Confined Four Years

Fast Growing

~~~~~Julia~~~~~

            Time seemed to pass quickly once the babies joined their home. A loud giggle filled the air of the living room as Julia chased the crawling Madison and Mason around the room. At seven months, they learned things quick, so she constantly changed the way she did things to help them learn even more. She wanted them to be smart, to always find something new to take an interest in. Julia grabbed Mason up by his waist and lifted him into the air, causing him to let out a loud squeal before laughter broke from his lips. A quick sniff and her face paled, and she locked eyes with her son, a wry smile on her lips.

“Whew, Mason, that is a stinker…” she said, laughing when he smiled at her. “But you probably don’t even smell it, do you?”

“Baba…”

“Maddy, do you need a change too?” A giggle erupted from her lips, causing Julia to pick her up to check. “You’re still dry!”

            In the beginning, it was difficult to take care of both of them and she often felt like pulling her hair out from the exhaustion. She got lucky though, since the twins started sleeping through the night thanks to aromatherapy, playing with them all day to make sure they got tired out, and reading them stories every night. Sometimes Julia wore them out so well, they fell asleep before Marcus got home. Even now, Julia and Marcus talked little, and since the children came home, he usually left their raising up to her. Not that she minded, because her business only required her to work from home.

“Dada.” Madison said, looking towards the door as Marcus walked through it. “Dadada.”

“You’re like a supermom or something.” Marcus laughed as he walked forward and picked Madison up. “How’s my favorite little girl?”

            Though Julia handled raising them, Marcus tried to let them know he was there. She finished cleaning up Mason and tossed his diaper in the trash before picking him up and walking towards Marcus. Madison grabbed his sunglasses, and in one motion, Julia pried them from her chubby fingers before planting a teething ring in her hands with a laugh. Now that she has something safe to stick in her mouth, Julia turned to the kitchen to prepare their dinner. She sat Mason down before stepping over the toys spread out on the floor, feeling like she was going through an obstacle course.

            This was their usual now, Julia thought with a chuckle. Though she and Marcus were closer to friends now, though there was still no love between the pair. Thanks to her marriage to him, she was often in the news as the epitome of a happy homemaker. There were a lot of rumors, too, about infidelity, but Marcus assured her it was false. Not that she really cared, either. They agreed to an open relationship, after all. Julia refocused on her task of preparing dinner for her and Marcus while using the mixer to mash up their food. She always made their baby food homemade because she wanted to know what they were eating.

“You’re still running your business, managing the house, and taking care of the kids.” He continued as she reached the kitchen door. “I find it impressive and could use an assistant like you at work.”

“Thanks, but no thanks.” She replied, pulling open the door. “I set my business model up to run itself. As for the sales, I only receive a portion since I’m an affiliate and not making the products myself. Basically, I endorse them, people buy them, and I get a cut of the profit. And that’s only thanks to your connections.”

            A year led up to that moment, and now that she graduated, the only thing she truly craved was the ‘proof of intent’ Marcus mentioned previously. She wanted to be free of their marriage, of the responsibility to stay married to a man she did not love. As the scent of pre-marinated steak filled the air from the indoor grill, she looked around the modern kitchen. Julia knew she was fortunate to have all the things she did, but she hated it and felt like it was all to keep her happy. With a frown, she turned her attention back to the pots on the stove to stir them.

~~~~~Marcus~~~~~

            Marcus took in a deep breath as the scent of Julia’s cooking permeated the air. The two often ignored each other at home unless the children were watching, he thought, turning the television on to a cartoon the kids liked. He pulled his cellphone out of his pocket to check for any notifications from work or the stocks he invested in. Before, he only watched the stock market as a hobby, but over time, he found it fun to invest in businesses, then sell the stock when it took off. Marcus looked in the kitchen’s direction where Julia cooked and frowned a little. Both knew from the start that neither one found interest in the other, but she bore with it all this time.

“Dada…” Madison seemed to sense her father’s weird mood because she crawled over to him on the sofa. “Dadadada…”

“Haha, you’re very smart, Maddy.” Marcus replied, picking her up as Mason came over as well. “Your mom made two really smart kids.”

            As much as he hated to admit it, Julia did most of their raising. It often surprised him they even recognized him as their father, but Julia said it was normal for children to recognize their parents. Both children cuddled up on either side of him before turning their attention back to the cartoon with goofy smiles on their faces. The twins were the only thing from this marriage Julia and Marcus cared about. When his parents introduced him to Julia, he thought she was beyond beautiful, with bright green eyes, and gorgeous strawberry-blonde hair, but when he read over the information, it became clear they had nothing in common.

            Since the pair had the twins, their parents backed off on the blackmail, but they still made it clear a divorce was impossible, as it would look bad for the company. Especially since the press knew Julia Sinclair Thomas. He hated how his parents treated them as trapped birds. Marcus has been trying to pull a majority of the Board of Directors into his favor, but most of the Board does not know the truth behind Marcus’s marriage. Sure, Julia had a lot going for her; her determination, smarts, and ability were impressive, but those quirks only made Marcus respect her as a person. He knew she would never be his type because she was far too headstrong and stubborn.

            Marcus wanted a woman to depend on him. One who still had her own dreams but would be happy just staying by his side. Though he found Julia’s presence soothing, she did not want to depend on him, often doing her own thing without help. When he first told her she could use his money however she wanted, she turned her nose up and clearly stated she wanted to make her own way in the world. The woman did not even receive gifts well, but there was one thing he thought she was really food at. His eyes fell on the two brown-haired children at his sides with a soft smile. She was an amazing mother.

“Dinner is ready!” Julia shouted from the dining room, and he could hear the clink of plates set on the table. “Maddy, Mason, come and eat din-din.”

            Their reaction was immediate, as they both slid forward on the sofa before sinking down to their knees to crawl towards her voice. There was another thing she was good at, he thought, leaning down to pick up the kids. She was an excellent cook. After the first few months of their ‘marriage’, she proved just how much her parents trained her to be a wife. He honestly doubted she knew they were training her, but he was sure they did. Julia could prepare meals that were well-balanced and clean, like a maid. It was hard for him to adjust to the change back then, but now he was familiar with it.

“Tonight’s menu is grilled steak with green bean casserole, homemade rolls I made yesterday, and some baked potatoes.” Julia said as she put the tray on their high chairs. “As for you two, Mommy made your favorite! Macaroni and cheese, and a roll, just like Daddy.”

            Marcus grew to respect the woman who cooked for him and their children, as well as kept the house clean while running her own business. One day, she would find the person who loved her in the way he could not. He kept hoping the day would come soon, but clearly, their luck was not that great. Often, he wished things could be different, but the fact was, he did not find her to be perfect for him. He knew that feeling would not change, no matter how long their parents wanted them to maintain this fake relationship. All Marcus needed to do was to prove their intent to blackmail, and he could free her from this, he thought, taking a bite of his dinner.

~~~~~Julia~~~~~

            Babies grow quickly, Julia pondered, looking at the twins who currently played on the floor. At four, they were wild little creatures. She thought about her business and how she could progressively make it better while watching them as they played with their toys. Madison and Mason were extremely smart for their age, and their father spoiled them rotten. She sighed as the storm raging outside seemed to grow in strength. When the door finally opened revealing Marcus, the twins immediately went to hug him, but he shook his head, causing water to shake loose from his dark hair. He looked exhausted and seemed to cast water everywhere when he reached for the hook to hang his jacket.

“It is pouring out there. Sorry I’m late.” He said when Julia stood to fetch him a towel. “How are things with your business?”

            However, before she could answer him, a knock sounded on the door, causing him to pause. The knocks continued as though their guest felt impatient, so Marcus threw the door open. Julia gasped at the man standing there, as she had not seen him in four years. Not even at the baby shower. He stood there with a slight pale face, and in his arms, there appeared to be a blanket of sorts. It was Zachariah, the youngest of Marcus’s siblings. Julia grabbed another towel and walked closer, only to realize it was not a blanket in his arms. The cry of a newborn baby yelped out, causing her to startle before she looked into his chocolate brown eyes.

“Zach, what are you doing here?” Marcus asked, looking at the bundle in his arms.

“I… I didn’t know where else to go…” His voice was hoarse, as though he were crying. “It’s my baby… but… I…”

            Instead of waiting for him to finish his thought, Julia pulled the baby from his arms and removed the wet blanket. The tiny baby only looked a few days old and seemed hungry. She laid her down on the couch and removed her wet clothes before grabbing one of the extra blankets on the sofa and wrapping her up in it. Next, Julia sat down as she scooped the baby into her arms and laid her tiny head against her chest, hoping hearing her heartbeat would keep the baby calm until they could get her some formula. Julia turned to Marcus and nodded, before looking over at the twins, who were eyeing the baby curiously.

“Madison, Mason, can you go get the bassinet for this little baby, please?” Julia asked, before turning to Marcus again. “I know you just got back, but can you go pick up some formula and newborn diapers? We still have some wipes and baby powder, but we used up all the diapers we had.”

“Sure, I’ll be back.” He replied before leaving.

“Uhm…” Zachariah seemed to hesitate before he stepped forward, his eyes on the baby on her chest.

“Thank you, sweeties. Mommy really appreciates it.” She replied when the kids came back with the bassinet. “It’s bedtime!”

            She pulled the now sleeping baby off her chest and gently laid her in the bassinet, making sure she got swaddled up tight first. Instead of waiting, Julia grabbed Zachariah’s cold, wet hand and led him through the house to the bathroom, where she ushered him inside. After telling him to wait there for a minute, she borrowed some clothes out of Marcus’s closet and walked back into the bathroom to find him in the middle of pulling his shirt off. Clearly, his build must run in the family, Julia thought, since Zachariah had just as an attractive body as Marcus. She shook her head before offering him the dry clothes.

“You’ll get sick if you stay in those wet clothes. Hop in the shower and dry off.” She mumbled, one ear out for the baby in the living room. “Come back to the living room when you’re done.”

“Thanks…” Zachariah said dumbly, his face blank from shock.