"It's a blessing." Her mother-in-law retorted.
"You're a born mother and a nurturer and we love you for it, but think of someone who's not accustomed to that." Lori swung her gaze back to Christos. "She's an only child, right?"
"Yes."
"There you go. It must be scary for her. We're going to have to be there for her."
"That goes without saying." Lilly nodded her immaculate sable-brown head.
"What is she saying?" His father asked quietly. "The mother."
"Her name is Leanne and she's still undecided."
"You don't think she'll..." Grace's slender hand went to her throat. "She can't mean to get rid of the..."
"That's not going to happen!" Mary-Ann sliced a hand through the air. "She would not dare!"
"It was said in the heat of the moment, but I think she's coming around." Christos felt as if he was in the middle of a whirlwind.
The exhaustion of a night with barely enough sleep and the emotions churning around the room was making it worse.
"It's going to be rough. She asked the doctor to list the risks involved for her and the babies and that did not make it any easier."
"You're the youngest and had to be the one to steal the spotlight." Alexander teased.
"It's not a competition." Christos reminded him dryly.
"If it was, you'd be the winner." Georgios threw him an irrepressible grin. "Mother has been hoping that one of us produced multiples and you had to be the one."
"Yeah, lucky me."
"Darling," Mary-Ann crossed the room to touch his arm, a look of concern on her face. "Are you regretting this?"
Mustering up a smile, he shook his head, aware that they were all watching him. "I read up on the risks and they are pretty scary."
"We believe in a God who works wonders." He was assured by his mother. "We're not going to allow negative thoughts to enter our space."
*****
"I thought I would find you here."
He didn't sigh out loud but wanted to. He had come up to the 'tower' to align his thoughts and be alone.
"I always love it here." It was an attic space that had been converted into a free-for-all room. At one point it had been a play area for him and his brother.
After they had grown out of it, it had become a sewing room for his mother and then storage. It had been renovated over the years and became a lounging area with wide windows and a stunning view of the wooded area surrounding the lake. It had been his go-to place for all the major milestones in his life.
His first breakup with a girl in high school, he thought he couldn't live without. When he had his first sexual encounter at fifteen and was scared spitless into thinking he had gotten her pregnant. The loss of his best friend to a motor vehicle accident and the times he aced his courses.
"She makes you unhappy. I don't like that."
He looked over at her in surprise. "That's not true."
She came over and sat next to him. Taking his face between her palms, she studied every inch of the beloved features. "You're my baby and I hate what this is doing to you. She's selfish."
"Mother..."
"No." She shook her head fiercely. "Did you force yourself on her? No. She went into the relationship willingly. What woman wouldn't? You're a very handsome young man, charming and sweet. She should be thanking her lucky stars that you even noticed her."
