MADDIE POV
Roman was a very active little boy. He would never sit still for anything and even in his sleep, he moved around as if his dreams were coming true.
We brought him home about two days ago, and he was adapting quite well to life outside of the hospital. He and Sophia were like two peas in a pod. I never believed in all that twin nonsense before, but now that I saw it in the flesh, I couldn't deny that there was some sort of connection between the two of them. They had to be changed together, fed together, put down for naps together, and could rarely stand to be separated.
I think Sophia knew how sick Roman was, so she didn't like to be far away from him. The doctor said that twins just had that kind of connection. In short, because of his weak lungs and my infection from Spain, Roman had developed a pretty severe case of asthma. Since he was a preemie, he had to be put on a nebulizer. You could hear the crackles in his lungs when he took deep breaths. He would wheeze and cough when he slept on his side, and I had to prop him up sometimes so his breathing would level out. The doctor had given us several different inhalers and also a couplemedications.
I was always worried about him. He was so tiny, and I feared that one day, something horrible was going to happen. I kept picturing different scenarios and trying to convince myself that none of them would ever come true.
"Sweetheart, it's time for our walk." Justin came into the nursery with a leash on Francis.
"No, not today. Let's just stay in." I ran my finger across Sophia's stomach. She was in the cutest pink dress that Rebecca had brought.
"Maddie, the doctor said you need to start exercising again," He replied.
Every day was a battle between us about me leaving the babies. I had some sort of separation anxiety that I couldn't explain, but it was slowly consuming me.
"Can't we go later? I just put them down for their naps."
"Exactly why we need to go now before they wake up screaming to the high heavens."
"Alright, fine." I got up from my seat.
Francis was more than ready to go, almost bouncing on his feet to get outside. I had to put on a light jacket since it was kind of chilly. October was one of those months when it might be hot in the day, but by night, you needed to bring an extra blanket out from the closet. Today was actually pretty nice. There was a strong breeze and the sun was out, but it wasn't overly heated.
Justin and I walked Francis down the path from the house that led to the lake.
"How are you feeling?" I asked him.
"Fine." He shrugged. "Why?"
"You look forlorn."
"Forlorn, Maddie? No one uses that term anymore."
"But it's true. What are you thinking about?"
"I think I might have found us a house."
"A house? I thought we were having one built."
"Oh, we are, but it's taking too long and I know you want to get settled. I found something that's very nice and would suit us perfectly. From the outside, at least. I haven't been in."
"How big is it?" I asked, kind of scared to hear his answer.
He chuckled. "Pretty big."
"Bigger than the last one?"
"Double the size, but I figured since we have two more people, it might be needed."
I sighed. "How am I going to keep a place like that clean?"
"Maddie, you honestly didn't think I would allow you to actually clean," he scoffed.
"Why? I make a mess; I clean it up. It's how things are done."
"Not anymore. You have more important things to worry about. You'll be going back to work soon, and the babies are going to take up a lot of time. You shouldn't have to worry about cooking and cleaning. I'll take care of that."
"You're too kind," I jested.
"The new house is closer to the city, and near better schools."
"Schools? They're not even six months yet. Can't we wait until we have to worry about that kind of stuff?"
"Maddie, private pre-schools are very aggressive. You can't just walk in and get on some waiting list. We have to start now."
"I just want them to have a normal childhood."
"That will, unfortunately, never happen." He wrapped an arm around me as we walked. Francis was pulling at his leash, trying to chase a squirrel, but Justin held tight.
"There's so much that goes into raising a child that I never knew about."
"You and me both."
"So about this new house; will I like it?"
"I'm sure you will. We can go see it tomorrow, if you'd like."
"I'd like that very much. The sooner the better."
"The owner just died, and his wife is selling."
"How much is it?"
"I'm not sure," he lied. "I went by the other day and everything's ready for us to move in if you approve. I'll set up a meeting with my realtor. We can finally get out of this fucking town."
"I kind of like it," I admitted. "It's peaceful out here."
"Not so peaceful with those guys following, right?" Justin nodded behind him. There were about five bodyguards, fanned out and walking as if taking a leisurely stroll.
"I'm pretty used to it by now."
"I hate that you are. Do you ever feel unsafe?" His tone turned somber.
"Not really. Not with you, anyway. You do a good job of making sure I don't know about the bad things going on around me."
"I try to give you some freedom, but every time I do, things just end up going the wrong way for us." Justin bent down to unlatch Francis collar so that he could run around a little.
"Don't worry about me. Just make sure our children are safe. That's all I care about."
"You're a very good mother, Maddie." He hugged me close.
"I'm trying."
"Did you ever realize how hard it might be for us to actually raise children in this environment?"
"I'm sure they'll be fine. As long as they stay oblivious."
"But how long can that last?"
Our tender and deep moment was interrupted by barking that erupted out of nowhere.
Francis was at the edge of the lake, snapping at a fish underneath the surface.
"He found a friend." I said.
"Dog, don't you jump in that water," Justin bellowed. "I'm not going in there to get you."
Francis looked over his shoulder.
"I mean it."
That didn't stop Francis from jumping headfirst, into the lake. He started paddling out, trying to chase the fish.
Justin was stunned. I didn't think Francis had ever defied him before.
"Maddie, do you see this?" He was irate.
"Let him have his fun, Justin."
"Francis, get your ass back here, now!" Justin stood on the bank, his shoes almost touching the waves.
"He's just a dog." I laughed at this exaggerated interaction.
"If I let him get away with this once, he'll think he can walk all over me. I won't allow it. Hold my jacket." Justin took it off and handed it to me.
"Please, don't jump in that lake. It's too cold."
"Well, I have to go get him, Maddie. He's drowning."
Sure enough, Francis was getting tired and could barely keep his head above water. His little snout was bobbing up and down.
"Send someone else in. I don't want you getting sick."
Justin muttered to himself as he began taking off his pants and shirt, throwing them to me as well. "When I get my hands on him..."
He dove into the lake, which I'm sure wasn't very pleasant. I could see my breath in the air so I knew it was pretty cold. Justin's powerful arms cut through the water as he swam out to Francis. He scooped him up and began kicking back towards me.
"Hurry, Justin. He's freezing." I was starting to panic when I saw the poor dog shaking.
"Don't give him an ounce of sympathy. He deserves to die." Justin set him down on the ground, and I wrapped him in Justin's shirt.
"Don't say that. He was just curious." I hugged Francis close to me so that I could warm him up.
"No love for your husband?"
"You'll survive."
Justin redressed, just in his pants since his shirt was occupied, and we had to wait until Francis was warm again before we made our way back home.
"What the fuck happened to my dog?" Jaxon ripped him from my hands when we walked in. "He's shivering."
"The stupid mutt jumped into the lake. I should have left him there." Justin plopped down on the couch.
Katy Nana rushed forward with a towel. "Poor, Mr. Bieber. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. A little cold won't kill anyone."
_____________________________________________________________________________
"So, where is this house anyway?" Jaxon asked from the backseat of the car as Justin drove down the highway.
"If you ask me that once more time, I'll drop you off on the side of the road."
"Can you two please stop fighting?" I sighed. They had been like this for the past two hours. Justin was sleep deprived because of the babies. Jaxon was stressing out over school. Their attitudes weren't making this trip enjoyable.
We had left Roman and Sophia home for the day while we went to go check out the house. It was supposedly the hottest thing on the real estate market, and Justin said we needed to act fast if we wanted it.
Justin seemed to know exactly where he was going as he weaved his way through traffic. He took an exit and got off of the highway. We started driving through a wooded area, but when I looked beyond the trees, I could see grand mansions with large windows and expensive looking facades.
"Here we are." Justin slowed down in front of a wrought-iron gate, twisted and turned into an ancient design. They immediately opened, and he continued up the winding road.
"Are we going to live on a mountain?" I asked.
"Just a hill," he chuckled.
There were lots of trees on both sides, making it slightly dark even with the sun up above.
"These woods will be filled with security if we get this house. The gates up front will have someone posted there at all times, and I'll need to purchase the lot across the street as well."
"That sounds extensive," I said.
"All in the name of safety, Maddie." Jaxon popped his head up front. "I like it already."
The trees opened up to a marvelous house. It was honestly the biggest thing I had ever seen.
A very short, plump woman was bouncing up and down in front of a nice Lexus in the circular driveway.
"Okay, let me warn you about her." Justin shut the car off. "She's a fast talker and has a lot of energy. Worse than Olivia. Worse than your mother. Ten times worse."
"Got it." I climbed out.
"Hello, hello, hello! My name is Angie." She bounded over to us. Her Chicago accent was so thick, I almost wanted to ask her to repeat everything.
"Nice to see you again, Angie," Justin said.
"You too! Are you ready to finally buy a house?"
"Maybe. That's why I brought my wife. This is Maddie," he introduced me.
"Nice to meet you." I shook her hand.
"I heard you just had twins. That's so sweet. Do you have pictures?" she cooed, reminding me of a dotting grandmother, even though she couldn't be a day over forty.
"No pictures yet," I said regretfully. "Sorry."
In all honesty, we had a shitload of pictures. I had already filled up four books with the good ones. Between myself, Olivia, and Rebecca, we had probably a thousand each. But Justin and I had agreed to not show the babies to anyone, personally or in pictures. Not yet. We didn't want their faces known, no matter how young they were. The more attention Roman and Sophia attracted, the more in danger they were.
"You be sure to let me see them as soon as you do." She moved on to Jaxon. "And who is this fine young gentleman."
"Oldest son, Jaxon." He stood up straighter. "They can't a make a proper decision without me."
"Well, of course not." Angie, taken over by Jaxon's obvious charm, giggled like a schoolgirl. "So, let's see this place. All in all, we're looking at ten thousand square feet, ten bedrooms, eight-and-a-half baths, and extensive grounds out back."
Good Lord...
"Any questions so far?" Angie did a complete one-eighty and turned into a ruthless businesswoman. "The previous owners are moving out next week so the house is still furnished, but we can look around."
All three of us shook our heads.
"Good." She unlocked the large wooden doors and ushered us in.
The foyer was... so beautiful. The doors opened directly into the gleaming white marble floored entryway that had a sweeping staircase. It had high ceilings, draping chandleries, and a very Victorian feel to it.
"It's a symmetrical residence, which includes a fat main body and two slimmer wings that wrap around part of the gated motor court at the front of the house." Angie spoke quickly. "Do you want the long or short version of each room?"
"We're in a rush so just keep it simple," Justin instructed.
Angie inhaled and then exhaled, preparing herself. "First floor, we have equally sized 23-foot wide and 40-foot long drawing and dining rooms that flank the entry, each with 18th-century fireplace surrounds and windows that look out onto the loggia that runs along the back of the house, towards the private lake."
Jaxon was writing all of this down. He liked comparing houses for some reason. I suspected he got his real estate enthusiasm from Justin.
"Beyond the dining room, the gigantic 29-foot long breakfast room has black and white marble floors, an arched ceiling, traditional lattice wall details, and towering arched windows along with French doors that open out to terraces and the view. A powder room for guests is situated immediately off the breakfast room."
I was slightly overwhelmed, but didn't let it show.
"The service areas consist of a back stair hall, large kitchen, gigantic butler's pantry that connects large kitchen to the dining room, and staff and laundry facilities. Shall I go on or are you sold yet? We're still only on the first floor."
"Indulge me," Justin clasped his hands in front of him.
"A paneled library sits off of the drawing room, with Siena Yellow and white 18th-century marble fireplace surround, has arched windows and French doors that mirror those in the breakfast room. Also located off the drawing room is the first floor master suite comprised of a six hundred square foot bedroom with fireplace, private study, a long hallway lined with closets, and two bathrooms."
"And upstairs?" I asked.
"Upstairs there are a total of four bedrooms, one with a private sitting room, two with water views, two with a view of the front courtyard, three with fireplaces, and all with private bathrooms. Five more bedrooms and two additional bathrooms located the third floor provided over-flow for over-night guests, children's rooms or staff quarters."
Angie was really good at her job. I was becoming more and more in love with this place just from listening to her talk. There was a lot-more than we could ever need-but I wanted it.
She continued, "Just beyond the back of the house, a huge heated swimming pool is sunk directly into the lawn. All the forests for about a mile back along belong to you. There's a lake, as I mentioned before, and Mr. Bieber, I know you require the utmost security, so the whole place will need to be fenced off."
"I'll take care of that."
"Only neighbors are across the street. None on this side of the road," Angie said.
"How much is it?" Jaxon asked, as if he would be paying for anything.
"Fifteen million, that's not including the maintenance needed to keep this place running each year."
My jaw dropped. I didn't even bother trying to appear cool about it.
"Can you give us a minute?" Justin suggested.
Angie was immediately on her phone, her heels clicking on the floor as she walked down the hall.
"First of all, that's too much." Jaxon tapped his chin.
"Agreed," Justin added. "This place needs work."
"Why? I like it."
"Maddie, it's beautiful, but not for fifteen million dollars. I expect a lot more for that."
"I say we move on to the next one. I'll put this place on the list, for now." Jaxon wrote something down. "We need extra rooms, anyway."
"Ten aren't enough for you?" I asked acerbically.
"They're too cramped in here. Ten rooms shouldn't be fit into this square footage."
"Plus, there's nowhere for the help." Justin added.
"The help?"
"Katy Nana, I have a butler on the way, two more housekeepers, two nannies, and, of course, security."
"We haven't discussed any of this. I don't want my children raised by nannies."
"They're just here for assistance." Justin guaranteed me. "You can give them any guidelines you wish, but they'll be here. That's why we need to pick someplace soon."
"And who are these people?"
"Distant family members from Italy. They need a place to stay, and a green card."
"Can we get back to the house?" Jaxon interrupted. "I don't like it."
"I do. I want it," I said.
"Maddie, we'll be living here for the rest of our lives. Is that really what you want?" Justin asked seriously.
"Honestly, I love this place. I can see myself here. Does that sound strange?" I ran my hand along the wall.
"But, Maddie..." Jaxon whined.
"Do you really want this house?" Justin whispered to me, trying to shut out the teenager in the background.
I nodded. "Please."
He sighed. "Alright, then."
Angie had the papers with her, and we signed on the dotted line an hour later. Justin didn't bother with checking anything or inspecting for faults in the house, like a normal person would. We had to refurbish everything since we didn't have any furniture. We needed it all.
It was slightly scary to spend so much money on a house. My house. Who would've thought?
Throughout the next week, we started to pack up the lake house and by we, I mean, the team that Justin hired for the job. I spent my time shopping. I called furniture stores, carpeting specialists, lighting experts, and anyone else you could possibly think of to outfit the place. Justin wanted be settled within a month, so we had to move fast. We basically spent all our time at the new place and just slept at the lake house. There were movers in and out at all hours of the day. It was chaos.
"Okay, the couch comes tomorrow." Justin started to rip plastic off of some chairs that were just delivered.
"Yeah, and the fridge should be here within the hour."
"Thank God. I hate drinking warm beer," he complained. "The new cribs will be here shortly."
"The nursery gets painted on Saturday."
"And Katy Nana is getting her marble countertops for the kitchen."
"I can't believe you let her talk you into that." I shook my head, thinking about the debate they had a couple days ago over the benefits of marble in the kitchen.
"She's a monster."
Jaxon kept directing movers up the stairs since we were doing his room today.
My mouth gaped open when I saw two men carrying a giant TV across the foyer. The packaging said sixty inches.
"Don't drop it!" Jaxon followed them closely.
"Justin, why the hell would you buy him that thing?"
"He begged me for it. It's an early Christmas gift."
"You're so sweet." I pinched his cheek.
"Mrs. Maddie, the mattresses are here." Katy Nana separated Justin and I, pulling me towards the front door.
I spent the next hour or so, trying to figure out which mattress went where. There were ten bedrooms, and each one had a specific cushion, depending on the bedframe. Justin had very specific guidelines as to softness and strength when it came to our mattress, so when ours got switched with Jaxon's, he was not happy. It was an easy fix, but a stressful couple of minutes.
Justin and I finally got a chance to sit down on the couch in his new office, exhausted from the day's activities.
"I'm spent." I cuddled up to his side.
"What would you like for dinner?"
"Are you cooking?" I snorted.
"Ha. Ha. Very funny. No, I'm ordering."
"Whatever is fine with me. I'm too tired to really taste anything."
He was about to say something, but our short downtime was interrupted by the sharp cry of a baby. By the pitch and strength, I could tell it was Sophia, but Roman soon followed with a cry of his own.
"No rest for the weary." I groaned and stood up. Justin made no move to follow me. "Our children need us."
"I heard." He closed his eyes.
"You're not going to help me?"
"Maddie, I'm so tired. Let Katy Nana do it."
"Let's go." I dragged him from the couch. "Stop being such a child."
We walked down the hall towards the baby noises. Roman and Sophia were in their unpainted nursery, nestled in their crib.
"You're always so cranky after your afternoon nap." I picked Sophia up and kissed her cheek.
"And you, young man, need a diaper change." Justin held Roman far away from his face. "Maddie, can you handle this?"
"Absolutely not. You're getting good at it. Practice makes perfect."
"I am not. You're just saying that so you don't have to do it." He placed Roman on the changing table. It took him a couple of minutes, but he did it without any major troubles. He really was getting better.
With Roman satisfied in Justin's arms, he was starting to go back to sleep.
"Oh, no you don't. It's time for our exercises." Justin sat on the floor, sitting Roman between his legs on a blanket.
"I still think these things are stupid." I copied his position with Sophia between my legs.
"Physical stimulation helps babies develop, Maddie. They need to move around more."
We started to move their little feet and arms. Justin even sang a song that he made up. It was so cute. Roman and Sophia were obsessed with their father. They would just look at him and become completely mesmerized with his voice, his eyes; his face. Who could blame them?
They looked at me with eyes of love and adoration, but at Justin with eyes of wonder.
After the daily exercises, Roman and Sophia were in a particularly happy mood. They didn't seem to want to sleep anymore.
"Maddie, I'm not wearing this thing," Justin complained as I strapped the baby carrier to his front. There were a lot of hooks and straps, but Roman was resting comfortably against his father's chest.
"It's precious and they're not going back to sleep anytime soon."
"He doesn't like this thing." Justin held Roman's legs. "He's losing circulation. Who they hell created this?"
"You look perfect." I went to get the camera on the table near the window.
"Maddie, no." He covered his face. "This is humiliating."
"If I have to wear one, then so do you."
"Maddie, the new kitchen supplies are here." Jaxon came into the room. "Oh, this is blackmail material for sure."
"Shut up," Justin snapped.
"I love it." Jaxon laughed hauntingly.
Justin and I walked back into the hallway, babies strapped to our chests, ready to get back to work.
_____________________________________________________________________________
"You know, bro, this isn't too bad a place," Keegan appraised, carrying a large box into the family room.
"Don't drop it," I shouted. "We need those dishes."
"Alright, alright." He rolled his eyes, setting the box down lightly.
We were having everyone over for an informal pizza party. Really, it was just an excuse for extra hands. Everything was moved in for the most part, but a few odds and ends needed to be finalized. The excitement over the new house had died down somewhat, but it seemed like everyone had something to say over our new purchase.
A local Home and Garden journal wanted to do a story on the house and take pictures. Justin flat-out refused. He said if his house was going to be praised it would be done in a national publication. A very popular architectural magazine called a couple of days later. They wanted to do a full story, with pictures and an interview. Justin was now more than willing, just to show his dominance over the real estate game. The shoot wasn't for another week and a half, but there was a lot to do before then.
"Maddie, we brought pictures." Olivia carried about ten scrapbooks in her arms. Bridget followed with another ten.
Since all our personal possessions were destroyed by the bomb, we had to enlist in family for photos and things like that. They were really generous with giving me whatever I asked for.
"Where are those babies?" Finn clapped his hands together.
"Sleeping and you better not wake them up." Justin pushed him onto the couch. "Don't you dare move. It took me over an hour to put them to bed."
"He sang them a song," I said.
"That is the cutest thing I have ever heard in my life," Olivia cooed. "Sing it, Justin."
"No. Why are you all here?"
"In case you haven't heard, you need help. This place is a mess." Bridget looked around. Boxes were piling up, and packaging stuff was thrown all over the floor.
"Mrs. Maddie, where would you like this?" Katy Nana carried a large, crystal vase. "I wanted it in the dining room, but it might be more suited on the mantle."
"Um, yeah. That sounds fine."
She scurried off, humming to herself. I didn't see how she could be so chipper.
"Alright, you all start unpacking. I need to speak with Maddie." Justin gently pulled me away from the group and up the stairs.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"I have the security guy here. He wants to explain a few things." He led me to the second floor and down the long hallway, which was lined with paintings that we had yet to hang. This house was so big I hadn't been able to explore every corner, so I didn't even really know where we were going.
We arrived at a small room at the very end, which looked more like a closet than anything else.
"Maddie, this is Ralph. My main tech guy." Justin introduced me to a very jittery young man who kept his head down, but kept repeatedly pushed his glasses up.
"Hello." I waved.
"Hi," he shyly replied. He had unbrushed blonde hair, and I'm sure a nice face, but it was hidden by his bangs.
"He's set up the whole house with the state-of-the-art shit."
"Is the security impenetrable?" I looked around the room which had small TV's all over the walls, showing different angles of the house.
"Nothing is impenetrable," Ralph stated in an annoyed tone, almost as if I had offended him.
Justin cleared his throat. "Just brief us on what we need to know."
"First of all, you have bodyguards throughout the woods, two at the gate down the lane, and several here in the house. They're on the first floor. Nothing will go on here without them knowing about it. They work in shifts so people will always be watching. They won't be seen, unless you want them to be."
"Good." I nodded. I liked the sound of that.
"This place is no different than a bank. Say you were someone who wanted to visit the compound." Ralph gestured to me. "You'd need to sign in with the guards who would call up the guys here. They would then go to Mr. Bieber who would either approve or deny their request."
"Everybody has to do this?" I asked.
"Everybody. No exceptions. Well, there is a list of approved family members, but it's a very short list. Cars are searched, and identification is taken."
"Impressive." Justin looked into one of the screens that showed the front driveway. "What else?"
"The house itself is fitted with an alarm that will alert you to the opening of a door, a window, an air vent, anything. The front doors don't even have key locks, it's a key code."
"Which is the twins' birthday," Justin added.
"Isn't that kind of expected?"
"If an intruder makes it to the front door, just let him in. He deserves it." Ralph chuckled darkly. "All guards are armed. They shoot to kill."
"Good to know."
"Mr. Bieber has set up safes throughout the house, all with different codes, for anything that you might need to stow away. They're bulletproof, fireproof, flood proof..."
"Bomb proof?" I asked.
"Bomb resilient," Ralph corrected me. "Someone will always be in this room, monitoring, so you won't have to worry about a thing."
"I'm liking this more and more." I brushed my hand along Justin's back. He was engrossed in watching the TV's.
"Uh, what?"
"This is making me feel very secure."
"I'm glad. That was the plan. So will you stop stressing out now?"
"Yes. But if another bomb gets delivered to our house, we're moving out of the country." I left the room, with Justin hot on my heels.
_____________________________________________________________________________
"What about this, Maddie?" Olivia asked, holding up a teal blouse.
"That's perfect. That can go into the work section."
She, Bridget, and I were currently sorting through the news clothes I had brought. It was strange because it wasn't like I could wear anything yet with the most of the baby weight still there, but I was working hard to losing it. Bridget, especially, had me speed walking with her in the mornings. It was a slow moving process.
"And these. She needs these." Bridget pulled out a stunning pair of simple black heels from a box. "God, these are so sexy."
"I love them." I admitted. "I would wear them now actually."
Sophia made a soft noise in her little bouncer that she could sit in.
"That's an extra plus. The baby gives them a go," Olivia yelled, reaching up high to hang more dresses. "Damn it. I wish I was tall."
"Mrs. Maddie, I have furs." Katy Nana pulled in a rack of things into the closet, which was almost as big as my bedroom. "You and Mr. Justin have lots of wonderful things."
"He ordered all of these?" I touched a white floor-length coat that was incredibly soft.
"I believe so."
"Oh, look." Bridget picked up on of those Russian, fur box hats and placed it on her head.
"It's called a Ushanka," Olivia scowled, "and it's a very fashionable statement."
"Whatever it is, I want one."
"This isn't your closet."
I tuned them out. As much as I loved Olivia and Bridget, together, they could be overwhelming to the point of madness.
"Can you put them in the corner?" I said to Katy Nana. "I'll have to deal with them later."
"Yes, ma'am." She dragged the rack. "Oh, and there are some people downstairs Mr. Justin would like to introduce you to."
"Thanks." I got off the floor and decided to take Sophia with me. There was no way I was leaving her in the room with Olivia and Bridget. I carried her to the kitchen where I heard Justin's voice. He was bouncing Roman in his arms when I walked in.
There were three new people in the room. One was a tall man, taller than Justin, with jet black hair. He looked about forty with that 'no nonsense' face of a drill sergeant. The other two were women; both were blonde, short and skinny, maybe thirty years old.
"Ah, there you are." Justin walked over to me. "And this is my wife, Maddie."
"Who are they?"
"The help," he whispered. "Gioni, Carmela, and Agata. All family friends from Italy. They can be trusted, you don't have to worry about them."
"Are you sure?" I questioned. I didn't want anyone in my house I didn't know, especially around my children. But if Justin had faith in them, then I could too. "Hi."
"Hello," they all said, in unison, very professionally.
This was quickly turning into the most awkward meeting I had ever been a part of. They looked at me, clearly waiting for me to speak, but I didn't know what to say.
"They're very old-school, from a different way of thinking. You're the lady of the house. They won't say anything if you don't instruct them."
"Justin, I don't feel comfortable with this. Where will they stay?"
"Here, on the first floor, with the security. Their rooms are already set up."
We stood around, babies in hand, just looking. I was guessing that they were either giving me the thumbs up or thumbs down.
"Okay, well, I'll let Katy Nana give you a tour of the house. You can unpack tonight if you'd like."
"Thank you, sir," Gioni said.
Justin walked out of the kitchen and I followed him quickly. "I don't like this."
"Maddie, you need help. We all need help in running this house smoothly. It's a fucking monster, if you haven't noticed."
"I know, but I can do all that. I don't need a butler and maids."
He stopped in the hallway and held his finger up to his mouth, an indication for me to be quiet.
"Alright, so there are specific rules that need to be followed," Katy Nana began her orders. "Mr. Justin wakes at five thirty every morning for his workout. You will need to be up well before then. Usually, they both will retire around midnight if they're not out. Mr. Jaxon stays up considerably later, but he likes to be left alone for the most part."
"What about the babies? Will we need to tend to them?" a female voice asked. I had never really heard Agata or Carmela speak separately before, so I wasn't sure which one of them it was.
"Absolutely not," Katy Nana said staunchly. "Mrs. Maddie likes to deal with that herself. I'm the only one who has the authority to do that sort of thing."
Gioni coughed.
"He thinks it's inappropriate for Katy Nana to be speaking about you so informally," Justin whispered. "He's uncomfortable with the relationship you two have."
"Why? Is that wrong?"
"It's just different. He doesn't understand how things work around here yet."
"So, he's the butler? What does that mean?"
"He's basically the male Katy Nana; he'll take some of the load off of her. He'll answer the phone and door, make sure the house is in order, make sure all our schedules are organized, and things like that."
"And the other two?"
"They'll help run errands, cook, clean, anything you need."
"This is so strange. I've never had a maid before."
Roman began to stretch in Justin's arms. "These two will never have to lift a finger."
"That's another thing. I don't want spoiled kids, Justin."
"Oh, believe me, they won't be spoiled. I can't wait until they're teenagers. I have a whole list of things for them. I had to mow the entire lawn by the time I was ten. They'll be no different. As the babies grow, Carmela and Agata will be more of nannies, especially while we're working."
"Well, I kind of like that." I peeked around the corner. "What if the babies don't like them?"
"I'm sure they'll grow accustomed."
"Gioni scares me a little."
"Just talk to him some more. He's not that bad."
"If you say so."
_____________________________________________________________________________
Being babies, Roman and Sophia didn't have a regular sleeping schedule. They had gotten better at sleeping at the appropriate times, but still woke everyone in the house up at odd hours with their screeching. Justin would drag us out of bed whenever we heard the monitor go off on the table. The bad thing about it all was that he could go right back to sleep. It was easy for him. I was the one plagued with restlessness for the remainder of the night.
We had just rocked Roman and Sophia back to sleep after a changing. It was currently three in the morning, and Justin had drifted back to bed, while I stared at the ceiling.
After half an hour of this, I decided that I would eat to fill the void. Probably not the best idea, but I was hungry.
I wrapped myself in a robe and padded down the three flights of stairs to the kitchen.
"What to have tonight." I rummaged through the fridge, looking for some of the lasagna I had help make for dinner.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" a deep voice asked.
I jumped and jostled the things in the fridge in fright.
"What the..." I spun around. "Gioni, you scared me."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." He tightly smiled. "Is there anything you needed?"
"No." I felt the need to lie. "I'm fine."
"I was just about to make myself some tea, would you like some?"
I nodded.
He didn't really speak as he moved about my kitchen, finding everything as if he had lived here all his life. I sat, playing with my hands while I watched him.
"So, you're from Italy?" I asked.
"Born and raised."
"You don't have an accent."
"My mother is American, so I guess that has something to do with it." He didn't look at me once.
"How do you know Justin?"
"Niccola came from the same village as my father. Everyone basically knows everyone there. We're a big family."
"And how long have you been here?"
"I arrived this morning."
"Oh. It's your first time in America?"
He nodded.
"What about Agata and Carmela?"
"Them as well. They don't speak very good English. I'm sorry for that."
"No, that's okay. I can talk in Italian if that makes them feel better."
Gioni handed me a steaming cup of tea. "Cream or sugar?"
"No, this is fine. Thank you."
"It's my pleasure."
I noticed that even though he said he was making himself a cup, he didn't have one. He only made enough for one.
I sipped my drink and felt his eyes on me. Whenever I would raise my head, he would look away, or busy himself with something.
"Do you have any family left in Italy?"
"No, ma'am. Well, I do, but nothing that would keep me tied down."
"Really?" I encouraged him to go on.
"I have just been divorced."
"Oh, I'm sorry about that."
"No, it's quite alright. I really shouldn't be talking to you about these kinds of things. It's not proper."
I could tell that he wasn't going to say anything more. He built a wall around himself very quickly and shut me out.
We stayed silent while I finished the rest of my tea. When I was done, I made a move to wash the cup in the sink, but Gioni nearly ripped it from my hands before I got the chance.
"I can do this if you'd like to go back to bed."
"Thank you." I began to walk out of the kitchen. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight, ma'am."
I was about to leave, but then turned back around. "Can you do something for me?"
"Of course. What is it?"
"Could you stop calling me 'ma'am'? I'm a lot younger than you and it's making me feel strange." I chuckled.
"I can try."
"And you don't have to be so uptight. I know it's kind of your job, but with me, you can relax a little."
"I'll can try." He repeated with a head nod. "Goodnight."
As I walked back up the stairs, I realized that my life was never going to be anything like it was before. I was not only a mother, but also the employer of butlers, and maids, and housekeepers.
Things were certainly changing in a big way.
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I'm going away this weekend and I might not be able to update Sunday and Saturday so I'll update before I leave tomorrow!