"Cameron," Amelia rests her hand on mine as it covers the gear shift of the SUV. "Do you think we could ever be as happy as we were?"
I let go the of the gearshift after putting the car in park and, turning my hand over, I grip hers.
"Do you think you could ever love me?"
"Yes." She whispers softly, meeting my eyes. Her cheeks are flushed and there's a shy smile on her lips. "I think I could."
"Then I think we will be just as happy, if not happier." I smile at her, wanting to pull her into my arms. We've avoided the topic of love like the plague. I've been fearful of her answers, I still am. But this-this gives me hope.
"Come on," She gives my hand two quick reassuring squeezes. "We need to get ready for tonight."
We've decided to resume our weekly dinners with Isaiah and Meghan and I think everyone is excited to add another piece of normalcy into our lives.
She opens the car door and I follow suit. "Do you want me to finish dinner tonight?" I offer; knowing how tired she is and, although she hasn't complained, how much her back starts bothering her at the end of her second trimester.
"Help would me nice." She responds quietly as we start toward the house, we're close to the porch when the pale, tear-stained face of Audrey runs out of the house.
Concerned, my wife looks at me before running toward the house. I'm close behind her, our steps halting when we both encounter our shirtless son, pacing in anger. I almost don't notice the blonde sitting on the floor next to him, wearing less than than he is. When I do see her, my anger goes through the roof.
"Alexander," I grit my fists shaking as I clench and unclench them. "Get your friend out of my home and then we will talk in my office."
Silently, Amelia follows me to the office, where slam the door closed.
"He's an adult."
"He is in my home." I try to rein in my anger. "What if the Meghan dropped the little ones off while that," I motion outside the room. "whatever it was, was still going."
"It wasn't like that." A fully clothed Xander opens the office door, closing it behind him. "I didn't know you guys were going to be home so early."
"Clearly." I scoff, throwing my jacket onto the desk before pulling my chair around for Amelia to sit in.
"Dad," Xander runs his hand through his hair. "It wasn't what it looked like."
"Then what was it like, Alexander?" I question, placing my hand on Amelia's shoulder as I move behind her; her hand rests on top of mine in support.
"It's part of the plan." He says, looking away with a sigh.
Ah, yes, the mysterious plan. One day he's saying he knows what to do, then for weeks nothing happens until he has a random girl in our home.
"Having sex right by the front door?" My wife questions, and Xander flushes at her bluntness.
"Oh my god, Mom." He has to look away, embarrassment seeping through him.
"It's a reasonable question." I say, trying to hide my smirk when a strangled sound gets stuck in his throat. "Why the front door?"
"So it would be the first thing she saw." I distant look crosses his face, his embarrassment quickly disappearing. "My name will probably be appearing in the papers, just to warn you."
"As part of the plan?" Amelia questions and I quirk a brow in question.
"Yes." He responds, nodding. "I don't think she's the one selling information to reporters. I have a theory, but first I need to be sure."
"That Audrey's not involved?" Amelia asks, for clarification and our son nods.
"How does having sex clear her name?"
"I wasn't having sex!" He yells just as the office door opens.
Zoey walks in, obnoxiously pretending to gag, until she catches the look her brother shoots her.
"Sorry." She mutters, anxiously wiping her hands on her jean shorts. "Besides everyone knows you and Audrey have been-"
"Zoey." Xander's sharp tone makes his sisters mouth snap shut.
"Recently?" Amelia asks, squealing like a school girl and Xander turns a shade of red I've never seen before.
"Mom!"
"Is that also part of the plan?" I question, growing irritated.
If that boy has had two different girls in his bed recently...
"What plan?"
"Zoey, get out!" Xander growls. "I'm trying to talk to Mom and Dad."
"About why your girlfriend is sitting in our driveway sobbing because Dad's security won't let her leave, yeah, you guys should figure that out." And with a snarky eye roll she stops out of the office.
"I want this plan explained, now." I demand. "Before there is another interruption."
"Okay." He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose while taking a deep breath. "A few weeks ago, I realized something." He pauses, looking between his mother and I. "We were in her dad's office the time I told her about my birth parents and when I discussed the information about Mom's accident. It made me wonder, she knows everything about me, so why are those the only two things the press has gotten a hold of?"
I nod in understanding; he has an excellent point. "You think he keeps his office bugged."
He nods.
"And the girl?"
"That's Lana," He rubs his hands against his face. "She works with me."
"And does she usually work in undergarments?" My wife voices my exact thoughts before sending me a look of unbelief.
"Forget about what she was dressed in."
"Or not dressed in." Amelia whispers, glancing up at me again, and I can't help but chuckle.
A very frustrated looking Xander chooses to ignore us. "Today, in the office I called Lana 'Callie Smith' and she told me that I was the one to get her pregnant."
"You what?" Amelia stands so quickly she throws herself off balance and I have to move around from the chair to catch her.
"Not really!" Our son yells as I help Amelia back into the chair. "Audrey walked in on the same scene being reenacted here."
"Has Audrey has met Lana?" I ask, starting to understand.
"Yes."
"Oh." Amelia whispers as understanding dawns on the both of us. "So if the papers say that your the father of 'Callie's'," my wife uses air quotes as she says the name. "baby, then it's not Audrey selling information to the press?"
"Exactly."
"Was there a reason you chose pregnancy for your lie?" I ask, fighting off a headache. This is going to be a nightmare to get retracted.
"I was trying to get Audrey as angry as possible."
"Well," My wife winces. "you may have gone overboard."
"She'll get over it." He mutters with a quick shrug.
"Are you sure?" I ask frowning at his careless attitude, we're about to know if this girl is innocent and if she is... we have a lot to make up for. "If she didn't do this, then she really did love you."
"I think three years is enough time for someone to fall out of love."
"I have to disagree." Isaiah enters the office, wearing his concerned doctor look. "I think your father and I would both agree that the feeling only grows if she's the one you're meant to be with."
"Uncle Isaiah." Xander frowns and my best friend holds up his hands in surrender. "I just got here."
"That girl, is outside, trying to get past the gate." Meghan appears behind her husband.
"Her name is Audrey." Amelia stands up, sending her redheaded friend a sharp look.
"Are we still on the whole innocence thing?" Meghan rolls her eyes and this time I don't miss Xander's sharp look.
"Yes, Aunt Meghan, I think I'll have proof in the morning."
"Oh." Meghan frowns, sending a concerned look toward Amelia and I. "Well, if she's innocent you better go help her," Her eyes move back to my son. "She doesn't look okay."
"Alexander." I call after him as he walks out the door. "I don't ever want to witness a scene like that ever again." I call when I hear that his footsteps have paused. "I don't care if it's real or not."
"Yes, Dad." He agrees just before the footsteps resume.
"Is how was the appointment?" Meghan breaks the silence, approaching my wife.
"Healthy baby." Amelia says with a smile both on her face and in her voice. "That you for watching the younger ones, Zoey was happy she didn't have to cancel her plans."
"Of course." Meghan smiles at me as she hugs Amelia. "We miss seeing them so often."
"And the neuro check?" Isaiah questions from the corner of the office.
His question holds a double meaning which I answer with the shake of my head.
"Well that's okay," Meghan cheerfully claps her hands together, but when she looks at me I can see the panic clearly. Isaiah sees it too because only a few seconds later he offers his arm to Amelia explaining that he would help her get dinner ready.
"Did the doctor give a percent or odds that her memory will come back?" Meghan questions when our respective spouses have left.
"He's never seen it happen before."
"So get a doctor that has." She all but yells, her tone putting me on edge.
"You think I haven't looked into that?" I growl at her. "He's one of the leading neurologists in the country."
I watch as her eyes slowly fill with tears.
"Meghan," I sigh, pulling her into my arms. This is my wife's best friend and my best friend's wife. She is the godmother of my children, just as I am the godfather of hers. And she is the one person who loves my wife almost as much as I do.
"We need her." Her voice trembles as she hugs me tighter.
"We still have her." I find myself awkwardly patting her head as she starts crying. "She's here, she still loves you, she's still your best friend. You'll have to remind her about the struggles of marriage and the joys of parenthood but she is still out Amelia, deep down."
She jerks away, wiping her tears, before looking up at me. "Your Lia is in there too. I'll help her find her way out." She sniffles, her face now close to matching her hair. "And I have an idea!" She suddenly grins, lightly slapping my cheek, all sadness evaporating. "Let's go."
-
"I don't like this kind of pasta!"
"I wanted pizza!"
"Hey, I wanted milk not juice!"
"Leah," Amelia smiles down at the mini version of Meghan, handing her a plate. "Your Mom reminded me that you don't like peppers in pasta so I set this aside for you."
"Thank you Auntie." Leah grins, happily accepting the plate as I glance at my daughter.
"Mayzie, pasta is what's for dinner, you will eat it if you are hungry."
"Can we have pizza tomorrow?" She questions, looking between me and the plate I'm holding; reaching for it when I agree to tomorrow's dinner.
The rest of the evening goes smoothly, even after each of the kids were given ice-cream.
That is until Zoey's phone chimes while during a quiet moment.
"Who the hell is Callie and why is the news stating that you knocked her up?!"
***
Guys. This book is ending soon...