stressed-out brain that the lack of a nursery wasn’t a big deal was not working. She had to stop worrying about making bad choices for her children and get to work already.
“You’re usually very good about making decisions and sticking to them, Karla. What’s going on?” He walked beside her to the living room where she once again sat down on the sofa by a window. She shoved the book she’d been forcing herself to read for the past few hours away and leaned back. Electricity shot down her back, numbing her leg. Cramps sucked.
She sighed and glanced at the kitchen counter. Dammit! She’d left her water bottle over there. “If you get my water bottle from there,” she said, pointing at it, “I will smile more and nag less.”
He laughed, jumped to his feet and rushed to get her drink. She envied his speed and agility. Things were harder for her to do these days. Simple things like sitting, standing, sleeping. Heck, even breathing was hard. Someone was pressing on her lungs at various times of the day.
“Do you want me to help you with the nursery?” Kel handed her the bottle. “I’m good with organizing stuff.”
She knew that. He was a principal and a wonderful man. Her first instinct was to say yes, but she couldn’t. Him helping was one thing. Her pushing herself out of doing her first task as a mother was another.
“I’ll figure it out.” She took a gulp of water and cleared her throat. “So have you heard from mother?”
He nodded. Not looking at her was a bad sign. “She’s wanting to come out and see you.”
That was new. “Why?”
He gave a humorless smile. “She’s ticked off you’re not sending her money. I told her she’s forbidden from coming near you or the children.” He finally met her gaze with a sad one. “I’m sorry. I don’t want you stressing any more at the end of your pregnancy. I know you hardly get any sleep. The last thing I want is for her to add to whatever is bothering you.”
She nodded. He was right. Still, she couldn’t stop the sharp, throbbing pricks in her heart. Even though all her mother wanted was money, she hadn’t made the effort to call Karla and ask about her grandchildren. That was the last thing she wanted for her babies’ future. A deadbeat grandmother.
TWO
Nate glanced at his mother as if she’d grown another head. “You want me to what?”
Barbara rolled her eyes and tsked. “I want you to come and take a birthing class at the clinic. And while you’re at it, a parenting one too.”
Mason and Aric glanced at each other.
“He’s the one having the babies. Why do we have to come along too?” Jake asked.
“Because,” Barbara growled, “in case of an emergency, you might need to help one of your mates when the time comes. What are you going to do then? Faint at the first view of a head being pushed out of a female’s privates?”
“Oh, mom!” Mason winced. “I didn’t need a visual.”
“Stop acting like children,” she snapped. “You all need to know how to help a baby be born.”
Nate turned to Ellie. “You’re coming too, right?”
Ellie lifted her brows and folded her arms over her chest. “I’m one of the people teaching the class.”
Nate frowned. “You don’t even have kids!”
Ellie shook her head and glanced at Barbara. “Are you sure these are my brothers and they weren’t switched at birth?”
Barbara sighed. “Unfortunately, I am positive they belong to me.”
“If it’s another way I can help Karla, then yes. I will be there,” Nate nodded. The last thing he wanted was to upset his mother. Karla was already distant, and he wasn’t sure why. She was still affectionate towards him, but it seemed as though she was closing in on her thoughts. Not sharing whatever was bothering her. He knew she was stressing the three babies in a shot thing, but not much they could do about that.
He waited for his brothers and sister to grumble their way out of the kitchen and followed his
“You’re usually very good about making decisions and sticking to them, Karla. What’s going on?” He walked beside her to the living room where she once again sat down on the sofa by a window. She shoved the book she’d been forcing herself to read for the past few hours away and leaned back. Electricity shot down her back, numbing her leg. Cramps sucked.
She sighed and glanced at the kitchen counter. Dammit! She’d left her water bottle over there. “If you get my water bottle from there,” she said, pointing at it, “I will smile more and nag less.”
He laughed, jumped to his feet and rushed to get her drink. She envied his speed and agility. Things were harder for her to do these days. Simple things like sitting, standing, sleeping. Heck, even breathing was hard. Someone was pressing on her lungs at various times of the day.
“Do you want me to help you with the nursery?” Kel handed her the bottle. “I’m good with organizing stuff.”
She knew that. He was a principal and a wonderful man. Her first instinct was to say yes, but she couldn’t. Him helping was one thing. Her pushing herself out of doing her first task as a mother was another.
“I’ll figure it out.” She took a gulp of water and cleared her throat. “So have you heard from mother?”
He nodded. Not looking at her was a bad sign. “She’s wanting to come out and see you.”
That was new. “Why?”
He gave a humorless smile. “She’s ticked off you’re not sending her money. I told her she’s forbidden from coming near you or the children.” He finally met her gaze with a sad one. “I’m sorry. I don’t want you stressing any more at the end of your pregnancy. I know you hardly get any sleep. The last thing I want is for her to add to whatever is bothering you.”
She nodded. He was right. Still, she couldn’t stop the sharp, throbbing pricks in her heart. Even though all her mother wanted was money, she hadn’t made the effort to call Karla and ask about her grandchildren. That was the last thing she wanted for her babies’ future. A deadbeat grandmother.
TWO
Nate glanced at his mother as if she’d grown another head. “You want me to what?”
Barbara rolled her eyes and tsked. “I want you to come and take a birthing class at the clinic. And while you’re at it, a parenting one too.”
Mason and Aric glanced at each other.
“He’s the one having the babies. Why do we have to come along too?” Jake asked.
“Because,” Barbara growled, “in case of an emergency, you might need to help one of your mates when the time comes. What are you going to do then? Faint at the first view of a head being pushed out of a female’s privates?”
“Oh, mom!” Mason winced. “I didn’t need a visual.”
“Stop acting like children,” she snapped. “You all need to know how to help a baby be born.”
Nate turned to Ellie. “You’re coming too, right?”
Ellie lifted her brows and folded her arms over her chest. “I’m one of the people teaching the class.”
Nate frowned. “You don’t even have kids!”
Ellie shook her head and glanced at Barbara. “Are you sure these are my brothers and they weren’t switched at birth?”
Barbara sighed. “Unfortunately, I am positive they belong to me.”
“If it’s another way I can help Karla, then yes. I will be there,” Nate nodded. The last thing he wanted was to upset his mother. Karla was already distant, and he wasn’t sure why. She was still affectionate towards him, but it seemed as though she was closing in on her thoughts. Not sharing whatever was bothering her. He knew she was stressing the three babies in a shot thing, but not much they could do about that.
He waited for his brothers and sister to grumble their way out of the kitchen and followed his
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