Aubrey (Axis Rising)

006:

*****006

We went from counseling on Monday's to swimming lessons. See, I was trying to be as normal of a mom as possible. We actually went to the Ventura Aquatic Center. The kids did swimming lessons, and then spent the rest of the afternoon playing in the splash park area.

I hated the drive.

It was an hour from counseling in HB, to home, and another hour to the swimming pool. While Aidan drove, Felicity and Rein normally, but not always took naps, and I did Virgil's schooling with him. Which had the major effect of making me extremely car sick. Keeva happened to be with us today, so she was able to help him when I couldn't--- her Spanish wasn't nearly as good as mine, but she did her best, and didn't get sick.

I eventually closed my eyes to get rid of the nausea, and fell asleep. That two o'clock nap time thing. We'd meet up with nanny Abbie at the pool.

Sleeping in the car was so relaxing. As a child, I remembered road trips, not many, but a few, we were always traveling, but mostly by plane, since both of my parents were pilots. Either way, the drone of the car or the plane had that buzzy relaxing feeling that lulled me to sleep. Um.... So nice.

I dreamed of the quints for the first time. I dreamed we were in the delivery room, and Eli—the guy I'd just met with the crazy kid Juan--- he was there, and trying to deliver my babies, which were for some reason coming half C-section and half vaginal. The twins were sharing blood vessels in a twin to twin transfusion and needed laser surgery of which only I was equipped to administer. But the single baby had all kinds of birth defects. Which baby to save? They were all important. All equally of value. How could I ever choose?

I woke with a start as Aidan pulled us into the parking lot at Ventura Aquatic center. The kids woke as well, and I gasped, still in the throes of my freaky stress dream. Under no circumstances would I ever want to tell Rafe or anybody about my dream. Consequently, the need to tell somebody was huge!

I felt unsettled, sweaty in the AC, bleary eyed and heavy. I shouldn't have slept in the day, shouldn't have slept in the car, shouldn't have slept at all....

The phone rang in my hand as Abbie got the kids and their gear out of the car.

"Au-ber-rey." It was my ever-loving man.

"Yeah?" I couldn't even think of a clever greeting, I was so sleep befuddled.

"You invited Lance to live with us?"

I opened the car door and the heat of the day bombarded me. I instantly felt chilled and sweaty and very huge prego. I slid to the ground--- since this was a high rider van, and reached to take Virgil's waiting hand. He always escorted me. Abbie had Rein, and Keeva had Felicity.

The parking lot was full. "Yeah, his house is like detoured. They're doing construction."

"I'm not upset. I'm surprised."

"Why? 'Cause he's having issues? Or?"

"No. Neither. 'Cause we've got guests already."

"This isn't permanent." I assured him.

"He likes you."

"Oh for goodness sake, he does like me. I'm his sister!"

"No, he likes you."

"He does not. He's gay."

"No, he's a wannabe gay now. He's thinking of switching and you're his first conquest."