by Katy Kaylee
“I was hoping that we could spend some time together- the five of us. Maybe… you wouldn’t mind staying at the same hotel we’re in?” Both Georgia and I looked around, and a little giggle burst from my throat. Neither my dad nor Eric had blinked yet, and the redness in their eyes was cute. “Well… as long as we keep the boys in check, right?”
“I’m gunna have a grampa!” Once again, Maggie’s overly loud shout rippled through the air palpably from her excitement, and the standoff between the two men finally broke. My dad didn’t even have time to tense before Maggie was in his lap, and he stiffened with a flicker of discomfort on his face when she beamed brightly. “I always wanted a grampa that liked me.”
“Maggie. It’s not acceptable to sit on strangers’ laps, honey.” Clearing his throat roughly, Eric cast Maggie a hard look, and Georgia and I shared an amused look. Maggie swung her legs back and forth, crushing a paper against her chest and a pen in her little fist as she shook her head.
“He’s my grampa, though.” The answer couldn’t be contended with, and Maggie dismissed everyone else to grin broadly at my dad. Poising the pen in her hand, she scribbled a little on the paper, flat and taut against her legs. Silence descended on the room as I lost myself in my thoughts.
It was really over- the horrible feeling that always clung to my gut had vanished. If Greg made it out of surgery, he’d go to jail, and there’s no way he’d be let out. He tried to murder four people, and he set an entire house on fire. It was really over.
And these people around me were the beginning of something new.
Eric
“This brings back memories.” Squeezing Delainne against my side, I smiled broadly as I gazed at the meticulous rows of flowers she’d planted so long ago. My memories overlapped with reality, and my hand trailed down her back to grip her ass none-too-subtly. “I slowed down so I could look at your ass longer.”
“I didn’t even notice you- or anyone, really.” Out of the corner of my eye, Delainne flushed red, and I chuckled at her bashful admission. “I didn’t want to come, but Donald made me because he was already shorthanded. I remember being surprised at how much I liked planting the flowers. It was… I don’t know- soothing. Simple. Easy.”
“You know, I’ve gone on house calls and stuff to inform people that their loved ones had died. I’ve never had to explain to a mother that her son went on a murderous rampage because he’s bitter that he didn’t feel like she loved him.” Staring dazedly at this ordinary, forgettable spot along the walkway, I rolled my jaw absently as Delainne tensed. “I have no idea what to say to Georgia… it’s not like she wanted Greg to try to kill us. She did everything she could to help him, but…”
“But it wasn’t enough.” The familiar, feminine voice from behind my rolled smooth and sad down my spine, and I twisted as Georgia stepped up to my opposite side. She looked bad- the kind of bad that came with being unable to process a tragedy. “Greg’s father left me for another woman, but there were a lot of problems beforehand. I stayed in the marriage because Greg loved and idolized his father, and his father loved him. A boy needs his father. I always feared that I was making a mistake, but I knew that if we divorced- Greg would choose his father over me. I never wanted him to think that I’d abandoned him because I wouldn’t have fought for him.”
“I’m sorry, Georgia… I’m sorry about everything.” My apology earned me a hollow smile, and I held my breath as my gut rotted away right inside me. “If there’s anything I can do-“
“I don’t want your pity, young man… your sympathies, I can handle, but not your pity. I married Mark because I was selfish, and that’s my own fault. At the very least, you didn’t kill Greg. That’s all I could ask for. Even though I’ll probably never see him again, there’s a chance that he can atone for what he’s done. That’s all I want.” Casting me a steely glance, Georgia inhaled sharply before shaking her head. “Your daughter is an amazing little girl. You did an amazing job with her.”
“Thank you. Honestly… I never expected her to take to you so well or so fast.” For a fraction of a second, Georgia’s smile became a little livelier, and I turned back to the flowerbed to sigh heavily. It’d only been three days since the whole incident with Greg, but Maggie and Delainne’s father were joined at the hip. He didn’t disrespect the rules I had in place, but he was wrapped around her little finger. “I don’t really know how to feel about it. Then again… I wasn’t sure how to feel when it happened with Delainne, either.”
“She probably reminds him of you, Delainne. When your father and I first started dating, he’d go on these tangents about your medical problems- how he hoped you’d get a good deal with the hormones- that he was worried that because of your issues, you’d have a hard time in high-school. You were ten, and the subject had come up. Mark confessed that that was one of the reasons he dated and eventually married me.” Delainne blushed furiously under the baking heat, and I wrapped her up in my arms as Georgia watched on fondly. Her eyes glazed, as if she was looking past us, and her ghost of a smile grew slightly. “I always knew we were together because it benefited us more than any feelings we might have with each other, but we’re happy. My son… Greg has made his choices, and all I can do is shoulder what part of it I’m responsible for.”
“You’re a good woman. My mom hasn’t even called to check on us-“ Just in that moment, my cell phone trilled shrilly, and my brows threatened to shoot off my forehead. Teagen’s face flashed on the screen, and an uncomfortable sense of disappointment and resignation swirled in my chest as I answered the call. “Hey-“
“So, Maggie says you were going to have a party- and you didn’t invite us.” Accusatory and loud, Teagen’s shout made me wince, but I couldn’t open my mouth to answer before he continued. Goosebumps washed my arms, and his aggressiveness sent an ache behind my eyes as my lids closed tightly. “The only reason I’m calling is because Casey made me- you know how much I love a good party. It doesn’t even matter that we were in Italy… I just want to know I’m worth being invited even if I can’t actually go.”
“Okay… why’d you call me if you’re just going to bitch me out? What are you doing right now?”
“I’m sitting in my car in the parking lot wondering why Maggie’s on some old dude’s shoulders?” Whirling around, I scowled as Teagen laughed uproariously across the line. “Seriously- who is that guy?”
“Delainne’s father- Teagen, why are you at the hotel?” Delainne looked about as surprised as I was, and I made my way back towards the parking lot on stiff legs. “This isn’t a party weekend like when I was deployed. My fucking house burned down.”
“Dude, I was expecting you to ask to come live with us until you found something. I’m hurt, you know- I’m inconsolable that you just brush me off after I let you propose to a stranger at my wedding.” The slight chide in Teagen’s voice sent a twitch to my eyelids, and I scanned the parking lot before spotting his truck. Hanging up easily, I strode heavily over the hot asphalt as I slid my phone in my pocket. Georgia veered off towards Mark and Maggie, but I ignored it when my cousin hopped out of his truck.
“Teagen, I really don’t have the willpower to argue with you tod-“ Cut off by a swift raise of his palm, I frowned as annoyance bubbled up in my chest. Teagen clasped his hand on my shoulder, and the seriousness swirling in his gaze nearly knocked me back on my heels. Very rarely did my cousin take anything too gravely, and I pursed my lips tightly as I held my breath.
“Are you okay, Eric?” Shock stiffened my muscles, and I opened my mouth only got my gut to clench and air to fill my skull. Blinking hard even as I stumbled slightly, I watched in dazed confusion as Teagen nodded and shuffled to sling my arm over his shoulders. “That’s what I thought. Let’s get you inside, bud.”
“Is he okay? What happened?” Delainne’s concern came through a tunnel, and blood beat against my ear drums as my cousin half dragged me across the parking lot. Staring at my legs, I willed them to move, but my shoes just con
tinued to get scuffed on the scorching pavement. Soft, frantic hands held up my other side, and I tried to lift my head only to find that I couldn’t do that either.
“I’d bet you a night with my wife that he hasn’t slept since the car crash. It’s okay- I’ve done this before. I know what I’m doing. This is exactly what happened when Eric came back from Afghanistan the last time, and the time before that- and the time before that. He’ll be fine.” Delainne sputtered weakly, and I could picture Teagen smirking when I blinked heavily. “He’s trained for this. You shouldn’t feel bad, Delainne- it just takes a little reminder that he’s probably rattled about all of this, too… no matter how good he is at hiding it.”
“O- oh…” Even though I could hear the guilt in her tone, I couldn’t do anything to dissuade it, but Teagen chuckled. Suddenly, the concrete beneath us turned into polished tile, and the air dropped a good 50 degrees to stick pin needles in my skin.
“Don’t be like that… you had a gun shoved in your mouth, Delainne. That’s a hell of a lot more traumatic than getting crushed by Metal Man. He just needs to sleep it off. Besides, it gives you some alone time with Maggie and your parents, right? I bet he’s been up your ass since you were discharged from the hospital.”
“Y- Yeah, I suppose you have a point, Teagen…” My eyes rolled against the wave of exhaustion that slammed into me, and Delainne’s voice faded into garbled nonsense. I couldn’t resist the darkness that fogged my mind, and I knew that Teagen was right. Somewhere, in a part of my brain that still worked, I knew that Maggie would be safe with Mark, and Teagen would hang around just in case.
Yeah… my mom can go fuck herself. I don’t care… but I am glad she put me in this position initially. I’ve got all the people I need.
But then, she’s a good woman. I guess a good woman impacted by bad circumstances!
Epilogue: Delainne
Eight Years Later…
“Why are you wearing your uniform, honey?” My voice scratched my throat even as a smile stretched my lips, and Maggie fiddled nervously with her medals. Her slender hands shook, and I wanted to reach out to soothe the deep creases between her brows when she glanced up at me.
But I couldn’t, courtesy of the anesthetic.
“I want to make a good impression. I’m not going to have another baby brother- that’s what you and Dad said. This is important.” Maggie’s straightened hair shone brilliantly when she flipped it nonchalantly, but the gravity dragging down her beautiful features never lifted. “What do you think, Momma?”
Holding out her arms, Maggie lifted her chin high and set her shoulders back as emotion clogged my throat. Her military uniform fit her well, and she clicked her black, issued boots together at the heel. Tamed, long hair held back in a sleek ponytail, and my smile grew as prideful tears welled in my eyes.
“You’re wonderful, Maggie. I’m so proud of you, you know that?” She was 15 now, and Maggie’s lean, long face tinged red when my voice cracked harshly. “Did you finish your homework?”
“Momma- you just got cut open and excised… and you’re worrying about homework that I did yesterday…?” The duh tone coupled perfectly with Maggie’s blank gaze, and I inhaled sharply with a nod. All I could do was move my head, but the rest of my body was bogged down my incredibly powerful drugs. “I was finished with it hours before they had to call the ambulance. It’ll be fine.”
“You were amazing, Maggie. I wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for you, you know.” The color drained from Maggie’s face, and my smile became watery. It must’ve been horrifying for her when I just collapsed and started bleeding, but she never cracked.
Eric, on the other hand, had been paralyzed with fear for the longest few seconds of my entire life. He thought I was hemorrhaging- that history would repeat itself. My heart ached for him, but these were realities we’d expected when we agreed to have a baby.
“I’m really glad that the baby’s alive, too… but…” Seating herself on the edge of the bed, Maggie laid down atop me gingerly to exhale a shuddering breath. Her eyes sparkled, and I desperately wanted to touch her. “I’m happier that you didn’t die. I’ve been so afraid ever since you started going to the clinic…”
“I know how hard it was for you.” The door to my room cracked open, and I craned my neck to watch my dad slip through. He looked even rougher than Maggie did, and he cast me a relieved look through bloodshot eyes. “How’s the baby?”
“He’s fine- Eric’s with him. The doctors said it was better to have a parent there. How are you, Delainne?” Relief deflated my body like a popped balloon, and I leaned back against the mountain of pillows to huff. “It’s been rough for everyone.”
“We’re both alive, and hopefully, he’s healthy. That’s all I want.” The words soured on my tongue, and I clenched my jaw to hide my frown. There were supposed to be three of them- three babies. There were supposed to be fraternal triplets, but I’d lost two of them before my first trimester had ended.
At least the one survived, though. That was all that mattered. Derek- he was a fighter, just like his father. He came out and shrieked so powerfully that I had no doubt in my mind that he would be okay.
“Hey, Momma… do you think I’d be a good medic? I mean- do you think that the guy in the ambulance was fudging the truth about my skills?” Surprise rippled weakly through my subdued nerves, and I frowned as Maggie shuffled closer. “I know that I want to go into the military- just like Dad- but I was thinking, too… maybe I could be a doctor when I get back.”
“I think he was just surprised, honey. I don’t think he expected you to have done what you did. You’re going to be a great medic and an amazing doctor.” Maggie sat up to smile before realizing she had wrinkled her uniform, and I smiled broadly before turning my attention to my dad. “Can you sit me up, Dad?”
“Momma, aren’t you worried about Derek? It’s been almost 10 minutes.” Shaking my head at the probe, I just couldn’t seem to stop smiling. There was every reason to be happy, and I knew that Eric would take care of our son.
Minutes ticked by in a comfortable silence that weighed down my eyelids, and I struggled to stay awake. I started to doze, only half aware, as the numbness of my body became lead weights holding me down. The past two hours raced through my inner eye; the only part of me that seemed to work uninhibited.
But it all came shattering down when the door squeaked lightly as it was pushed open. All eyes went to Eric, and he strode through the entryway puffed up like a bird. The exhaustion that clouded my gaze vanished, and I held my breath as a nurse wheeled in my boy in a heated cradle.
He was so handsome, red and kind of potato looking with his scrunched-up face and blotchy skin. The doctors had been concerned during my c-section because he was a month and a half early, but he was clearly doing well.
Motherly pride and affection speared my chest, and I gasped in delight when Eric picked up his son to sit wordlessly on the edge of the bed. Anesthetic made moving impossible, but I didn’t need to bat a single eyelash as Eric placed our child against my chest. Maggie appeared in my peripheral vision, blurry from tears, and I sniffled hard as she stroked Derek’s bald head gingerly.
“He’s so tiny.” Her voice trembled, a mere whisper, and I nodded furiously as the man beside me chuckled. “He’s so perfect.”
“This is perfect.” This moment deserved it’s own mural, and I heaved deep breaths of Derek’s new baby smell. The turbulence that had led my husband and I on a collision course were far away, now, and I sighed in content.
Greg had killed himself in prison, unable to handle the consequences of what he’d done. Tony had full function of his arm, but he’d been assigned to training rather than being put on active duty. My parents were doing well, and Teagen and Casey had a 3-year-old and another on the way.
My life was finally one of those enviable prologues to a movie.
***The End***
Double Bossed
Tabitha
“Happy Birthd
ay dear Tabitha! Happy Birthday to you!”
There was round of cheering and applause that I let myself appreciate for a moment before blowing out the candles on my cake.
All twenty-six of them.
I couldn’t believe that I was past the midway point of my twenties. If someone had told young, fresh out of college me that I would be a team leader at a successful Esports company with a pretty nice salary before I was thirty, I would have told them they were being a little too optimistic. And yet that was exactly where I was, looking at both my team and the one ran by Derrick as they lined up for pieces of cake.
Normally we just had a birthday party once a month for everyone who happened to be born that particular month. It was always on the last day of the week and payday, that way if people wanted to bring snacks of their own accord, they had the spending money to do it. Naturally, I hadn’t expected anything when I walked into work, but apparently the crew had decided to go above and beyond.
“You guys are great, really,” I said, picking up the blunt knife and beginning to cut the pretty confection. “Who wants a corner piece?”
“Wait! Before you get stuck playing hostess!” Cecily rushed forward, her phone in hand. She was a sweet girl, and the one on my team who I relied on for organizational efforts. The woman was a whiz with filing digital and literal things alike, keeping our team area neat and efficient. I had recommended her for several promotions, but she turned them down, citing that she didn’t want to take on any more responsibilities until all three of her kids were in school full time. “I need a picture!”
I objected, because of course I did. I hated getting my picture taken. While I thought I looked pretty in my selfies, whenever anyone else took a photo of me, I always somehow ended up looking like a red-faced, sweaty, formless blob. I absolutely hated it, and even my fluorescently blue and purple hair wasn’t going to save the pic.