2°: Chapter 16

The weather was mild, and orange light streamed in through the window of the large sky-blue room. James sat for a moment, Luna was snapping at him. He knew some pregnant women suffer mood swings but she was simply unbearable, she didn't like it when he talked to her, but when he didn't, she got angry. She also hated it when he touched her and the second he was demanding attention. They had argued 3 times in one day and James had resorted to the twins' room, which wasn't finished yet and he could give her a hand with the painting. He couldn't go with Rose as she was in the hospital taking care of Portia, it was nothing serious, but she had given them quite a scare. Three days ago Portia woke up crying as her pillow was full of blood, she had a headache and tachycardia so they had to rush to the hospital. The reason? There was a mix-up with the pills Portia was taking, the wrong bottle was given to her and for that reason her doctor received a major complaint.

Portia had lost weight noticeably but luckily, it was nothing serious and her cheeks were pink again.

James let out a sigh that echoed a little, looked around the room and a smile came over his face. There were their children in a couple more months, in two more months. Grateful, they had both decided it would be best to get married after the babies were born. Their mother had questioned the idea since according to her, James and Luna would have to 'have a good time' on the honeymoon and not take care of babies, so the babies would be left in the care of her and Iris.

James, on the other hand, didn't know what to do, he was very happy, of course... but his head had been spinning for days and Luna wasn't aware of anything. Again, the same story.

The reason? A woman, cruel and cold, somewhat unhinged and too psychopathic, hand in hand with an obsessive guy. Angelica and Samuel were free. Of Gaby the only thing known was that she had been imprisoned since she had a record and had committed several things after the incident with James and Luna. But the thought of having to deal with everything knowing that those two people were free made her want to scream.

James had heard that the two offenders had given evidence to be released and now their freedom was conditional, something totally inconsistent.

- James...- Luna said behind his back. He turned around. - How do you feel?

James looked at her for a few seconds.

- Perfect, and you? - She answered with sincerity, a little affected.

- Fine, thank you. - She said entering the room. - It's a little cold in here, isn't it?

- Yes, I've been thinking about it. - He replied. He glanced sideways at Luna who was nodding with a smile. - What's wrong, Luna? - she asked with the same smile.

- Nothing, it's just..." Her voice trembled, "I'm excited about all this. - She finished and raised her right hand to wipe away the fine tear that fell from her right eye. James widened his smile even more and quickly wrapped his arms around her, always being careful with her belly.

- They're so sensitive, honey. I wouldn't be surprised if you kick me out of the house these days. - He said tenderly.

- If that were to happen I'd call you back in half an hour. - She exclaimed with a smile.

- How does pregnancy affect you so much? - she asked with a laugh.

- I don't know, I know girls who weren't affected at all, but in my family, it always does. - She replied with a laugh.

- I still adore you. - James said tenderly. Luna moved a few inches away from him and looked around the room again.

The two white cribs were to her left, there were still things missing but that was because she wasn't quite ready yet. The walls were purple and the white ceiling was decorated with stars that glowed when the light was turned off.

- Have you talked to your mother? - James asked as he stroked Luna's hand. She sighed.

- Yes, she's coming for tea tomorrow. - She replied happily. - Thank you for contacting her, if you hadn't, I never would have and our problems will remain unresolved.

- You're welcome, sweetheart. She's your mother, she has a right to see you happy, doesn't she? - she asked with a smile.

-

The mail contained some of the photos Luna had captured last month, and in addition to that a humble and modest congratulations from Delora Wright. She smiled proudly as she looked at the model's face, as pale and cold as the weather that abounded in Seattle right now.

It was December, and of course winter was cold and wet. The house was permeated with a sweet aroma coming from the kitchen and Portia's laughter echoed throughout. James had been absent that morning, he had taken the trouble to go back to the job he barely remembered he had and would be working until two in the afternoon.

Luna finished looking at the pictures and closed the browser window, I managed the arrow directly to the one that had been left open. She had something stored there, something secret, that James apparently didn't want to tell her. He knew everything about Angelica, he was free. It seemed kind of silly to him that James hadn't told her, since she had a right to know something like that too. But she also understood that James maybe thought beyond that and was more concerned about not causing her stress, because the truth was that she was very, very stressed about everything. Considering that it was only a short time before the birth of the twins, her body couldn't take it anymore; she wanted to sleep peacefully, to be able to roll over and settle her arms under the pillow, she wanted to have a cup of strong coffee and not watered down, and she also needed James not to be so heavy with the subject, although she totally understood that the boy sometimes looked like a child.

But otherwise, everything was perfect. The twins had started their first intense kicks and although it had felt weird the first time, he liked it. He hadn't put on much weight although he had gained enough.

It was twelve o'clock, Luna continued reading the article she had already read more than twice and then smiled. How deluded was James to keep something from her that was likely - And was likely - to come out in the media? Because, James's face pops up in newspapers and magazines every now and then and a story like that would be interesting. Just like last time, within two days the news that three people had forced their way into James Bexell's house for violent purposes was everywhere.

He refused to finish reading it, he shouldn't burn his head with it. He closed the browser and turned off the computer.

Ah, what a desire to taste the cookies Portia and Nana were preparing.

-

The day was heavy, hot and humid. James had been taking piano lessons so he could play at Portia's show in three weeks. It was simple stuff, but the changes were quick and he needed practice. His mother used to tease him about the trauma her son had with the piano, but deep down she felt a little sorry for inadvertently exposing him to such a situation. Luna had been going to the doctor constantly as the twins were due soon, and although she felt like she was going to explode at any moment, she was going to miss the huge belly she had too much. James was too nervous about the pregnancy.

"What if something happens to you, what if they are born early, what if Portia gets jealous?" were some of the questions he kept repeating.

In the evening, James cooked vegetables with chopped meat and two kinds of salads. His mother had taken Portia with her so they could both have a little child's rest.

The table was set and Luna was looking at James sitting down, as he ate a piece of bread. He smiled tenderly and then held up his middle finger to show Luna. She opened her eyes in surprise and then mimicked James's gesture. He burst out laughing.

- You're becoming a bad person.

- I'm carrying your two children, it's the least you can do.

- You forced me to give you two children, it's your fault I think. Take over. - I'm kidding.

- Yes James, because I made these two babies by magic - He laughed.

- In some places that's considered a miracle. - He continued joking as he finished setting the table.

Luna stood up from her place and walked over to James. She hugged him from behind although a little uncomfortable because of his belly. He smelled so good. He had a scent Luna loved. It was a mixture of perfume, rinse, shampoo and him. She looked closely at her lips, noticing James looking at her with amusement. She loved to hook up at just the right moment.

- How were you feeling at school, Luna? -She asked ignoring and leaving Luna's sideways glance.

She grimaced and smiled. She didn't let go.

- Normal, let's say normal. I spent most of my time thinking about what I would be like when I grew up. My big dream was to be a fashion designer. - I smile as I remember so many moments when I fantasized about hundreds of models wearing her clothes.

- Really?

- Yes, I wanted to change trends by contributing a little seed, if nothing else. And you?

He looked up and sighed, almost as if remembering was something heavy.

- I don't know, I think I spent most of my time wanting to be what my elders were. I don't regret it though, I'm where I want to be.

- Can I ask you a question?

- As many as you want.

- Do you miss Sarah? I mean... she...

- Yeah, she's... It's... well, she left all of a sudden. - she began to stammer. Luna regretted asking that question almost a second later. James looked overwhelmed. - She was special, she was someone who taught me things. I... I don't want you to feel bad or if it bothers you I won't talk about her anymore...

- No, James, what are you saying? It doesn't bother me, in fact, I think she was a wonderful person even though I didn't get to know her. You loved her, and I don't mind you talking about it. She was part of your life.

James smiled and turned, facing her. He held her hands gently and sighed.

- The day he died, Portia was with my parents, and I.... I felt like I was lost, you know? I had lost one of the most important pieces of the puzzle. I didn't know what to do, and I refused to accept that she was gone. I mean, I had seen her happy, sad, angry.... And suddenly she was gone. It's hard to accept that you'll never see a person again, to know that you'll never feel her gaze on you, that you'll never again be able to tell her that she looks pretty in the dress she took so long to choose. - Her voice began to tremble. Luna noticed that her eyes were beginning to fill with tears.-I had a hard time accepting that I would never hear her voice again, and now I live with the idea that she's in the ground, when she was living fully next to me. And Portia...God, Portia. - James placed both his hands on her face and Luna quickly hugged him. - She didn't understand what had happened to her mom, and then she grew up and realized she was dead.

Luna wiped away the thin tears on her cheek and looked at James again. He wasn't crying, but he was looking at Luna's huge belly. She smiled.

- After they are born we could travel, don't you think?

- Sure - she changed the subject.

- When they're older. Imagine us taking care of three kids at the same time. - he laughed.

-

The bed felt exaggeratedly comfortable. The smell of the clean sheets was exquisite. Being at home felt good, very good. Her body felt tired. The legs ached slightly, but nothing exaggerated.

- Make room for me. - she exclaimed. She put the baby down at Luna's side and leaned back, holding the other one to her chest.

- Where's Portia?

- She went with my mom to buy stuff for the babies.

Luna smiled slightly.

- I can already picture them when they grow up, and they're only two days old.

- I'm mentally preparing for the arrival of Portia's boyfriend, and now I'll have to do it with Claire. - He said sympathetically. But he really meant it.

He could picture a 16/17 year old Portia Y walking into the house with a knowing smile, that is if she didn't have a secret boyfriend. It gave him a headache. And then he could picture Claire, tall and brown like her mother, with a buying smile and sparkling eyes.

- Dad, I have a boyfriend.

God, she was already picturing him, and her chin trembled.

And Theo, he was her only male child, she hoped he'd grow up properly and not be one of those rude boys, so she took great pains to avoid him. James closed his eyes slightly, listening to the breathing of both of them. She calmed down completely and a small trickle of drool dribbled down from her lips onto his shirt.

- I love them already. - She said fondly. - I've loved them since they were little things smaller than my thumb.

Luna smiled. Her heart swelled full of love and she gently grabbed Theo. His hands, so small, closed and opened quickly, he let out a low gasp and then slowly opened his eyes. His eyesight was not yet developed, but Luna swore she could see deep into his heart. She snuggled him to her chest and looked down at James.

His hair was disheveled, his eyes closed and his mouth half open. He slept so peacefully that it made her sleepy.

----------------

The alarm clock went off, it sounded like a nail slowly burying itself in James's ears. He had to go to work, again. The mini-vacation was over and although his bed was screaming for him to keep sleeping, he couldn't. He got out of bed feeling like his body was 20 kilos heavier and walked slowly to the bathroom. He looked so tired, his eyes were slightly swollen and his lips were redder than usual. He washed his face with ice water and felt awake in record time. He got ready in less than 15 minutes and walked to his closet, picked out a blue-black suit and took several minutes to put it on. When he was finally ready, he combed his hair as he normally did. He said goodbye to Luna with a kiss on her forehead, then walked over to Theo's crib and placed a kiss on the little baby's cheek, and did the same with Claire, who was sleeping peacefully in the crib next to him. They could not yet be in their room, as they were still tidying up, adding the strong smell of paint.

She left her room, and entered Portia's, placed a kiss on her forehead, and finally went downstairs. The day was cool, and the morning sun was welcoming. He entered the van in a negative mood and set out to go, finally, to work. Upon arrival, the friendliness with which he was greeted proved to fall almost annoyingly on him, so he simply walked quickly to his office, and once he was inside, he set about doing his work. He went through each piece of paper until he reached the last one.

"I've left you a message, one last message, check it. Love, Angie."

James paled. He picked up the paper, quickly rolled it into a ball, threw it on the floor and turned to the phone. Had he left her a message there?

He picked up the phone and after placing it to his ear, dialed the number of the message box.

- You have 14 new messages, to listen to them, press 1, p...- James quickly pressed the number the female voice indicated. Most of the messages were from his former colleagues congratulating him on the arrival of the twins.

- Hi James, I heard your babies were born, I just wanted to tell you that I wish you all the best from afar. I've spent a good bit of time in your office, so you probably saw my note. -End of message. James plays the following. - I've been thinking about us, I miss our games of thief and victim, victims, if you count your girlfriend - message ended. Play the next.- Speaking of which, I want to see you, I mean, you know I'm free, and one last visit from you would give me a reason to let you go. So, think about it. You know what can happen if you refuse.

James covered his face with both hands and let out an exhausted groan. He was sick, sick of all the drama that came every now and then. He picked up his cell phone and dialed his assistant's number.

- Rose, uh, cancel everything I have between ten and twelve. - He listened to her reply and then answered. - Thanks, you can go home early today.

James got up from his seat and walked towards the picture window he adored.

He was to see Angelica, just one last time. It would all be over and he would be happy with his family.

He went to the phone and answered the message. He waited one ring, two...three. She answered.

- Where can I see you?

- Wyatt Hotel. Room 207. In one hour. - She replied. Hearing her voice, James felt like throwing up. He cut the call and quickly left her office.