Chapter 16
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Elisha checked on the babies and closed the bedroom door quietly.
They were sleeping like little angels. Just a month old and sleeping
so well, she couldn't believe it, especially after what they had been
through already in their young lives. Nick had taken Rebecca and Brian
into town for a shopping spree. With everything that had went on, they
had missed celebrating his 28th birthday. So Nick was getting a few
supplies and Elisha had given the kids some money to pick out their own
presents for him. They were very excited that they got to buy something
and not tell daddy what it was. Elisha went to the closet and picked up
the bag with her present for Nick in it. The phone rang and she went
into the kitchen to answer it. "Hello, Mrs. Carter?" Elisha recognized
the voice and sat down. "Have you seen her?" "I'm following her right
now, I think she's headed to Kentucky." Elisha gasped and dropped the
phone. It clattered to the table and the loud sound made her jump.
"Are you still there? How did she find us?" Elisha listened and nodded.
"Let me know when she stops." Hanging up the phone, Elisha left the
kitchen and reached back into the closet, pulling her purse down off the
shelf. Reaching into it she felt the cold steel of her gun and felt a
little safer. She always got freaked out when she was on her own now.
She couldn't get the thought out of her head that Mandy was out there,
watching her, waiting to hurt her or her family again. And now she was
coming again. She would know exactly where they were, she had been here
before. Nick didn't know she had the gun. Elisha had went out shortly
after the babies were born and bought it. She didn't know why she had felt
compelled to buy it at the time, maybe it was a womans intuition that
something was going to happen. Elisha heard the children running up
the laneway and she tucked the purse back on the shelf, praying silently
that she wouldn't have to resort to using it.
Nick carried two huge armfuls of groceries into the kitchen and dropped them on the floor with a dramatic sigh. He sank into a nearby chair and pretended to catch his breath. "The eggs?" Elisha asked, with a grin on her face. Nick's eyes went wide and he covered them with his hand. "I forgot! They're probably an omelette now. Check." Elisha hugged his shoulders and laughed. "You are such a goofball, I hope you never change!" They kissed and began putting the groceries away. Rebecca tugged on Elisha's shirt. "Mommy, we need some wrapping paper for daddy's presents!" "Yeah, we got him the best new.......!" Brian started and Rebecca hushed him. "You can't tell him Bri-Bri, it's a surprise!" "Oh yeah!" Brian clapped his hand over his mouth in a imitation of his father just a few minutes before. Elisha giggled at them and took their hands. "Come on, I've tucked away some special paper just for this occasion!" They left the kitchen and Nick watched them go with a smile on his face. Later that night, after dinner, the kids were waiting impatiently for Nick's cake. Actually, Nick started the chanting of "we want the cake!". Elisha had spent most of the afternoon working on it and they all oohed when she brought it out of the kitchen. Nick pretended that he couldn't blow out the candles, so Rebecca and Brian sat on his lap to help him. They dug into the chocolate cake as soon as the candles were out, Brian swiping some of the icing off the side. Rebecca tried to feed the twins some with the explanation that they needed to help daddy with his birthday too. Once everyone was cleaned up from the cake and ice cream, they dragged Nick into the living room. "Here's mommy's present first!" Brian said, pulling it from under the couch. Nick took it from his son and held it up to his ear. "It's not making any noise!" The kids fell at his feet, giggling. Nick carefully unwrapped it, unusual for him. The card held a note guaranteeing that they would have at least one night alone without the children, once a week. Nick laughed. "That is a great gift, right there!" Rebecca and Brian looked at him. "Don't you like being with us, daddy?" "Of course I do." Nick picked Rebecca up and held her close. "But sometimes mommy and daddy just like spending some time by themselves." "To make more twins right?" Brian piped up. Nick and Elisha exchanged shocked glances and burst out laughing. "No, I don't think we're going to do THAT anymore!" Elisha got out, between giggles. "No, I think we have enough rugrats now!" Nick laughed. The kids joined in, not quite sure what was so funny. Once they had calmed down Nick finished opening Elisha's present. "Oh my God, Elisha, it's gorgeous." Nick held up a burgundy turtleneck tucked inside a matching black sweater with burgundy stripes at the cuffs and waist. In the box, underneath the sweaters was a slim pair of black dress pants. He held the sweater up to his chest and stood up. "What do you think?" Elisha breathed in. Even just holding it up against himself she could tell it would look wonderful on him. "It looks great Nick, you know how much I like you in turtlenecks." Nick leaned over to kiss her cheek. "Thank you honey, I love it." Rebecca and Brian hopped up with their gifts as Nick sat back down. "Here daddy, this is mine." Rebecca said, handing him a small flat box. Nick opened the box and a small tear came to his eye. Elisha leaned over, curious. Nick held up a package of gum and a strip of photos from the machine at the mall. In all four photographs Rebecca and Brian had put on their best smiles and were beaming back at them from the small strip. There were two photos of them alone and two of them hugging each other. Nick picked his children up and squeezed them tight. "Do you like it daddy?" "I love it, honey, I love it." Nick wiped his eyes. "Daddy! Don't forget mine!" Brian hopped down and reached under the couch. "Here it is!" He handed Nick a small brown bag. He opened it slowly and peered inside. "Gummy spiders, yay!" Nick passed them around to Rebecca and Brian. "You guys picked out great gifts for your daddy!" Elisha remarked. "No kidding!" Nick said. "This is my best late birthday ever!" |