Page 74 of The Un-Apparent Heir

“Hey bud, it’s okay.” Paul fluffed Nathan’s blonde locks. “Promise. Mummy is just a bit overwhelmed.”

“No, I’m a dreadful mother.”

“You’re not!” Natalie comforted her sister-in-law. “God, you’re a wonderful mother. And these things feel huge. It’s the end of a journey and you wanted a daughter so badly to share things with. I’m sorry. If ours is a girl, I promise you that you can spoil her rotten as we do your boys.”

“Yours? What do you mean?” Sanne asked. “Natalie, are you?—”

“By some miracle, yeah.” Natalie’s tears welled. “Sorry, didn’t mean to spoil that. It’s just… I guess I was excited to share that with you. Because… they’ll be so close in age.”

“What the fuck? Ed, you’re having a baby?” Paul asked.

“He is not having anything,” Natalie swiftly corrected her brother. “No. I am having a baby.”

“Oh my God! When?” Kiersten asked. “Really? This is happening?”

“August!”

“How? You don’t even look pregnant.” Kiersten marvelled, wrapping her big sister up in a tight squeeze.“Cecilia! Auntie Natalie is having a baby!”

Tiny Cecilia approached, covered in cake. She gave a little shrug before returning to her seat by Nathan whose lips were dyed blue with icing.

“I am so glad she stays calm,” Natalie wiped tears away.

“Cheers! This is great news,” Paul said.

Relief flooded everyone. George picked Natalie up and spun her in excitement. No one was perhaps more elated than Sanne who watched her sons eat cake knowing that, more than likely, they were moving down the line of succession. Suddenly, everything changed for the better. And then? It all came crashing down again as most things in this family did. There could never bejustjoy. It was all just a punctuation point in an equilibrium that trended towards mostly meh things.

The children finished their cake and were herded to bed by Kiersten and Olav’s nanny. It was adorable to watch her bark at them in Norwegian. Keir and Nathan became more fluent every time they stayed in Oslo or when Elisabeth visited. They had little Cecilia to talk to as well. When Sanne heard them speaking her mother’s native language in their baby voices, it filled her heart ten times over.

Robbie sat seriously at the head of the table. “Okay, so to wrap things up, I do have news. It pales in comparison to two more grandsons or Natalie and Ed becoming parents. And it’s altogether unpleasant, but now that the children are off, let’s chat.”

Paul looked at Sanne, brow furrowed. George stared at Natalie who, no doubt, knew what this was about. She always knew.

“I don’t know quite how to say this in a way that won’t cause alarm, but I must have open-heart surgery in March. It is preventative for something that is causing problems that’s probably always been there.”

There was a collective gasp, but Robbie continued. Sanne’s eyes remained fixed on Natalie’s impassive face. She continued eating her cake. Sanne was convinced they could have dropped a nuke outside and Natalie would have ignored it except to run out and try to see if she could spot enemy aircraft. She knew what was going on and wasn’t in a panic. That was a good sign.

“While I am on leave, Natalie will be in charge. And while I am incapacitated, Natalie will act as regent. For the next six months, consider Natalie and Ed in charge. Let me be clear. I trust them to make decisions and do what is best. My focus is on getting well if I am to see all of those children grow up. And that is all I want. To live out my days in peace.”

Kiersten, predictably, burst into tears. Exasperated, Olav comforted her. He notably showed little emotion, but Sanne knew it pained him greatly to see his wife cry. In a ranking of things Olav cared about, his wife always came first. Her happiness meant stability for him, his household, and their child. He took his work and fatherhood seriously. Without Kiersten, he’d be lost.

“I do not think you should cry, sweetheart,” Robbie said. “I will be fine.”

“Everyone handles things differently, Dad,” Paul said, protectively.“Are you sure you are alright?”

“Your father is fine. This is an SOP for this sort of valve,” Duncan chimed.

“It will work well,” Vanna echoed.

“I promise not to play tyrant and to wield the sword for good,”Natalie joked, trying to lighten the mood.

“But what about our leave?” Paul asked. “Are you telling me Sanne must drop a baby and start work again? That’s not fair?—”

“Fuck no!” Natalie replied. “And if I am in charge, that will happen over my dead body. No one is suffering and unable to care for their children. Okay? I promise you that our family ties us together and keeps this thing afloat. It’s not in my purview to force you all back to work after a serious life event, nor shall I do anything of the sort. I will take six months’ leave to bond with our child.”

“Six months?” Robbie stared.

“Yes, Daddy, six months is normal,” Kiersten said. “And it’s what Sanne took the last time. I took nearly a year.”

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