The luckiest

Chapter 18

I smoothed the fitted white blouse over my still slightly bulging mid-section, the control underwear straining to suck it all in.  I undid the first three buttons and adjusted my cleavage (yay for post-baby boobs!), the lacy white bra peeking through.  Giving my blue denim shorts a quick tug up, I sighed, "Here goes." And I headed downstairs.  Fluffing my hair, I stood at the entrance to the playroom, where Mom was on the floor with the girls and their tea set.

"You off?"

"Yes.  There's some basil pesto pasta for lunch for all of you and fresh produce for the little guy."

"Must you call it that?" She shakes her head at me.

"What? It is basil pesto and pasta." I tease her.

"Ginny!" She throws a plush toy at me.  "You look nice."

"Thanks.  Hoping to remind my husband he chose well."

"You two OK?"  I can see the wheels turning and I swear my mom is the one with the psych degree sometimes.

"We are." I half-lie.  Technically, we were OK, according to Charlie and I was going to see to it that we'd always be.

"OK.  Enjoy your lunch date."

I parked in the parking lot behind the pub.  My limbs suddenly felt like Jell-O.  I tried a deep breath, but it did s**t.  I took one last look into the review mirror, pushed my shades onto my head and tried to steady myself.

The walk to the back entrance felt like forever.  Thinking I'd take the long route to his office, I readied myself for the staff who might try to alert him on my way there.  I was going to march right through and confront them face-to-face once more.

As I crossed through the entrance way, I swear I could feel him before I saw him.  Kaley, the summer hire we had at the entrance looked to me, eyes all bright and a welcoming smile, which faded immediately when she saw my face, tried to quickly round the table she stood at.  I lifted a hand, "No need, Kaley.  I see him." And he saw me.

Charlie stood up from the table he was seated at.  The trouble-making ex-employee spinning around to face me.  The look on her face one of, wait, was that triumph?  An 'I win' look?  Oh, f**k, no!  I was practically stomping over, my legs moving of their own accord as my mind focused on what to say. 'Don't cuss, Ginny!' I warned myself.

"Ginny!  Its been ages." Wait, was this little troll actually trying to make conversation?  Did she forget how she left and why she left?  I gave her a stern, 'Why are you speaking to me?' look and focused on my husband, who seemed to be catching flies with his mouth agape and his loss for words.

"Sit, Charlie." I say to him and move in next to him on the picnic table.  He reluctantly sits down.

"What-" He starts.

"I nearly forgot about this meeting.  Silly old me.  Please, carry on Lily."  I feel I am handling the situation quite well, considering the urge I feel to lunge myself at the woman in front of me.

Her once long dark hair, is cut into an edgy straight long bob and the bangs are dramatically short, framing her heart-shaped face.  Her lips are a deep matte red, painted to look thicker than what they really are.  I study her face intently, wanting to remember what she looked like today, if there was something memorable to come of this.

"I, uh, Charlie, is it OK if-" she begins, her cheeks going slightly red.

"You don't need Charlie's permission to talk.  Last time I checked, you two have no relationship or at least I hope not." Charlie rubs a hand over his face.  I feel his frustration and it pisses me off.  I breathe in, reminding myself to remain calm and let out what I hope is not a manic laugh.

"I, well, I cam to ask Charlie if I could join the team again. I was here for drinks recently and realised how much I missed everyone."  The f*****g audacity.

"So you thought a photograph with him with a little note on the back would entice him to re-hire you?  Not very professional." Charlie daren't say a word as I looked to him and then back at Lily in front of us. "Or texting him to meet instead of just completing an application would soften him up?"

"This was clearly a bad idea."  She says, finally and hopefully realising her idiocy.  She gets up, her short black denim cut-offs barely covering her.

"Hmm, I think so.  Charlie, what do you think?"

"We'll be in touch, Lily." He says quietly.  I feel as if I've ripped the manhood straight out of him and I feel slightly bad, but not enough to back down.

I watch as she walks off to the exit.  She shakes her head as he she seems to be muttering to herself, but I pay her no more heed as she makes her way out.

Charlie turns his body to face mine and I mimic him.  I want him to speak first.  I am dying to use whatever he says to me, against him.

"Ginny. I'm sorry I didn't tell you everything, but I knew you wouldn't like it.  I can't just turn someone away without giving them a chance.  I wasn't planning on hiring her."

"Charlie-"

"No, hear me out before you dole out my punishment, which I know deserve.  Yes, she is a shameless person, who doesn't know when to quit and I, as a devoted husband and father, who would never do anything as stupid as even flirt with another woman and jeopardise  my family, should have just said no and she can meet with the manager.  But here I am and I am sorry.  I'm f*****g sorry, OK? 

So, you can storm off and kick me out if you like, but I'm not going to throw away us, our family, for that." He motions with a pointed finger at the exit she walked through. "I love you, with all I am and I would rather die than lose you and our kids.  I'll get some things from the house if you need me to, but just know that I'm not leaving you or those kids."

My eyes are brimming with tears.  This was not going as I'd planned.  Was I expecting this to be public showdown?  Did I not trust my husband?  He knew how I'd react, but he still met with her. I try to compose myself before speaking, "I think I'm more hurt about you not coming to me to discuss this.  I'd be OK if you had said to me she approached you and wanted to meet.  We could have spoken about it and then decided together."

"I know that I should have come to you with this, but I was scared you'd reach out and kill the woman. Not gonna lie, Ginny, you scare me sometimes."  He winks at me and as cute as he is, I don't think its time for a joke just yet.

"Thank you and yes, I probably would have contacted her.  I considered it."

He holds my hands in his and rubs the back of mine with his thumbs.  My icy exterior begins to melt under his touch.  I think of him wanting to spend some time away from us because of this and I know it isn't feasible or very logical of me to let him do that.

I wipe the tears that have fallen and try to gather myself, "Now, I feel I'm owed a parents-only lunch since I made the effort to get my mom to sit for us and I'm feeling like a steak from that new place down the street."

"The French place whose menu you referred to as pretentious?"

"Yes, that one and I only said that because Emma wouldn't stop boasting about how Jamie has taken her twice already."

He kisses my forehead, "Can I come home if I take you?"

"You can even have some make-up s*x if you let me order two desserts and pretend one is yours, then feign being stuffed and insist I eat yours."

"Deal."

With the week's BS behind us, we're in the thick of things at my parents' place in CE.  We're all outside while Dad is manning the grill.  Mom has made Holly her fishcakes and served them as a starter with a tartar sauce.  I watch as she stacks her plate with nearly half the platter's contents and parks herself on the outdoor sofa, her legs dangling over David's.

"Have you told her?"  My brother asks Holly.

"Nope.  You tell her."

"Tell me what?"

"We're getting married."

"What? Get out! When?"  I'm ecstatic!  these two have been putting it off and just having babies instead.  "Who else knows?"  David looks to Mom, who is dishing out watermelon to the kids.  "Mom knows?  How long?"

"Since last week."

"I don't believe you!  both of you. I know how to keep a secret now, you know."

David flinches as I kick him in the shin, "Jesus, Ginny!"

"Anyway, we're thinking of doing it end of August.  Wanna be my maid of honour?" Holly asks, popping another fish cake into her mouth.

"Uhm, yeah!"

"Winning!" She mumbles between chews.

We spend the majority of the day speaking of wedding plans.  Emma offers to help with decor as its going to be at David and Holly's place.  Charlie is going to be David's best man.  Jamie doesn't seems phased, but is insisting on hosting a bachelor's night.  I see the fear in Holly's eyes, but I know Emma wouldn't let Jamie run rampant, so David was safe.

Hope, David's 15-year old adoptive daughter would be attending.  She was spending less time with them since connecting with her biological dad's family, but her visits with David and Holly were at least once a month since she moved back to Maine.  Her grandmother had her at a private upstate New York school and it seemed to have done her some good.  She still considered us family and I had to applaud my brother and his soon-to-be-wife for the way they still doted on her.  She did well with David and Holly in her life and her mom, Marie knew it.

Holly and I are washing dishes in the kitchen while the guys are enjoying a beer in the back yard later the afternoon, "Oh my God!  I nearly forgot to tell you the latest CE gossip."

"What? Oh God, tell me!"

"Guess who is pregnant!"

"Slutty Jen at Rudy's?"

"No!  Marie."

"What? No!"

"Yes!  She told me when she dropped Hope off last week.  Said Hope didn't take it well.  They had some words and just wanted to prep me of there was a mood."

"I think Hope has to have the most siblings of anyone I know."

"Yeah.  She's actually handled it all better than I imagined.  Julian's kids really enjoyed having her in New York.  Her eldest sister on his side, is nuts about her and I think the feeling's mutual.  Hope speaks about her a lot."

"How is David with it all?"  

"Better.  He knows their bond is unbreakable.  She's so much like him at times.  She's been great with Liam and little Ginny lately."

I squeeze Holly's hand, "I'm glad.  Now tell me more about the poor kid that's been given Marie as a mom."

"Ginny!"

"What?  It's no secret she's not very maternal."

Holly fills me in on the new sibling of Hope's, some more local gossip and our normal moans and groans about the toddlers.  By the time we leave, we've forgotten we have kids to take home since we've all been so spoilt by the grandparents.

I am in bed, my k****e fired up and ready to read, when Charlie comes bounding into the bedroom, his phone in his hand, "Ginny, its your Dad.  He's had a heart attack."