The CEO’s Quadruplets

“Hello, Bella Donna.” Amory offered his greeting with an extension of his arm.

“Hello, Amory,” Isabella replied, taking his arm gladly as they walked down the familiar hall.

“Do you remember this place?” Amory asked her as they walked down the golden hallways.

Isabella nudged him teasingly. “Oh, how could I forget? This is where I first tried vodka!”

Amory glowered, but smiled. “I know you are lying, Isabella.”

“That’s not true. The signature cocktail of the night was vodka-based, and I decided to try it. It was what I had just ordered when you sauntered over to the bar.”

“See? I knew you remembered!” Amory laughed as they came to the grand double doors of the Art Deco ballroom with its artistically crafted ceilings and custom chandeliers.

As they stepped inside, the memory flooded back to her because the room had been set up much the same way. A long makeshift bar had been created in the back of the ballroom. In the center of the ballroom a dancefloor sat empty and waiting for a crowd to arrive. The deejay booth was empty, but the room still glowed in different Technicolor. Amory led her through all the lounging areas and cocktail tables to the bar in the back where a single rose marked two plates of pancakes: one plate with blueberries and one with chocolate chips.

“These aren’t from the diner you took me to after the benefit, are they?” Isabella asked, sitting in front of the chocolate chips on the plush black barstool.

“I had them made to go and delivered here for us to eat before the movie. I’m having the after party here too.”

Isabella kissed his cheek, but was ready to devour the fluffy and delicate deliciousness before her. She had not had much time to eat this afternoon after Lena had a tantrum over the first taste of mushy green peas that sent all four into a teary-eyed rampage. It had taken her and the nanny most of an hour to soothe them all back into a calm state.

“I know you’ve taken me to some nice places, Amory, but I freaking love breakfast food. You could just take me to diners or pancake places all the time,” Isabella said as she began to cut into her meal.

“I think it would make my great aunts in Sicily sad if we never ate Italian again.”

Isabella swallowed the first warm sweet bite of pancake before replying, “Okay then, we can do breakfast and Italian, and just alternate the two!”

Amory laughed, sipping his iced coffee before cutting into his meal himself.

“Were the kids all right today? I feel a bit bad for not asking that first.”

Isabella shrugged. “Lena was fussy, but that’s honestly normal. I don’t know when they elected her ring-leader, but she is always the first to cry and set the whole peanut gallery off.”

“I know. Hey, peanuts would be a good Halloween costume this October!” Amory said excitedly, leading both of them to imagine the quads in little peanut onesies.

As they continued eating at the bar and drinking iced coffees together, they talked about more Halloween costumes and possible vacations next winter. Amory brought it up as they knew the holiday season would also now involve four birthdays at once.

“It doesn’t have to be baby friendly,” Amory suggested. “It could just be us if you wanted.”

Isabella paused, taking a moment to consider herself without the quads before asking, “Where would we go?”

“Well, Isabella, I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. After almost losing you… I felt like our wedding wasn’t good enough because a marriage is about family. The way my sister helped us and your parents would watch the babies while you slept, even my mom helped by stepping in to help Blake Studios when I needed a couple weeks off. I want to have a vow renewal, in a church, with a priest, and you in a big white dress. All of our friends and family can come, and then we can take a long weekend away maybe somewhere secluded with snow and no reason to leave our room.”

She raised her eyebrows putting down her fork as she replied, “Are you angling for more children? Because with talk like that I could be into making another.”

“No, I’m scheduling a vasectomy. If we’re dying for more children, adoption will do. What I am more interested in is making this next chapter of our lives about family. I was too foolish to see that then, which kept us apart for sometime…” Amory’s voice trailed off as they both remembered that dark part of their relationship, but he took her hand as he slid off his stool and onto one knee. “Isabella Torres, will you do me the honor of marrying me again?”

Isabella grinned. “Do you want to know something funny?”

Amory replied still on his knees, “Does it involve an answer?”

“I was going to give you something that we joked about a while ago. I had it made for Christmas, but I was never able to pick it up in time.”

Out of her silvery purse, Isabella pulled out a small blue box, and handed it to Amory as he stood. He slowly pulled the lid off with curiosity painted across his face. Isabella had anxiety slowly build up in her as she waited for Amory to pull the veil of tissue paper off his gift. When he finally looked at it, he smiled.

“Is this my engagement watch?”

“I had been doing research about blessings of a marriage while I was cooped up in that hospital bed. After our separation, I wanted us to have a rededication that would make even my mother happy.”

Amory pulled the watch and read the engravement on the back of the golden face aloud, “From your beautiful lady. Isabella, this is perfect. If I die tonight, I’m dying a happy man.”

“Okay, and if you do die I am burying you in those silk pajamas you never wear.”

“Great!” Amory laughed. “I’ll rest in peace and comfort.”