Jay's POV
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Snow, it's cumbersome really. It's not that I don't enjoy looking at it or even being out in it. It's just that when you're looking out of a visor and you can only see white it can be a tiny bit disorientating. After the cable car up the mountain, the views were immense and it allowed me to feel free. Christopher got that look in his eyes, the one that I recognise in myself, the one that said let's do something. Something different and fun. And so here I am at the evasion Mont Blanc ski area with a snow board that we just bought, the full gear on from head to toe ploughing through the white stuff like there's no tomorrow.
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Ross and Rachel skipped back to the car to get out of the below freezing temperatures announcing that they would be heading back to the lodge. Rachel's eyes glow whenever she looks upon Chris, it's an expression I've never seen her wear before. Even if she did ohh and awe all the way up to the top of the mountain, practically narrating the whole excursion as Ross placated her like a younger brother would.
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Gliding my board through the snow, it's ironic yet I hear my father's voice in my head. Giving me instructions, announcing what I should do. Turning my board perpendicular at the end of the slope and coming to a stop. I raise my visor and look out at Christopher having the time of his life gliding down towards me, if I had a brother it would be him. We're utterly the same from the way we both seek adventure and escape. To our business mindsets and our affluent backgrounds.
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"Woohoo yes my man" he calls out coming to a stop near me and raising his own visor.
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"Good huh? feeling alive?" I say to him with a keen smile.
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"Yes, now that can only mean one more slope before we go back to our wives. And Ross and Matty" he laughs as I shake my head.
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"One more slope" I tell him as if he is my younger brother.
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The next slope is higher, more treacherous and it fills me with adrenaline. Turning and gliding like a pro as I descend it. The escape from my life I find is just what I needed, even just a temporary departure from thoughts of the company and of being a CEO. The lingering creeping feeling that I will have to go back to Dubai briefly. The look Taylor will give me has been playing on my mind and as I snowboard, cutting through the soft snow that stands no chance against me I find it all disappears from my mind.
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"You wanna drive man?" Christopher asks once we're back at the land-rover clad in our usual clothes, the daylight has escaped us and I realise the snow is falling a lot harder than it was before. Thick clusters of snow gathering as I tell him that he may drive the state of the art car back.
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"I wanted to say man, I'm so happy for you" I tell him as he drives carefully through the low lit paths. Snow barraging the windscreen as I think of my baby and my wife by the log fire. How the warm glow of light would play with her hair and warm skin. How henry is able to charm a whole room with his blonde curly hair and blue eyes.
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"Thanks man" he says and I laugh slightly pushing my hair back. Being a newlywed is intense and I can tell that he is on a high.
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"I think..." he begins tentatively looking ahead at the road.
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"I mean, I think Rachel is..." he says slowly shaking his head unbelieving. I've never seen him look so worried, concern flits over his expression.
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"I think she's pregnant" he says finally and I shake my head unbelieving. An hours drive back to the wilderness is a long one and so I'm sure I'm going to be reassuring him for most of the journey.
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"I just, we haven't even spoken about it yet, haven't even done a test. But I just know man, call me nuts but it's like I can sense it" he says slowly as I nod wishing that I had insisted on driving. Watching him push his hair back and stare ahead I'm sure that this is going to be the longest hour of my life.
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"Chris congrats man" I say firstly as he cruises us back, Johnny cash on low.
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"It's just my suspicion, she's you know super caring which I mean I love Rachel but yeah that's not normal for her. She's being sick. She's super tired at the end of the day but I mean like exhaustion" he explains as I nod.
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"Sounds like you're up the duff too" I tell him.
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"What do I do man? How can I be there for her" he asks me, looking up at me briefly as I laugh.
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"Fuck man Rachel pregnant you have got your work cut out" I laugh as he sighs.
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"We'll be fine right? I'll just do whatever she needs and then it will all be okay" he rationalises looking forward.
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"No honestly you'll be fine" I say sarcastically and he laughs again.
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"You got this man honestly. With Taylor I just go with everything she says and that works. She's pretty emotional and hungry most of the time, but man is it all worth it" I tell him, I never thought I would be imparting knowledge on how to be a good soon to be dad.
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"And hey, you've got a home. A nice large one at that. There's no worries, no stresses" I explain softly, and he nods.
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"You're right" he says after a short pause before looking at me tentatively.
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"What's the deal with Matthew?" He asks watching me closely.
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"Matthew!?" I ask him thrown back instantly by him bringing him up, Matthew has been done with Rachel since well Taylor came along.
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"Yeah man always looking after Taylor; always you know there for her. How do you put up with it? Makes me mad as hell" he says easily as I begin to recognise the sights on the way back thankful that we are not far from the lodge .
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"Matthew and I have butted heads over Taylor for years. She won't eradicate him. And honestly I just ignore his existence when she's around" I sigh.
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"You know the second you leave he's you know" Christopher says and he's trying to give me a heads up. We turn past a selection of trees laced with snow and he looks at me apologetically.
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"I'm just saying man, Ross isn't going to say shit" he explains and I nod. Ross has never liked me, no matter the hospitality I've extended. I just figured our friendship wasn't worth the effort seen as his opinion of me will never change.
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"Matthew was in love with her first and I did it to him. Only she left him. Shut him out entirely. Matthew attempted to take his own life and she's never outed him since" I explain looking ahead at the lodge as he kills the headlights. One slow nod of his head as he retrieves the keys from the ignition.
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"So I don't push, I don't create any problems. We're married he's my friend" I say quietly as he nods again looking at me inquisitively.
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"I'm just saying I'm your friend, you need to go and leave for work. I'll look after your wife without being a complication" he says earnestly as I smile, a wide smile before I clap him on the shoulder and we step out into the snow.
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"Man thank-you" I tell him honestly as he locks up the car and the snow flurries around us.
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"No need to thank me considering I'll be living but a few acres away from you" he laughs as we head to the main door. Rachel and Christopher have acquired property in Italy, it’s not far from our farmhouse. Only one drive away. So close that I’m sure we will be in each other’s homes constantly.
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Christopher unlocks the lodge and the warmth awaits us as we stand in the hall, the scent of baking and Taylor's cooking fills my senses and I smile. Removing my beanie and fluffing my hair before I take off my jacket and hang it up on the wooden peg.
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"Honey I'm home" Chris laughs sashaying through the hall as Rachel bounds her way over to him. Not a glass of wine in sight, two bottles of bourbon on the side open that the guys have been hitting. Rachel refraining from a drinking session is unheard of and so I surmise that she believes that she is in fact expecting.
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"Oh you're back" she gasps kissing him as I stand and watch Taylor gliding around the oak kitchen. The music on and the fire lit as Matthew sits on one of the stools at the kitchen island with his back to me.
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"What's for dinner, it smells incredible" Christopher sighs.
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"It's something French" Taylor smiles opening her arms and approaching me instantly.
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"You're cold; sit by the fire" she instructs me after a kiss. Turning to Christopher with her hands draped around my neck she smiles.
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"Coq au vin and we baked" she smiles.
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"How's baby" I say rubbing her waist, stroking her hips with my palm.
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"Both babies are fine" she smiles kissing my lips and gazing over at Henry asleep in a travel cot with a navy blue sleep suit on.
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"I missed you" she whispers in my ear before returning to the kitchen, dragging Rachel along with her and explaining the next step in the recipe. I watch her smile and sway around the kitchen before taking up a seat next to Matthew.
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"Let me guess snow boarding" he smiles up at me as I watch his expression. Just a hint of a pause before I smile back.
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"Snow boarding. What did you guys get up too?" I ask watching my wife again, his eyes follow her movements around the large kitchen.
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"We want to a few cafes, saw the sights." He smiles softly as she sweeps her hair back.
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"We bought some food and went to a book shop" he smiles reminiscing on his perfect day with Taylor. It's one of his last, and that's the only thing that makes me smile as I watch him.
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"Jay" Taylor smiles standing in between my legs and letting Rach continue with the food briefly.
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"Yes mon amour" I smile as her hands reach under my shirt and rest on my chest.
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"You need to feel this" she smiles widely removing her hands and taking my own as I look down at her intently.
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"The baby" she smiles placing my hands on bump as I feel strong kicks over my fingertips.
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"Woah, that is one hell of a kick" I laugh and she giggles.
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"Here feel that" she smiles as she sweeps my hair off of my forehead smiling up at me.
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"I feel it alright" I laugh and all of my tension surrounding Matthew and his preoccupation with my wife disperses. Taylor checks on Rachel and the smile they share with one another tells me that Taylor also knows about the potential of Rachel being pregnant. I gaze up at Christopher with a smile as he sips his bourbon handing me a glass.
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"Thanks" I say sipping it before standing and stretching out, envisioning our lives in Italy. BBQ’s and talks about the business. Our children playing together in the fields, swimming in the pool. Beach days and large birthday parties. Perhaps we’d even get away together and go on ski holidays, ones where the kids would play in the snow and Chris and I would go snowboarding. And most of all, no paranoia that Matthew will be roaming around and catching moments with my wife.
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