Chapter 52

Annelise was amazed at how she’d managed to get the house ready for Christmas. Cookies were baked, and she and Michael had been taking Madeline to her doctor appointments for her foot. She was worn out, but she was determined to make the holiday special for her kids.

She lay on their bed, thinking back to the six weeks since the twins were born. Michael had held her as she cried when the doctor told them about Madeline’s clubfoot and what the next few months would entail for their baby girl.

They hadn’t even named the girls yet, and they were already having to think about so many aspects of Madeline’s future. Naomi had gone into full-on protective mode the moment she found out about the baby girl, and Annelise needed her more than ever.

The entire Rothschild and Whitlock families had been incredibly supportive. Susan had flown in to help, and between her and Naomi, they’d taken care of the boys, allowing Annelise to rest, recover, and bond with the girls.

The families had called, sent meals, played with the boys, drove them to appointments, and were always there for a hug when needed.

Annelise turned on her side, a soft smile on her face as she remembered when they’d named the girls. Michael was on the hospital bed with her, each of them holding a baby. They were finally alone.

***

~“So, what names do you think fit them?” Michael asked, cradling Baby B.~

~Annelise bit her lip. “I really like Madeline for baby B…”~

~Michael looked at her and smiled. “I know there’s a story behind this.”~

~She nodded, “There is. Madeline is a little girl who lives in a boarding school in Paris. In one of the books, Madeline gets sick and has to go to the hospital to have her appendix removed...”~

~“I thought it just fit since she’ll be spending a lot of time at hospitals and doctor’s offices over the next few months. Hopefully, that’s all…”~

~Michael smiled softly. “I think it’s perfect. Hello, baby Madeline,” he said, kissing his daughter’s head.~

~“And for this little one,” Annelise indicated. “What about Sophie?”~

~“Do you mean Sophia?” Michael asked, thinking of their original name list.~

~“No, just Sophie. We’d have Ollie, Henry, Maddie, and Sophie,” Ani said, loving how all the names flowed together.~

~Michael’s smile widened. “I love it! And I love you so much, Annelise.”~

~She smiled back, leaning over to kiss him before resting her head on his shoulder, enjoying the quiet time with their daughters.~

***

Annelise sighed, feeling drained after Madeline’s last appointment. They’d fitted her for braces to start correcting her foot and she would need to wear them before she needed surgery to fix her Achilles tendon.

She would need physical therapy and possibly help learning to walk, but they would see how it went.

“Hey love, you okay?” Michael walked in to find his wife lying on the bed, looking exhausted. He hated that the girls hadn’t had the same calm and easy introduction to the world.

Poor Sophie wasn’t with her twin as much as they would have liked, but it couldn’t be helped. Anelise tried to spend quality time with each of the kids, but Ollie, being more self-sufficient than the other three, often got the short end of the stick.

She felt terrible, but she had to take care of the girls.

“Yeah, I’m okay, just tired. More mentally than physically at this point. Sometimes I can’t get my mind to shut off,” she admitted.

“I know, love, but you need to try. Christmas is in three days, and we need to relax and enjoy it,” Michael reminded her as he took off his shirt to change into his pajamas.

She sighed. “I know. I just keep thinking about the worst-case scenario with Maddie. And it makes me almost hyperventilate when I think of reconstructive surgery.”

“That’s a small possibility, Ani. You have to have faith that she’s going to adapt to the therapy and the braces,” Michael said.

She nodded. “I’m trying. I promise.”

He climbed into bed with her and kissed her softly. “Go shower. I’ll keep an ear out for the kids.”

She showered and climbed into bed, grateful that the next day was Saturday. She curled up against her husband and was instantly asleep. She got up with the girls to feed and change them before everyone woke up again.

Michael got up with them the second time at 4:30, feeding them a bottle. Anelise woke up to Henry talking to himself and went down to start breakfast. She always made pancakes for them on Saturdays and loved the laid-back atmosphere instead of the craziness of weekdays with work and school.

An hour and a half later, the dishwasher was loaded and running, and they were hanging around the living room when Maddie started crying from the swing. Ani got up to pick her up, but Ollie got there first and scowled at her.

Michael watched him and just before Annelise got there, he yelled, “I don’t like you! I want you to go away!”

The sudden loud noise startled her, and she started crying harder as Michael leaped up and picked him up. Annelise gasped. “Oliver! Why did you do that? You scared Maddie!”

Annelise was rocking the baby and trying to calm her down when Ollie squirmed to get down and started crying. “I don’t care! Mommy is always with her! She never reads to me anymore or takes me to the park! Send her away!”

Michael was stunned, and Annelise felt the tears start to run down her face as the little boy ran to his room with Goat hot on his heels.

She knew he had taken a back seat, but she had no idea that was how he felt and looked at Michael helplessly. She felt horrible and knew he had to feel left out, but they never expected this.

“I’ll go talk to him,” Michael said and started upstairs.

“No Michael, I’ll go. Take Maddie, and I’ll go talk to him,” she said wiping the tears from her face.

Michael took the baby from her. “Don’t be too hard on yourself, Ani. Everyone is adjusting.”

She gave a small nod, her smile faint, and ascended the stairs. She found him sprawled on his bed, Goat by his side, tears streaming down his face. She sat next to him, her hand gently stroking his leg while Goat affectionately licked her face. Ollie turned to her, his face streaked with tears.

“Ollie, sweetheart, what’s the matter?” she asked.

“You’re always with Maddie. You never pick me up from school anymore. It’s always Nana or Grandma. You don’t read to me before bed anymore. You were my mommy first, and you don’t love me anymore!” he cried out.

“Oh, Ollie!” she exclaimed, pulling him into her arms and rocking him gently. “Sweetheart, you mean the world to me, and I love you so much! I know I’ve been away a lot, but you understand why, right?”

His sobs continued. “I know. Maddie’s leg needs to be fixed, and the doctors need to help her. But why can’t you let Daddy take her, and you stay with me?”

“Daddy and I need to be there to make sure she’s getting the best care. Ollie, I know this is tough, but you’re the best big brother in the world. You’re so good to Henry, and I’m so proud of you!”

“I love you so much, sweetheart, and I promise I’ll do better. How about after Christmas, you and I do something special?”

“Just me and you?” he asked, his voice filled with doubt.

“Yes, just you and me. We can go to Adventure Science Center and then to lunch?” she suggested.

“Really?!” he asked, his sobs subsiding.

“Yes, sweetheart. Just you and me.”

“What about Maddie and Sophie and Henry?” He asked, his voice cautious.

“Daddy or Nana will watch them. It’ll be just you and me,” she reassured him.

Ollie climbed into her lap and hugged her tightly. “I’m sorry, Mommy. I yelled. I just miss you!”

She hugged him back, just as tightly. “I know, buddy. I miss you too. I know things have been hectic since your sisters were born, but you need to talk to me or Daddy about how you’re feeling. We can’t help if we don’t know what’s going on.”

He hugged her again and mumbled, “Do I have to tell Maddie I’m sorry?”

“I think that would be a very kind thing to do, Ollie. What do you think?” Anelise asked.

He looked at her and sighed. “Yes, it would be nice... Is she going to be mad at me?”

“No, I think once you apologize, she’ll be fine,” Anelise reassured him.

He hugged her once more before heading downstairs to find Michael cradling the baby. He approached them, standing by the couch, and gently stroked Maddie’s light brown hair. “I’m sorry, Maddie. I didn’t mean to yell at you.” He then planted a kiss on her head.

“That’s very kind of you, Ollie. Thank you,” Michael said, pulling the little boy onto his lap. “I love you, Buddy. You’re very special to me and Mommy. You’re our first child, and that’s something extra special that your brother and sisters don’t have.”

Ollie looked at his father, saw the smile on his face, and nodded. He returned the smile. “I’ll go get dressed, Daddy. I want to play outside with Goat.”

Michael nodded, watching him scamper back upstairs. Anelise sat next to him, letting out a sigh. “Why didn’t you tell me that parenting can be tough sometimes?”

“Because at the time, I didn’t know it was! He was much easier when he was younger and couldn’t talk!” he replied, making her giggle. He kissed her forehead, hoping they could make it through the holiday without any more tears.