- 8 hours ago
Fled With His Eight Children EP - Hot Drama 👶🏃♀️✨
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:03one two three four five i lay completely still staring at the ceiling my mind going blanker
00:14with every number he finally set down the probe mrs. shaw eight eight embryo sacks all developing
00:23normally my hand slowly drifted to my stomach still flat but somehow eight lives were already
00:29there the shaw women had always been famously fertile my mother delivered twins my aunt had
00:35triplets in one go but no one could have predicted that when it came to me i'd skip straight to
00:40eight
00:40the clinic was warm but i felt only a cold gray settling over everything ahead of me would lucian
00:47even want these children he could barely stand to look at me on a normal day and the ford family
00:53would they ever acknowledge children i carried eight children formula diapers nannies school fees
01:02every single item on that list was an astronomical figure my own family was ordinary i had no allies
01:11what did i have to raise them with the more i thought the heavier it got i walked back through
01:17the doors of the ford estate then leo appeared lucian's assistant the ceo has spoken give you 200
01:24million dollars sign and never return
01:32200 million dollars i could raise eight children in luxury send every one of them to private school
01:39and still have plenty left over what did i care about the title of mrs ford
01:44what did i care whether lucian liked me i had leo arranged the transfer right then and there
01:50and right in front of him i signed the divorce papers without a single moment of hesitation
01:55i went back upstairs packed only what was mine the couture gowns jewelry and designer bags from the
02:02fords i left every piece untouched right where it was in the dressing room what wasn't mine i didn't
02:09want i collected the check and the divorce papers wheeled my suitcase to the door walked
02:14out of the ford estate with my head held high that wealthy world i once thought so far beyond my
02:20reach looking back it was all just a passing illusion from this moment on there was no more mrs ford
02:27there was only aria shaw and the eight little lives she was carrying later word spread across the entire
02:34city lucian ford the man who never hesitated never wavered had suddenly lost his mind immediately mobilize
02:45all living and resources find her for me you find her don't expect any of you to be okay he
02:51was hell
02:52bent on finding her his ex-wife the one who'd taken his money run off carrying eight of his children
02:58and
02:59never once looked back i walked out of the ford estate and flagged down a car straight to the
03:05private bank i converted lucian's check into a card i could access anytime with that done i booked a
03:11first-class flight to savannah then i stopped at a luxury car rental and got their best vehicle
03:17once i was in the car i went straight to my parents place
03:22then they noticed i was alone with a suitcase and the smiles froze
03:26they knew immediately that something was wrong when i told them lucian and i were divorced mother
03:31teared up at once she took my hands and couldn't stop crying father slammed his hand on his knee
03:37grabbed his cane by the door and headed for the ford estate his whole body shaking with fury that
03:44heartless man even if he didn't care for you he had no right to treat you this way
03:51i'm going over there right now this is outrageous
03:56dad mom don't leaving him is a relief for me not a loss he gave me 200 million dollars
04:04that's more than enough for all of us for the rest of our lives i'm carrying eight children
04:13i can't put them at risk besides lucian's been overseas on business he's not even in the city
04:22if we go over there now we'll only make a scene for nothing hearing the octuplets they stood there
04:27stunned for a long moment not quite able to process it but their love for me and for the children
04:32i was
04:33carrying won out over their anger my parents had spent their whole lives running a small diner
04:38they asked for nothing more than peace and quiet now i had money and a family on the way leaving
04:45this city that had drained me so much was the best thing for all of us we packed the few
04:49belongings
04:50got into the rented car and drove to the airport the city's glitter and its games had nothing to do
04:56with me anymore back at the ford estate a very different scene was playing out the divorce papers
05:03and the check had never come from lucian they had come from camille sutton camille shared no blood with
05:10lucian she had been taken in by eleanor as a child and raised in their home she had loved lucian
05:16for as
05:17long as she could remember and she had always seen me as a thorn in her side she knew lucian
05:23was away
05:23on an overseas project she knew eleanor was the one running the estate in his absence she knew i was
05:30just a girl from an ordinary family she convinced herself i'd clung to lucian by any means necessary
05:37to her our marriage was nothing but a face-saving arrangement for both families so she had made her
05:44move she had someone mimic lucian's tone and send me the message she had paid off leo to deliver the
05:51divorce papers she was certain i had married into the ford family only for money and status she was
05:58sure that once i got divorce papers i would fall apart cry beg refuse to leave then she would step
06:06in
06:07and play the gracious peacemaker to show everyone how generous she was and turn the whole family
06:13against me for good but she had calculated wrong at that moment she was drinking tea with eleanor in
06:20the garden don't worry mrs ford aria fought so hard to marry into this family she's probably in her room
06:28throwing a fit and refusing to leave i'll go calm her down later it'll show everyone how gracious the
06:37fords are a nobody from a nobody family and she thought she deserved to be mrs ford getting thrown
06:47out is exactly what she brought on herself just then the housekeeper martha hurried across the garden
06:54this is ford miss camille miss camille miss shaw is gone she packed only a few of her belongings
07:01she didn't take a single piece of jewelry or designer clothing she just left camille's hand paused on her
07:07teacup her lips curved into a faint smirk she told herself i was playing hard to get running away to
07:14make lucian chase but eleanor's face drained of color the crystal teacup slipped from her hand
07:21what did you say she just left all those valuables in this house and she didn't take a single thing
07:27it's true mrs ford we all saw it clearly miss aria only took her own luggage she didn't touch
07:34a thing that belonged to the family eleanor stood up abruptly she hurried straight to the master
07:39bedroom i'd been staying in camille followed close behind composed on the surface something uneasy
07:46stirring underneath my room had always been simple and tidy now it was just empty every item that belonged
07:54to the fords was still hung in the walk-in closet only my few casual clothes and a small stack
08:00of old
08:01books were gone eleanor had the rest of the estate checked immediately the staff came back with the
08:07same answer miss aria had taken only what belonged to her not a single item from the ford family had
08:13been touched eleanor stood in the middle of the empty room her face paled then turned ashen rage and
08:21something unnameable churned inside her ungrateful girl fine she left what's she proving putting on
08:30such a holy as than though act but she knew better than anyone what she thought of me that i
08:36had stayed
08:36for the money that i had clung to the ford name because i had nowhere else to go and now
08:42i had walked
08:43away without taking a thing it felt like a slap across the face the household staff stood with
08:49their heads down not daring to breathe no one had expected that kind of dignity from me they had all
08:56quietly looked down on camille moved quickly to eleanor's side mrs ford please don't upset yourself
09:05aria's leaving just shows she didn't belong in this family i'm here i'll always be here for you
09:20you're the thoughtful one a hundred times better than that aria ever was she made a pretty speech
09:26about not wanting anything from us but didn't she walk out with 200 million dollars of lucian's money
09:31deep down she's just as greedy as everyone else 200 million dollars she stood frozen where she was
09:40the blood draining from her face she had only paid off leo she had only mimicked lucian's tone sent the
09:48message had the papers delivered she had never had any access to lucian's accounts 200 million dollars
09:56was something she couldn't have touched if she'd tried so who had sent that money a terrible thought
10:02detonated somewhere deep in her chest a wave of cold dread swept through her entire body her plan
10:10had been simple make me fall apart after the divorce make everyone despise me clear the path
10:17for herself but instead i had walked out clean and calm carrying the money and vanished completely none of
10:26this was what she had planned camille kept the smile on her face but her fingertips were ice cold and
10:33her
10:33heart had dropped by then i had already arrived in savannah with my parents warm unhurried no pressure
10:40no scheming nothing that seeped into new york's walls it was exactly the kind of place i had been longing
10:47for i bought a penthouse right in the heart of the city generous light open space more than enough room
10:54for eight children to grow and run and make noise the interiors were warm and comfortable heated floors
11:01the whole place breathing ease outside the city moved inside my parents voices were low and easy
11:16no cold rules no judgment just warmth and calm
11:22my mind clear for the first time in ages when the babies came i would be here i would watch
11:29them grow
11:30i would take them everywhere and give them everything i would never have to answer to anyone again i would
11:38never have to shrink myself to survive in someone else's home a life like this was worth more than the
11:45ford name could ever have been six months passed i settled quietly in savannah my belly growing rounder
11:52each week as all eight babies thrived every day i walked read and picked out tiny outfits and little
11:59shoes the days were simple yet full back in new york lucian had finally returned after six months abroad
12:07sharp eyes not a single wasted movement mr ford welcome back lucian got into the car and spoke without
12:16looking up six months tell me what happened at home leo stiffened head to toe mr ford
12:25your wife she speak she signed the divorce papers lucian's eyes went dark
12:33he had never intended to divorce her he had never sent any papers drive faster he went straight to
12:42the study on the desk folded neatly was the divorce agreement lucian looked down at it at the bottom of
12:48the page the signature was clean and certain aria shaw someone explain to me what happened mr ford
12:56it was miss keemiel she used your name to send mrs ford the message she used your identity to trick
13:03her into leaving i had no choice the temperature in the room dropped another degree lucian hurled the
13:13divorce agreement to the floor the pages landed at leo's feet with a sharp crack get out go to hr
13:22and
13:22submit a written statement your annual bonus is gone you're on warehouse duty until i say otherwise
13:30leo fled the room went silent lucian stood alone surrounded by the weight of it all camille's scheming
13:39eleanor's blind favoritism leo's betrayal all of it made his blood run cold but none of it was
13:47what was pressing against his chest right now that was aria the fact that she was gone
13:56three years ago at a charity gala he'd walked into the wrong hotel room spent the night with her
14:08by morning she stared at him panic in her eyes but her chin held high he'd been caught in a
14:16scandal
14:16at the time a rival had paid someone to photograph him and spread rumors about his private life
14:24marrying her had put an end to it after the wedding she never demanded anything never competed
14:31for his attention she simply took care of everything quietly never making him feel she wanted anything
14:37in return before every business trip she packed his bags overnight tucked his antacids and reminded him
14:46to take care of himself her eyes always gave away more than her words
14:55at the annual gala he hadn't been drunk he had used it as an excuse to do what he'd wanted
15:01to do for a long time
15:04to get closer to her to break through the wall between them
15:11and now she was gone carrying his children taking the money he had set aside for her
15:20that 200 million dollars had been sitting in a private account for months he had planned to transfer
15:26it to her name once things between them warmed up something to make her feel secure camille had turned
15:32it into a weapon it had become the reason aria left lucian pressed his hand to his chest something ached
15:40there heavy and hollow at the same time he understood it now what he felt for her hadn't been cold
15:47civility for a long time he had fallen for her slowly without realizing it and by the time he
15:54understood that she was already gone camille dawn had barely broken when the mood inside the fort
16:02estate hit rock bottom eleanor sat at the head of the main hall both hands wrapped around her string of
16:08pearls camille stood nearby fingers twisted in her skirt eyes full of panic she was working hard to
16:18hide lucian sat across from them in a black suit cold-eyed still grandmother she schemed against your
16:28grandson's wife against my children this needs to be settled today eleanor looked at his face and said
16:35nothing she had watched this boy grow up he'd run ford group for years with precision no room for
16:42sentiment when he was angry he didn't spare anyone not even family lucian i know i was wrong i lost
16:51my
16:51mind i just i love you so much watching area take the place that should have been mine i couldn't
17:00stand it
17:01please just this once i swear i'll never do it again lucian looked at her from his chair
17:10you love me not a flicker of feeling in his eyes then why'd you impersonate me
17:19you took the money i put aside for my wife just to trick her into leaving
17:27camille that's not love that's cheap vicious even you spent years throwing your weight around in
17:35this house because my grandmother dulled you belittling the staff making areas life difficult
17:48did you think i didn't notice
17:52he paused his voice dropped another degree i let it go because you were raised here i gave you that
17:59much but you took it too far you went after my wife you went after my children camille's crying
18:07stopped she thought lucian was only playing around with aria or putting up a front because of the
18:13rumors but from his words she heard something different he'd actually fallen for her for real
18:21no that's not possible lucian how could you love someone so so ordinary she doesn't deserve you she
18:32never did whether she deserves me is not your call to make i am revoking every position you hold
18:41at ford group freezing every asset tied to this family and sending you back to your hometown
18:48you will not set foot in this house again not once not ever camille completely fell apart
18:57i don't want to go back i'll do anything please lucian shook her off hard she hit the floor
19:03her forehead caught the edge of the table a thin line of blood appeared at her hairline
19:09remove her he didn't look at her again the security moved in at once lifted her off the floor
19:15and dragged her out of the parlor her cries faded down the hallway and disappeared lucian
19:22it was my fault i should never have taken camellia's side i should never have treated area the way i
19:30did
19:30grandmother what's done is done the frost in his expression eased just barely but the warmth didn't
19:37follow there's no point in saying this now aria is gone she took my children what i need to do
19:46is find
19:47her and bring her home put out the word use every resource the ford family has find area shaw area
19:56shaw
19:56wherever she is bring her back yes mr ford the six months after i left new york were the most
20:04peaceful
20:05of my life my father spent his free afternoons fishing by the lake my mother tended to the flowers
20:12she'd planted around the house the days were quiet and good i thought it would stay that way forever
20:18that i'd simply wait for the babies to arrive watch them grow and build a small steady life
20:24i wasn't expecting what came next one afternoon i took my parents to a fine restaurant by the
20:31waterfront my mother's bracelet shifted as she reached for her glass the restaurant owner stopped
20:37mid-sentence ma'am that bracelet is that a marley family heirloom my mother's face changed instantly
20:44she pulled her sleeve down and looked away that bracelet had been with her as long as i could
20:49remember she wore it every day close to her skin she had never once explained where it came from
20:55i pressed her until she finally spoke eyes red from years of held back tears my mother was the only
21:03daughter of charles marlow the marlow family was old money in savannah deep roots considerable wealth
21:11years ago she had been visiting new york when she met my father they fell in love immediately but the
21:17marlowe's refused my father was ordinary the gap between their families was too wide they would not
21:24allow it my mother chose my father anyway she cut ties with her family left savannah and spent the next
21:32decades living under a different name she never went back she never told anyone who she was she
21:39had missed home every day but she was afraid her family was still angry afraid of walking back into
21:45the same walls of judgment so she kept it buried the restaurant owner was a distant relative of the
21:51marlowe's he had seen the heirloom years ago and recognized it immediately he told us that charles
21:57marlow had never stopped looking for his daughter every year he sent people to search he was nearly
22:0370 now his health declining and his only wish was to find her to make up for the time they'd
22:09lost it's
22:09my fault you gave up everything for me your family your name your home all these years carrying it alone
22:18i'm so sorry mom dad let's go see him whatever he feels he's still family blood is blood you've both
22:28carried this too long it's time to go home they nodded the restaurant owner guided us to the marlow estate
22:34my grandpa was nearly 70 white haired but still sharp still present the moment he saw my mother the man
22:42who'd held himself together for half his life finally broke my my girl my mother ran to him and
22:53cried like a child my girl i'm sorry all this time i'm so sorry he looked at my father the
23:01resentment
23:02was there but so was the evidence of 30 years of care my mother was loved the resentment softened then
23:08faded eight eight babies my granddaughter you don't have to worry about a single thing your grandfather
23:17has more than enough you and the babies will want for nothing he bought the surrounding properties and
23:24merged them into his estate he assigned the marlowe's private doctor to check on me every day
23:30he brought my father into the family business my father had good instincts for it with grandpa's
23:36guidance he found his footing quickly he soon became one of the family's most trusted advisors
23:41and i as charles marlowe's only grandchild his most treasured person became the natural heir to the
23:49marlow name half the family's holdings passed into my hands the girl who once lay awake worrying about
23:56raising eight children was now one of the wealthiest women in savannah a family at my back my parents
24:03beside me eight lives growing inside me i had everything i thought i would simply stay here
24:11grow old in this warm city with my children and my family but this would be the end of the
24:18story
24:18i didn't expect lucian to find me savannah was softly raining the day lucian found me nothing like
24:24the cold nights i remembered from new york i was lying on the sofa it was peaceful then i heard
24:30noise from
24:31outside the gate a familiar figure stood in the rain black suit straight posture the same sharp edges
24:38in his face but his eyes held something different now exhaustion something i couldn't quite name he
24:46stood in the rain with his hair wet against his forehead lucian i felt nothing stir in my chest not
24:52even surprise with the ford's power and connections finding someone wasn't a question of if only when
25:00he walked toward me each step a little too quick a little too deliberate his suit was soaked fabric
25:07pressed against him by the rain he stopped in front of me his eyes dropped to my stomach the visible
25:13swell of it eight lives inside a flicker of tenderness pain and regret crossed his eyes before they went
25:21still aria it was the first time he had ever said my name like that i didn't answer i signaled
25:28the
25:28housekeeper for a shawl mr ford this is unexpected what brings you all the way out here aria i he
25:34opened his mouth closed it opened it again this man who'd run boardrooms and moved markets stood before
25:40me speechless i came to bring you home home mr ford i think you're confused i'm not mrs ford anymore
25:52we're divorced we're nothing to each other i'm doing well here i don't need your concern
25:58and i'd like you to stop coming here the divorce wasn't real camille sent that message pretending
26:03to be me she forged my signature on the papers none of it came from me i never wanted to
26:07divorce you
26:07not once and the 200 million that wasn't camille's money to give it was already yours i had this set
26:12aside calmed down months ago i was just waiting for things between us to calm down before putting it in
26:15your name camille told you it was a settlement she used it to get rid of you she's been dealt
26:18with all
26:18her positions are gone her assets are frozen she'll never set foot in new york again the staff
26:22who made your life marable are gone too my grandmother knows she was wrong she's been
26:27waiting to apologize to you in person he reached toward my face his hand stopped in the air between
26:33us it has nothing to do with me what camille did how she was punished that's ford family business
26:43it stopped being mine the day i walked out i didn't leave new york because of camille i didn't
26:49leave because of your grandmother or the staff i left because of you lucian
26:56it was your three years of coldness it was the warmth you never gave me it was you who made
27:03me feel
27:04like i wasn't in a home but a cage i could barely breathe inside it i watched every word i
27:12weighed
27:13every step and now i'm out and you want me to go back aria i know i know i was
27:22wrong for three years
27:24i just refused to see what was right in front of me i told myself i didn't know how to
27:28reach you that i
27:29needed more time at the gala that night i wasn't even drunk i used that as an excuse to get
27:37close
27:37to you i thought i'd have more time i thought you'd still be there when i finally worked up the
27:42courage
27:42to say it the guilt in his eyes was real i could see that had i ever felt something for
27:50him maybe the
27:52time he stepped between me and the rude housekeeper the morning he quietly took the antacids i'd left for
27:57his trip the way he looked at me at the gala just a moment before things got complicated maybe there
28:04had been something there but three years of cold had worn it down to nothing lucian it's too late
28:12i have everything i need right here my parents my grandfather more money than i could ever spend
28:20and eight children on the way i'm not missing anything please leave don't come back
28:29don't disturb my life or my children's lives
28:36on the other side of it lucian stood in the rain and looked at a closed door he didn't leave
28:43he just
28:44stood there still getting soaked after that day lucian bought a house near mine he didn't try to
28:51force his way back in but he didn't disappear either he simply stayed close in his own quiet way
29:00every morning at dawn fresh white peonies were delivered to my door i'd once mentioned in passing
29:06that they were my favorite flower in new york never thinking he'd heard the dew covered blooms filled the
29:12house with a soft clean fragrance every afternoon a prenatal tonic made by his own hands arrived i
29:19heard he'd hired a nutritionist and spent days perfecting it temperature taste balance all tailored
29:27just for me every bottle came with a short handwritten note firm yet gentle always telling me to eat well
29:34rest and not overwork every evening he stood outside my gate staring at the window lights for hours he only
29:43left once my bedroom lamp went out he never entered just watched quietly from afar asking for nothing in
29:50return word spread through savannah the ceo of ford group had come all the way from new york to wait
29:57outside his ex-wife's house every night the woman who had taken his money run off with eight of his
30:04children and shut the door in his face some people called it devotion some people said he had it coming
30:10he didn't seem to care what anyone thought i heard everything they said i still wasn't ready to move
30:17i could see what lucian was doing i could feel it even when i didn't want to but seeing it
30:24and being
30:24healed by it were different things the hurt hadn't gone anywhere it was just quieter now then one
30:31morning i went to the small chapel near the marlow estate to light a candle and pray quietly for the
30:37babies on the way back three men blocked our path they saw i was heavily pregnant with only a few
30:44servants beside me their intentions were obvious i had no time to react the staff tried to intervene and
30:51couldn't then lucian was there he moved fast he dealt with them in under a minute when it was over
31:06he smelled faintly of blood anyone who touches my wife anyone who comes near my children they will pay
31:14for it the men were gone before he finished the sentence the hardness in his face fell away
31:21immediately what replaced it was concern pure and unguarded aria are you all right
31:36did i frighten you i looked at him i felt something shift just slightly a hairline
31:42crack in something i had kept sealed for a long time that day i didn't tell him to go he
31:48walked
31:49behind me to the chapel walked behind me back to the house he didn't say much he just stayed close
31:55like a guard who had chosen his post and wasn't leaving it weeks later the babies shifted abruptly
32:02one night jolting me awake with a sharp pain the doctor said it was probably just pressure but
32:08someone had to stay and keep watch lucian arrived within the hour he sat beside my bed through the
32:13whole night without sleeping he held my hand careful unhurried like nothing else existed
32:21don't be afraid i'm here the babies will be fine you'll be fine he held my hand through the entire
32:30night never once let go in the morning i looked at his face the red in his eyes the exhaustion
32:37he
32:37hadn't hidden something in the wall around me cracked a little more the days kept moving and my stomach
32:45kept growing round and heavy like i was carrying a small world walking had become slow work possible
32:53only with help rolling over in bed needed assistance every little movement ached grandfather had
33:00brought in the best obstetric team in savannah they stayed at the estate around the clock ready for
33:06whenever the time came everything that could be prepared had been prepared lucian kept his post nearby
33:13daily deliveries of supplements and whatever the doctors recommended he still didn't come inside
33:19he checked in through the staff made sure i was all right then kept his distance then one morning
33:25the pain came wave after wave harder each time within an hour i was shaking all over drenched in sweat
33:35hair stuck to my face my vision fading at the edges the medical team moved immediately the estate
33:42shifted into a different gear everyone at their station no hesitation
33:52mrs shaw push keep pushing almost there mrs shaw hold on the babies are coming stay with us i lay
34:00there
34:00and used everything i have over and over until there was nothing left to use eight babies one by one
34:09each
34:10birth drained me more than i thought i had left to give then the first cry cut through the room
34:15sharp
34:16clear breaking all the tension it's a boy then the second the third the fourth each cry joined the last
34:24layering together filling the house with sound but there were still two left and i had nothing my eyelids
34:32were stone my arms wouldn't respond every part of me wanted to simply stop mrs shaw stay awake two more
34:44your babies need you stay with us then the door burst open
34:53aria look at me stay awake i'm here the children need you i need you
35:02aria look at me stay with us no longer his hand was warm i looked at him i saw it
35:06all at once on his
35:07face fear agony none of his usual composure he didn't care what anyone thought about rules or
35:15how he looked something in me that had been holding tight for a very long time finally let go i
35:22used what
35:23was left the last two babies were born four boys four girls every one of them crying strong and clear
35:32every one of them healthy tiny and perfect and overwhelming
35:41the head nurse cleaned them wrapped them gently
35:46congratulations mrs shaw congratulations mr ford four boys four girls all healthy
35:52quite a blessing i looked at the eight of them aria then the room went dark in the moment before
36:00it did
36:00i saw lucian's eyes fill aria thank you thank you for all eight of them thank you for giving me
36:08a
36:08family his tears landed on the back of my hand warm and real i had never seen him cry before
36:14this man
36:15who had never seemed to need anything who had run a corporation with ice in his veins was crying for
36:21me for
36:22our children outside the room my parents and grandfather watched through the window eyes glistening
36:29when i came around lucian was still there he hadn't left my side he wiped my face
36:38helped me drink and stayed by my side all night with a clumsy focused tenderness it was nothing like the
36:46detached man i had spent three years waiting on he stood over the bassinet and looked at the eight of
36:53them there was something in his eyes i had no word for except completely undone he held each of them
37:00as
37:01as if they were made of something that could break with a breath they had his sharpness in their
37:05features and something of mine in the softness around it he gave them names for the boys liam aria ford
37:13noah aria ford eli aria ford and cole aria ford for the girls stella aria ford luna aria ford lily
37:25aria ford
37:26and ivy aria ford every name held mine inside it every name was a quiet promise after the birth my
37:34recovery began and lucian took over he canceled everything he had in new york every meeting every
37:41obligation everything he stayed in savannah and didn't leave he followed the postpartum nurse
37:48around and learned to make recovery broths he practiced changing diapers he learned how to feed the
37:54babies how to settle them how to get them back to sleep his technique was rough at first he fumbled
38:01he looked completely out of his depth but he never complained and he never showed the slightest
38:06impatience eight babies crying at once is not a quiet experience i couldn't get real sleep so lucian
38:15took the nights every time a baby cried he was up he handled them with the utmost care holding them
38:22until they settled then returned to sit beside me my body recovered faster than anyone expected
38:28when i was ready to move again the savannah business association held its annual gala
38:34i was invited as the marlow heir lucian came with me most of the room treated us well word had
38:40spread
38:41about the octuplets and people were respectful the vice president of the business association douglas price
38:48had never liked the marlow family standing mrs shaw congratulations on the octoputs truly a miracle
38:55so young already the marlock ear mother to eight children with mr ford by your side you're the envy
39:01of this entire room though i do wonder how long can luck like this last i felt my expression shift
39:07i opened my mouth lucian moved first he pulled me to his side and stared at douglas price mr price
39:15aria is my wife the mother of my eight children
39:21ah she endured more than you'll ever know to bring them into this world
39:31my protection my love none of it is remarkable it's the least she deserved and you just insulted
39:38her in front of everyone here was that a calculated move or just a careless mistake douglas price went
39:48pale then his knees buckled he dropped to the floor before the entire gala voice trembling mr ford
39:58i'm so sorry i misspoke i wasn't thinking please i never met the association membership
40:04frees all his business interests in savannah he is never to set foot in this city again
40:10the security team moved before price finished his sentence his voice echoed down the corridor and then
40:16disappeared lucian turned to me the cold was gone from his face the moment his eyes met mine
40:25he reached up and touched the corner of my eye gently are you all right did that upset you i
40:33stood
40:34there held against his side and felt the last thread of resistance inside me finally break yes
40:47aria thank you thank you for giving me one more chance thank you for giving me a home again
40:55lucian held my hand as we walked along the path through the marlow estate the breeze off the water
41:00moved through the trees the low golden light of savannah's sunset surrounded us aria
41:06from now on i'll never make you feel unimportant i'll never let you leave my side i'll never
41:13overlooked what you need every bit of warmth i have belongs to you and our children the new york
41:19estate has been renovated just how you'd like it white panties in the garden a full playroom for the
41:25kids and that library you always wanted with shelves full of books you'd actually pick
41:31and if you don't want to go back to new york we won't savannah can be home i'll stay here
41:37with you
41:37with all of them for as long as you'll have me
41:42anywhere is fine as long as you're there as long as they're there that's all home has ever meant to
41:49me
41:49he bent forward and pressed his lips to my forehead slow careful we stayed in savannah a long time after
41:58that long enough for the babies to walk and talk to call us mom and dad in eight different voices
42:06each unique yet somehow the sound cream tool we went back to new york sometimes eleanor would see the
42:13children and light up in a way i had never seen from her before the ford estate once heavy with
42:19quiet
42:19unease filled with noise warmth and the wonderful mess only eight children could make lucian returned to
42:26running the ford group on his own terms not consumed by it but present in it he made real time
42:34every day
42:35for us from a cold estate in new york to the warm for the rest of my life every year
42:41every season all of it
42:44with him all of it warm all of it ours
Comments