" I say softly. He nods and takes my hand into his, rubbing his thumb across my knuckles. "Please tell me why you gave my mother money."
"I will tell you, but I don't want you to worry." Oh, why would I be worried? Is there something wrong with my mother? That didn't even occur to me. I know that Christian can see the fear in my face as he tries to sooth me. "Ana, this is nothing you should worry yourself over so please don't."
"Okay" I say, but I'm having a hard time making this promise since I am clearly out of the loop. "Tell me."
"When I called your mother and told her about the party, she was happy and upset about it at the same time. She wanted to be here, Baby. She was upset because she didn't think it was possible for her and Scott to give up a weekend gig."
"I don't understand" I say and shake my head. Scott and Carla never have problems getting gigs. From what my mother tells me, they are able to consistently get gigs every weekend.
"Ana, Carla isn't working anymore. She stopped working a few months ago." I'm shocked when he tells me this. My mother never said anything to me about this. "Working involved a lot of standing and she simply couldn't do that anymore. She and Scott are living off of their social security and the money they make from his gigs."
"Why didn't you tell me about this?" I ask him. I'm shaking again, and I'm angry. My husband is keeping things from me.
"Ana, I didn't want you to worry, and neither did Carla. She asked me to keep this from you. And I agreed because you don't need the stress. I paid their way to get here and I also gave her money to match what they would have made off of a gig this weekend so that they don't fall behind on their financials."
I'm not sure what to make of this. My mother stopped working and didn't tell me. She told my husband and then told him to keep the news from me. My husband willingly went along with it, and he knows how much I hate being kept in the dark. He hasn't done that for some time. He takes both of my hands in his and I look at his face. As if reading my unspoken thoughts he proceeds to reassure me. "Ana, Baby you have the tremendous burden of carrying our twins, and we were instructed to lay off the stress. I knew that this would stress you out because you have this terrible habit of worrying about people. I am your husband and I made the conscious decision to take this on by myself. I take care of things, you know that about me." I nod. Because it is true, he'd take on the weight of the world if it meant protecting me. "I made Carla promise to contact me if she falls behind on her financials because I'm going to help her if she does." I can feel more tears escaping. He leans in and kisses them away, which causes me to chuckle. "Are we okay?" he asks me as he raises my hands to his lips and plants soft kisses on my knuckles.
"That depends" I say while trying to hide my shy smile. Too late because he is already smiling back at me.
"That depends on what, Mrs Grey?"
I wrap my arms around his neck and pull myself closer to him. "That depends on whether or not you plan to finish something you started hours and hours ago."
He wraps his arms around me and unexpectedly squeezes my ass, which causes me to yelp. "I seem to remember your fist connecting with my chest, and then some major eye rolling….." He kisses me as he lifts my dress and pushes his hand down my panties to rub and squeeze my bare bottom.
"What are you going to do to me?"
"Oh Ana…." he kisses me again. "First I am going to help you out of this dress, and then I'm going to massage that fine ass of yours…." he continues to kiss me and tease me with his fingers. "And then, I think a good spanking is in order….. followed by some slow, slow love making."
"Mm you sure know how to treat a lady on her birthday."
"We should probably do something about that smart mouth while we're at it."
Thank you so much for all of the reviews and support! You guys are amazing. There is more to come and I'm looking forward to writing it. Happy Reading!