An Illusion of Trust (Sequel to The Brevity of Roses) by Linda Cassidy Lewis

Adam's wrist and waves his hand at me. "Say nite nite, Mama."
    "Go seep, Mama," Adam says.
    "Or not," Jennie says and winks.
    I kiss Adam one more time, but it takes a push from Jennie to get me out the door. I assume Jalal is still in the kitchen, so I head for the back stairs. A shard of light slicing across the carpet in our otherwise darkened bedroom catches my eye. As I get closer, I hear water running in the bathroom.
    "A hot bath for you," Jalal says when he sees me in the doorway. "To relax your back."
    "And how did you know it's aching?"
    He points to his forehead. "I can tell by the crease between your brows."
    As he turns off the water, I lean into the mirror. Huh. I never noticed it deepens when I'm in pain. Either this baby is going to be bigger than Adam, or I was in better shape for my first pregnancy. Being on my feet, working at Jennie's through my sixth month kept my muscles toned. Motherhood has softened me in more ways than one.
    "Do you need help?" he asks.
    "With what?"
    He gestures to the water. "Getting undressed and into the tub."
    I've stripped to my underwear when Jalal starts undressing. It's a huge tub, but I'm seven months pregnant. "Uh, Jalal, I don't think both of us—"
    He shakes his head, helps me into the tub, and then he starts the water in the shower. "However," he says before he steps in, "if you have any desire for a twosome 
after
your bath, I am your man."
    Yes, you are.

Five

    I  have to admit the Christmas tree in the living room is the most beautiful one I've ever seen. Aza and I bought a smaller one for the great room and decorated it with the ornaments I bought last year. Jalal says he loves that tree best of all. The whole house looks so gorgeous it makes me feel like crying. If only it snowed in Coelho.
    Shopping is almost easy this year. Jalal's finally accepted his family's rule of no gifts for adults, though he makes an exception for his adult nephews and nieces, but since even his youngest nephew is now eleven, he sees the practicality of giving them all gift cards. Despite the rule, when we fly up to Seattle after Christmas, he'll bring gifts for his parents. And I've already shopped for Jennie and Eduardo. Adam is too young to appreciate the holiday, and he has everything a toddler could want, but still, it's Christmas. I want him to have what I don't—wonderful childhood memories.
    Trying to think of gifts for Jalal is almost impossible. When you know the person has money to buy whatever they want, it certainly takes some of the pleasure out of gifting. But I guess that's not the point. You give them what you want them to have. I want Jalal to love the real me. How do I give him that?
    Jalal's relationship with Judith and Hank picked up where it left off, except now it's me, not Meredith by his side. I've learned a lot about his previous life here by listening closely when we're with them. When he and Judith talked about how many parties they'd each thrown during previous holidays—pre-Christmas, Christmas, post-Christmas, New Year's, post-New Year's—I panicked, afraid he'd expect to do that this year. I should have known he'd be more considerate. After all, I'm seven months pregnant, as he reminds me every two seconds.
    Jalal tells me this will be a quiet Christmas season. We'll attend only one pre-Christmas party, at Judith's; have our family Christmas with Aza, her kids, and Jennie and Eduardo; and then, two days later, we're off to Seattle. That's about as much quiet as I can handle.

    "You must be joking," Jalal says. He's looking at the shoes I'm trying to wiggle my swollen feet into.
    "These shoes are beautiful."
    "And you are seven months pregnant. Six-inch heels are a hazard."
    "They aren't six-inch heels. I can walk perfectly fine." That, I realize as soon as my feet are wedged in them, is a lie. I wobble to the bed and sit down to pry them off. "I hate being short."
    "Since when?"
    "I hate my big fat feet."
    Jalal kneels and lifts one foot to kiss it.