apter 21 of 54: Chapter 21
6%
plans for the upcoming week.
After Anelise fell asleep, Leslie went to her room and called her mom. “Houston, we have a problem!”
“What’s going on, sweetheart?”
“Ani is pregnant.”
Naomi sat on the edge of the bed, taken aback. “Well, shit.”
Leslie was surprised. Her mother was a proper southern lady and never swore. “Wow, Mom!”
“I have an appointment tomorrow, but I’ll be over on Wednesday, and we’ll make some plans,” Naomi said before hanging up.
“Everything okay, love?” Johnathan Rothchild walked in and removed his watch.
“Well, yes and no,” Naomi said, looking at her husband. “Ani is pregnant.”
3
Johnathan was shocked and sat on the bench at the foot of their bed. “Wow… She was the last of the kids I would have expected to be in this situation. I was waiting for JJ to announce he got some girl pregnant. But Ani? Never in a million years!”
“I know. I’m going over there on Wednesday to see what I can do,” Naomi sighed.
“Well, let me know how I can help and just remind her that I love her, okay?” Johnathan said.
“I will. You’re a good man, Johnathan Rothchild,” Naomi smiled and squeezed his hand.
UNLIMITED
Michael had his entire family over for Ollie’s third birthday, along with some friends. He appreciated the distraction of having people around so he didn’t have to dwell on the pain in his chest.
He didn’t know how he was going to get through this. It didn’t help that Anelise had sent Ollie the perfect gift, and every time he saw it, he was reminded of her.
His three nieces and two nephews were running around, along with a few kids belonging to his friends. Ken and his wife Judy and Craig were mingling with the others, watching their friend drift aimlessly.
Ken and Craig were the only ones who had seen how Michael and Anelise interacted and the deep connection they shared.
Michael’s family wanted to know more. So, when everyone else had left, the cousins were in bed, and Michael was trying to get Ollie to sleep, they questioned the two men.
“All I can say is that the first time Michael saw Ani at the airport, this look came over him. It was like he had discovered a new planet and won the lottery at the same time,” Ken said.
Chapter 21 of 54: Chapter 21
52%
UNLIMITED
“And I can vouch for the fact that when she walked into that business dinner, I swear, you could see and hear his heart beat differently, just for her,” Craig added.
Michael’s younger sister Lisa asked, “But how does this compare to Kara? How-”
“There’s no comparison!” Craig interrupted. “What he feels for Ani is so much more than what he ever felt for Kara.”
The rest of the family sat back, stunned, until Michael’s older sister Monica sniffled. “It’s so sad that they aren’t together! Michael deserves someone who loves him, and it sounds like Ani does. Can we get him to change his mind?”
Dennis shook his head. “He feels like he would be limiting her because he’s much older and has Ollie and she has so many opportunities; she’s just graduating.”
The family thanked the men and let them leave just as Michael was coming back. James, Lisa’s husband, handed him another beer, which he gratefully accepted.
“Michael, are you doing okay?” Lisa asked.
“Work’s been rough, what with all the reports for London and the meetings that come with it. But yeah, I’m holding up,” he said, giving a nonchalant shrug.
“But Mickey, we’re talking about the other thing… about A
Annelise had her first prenatal check–up in September and was taken aback to discover she was further along than she’d anticipated. Now it was October, her twenty–first birthday, and she was nine weeks pregnant and feeling sicker than she’d ever felt before.
Her morning sickness lasted all day, and she had to take anti–nausea medication just to keep anything down. The Rothschilds, her surrogate family, rallied around her, offering help in any way they could.
Leslie and Naomi, her closest friends, accompanied her to her appointments and made sure she was eating enough. Ashley, the youngest Rothschild at seventeen, often kept her company when Leslie was out, so she wouldn’t feel alone.
Jonathan, the family’s eldest son, was helping her look for a car, and she was determined not to spend too much of her savings. She needed to stretch the money she’d earned from her job in London and from other part–time jobs she’d worked during college.
She knew she’d need a car once the baby arrived and she graduated, so she could find a job. But she also knew that wouldn’t be easy. Jonathan had a plan to add her to the company’s insurance in December, so her parents couldn’t use that as leverage over her.
She was definitely planning to stay in Nashville for at least a year after the baby was born to get her bearings.
And even though Leslie insisted she didn’t need to move out, Annelise didn’t want to impose on her friend’s life with a newborn, especially since Leslie still had another semester of school and was single
and loved to date.
Annelise was relieved that she’d managed to survive a video call with her parents that morning without them suspecting she was sick; she’d managed to keep down her blueberry muffin and ginger ale.
There was a knock on the door, and she opened it to find a delivery man holding the largest bouquet of pink, purple, and white calla lilies, her favorite flower. He brought them in, and she signed for them before closing the door behind him.
She stared at the flowers, knowing they were from Michael. He knew they were her favorite and had bought them for her a few times in London. A card was attached, and her lip trembled as she opened it.
To the most beautiful twenty–one–year–old in the world. These flowers pale in comparison to you.
She felt the first tear fall, and then a flood of tears followed. She sat at the table, taking a few deep breaths, as Naomi and Christopher, Leslie’s second brother, walked in.
UNLIMITED “Ani! Are you okay?” Christopher asked, concern etched on his face as he moved to rub her shoulders.
She nodded. “Just reading the card from my flowers and the tears started.”
Both of them realized the flowers were probably from Michael and didn’t press her further.
Chapter 22 of 54: Chapter 22
