Twin Babies with the Billionaire for Christmas

5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Rachel

I arrive at the care facility, and the familiar scent of antiseptic greets me. There’s a Charlie Brown Christmas tree perched on the sign-in desk.

I sign in, reaching out to make one of the little bells on the tree tinkle merrily with the end of my finger, then I make my way to Danny's room.

This is a top-rated care home and the staff here are wonderful, but it's still hard seeing him in a place like this. My parents weren’t good at taking care of him. My father wasn’t there for either of us, and my mom was just busy dating and traveling.

I wonder if Danny feels like I have done a good job filling in for his absentee parents. I hope so.

I knock gently before entering. Danny is sitting by the window, staring outside. He turns his head slightly as I enter, his eyes lighting up when he sees me.

"Hey, Danny," I say, forcing a cheerful tone. "How's it going?"

He gives me a small smile. "Rachel. You look…tired." His pauses get fewer when he’s relaxed, and he looks relaxed today.

I chuckle, pulling a chair next to him. "Yeah. It's been a busy week. Lots of writing."

"New book?" he asks, his interest piqued.

I nod. "Yes. It's coming along, but it's taking a lot out of me. Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever get it right."

The thing I love most about my relationship with Danny is how open I can be with him.

Danny tilts his head, considering my words. "You will. You're a good writer.”

His simple encouragement warms my heart. "Thanks, Danny. That means a lot."

“Did you meet the new person you have to interview?”

I almost forgot to mention it. “Yes, I met him.” I try not to blush. Danny is very observant, and I don't want him to think there’s anything inappropriate going on with my new client.

“Good job, sis.” He nods repeatedly. “Cara helped you meet him, right? I miss her. Can she visit soon?”

“Isaac will be in Seattle soon,” I say, mentioning Cara’s younger brother who Danny loves to spend time with. “He and Cara will visit.”

His smile broadens. Danny is not very comfortable with strangers, but my friends have been around for years, and they’ve managed to charm him.

We sit in companionable silence for a moment, watching the trees sway gently outside the window. I can see the reflection of our faces in the glass, mine looking weary, his calm and composed. He shows me some of his recent drawings, and an idea comes to mind, but I don’t say it to him, not yet.

"You should take a break," he says suddenly, breaking the silence.

I look at him, surprised. "A break?"

He nods. "You need to have fun, too." He points toward a group of three kids playing outside to indicate what he means.

I sigh, leaning back in my chair. "It's just hard, you know? Balancing everything at once, so I want to take my time."

Danny reaches out, and places his hand over mine, a rare gesture. "I'm okay here. The staff are nice. You don't have to worry."

“Danny...”

"I know," he says softly. "But I’m twenty. Go out. Meet people. Have fun. Get a boyfriend."

I laugh, squeezing his hand. "You don’t just get a boyfriend at the store, you know,” I tease.

He blinks at me, clearly not appreciating my little joke. I grow more serious and reach out to touch his hand.

“All right, I'll try. But you have to promise me something, too."

"What?" he asks, curious.

"Promise me you'll keep working on your art. I don't ever want to miss seeing your drawings."

Danny's face brightens. "I will. I promise."

We talk a bit more about my new client, and he gives me some surprisingly insightful feedback. Danny sees things in such a black-and-white way. I often wish that I could do the same.

I feel lighter when I leave. As I walk out to my car, I'm thinking about his words.

Maybe he's right. Maybe I do need to take a break, have some fun, and not be so thoughtful about every move I make. Still, my fun can’t be had with Tristan.

The day passes quickly. Mostly with Danny. But once I’m home I get to do a little bit of writing before falling asleep.

I'm making good progress on my own book, but it's emotionally draining sometimes, and by Friday, I know I’ll be in desperate need of a break.

So I promise myself to hit up Cara for some girl time. Before then, I’ll keep to my morning runs.

I refuse to contemplate anything about adding Tristan to my schedule. Other than hammering out job details.

The very thought of Tristan overwhelms me, and I just want to feel like things are under control, if only for a few hours.