Page 74 of Eternal Pieces
The triplets are perfect. They came home after two months in the hospital and since then have been non-stop growing, they’re the chunkiest little cuties and my boobs are really feeling it. Sometimes I feel like a milk machine; if I’m not pumping so the guys can help with feedings, then one of them is latched onto my breast. And it’s not just the triplets getting their fill.
“I thought you didn’t want anyone else touching me?” I pout, buying my time so I can spend as much of it as I can with my three little babies.
“We don’t,” Maddox snarls in that dark protective way that always sends a delicious shiver straight to my core.
“The masseuse has been fully vetted,” Max adds from behind me like he’s giving a military brief. “She’s a happily married, fifty-eight year old grandma with over thirty years of experience.”
“Thank you both for doing this for me.” I cup Maddox’s cheek and reach up to kiss him without disturbing Evie.
Max plants his hands on my shoulders. “Now it’s really time to go, you don’t want to miss your appointment.”
Reluctantly, I let him pull me away and get me out of the door. He hands me my purse and car keys, and gives me a long kiss. One that feels like he’s desperate not to let me go. But hedoes. I get into my new car. We ended up buying two more so we have one each, and it’s made life with triplets a tiny bit easier.
I try not to cry as they all wave me off from the porch. As much as I need and enjoy a break from the chaos of Mom life, it’s always hard to say goodbye. Every time it reminds me of having to leave them at the hospital once I was discharged. It was agony coming home without them each day and wondering if they missed me as much as I missed them. In the end, it was worth it to have three healthy babies with us now.
The spa is just in the center of the city. Max and Maddox surprised me with it last week and said I’m to go no matter what. They’ve been the most amazing fathers, doing all the cooking and cleaning while I was healing and letting me rest whenever I need it.
Sarah has become our on-call babysitter, and she loves every second she spends with the triplets. Reginald has visited a few times as well. He was actually the first to visit once we came home.
Mom is gone from my life completely now. I’ve not heard from her since I last spoke to her on my disaster of a wedding day. Not long after I left the hospital, I had the restraining order put in place. Knowing that if she ever turns up out of the blue again, I’ll be within my rights to kick her out fills me with an extra sense of security. I’ll never be manipulated by her again, and neither will my children.
I have the whole morning to enjoy myself at the spa, and I make the most of it by booking as many treatments as I can. By the end of it, I feel so relaxed I could float home. My boobs however are lead weights on my chest. Thankfully, I remembered to pack my breast pump.
When I return to the private changing room, I find my bag missing.Someone was in here?
I see the scrap of paper where my clothes should be, and my heart jumps into my throat.Why is people messing with me becoming such a regular occurrence?
All the note says is,“Look behind you!X”
“How ominous,” I mutter to myself. They left a kiss, I suppose that should make me feel better.
Glancing behind me, I see a figure waiting in the corner. My masked men? A stranger intent on hurting me? My crazy mother? No. It’s none of those. Hanging on a coat hook on the wall is a wedding dress.Mywedding dress.
It’s brand new. Not a single spot of blood insight.
Who put this here?
A soft knock on the door has me jumping out of my skin. I’m scared to open it. I don’t have my phone to call my guys for help. I’m stuck in here in a damn robe.
“Violet? Are you in there?”
“Sarah? What are you doing here?” I swing open the door to find my best friend dressed up like she’s ready for a wedding. Her dress is the same lilac one we picked together, and on her head is a similar flower crown to the one she wore on my wedding day.
She holds up a huge makeup case and shouts, “Surprise!”
“I—what? I don’t get what’s happening. Why are you here? Why is my dress here? I thought I was…” At this point, I don’t know what I thought anymore.
“Was the note too creepy? Sorry, I thought it would be a fun reveal.” She steps into the room and sets the case down near the mirror.
“I’m having crazy deja vu.”
“Max and Maddox wanted to surprise you. Now that you’ve been pampered, I can do your hair and makeup, then we can head back up to the cabin so you can finally tie the knot.”
“I’m getting married? Today?”
She sits down and pats the padded bench next to her. “Yep. They didn’t want you to have to plan out a whole new day, but they also didn’t want you to miss out on it either. So they enlisted my help. You’re getting the wedding you always dreamed of. A nice, intimate affair, not that fancy hotel one you were putting up with before. Trust me, it’s going to blow you away.”
I sit down heavily next to her, my chin dragging on the carpet. “You planned my entire wedding?”
