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Chapter 164

Claire’s suspicions were confirmed when she was indeed put on bed rest.

According to her doctor’s orders, she was to spend most of her time in bed or on the couch, getting up only to use the bathroom, shower, or eat. After a long hospital stay that had made her stir crazy already, she wasn’t happy about it, and Nick couldn’t blame her. But secretly, a part of him was glad.

Claire’s not being able to leave the house meant something else: she also could not leave the state. Flying back to Des Moines was completely out of the question, and her doctor wouldn’t even okay the long car ride north. This had caused quite the interesting predicament, which Nick had watched unfold with amusement.

Jamie had managed to get a few extra days past the holiday weekend off, but being new to his position, he had not accumulated enough sick days to take any kind of extended leave, and so, after only a week in Tampa, he was faced with only two options: fly home without Claire, or risk losing his job. As his was the only income supporting his and Claire’s fledgling family, he opted for the former and left on a Sunday with a one-way ticket back to Des Moines.

Nick couldn’t say he was sad to see him go, and he was even happier about Claire’s being stuck in Tampa. She would be better off here, he reasoned, surrounded by her family and friends and away from her asshole husband. Claire didn’t seem to see it that way at the beginning, but he had faith that she would eventually. He knew how much she had missed Tampa. Once she got used to the idea of being stuck here while Jamie worked back in Iowa, a part of her would be glad.

She didn’t need Jamie anyway. She had him, Nick, and he was bound and determined to do everything he could for her while she was here. He saw it as a way of returning the favor, being there for her the way she had been there for him when he was at his lowest point, years ago. And maybe, just maybe, through doing so, he would make her see that she didn’t need Jamie in her life anymore.

***

Claire flipped aimlessly through a magazine, glancing at the pictures without really looking at them, not even bothering to read the articles. She found it hard to care about the gossip and pettiness inside the pages of the crinkled US Weekly, though it had been a nice gesture for Dianna to bring her copy by. There wasn’t much else to do in the hospital, but read, watch TV, count heart monitor blips, and time IV drips.

It’s an exciting life I lead, thought Claire sarcastically, looking up at the ceiling in dismay. Her eyes followed a long crack in the tile that was one forward and two to the left of her head. She’d studied the crack often in the two weeks she’d been in the hospital; she knew every inch of it by now. If someone put a blank piece of paper in front of her and told her to draw that crack, every branch and tributary, she was sure she’d be able to do it. It was really quite sad.

She never thought, when Amber had rushed her to the hospital on Thanksgiving, that she would be confined to a bed there for the next two weeks, but that was how it had ended up. Dr. Valerio had wanted her under close observation for two weeks, just in case the twins decided it would be a good time to be born again. Thankfully, that hadn’t happened, and after a blissfully uneventful hospital stay, she was being discharged. But even after she went home, she would be on bed rest (or house arrest, as she and Nick had been joking), unable to get up and move around except for when it was necessary. And as Dr. Valerio had insisted that she remain in Tampa, close to the hospital just in case she should go into labor again, the location of her “home” away from home had become an issue.

Of course, her parents wanted her back with them in Gainesville, but as it was a two-hour drive from Tampa, that was out of the question. At first, Claire had been relieved; her mom had a tendency to hover over her like a mother hen whenever she was sick, and the thought of having to put up with that for the next four months was a little overwhelming.

The next option had been Kyle and Amber’s house in St. Petersburg, but even that was further away than Dr. Valerio wanted her.

Dianna and Laureen had both offered up their apartments, which seemed like a good option, as they were both located right in Tampa, until her mother had pointed out that both Dianna and Laureen worked during the day and that Claire would be alone. “It’s not like I need babysitting; I can stay by myself. If anything would happen, I could just call for an ambulance,” Claire had reasoned, but even Dr. Valerio had told her she would need a support person around to stay with her.

“As your doctor, I won’t feel comfortable discharging you until I know you’ll have a place to stay and someone to stay with you,” she had told Claire, her eyes serious.

In a way, Claire was glad for a good excuse not to stay with either of her two girlfriends. As much as she loved both of them, she couldn’t help but worry that she would just be in the way. Dianna was in a serious relationship, and Laureen seemed to be heading in that direction with Nick, and Claire hated the thought of lying in bed in the spare room while either one of them made out with her boyfriend in the next room over. That would be almost as bad as sharing a dorm room in college, but without the booze and midnight pizza deliveries.

Nick, too, had volunteered his house, and in many ways, it seemed the best choice. It was right in Tampa, there was plenty of room, and as Nick would be home on break until his tour rehearsals began after the holidays, he could be around during the day in case she needed him.

But then there was the fact that it was just too weird, the idea of her moving back into Nick’s house and staying with him while pregnant with Jamie’s children and, more importantly, while Jamie was a thousand miles away. She hadn’t even run the idea by her husband because she knew he would never go along with it. He would find it all too convenient and invent a scenario in which she and Nick had planned it all in order to carry out an illicit affair behind his back. It was bad enough that she and Jamie had to be so far apart during all of this; she knew she could not torture him by staying with Nick.

So in the end, her parents had booked a two-bedroom suite at the Chase Hotel and would be staying with her there for the time being. It would do, for a temporary living situation; the hotel was nice, and there would be plenty of space for her and her family and Jamie, when he came back down. But it wouldn’t be cheap, and Claire hated to burden her parents. Of course, they had assured her that they were happy to pay the expenses and would have no problem affording it; they’d saved up plenty from her father’s dentist’s salary. Still, Claire didn’t like feeling dependent on them, physically or financially. She’d be turning twenty-nine in a few months, and here she was living with her parents again.

She wished Jamie didn’t have to be so far away. She wished they’d never moved out of Tampa. She wished she could just stay in Jamie’s old apartment, with him as her support person, the way it should have been. He was her husband, and even though they’d been on shaky ground lately, he was the one with whom she wanted to go through her pregnancy.

But her wishes could not be a reality, and so she let her mother help her pack up her things at the hospital, in preparation of checking into the hotel. A nurse brought the usual discharge papers and home care instructions with clear orders from Dr. Valerio about what kind of activities she could and couldn’t do. Just as Claire had expected, the “couldn’t” list was a lot longer than the “could.”

Assuming she could hold out until her due date, it was going to be a looong fifteen weeks.

“Well…” Her mother took a sweeping look around the room before her eyes settled upon Claire. “Are you ready to go, hon?”

“Yep. Let’s blow this joint,” replied Claire. She was eager to leave, even if she would just be moving from a hospital bed to a hotel one. At least she’d be escaping the IVs and antiseptic smell.

She carried her belongings in her lap while one of the nurses pushed her in a wheelchair downstairs, and her mom ran out to pull the car around. It felt good to get out into the fresh air and ride in a car again, like a normal person. That was always the best part of leaving the hospital after a long stay; she would know.

Looking out the window as her mother drove, it occurred to her that she hadn’t actually seen her hometown since she and Jamie had moved in September. It was nice to be home in Tampa, even if she wouldn’t get to be out and about in the city for awhile.

“I brought a bunch of my books from home, in case you run out of reading material – you’ll probably be reading a lot,” her mom chattered as she drove. “And I grabbed a few movies too, but I figured we can just rent some too.”

“Nick’s got a huge collection; I can just borrow some from him,” Claire mumbled.

“Oh, that’s a good idea. I also picked up a crossword puzzle book and a Sudoku book at the grocery store, so you’ll have some puzzles to do. And Dad’s got his laptop so you can use the computer. And maybe Jamie can bring some of your scrapbook things down next time he comes to visit so you’ll be able to work on that.”

“That sounds good.”

“I think you’ll find plenty for you to do. It won’t be as bad as you think.”

“I know; it’ll be okay. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure the twins are healthy.”

Her mother smiled over at her. “Of course. That’s what a mother does - whatever it takes to protect her children.”

Claire returned the smile, swelling with maternal pride. She understood why her parents were so willing to leave their home in Gainesville and come to stay with her in Tampa – they would do anything for her, just as she already knew she would do anything for her babies. She loved them with all her heart already. Bed rest was a sacrifice she was totally willing to make, for their sake, and it would be a small price to pay if it ensured they would be born fully-developed and healthy.

Lost in thought, she didn’t notice her mother turn left when she should have turned right. Only after a few minutes did Claire realize they were in the wrong part of town. “Hey, Mom? Isn’t the Chase closer to the airport?” she asked, confused. “We’re heading the wrong way.”

“No… you’ll see,” her mother replied vaguely and refused to say anything else. Claire watched out the window, perplexed, as she drove. She seemed to know where she was going. They drove down Bayshore Boulevard, along the perimeter of Tampa Bay, its waters steely-looking in the overcast December day. Her mother passed the gated entrance to one of the ritzy neighborhoods, but swung into the turn lane at the next intersection.

As she made the turn, Claire frowned, perplexed. She knew vaguely where they were – a few blocks or so from one of the many touristy parts of Tampa, where the many luxury waterfront condos began. It was not a part of town she visited often; like most Florida natives, she tried to stay away from the tourist traps. But they were not quite to the tourist part yet; this part of town was still inhabited by normal residents. Okay, rich, normal residents.

“This isn’t the Chase,” Claire said obviously, as her mother guided the car through the gated entry of what appeared to be a six-story condominium complex. “What are we doing here? You didn’t rent a condo, did you? A condo right on the bay; are you kidding?? I don’t want you and dad’s life savings to go to this!”

Her mom simply ignored her as she parked the car and got out. Curious, Claire shut her mouth, unfastened her seatbelt, and carefully climbed out too. As her mother led her up a nicely-landscaped walkway to the entrance of the building, Claire asked once more, “Mom? Seriously, what are we doing here?”

“We’re meeting someone,” her mom replied finally, and left it as vague as that.

Claire gave up and simply followed.

They walked into a lavish foyer, and Claire immediately looked around for someone she might know. But there was no one. And apparently that “someone” wasn’t meeting them in the foyer, because her mom headed straight for the elevator. Once inside, she punched the highest number, and they traveled to the sixth floor.

Upon walking out of the elevator, they found themselves on a long balcony. They didn’t walk all the way down it, though, for her mother stopped at the second door. And to Claire’s astonishment, she pulled out a key from her pocket, stuck it in the door, and turned. Claire heard the door click, and before she knew it, it was open, and her mother was ushering her inside.

She couldn’t help but look around in fascination. The condo was beautiful, spacious and richly decorated, with walls painted in bold colors and trim of light, Sanibel wood. They walked through an entryway which was adorned with some tropical plants and paintings and entered a kitchen with granite countertops and gleaming appliances. Claire’s mind was full of questions, but for now, she could only look, as they passed through the kitchen, into the living room and dining room, which opened up to a balcony overlooking the bay.

“This is amazing,” Claire murmured, shaking her head. “But honestly, what is all of this? Did you really rent it?”

Her mother shook her head as well. “No,” she said, then beckoned with a smile. “Come see the bedrooms.”

Realizing she wasn’t going to get any real answers, at least not for now, Claire complied. As it turned out, there were three bedrooms, all with walk-in closets and two of which had their own bathroom. The master bedroom was huge, and its bathroom was even more impressive, with a built-in jacuzzi that made Claire practically weak in the knees with longing.

“You haven’t seen the den yet,” said her mother as they left the master bedroom.

“There’s even a den?”

“Sure there is; we passed it on our way in.” They walked back up the hall, and her mother stopped outside a door to their right, a door which had been closed. Claire hadn’t even noticed it when they had first come in, but if she had, she would have guessed it was a closet.

It wasn’t.

“Check it out,” her mother urged, motioning for Claire to open the door and peek inside.

Claire turned the knob slowly and inched the door open, wondering what she was going to find behind it. She didn’t know what to expect, and yet, a part of her did. Because as soon as she saw what – or rather, who – was sitting inside the den, she understood. Only one person could be responsible for all of this, and there he was, sitting in the executive chair behind a big, polished wood desk with a huge, shit-eating grin on his face.

Nick, of course.

***

Nick grinned at the look on Claire’s face as she inched into the den of her new condo. She didn’t know it was her condo yet, at least not officially (though she had probably guessed by now), but of course, it was.

“Nick!” she cried, “What is this?!”

“Surprise,” he said, slapping his hands down on the slick desktop. “Welcome home.”

“Welcome home?” she repeated, raising her eyebrows as an astonished smile spread across her face. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

“No, I’m just shitting you.” Nick rolled his eyes. “Of course I’m serious, dummy! The place is yours.”

She just gaped. “And by that, you mean…”

“It’s yours,” Kris Ryan chimed in, emerging from his hiding place in the corner of the room. Claire hadn’t even noticed him yet and gasped when she saw her father.

“Dad! What is going on?!”

“Like they said… welcome to your new condo. It’s yours,” her mother reaffirmed, joining them in the den. Her face was shining, the very same way it had once Nick had finally convinced her to accept the condo on Claire’s behalf. “Thanks to Nick.”

“And no, that doesn’t mean I just paid the first month’s rent. There is no rent,” Nick stressed. “It’s yours. All paid for, no strings attached.”

“What?! You mean, you bought this place??”

Nick couldn’t help but smile; she sounded a lot like her mom had when he had told her, only louder and more blunt.

“That was my reaction,” said Kris with a guffaw, and Nick’s smile grew. Now he remembered where – or who, rather – the loudness and bluntness came from.

“Yes,” Nick answered. “Is it okay? Do you like it?”

“Oh my god, are you kidding?? I love it!! But Nick! You can’t just… You bought me a condo?!” Her voice was incredulous. “Why would you do something like that?!”

Because I love you. Nick cleared his throat and forced the thought away. “Because you need a place to live, and I didn’t want you and your parents to have to stay in a hotel. This place is bigger, nicer, and closer to the hospital. And it’s all yours,” he answered, smiling benignly.

Claire still looked stunned, as if even she, who had known him for almost six years and had even lived with him, could not quite believe that anyone would just buy a condo as a gift for a friend. And the look didn’t quite disappear from her face, even as Nick and her parents explained how it had all come to be. How he had taken it upon himself to find a place for her to live, a place that could be permanent if she wanted it to be, somewhere comfortable and spacious and with a good view, a place in which she could spend her bed rest and to which she could bring her babies home once they were born. How he had bought this condo in her name, paid for it in full, and then told her parents.

“It’s too late,” he had said to them with a smile on his face, when, in shock, they insisted they and their daughter could never accept such an extravagant gift. “It’s in Claire’s name, so if she really doesn’t want it, she’ll have to sell it, I guess.”

That had worked; there was really no way they could turn down his offer. A beautiful condo, free of charge? They were in, and together, the three of them had planned how they were going to surprise Claire with it.

Standing in the den of the condo less than a week later, Claire was definitely surprised. The word “surprised” was an understatement of the greatest kind. She was completely floored, even flabbergasted.

“I can’t believe this!” she gasped, and then she screamed. “I can’t believe this!!!” Nick watched her shock and disbelief transform into giddy excitement, as reality seemed to set in, and she squealed and rushed – sort of waddled, actually, as she was supposed to take it slow – around the desk to hug him, throwing her arms around his neck and planting a smacker of a kiss on his cheek. “You are amazing; did you know that? I can’t believe you!”

Nick offered her a toothy smile, flushing where she had kissed him. “I know. But I think you’re amazing too, and you deserve an amazing place to live. I hope you like it.”

“I told you, I don’t just like it; I love it!!! Wow, I can’t wait to move in!!!”

“Your dad’s already got some stuff in his car to bring up, and Kyle’s going to bring the rest of the things you brought from Des Moines over later this afternoon. Jamie will have to bring some more things from your house next time he comes to visit, but until then, we’ll just buy whatever you need.”

“Jamie!” exclaimed Claire, and her eyes went wide. “Does he know about this yet??”

A smirk spread across Nick’s lips, and he looked to Claire’s parents. He wasn’t sure if Jamie had been told about the new living arrangements yet either.

Carrie cleared her throat, giving her husband a furtive look. “Well, no… we haven’t said anything to him. We thought it’d be best if you called him today and explained.”

Claire started to giggle. “Oh-ho, that’s gonna be an interesting conversation. ‘Guess what, Jamie? Nick bought us a place to live!’” She shot Nick a devilish grin. “He’s going to hate you forever for this. But he’ll love the condo. I mean, come on… how could he not?”

Nick returned the evil grin, quite pleased with himself and, admittedly, a little eager for the fireworks that would surely be on for tonight. Ignoring the awkward looks that passed between Claire’s parents, he and Claire laughed together.

He watched her as she laughed; she looked radiant, happier than he had seen her in months. For the moment, it seemed nothing could quell the good mood he had put her in, not even the promise of her husband’s wrath toward Nick and his infuriating level of generosity.

And to Nick, that was more than worth the price he’d paid for he condo.

***