As Luck Would Have It Read online

  Sydney’s mother wasted no time. She threw her arms around Marcus and gave him a big kiss on his cheek. “Never mind him. He’s grouchy when he has to drive longer than an hour. He’ll loosen up after he’s had a glass of wine.” Interlocking her arm with his, Lucy made her way toward the kitchen. Marcus looked back at Sydney for some assistance, but all she could do was shrug and follow them.

  Shortly after Sydney gave her mother the grand tour of the house, everyone else started to arrive. First, Michael and his wife with their two kids, and then Dominick showed up with Natalie. “He wouldn’t let me drive alone,” she said to Sydney, motioning to Dominick with her thumb. “Hey, where’s Mr. Hotness?” Finally, Peter showed up with his wife and three kids.

  Marcus made his way through the crowd of people gathered in the foyer. “Here I am,” he said, smiling as he made his way over to Natalie. He leaned down to give her a kiss hello, and she threw her arms around him and gave him a tight squeeze.

  “Easy, sista,” Sydney said. “He’s still a little sore from the accident.”

  “He looks good to me,” Natalie said. She noticed Claire, Michael’s wife, staring at Marcus. “Doesn’t he, Claire?”

  Michael grabbed Claire before she could answer and pulled her toward the kitchen.

  “Hey, why don’t the boys all go to the playroom and occupy yourselves while we get the rest of dinner ready?” Sydney suggested to Marcus and her brothers.

  “Yeah, that’s a good idea.” Marcus led the men up the stairs to the bonus room, turning around to wink at Sydney.

  When the turkey was finally ready, Sydney corralled everyone into the dining room. Her new dining room set sat twenty comfortably. It was the biggest table she could order. The kids were thrilled that they didn’t have to sit at a separate table this year.

  There was so much food that they didn’t finish eating until it was dark. Marcus noticed that Sydney didn’t eat very much. He cornered her in the kitchen as she was clearing the table. “Babe, are you feeling okay? You didn’t eat very much.”

  “I’m still not feeling one hundred percent. I must be getting a stomach virus ‘cause I just can’t shake this nauseated feeling.” She patted Marcus’ hand. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry. I’m sure it will go away by tomorrow.”

  Stewart and Stella were nice enough to drive back to Sydney’s old house to make sure that everyone knew where they were going. Antonio and Lucy turned in shortly after everyone left.

  It wasn’t long before Marcus and Sydney turned in themselves. By the time Marcus washed up and gotten into bed, Sydney was already snoring. Two nights in a row that he didn’t even get a good night kiss. Something wasn’t right.

  The next morning, Marcus woke up to Sydney puking in the bathroom. He wanted to make sure she was okay, but as soon as she heard him come into the bathroom, she warned him away. “I thought it might be a stomach virus. I’ll be fine. You go down and have breakfast with my parents. I think Stella’s here already.”

  Marcus did as he was told and joined the others at breakfast. “I don’t think Sydney will be down for breakfast. She’s not feeling well this morning,” Marcus informed them. “It must be a stomach virus.”

  Marcus joined the men at the table. Shortly after he was done with breakfast, Sydney showed up looking much better. “Feeling better already?” Marcus asked her.

  “Yeah, actually, I am.” She leaned into Marcus to give him a kiss on his cheek. “Sorry about this morning and about falling asleep on you last night again. I’ve been really tired lately.”

  After a weekend spent eating and laughing, their guests left right after breakfast Sunday morning.

  Sydney’s parents were getting ready to leave when her mom pulled her aside and whispered into her ear, “I really don’t like the way you’ve looked the last few days. Please make sure you go and see someone. Maybe you’re pre-menopausal.” Sydney had never thought of that. Maybe she was. Either way, she agreed to see her doctor early in the week. Sydney hated to say goodbye to her mother. Usually, she was really strong and wouldn’t cry until she was out the door. That was not the case this time. The tears just started rolling down her cheeks.

  “Sydney, it’s fine. We’ll see each other at Christmas. We talk almost every day.” Lucy hugged and kissed Sydney on the forehead. “Take good care of my baby,” she told Marcus.

  Before Marcus could agree, Sydney’s father reprimanded her mother. “Would you stop telling that boy what to do, she’s not a baby, she’s a grown woman. Get in the car before we have to drive home in the dark.” He shook Marcus’ hand, kissed Sydney goodbye, grabbed the luggage, and walked out the door.

  Sydney’s mother hugged Marcus. “I know you’ll take great care of her. It’s very obvious how much the two of you love each other.” She kissed Marcus on the cheek and turned to Sydney. “Please make sure you call me after you see a doctor.”

  The rest of the day, Sydney and Marcus lounged on the couch. Sydney dozed off every once in a while, but her nausea went away. Throughout the day, the kids came down to make themselves something to eat. When Michaela came down and saw that Sydney had fallen asleep, she asked Marcus if he wanted anything. Marcus was so surprised that he got up and offered to make something for the both of them.

  It was the first time he had actually had a conversation with Micky. By the time they were done with their sandwiches, Sydney had gotten up and made her way into the kitchen. “Hey, are you having a party without me?”

  “Nah, just having a sandwich,” Micky answered while throwing her trash away. She made her way to her mother, kissed her cheek, and said, “He’s really a nice guy. Love you.” Then she disappeared back upstairs.

  Marcus asked Sydney if she was hungry and offered to make her a sandwich. “Nah, I think I’m gonna go up to bed. Wanna come and cuddle with me?” she asked. “Just in case I do have a stomach virus, I don’t want you to get sick.”

  “Yeah, let me clean up here, and I’ll be right up.”

  Sydney made her way upstairs. She said her good nights and went into the bathroom to wash up. Once she was in her nightie, she crawled into bed and fell asleep. Marcus wasn’t surprised when he saw Sydney fast asleep in the bed. He knew she hadn’t felt well all day. He washed up and went to bed himself.

  Just as she promised her mother, Sydney made an appointment with her doctor the next day. She asked Marcus to go along with her and he was more than happy to take her. Since it was just the two of them, Marcus took the Cadi.

  “I’d like to draw some blood and run a few tests,” the doctor advised Sydney. “When was the first day of your last menstrual cycle?”

  Sydney’s face went blank. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had her period. She hadn’t had her period the entire time she was with Marcus. “I don’t remember, but I had my tubes tied thirteen years ago.”

  “That’s fine. Let’s just draw some blood and run the tests,” the doctor said.

  Sydney looked at Marcus, who just shrugged his shoulders. He didn’t really understand what was going on. When the doctor came back into the examining room, he had a very peculiar look on his face. “What is it, doc?” Marcus asked.

  “It’s just as I suspected.” He turned to Sydney. “You’re not pre-menopausal. You’re pregnant, about seven weeks.” He noticed the concern on Sydney’s face. “I’d like for you to have a sonogram to make sure the pregnancy is progressing properly. You know, only two percent of women who have a tubal ligation are able to get pregnant again.”

  “We weren’t trying to get pregnant,” Marcus told him. Marcus stood next to Sydney as the technician gooped up her belly. As soon as she touched the instrument to Sydney’s belly, they could hear the faint heartbeat. Tears in his eyes, Marcus asked, “Does that mean the baby’s okay?”

  “Actually, your babies sound great,” the technician said. Sydney looked at Marcus with fear in her eyes. She wasn’t sure how he would react.

  “Oh my God, Sydney we’re having twins.” He grabbed her
head and kissed her face all over.

  She looked him straight in the eyes and said, “As luck would have it, you’re gonna be a father after all.” She paused as he smiled in reply, and then the realization struck her. “I can’t believe I’m doing this again.”

  Table of Contents

  Copyright

  Dedication

  CHAPTER one

  CHAPTER two

  CHAPTER three

  CHAPTER four

  CHAPTER five

  CHAPTER six

  CHAPTER seven

  CHAPTER eight

  CHAPTER Nine

  CHAPTER ten

  CHAPTER eleven

  CHAPTER tweleve

  CHAPTER thirteen

  CHAPTER fourteen

  CHAPTER fifteen

  CHAPTER sixteen

  CHAP1TER seventeen

  CHAPTER eighteen

  CHAPTER nineteen