With a sigh I pick up my phone typing out a response to Declan.
Ren: Can it wait?
Declan: Maybe a day or three, but not too long.
Ren: Cassidy's birthday is tomorrow. I'd rather not ruin it for her.
Declan: Bring her with you.
Ren: As much as she loves our kids, she should be able to go out for her birthday without them.
Declan: Just leave the kids here.
Ren: Seriously?
Declan: Are you kidding? If Clementina had her way, she'd have me build a big old commune so all the kids could be running around indefinitely.
I chuckle, knowing this to be true. Clementina had been working with Declan for so long as his right-hand housing manager, the fact that she took so easily to having children around was a surprise. Declan said he always thought that she would be annoyed with that type of unfettered chaos, but he soon learned that she fed off of it.
Declan: I'll see if anyone else is around, set up a big slumber party for them.
Declan: I’ll send my plane. You reserve yourself some penthouse suite somewhere, take your girl out. Show her a good time.
I think it over briefly. Cassidy has seemed rather exhausted lately, even though I did finally talk her into getting some help around the house, she's still inclined to do a lot of things herself. I make a quick call to her favorite hotel pleased to find they have a vacancy. Then I go back to my message with Declan.
Ren: Thank you. Guess I’ll see you tomorrow.
Declan: Fantastic. I'll break the happy news to Clementina.
I open my messages to Cassidy, planning on sending her the update and then think better of it. Pocketing my phone, I leave my office heading toward the other side of the house where I'll probably find her.
Sure enough, I find her in her favorite spot in the sunroom, fast asleep in a chair, with our youngest slumbering on her chest.
I stand in the doorway watching her, and then go in search of our nanny, Sabrina. I find her in the playroom and she looks up as I walk in. "She's still asleep?"
I smile and nod. "I didn't want to wake her."
"Neither did I," she responds. "I figured I'd leave them at least until lunch."
"We're going on a trip tomorrow morning," I state, seating myself awkwardly in one of the child-sized chairs at the table. The children, completely engrossed in a giant floor puzzle across the room, don’t even bother to look up. I smile fondly and then add, "Do you think you'd be able to manage packing some stuff for the kids?"
She nods and responds, "Not a problem. I'm glad you came to me so that Cassidy won’t try and do it herself."
I laugh because that's exactly what she would've done. “Let’s keep it our little secret so she’ll stay out of it.”
Sabrina grins. “Not a problem.”
I nod, feeling impressed with myself for getting this far. I’m a resourceful man, but Cassidy still tends to be about ten steps ahead of me, regardless of how much planning I do.
Feeling rejuvenated, I head to the master suite, determined to get our stuff sorted before she comes looking for me. It’s not like I don’t have a good idea on what products she uses, and clothes she wears, having lived with her for a decade.
I’m almost finished when I hear her in the hallway. “Ren?”
“In here,” I respond, putting the finishing touches on her suitcase before closing it and setting it on the floor beside the bed.
I look up to find her just inside the doorway, staring at me as if I’ve lost my entire mind. “What are you doing?”
“What does it look like I’m doing?”
