Chapter 9
“My eyes hurt,” Chelsea whined.
“No they don’t, you baby. We’re almost there.”
Chelsea sighed. She had to admit, there was excitement building in her, if only because she had no idea where they were going. Usually when Matthew said he had a surprise for her though, something amazing happened. She felt the car come to a stop, his hand on her arm as he helped her out of the car. They made their way slowly until he positioned her.
“Okay, open them.”
Chelsea opened her eyes, squinting against the sun. When her vision adjusted, there was a large house in front of them. Red brick stood out against a hunter green garage door and shutters. It was a beautiful house.
“What’s this? Did you buy this?” She asked breathlessly.
Matthew shook his head. “I wanted you to see it first before I made any decisions. I knew you would love this one though. Want to go inside?”
Chelsea nodded her head vigorously. Matthew walked up to the door before he pressed in a code on the box. He held out his arm. She took it happily as they stepped into the house. Right away, Chelsea could see why he knew she’d love it. The house was an array of creams, light brown wood and antiques. He took her from room to room showing her the huge kitchen that included a stove with more burners than she knew what to do with, a double, stainless steel oven, island and a bar. The entertainment room held a long, circular white couch, a huge tv mounted on a wall. There was a corner in the basement designated for wine bottles, another for storage. As they made their way back upstairs, Chelsea peeked into each bedroom. There were four in all, the master bedroom boasting an attached bathroom with a huge jacuzzi tub and walk in closets. Besides the master bathroom, there were five others. Everything looked fresh, clean and sparkling.
“Can we afford this?” She asked quietly.
Matthew laughed. “Money doesn’t really matter, babe. Do you like it?”
Chelsea nodded, a smile on her face. “I love it, Matthew. It’s amazing! Look at all of this space!”
“There’s even a space on the roof where you could garden in the summer, if you like. I know you told me once that you liked growing things when you were younger.”
Chelsea wrapped her arms around his neck. “It’s like you know me.”
He laughed as he kissed her back. She liked the way his lips felt, smiling against hers. When he pulled away, Matthew placed hands on either side of her face.
“There are a few strings attached before we buy this house,” he said.
“Uh oh.”
“Don’t uh oh me, it’s not that bad. I think we should hire a housekeeper to help keep everything in order. You’re going to be very busy, very soon. I don’t want you stressed out because there’s too much to do.”
Chelsea started to protest, but he made a good point. She blew out a sigh.
“Fine. What else?”
“There’s going to be two spare rooms. I want to set one up as your office. That way you can still work if you want to, without having to leave the house. Now, the last thing is one I won’t budge on. I want you to hire a nanny. Take your time, pick one out that you feel is the best option, but you have to do it. Otherwise, you’re not going to be able to handle both your career and the baby. “
Chelsea sighed. “I’ll think about it. That doesn’t mean I’m going to do it.”
Matthew locked the door up behind them as they walked back to the car. “Fine, I’ll take it for now. I will pester you, however.”
She groaned. “Please, don’t.”
Matthew blasted the heat when he got inside, Chelsea turned it back down when he wasn’t looking. It was the middle of October, her belly was rapidly expanding all of a sudden. She swore everyday it got a little bigger. She’d been happy she was one of the lucky ones that would carry small, possibly go right back to her original size after the birth. It was like the baby got wind of this and laughed at her plans.
“We have an ultrasound today, right?” Matthew asked.
Chelsea nodded. “Yeah, we can head there now if you like. I’m sure Dr. Petcher won’t mind seeing us early. Can we get something to eat first?”
Matthew laughed, shaking his head. “Anything you want, babe.”
*****
Chelsea lay on the table, the room darkened with her belly exposed to the air. Dr. Petcher came in herself to do the ultrasound. They’d tried twice before to determine the baby’s gender, but the baby kept curling up. Chelsea was convinced the baby was devious before it was even born, the product of Matthew’s mischievous smile. Dr. Petcher squeeze a bottle of blue gel, the mixture cold as it touched her belly. Chelsea bit her lip nervously as Matthew gripped her hand.
“Let’s see if baby will co-operate first. I’ll take some measurements then…Huh, that’s strange?”
“What? What’s strange?” Chelsea began to panic.