Page 64 of Cayden

He sensed her. It amazed her that he always knew when she was near. She saw when he lifted his head and his quick smile came. Handing one of the baby girls to his mother, he came towards her, hands outstretched.

“I was beginning to wonder if you had deserted us.”

She walked into his arms readily, inhaling his scent.

“Fat chance of that happening. I went to visit my dad.”

“How is he?” He kissed her gently, one hand cupping her face.

“I will tell you later. Are we eating out here?”

“It is a beautiful Sunday afternoon, so yes. Bianca is fascinated by all the colors.” Taking her hand, he led her towards the group.

“Just Bianca?”

“Bella seems to be more fascinated by my green shirt and the boys are distracted by everything going on around them.”

“Typical males.”

He nipped at her ear and drew her to his side, and they joined the others.

It was a happy scene. And she wondered not for the first time at the changes in all of them, especially her husband’s parents.

Marianne was not dressed to kill in her usual designer outfit but had on a soft cream-colored pants and a shell pink blouse. Her hair was not ruthlessly pulled back in a tidy chignon but flowed down her back. And she smiled more.

She was friendlier and doted on the babies. It was as if a new light had been switched on inside her. Blair had agonized over the decision to go the IVF route, and it certainly came with its sets of problems, but it was worth it.

Taking baby Caleb from Colin, she kissed his soft forehead and smiled at him. He was the one who suffered the most, and she could not help but feel protective, her maternal instinct kicking in.

*****

“What’s going on with your dad?” He asked her later that night after the babies had been bathed, powdered, oiled, and put to bed with the nannies taking over.

“Thanks.” She leaned back on the pillows and closed her eyes as he massaged her feet. He had diligently rubbed anti-stretch mark cream on her belly, hips, and breasts for the duration of her pregnancy and except for several thin ones on her belly and hips, there was hardly any signs that she had carted around four babies inside her uterus.

“He wants to get married.”

Cayden’s eyebrows lifted as he continued to massage away the tension. “I had no idea he was seeing someone.”

“His next door neighbor. I have known her for years. She is a librarian and I guess they just kind of fell into the habit of being there for each other.” She wriggled her toes as he worked on her calves.

“I was starting to feel guilty that he was there all by himself. I was the one who used to do the cooking and the major housework. He would get absentminded especially when he has to do research.”

He continued to work out the kinks in her legs. “Is that why you don’t mind him getting married?”

Her eyes met his and she shrugged. “She’s a nice woman and he told me she knows that my mom could never be replaced.”

He continued to rub her legs, his movements slow and rhythmic.

“I don’t know if I could be with anyone else.”

Pleasure shimmered inside her at his admission.

“What if I gave my approval?”

He sent her a quizzical stare before capping the bottle and putting it away. Rising, he shrugged out of his robe and slid in next to her.

“Would you?”

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