Chapter 129
epilogue:
“Nic, where are you?!” Lucie’s panicked voice shrieked through the phone. Nic, elbow-deep in work at his office, preparing the next day’s itineraries with his secretaries, was suddenly thrown off balance by her urgent tone.
He shot up from his chair, making everyone in the room jump at his abrupt movement. “Moro mou, is everything fine?” he asked, his voice tense with concern.
“No, I-I think I’m going to have the baby.” Lucie’s voice was strained with fear and pain.
Nic’s heart stopped. Lucie was nine months pregnant, but her due date was still almost three weeks away. “But I thought there was still time—” He paused, cursing himself silently. Theos! He should never have left her alone at home this late at night, especially not when she was so close to her due date. A glance at the clock told him it was quarter to twelve at night.
“Nic, I don’t control these things. Can you come home now!” Desperation laced Lucie’s voice, and Nic felt as if someone had slid a piece of ice down his spine.
“Of course, I’ll be home in a minute. Are you in pain, kardoula mou? Do you want me to call for an ambulance?” He fumbled to throw his coat on, his hands shaking as he talked to her on the phone.
Panic surged through him like a tidal wave. The baby is coming! The baby is coming! Goddamn it! For a moment, he almost forgot where the door was and walked in the complete opposite direction. Not surprising, considering the situation he was in. “Goddamn it!” he cursed under his breath, frustration evident, as he finally located the door and ran towards it, narrowly avoiding ramming his head into a glass window.
As he rushed out, Nic caught sight of Darius trying his best to stifle a laugh. Oh, he found Nic’s panic amusing, did he? Well, the pretty boy could kiss his Christmas bonus goodbye this year. Nic glared at the new joining of his team before bolting down the corridor and into the elevator, moving like a headless chicken.
“Lu, hello? Talk to me, darling. Are you alright? Are you in a lot of pain?” He jabbed the ground floor button repeatedly, as if that would make the elevator descend any faster.
“I’m fine now. Just get here quick, okay?” With that, Lucie hung up, leaving Nic in even more of a panic, now that he had no idea what was happening. At least she didn’t sound like she was in pain. He realized he was sweating despite the November chill, his hands shaking slightly as he opened the door to his car.
And drove like a maniac to get to his apartment, in the heart of the city of bustling Athens.
“Lucie?” Nic shouted loudly as he burst into the apartment. The living room was dark, which only heightened his fear. ‘Where is she?’ “Lucie?” he called out again, his voice frantic and echoing through the empty space. He was about to dash toward the bedroom when suddenly, the lights flicked on and confetti rained down from all directions.
“Happy Birthday!” Voices boomed across the room, and Nic was suddenly surrounded by people from all sides. His parents were there, his friends, his colleagues, even his gym buddies, all singing "Happy Birthday" in a silly, sing-song manner.
But Nic's eyes were searching for someone else, and they only stopped when he spotted Lucie among the crowd. He made a beeline toward her, his heart still racing like a race car. She was all dressed up in a beautiful royal blue halterneck dress that elegantly showcased her nine-months-pregnant belly.
“You’re alright?” he asked, his voice filled with concern as his hands roamed over her, checking for any signs of pain or distress.
Lucie smiled reassuringly, placing her hand on his cheek. “I’m fine, Nic. It was just a little prank to get you here for your surprise party.”
Nic exhaled a deep breath, relief flooding through him. “You scared the hell out of me, Lu,” he said, his voice trembling slightly.
“I know,” she replied, her eyes twinkling with amusement. “Happy birthday, my love.”
Nic couldn’t help but laugh, pulling her into a gentle hug, careful of her belly. “You got me good, Kardoula mou. You got me good.” “Lucie?” Nic shouted loudly as he burst into the apartment. The living room was dark, which only heightened his fear. ‘Where is she?’ “Lucie?” he called out again, his voice frantic and echoing through the empty space. He was about to dash toward the bedroom when suddenly, the lights flicked on and confetti rained down from all directions.
“Happy Birthday!” Voices boomed across the room, and Nic was suddenly surrounded by people from all sides. His parents were there, his friends, his colleagues, even his gym buddies, all singing "Happy Birthday" in a silly, sing-song manner.
But Nic's eyes were searching for someone else, and they only stopped when he spotted Lucie among the crowd. He made a beeline toward her, his heart still racing like a race car. She was all dressed up in a beautiful royal blue halterneck dress that elegantly showcased her nine-months-pregnant belly.
“You’re alright?” he asked, his voice filled with concern as his hands roamed over her, checking for any signs of pain or distress.
Lucie smiled reassuringly, placing her hand on his cheek. “I’m fine, Nic. It was just a little prank to get you here for your surprise party.”
Somewhere in the back of his mind he had already understood that she had fibbed to him, to get him here for the surprise party, but his worry was not leaving him alone. He still wanted to make sure that she was fine!
“I am fine, Nic….” She muttered, blushing beetroot red. “Stop touching me like that everyone is looking….” She hissed at him under her breath and laughing too, Nic noticed when he turned around and realized that his wife had made a complete fool out of him and he had completely forgotten that it was his birthday today. “Happy birthday, dear husband!” He heard Lucie whisper that into his ear and grinned.
“You are going to pay for this you know!” He told her severely. Not at all trying to hide his naughty intention of carrying out that punishment in their bed, after all the guests had left.
“Looking forward to it!” She whispered back.
The party turned out to be a hit. Well, why wouldn’t it be? When there were great people in attendance, great food and music. What was there not to like? He danced with his wife, kissed her thoroughly in the middle of the dancefloor to her utmost horror and then laughed when she blushed like a red rose. Because he was happy! Happy that he had got to see that look on his wife’s face again that he had believed to be lost forever! Happy that he had received a second chance to gain the love, that had almost left him forever.
It was a truly a miracle, he put his palm on his wife’s large baby bump as she twirled around the dance floor together. And he was very glad for it!
The night was still young, when he kicked all the guests out when he saw how tiered Lucie was looking and despite her protests, gently carried her upstairs to their bed, laying her down with care. Slowly, he began to undress her, removing each piece of clothing with tender attention. "Do you want to take a warm bath or go to sleep?" he asked softly, once she lay completely naked under his gaze.
Despite her exhaustion, Lucie couldn’t resist a bit of mischief. "And here I was, waiting for my punishment with bated breath..." she murmured, watching as his eyes darkened with desire.
"You naughty little minx," he whispered near her ear. "I just want to take you in my arms, bend you over, and spank you so hard for what you put me through tonight. But I'm afraid you’ll have to wait until tomorrow for that."
"Spoilsport!" she mocked, and he laughed, making his way to the bathroom. By the time he returned from his shower, she was already deep in slumber.
“NIC!” He awoke abruptly, as if a devil had been shrieking in his ear. It was 4 AM, and Lucie wasn’t in bed. Light streamed from under the bathroom door.
“Lucie?”
“Nic, are you there?” Her voice came screeching from the bathroom, and he realized it must have been what woke him. “I-I think I’m going to have the baby!”
Nic sat up straight, feeling as if someone had dumped a bucket of cold water over him. “I swear to God, Lucie, if you’re lying again, I will—”
“I’m not lying, Nic! My water just broke.”
She wasn’t lying this time. At 8:15 on the sunny, beautiful morning of January 18th, after long hours of labor, Atlas Nicholas Demetriou was born, sharing both his name and his birthday with his father.