Underestimated Too(51)

“She’s got your nose,” Celeste remarked.

I held her next, falling madly in love with the newest addition. “I need another baby, Drew,” I decided right that moment, staring down at the precious little angel, swaddled in soft pink blanket. I loved the squeaky little noises and the way she scrunched her little face.

“We have a baby at home. He’ll be one in two weeks, remember?” Drew reminded me.

“But he’s a big baby. I want a little baby,” I said, kissing her soft brown hair.

“We don’t make little babies. We have big Brutus type boys.”

Drew was right. I would probably end up with another ten pound baby boy. I wasn’t ready for that yet. It was still too fresh.

I spent every minute I could with the new baby and Alicia. Celeste took a week off work and that was it. I’m not sure that she actually took time off. Alicia said she was on the phone or her computer the entire week. I’d even made Drew hang up the phone when he’d call her for things I thought could wait. They needed this time to bond as a family. His work could wait.

“That one wasn’t about work,” he complained when I hung up his phone, sliding it into his lap.

“What was it about?” I challenged.

“The estate. We have to get it cleaned out.”

“Oh, well, I’m meeting them both there tomorrow. Leave them alone for the night and pay attention to me.”

“You need me to pay attention to you?”

“I do.”

“Where do you need attention?”

I didn’t have a chance to answer. Marta cleared her throat at the door. “Do you want me to bathe him, or are you?” she asked.

“I will, you go home if you want. I’ll see you tomorrow,” I replied, taking Nicholas, who squirmed from my arms and onto the floor. He loved the living room. Drew had these black shiny glass balls on a bottom shelf that he seemed to always remember were there. I was afraid he was going to break one of them and get cut. Drew told me I worried too much and sat on the floor, rolling the solid balls with him.

“How about you keep him while I grab a shower and then I’ll bathe him,” I offered.

“Go ahead,” he replied, half paying attention to me. Nicholas had his full attention at the moment, not me.

***

“You really bought this place.” I stated to Celeste, walking around the cluttered mansion. There was so much stuff. How could one man accumulate so much stuff? The auction would last an entire week.

“I did,” she excitedly exclaimed in a skip, “and I think Alicia is a little more into it now too. She loves the pool.”

“And you guy’s will be closer to me.” I smiled.

“Mrs. Kelley, I think we’re done here. We left a few boxes in the office for you to go through, some papers and things,” the realtor interrupted.

“Thank you,” I smiled, walking to the pool area with Celeste. The pool was amazing, even nicer than ours. Vincent was going to love the slide. I wondered why Callaway would build a slide to begin with. Was it because he was expecting Drew and me to have children to swim there?

“Are you getting excited?” I asked, sitting on one of the stools in front of the extravagant outside bar. They were going to love it here.

“Yes, I am so excited. Did Alicia tell you what she wanted to do to the nursery? I can’t wait to see what she does. She’s such a good artist. I’m hoping she’ll have more time to get back to that here. It gives her something to do and still keeps her at home. She picked out that room right there.” Celeste anxiously pointed to the left side of the mansion.

“She is very talented. I’m happy for you guys, really,” I said warmly. I was glad Drew hired Celeste. I don’t know what I would do without them in my life now. And I couldn’t imagine that baby girl growing up without me in her life.

Celeste modestly smiled back. She was so much like Drew. I swear sometimes they were twins separated at birth. Celeste didn’t do emotion either. She did the same thing Drew did, either make a joke or change the subject. Celeste took the latter.

“Can you imagine living with all these dead animals?”

“Do you think people will actually buy them?” I wondered about the stuffed wild animals throughout the house.

“You’d be surprised.”

“We’re not keeping any of them, that’s for sure.”

“Are you keeping anything? I mean, he was like your grandfather,” Celeste remarked.

I thought about it for a second. I didn’t feel like he was my grandfather, and if I was being honest, I sort of resented him for Michael, and what he’d done to Drew. “I don’t think there’s anything here I want,” I decided.