"I’m not! I would never, ever do this. Especially, not to your family!" The doctor slammed the papers down onto the desk. "You are like family to me, I would never betray my family in such a fashion!"
I sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of my nose.
"Okay." I growled out.
"What?" James exclaimed. "You can’t honestly believe that he didn’t…"
"James, I don’t think the doctor knew anything about it. He has been very loyal to our family."
"You can’t be serious! He’s lying! He is fucking acting, Aidan!" James was shouting now.
"Calm down." I growled out at him. "I didn’t say that it was resolved. I just feel like we’ve hit a dead end." I turned to the doctor. "If you hear from your daughter, I want to know immediately. Do you understand?"
He nodded.
"You can go."
"Aidan." James shouted as the doctor hurried from the office.
"James, did you see his face? He had no idea what his daughter had done." I sagged heavily into my leather office chair, sighing loudly. "I still don’t understand the motivation for Becca. Someone else had to be involved."
"It was her fucking father." James snapped.
"No, I don’t believe that it was. But, if I find out that it was, I will deal with that when the time comes." I took a deep breath, trying to relax.
"How’s Elora feeling?" I asked, hoping the change in subject would help to clear my thoughts.
James sat down heavily in the chair that the doctor had vacated.
"Seriously?"
"I need to think of something else. You don’t have to answer." I put my head back against my chair and closed my eyes.
"She's good." He spit with a little less venom.
"That’s good to hear."
"How is Lilli? Has she gotten any better about being pregnant?" James leaned forward on the desk.
I sighed.
"A little. She still seems to be slightly distant from the pregnancy. She doesn’t feel like she’s connected to it like most women." I shrugged.
"Well, you have to admit that the increased sexual appetite is an awesome side effect." James chuckled out with a large grin. I smiled widely.
"I knew you would agree." He laughed. "It’s fantastic. Elora was never a prude, but damn the woman is insatiable now. Sometimes I feel like the girl who ‘has a headache’."
I laughed loudly at him and shook my head.
"How are you holding up with everything?" James smirked at me.
"I'm good. Is it frustrating for you that you can't feel the movements of the baby?"
"Huh? I've felt the baby move. Frankly it's a little creepy." He chuckled.
"When were you able to?" I pressed.
James rubbed the back of his head.
"Hmm...I'm not sure when, but it was after a few months, maybe five or six?" He shrugged.
"Oh." I sighed.
"I am guessing Lilli can feel movement, but you can't." I nodded. "Ah. It will happen, just give it some more time to get big enough, that's all." He stood up. "Come on, let's get something to eat."
~
Lilli
"Phoebe, you know Viola wants your help with the shower." I sighed. "I promise we'll set up something this weekend to talk about it."
"Okay." Phoebe pouted. "What ideas do you have for the shower? Do you know what Elora wants? We need a theme."
"I don't know, but I'll try to find out. Okay?"
"Okay." She conceded.
"Alright then, I have to go. Elora will be here in a few minutes for Lamaze."
"You are doing Lamaze at your house?"
"Yeah, Viola thought that having an instructor come to the house would be more comfortable and I agree."
"But, I thought you said the Aidan was at work?"
"Yeah, he is. I asked Dixon to come over." I shrugged, even though she couldn't see my action.
"Aidan didn't mind?"
"I, um..."
"Lilli? You didn't tell him about it?" Phoebe was angry.
"I, uh, tried to. He’s been working late every night and I barely get to talk to him."
"Lilli..." The doorbell rang.
"I have to go. The Lamaze coach is here." I quickly hung up with a sigh of relief.
As I got to the door, Jay was showing in a tall, dark-skinned woman. I approached, slowly.
"Thank you." I heard the woman speak to Jay then turn toward me. "You must be Mrs. Iverson?"
"Yes. You must be Emily?" I held out my hand. After sharing a light shake, I motion for her to follow me.
"Your home is lovely." Her voice held the same awe I felt the first time I entered this house.
"Thank you."
As Emily began setting up in the cleared out living room, voices filled the foyer.
"Let's get with the huffing and the puffing." Dixon called out, his voice booming off the walls.
"Well, hello to you too, you big bad wolf." I giggled. He pulled me into a hug.
Smiling widely, he put his large hand on my stomach.
"Look at you." He rubbed large circles.
Just as I was about to yell at Dixon for rubbing my stomach, Elora, James and Aidan entered the room. Aidan?
His typically warm eyes were replaced with a glare. Swallowing down the lump of guilt in my throat as he approached, I noticed how he never took his eyes from me.
Reaching my side, he leaned forward, barely brushing his lips against my cheek.