Taylor's POV
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Henry Gilbert Scott has eased all of my anxieties and vulnerabilities. It sounds utterly stupid and silly but the worry I had surrounding being a good mom, the nervousness I held onto tightly at the prospect of being alone with him and managing every little cry and whimper has eased. It took him yelling until he was red faced, it took blind panic as I briefly pondered what I could possibly do to ease his crying. However the realisation that I was the answer to his cries, I was the one person he needed has given me a sense of control over my motherhood. I'm positive that I will still flounder, that I will still find motherhood challenging but I'm hopeful that I will approach it all with more confidence.
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For the fourth time I check on him, resting my bare palm over his head and feeling his soft skin cooling down, I drape a light muslin cloth over him to keep him warm but not hot. Jay catches my eye and smiles over at me. Placing his hand over mine at the table as our friends finish the desert I have made. A firm favourite of sticky toffee pudding, it's not exactly Italian but I figured it was a great exception.
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"You're the best mom in the world" Jay whispers showing me his wonderful blue eyes as I rest my head in my hands gazing up at him.
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"And you're the best daddy" I whisper as he laughs stroking my hair back off of my face.
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"You and me" Jay whispers as Rachel spins the wine bottle, poker proved to be somewhat too complicated and long winded for her drunken state and so we've resulted to spinning bottles for entertainment.
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"You and I" I whisper staring at him as I feel the moonlight on my skin, the water glistens in the pool and the fear I once felt gazing at it has now left my heart.
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"You and I should take all of this stuff in and sneak off momentarily" he whispers slowly as I giggle, our sexual relationship has been on the back burner since the tumultuous time that has been unfolding around us. However my skin practically catches fire when he strokes a fingertip up my thigh.
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"I'll take Henry up to my mom" I whisper slowly before he nods standing up. Jay collects up the plates and I slowly retrieve my sleeping baby cradling him in my arms before pacing into the house and climbing the stairs.
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Knocking softly as I enter the bedroom upstairs to find my mother sat in front of the bay window facing the tennis courts reading a paperback. My mother smiles placing her book down and standing to retrieve the baby. I hand him to her, she rocks him into her chest and I grin.
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"I was hoping you'd bring him up" she smiles down at him.
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"He's wonderful" she smiles as I nod looking at his lips and how they're poised in his sleep, the cloth still wrapped around him.
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"Mom" I begin as she looks up.
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"Can you stay here while I'm away. So that when we come back the house is not empty" I whisper as she nods happily, stroking my hair back.
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"Taylor I'd love to stay here" she reassures me before she proceeds to sing to Henry holding him into her chest as I close the door softly.
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The excitement fuels me as I slip down the hall in pursuit of my husband. Seeing him climb the stairs, his shirt off entirely and his blonde locks pulled back into a knot. His eyes flick up as he watches me descend the steps slowly to him. Once we meet in the middle he lifts me up and I giggle, only Jay could carry me down a full set of marble stairs without so much as breaking a sweat.
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The downstairs hall is grande, two sets of chandeliers and a console table surrounding the centre of the marble floor. Adorned with a crystal vase that had been a wedding present from one of his distant relatives. I gaze at the foot of the stairs, reminding myself of the other night and how he almost flew out of the door from me. Incensed from grief and his very real loss.
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"I will never leave you" he whispers when my eyes reach his again, as if he's reading my mind. His lips find my own and it's like I've been missing him for a whole lifetime.
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"Here" he whispers hiking my dress up between kisses all over my lips and neck. Lifting me slowly onto the centre console table and letting me rest back.
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"I missed you" he gasps possessing me instantly my hands on the nape of his neck.
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"I missed you" I whisper between sighs, I notice that he supports my lower back with his hand as he moves into me. His face just inches from mine the entire time.
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"I love you" he declares over and over again as I open my eyes looking into his electric blue gaze.
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"I love you" I sigh as the kitchen door to our right creaks yet whoever the intruder is clearly decides better of entering the hall. He giggles softly before kissing me and holding onto my hips.
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"Jay" I gasp holding onto his eye contact as the vase rolls off of the side and smashes.
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"Was that expensive" I giggle holding onto him.
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"I don't care" he whispers smiling down at me, finding a rhythm inside of me.
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"My husband" I gasp as he kisses my neck fervently.
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"My wife, I cannot wait to make love to you in every single room of our penthouse" he gasps and as I open my eyes the look that falls over his face takes me all of the way. Crying out his name in gasps as he holds steadily onto my hips.
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"Mmmm" he whispers kissing me before lifting me down off of the table. He kneels in front of me pulling my underwear back up and neatening my dress up before he kisses bump.
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"I won't leave you" he says sincerely gazing up at me.
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"I won't leave you, ever" I whisper running my hands through his hair and watching his eyes twinkle before he stands taking my hand.
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"God I love you" he whispers guiding me through our kitchen as he grasps a bottle of brandy.
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"I need you so don't disappear again" I whisper as he strokes my hand in his own.
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The wine bottle that Rachel has finished entirely on her own still revolves around the centre of the patio set. Jay places the extra lamps on and heaters before we take a seat with our friends.
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"You know you guys could use your bedroom" Rachel snickers.
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"Oh so it was you!?" I laugh as the bottle spins onto me.
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"I heard and thought better of walking in on you moaning Jay's name over and over again in the hallway" she laughs.
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"Thank you" I smirk as Christopher laughs whilst Jay pours out the brandy into glasses. Looks like I'll be taking a dare I think smirking up at Jay as he nods sipping brandy. A small smile on his lips.
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"Can I just add I’m happy to do a dare that doesn't involve kissing others or exposing my pregnant bump" I laugh as Rachel scoffs.
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"Nice try" she smiles.
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"Your dare is to kiss..." she begins as I roll my eyes crossing one leg over the other watching her.
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"Jay. See I'm nice" she smiles as I giggle. Placing one hand on his jaw I kiss him slowly. After our hallway fun I couldn't imagine needing him again so soon. However kissing him and the way he lightly holds onto my thigh allows me to dream about being in his arms again all night long.
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"You're so married" Rachel giggles giving the bottle a spin.
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"You're so bloody engaged" I retort as she strokes Christopher's face affectionately and he laughs.
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"Wonderful isn't he" she surmises looking over at him as the bottle continues its rotations.
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"Chris you are wonderful" I laugh as he shrugs his shoulders easily.
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"Putting up with Rachel is no small feat" I add as she laughs her head falling back and he giggles.
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"She is right" Rachel laughs as the bottle lands on her.
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"Rachel you're worth it. You're beautiful and I love you" he says like a softy as we both make a fuss over his declaration.
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"Awww, I love you too baby" she smiles kissing him before spinning the bottle again to see who she is to kiss as part of our juvenile game.
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"Henry is fine" Jay says casually to Matthew as he passes him a brandy and I look up at him registering the concern on his face as he sips his drink.
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"He's with my mom fast asleep" I tell him and he nods placing his glass down on the table as the bottle spins onto him.
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"Matthew" Rachel laughs breaking his concentration as he looks down at the table registering the bottle facing him. She stumbles over to him and pecks his cheek before returning to Christopher's side.
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"So when's your flight?" Christopher asks Jay openly as he nods pulling his hair out of the knot and letting it fall loosely.
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"We can set off on any of the departures over this coming weekend" Jay explains as I nod thinking of the packing. Henry's bags will be absolutely stuffed with clothes and nappies.
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"My mom's staying here" I add standing briefly to grasp some snacks from the kitchen. Crisps and bar snacks go down well with the guys and so I fill a few bowls before heading out again. Setting them upon the table as Matthew eyes me and Ross smiles.
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"Taylor will be travelling back to stay with her mother after a few weeks" Jay says softly.
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"I'll have succeeded in filling the CEO role and I'll join her shortly after" he surmises as Christopher nods.
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"CEO what?" Rachel asks as I giggle.
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"Chief executive officer, it's the highest ranking" Christopher boasts as Jay smiles.
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"It's a large role to fill" he says soberly as I stroke his arm. Feeling his skin underneath my fingertips.
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"You'll be fine dude" Christopher says easily.
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"Yeah you got it Jay, you're born for it" Ross adds as Jay nods a thank you to him.
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Matthew assesses the situation and claps him on the shoulder as they nod to one another.
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"Course if any of you want to stay here that's all good too, my house is yours or whatever the saying is" Jay laughs.
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“We may just, for when Taylor comes back” Rachel begins having my back instantly as I nod to her thanking her immensely. Christopher rubs her arm and smiles at me.
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"Well actually" Ross begins as I look up at him and Rachel eyes him next to her placing her wine down.
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"I'm seeing a publishing company. It's a small deal so I didn't want to go on about it. Honestly…” he begins as I gasp standing up and crossing the table to hug him.
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"So happy for you" I tell him in his ear as I hold onto him dearly.
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"It's sort of something I've wanted to do for a while" he admits when I've finally let him go his eyes meet mine briefly and I smile happily at him.
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"Where is it?" Rachel smiles and he scoops his hair back.
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"New York" Ross explains as I sit back down.
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"This one's shooting there too which is handy" he says hiking a finger at Matthew as I nod holding onto Jay again.
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“The big apple” Rachel says enthusiastically as we all laugh.
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“The big apple indeed” Matthew laughs slightly spinning the bottle for Rachel.
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“It will be fabulous” I say smiling genuinely at Ross.
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“So fancy too” Rachel laughs as the bottle lands on Christopher and he gasps dramatically as she tickles him.
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“Now that’s a kiss I wanna see” she laughs practically pinching his cheeks as I watch Matthew cross the table and kiss Christopher. It’s a quick moment; fleeting but profound. Rachel gazes at me and I laugh at her flabbergasted expression.
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“Here” Ross says spinning the bottle next as I sigh resting my head on Jay’s shoulder. He strokes my hair back and I cannot be sure but I can hear the low rumble of his humming and the faint melodies of Johnny cash as his other hand rests on bump.
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“No sleeping” I hear Rachel laugh as I open my eyes briefly noticing the bottle facing me and smirking slightly.
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“He hums to me and it makes me rest” I whisper feeling his hands pulling my hair back.
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“Aw Jay you’re such a softy” Christopher jibes as I feel his low chuckle in his chest
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“Who am I kissing?” I whisper as Ross stands and I giggle sitting up straight as he cups my jaw and pecks me on my lips briefly.
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“Hey I figure we’ll be having a little girl next” Jay defends rubbing bump as I rest my head on him again and listen to his voice.
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“I’ll have to be softer with the girl and more of a girl dad” he laughs and I pull my arms around his waist squeezing him.
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“Girl dad!?” Christopher laughs and I snicker imagining Jay playing dolly’s and plating hair.
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“Yeah this babies gonna be a girl I can feel it” he says holding onto me, his strong arms wrapping around me as I rest into his chest. A mixture of his low raspy voice and humming sending me into my dreams before he lifts me up to bed.
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