"That's the chance you take for leaving the other side of the bed cold," said Mimi putting her hands up. "So, surprise me." The hands went a little higher in expectation.

Jolly shook her bowed head before getting up and standing behind Mimi. She turned Mimi around to look toward the back of the new workshop. The workroom had been the first thing finished in the new renovations and Jolly had been hard at work on creating memories for their children's futures.

"For baby number one," she pointed to the bed. The concept was the same as her grandfather's with the addition of some new character. "For baby number two." The headboard was finished and Jolly was almost done with the other. All that was left was the carving for bed number three.

"You know something, Jolly?"

"What's that, baby?"

"All those years of waiting for you were worth every minute. You've given me so much love, and all these tangible things that'll live on for years to come. All the love your pour into these pieces will inspire a lot of Andolini carvers for generations to come." Mimi stepped closer to the finished bed and ran her fingers along the wood. Even though she was looking forward to having their family there was one thing she had neglected to ask Jolly. "You aren't mad I didn't give us more "couple time" before we started a family?"

Jolly walked Mimi to the new recliner by the worktable, and eased her down. "You were smart with the timing before I got too old to play with them, and I'm planning on "couple time" for the rest of my life. So no, love, I'm not mad at you. I love you for doing this." With a quick flick of the lever the chair went back so Mimi could get comfortable.

"Where'd this chair come from?" asked Mimi before pulling Jolly down for a kiss.

"Knowing you so well, the surprise was you held out this long before coming out here." The answer got her a pinch along with a sleepy audience that visited every night until she was done. All they needed now were children to put in the beds Jolly had made.

Their doctor's appointments moved to a once a week schedule as Mimi's mid November due date got closer. The usually energetic, good-humored blonde was marking off the days on the calendar they kept in the kitchen hoping the days would click by faster. She swore even the act of sleeping made her tired, and as she added more weight to all the pounds she'd gained, the more short tempered she got with Jolly. When the architect took it in stride and just smiled when Mimi complained, the angrier the expectant mother got.

"You ready to go?" Jolly had cleared her morning at the office to come and take Mimi to see Ellie and Sam.

"Once you find and put on my shoes. Then I'll be ready." Mime sounded irritated enough already so Jolly turned and headed toward the bedroom for shoes. "I remember a time when you walked in and kissed me h.e.l.lo first," was the yell Mimi sent Jolly down the hall with.

"I tried kissing you last night and you told me to take a lap around the park," said Jolly as she knelt and put Mimi's shoes on.

"Did you fall off the roof again? Just because I was tired last night, you don't want to kiss me ever again?" The bottom lip started to quiver and Mimi's green eyes got extremely gla.s.sy.

s.h.i.t! I can take the crabby Mimi, but tears are a different story. Jolly knew better than to say another word before soothing the hormone induced hurt feelings. She stood up and leaned over the large belly to reach Mimi's lips. It was as long, soft and longing as Jolly could make it without putting her libido into overdrive. Chunky fingers combed Jolly's hair back when they broke apart making her smile. I knew the old Mimi was locked away in there somewhere, thought Jolly.

"I'm sorry I'm such a b.i.t.c.h lately."

"Baby, you've got every right to be in a bad mood. I'd of killed somebody by now." Jolly tried her best to commiserate with her swollen partner without sounding condescending. "Let's go and get this doctor's visit done so you can come home and take a nap."

Jolly kept her eyes on the road but as they pa.s.sed, she pointed out their newest construction site on the way to the doctor's office. The fact she now spent her days trying to keep the neighbors happy during the day and Mimi when she got home in the afternoons made her want to laugh. The owners of the older homes always circled the wagons whenever there was new construction on the few vacant lots left in uptown New Orleans. So far they seemed pleased with the style of house Jolly and Tim had designed.

When they pulled up to the clinic Jolly got out and walked Mimi to the elevator before going to park the car. Jolly walked in to find Mimi sitting across from another pet.i.te blonde who she could tell was pregnant, but not as far along as Mimi. What made Mimi smile was the sight of an older African American lady chasing after an active dark haired little boy.

He would run and knock some magazines on the floor before running to the blonde and crash into her legs and slam his hands playfully on her lap. "Honey, stop throwing all those books on the floor and making Mona pick them up."

"Doccy, mama."

"I know I can't wait for Doccy to get here myself. You want mama to read you a story?" She pulled a book out of the diaper bag and sat the toddler in the chair next to hers. Mimi reached and held onto Jolly's hand wishing for the day she was doing the same thing with their three.

"Mimi, Jolly, how are you?" Harry Basantes had walked in and saw the couple listening to Desi read a story to Jack. Mona was sitting on the other side of Desi with her eyes closed grateful the little menace was taking a reading break.

"Hey, Dr. Harry, we're doing fine in the broken bones department, just waiting to fill up all the extra rooms I added onto the house. What are you doing in here?" asked Jolly.

Harry pointed to the crew sitting across from them but wasn't able to get anything up before Jack stood in his chair and screamed, "Doccy."

"Hey, little buddy." She had to run forward before Jack just walked off the edge of the chair. "This motley crew belongs to me." Harry held Jack as she sat next to Desi, kissing her wife before she made introductions.

"See, Jolly, you're supposed to kiss the girl before anything else," said Mimi.

"I'll take note, honey."

"Guys, this is my wife Desi, our son Jack and our live in grandmother, Mona. Everyone, this is Jolly and Mimi Andolini."

"It's so nice to meet you. Harry's told me so much about you and I hope she conveyed how much we've enjoyed your painting, Mimi." Desi got up and shook hands with the two women.

"Like I told Harry, I'm glad it went to a good home."

"Have you been working on anything new?" Desi ignored Harry's arched brow mean to stop her from bothering the artist.

"Triplets," said Mimi in a teasing voice. "I'm sorry, I was joking. I was working on a new series but standing in front of an easel has been replaced by standing in front of our refrigerator. The only painting I've been doing is in the babies' room. Maybe after I give birth I can come by your gallery and talk to you and your partner about hosting my next show."

"You know our gallery?"

"I keep all my clean brushes in one of your pieces and we have another one in the bedroom I use for all the flowers Jolly buys me, so yes I know your work. The gallery I know from all the bragging Harry did about you when Jolly was in the hospital. She said you and Tony would be the perfect choice if I wasn't happy with my current arrangement."

"We'd love to talk to you anytime you want, and I'd love to see what you did for your upcoming gang." Desi wanted the nurse to come and call either them or the Andolini couple in so she could thank Harry for what she did.

Ellie walked out instead and grabbed Jack from Harry. "How's my G.o.dson?"

"He acts just like that overgrown adolescent there," Mona pointed to Harry. "If you want, he can come to live with you for a while."

"Mona, you'd be the first person to knock me down if I tried to leave the house with this sweet boy." Ellie hugged Jack tighter and turned to Mimi and Jolly. "And how's my population explosion doing?"

"Counting the days," answered Mimi. She looked up at the baby her doctor was holding and it made her want to cry. All this misery she was going through would be worth it if in the end she held such a precious gift who looked as much like Jolly as Jack looked like Harry.

"I'll bet. Why don't you and the fainter come on back and let's take a look at the brood."

"One little incident and I'm labeled for life. Just wait until someone looks at your ultrasound and tells you college is going to cost you $200,000 a year." Mimi was starting to enjoy the visits with their two doctors. It seemed they saved jibes for Jolly and loved teasing her about the first ultrasound Mimi'd had to check on the progress of her pregnancy.

Desi handed Mimi a card before Ellie escorted them to a room, thrilled that the artist's second show was almost a.s.suredly on its way to opening in their studio. Her other half had obviously downplayed her sales pitch to Mimi and Jolly when talking about Desi. Mona took Jack without asking why having seen that look on Desi's face before.

"Harry would you like to show me to a room, please?" Desi grabbed the front of the white lab coat and pulled Harry toward the inner office. They didn't need an audience for the thank you the generous doctor was going to get from her wife.

One of the nurses just smiled as Harry followed Desi into an empty room and closed the door. "Have I told you lately how much I love you?" asked Desi.

"You're pretty good about that so I have no complaints."

"Well I do love you, even when you're out playing Santa and getting me stuff I want."

"I had ulterior motives." Harry helped Desi on the exam table and stood between her legs.

"What's that?

"I love the little crab puffs you have at all those openings, so I thought this might be a good way to get some."

Desi leaned her head to the side to give Harry more room to nibble knowing the food line was just a joke. "So it had nothing to do with making me happy?"

"Of course it had to do with making you happy, woman. I'd think by now you'd know I'd dance naked in the OR if that's what it took to make you happy."

"Don't get crazy on me, Harry, and don't stop what you're doing."

In the next room Jolly and Mimi looked at the screen staring in fascination as two of the babies sucked their thumbs. Ellie was moving the wand getting a good look at each little face letting the expectant parents get a glimpse of what was waiting at the end of the pregnancy.

"Mimi, I can't begin to tell you how important it is for you to take it easy for the next month or so. You're pressure is just slightly elevated but nothing we have to do anything about now. Think of this as Jolly's time to wait on you and fulfill your every whim." Ellie finished up her exam and jotted some notes into the chart in her hand. Sam and her were keeping their fingers crossed that Mimi would at least last until the first of November.

"No problems there. If there's one thing this pregnancy's done for me is that I'm never alone. Having Jolly working from home is going to make me dread the end almost, but then I have to go to the bathroom so often it'll be nice to get my bladder away from the constant attack it seems to always be under from these guys."

When they got home from the appointment, Christy was waiting in the kitchen for Jolly. The a.s.sistant didn't mind the trips to the house to bring her boss all the files and records she needed for upcoming and current projects. Jolly got Mimi comfortable on the sofa with a drink and a blanket to watch television before turning her mind toward Christy and business.

"Christy, I need the folder on the Pearl property first. There was a message on my voice mail this morning saying they'd finally come to a consensus on the style and are ready to proceed."

"You got it boss." Christy dug into the box she'd brought over with her to find the first of all the files Jolly had asked for. "What to place a bet on who caved?" In her short time with Jolly and Tim, the a.s.sistant was familiar with the argument the Pearls were fighting. The first time it had happened she'd been shocked when the wife had chunked Jolly's stapler at her husband after he disagreed with her on how many bathrooms they needed.

"If he knows what's good for him and he's smart, Mr. Pearl caved."

"Why do you say so?" asked Christy standing next to Jolly's chair with the folder she'd asked for.

"Because no woman no matter how great her husband is, wants to live in a house that reflects just his personality. He should just add a study to the plans and be done with the process."

"You speak from your personal experience as a husband?"

Jolly laughed at the sarcasm dripping from her a.s.sistant's question. "No from my personal experience with designing and building Tim and Pam's place."

"How about with Mimi?"

"Any disagreements we had during our renovation were quickly resolved so there was never a problem."

"Never?"

"No, any disagreements we had were quickly resolved with my giving in."

They both laughed when a loud, "Ha!" was heard coming from the direction of the den. "Jolly Lee Andolini, G.o.d could strike you down for telling lies that big."

Christy really laughed at Mimi's reprimand. "Boss, Mimi must make a mean souffle."

"Mimi's beautiful and she paints divinely, but she can't cook. So no, she can't boil water much less whip up something as complicated as a souffle." Jolly leaned back in her chair thinking how strangely off course their conversation had gotten.

"I just thought she's done such a good job at whipping you, it would transfer into the kitchen."

It was Mimi's turn to laugh when Christy ran past her with Jolly hot on her tail. If she had to be stuck vegetating at least she'd have entertainment. The funniest part was Jolly had been right. All the changes Mimi had wanted were incorporated into the house. "You guys are going to have a great life. I know I do," she said with her hands over her midsection as she spoke to their unborn children. She meant every word since having Jolly around would be like having an always willing playmate at their beck and call. Mimi went to sleep as the sound of laughter rang through the house. Her dreams carried her to a time when it would be three little children Jolly was chasing.

CHAPTER 5.

"ARE YOU COMFORTABLE?" Jolly put one more pillow behind Mimi's back before moving down to rub her feet.

"I'm as good as I'm going to get for the night I guess. Can we talk about something while you carry out your nightly pampering?"

"Is something wrong?"

The blonde held out her hand suddenly wanting Jolly close to her. "Nothing's wrong, honey. I was just thinking about what comes next."

"h.e.l.l of a time to think about it now, isn't it?" Jolly moved so she was pressed up against Mimi's back with her hand on her partner's large midsection. "That's an easy one though. We bring these little guys home, love them, then set them loose on the world some day."

"It's that simple, huh?" Her voice was light, but her grip on Jolly's hand was too tight. There was something else on Mimi's mind.

"What's wrong, love?"

"I want you to promise me you'll be ok if something happens to me."

Jolly sat up a little so she could see Mimi's face. "What do you mean, if something happens to you? What's going to happen to you?"

"Honey, I just want to talk about this so it won't be on my mind later. During child birth there's a million things that could go wrong, and if they do, I want to know you'll be all right. We're going to have three children and they're going to need you."

"Mimi, I really don't think I want to have this conversation with you now. You're young and healthy, nothing's going to happen to you."

With a grunt Mimi rolled onto her back and lifted a hand to rest on Jolly's cheek. The same wave of depression that rolled over her every time she looked at her ring finger minus the diamond Jolly had given her swamped her again. After her fingers started their imitations of sausages she'd had to remove it or face pliers to pry it off. The ring now rested at the end of the platinum chain Jolly had gotten and Mimi was counting the days when she could wear it again.

"Promise me you'll be ok and I'll drop it."

"I promise, but trust me, it won't be necessary." Jolly kissed Mimi's palm and smiled. "Now promise me you won't waste anymore time on this."

"I can't help it. There's nothing to do all day but lie here and imitate a slug, so the weirdest things just pop into my head. I have some more to do in the babies' room, but after I mix the paint I need, I'm too tired to use any of it." The tears the little tirade caused didn't bother Jolly as much as they did at first. Having a pregnant partner had been a lesson in emotional trauma of every proportion.

"You know what I wish?"

Mimi wiped her face with the edge of the sheet and shook her head, "What?"

"I wish I could make love to you." What Jolly thought was a compliment only made Mimi cry harder. "Baby, I only said that to make you feel better. I miss you is all. Why are you crying?"