Charlotte Henson

Braxton leaves for his stockholders meeting. If he's right, it will only take about an hour and during that time I plan on searching the internet trying to find stories about inheritances with specific clauses. Wanting desperately to find something along the lines of what we're experiencing. As I read my grandfathers WILL, I start to see what Braxton was talking about, my grandfather is...was a very shrewd man. It doesn't really state much about the marriage being a forced union. Its basically do this or choose not to and the money adverts from certain people and charities to the company and to Braxton.

    When I get to the part about having kids with Braxton I get butterflies in my stomach. More in a nervous way than in an excited way. One year after marriage, if I can't have kids a surrogate or IVF is to be expected to carry out the pregnancy. I never thought about the prospect of not being able to have kids. I've heard that harvesting a woman's eggs can be painful and even IVF can take multiple tries and the hormone injections can hurt as well.

    Having kids like this, its so forced. I hate it. Braxton and I have to discuss this, we need to sit down and talk about everything. Its like a black cloud looming above us, we can't out run it. The lack of discussion is making me more uneasy and very uncomfortable. When I came to his office the other night I should've started the conversation then. However, the shock of everything was too much. Braxton telling me there was basically nothing that could be done, I felt hopeless. I need to start looking at this in a different perspective. Its now up to me to see that my brother and sister are taken care of and the hospital gets a substantial donation. Big girl pants are sometimes hard to get on, but I have to pull it together.

    Yes, I feel bad about involving Braxton in this. I'm responsible for writing the poor mans future and its another blow to my stomach. I feel as if my little world has crumbled down and now its up to me to get myself out.

When Braxton walks in I look up from the computer. "Hey." I say, then turn back to the screen.

"What are you doing?"

"Researching cases similar to ours."

There's a slight pause. "And?" He asks, sounding a little frustrated.

"Nothing." I reply, apologetic. "You do know that I would save you from this if I could, right?"

"Has it occurred to you that I could save myself if I wished to." He replies, coming closer to the desk.

I shrug, "You wouldn't do that."

"Precisely, but for very different reasons then you thin-" A knock on the door interrupts him and his assistant brings in our lunch.

"I'm starving." I comment, absently. Closing all the pointless windows of research that I opened on his computer.

"You should be. You haven't eaten in days." He responds, unhappily.

"I know. I'm feeling a little better." I say, walking to the sitting area with the long coffee table. The food is set out still in the containers. I smell beef broccoli, one of my favorites and my mouth waters.

After a few bites I ask him, "Can we talk about the WILL? Whenever you're ready is fine." I don't want to seem too pushy, I could tell he wasn't happy when the lawyer showed up today, the reminder of what is going to happen can't be pleasant for him.

He nods, "Of course. What about it?" His nonchalant response, confuses me just a little.

"Well, I was thinking...God, what was I thinking?" I ask, out loud.

He chuckles. "Your guess is as good as mine."

Collecting my thoughts a little better I start, "I was curious about how we plan to do this? Should we explain to each other what we expect? Or, I don't know? What we don't want in terms of this...union?" I ask, trying to get the wording right.

"If that's what you want to do." He agrees.

"I just want to get it over with. Address it and move on." I explain my motive.

He nods. "How about you start." He encourages.

"Okay, lets see. I think we should just get married at the court house or Las Vegas, I don't want a wedding." I can tell this surprises  him because he sits up straight in his chair. "I expect us to try to make a baby, to satisfy the terms of the WILL. However, after that I don't expect you to be faithful. I don't mind any relationships you want to have, but I do expect you to be around to raise the child, I'd like him or her to have a present father. What else....Oh, and I don't expect us to live together. Its not necessary." I feel the pressure come off of me little by little.

He looks at me, clearly angry. Which surprises me.

"Are you okay with that?" I ask, trying to see what he has to be upset about. "If its about the child, they can live with me. You don't have to worry about that, but I'd like you to be there for them as often as you can." I clarify, hoping that helps the situation...it doesn't. His stare, coupled with the fact he hasn't moved a muscle leaves me baffled. When he doesn't speak, I question his anger, "Why are you so mad?"

Its the first time he's blinked since I started talking. He shakes his head, "I think we have very different expectations."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." I apologize. "It can all be adjusted or negotiated as we go, it was just my thoughts. Obviously, my expectations are going to be different than yours and we need to agree on things first."
I see heat enter his eyes as he looks at me. "How about I tell you my expectations?"

I nod, nervously. "Okay."

"First off, we'll be having a wedding, the biggest one this city has ever seen. I expect faithfulness and it will be returned. I expect us to have more than one child and I will be living in the same house as my children. How's that for present?"

I tilt my head in confusion, wondering where or if at all we can agree. "So, I'm here." I say, lifting my left arm and stretching it out wide. "And your here." I finish, doing the same thing with my right arm. "We're going to have to figure something out."

"Why are you so sure you won't be happy with me?" He inquires, sitting back in his chair. "You might surprise yourself if you give me a chance."

His question stuns me. "You want a chance? I don't understand, This is basically a business deal. We should treat it as such."

"Or, we can actually try. Maybe we work out and end up happy."

I must've open and closed my mouth ten times before any words in my head become a constructive thought. "I don't know if I'm supposed to be happy." I tell him honestly.

"You are and I plan to make it happen. I didn't agree to Peters demands to help Keith, Brynn, the hospital, or the business. I did it because I've wanted you for long enough. You were never going to give me a chance, so I took it."

Braxton Greco

    I feel my temper rise as she lists expectations, if you can call them that, of our future together. Her expectations of me are so low that I can't help but be offended by them. When I confront her with the truth regarding me wanting her and my plan to make the marriage absolutely authentic, I tell her out of anger and frustration. Not exactly how I wanted to woo her, but I couldn't stop myself.

I can see she's not entirely sure of my confession, and has no idea how to respond. I take a deep breath knowing I might've said too much, too soon.

"Listen, I didn't want to tell you all of this. However, what you see occurring in the future between us isn't at all going to happen. I will not make a sham out of marrying you, it will be real. Now, you know where I stand. I don't want you to question my integrity as a man again."

"Did I question your integrity?" She asks, bewildered.

"Absolutely, the second you doubted me honoring my vows or implying that I wouldn't want to see my kids." I point out.

"I didn't mean it like that. I just wanted you to see that I'd give you your freedom back, that this was only temporary. I had no idea of the other stuff." She says, not willing to repeat me wanting her.

I nod, "I think its about time we get to know each other. Don't you?"

I watch her shift in her seat, "What do you want to know?"

"Everything." I state, firmly.