Longing For The Beach Billionaire Daddy
Chapter 213

*Shelby*

“Thank you so much for calling me back quickly. I wasn’t sure if you had the chance to read the files I sent to you yesterday?” I asked the woman from the office I was speaking to on the phone.

I had been slowly increasing my workload since having the twins, and I was nursing Amelia while making some phone calls before I ended my day. The first few weeks after surgery were so difficult, but I was slowly becoming myself again, and the work was something that made me feel whole.

She apologized for not having the chance to check the information I had sent her, and I silently scolded myself for badgering an overworked assistant. My brain had been working overtime with the downtime I’d had since Michael had been home so much to help with the babies, and it made me persistent.

“No, you’re perfectly fine. If you send me the rest of the file information you guys have gathered so far, I can weed through them sometime this week. I know it’s a lot of information, and we have a few months to compile it all. I just like getting ahead of the game. Thanks so much. You have a great week.” I ended the call and sat Amelia up to burp her.

I cradled her warm body, taking in the sweet smell of baby shampoo and infant skin. She squirmed around, her little fists clenched with frustration as milk spilled from her lips onto my shoulder. I grabbed a burp rag to wipe her mouth, then hummed a lullaby, my fingers automatically patting her back.

My mind drifted to the current case I had been assigned to consult on. It was unbelievably frustrating to see such disregard for the environment. The community was rightfully up in arms about the waste Henderson Chemical has been dumping into the river.

After all, they relied on the river for clean water, swimming, and fishing.

I needed to double down and start investigating whether the company had been purposefully ignoring proper procedures and doing the dumps intentionally. If they were, I had to find the proof to strengthen the lawsuit.

My thoughts were interrupted by Amelia’s tiny burp, breaking my focus before I could dwell too much on it. I smiled down at her and snuggled her against me, grateful for such perfect little angels in my life.

I stood up from the couch and sat Amelia next to Thomas in her bouncer then grabbed my laptop and dove into some of the public records I had found. I was still laser- focused when Michael walked through the front door thirty minutes later, flowers in hand.

“Hey beautiful, what are you up to?” he asked as he leaned over and kissed each of the babies.

“Just looking over some of the Henderson Chemical public records. Those flowers are stunning. What’s the occasion?” I asked, admiring the vibrant peonies.

“Just because. I ran by a roadside stand where a lady was selling them and thought of you,” he said as he kissed me softly on the lips. He smelled like fresh air and sweat from his jog in the hot sun.

He was wearing a sweat -stained white shirt and short black running shorts, making him look even more attractive than a suit and tie would.

I felt my heart swell with love for the man who stood in front of me, so I silently thanked the universe for the millionth time since I met him.

“Thank you. I love them. I need to go get a vase for them and put them on the dining room table,” I sat my laptop to the side and stood to leave the room.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll do it,” Michael playfully shoved me back onto the couch and walked in the direction of the kitchen.

I sat back chuckling at Michael’s playfulness this evening, and Thomas started to squirm and root around in his bouncer. That boy was always letting the world know he was ready to eat. I grabbed him and unlatched the left side of my nursing tank top. Thomas latched quickly, and it made me proud of how far we had come since he was born and fed through a feeding tube.

“I swear I don’tknow who eats more, Thomas or Amelia,” Michael spoke as he reentered the room.

“Well, Amelia weighs more now, but I swear Thomas is insatiable,” I answered, then remembered I wanted to speak with Michael about taking on a few more hours working from home.

“Michael, I want to talk to you about something,” I said, looking up from Thomas and into his eyes.

He nodded and sat down next to me, our knees touching. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and planted a k**s on my temple.

“Then let’s talk, my love,” Michael replied.

“I think it’s time for me to start increasing my workload. We have a few months to compile evidence for the Henderson Chemical case, and I’d like to take on a few additional cases as well.”

Michael was quiet for a moment, looking down at his hands.

“I’m worried you’re taking on too much too fast,” he finally said, his eyes meeting mine.

I bristled at the comment, my mind going through all the things I could do to prove him wrong.

“What do you mean? You know I can handle it,” I said defensively. “I don’t think it’s fair for you to underestimate me like that.”

“You can handle anything, I’m not saying that. We’re just finally settling into a routine that feels somewhat successful.

Adding more work to that is going to create an imbalance,” I could tell he was upset because he began to pace around and clean the living room instead of sitting down to talk with me. “You know, I’ve taken a big step back at work to be here to help with the babies.

It just feels too soon for you to add more is all.”

“You already hired cleaners to handle all of the household chores, so why can’t I take on more work? It’s not like I’m leaving you alone to do everything. I’m perfectly capable of adding two to four more hours a week to my schedule,” I said, trying to keep my composure.

Michael stopped what he was doing and looked at me, his eyes flashing with determination. “I don’t want you to burn yourself out,” he said firmly. “I know how ambitious vou are and how much pressure you put on yourself to succeed. You don’t have to overwork

yourself. I make enough for us to live comfortablv.”

“So what? You make money so I can’t have a fulfilling career?” I felt my face get red as I asked this question, my temper rising more and more. I rolled my neck in a circle to try to ease some of the tension building, I hated arguing with him.

“You’re being purposefully stubborn. You know that’s not what

I’m saying at all,” Michael huffed.

“I’m not trying to be stubborn. I simply don’t want to be seen as onlv a wife and mother. I want to help people and make a difference,” I said, trying to keep the tears at bay.

“Then work!” Michael yelled, the loudness of his voice making both babies startle and begin to cry.

I quickly scooped up our son and daughter, holding them close as I tried to calm them down. Michael’s outburst startled me too, and I could feel my nerves fraying at the edges more and more.

“Lower your voice,” I said, my tone sharp as I tried to keep control of the situation. “I’m not going to apologize for wanting to do something I love.”

“I’m not asking you to apologize for anything,” Michael said, the anger in his voice replaced by a sense of defeat. “I just worry about you. I want both babies to have the opportunity to get quality time with their mother.”

I sighed as I shifted my weight back and forth rocking ody twins. “So you’re saying I can’t be a good mother to our childrew if I work three days a week for a few hours?”

Michael looked at me incredulous and threw his hands up in the air, “Why on Earth would I ever say you were incapable of being a mother in any capacity? You’re putting words in my mouth. I just said I want you to have balance and equal time with the kids.”

“I know you don’t think I’m a bad mom, but s**t, Michael,” I said softly, “I want to push myself and see what I’m capable of.

You’ve lived a life of working and doing whatever you want. I want the same opportunity to make a name for myself.”

He nodded, understanding my words but not completely agreeing with them. We both stood in silence for a few minutes.

Finally, Michael shook his head and said “Why don’t we take some time apart and think about this? I’m sure it will be easier for us to come up with a compromise if we have some space. I’m going to go for a drive, and l’ll sleep in the bedroom tonight.”

“There’s nothing to compromise on, Michael. I shouldn’t have to ask you for permission to work part – time,” I whispered dejectedly, he clearly wasn’t seeing my side of things.

Without answering me, Michael stood up and walked out the front door. I flipped him off in my head before I walked mvself and the babies to the nursery, a peaceful oasis compared to the tension in the living room.

Laid Thomas and Amelia down on the changing tables and undressed them. I got a warm, wet washcloth and cleaned Amelia’s skin first, then Thomas’. I rubbed baby lotion into their soft skin, paying close attention to their legs and arms. Their little toes were wrinkled and felt a little chilly, so I dressed them in footie pajamas with koala bears on them.

Both babies seemed to be exhausted and fell asleep in no time while nursing, so I tucked them both into their cribs and laid back to relax on the bed in the nursery.

As my sweet babies slept peacefully, I thought about the fight with Michael. That he didn’t understand my desire to further my career was disappointing.

Was it because he had been raised in a time when women staved at home and took care of the house and kids while their husbands went out and earned money? Age- gap relationships come with problems occasionally, but I never imagined Michael would think like that.

But I knew that if he could just take a step back and look at my dream from my perspective, maybe he could see that this was something I wanted for myself- not only for us as a family. That this wasn’t me being ambitious to secure our future, but instead, I was trying to enrich myself in this lifetime by doing something I loved and felt passionate about.

I closed my eyes, taking deep breaths as I tried to figure out what to say to him to get him to understand that I needed the chance to make these decisions for myself without his pushback at every turn. I thought to myself, I love him so much, but I also needed him to allow me to make my own choices, even when they’re choices he may not agree with.

I drifted off to sleep, alone and hurt by Michael’s lack of faith in my ability to multitask my own life.