It's so easy to forget where you are when you're tired and sleeping in a comfortable bed. The girls and I were practically buried amongst the fluffy pillows and I can't say that I mind. It was wonderful. I noticed that it was only 6 am when I looked at the nightstand clock as the sky was beginning to brighten. I grabbed the remote off the nightstand and quietly surfed through the channels, secretly loving the idea of watching tv in bed. The girls were pretty much out for the count. They were snuggled close against my body and their little snores vibrated against my sides lulling me to sleep. I didn't realize I had dozed off until I reopened my eyes an hour later to the sun streaming into the window. Lily and Peppa were now nursing with their eyes still closed. I stretched slowly trying not to disturb them from their morning milk. Since I couldn't find it in myself to get out of bed, I turned the tv on Friends and got even more settled. Is this what it's like to be rich? To be a woman living in luxury? I have to admit it was pretty nice. There was a soft knock at the door taking my attention off the show. I looked down to make sure I was pretty much covered.
"Come in." I whispered.
Mason opened the door gently and popped his head in slowly. His eyes widened for a moment taking in the scene in front of him. "Oh, if you want, I can come back." He whispered.
"It's okay, you can come in." I said. Mason knew they nursed but he never actually saw me do it, so I knew it was a different sight to behold.
He slowly stepped into the room, "I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable."
"When there were multiple people staring at my privates while I pushed out a child, words like comfortable barely existed anymore." I said causing Mason to chuckle.
Lily was the first one to sit up from underneath the blanket and I quickly adjusted the left side of my top.
"Hi sweetie."
"Hi mommy." She whispered sleepily.
Mason moved to sit on the edge of the bed, at the movement Lily looked towards him sleepily. He held out his arms hesitantly and she quickly shuffled to the edge of the bed into his hold. He smiled gently as she snuggled close to him.
"Any ideas on breakfast?" I asked.
"Anything is fine with me." He shrugged. "I wanted to go to the food store."
"I thought you have personal shoppers or order in?" I asked.
Mason nodded, "I do most of the time, but I really want to see you shop for the girls and I promised my mother I'd get her something for her garden."
"You want to see what it's like to grocery shop for the girls?"
"Yea. I don't have a lot of kid friendly food here and I wouldn't mind getting full details on what they like to eat."
"You do realize we are leaving tomorrow." I reminded him.
"Yea so?"
I chuckled and shook my head. The idea of having another shopping trip with Mason wasn't so bad, especially with the girls. Peppa began to stir under the blanket, and by stir, I mean grunting, kicking and pushing her body around. During her rough movements, she refused to unlatch my breast. One minute she was snuggled in the crock of my arm and the next she was laying upside down with her legs and butt in my face still refusing to release me. Mason covered his mouth quickly as his shoulder shook slightly from his silent laughter. I groaned rolling my eyes more than used to their aggressiveness.
"Mommy I need to pee pee." Lily said.
Mason looked stunned for a moment and I laughed.
"She's wearing pull ups. I already attached their seat to the toilet." I said.
Mason got up quickly to carry Lily to the bathroom and Peppa finally released me from her grip. I sighed happily and adjusted my top quickly.
"Morning my Peppa pea." I said gently.
"Morning momma." She whispered.
"Do you want to use the toilet?" I asked her.
It took her a moment, but she eventually nodded. I got up slowly and held her to my side as I went to the bathroom. Mason was already readjusting Lily's pajamas when I walked in.
"Alright, potty break number two." I said.
Mason grinned as he reached for Peppa next. I helped Lily wash her hands and brushed her teeth quickly. I tried not to allow the co-parenting moment to get to my head.
I made pancakes, eggs and sausage for breakfast. I don't know if it's the idea of cooking in a new kitchen or being genuinely happy about Mason and the girls bonding more, but it was fantastic. After breakfast, we got dressed and made our way to the food store. The weather was chilly today and thankfully the food store wasn't crowded at all, so it was easy to get comfortable enough to browse through the aisles. Mason wore a simple black t-shirt and jeans with a beanie to cover his head full of hair. I was quickly noticing that black was his favorite color. The girls and I were wearing matching pairs of joggers and beanies. My joggers were red while the girl's joggers were pink. It's one of the few things I bought for us to match.
"Cereal or no?" Mason asked.
"Definitely cereal. Captain Crunch and Coco puffs only." I said.
Mason grabbed the boxes off the shelf, and I lifted a brow at the amount. Mason simply shrugged in response.
"Mommy nuggets!" Lily yelled out.
"Nugget lover." Mason smiled and I nodded in response. "You can get it Lily." Lily grinned and handed it to him to put in the kart. Mason grabbed up two more boxes and I rolled my eyes.
"Are you trying to keep them here?" I asked jokingly.
"Well no, but I want you guys to have everything you need for every time you come down." He explained.
I nodded in understanding as Lily browsed through the aisle happily and Peppa sat in the kart looking through the groceries.
"I'm so glad that they're finally warming up to me."
"I know, it happened faster than I thought." I admitted.
"They don't normally do that?"
"Lily maybe, she is more extroverted and is pretty open, Peppa on the other hand..."
"Closed off." Mason finished. I nodded in response. "I wonder who she got that from?" Mason said, smirking at me.
I chuckled, "Well the apple didn't fall far from the tree with Lily." I said pointedly.
"Yea, she's a lot like me, isn't she?" He said, staring at her affectionately. "It still fascinates me how perfect our genes are mixed."
"Nah, your genes scored the winning goal and mine sat on the bench." I laughed.
"Twail mix mommy?" Lily said pointing to the bag of trail mix on the top shelf.
"Trail mix is one of their favorite snacks." I said.
Mason reached down to pick up Lily and extended her up to grab the chip off the shelf. She tossed it in the kart next to Peppa happily and was placed back on her feet. I watched carefully as Peppa pouted instantly before raising her arms towards Mason.
Mason smiled, "Aww someone wants a little attention I see." He said grabbing her out of the kart.
"Someone is a little jealous." I smirked.
The rest of our shopping trip was uneventful. Mason was eager to find out all the girls favorite foods and snacks and was even more eager about the idea of them trying new ones. Mason swiped his card ignoring my offer to pay for half and we were out the door.
"I'm surprised you don't have a driver." I said as Mason unloaded the shopping cart, placing the groceries in the car.
"I do have a driver, but I only utilize him on special occasions.
"Why?"
"Because I have no problem driving my own car wherever I have to go." He said.
"Most wealthy people have it all: bodyguards, drivers, butler's, personal cooks."
"And we do. My parents use their driver's and bodyguards more on a regular basis but the rest of us don't care unless there is a publicity event. I do have a maid, Ms. Ella, but she only comes by Mondays and Fridays. I don't need a personal cook because most of the time I go to my mother if I want a home cooked meal, otherwise I order out or live off the basics." He shrugged.
I nodded quietly as I considered his words. I already knew that Mason and Caleb were pretty much down to earth, it's hard to remember that they too are celebrities. I guess I always assumed that celebrities always have zero privacy and are under constant protection, it's a bit settling to know that wasn't the case. We left the food store quickly and made our way back to Mason's house. I was in the kitchen putting away all the groceries when my mother video called me.
"Hi mom." I said.
"Hey, wow, don't you look like a rich stay at home mother." She grinned.
I rolled my eyes, "How are you?"
"I'm okay love, are you guys loving it there at Mason's?"
I stretched back to catch a glimpse at Mason and the girls. They were playing hide and seek, the girls new favorite game. Making sure they were distracted, I grabbed my phone to give my mother a tour of the kitchen.
"Oh, holy mother of chefs everywhere." She said in awe.
I let out a burst of laughter at her words. "It's beautiful isn't it?"
"It's fabulous Ava, my God, so elegant, so bold and soothing. I wish I was there right now." Mom groaned.
"I knew you'd love it. I'm putting up groceries, we just got back from the store."
"How did he acquire such a kitchen?"
"Well to my knowledge Mason designed and helped build his own house. His mother and sister helped with the colors and decorating."
"It's fabulous." She said in awe.
"I agree." I smiled.
"Where is everyone?"
"Mason is playing hide and seek with the girls."
"When are you guys leaving for his parents’ house?"
"Um we soon have to get dressed." I mumbled. We were meeting there for two and it's almost one.
"Are you nervous?" Mom asked.
"Not as much as I thought. It's different now, the scales have tipped in my favour."
"That's true." She nodded.
"Gotcha!" I heard Mason yell as he grabbed Lily. She squealed in glee as he spun her around and I couldn't help but smile. For someone who didn't know a thing about having kids he sure is a fast learner.
"Do you want to see the girls?" I asked.
"No, you can let them have their fun. I have to start getting ready for work soon, so I'll talk to you later."
"Ok mom."
"Oh, by the way, I'd really like some more effort on your end while bonding with Joey." She said.
I groaned, "Not this again."
"I mean it Ava, the man is trying, so the least you can do is meet him halfway."
"I thought that I was." I said. I know Joey and I started off a bit rocky, but I honestly started to warm up to the idea of having him in my mom's life.
"It doesn't seem so."
"Mom..."
"I'm not trying to force you into anything honey. I just want my loves to get along."
"We will." I sighed.
After I was done with the groceries, I was finally able to pry the girls away from their game with Mason to get ready. I decided that it was the perfect day for the girls to match. I dressed them in their dark pink jumpsuits with long-sleeved shirts underneath and of course, their cocomelon shoes. I wondered minutely on how they would react when their feet outgrow them. I styled their hairs in a cute fitted bun on the top of their heads and added pink bows. Once I was pleased by the girls’ appearances, I quickly got dressed. Using Mason's favorite colors, I wore a long-sleeved black shirt with a flared grey skirt and black leggings. I ran my brush through my hair and grabbed my grey boots out of my suitcase to wear.
"Are you ladies ready, wow! Girls you look so beautiful." Mason said. He leaned against the door post casually.
The girls beamed at the compliment and I quickly packed their bag.
"You are wearing the right colors." Mason grinned towards me. He was wearing a blue long-sleeved turtleneck shirt and dark jeans.
"Got to keep up with the theme." I shrugged.
"You look beautiful." He smirked.
I nearly slapped my cheeks to keep it from heating up at his words. "Thank you."
We left the house quickly to make our way to his parents’ house. The girls talked amongst themselves while I tried to keep any nerves I have at bay. To say Mason was relaxed would be an understatement. He hummed lightly to the music on the radio, nodded his head and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. Normally I would find his actions endearing but I was slightly annoyed that he was completely at ease and I was struggling to keep my cool.
"You're happy." I noted.
"Of course, I am. Why wouldn't I be?" He asked, glancing at me.
I shrugged in response but didn't comment. I could still feel Mason glancing at me every few seconds and I kept my head focused on my lap.
"Hey," he nudged me. "Everything will be okay, I promise." he said.
"I know, I'm just..."
"Nervous, I get it."
The massive gate opened slowly revealing the beautiful mansion. It would be even more beautiful if my first visit wasn't such a disaster.
"Will your father be here?" I asked.
"My mom said he would be but knowing him I doubt it."
We got out of the car quickly and released the girls. I wanted to talk to them before we headed inside, and I crouched down in front of them to make sure I had their attention.
"Lillian, Penelope." I said. At that their eyes focused on me instantly. They understood that I was serious. "This is Mason's daddy and mommy's house okay?" They nodded slowly before extending their heads back to take in the mansion. I nudged them a little to bring their attention back to me. "You are going to meet Mason's family okay? I want you to be very good girls like you always are and keep your hands to yourself."
"Okay momma," they said in unison.
"Okay, I be a good girl mommy." Lily said.
"I be a good girl too." Peppa interjected.
"I know you will be." I kissed their heads gently before straightening up. Mason was waiting patiently with a small smile on his lips.
"You're a natural." He said.
Mason opened the door with ease, and I wondered if the door was as heavy as it looked. He waved his arm through the entrance and we entered ahead of him. The girls were close at my side, almost too close and I wonder if this weekend is too much for them. Mason house alone was a major distraction. He helped us remove our coats and slowly started to guide us through the mansion. The girls’ feet were stagnant as I tugged them along.
"Momma." Peppa whispered softly. I looked down to see her pulling onto my tights shyly. I picked her slowly and kissed her cheek.
"It's okay baby, it's just a house. Isn't it pretty?" I said soothingly. Peppa nodded but still held me close.
Lily released my hand to grab onto Masons and he grinned happily. "Hello? Where is everyone?" He called out.
"In here!" A voice answered.
Mason walked towards an open room which I quickly realized was the living room. The room was bright, almost too bright because of the excessive use of white and gold. Regina stood casually near the entrance in a jeans and lacy pink top. It's the most casual I've ever seen her. A little boy who I assumed was her son Jarvis was sitting on the conch on a tablet. My eyes finally landed on Mrs. Reynolds who looked a bit uncomfortable standing near the couch. She fidgets lightly but smiles politely when our eyes met.
"Oh, my lord, Mason you brought us some princesses." Regina squeaked excitedly.
She showed so much enthusiasm I wondered minutely if she was serious. Regina's choice of words was exactly what the girls needed. Lily's eyes lit up instantly and Peppa finally lifted her head to see.
"Yes, I did." Mason grinned proudly.
Regina moved to her knees gently and held out her hand. "Hi, I'm Aunty Gina, and your name?"
"Lily." Lily took Regina's hand lightly to do a tiny shake.
"Oh, you're Princess Lily it's so nice to meet you." She grinned. She looked up and stood slowly in front of me. "That means you must be Princess Peppa."
Peppa nodded her head gently and gave Regina a small smile.
"Ava it's so please to meet you properly. I'm Regina." She winked holding out her hand and my nerves instantly vanished because of her light nature.
I shook it lightly, "Nice to meet you too."
"I hope this doofus didn't give you a hard time." Regina said pointing at Mason.
"I was on my best behavior." Mason laughed.
"He was a complete gentleman." I replied nodding.
"Good, oh I almost forgot." Regina grabbed a box that was on a side table before turning to face us. "I got them something."
"You didn't have too." I said.
"Another one of your experiments?" Mason smirked.
"Oh shush." She crouched down to Lily's level and I followed her lead so Peppa could see too.
Regina opened the black box revealing two pink tiaras. They looked so beautiful and delicate, but they weren't shaped like normal tiaras. The tiaras were shaped to literally spell out the girl's names. A Penelope tiara and a Lillian tiara.
"Oh wow." I said impressed.
The girls’eyes lit up as expected at the sight of anything sparkly.
"A crown mommy, like Elsa." Lily said.
"Yes, baby it's a beautiful crown."
"Mine?" Peppa asked hesitantly.
"Yes, baby girl these are your crowns." Regina said pulling out the Penelope shaped tiara. "For Princess Peppa." She placed it on top of her head gently before turning to Lily. "And this is for Princess Lily."
Peppa wiggled to get out of my hand and went to look at Lily.
"Lily look at me." She said pointing to her head happily.
"Look at me to Peppa." They were so caught up in their little bubble over their gifts.
"What are you supposed to say?" I asked.
"Thank you." They said in unison. They leaned over to hug Regina happily and she beamed at the acceptance from her nieces.
I stood up slowly realizing that Mrs. Reynolds had yet to move from her spot. Before I could say anything though, Mason noticed.
"Come on mom, don't you want to meet your grandkids?" He asked.
Mrs. Reynolds slowly approached us with a shy smile before leaning down to look at the girls.
"Hi Princess Lily and Princess Peppa, I'm Marie Ann."
"Nana Ann." Mason interrupted.
Mrs. Reynolds looked up at Mason moved by his words. "I'm Nana Ann." She corrected herself.
"Hi." Peppa whispered.
"You're a Nana too?" Lily asked, curious.
"Yes, I am." Mrs. Reynolds grinned.
"Ohh hii." Lily beamed.
"Hi, you girls are so beautiful, and I love your hair."
"Momma did our hair." Peppa said, patting her bun.
"It's perfect for little princesses." Mrs. Reynolds grinned and finally straightened up to look towards me.
"It's nice to see you again Ava." She whispered.
"You too." I said.
"I wish I could pretend that what happened here last time didn’t, but I can't. Please accept my sincerest apologies for my family's reaction. We are not used to drastic changes and you were unexpected." She looked down at the girls fondly. "Unexpected but a blessing indeed." She whispered.
"Apology accepted. You have every right to be protective of your family, I get that." I said.
She beamed at me taking my hand gently into hers to give it a little squeeze, her deep emerald eyes looked bright much like Mason's and even the girls.
"Jarvis put that down, come say hi ." Regina called.
The rest of the afternoon moved by quickly. We all moved to the back yard for the kids to play. Jarvis was very welcoming towards his cousins and played with them eagerly even though they were younger. We sat in these beautiful outdoor chairs as we watched them play. The Reynolds property was massive to say the least, getting lost would be so easy. While the kids played, Mason took me on a small tour on the property. Mrs. Reynolds and Regina were still on the patio, so I wasn't worried about the girls. Mason showed me different things from the indoor swimming pool, the tennis court and Mrs. Reynolds greenhouse.
"Shocked?" He asked.
"There are no words." I said in awe.
We were slowly making our way back to the yard where everyone was. Mason shrugged, "It's just a house."
"There it is ladies and gentlemen, the understatement of the year." I said.
Mason laughed out loud, "It is just a house."
"To you maybe. To me it's a mini community." I said, making him laugh harder.
"I grew up here my whole life, so I guess I'm immune to the wonders."
"What was it like growing up here? Not having to worry about money or college, just anything at all."
"You'd think that having money can solve everything. It can solve a lot but not everything. Growing up here, most of my childhood was spent indoors with a book in front of my face. I was bent on being the perfect son and making my parents proud."
"Were you and Caleb competitive?"
"Definitely. Always trying to be the smartest or the most athletic. It was a constant push and pull between us and there was no end to it. To think though, I was pushing so hard to be better than him and he turned out to be better than me." Mason smiled.
"Why would you say that?"
"Caleb found out what made him happy faster than I did. The minute he discovered what he wanted he stopped trying to beat me and I got tired of winning."
"And what did he wanted?"
"To be an author of course. Reynolds Publishing was his dream since we were sixteen. It brought us a lot closer when we stopped looking at each other as rivalries."
"What about you? What do you want?"
Mason stared off into the distance. "I'm slowly discovering it." He said. "What about you? Was growing up hard, especially without your dad?"
"It was even when he was around. My mother was a cook at a shabby little diner near our home. She worked hard to keep us afloat and made me grow up faster than I should."
"I could understand that. My father's assertiveness sucked all the fun out of us over time."
"You're fun." I smiled.
Mason shrugged, "Maybe. What about your grandparents?"
"My grandpa died when I was thirteen and it was then that my grandma reached out to us. Of course, my mother was still hurt, I mean who wouldn't be, they exiled her for a mistake. She died shortly after though."
"So, it really has been only you and your mom."
"From the very beginning." I nodded.
We were finally able to see the girls and Jarvis again. Regina and Mrs. Reynolds were still on the patio watching them and taking pictures.
"They already love them." I said.
"Have you seen those faces? Who wouldn't?" I chuckled at his words, rolling my eyes. "Believe what you want but we made some beautiful kids." Mason grinned.
I cleared my throat ignoring the flutter in my chest at his words. "What about your dad?" I asked, changing the subject.
Mason sighed, "I told my dad that if he can't be cordial then be scarce. He's probably still in his study."
I didn't even know he was home. "Do you think he'll come around?" I asked.
"It may take a while because he's a very stubborn man, but I do believe that overtime he will begin to come around."
The rest of the evening flew by. We had a small dinner and it surprised me that Mr. Reynolds was adamant not to show his face, instead the butler took his food to his study. I wasn't exactly bothered by it though, it made the day a lot more easier. The sun was beginning to set when we decided to call it a day. Mason was helping us with our coats when Mrs. Reynolds walked swiftly towards us with her hands behind her back.
"Wait, I almost forgot." She grinned. She pulled out two stuffed cocomelon dolls.
The girls gasped instantly and reached out to grab the dolls. "Oh wow, momma it's cocomelon!" Peppa squeaked.
"Yes, I see that." I smiled.
"Mason told me it was their favorite show." Mrs. Reynolds said.
"Yea it is, thank you." I said.
"Thank you Nana Ann." The girls said hugging the stuffed dolls close.
"It's not a problem my dears, you're so welcome." She smiled.
The girls moved to hug her legs closely and she bent to wrap her arms around them. Mrs. Reynolds' eyes tightened as she held the girls close, a tear escaped from her eyes and she sniffled before pulling away.
"Oh, Nana Ann, don't cry." Lily whispered, using her little hands to wipe Mrs. Reynolds' tears.
"You're a big girl." Peppa said gently.
I felt the familiar pinch in my eyes and nose and blinked quickly to control my emotions. Mason placed his hand on his mother's shoulders to comfort her and helped her to stand.
"It's okay mom, you'll see them again." He said gently.
I nodded agreeing with Mason's words. After today, I won't dare keep them away from their new Nana.
"Alright, come on it's getting cold, say bye bye girls." Mason said.
"Bye Nana Ann and Aunty Gina and Jarvis." Lily waved.
"Bye Jarvis, Bye Aunty Gina, bye Nana Ann."
I chuckled as the girls started listing off everyone's names. I was about to leave the porch when Mrs. Reynolds took my arm in her hands.
"Thank you, thank you so much for bringing them to us." She said.
"You're welcome Mrs. Reynolds."
"Please, call me Marie."
"Marie." I said.
"Have them call me at any time." She said.
"Me too." Regina interjected.
"Will do." I grinned.
We quickly made our way back to Mason's house and all I could think about was jumping into bed after such a full day.
"Today was okay wasn't it?" Mason asked as we walked into the house.
"Yes, it was, better than I thought."
"Told you." He grinned.
I quickly headed upstairs to get the girls ready for bed. Mason was a great help in giving the girls a bath and he was able to witness for himself the struggle of getting them ready. Lily's theatrics to taking a bath have decreased some but it was still there. Luckily Mason and I were able to calm her down good enough to get it over with.
"Geez, I won't undermine motherhood again." Mason said tiredly.
"Good for you." I chuckled.
"I'm going to call it a night. Night girls." He smiled. He pulled the girls into his arms snuggly and spun around before placing them on the bed.
"Night night." They giggled.
"Night my sweets." He kissed them gently on their heads and leaned over to ruffle my hair lightly. I shoved his hand away grinning as he left. I turned the tv on a show for the girls while I headed in the shower. I made a quick call to Cat to give her a run down on how the weekend was. I could always count on Cat to be excited over anything going on in my life, she was indeed my cheerleader. Her and Caleb have been closer than ever over the last few weeks and I couldn't be happier for them. I said a quick goodbye after I was dressed and went back to the room. Peppa was occupied with her new dolls and stuffed animals while Lily played with the remote by flipping the channels on the tv.
"Alright girls it's soon time for bed." I said.
I moved to the mirror to pin my hair up for the night. It's easier to sleep when I don't have to worry about my hair tickling me at night or waking up with a bird's nest on my head.
"Mommy I see you."
"Hmm?" I turned from my task to see Lily standing in the bed and pointing at the tv.
"Lily, no jumping in the bed."
"Mommy look! Look!" She shouted.
I turned towards the tv to see what the fuss was about, and my blood instantly went cold. "Oh my god." I gasped. There was a picture of Mason and I at the food store with the girls earlier today. It looked like someone snapped it from their phone. The picture wasn't very clear, but the next photo nearly dropped me to my knees. It was a picture of Mason playing with the girls at their birthday party. I staggered to the bed quickly and took the remote from Lily to turn the tv up.
"Trouble in paradise? Mason Reynolds, the son of Charles Reynolds and CEO of Reynolds Inc was spotted fraternizing with a woman outside of Fred Meyer food store earlier today. They were also carrying two little girls. The photo spiked around the internet raising questions when another photo was released showing Mason Reynolds playing with the same little girls at what looks to be a children's party which raised even more questions. Who was this woman? Do the children belong to Mason? If they are, where were they all this time? Mason is also in a loving relationship..."
I stopped listening as the panic fully set in.
"Mason!"
YOU ARE READING
The Best Mistake
RomanceHow do you tell the man that you love, the man that you're afraid to disappoint, the man that you can't imagine being without, that you're pregnant with someone else's baby? Pregnant by someone you don't even know? You can't....