Baby Come Back(51)
“Hey, sweetie,” I said, taking him from Tristan. “Are you ready for lunch?”
“Yep,” he said, nodding his head up and down. “Peanut butter and jelly.”
“Coming right up; Tristan, do you want the same?”
“Sounds good, babe; I just want to take a peek at the girls first.”
“If you wake them, you walk them,” I warned.
Tristan was a magnificent father; he had been with Reese and he continued to be with our twin babies. They were identical twins, but Tristan and I could tell them apart at about 1 week of age.
Hannah was six minutes older than Sarah. She had a quieter, less demanding nature about her. She was laid back - like Tristan. Sarah was impatient and demanding when she was hungry or needed changing. Her crying was louder; her sucking her fingers when she was hungry was louder, and her burps were louder. Tristan claimed she was the carbon copy of me.
Tristan and I had both been ecstatic when we learned I was expecting twins. My pregnancy had gone without a hitch. I had delivered them by C-section at my doctor’s recommendation. It was a much smoother delivery than with Reese since it was scheduled. My recovery actually went faster as well.
Tristan and I had worked together to complete the expansion of the winery last year; it was doing quite well. As promised, I handled the operations; Tristan handled the marketing and distribution. It wasn’t the same as when we had operated the club in Atlanta together. We actually spent more time apart. Tristan traveled both locally and along the east coast and mid-west regions to expand our markets. He made it a point not to be gone for more than five days per month. He took his parenting responsibilities very seriously.
Our home had been built and I loved it. Tristan had designed the floor plan to accommodate the planned expansion of our family. He had done it quite well. The house was a sprawling, U-shaped ranch. It had four bedrooms and three full baths. Having two daughters now, I knew that having so many bathrooms was a good idea. Our house sat on two acres; we had put an in-ground swimming pool in last summer.
Trey and Tylar had spent a week with us then. Tylar and I talked a couple of times a week by phone; I missed seeing her as often as I used to, but most holidays were still spent in Bristol with the Sinclair family. Tylar’s baby girl, Avery, had turned a year old during their visit here. She was adorable; she reminded me so much of Tylar, with her beautiful brown eyes and lighter hair color than Preston.
Preston was still the picture of Trey; Tylar tried to convince everyone that she had her personality though. I didn’t see that at all. Preston was a carbon copy of Trey both in looks and personality, but I loved her anyway. Avery was the picture of Tylar both in looks and personality; there was something about her that was almost ‘angelic’ not that I would ever have classified Tylar as being that. It was difficult to explain.
Tristan’s cousin, Brenda, was engaged to Judge Tylar. The wedding was planned some time later this year, according to Tylar. Everyone was thrilled about it.
Tristan and I had experienced no problem in finding a buyer for the club; as it happened, Ian and Libby bought it from us. They had been living together for a while, and apparently their partnership was working out. Of course, they had remodeled it and given it a new name for their grand re-opening. They named the club ‘Hardtail.’ It was definitely fitting with the black leather décor it now boasted. Tylar and Trey had gone to the opening. She had phoned me the following day laughing hysterically at the new décor and image they were going for with it. She said that the tables all had motorcycle parts adorning the pedestal base; the bar stools were Harley seats. Whatever works, I thought. I hoped that Ian had finally found happiness, even if it was with Libby.
I got Reese down for his nap in late afternoon. The babies had been up; Tristan and I bathed and fed them. Tristan said that he would keep watch on the babies while I showered and dressed for our evening out.
Susan and Clive arrived a little after six. Susan immediately went to Reese, fussing over him as always. I guess being the first grandson came with perks.
Tristan and I went to Morelli’s. I had fallen in love with the restaurant since first going there with Tristan to meet Ty’s father a few Thanksgivings ago. I think it was the one where I had punched Caroline out. Thank God that bitch no longer showed up at the Sinclair family gatherings.
Carmelita greeted us as semi-regulars when we got there. She always asked us about Tylar and Trey; this time was no different. We filled her in on the latest. I actually hadn’t talked to Tylar for a couple of weeks. She probably figured I was up to my eyebrows in dirty diapers and spit up - which was the truth. I made a mental note to call her the following day.
Tristan and I enjoyed our nice, quiet, romantic dinner. I was looking forward to spending more time with him once we got back home. Hopefully, all the babies would be down for the night - or most of it anyway. The twins were good for a four hour chunk of sleep. I had asked Susan and Clive to try and keep them awake until 8 p.m. if possible.
After dinner, Tristan and I drove back to our house. We sat outside for a while in our gazebo and enjoyed the moonlit evening. It was so quiet in the country; I had grown to appreciate that over the loud and constant sounds of the city. Spring was breaking and it was a beautiful, starlit night.
“What are you thinking about, Gina?”
“I’m just thinking how much I love it here; how much I love my life; how lucky I am.”