by Hazel Parker
“She’s having twins,” Marshall corrected him. The doctor raised an eyebrow before looking at the clipboard he was handed by one of the nurses. He inspected it for a moment before nodding his head.
“It seems you are right. And you are?” he asked, curious as to the man’s relationship with the woman.
“I’m Marshall,” he introduced himself, his palm sweaty. The doctor just got more confused. This man was showing much more fatherly symptoms than the other man. Nonetheless, it wasn’t the time or place to worry about such things now.
He had babies to deliver. With this, he started the standard procedure of setting things up. A couple of nurses entered the room and began buzzing around him, making sure everything was perfect.
Soon the room was filled with tense excitement as Hazel groaned with the efforts of childbirth. She gripped her lovers’ hands tightly as she tried to cope with the associated pain. Eventually, however, the room was filled with the sound of a baby crying.
“Baby A is a boy!” announced the doctor. The first baby was then taken by one of the nurses. She moved him to the back corner of the room where she began to clean him up and assess him. A few minutes later, another cry called out as the second twin breathed in for the first time.
Another nurse grabbed him. “Congratulations! You have two, healthy baby boys!” the doctor finally exclaimed, removing his gloves. Hazel smiled to herself, glad that this first step to parenthood was over.
She waited anxiously for the nurses to finish their duties with the newborns. Finally, they walked over to her and placed one baby in each arm. She looked down and gasped.
One baby looked up at her with dark eyes, just like Marshall’s, and the other had lighter eyes, just like Allen’s. Could it be that she had conceived a child by both men? Hazel knew it was a rare occurrence, but it was still possible.
“Would you look at that,” Allen whispered, noticing that the babies’ differences. “Looks like we each got our own baby.” Marshall seemed rather shocked, but smiled, knowing that he would love both the boys as if they were both his own.
*****
THE END
The Hard Fight
Chapter 1
It had been a long day at work. Tammi sighed as she got in her car. The snow was piling up fast, making her realize she had to get home before her beat-up car couldn’t make it up her uphill street. She turned the key, but to her dismay, the engine choked and didn’t start. Cursing under her breath, she turned the key again, but with no luck.
“Great,” Tammi muttered, resting her arms on the steering wheel before laying her head on them. She sighed again and took a moment to herself before she shivered, as the frigid, winter air made its way into her poorly insulated car.
Leaning over to the passenger seat, she reached into her bag and pulled out her phone. Three missed calls. Unlocking it, she looked at her call history. Max had called her three times, all within the span of ten minutes. What had happened this time? With an annoyed look on her face, she called him back, tapping her thumb against the steering wheel as she heard the dial tone.
She rolled her eyes as the call went to voicemail. It was so like him to call her and then not answer his phone. Tammi reached down, trying the key again, and to her surprise, the engine came to life. Her face relaxed in relief as she turned up the heat, rubbing her hands together in an attempt to warm her frozen fingers.
Soon enough, she was driving through the snow at a snail’s pace as her car slid across the icy roads. It was amazing that she hadn’t crashed. Somehow she had managed to get to her house safe and sound.
Grabbing her bag, Tammi made her way out of the car and found Max sitting on her doorstep, looking miserable. The top of his head was covered in snow and he looked frozen. Tammi stood on the entryway for a moment, her hand on her hip as she stared at him.
“What happened this time?” she asked, looking him over.
“Can we talk about this inside, please? I can’t feel my toes,” Max said as his teeth chattered. She rolled her eyes, walking past him and unlocking the door. The inside was nice and warm and they both sighed in relief.
Tammi started to take off her jacket, ignoring Max as he crept inside and closed the door behind them. He was limping slightly and he winced in pain as he began to take off his light jacket. When he took off his hat, the large gash on his head was apparent.
This went unnoticed by Tammi, however, as she made her way into the kitchen, turning on the tea kettle. She leaned against the counter, thinking of what snack she was in the mood for as Max struggled in.
“A little help would be nice.” Max said as he looked at her, an almost guilty look on his face. She glanced over her shoulder, surveying his wounds for the first time. Her face changed to that of compassion as she walked up to him and gently ran her fingers across the gash on his head. Without a word, she made it into the bathroom and grabbed her large first aid kit from under the sink.
Max watched as she came back and placed it on the counter, opening it up and looking inside. She started to scavenge through the contents, placing things on the counter. Max just stood there quietly, leaving her be.
Once done, she grabbed her supplies and walked over to the dining room table, setting them down. With one look, she commanded Max into the dining room where he sat down gingerly.
“Where?” she demanded in a serious, no-nonsense voice.
“Head, ribs, right side, and left calf.” She nodded before handing him a couple of pills.
He downed them quickly as she leaned over, looking at his leg first. With skilled fingers, she prodded his leg, looking for the source of his pain. He winced as she pressed against a tender muscle, and reaching up, she grabbed something before spraying it on his leg. Max shivered as he felt the coldness wrap around his leg, but soon sighed in relief as it started to warm up.
Tammi moved to his ribs next, repeating the procedure. Max tried to stay as still as possible while she took care of him. Soon enough, she was leaning in close to him, her lips inches away from his own as she looked at the cut on his head.
“What happened this time?” she asked, finally breaking the silence that had formed between them. She suddenly dabbed his wound with a bit of rubbing alcohol, making Max wince in pain.
“Stop being such a baby,” she chided, continuing to treat the cut.
“I was training.”
“With whom?” Max’s face fell as she gave him a disapproving look. She grabbed a bandage and placed it on his head, patching up his wound. “Hmm?” she asked again, tapping her foot on the ground in impatience.
“With Fred,” he muttered, looking away from her gaze.
“I knew it. You can’t trust that guy. He’ll end up killing you one day, I swear,” she said exasperatedly.
“You know he is the only one I can train with, to stand any chance of getting into Mayhem.”
“Why you want to be an MMA fighter is beyond me, Max,” she said, going into the kitchen and pouring herself some tea.
“You know it’s my dream! Since we were kids!”
“Yeah, well, when we were kids you’d fight other boys at the sandbox and get a couple of scratches. Things are different now. You could get hurt.” Her voice sounded worried as she steeped her tea. He sighed and limped over to her.
“I’ll promise to be careful.”
“Can you promise not to fight anymore?”
“You know I can’t do that.” She sighed once more, looking at him with a stern expression.
“One of these days you are going to get seriously hurt, and I’m not going to be here to fix you up.” Her voice wavered and he sighed, hugging her tightly.
“I promise to be careful.” She turned away from him, sipping her tea.
Chapter 2
“You know, if you weren’t my best friend, I wouldn’t do it. I wouldn’t put up with this.” Her voice was barely a whisper. Max’s brow furrowed for a moment, before he frowned, realizing what her words meant.
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��Tammi,” he said, placing his hand on her shoulder. She shrugged it off, walking away into the living room. “You know I don’t want to hurt you,” he whispered in hopes she would listen, but by now she was giving him the cold shoulder.
He frowned further before following her into the living room. He sat down next to her in his usual spot and watched her flick through the channels. She was upset. It was obvious, but he didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t just give up his dream, could he?
Thinking things over, his eyelids got heavy, his head drooping onto his chest. Soon he was fast asleep and snoring, leaning over on his arm. Tammi looked at him before getting up and draping a blanket over his body. She may be hard on him, but Max was still her best friend.
As she sat there, looking at him, she sighed. She wondered how he would react if he knew the truth about how she really felt. Would he reject her, or worse yet, friend-zone her? Her heart skipped a beat at the thought and she looked away, focusing on the TV. But the sitcom could do little to ease her mind. Frustrated, she got up, moving back into the kitchen. She might as well make dinner.
She moved around the kitchen with ease, humming softly as she put ingredients together. Soon the whole house filled with the aroma of fresh herbs and spices. She smiled as the timer went off and she pulled out an extra-cheesy lasagna out of the oven.
Pleased with the result, she carried it into the dining room and placed the dish in the middle of the table. She then returned into the kitchen, grabbing plates and utensils, setting the table for two.
Meanwhile, Max continued to sleep, but his mind took him somewhere sweet. In his dream, there was a girl sitting by the beach, with chestnut hair that flowed elegantly in the wind. As he approached her, she turned around, looking at him, giving him a warm smile with rosy lips. It was Tammi.
With a wide smile, he sat by her side. To his surprise, she leaned over and kissed his cheek with a giggle. He blushed and looked away, a little embarrassed. Did she know he liked her? She looked at him with an adoring look in her eyes.
She started to lean into him, her eyes closed and her lips slightly puckered. Was this the moment he had been waiting for since junior high? Was his childhood crush finally going to kiss him? He waited with eager anticipation for her lips to press into his, but nothing happened.
“Max.” He began to shake, scrunching his face in confusion. What was going on? He opened his eyes and saw the real Tammi looking at him. “Dinner’s ready.”
“Huh?” he asked, looking at her lips. Had he been dreaming?
“I made food,” Tammi explained. “You okay? You’re looking at me weird.” Max shook his head slightly, trying to clear his mind before he got up.
“Yeah. Yeah. I’m okay,” he said, brushing off the whole situation as he followed his nose into the dining room.
As they ate dinner, he remained quiet, occasionally looking at her. His dream and her words from earlier were swarming around his mind as he barely touched his food. He knew he would lose her if he didn’t tell her how he felt, but he didn’t know how. What if she didn’t like him back?
“Max… you sure you are okay?” she asked, concerned. Her hair fell over her face gently, covering up her eye. Max instinctively reached forward and pinned it behind her ear, his hand lingering on her cheek.
“Actually.” He paused, taking a deep breath, steadying his nerves. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
Tammi tilted her head to the side, her cheek nuzzling into his palm by accident. She blushed and pulled away slightly. “Oh?”
“Tammi… I…” Max paused again, letting this one linger.
“Just spit it out!”
“I love you.” Tammi dropped her fork just as she was about to take a bite. What? She stared at him in disbelief.
“You what?” she blurted out, in shock. Max’s face fell as he heard her, thinking she was mad.
“I’m sorry to just dump this on you… but there is never a right time… and I’ve liked you since like the seventh grade.” He started to ramble on and on, trying to defend himself. Her face was red, but she managed to lean forward and kiss him on the lips for the first time.
Max was frozen in place as he felt her soft lips on his. His heart started to race and he closed his eyes in pleasant surprise as she continued to kiss him. To his disappointment, she pulled away.
“Hey, I was enjoying that,” he whined, giving her puppy dog eyes.
“Then come get some more.” She winked and got up, running into the living room playfully. He chuckled and chased her. Soon enough, he cornered her. Picking her up with ease, he carried her to the sofa. Slowly, he leaned down, kissing her gently. Kissing her was even better than he had imagined. He smiled into the kiss as she kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck.
“Hey… do you want to stay the night?” she asked when she finally pulled away. He grinned and nodded, carrying her into the bedroom.
Chapter 3
In the morning, Max woke up on the couch. His legs hung off the side and his body was barely covered with the small blanket. Groaning, he got up, feeling the pain radiating through his sore muscles. He touched his head, feeling it pound. Limping slightly, he made his way into Tammi’s bedroom.
She was fast asleep, cuddling into her blanket. He smiled and walked over to her before sitting down on the edge of her bed. He reached out and touched her hair, gently caressing it. Slowly, she started to wake up, looking up at him.
“Mmm… Max… what time it is?” she asked.
“Around ten,” he answered, leaning down and kissing the top of her head. “You can go back to sleep after I leave, but I wanted to say goodbye first.” Tammi sat up quickly.
“Wait… where are you going?” she asked, holding the blankets against her chest as she felt the chilly air of her bedroom settle around her.
“Mayhem.”
Tammi gave him an annoyed look. “You can’t go into the ring. You’re still hurt!” She tried reasoning with him, but he just shook his head stubbornly.
“I’ll be okay. The guy I’m fighting is a small fry.” Tammi kept frowning as she looked at him. He would never learn. She sighed softly, her eyes imploring him to stay. “I’m sorry, but I have to go. This could be the chance I have been looking for. The opportunity to prove myself.”
“To whom?” she demanded, her eyes fierce as her hand rested on his, squeezing it slightly. “You don’t have to prove anything to anyone. You can stay… stay here with me.” She gave him puppy dog eyes, but it only made him look away, standing up.
“I can’t. I have to do this. I can’t give you a logical reason why. I just know that I have to,” he answered, standing his ground as he leaned down and kissed her head. “I’ll be careful. Promise.”
Tammi sighed, watching him leave. He would never learn. She plopped back into bed, looking at the ceiling. As she heard him get ready in the other room, she got up, walking into the living room.
“No work today?” he asked, seeing her still in pajamas. Usually, Tammi would always be ready in the morning if she had work. She shook her head and wrapped arms around herself, rubbing her sides. She had to buy warmer pajamas. “Well in that case… why don’t you come with me?” he asked, hopefully.
“To Mayhem? No way,” she said, crossing arms over her chest, giving him a stern look.
“C’mon, it’ll be good for me. You can be my number one fan.” He chuckled before winking at her. She rolled her eyes in derision, moving into the kitchen. “Tammi! I’m being serious.”
“I don’t want to go,” she called out, popping some waffles into the toaster.
“And why not?” he asked, leaning against the doorway.
“You know I don’t like the idea of you fighting. There’s no way I am going to sit there and watch you get hit!”
“C’mon, if you go I’ll be extra careful! Plus you get to see me in my fighting shorts!” he added in as if it would change her mind. She stared at him for a moment before sighing, giving in.
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br /> “Fine. I’ll go, but not because of your shorts. Just to keep an eye on you,” she said. Max laughed, walking over to her, playfully tossing an arm around her shoulder, messing up her hair like when they were kids.
“Whatever you say, Tammi. I saw how you looked at me last night!” Tammi’s face colored as she turned her back to him, busying herself with the dishes. Max pulled her away, grabbing the dirty mug from her hand. “I’ll wash those, you go get dressed.”
Tammi huffed, but walked off, disappearing into her bedroom. Soon enough, she came back dressed in some casual clothes. Max’s eyes swept over her with a grin.
“Stop looking at me like that, you perv!” she teased playfully. He smiled and walked over to her, grabbing her hand. Together, they walked out of the house, a pile of dirty dishes still in the sink.