Claim
Page 110
He pressed a kiss to her temple. “I’ll just have a glass of wine with dinner,” he assured her.
She gave him a look of mock chagrin. “You don’t have to abstain from alcohol just because I am,” she argued. “You know it doesn’t bother me in the least if you have a drink.”
“I know,” he replied easily. “And I appreciate the thought, love. But I truly don’t need a pre-dinner drink every night. I’d much rather enjoy dinner with my two gorgeous girls.” He slid a hand to her belly. “Hopefully in a few months I’ll have three beautiful women in my house.”
Tessa placed her hand on top of his, smiling serenely. “But you know I want a boy this time, Ian. And you’ve always given me whatever I wanted. So I just know this baby is going to be a little boy.”
He gave her a playful little chuck on the chin. “Well, by this time tomorrow we’ll know for certain, won’t we? And after your doctor’s appointment I’ll take my girls out to an early dinner. Perhaps to a certain someone’s very favorite French bistro, hmm?” He caressed Gilly’s rosy cheek lovingly with the back of his knuckles. “Would you like to go out to dinner with Mummy and Daddy tomorrow night at Chou Chou?”
Gilly nodded enthusiastically, bouncing up and down in her father’s arms. She loved going out to dinner with her parents, and was especially fond of the charming, intimate little bistro not far from the house. The owners adored her, and always brought her special treats and dishes that weren’t even on the menu. And since Gilly was really just beginning to learn words and talk, it was easy for her to repeat the name of the small café, sounding it out phonetically as “choo choo”.
It had been something of a surprise - for both of them - when Tessa had discovered she was pregnant with their second child scarcely a month or so after Gilly’s first birthday. She was almost at the five month mark now, though her baby bump scarcely showed as yet, and tomorrow she was due to have a sonogram that would reveal the new baby’s gender. She’d been convinced for weeks now that she was going to have a boy this time, and Sasha had only reinforced that belief when she’d proclaimed Tessa’s aura was definitely giving off vibes consistent with carrying a male child. Ian liked Sasha a great deal, and still insisted she was the best masseuse he’d ever used, but some of her beliefs and practices were just a bit too “far out” for him to readily accept, like her supposed knack for reading auras. Fortunately, Sasha never took offense to his skepticism, and merely shrugged it off, assuring him that the majority of people she knew felt the same way as he did.
Ian settled Gilly in her high chair at the dining room table as Tessa brought out their dinner. It had become something of a tradition now for her and Gilly to get dressed up once or twice a month for these more formal little dinners. Tessa would bring out the fine Limoges china, Baccarat crystal, and Gorham silver, as well as the very best table linens. When Tessa had first discovered all of the beautiful things he’d acquired over the years, she’d declared it a total waste to keep them stashed away in cabinets, and had vowed to use them as often as possible. He smiled to notice the lit tapers in their antique crystal candleholders, and the bouquet of colorful autumn flowers that graced the table. She had turned on the sound system, and some soft piano music filled the background discreetly.
Tessa had first surprised him with this sort of formal dinner back in April, to celebrate his and Gilly’s joint birthday, when she had dressed both of them up in pretty, feminine dresses. It had pleased him so much that she had kept up the practice, and usually prepared a more elaborate meal this way a couple of times a month.
“Everything looks delicious, darling,” he told her as he prepared to dig into the tender roast chicken, pan roasted sweet potatoes, and glazed carrots.
Tessa had become a talented, innovative cook over the last two and half years since their marriage, and prided herself on making wholesome but delicious meals. During her pregnancies, she was especially diligent about eating as healthily as possible, staying away from alcohol, caffeine, and too much sugar or processed foods. Ian knew without having to ask that everything on his plate was organic, and had been prepared with a minimal amount of fat and salt.
Gilly was an excellent little eater, having been brought up so far on healthy, freshly prepared food. Tessa had been almost fanatical about making her own baby food, turning up her nose at the pre-prepared foods in jars or packets, and had steamed and pureed all of Gilly’s meals until she was old enough to eat more adult foods. As Gilly sat in her high chair, she happily swallowed the spoonful of mashed sweet potatoes that Ian placed in her mouth, and instantly clamored for more.
As he sipped the one glass of wine he was permitting himself this evening - wanting to be as supportive as possible of his pregnant wife - he encouraged Gilly to tell him about her day. She babbled excitedly in her thoroughly adorable baby talk about having gone to the pool for a swim - which Ian knew to be the large indoor pool at the company’s Nob Hill hotel where Gilly was taking swimming lessons twice a week. After that, Auntie Julia had brought Justin and Noah over to the house for lunch, and afterwards Gilly had played with the boys - otherwise known as the twin terrors.
Ian glanced around the formal dining room. “Well, so far as I can tell, nothing’s broken. The chandelier is still in place. And there are no holes in the walls. So I suppose we’ve survived another visit from the devilish duo.”
Tessa laughed. “The twins aren’t that bad. And we were all downstairs in the playroom most of the time. Not as much trouble for them to get into there.”
A few months after Gilly had been born, they had converted the downstairs game room - which Ian admitted he’d only used twice since living here - into a more child friendly playroom. Gilly adored spending time there, playing with her dolls and blocks and the miniature kitchen set that had been a birthday gift from her grandparents.
He arched a brow in their daughter’s direction. “Well, I’d wager a guess that after a swim lesson and a playdate with Julia and Nathan’s little devils that our princess here is going to sleep very, very well tonight.”
“I agree. Especially since she didn’t nap very long today. I expect that right after dessert she’s going to crash. But she was such a good little girl today. Weren’t you, my silly Gilly?” cooed Tessa, as she playfully tickled her baby, causing Gilly to giggle in delight.
She gave him a look of mock chagrin. “You don’t have to abstain from alcohol just because I am,” she argued. “You know it doesn’t bother me in the least if you have a drink.”
“I know,” he replied easily. “And I appreciate the thought, love. But I truly don’t need a pre-dinner drink every night. I’d much rather enjoy dinner with my two gorgeous girls.” He slid a hand to her belly. “Hopefully in a few months I’ll have three beautiful women in my house.”
Tessa placed her hand on top of his, smiling serenely. “But you know I want a boy this time, Ian. And you’ve always given me whatever I wanted. So I just know this baby is going to be a little boy.”
He gave her a playful little chuck on the chin. “Well, by this time tomorrow we’ll know for certain, won’t we? And after your doctor’s appointment I’ll take my girls out to an early dinner. Perhaps to a certain someone’s very favorite French bistro, hmm?” He caressed Gilly’s rosy cheek lovingly with the back of his knuckles. “Would you like to go out to dinner with Mummy and Daddy tomorrow night at Chou Chou?”
Gilly nodded enthusiastically, bouncing up and down in her father’s arms. She loved going out to dinner with her parents, and was especially fond of the charming, intimate little bistro not far from the house. The owners adored her, and always brought her special treats and dishes that weren’t even on the menu. And since Gilly was really just beginning to learn words and talk, it was easy for her to repeat the name of the small café, sounding it out phonetically as “choo choo”.
It had been something of a surprise - for both of them - when Tessa had discovered she was pregnant with their second child scarcely a month or so after Gilly’s first birthday. She was almost at the five month mark now, though her baby bump scarcely showed as yet, and tomorrow she was due to have a sonogram that would reveal the new baby’s gender. She’d been convinced for weeks now that she was going to have a boy this time, and Sasha had only reinforced that belief when she’d proclaimed Tessa’s aura was definitely giving off vibes consistent with carrying a male child. Ian liked Sasha a great deal, and still insisted she was the best masseuse he’d ever used, but some of her beliefs and practices were just a bit too “far out” for him to readily accept, like her supposed knack for reading auras. Fortunately, Sasha never took offense to his skepticism, and merely shrugged it off, assuring him that the majority of people she knew felt the same way as he did.
Ian settled Gilly in her high chair at the dining room table as Tessa brought out their dinner. It had become something of a tradition now for her and Gilly to get dressed up once or twice a month for these more formal little dinners. Tessa would bring out the fine Limoges china, Baccarat crystal, and Gorham silver, as well as the very best table linens. When Tessa had first discovered all of the beautiful things he’d acquired over the years, she’d declared it a total waste to keep them stashed away in cabinets, and had vowed to use them as often as possible. He smiled to notice the lit tapers in their antique crystal candleholders, and the bouquet of colorful autumn flowers that graced the table. She had turned on the sound system, and some soft piano music filled the background discreetly.
Tessa had first surprised him with this sort of formal dinner back in April, to celebrate his and Gilly’s joint birthday, when she had dressed both of them up in pretty, feminine dresses. It had pleased him so much that she had kept up the practice, and usually prepared a more elaborate meal this way a couple of times a month.
“Everything looks delicious, darling,” he told her as he prepared to dig into the tender roast chicken, pan roasted sweet potatoes, and glazed carrots.
Tessa had become a talented, innovative cook over the last two and half years since their marriage, and prided herself on making wholesome but delicious meals. During her pregnancies, she was especially diligent about eating as healthily as possible, staying away from alcohol, caffeine, and too much sugar or processed foods. Ian knew without having to ask that everything on his plate was organic, and had been prepared with a minimal amount of fat and salt.
Gilly was an excellent little eater, having been brought up so far on healthy, freshly prepared food. Tessa had been almost fanatical about making her own baby food, turning up her nose at the pre-prepared foods in jars or packets, and had steamed and pureed all of Gilly’s meals until she was old enough to eat more adult foods. As Gilly sat in her high chair, she happily swallowed the spoonful of mashed sweet potatoes that Ian placed in her mouth, and instantly clamored for more.
As he sipped the one glass of wine he was permitting himself this evening - wanting to be as supportive as possible of his pregnant wife - he encouraged Gilly to tell him about her day. She babbled excitedly in her thoroughly adorable baby talk about having gone to the pool for a swim - which Ian knew to be the large indoor pool at the company’s Nob Hill hotel where Gilly was taking swimming lessons twice a week. After that, Auntie Julia had brought Justin and Noah over to the house for lunch, and afterwards Gilly had played with the boys - otherwise known as the twin terrors.
Ian glanced around the formal dining room. “Well, so far as I can tell, nothing’s broken. The chandelier is still in place. And there are no holes in the walls. So I suppose we’ve survived another visit from the devilish duo.”
Tessa laughed. “The twins aren’t that bad. And we were all downstairs in the playroom most of the time. Not as much trouble for them to get into there.”
A few months after Gilly had been born, they had converted the downstairs game room - which Ian admitted he’d only used twice since living here - into a more child friendly playroom. Gilly adored spending time there, playing with her dolls and blocks and the miniature kitchen set that had been a birthday gift from her grandparents.
He arched a brow in their daughter’s direction. “Well, I’d wager a guess that after a swim lesson and a playdate with Julia and Nathan’s little devils that our princess here is going to sleep very, very well tonight.”
“I agree. Especially since she didn’t nap very long today. I expect that right after dessert she’s going to crash. But she was such a good little girl today. Weren’t you, my silly Gilly?” cooed Tessa, as she playfully tickled her baby, causing Gilly to giggle in delight.
