Claim
Page 111
Ian observed the two most important women in his life indulgently, noticing for perhaps the thousandth time how closely mother and daughter resembled each other - and how very much they looked like Tessa and her own mother did in one of the photos Glen Rockwell had given them.
Gilly, of course, had been named after her maternal grandmother, though it seemed that they had always called her by the abbreviated version of her full name - Gillian. And at nineteen months, she already looked so much like Tessa that it was a bit startling at times - the curly blonde hair, big blue eyes, rosy cheeks. She also had her mother’s sweet, passive disposition, and had been such an easy baby that Ian had acquiesced to Tessa’s insistence that she neither wanted nor needed to hire a nanny to help out.
“I want to raise my children on my own, Ian,” she’d told him quietly after he had brought the subject up. “And I realize that you and your brothers grew up with a nanny, and that both Victoria and Selina employ one, but that’s not what I want. Please? I promise that if it gets too much for me I’ll consider the idea, at least to have someone in part time. But otherwise I’m very happy to take care of my baby without any outside help.”
And Tessa had proven to be a wonderful mother - patient, devoted, loving. It helped, of course, that Gilly had been so placid and happy, and hardly ever kicked up a fuss. She was their pride and joy, the very light of their lives, and was infinitely precious to them. Their little girl had brought Ian and Tessa even closer together, had forged a familial bond between the three of them that was unbreakable.
His Gilly was most definitely a Daddy’s girl, especially since they shared the same birthday, and she would squeal with delight whenever he entered the room or arrived home from work. She was affectionate and good-natured, and so well behaved that they never thought twice about bringing her with them to elegant, five-star restaurants. Other patrons would stop by their table from time to time, marveling at her good manners, and also complimenting Tessa and Ian on what a beautiful child she was.
Tessa took Gilly with her almost everywhere, utilizing the childcare facilities at both the gym and yoga studio, so that they were rarely separated. The only times they used a babysitter were on those evenings when they attended social events or went to the ballet or theater. Simon, who was as enamored of the baby as they were, often volunteered to stay with her on those occasions, and Gilly adored him as though he was her surrogate grandfather.
Ian had cut back significantly on his business travel, having allocated a good two thirds of the trips to Andrew and another member of his management team, but when he did travel Tessa and Gilly always accompanied him. Gilly loved to fly on the corporate jet, and had already been to hotels in a dozen different states. At the hotels, she was fussed over and treated like a little princess by the staff, though Tessa in particular was very careful not to spoil or indulge her to excess.
But Ian was happy to note that his daughter was the least spoiled child he’d ever been around, and that she happily shared her toys with her playmates and rarely if ever pitched a fit or threw a tantrum when she didn’t get her way. Thus far she’d seemed excited at the prospect of having a baby brother or sister, though Ian wasn’t quite sure Gilly fully understood what that would entail. But given her sunny disposition, and loving nature, he doubted there would be any sibling rivalry or jealousy once the new baby arrived in late March.
He still wasn’t quite sure how he felt about having another baby so soon after Gilly. He rather liked their little family just the way it was, and the uncertainty of how a new addition would affect that harmony was a bit unsettling. But Tessa seemed so happy, so thrilled, that he didn’t have the heart to mention his doubts. And she was such a wonderful mother, really a natural, that Ian was confident that she could easily manage a newborn and a toddler at the same time.
They had both been startled, however, when she’d become pregnant with Gilly so soon after their first wedding anniversary. In fact, if Ian’s calculations were correct, then Gilly had been conceived during that week they’d spent up at the beach house.
When her pregnancy test had come back positive on the first attempt, and Jordan had estimated her to be at approximately the six week mark, Ian had teased her a bit.
“You’re very fertile, aren’t you, darling?” he had told her laughingly. “I’d be willing to bet you got pregnant within days after stopping your birth control pills.”
Tessa had smirked. “It takes two, you know. And if you weren’t quite so potent, it probably wouldn’t have happened this quickly.” She’d grown quiet then, thoughtful, glancing down at her clasped hands uncertainly. “You - you are pleased, aren’t you, Ian? About the baby.”
“Of course I am, darling!” he’d exclaimed, pulling her into his arms. “I’m thrilled that you’re expecting. It’s just a bit of a surprise that it happened quite this fast.” He’d given her a reassuring kiss. “But I couldn’t be happier, Tessa. Especially if it’s a little girl. One who looks exactly like her Yummy Mummy.”
She’d wrinkled her nose. “No one says that anymore, Ian. It’s a very nineties term, you know.”
He had grinned at her mischievously. “Well, you know how hopelessly old-fashioned I can be, so consider me a little behind the times. Besides, you’re the yummiest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Tessa had trailed her fingers down the front of his shirt, toying with the buttons. “Well, I’ll just have to think up a comparable nickname for you then,” she’d teased. “Something like - I know. I’ll call you Dreamy Daddy. Because you’re the dreamiest man I’ve ever seen.”
Ian had tenderly brushed a strand of hair off her forehead. “I don’t know if you’ll remember this, but when you were so sick in the hospital that time after your surgery, I told you I wanted our first child to be a girl. And I promised that we could name her after your mother if you’d like.”
She had nodded enthusiastically. “I’d love that, Ian. Though Gillian sounds a little old fashioned for a baby. But we could call her Gilly for short.”
“Perfect,” he’d agreed. “And I already know that she’s going to look exactly like her yummy mummy. I’ll be the luckiest man in the world to have two beautiful women in my life.”
Tessa had sailed through her pregnancy with ease, experiencing very few of the normal symptoms like morning sickness or fatigue, and gaining only a modest amount of weight. Julia, who’d suffered all of those side effects and more when she’d carried the twins, had teasingly called Tessa a freak of nature and groused that it just wasn’t fair for someone to look so good when she was seven months along.
Gilly, of course, had been named after her maternal grandmother, though it seemed that they had always called her by the abbreviated version of her full name - Gillian. And at nineteen months, she already looked so much like Tessa that it was a bit startling at times - the curly blonde hair, big blue eyes, rosy cheeks. She also had her mother’s sweet, passive disposition, and had been such an easy baby that Ian had acquiesced to Tessa’s insistence that she neither wanted nor needed to hire a nanny to help out.
“I want to raise my children on my own, Ian,” she’d told him quietly after he had brought the subject up. “And I realize that you and your brothers grew up with a nanny, and that both Victoria and Selina employ one, but that’s not what I want. Please? I promise that if it gets too much for me I’ll consider the idea, at least to have someone in part time. But otherwise I’m very happy to take care of my baby without any outside help.”
And Tessa had proven to be a wonderful mother - patient, devoted, loving. It helped, of course, that Gilly had been so placid and happy, and hardly ever kicked up a fuss. She was their pride and joy, the very light of their lives, and was infinitely precious to them. Their little girl had brought Ian and Tessa even closer together, had forged a familial bond between the three of them that was unbreakable.
His Gilly was most definitely a Daddy’s girl, especially since they shared the same birthday, and she would squeal with delight whenever he entered the room or arrived home from work. She was affectionate and good-natured, and so well behaved that they never thought twice about bringing her with them to elegant, five-star restaurants. Other patrons would stop by their table from time to time, marveling at her good manners, and also complimenting Tessa and Ian on what a beautiful child she was.
Tessa took Gilly with her almost everywhere, utilizing the childcare facilities at both the gym and yoga studio, so that they were rarely separated. The only times they used a babysitter were on those evenings when they attended social events or went to the ballet or theater. Simon, who was as enamored of the baby as they were, often volunteered to stay with her on those occasions, and Gilly adored him as though he was her surrogate grandfather.
Ian had cut back significantly on his business travel, having allocated a good two thirds of the trips to Andrew and another member of his management team, but when he did travel Tessa and Gilly always accompanied him. Gilly loved to fly on the corporate jet, and had already been to hotels in a dozen different states. At the hotels, she was fussed over and treated like a little princess by the staff, though Tessa in particular was very careful not to spoil or indulge her to excess.
But Ian was happy to note that his daughter was the least spoiled child he’d ever been around, and that she happily shared her toys with her playmates and rarely if ever pitched a fit or threw a tantrum when she didn’t get her way. Thus far she’d seemed excited at the prospect of having a baby brother or sister, though Ian wasn’t quite sure Gilly fully understood what that would entail. But given her sunny disposition, and loving nature, he doubted there would be any sibling rivalry or jealousy once the new baby arrived in late March.
He still wasn’t quite sure how he felt about having another baby so soon after Gilly. He rather liked their little family just the way it was, and the uncertainty of how a new addition would affect that harmony was a bit unsettling. But Tessa seemed so happy, so thrilled, that he didn’t have the heart to mention his doubts. And she was such a wonderful mother, really a natural, that Ian was confident that she could easily manage a newborn and a toddler at the same time.
They had both been startled, however, when she’d become pregnant with Gilly so soon after their first wedding anniversary. In fact, if Ian’s calculations were correct, then Gilly had been conceived during that week they’d spent up at the beach house.
When her pregnancy test had come back positive on the first attempt, and Jordan had estimated her to be at approximately the six week mark, Ian had teased her a bit.
“You’re very fertile, aren’t you, darling?” he had told her laughingly. “I’d be willing to bet you got pregnant within days after stopping your birth control pills.”
Tessa had smirked. “It takes two, you know. And if you weren’t quite so potent, it probably wouldn’t have happened this quickly.” She’d grown quiet then, thoughtful, glancing down at her clasped hands uncertainly. “You - you are pleased, aren’t you, Ian? About the baby.”
“Of course I am, darling!” he’d exclaimed, pulling her into his arms. “I’m thrilled that you’re expecting. It’s just a bit of a surprise that it happened quite this fast.” He’d given her a reassuring kiss. “But I couldn’t be happier, Tessa. Especially if it’s a little girl. One who looks exactly like her Yummy Mummy.”
She’d wrinkled her nose. “No one says that anymore, Ian. It’s a very nineties term, you know.”
He had grinned at her mischievously. “Well, you know how hopelessly old-fashioned I can be, so consider me a little behind the times. Besides, you’re the yummiest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Tessa had trailed her fingers down the front of his shirt, toying with the buttons. “Well, I’ll just have to think up a comparable nickname for you then,” she’d teased. “Something like - I know. I’ll call you Dreamy Daddy. Because you’re the dreamiest man I’ve ever seen.”
Ian had tenderly brushed a strand of hair off her forehead. “I don’t know if you’ll remember this, but when you were so sick in the hospital that time after your surgery, I told you I wanted our first child to be a girl. And I promised that we could name her after your mother if you’d like.”
She had nodded enthusiastically. “I’d love that, Ian. Though Gillian sounds a little old fashioned for a baby. But we could call her Gilly for short.”
“Perfect,” he’d agreed. “And I already know that she’s going to look exactly like her yummy mummy. I’ll be the luckiest man in the world to have two beautiful women in my life.”
Tessa had sailed through her pregnancy with ease, experiencing very few of the normal symptoms like morning sickness or fatigue, and gaining only a modest amount of weight. Julia, who’d suffered all of those side effects and more when she’d carried the twins, had teasingly called Tessa a freak of nature and groused that it just wasn’t fair for someone to look so good when she was seven months along.
