Chapter Eleven
Three years later
Addison finished rolling out the pastry as her twin girls kept pressing on the pastry with their cutters. They were cutting out little disks, and she talked toward the camera that was pointed at her. It was Christmas in the Woodside country house, and she was filming her mince pie recipe. She had already made the sweet mincemeat recipe, and now she was finishing it off using her two girls to help her.
“Mommy, ‘is okay?”
Chloe held up a round circle, and Addison laughed. “Yes, honey.”
They moved on, and started to fill the pastry with the mincemeat, and Shaun came into view, holding his girls against him as she finished what she was saying, and placed them in the oven.
Darla shouted cut, and the cameraman turned off the device, and gave her a thumbs up.
“That was so damn good,” Darla said. “I mean this is going to be massive next year.”
Addison hadn’t wanted to film a Christmas episode unless it was Christmas. She wanted it to be the right season, and Paula had made sure she got her wish. Not only did she get to film several Christmas episodes for next year, she also got to film her next cookbook in advance as well.
“I hope so.” She placed a hand on her swollen stomach.
“How are you holding up?” Shaun asked.
“I’m doing okay. Your son is growing stronger every single day, and he’s making it hard for me to see my ankles.” She glanced down, and let out a breath when she did in fact see her ankles. “Look at those,” she said, laughing.
“You’re the most beautiful woman in the world to me.”
She smiled. “You know how to say the right things.”
“Good.”
He gripped the back of her neck, and pulled her in for a strong kiss. Three years they had been blissfully married.
After their parents tried to ruin their reputation, they had been under scrutiny by the press. It didn’t take long for them both to return to work, and Shaun could no longer be by her side even though he wanted to. She knew he hated leaving her behind, but it wasn’t something they could do anything about. Their work called, and she had already agreed to the book tour. For the first three months of their lives after the big reveal of the beginning of their marriage, most of the questions they received were about each other.
Addison’s cookery show deals had been taken from her, which she didn’t mind. It had taken a second successful cookbook, and for her videos to be one of the most popular on the internet before she was offered a cookery show again.
Paula negotiated hard, and made sure the company she finally went with, knew they shouldn’t have pulled out of the cookery show talks. Shaun had agreed to be present, and they had decided to move out of her apartment. They had bought a large house, especially as she had also fallen pregnant. The house was out in the country, and the views simply inspired Addison. She also had a mini vegetable garden out in the back, and she loved grabbing ingredients and just getting to work without any struggle.
Her first series was filmed as she was pregnant, and she took her viewers through the reveal of her twins, to the day that she was actually filming, and her waters broke. Her viewers were not allowed when she gave birth, but they also filmed her returning from the hospital with the two new loves in their lives. Shaun helped where he could, and when she was filming, Paula and Darla helped to keep them happy.
She didn’t want a nanny as she’d grown up with a nanny, and hated every second of it. Her family would be normal without a nanny. Some families may love having a nanny, but she didn’t.
Dean was also part of her life. Darla and Dean were happily married, and glancing over at her friend, she saw her friend was also swollen with child. They were expecting their first child together.
“They look happy,” Shaun said.
“They do. We know what they’re going through as we were there for them as well.”
“I love you, baby.”
Shaun placed his hand on her stomach at the same time as Chloe did, and their daughter squealed. “Mommy’s tum-tum kick.”
Laughing, Addison caught her daughter up in her arms, and blew little raspberries on her cheek.
“Those pies smell so damn amazing, and I want one when they come out,” Dean said.
“You know you can, after me,” Shaun said.
Even after all this time, Shaun was possessive of her food.