Taylor's POV
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Jay wore his business suit to Dubai, clad in the finest Giorgio Armani he owns we had walked out with our baby into the glaring hot sunshine of Italy whilst my mother had waved from the steps. A smile crossing her lips as Matthew and Ross passed her by and jumped into the lamba looking like two backpackers on a road trip. Bemused by Jay's attire for the flight Ross has chuckled and asked him if he was going to be comfortable in that for over six hours as Jay laughed him off rubbing my thigh with his hand driving us all to the airport.
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I gaze down at my clothes and cannot help but think my pregnancy leggings and crop top lets him down when Jay looks so smart and business like and I look like a pregnant housewife. Even so I look out at the Persian gulf coast, the sun setting and the pale blue water getting darker and inkier by the minute. We arrived but an hour ago and I haven't stopped watching him pace outside looking into the sea for answers on his phone. I've never lived up high before, all of my houses have been ground level and so being able to see right out into the ocean is somewhat of a dream for me. As I sit on a plush off white sofa set looking out into the tranquil blues of the sea I cannot help but to feel slightly pathetic for fighting with him about this. It's a holiday and a half, most individuals would dream to see this view and there I was considering him selfish.
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Matthew and Ross will have arrived in New York by now, and so far I have left them to it. Matthew's behaviour towards me isn't entirely shocking, I've been pulling him in and encouraging him again. Honestly one could blame it on my near death experience or the actual death experience we all witnessed but in truth if I were to sit and think long and hard about my connection to him I would realise just how compatible we are and how I must keep him at bay.
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Jay walks past the outdoor balcony window checking on us as he speaks down the phone, as I rest my jet lagged brain back attempting to clear my thoughts of my deceptive behaviour towards my marriage and rationalise a way of making things work with Matthew without letting him kiss me or leading him on further. It's a nonnegotiable for a married woman to allow her ex-fiancée to kiss her.
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"I'm sorry" Jay begins as I open my eyes realising that he is retrieving Henry from my arms and setting him down in the bassinet next to me. I glance out at the ocean confused and see that the once blue water has now turned black under the night sky, outdoor lighting illuminates our balcony. Unaware that I had closed my eyes at all, panic floods my brain realising that I had fallen asleep with my baby in my arms. My mind worries about the consequences of co-sleeping with your baby on a sofa for far too long as he sits down next to me sinking into the seat and placing his arms around me.
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"I was out for how long?" I ask him as he shakes his head.
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"I kept an eye you're both safe" he says reassuring me before pushing his hair back in frustration. Our suitcases are still out in the hall next to a huge and impressive canvas of art which I've looked at a few times wondering where he may have bought it or if it came furnished in the house.
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"What's stressing you" I ask him softly tucking my legs in underneath me and resting my head in his chest. His hands instantly stroke my hair as I wrap my arms around him.
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"Tomorrow I've got to go in there, and be the CEO. I've got to be my father, and I'm not him. The board members remember me as a two year old for goodness sake." He half laughs.
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"My dad's oldest acquaintance was on the phone prepping me" he explains looking down at me and rubbing bump.
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"I will pull it off" he says after some time looking down at bump.
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"But for now" he smiles as I kiss him lightly.
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"I'm going to be your husband and cook you a meal" he laughs slightly and the expression behind his smile is just ever so slightly strained. Like a person who is stressed and is desperately trying to hold it all together.
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"No I am going to be your wife and cook" I tell him as he shakes his head. Jay pulls me up carrying me over to the open plan kitchen, it is state of the art.
All electric appliances with steel and silver nobs and buttons. Bright white worktops with glittering lights.
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"Here" he says setting me down on a stall and strolling around the kitchen to the chiller. I notice that he pulls out a whole bunch of ingredients and sets them down on an integrated chopping board. Before pouring me a large glass of juice and setting it down before me.
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"Jay honestly let me take care of you" I whisper as he smiles shaking his head and insisting on making ravioli.
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"No tomorrow I'll have to leave early and so I am making you dinner" he announces chopping up tomatoes and garlic.
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"How early" I whisper standing up and wrapping my arms around his waist. The thought of being alone in a foreign country swamps me.
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"Around five am" he whispers softening under my touch as I close my eyes holding onto him. Henry wails from his bassinet and I jump slightly before pacing across the heated floor over to him. Picking him up instantly and hugging him into my chest.
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"Here" I say taking a seat again on the soft sofa, as he whimpers looking at me. His eyes large and round and full of tears as I stare back at him panic taking over me. For the first time he refuses to have breast milk but instead rubs his fists over his little face wailing. The sound reverberates through me and I stand up pacing as Jay cooks glancing over at me and trying to troubleshoot the problem by asking me questions. Questions such as is he hot? Does he have a temperature?
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"I think his nose is sore" I say finally looking down at Henry who is just yelling at me. His whole face red like a tomato, but his little button nose appears more red and sore. Jay whips out his phone and presumably googles what to do.
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"I'll try again" I say frustrated taking a seat again hearing the cries directly in my ear, piercing through me.
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"Henry come on now" I whisper trying to latch him onto me a few tears collecting in my eyes as I instantly think of my mom and how she would know exactly what to do. Her calm in a panic is absolutely invaluable.
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"Here" I say as he latches on and the crying stops briefly.
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"He's sort of feeding" I tell Jay as he plates up dinner and sets it all down on the table grating Parmesan onto the dishes. He pulls his phone back out and begins dialling a number pushing his blonde hair back as he does.
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"Hi there, may I speak with a doctor" he mutters down the phone as I watch him approach me. Long strides as he reaches us and looks down at Henry worried.
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"Healthcare benefits" he whispers to me as I smile slightly relaxing briefly from the quiet and temporary break from the crying.
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"Yes" he says again once the call connects, Henry unlatches and I place him over my shoulder as he fusses and cries. Less hysterically than before but he's still not at all happy or his usual self.
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"Around four months" he explains to the doctor on the phone before nodding and hanging up the phone.
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"Doctor will be here in five" he announces stroking my hair back as Henry wails again and I wince patting his back.
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"CEO has that benefit!?" I exclaim and he nods.
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"Free private health care for all" he smiles slightly and even in the drama and the cacophony of screeching I laugh.
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"What would we do without you" I smirk as he takes Henry from me holding him into his chest insisting that I eat.
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"You're pregnant eat" he tells me as he stands with our wailing baby and I hover watching.
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"I mean it" he smiles as I hesitantly take a seat at the table and begin forking food into my mouth watching Henry screech. The intercom buzzes making me jump as Jay paces over to the security system and lets in the doctor.
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"Henry" he coos him as he thrashes his little legs around in his sleep suit. A light rap on the door lets us know that the doctor is just outside as Jay opens up the door and an older man walks in with a briefcase. Dressed in a very smart suit with graying hair, his eyes appraise Henry and his red face before he sets down his case and rolls his sleeves up.
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"Doctor Jones" he announces showing Jay the relevant badge before attempting to have a conversation with him over the crying.
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"It's just begun but there was an episode the other day. We've flown in from Italy." Jay explains setting Henry down on the changing mat as I join them watching over Henry as he shoves his hands in his mouth crying. Jay undoes the poppers on Henry's blue sleep suit as Henry thrashes about on the oak changing table hysterically.
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"Here baby" Doctor Jones says pulling out a stethoscope and a few more items. Placing the instrument on Henry's chest and having a listen he nods.
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"There's no visible rash either" he explains looking over at his abdomen.
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"No temperature" he adds having checked him, he proceeds to check his ears and listen in on his heart beat.
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"You say he's four moths" he checks with Jay looking up at us wryly with his hand on his hips and his stethoscope draped around his neck. He pinches his glasses back in place before looking upon our panic stricken expressions.
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"And he's feeding normally" he checks rubbing his freshly shaven beard.
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"He does but he creates whilst feeding, he is unsettled" I interject as the doctor nods. Taking one gloved up finger and checking out Henry's gums.
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"Here" he says holding his finger on the front of his gums as Henry hums and looks up at us exasperated.
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"He's teething." The doctor surmises pleased with himself.
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"Have you any baby paracetamol that should help. It's my belief he has a little bit of a runny nose too, but that could be due to the teething. His cheek is red and that indicates teething too" he evaluates going into his bag and retrieving a small tube of cream. Jay runs to retrieve the pain relief and I listen to doctor Jones explaining that the cool gel in the tube should be administered whenever there's screaming. He suggests the use of cool refrigerated baby teethers that Henry can hold and gnaw on.
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"Or cold refrigerated dummies" he explains.
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"Soon you'll be giving him solid food and your lives will be revolutionised" he laughs looking up at Jay briefly he smiles.
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"I have three children" he explains smiling again at me and bump.
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"All grown now but looking out for them never stops" he smiles before packing up his case.
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"The gel just on the front of his gums, like this" he says softly showing me as I nod. Henry coos again and I smile down at him pulling my hair up in a high ponytail and shaking my head over the panic we went into over teething. Teething is a milestone, it's going to happen to any baby, we are overprotective parents that jumped to the conclusion of something being terribly wrong.
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"Every parent has been there, it's what makes you the best. You care so much" he says before replacing his blazer and heading out with the bag he came with.
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Once he has left Jay gives Henry the paracetamol and I smile up at him as he practically wipes his brow. We change him together smiling as Henry shoves his hand in his mouth and gurgles. Placing a whole bunch of sterile dummies in the refrigerator for him I realise tomorrow I will be sourcing some baby teethers and soothers.
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"Eat Jay" I tell him taking Henry and holding onto him having microwaved Jay's dinner.
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"We're lucky he didn't do that on the plane" I laugh watching Henry suckle on a cold dummy as he looks up at me with his big blue eyes. Sighing I sit across the table from Jay as he finally manages to eat dinner at ten pm.
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"We're lucky as anything" he sighs and I watch Henry close his eyes suckling on the dummy.
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"You're amazing" I sigh looking up at Jay as he pushes his hair back the bright lights shining over his features.
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"Health care benefits" I laugh and he guffaws.
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"What!? I was worried" he smiles as I stand placing Henry back down in the bassinet and walking over to my husband.
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"I know you were" I whisper sitting in his lap and watching his eyes rake over me and bump.
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"We just called a private doctor out on a house call for teething" I laugh and he snickers.
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"Solved the problem" he smirks wrapping his arms around me. I gaze down at him, his caring blue eyes and the way his hands caress my hips and bump and smile.
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"Hmmm" he whispers and in one swift motion he lifts me up carrying me over to the art work I had been eyeing up earlier in the hall.
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"I bought this, I saw you eyeing it up" he whispers turning me to face the grande canvas. Having looked over the piece of art several times earlier I realise that it reminds me instantly of the pieces we saw in the spa we visited after the sexual assault I experienced at the hands of Jacob. It’s a replica of a Claude Monet, beautiful and dreamy watercolours. In this particular print a woman with a large umbrella to shade her from the sun walks through a field with a young boy, assumed to be her son.
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"You were looking at all of the pictures in that restaurant in the spa. I enquired afterwards and purchased this one" he whispers in my ear as I turn to face him and he smiles a huge grin with that glistening light behind his eyes.
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“It’s Mrs Monet and her son.” He says looking down at me as I set my lips set upon his and he carries me a few steps over to the sofas where he sets me down pulling my leggings off as he giggles and I undo his white shirt quickly.
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“You hadn’t known we were having a boy then” I smirk looking up at him undoing his trousers.
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“I was pretty sure. It was a gamble that paid off” he laughs before straddling me.
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"That's a huge gesture" I laugh as he shakes his head looking down at my body beneath him and smiling.
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"What me buying you artwork" he whispers and I giggle.
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"Mhmm" I sigh as he possesses me and begins his rhythm inside of me.
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"Mhmm" he giggles and I close my eyes getting lost in his own.
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"Do you like it" he whispers in my ear as I smile.
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"You buying me art or what you're doing right now" I enquire looking down at his hips, his shirt draped over his shoulders.
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"Both" he whispers watching me.
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"I love you buying me art" I tell him watching his eyes.
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"And I love the art you make of making love to me" I smile blissfully. The stars come out to play in the sky and I briefly watch them glistening through the large panoramic windows. The skyline aglow with their beams of light before I stare back into Jay’s eyes wondrously.
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