104 - Today's Challenge

Beth thought the money she’d gotten already would be enough.  She’d thought she was finished with this invasion of someone else’s privacy.  Especially after last Saturday night. 

Being in their home had been… uncomfortable to say the least.  The woman had been so nice and kind that it had made her squirm.  There hadn’t really been any interaction with the husband or his friend, but every time the dark-haired brother had spoken to her, she had been on the verge of a heart attack.  Somehow he knew who she was and what she’d done, she thought, certain he was going to out her right there in front of everyone.

Unable to stand the guilt, she’d gone home swearing she was done.  Never again.

But then there was that call…  The one she believed she had dodged with the last check, but it hadn’t been enough.  There was still a huge debt to be paid and, even working two jobs, she didn’t have a prayer of paying it before it was too late.  Tears of frustration and helplessness had been hovering just below the surface ever since.

That was when, like a gift from above, this new information had been handed to her.  How could she turn away from the massive fortune that had just been dumped in her lap?  Surely this would get her out of the pit of hopelessness that she’d been mired in for the last five years.  It had to, didn’t it?

Nauseous and disgusted, Beth resolved herself to making the call. She didn’t really have another choice.  Without the money, she wouldn’t have a life.    

It was only one more time, she promised herself. 

Just one more time.

I hope.

❧❧❧

Mommy and Me

Friday, March 9, 2012

Well, it’s been a week now that Mommy has known there are three of us in this body.   A good week, all in all, considering that ‘no second heartbeat’ at the doctor’s appointment a couple of days ago.  One of you is going to make me gray-headed before my time.  I just know it.  You’re going to take after your daddy and your rowdy brothers. 

Honestly, Mommy freaked out just the tiniest bit when they couldn’t find the second heartbeat and didn’t believe the doctor when she repeatedly said that it would be fine.  No, Mommy isn’t a drama queen, but it turns out she can be very assertive when the need arises (That’s good news for you.  I think.)  It’s also why we ended up with a second, impromptu ultrasound to confirm that both of you were as perfect as you should be. 

You are, by the way.  Perfect.  Except for that peek-a-boo habit one of you has.  We really need to have a serious talk about that, my little Poppy Seeds.   

Oh, that reminds me… 

Just for the record, you are 13 weeks old today and, according to that silly thebump.com that Daddy still tries to keep me away from, you are the size of peaches.  Two peaches feel an awfully lot like cantaloupe in Mommy’s belly, in case you were curious.  Mommy’s shirts and pants weren’t made to house a cantaloupe.  Aunt Suzy and Madison went shopping with me this morning, since I only need one nap a day now instead of two.

Aunt Suzy isn’t really your aunt, but that’s irrelevant.  Family you choose is just as real as family you’re born with, as Daddy tells me when putting up with Uncle David and Uncle Richie’s shenanigans.  Don’t tell Daddy, but Mommy thinks he just wishes he could be that crazy and get away with it.  Poor Daddy always has to be the grownup in the band. 

It’s going to be your job to make sure he doesn’t turn into an old fuddy duddy, okay?  Encourage him to be silly once in a while, no matter how much it embarrasses you.  Mommy would really appreciate that. 

Anyhow, you’ll be happy to know that your Mommy’s closet is now fashionably stocked with the cutest maternity-wear that New York City has to offer.  That’s not saying much, but you have to look at the bright side of things.  There’s a life lesson in there – make note, children. ♥

Today was also an eventful day in terms of baby news.  Not for Mommy and Daddy, but for the rest of the family (both kinds of family).  They all found out you were a double-dose  of Bongioviness.  Mommy’s side of the family wasn’t completely overwhelmed by the news, seeing as we already have your twin cousins Evan and Eli, but Daddy’s family….  Well, they were more than a little surprised.

Grandma Carol immediately told Daddy that he’d better be hiring us a nanny, which is something we hadn’t thought of yet.   Mommy isn’t sure how she feels about somebody else taking care of you.  We’ll have to wait and see about that.  Nana Pam might come visit us for a while after you’re born, instead.

Uncle Cole and Uncle David (who has twins, too) both assure us that two isn’t going to be any more difficult than one, but Mommy doesn’t necessarily trust them on this.  Uncle Cole works a lot and Uncle David was away a lot when the twins were babies.  Aunt Melissa should probably be considered the voice of authority on this particular subject.  Must find some time to call and talk to her.

Oh, and they delivered the second crib today.  Both of you each have your own bed and your nursery is looking very pretty.  Mommy's thinking of having a landscape painted on the wall. Daddy just rolls his eyes when I mention doing anything to the nursery, so we'll have to wait and see.

That’s life outside the belly for today, Poppies. 

❧❧❧

 “Stop calling them Poppy,” Jon groused over his coffee and newspaper on Saturday morning.  “We are not naming either one of them Poppy.”

While she didn’t de-personalize the babies anymore, his wife was doing something just as bad, in his opinion.  She had dubbed the babies “Poppy”.  One or both of them, it didn’t matter – she used the same name.

It wasn’t a problem in her eyes, and he swore to God she did it just to mess with him.

“Oh my word,” she laughed now.  “First you’re not happy about ‘it’ and now you don’t like my nickname for them.  It’s just my way of making my initial insanity seem less… insane.  Poppy is now something I can love instead of something I couldn’t.  Get over it.  Keep it up and I’ll have them calling you Poppy instead of Daddy.”

He met her puckish grin with a ruefully amused shake of his head.   As much as “Poppy” annoyed him, he loved the woman she’d blossomed into during the last week.  He’d known she would warm up to this whole motherhood thing, but she was surprising even him.  It probably had something to do with that journal or book or whatever she was working on.  He hadn’t seen it yet, but she spent a lot of time with her head bent over the bound book of blank paper, scribbling away. 

When he asked why she wasn’t using her iPad, she told him she wanted it to be more personal than electronic blips on a screen, or a standard printed font.  This was her legacy she was leaving, after all.

That’s when he knew she had it bad.  She was going to make June Cleaver look like a slacking bitch, without a doubt.

“What’s on your agenda for today?” she asked, settling herself across from him at the breakfast table with yogurt and a banana.  “I thought about going into the city to the library.  Madison reminded me yesterday that I hadn’t been there to volunteer in months and, since I’m not quite so tired, now might be a good time to do it.  Unless you have other plans that involve me.”

His grand plan was to finish that damn song today.  It might have been his perfectionistic stubborn streak or the fact that it really meant something to him, but it still wasn’t ‘right’ enough to suit him.  And he refused to call Richie for help with this particular song, even to bounce it off of him.  If it didn’t feel right in his gut, it wasn’t fit to give to his kids.  He was going to have to figure it out himself. 

“I’d planned to hole up in the studio for most of the morning to try and get some work done, so go ahead.  Why don’t you have a driver take you?  The realtor was supposed to bring me some more friggin' papers to sign, but I can meet him at the Mercer Street place instead.  I'll pick you up and we can grab some dinner.”

“I’m so glad my apartment sold right away,” she sighed.  “I guess it helps that it didn’t warrant a millions and millions price tag like yours.  But, yeah, that sounds okay.  Pick me up at Suzy’s.  I’ll go there after the library.”

His response was interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone on the table.  Glancing down at the screen, a sense of foreboding scored deep frown lines in his face.  Nine o’clock on Saturday morning and Jeri was calling. 

Jeri, who was supposed to be at the airport with her boyfriend taking the trip to Bora Bora that Sheridan had cajoled him into gifting his assistant with as a reward for her hard work.  Their life as of late was ‘above and beyond the call of duty’, his wife insisted.  To Jon, it was just part of the job, but he’d been in a good mood and chosen to acquiesce instead of argue.  

But what’s wrong now?

Sheridan’s frown matched his own as his flicked his index finger over the bottom of the screen. 

“Jeri.  Why isn’t your ass in a plane seat, sipping champagne on my dime?”

“Ass is in the plane seat, champagne on the way, but work comes first.”

Leaning his elbows on the edge of the table, he pushed a hand through his hair with a grumble of discontent.  “Whaddaya got?”

“You’re not going to be happy.”

“I knew that shit when the phone rang.  Tell me.”

“Your friends at TMZ are at it again.  If their information is correct, then I should be congratulating you on twins.”

“Goddammit.”  Despite the fury that ran through his veins his voice was no more than a monotone mumble.  Blowing up had gotten him nowhere so far, and winding Sheridan up would only end up annoying him further.  He’d have to either calm her down, or end up apologizing for some damn thing he said in the heat of the moment. 

He still wanted to know though…

How are these motherfuckers getting their information?  Is it Sheridan’s family?  We just told them yesterday.

“I take it that means that my congratulations would be accepted.”

“Yeah, thanks.  We hadn’t gotten that far down the notification list yet.”  He blew out an irritated breath.  “No idea how or who, I assume?”

“No, but I should warn you there’s more.”

What else could there be?  The size of his dick?  Date of conception?  PHOTOS of conception?  That would be just his luck.  Porn writer turned porn star.  Lovely.

Gritting his teeth, he avoided Sheridan’s concerned gaze and directed his eyes out the window, squinting at the glare of sunlight on the river.  “Give it to me.”

“They’re saying that Sheridan had unfertilized eggs taken and is storing them.  Speculation is that she may have other biological children that she isn’t claiming.”

The beautiful view of the Navesink faded to nothing, and his eyes snapped to his wife.  So much for the idea that her family may be responsible.  None of them knew about that.  Suzanne and Karl were the only ones who knew. 

Suzanne and Karl?

Sheridan would be completely torn up if they were responsible for this shit.  Jon would be fucking livid, but if her best friend was the culprit, his wife would be devastated.

“No comment.”

Unsure as to whether that confirmed truth, denied it or put him completely in the dark, Jeri moved off-topic to crisis management.

“How would you like me to handle it?”

Handle?  There was nothing to handle.  It was what it was.  His life was, once again, spread out before God and the general populace for their gossiping pleasure.  What was to be done?

Other than to thump the hell out of Karl Fennig if he has a hand in this.

“Handle it by going on vacation.  Official response is ‘no comment’ and silence pretty much covers that.  Take your trip and I’ll talk to you next week.”

One sharp tap of the End Call button and he dropped the phone back to its spot beside his coffee cup. 

Now all he had to do was figure out a way to tactfully ask the woman he loved – the mother of his future children – if it was possible that her best friend was a snitch.  While he was pissed beyond all reason. 

And I thought lyrics were going to be my biggest challenge today.