Page 77 of 7+Us Makes Nine

“When are you supposed to see him?”

“An hour. I’m walking out the door now. I’ll let you know once it’s over. And Jace?”

“Yeah?” I asked breathlessly.

“It’s almost over.”

“Call me the second you walk out of there,” I said.

“Already got you on speed dial. Talk soon.”

“Yep.”

I put the phone down by my body and stared blankly at the television screen. I didn’t know what to think. How to feel. Part of me was relieved that this was almost over, but part of me still hurt. Anya used to be such a vibrant, beautiful woman. And the Hollywood glitz and glamour of drugs and alcohol had destroyed her. My children had no mother. And by the sound of it, they wouldn’t again. At least, not with the woman that helped raise them. I sighed and relished in the silence of the house. The soft snores of my family wafted into the hallway and I closed my eyes.

I sat on the edge of the bed until my phone rang.

“This is Jace,” I said.

“The judge tossed the case out. Ruled her an unfit mother before I even showed him half of what I had to show him. The custody agreement still stands, and I’m working on amending it a little bit to make it even more ironclad.”

“How so?” I asked.

“I’m adding Catherine into it.”

“That’s not necessary.”

“Yes it is. You’ll need her to be protected when she’s out and about with the children as well. Even though it looks like Anya won’t be getting out of jail for a while, she will eventually get out. Let me work on making sure there are no loopholes in this thing, then I’ll get you an amended and judge-approved copy over to you.”

“Thank you for everything you’ve done for me and my family,” I said.

“It’s not a problem. It’s a joy for me to help families like yours, Mr. Logan. A word of advice?”

“Yep?”

“Stay away from the television for a few days. Let this news cycle take its course. It’s not a good look. I’ve told you what you need to know about what’s happening to her. No use in torturing yourself.”

“Trust me, the television stays off if I can help it,” I said.

“Good. I’ll get in touch once the custody document has been tightened. Talk soon.”

“And good morning to you, too,” I said with a chuckle.

“Good morning, Mr. Logan.”

I hung up the phone and relief rushed through my veins. It was over. This fucking nightmare was finally over. Finally, after seven months of battling everything and batting away the media and being frightened about my children being taken from me, it was over. I could rest.

I closed my eyes and placed the heels of my palms against them. I could focus on my babies. On Catherine. On the love I had for her. I could finally go into all of this with a clear mind. I could finish the nurseries and treat Catherine to nice dinners out while I still could and whisk us away on a vacation to get away from everything.

Finally, I could give Catherine what she wanted.

I could make this about her.

I made my way downstairs with every intent to start. I pulled out some liquid tofu to scramble up and pancake mix, then pulled some veggie sausage from the refrigerator. I began frying everything up and seasoning it just the way I knew she liked, making plans in my head as I went along. I brewed a nice cup of decaf coffee as well as squeezed up some orange juice, then I put everything on a tray and began my ascent upstairs.

After weeks of fighting with her, I finally got Catherine to agree to sleep with me at night. I wanted to hold her changing body close and splay my hands along her growing stomach. I wanted to wake up to her hair tickling my nose and her ass pressed into my groin. But mostly, I wanted her next to me in case she needed something. Her size with the quadruplets was hindering a lot of the things she did on a regular basis. Bending down was a chore, and if she dropped something it usually stayed on the ground until I could get home. Every time she had to get up to go to the bathroom, I had to get up and help her. And after walking up and down the stairs multiple times a night, I finally convinced her to sleep with me for just one night.

And one night turned into two.

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