“What happened?” Cara questions.
“Imagine this!” My woman bounces on my lap, excited to share this story. Only keeping my lower half awake with all the maneuvering she’s doing. “I was happy to be getting a car, I’d never had one of my own. So, there I am, looking at this small compact car when Smokey hollers out, ‘You can’t get that one! How are you going to fit the small litter y’all will be having in that?’ I was mortified! Not only was I standing next to the salesman, but he had just referred to me as a breeder! Next thing I know, he’s taking my hand and leading me towards what at the time resembled a minivan! There was no way in hell I was driving that tank!”
“Wait a minute? Minivans didn’t exist back then?” Tig asks, and boy does that make me feel old.
“They had just started getting the gist of them. They were around, just weren't as nice as they are these days. They were ugly as fuck, but doable,” I tell my boy as Paisley’s shoulders shake from her silent laughter.
“Mom wouldn’t get caught dead in a minivan nowadays, I can’t imagine how she reacted back then,” Tig snickers.
“True, you should’ve seen your mother’s face,” Smokey bellows into his cuffed hands. “I thought she was going to nail me in the balls, but your dad told us to make sure she got something safe, and that’s what I was gonna do.”
“Safe, not ridiculous,” I scold him.
“Most of what we looked at that day was unacceptable,” Paisley states.
“Hey now, that lime green station wagon wasn’t so bad,” Bandit replies.
“Lime green? Was that even available then?” Trinity muses.
“It was a custom job, no doubt about it,” Smokey says. “But she said no to that one too.” He sounds disgruntled even now and I can’t help but chuckle.
By now, I’m outright laughing because the letter she sent went on for pages about how ridiculous the two of them were during their attempts to help her find a car. She ended up getting a Honda Civic, it was new off the showroom floor and she was in love with it, much to the dismay of Smokey and Bandit who gave her shit about it. When I told those two to make sure it was safe, I didn’t mean to try and put her into a tank, I meant check to see if the safety of the vehicle was up to par.
I see her look over at Tig and softly say, “That’s when I found out about you, too.”
* * *
Paisley
* * *
I wish I knew who passed this fucking stomach bug to me because I want to kill them. I throw up all day long, no rhyme or reason to it at all. Sometimes, it hits when I’m trying to sleep. Sometimes, when I catch a whiff of the godawful perfume that Daria wears, even though she swears she’s not wearing any at all! I hear a rap on the bathroom door as I stand and flush the toilet before brushing my teeth. Again. “You okay, Paisley?” Smokey inquires.
“Yeah, guess I still have that stomach bug going around or something,” I reply through a mouthful of toothpaste. I know I sound garbled, but he asked so I’m answering.
“There’s no stomach bug going around, woman! Dammit, he’s gonna kill us,” Smokey states. “Fuck! This is all Bandit’s fault.” I hear him mumbling as he walks away. Why on earth would it be Bandit’s fault?
Walking out of the bathroom, I see him sitting there and ask, “How could it be anyone’s fault?”
“He’s the asshole who just had to try that new place. I knew something was off the minute we walked in.”
“There was nothing wrong with the food, Smokey. With what I do for a living, I probably picked up someone’s germs is all.” At least, that’s what I’m hoping it is.
“Well, we’re going to get you checked out. It can’t be healthy, puking all the time. Not to mention, your man will kill us if we don’t make sure you’re okay.” I roll my eyes at him. Not the first time that’s happened either, because any time I want to object to something, the two of them will gang up on me and say that Twisted expects them to take care of me. I’m to the point I want them to go back just for a little peace. The only positive out of this past week is that Daria has made herself scarce. They made no bones about the fact they didn’t like her and she’s not too happy with them either since they treat her like she’s a leper since I mentioned she belonged to Axe.
“Dammit, I don’t have time to get checked,” I reply. If I’m not careful, they’ll have me loaded into my own damn car and at the hospital being admitted. They’ve been a bit...overprotective. Just like the brothers I never wanted, but still managed to end up with.
“You’re making time,” Bandit states, walking into the apartment. “Just told your boss you’d be late and got the name of a doctor. Called and made an appointment so let’s go. Time’s wasting.”
Rolling my eyes and stomping my feet has no effect on them, but I do it anyway because it makes me feel better. “Fine. I’ll be sure to let him know you’re both bullies, too.” The identical looks that cross their face has me laughing as I grab my purse.
I’m sitting here stunned at what the doctor just said. “You’re sure?” I ask for the tenth time. Maybe it hasn’t been that many, but it feels like those two words are the only ones left in my vocabulary.
“Yes, ma’am. Congratulations, you’re going to be a mom. Now, we need to get you set up with follow-up appointments, and I’ve got a prescription for the vitamins you need to take.” The doctor drones on and on, but my mind is still processing the fact that in roughly seven months or so, I’m going to have a baby and my husband is God only knows where.
“I need to tell Travis,” I mumble as I come out of the room to see Smokey and Bandit standing there.
“What? What do you have to tell him?” Bandit asks. I can hear the worry in his voice, but have no time to placate him.
“How can I reach him?” I ask.
“Well, you can’t call him exactly, but we’ll get word to him and as soon as he’s able, he’ll call you. Sucks that it’s like that, but it is what it is,” Smokey replies. He pulls his cellphone from his pocket and steps away to make a call.
“I wonder how long it’ll take?” I muse.
“Paisley, what’s going on?” Bandit asks, pushing me from my thoughts.
“I’d rather wait until he knows first,” I reply. Shouldn’t that be how it goes? The parents know first? Hell, I don’t know, I’ve never been pregnant before.
“I knew we shoulda got that damn van!” he exclaims. I look at him and realize that he’s figured things out without me saying a word.
“You can’t say anything, Bandit, that’s my job to tell him!” I plead.
“Not saying a word, but that means you gotta start taking care of yourself better,” Bandit vehemently demands. “You work too much, you don’t eat right, less than eight hours of sleep at night isn’t going to work anymore.” What, since when did he become my dad?
“Bandit,” I start but am quickly interrupted.
“Nope, need to talk to your manager, let’s go,” he grabs my hand.
“You can’t talk to my boss!” I nearly scream.
“Can and will, do I need to carry you?” he questions, once I dig my heels in and refuse to be moved.
“Now wait a Goddamn minute!” I yelp out, even my ear drums are pounding from the sound.
“Chill, woman, I need to pass my hearing screening when I return to base. But we really need to move, there’s a lot to do before we head back in three days.” I can feel the pressure in my head building up. Why is it I’m both sad and elated to hear they’ll be heading back that soon?
“Three days,” I whisper. Now he’s the one who stops and looks over at me.
“You gonna be okay?” he questions, worry embedded in his features.
“Yeah, just thinking about the fact that I’m gonna be alone is all,” I reply.
“We’ll get shit sorted before we leave,” he promises.
It’s been five days since I found out I was expecting Travis’ baby. Two days since Smokey and Bandit left. They weren’t kidding when they s
aid they’d get shit sorted. Somehow, they talked my landlord who is also my boss into letting them get a full-size refrigerator upstairs. They claimed it was so I had healthy food choices available. And they convinced him that I could do other ‘non-strenuous’ tasks so now I’m learning how to do the books for the bar. I haven’t heard from Travis yet, but both men told me it could take a week or longer because of how messages get relayed.
Sighing, I turn out my bedside light so I can get some sleep. I’m still puking at a moment’s notice, but at least it’s not all day long now. As I drift off to sleep, my thoughts wander to what my husband is doing and whether or not he’ll be happy at the news.
Ringing from the phone on the nightstand has me waking up and reaching for it before I know what I’m doing. The tinny sound that greets me after I say ‘hello’ has me looking at the receiver in confusion.
“Paisley?” His voice comes from far away and I can’t stop the gasp that escapes hearing my name.
“Travis? Oh, God, I miss you,” I state, my eyes filling with tears. It seems like now that it’s official, I cry at the drop of a hat.
“You okay? Got a message you needed to talk to me.” Despite the distance, I can hear the worry in his voice, and I rush to soothe him.
“Yeah, just...got some information the other day that you need to know.” My voice is soft, but firm. I don’t want him having bad thoughts when I give him the good news...at least I’m hoping it’s good for him like it was for me once the shock wore off.
“Paisley, what’s wrong?”
My nerves are pinging all over the place as I say, “You...we’re going to be parents, Travis.”
Silence.
I look at the phone again and wonder if we got disconnected. We never talked about kids so I have no idea how my announcement has him feeling.
“Travis?” It comes out low, almost in a whisper.
“You’re sure, baby?” he gruffly asks.
“Positive. The doublemint twins made me go to the doctor before they left.”
“You feeling alright? When did they say you were due?” Suddenly, the questions are coming left and right, and I can’t keep up, so I start laughing.
“I’ll hopefully stop the morning sickness part of this soon, but the doctor gave me something to help calm that down. And some time in the next seven months or so based on what I told her.” A thought hits me and I ask, “Are you...are you going to be able to be here when the baby’s born?” A near panic attack takes hold at the thought of not having him at my side as I bring our child into this world.
“Seven months, so it could be a Christmas baby?” he asks me.
“Yeah, but the doctor is waiting to confirm that. She thinks our baby was most likely conceived on our honeymoon night.” I swallow harshly, wishing I could share this news with him personally instead of via telephone.
“I’m gonna be a dad!” he shouts out, causing me to nearly drop the phone. “I can’t believe it, we have so much to do. Have you slowed down on your hours? Are you taking medication? Is there anything they can give you for being sick?”
His list goes on and on and for the next twenty minutes, I spend answering each and every one of them. When his time is up, I nearly bawl into the phone as I hesitantly say my goodbye.
5
Twisted
I remember the way I felt frozen at her news. Not from fear of becoming a father, but from the painstaking, paralyzing fear of not being there for them. I hadn’t seen Smokey and Bandit much since they arrived back on base. But I quickly understood the glances and smirks they’d sent my way. “I still can’t believe the two of you knew and never said a word to me,” I say to them.
“It wasn’t ours to share. She wanted to be the one who told you, and we weren’t going to take that away from her,” Bandit informs me.
“That’s so sweet,” Hannah gushes at her men.
“We’re sweet kinda guys,” Smokey puffs his chest up at his woman’s compliment.
“Only when it suits the two of you,” Axe announces, causing them to shoot him a dirty look. He only shrugs his shoulders and walks up to Lily. “Baby, there’s a lot about your mother that you should know, but I never wanted to speak my ill-will towards her. I never wanted you to feel anything but the love I have for you.”
“I know, Daddy. I love you for it, but I already figured out she couldn’t have been a very good woman to leave me with you all alone.” Lily stops chewing on the side of her mouth. Something she’s always done when she’s deep in thought.
“I wasn’t alone, never was. Paisley, Nan, and the guys were always there.” Axe has unshed tears in his eyes, something you hardly ever see unless it comes to his woman and children.
“Boy, was your mother a piece of work,” Smokey announces before Hannah elbows him in the gut. “What? It’s true, I’ve never lied to her.”
“You’re nothing like her, Lily. Is that what you think?” Paisley probes her.
“I was a little worried, I can be selfish at times.” Lily whispers out her fears.
“Let me tell you something, every single one of us is a little selfish. It’s human nature, we should want what’s best for ourselves.” Cara walks up to her and Axe, wrapping them both up in her arms.
Realizing that the atmosphere has taken a downward turn, I pat Paisley’s hip and when she looks at me, I motion for her to get up. Walking over to the not-so-little girl, I pull her close so she’s looking at me. “Best thing that ever happened to this crazy family was the day we found out about you, shortstuff.”
“Really, Uncle Twisted? I mean, I had to have cramped Dad’s style. Who expects to come back from overseas to a baby?”
“It may have been unexpected, little one. But it was also exciting. You should’ve seen your dad’s face!” Hatch bellows out.
“Before or after he passed out?” Smokey asks him.
“That was fucking hilarious!” I throw out there.
“No, it wasn’t,” Nan inserts herself. “I was afraid the poor boy would wake up and piss his pants. Paisley and I had enough to clean up after with a toddler and a newborn. Adding you boys to the mix was a little more than expected in that tiny two room apartment.”
We decided against going for the housing since I still had another tour after Tig was born to get through. We thought we’d just purchase a piece of land and begin our lives fresh...as civilians.
“Tell us about when Tig was born, I feel like we’ve skipped a lot,” DJ sits forward, the interest in her eyes has me a little worried.
* * *
Paisley
* * *
“Travis was due to be here last night. But with delays and paperwork the convoy home was pushed off. Here I am, soaked in amniotic fluid, ready to call the President himself and tell him what I really think about our government.”
“Breathe, Paisley,” Nan says, wiping my forehead with a wet washcloth. Nan came barreling in like a tornado once she found out I was expecting. She got her a little motel room not far from the bar, claiming two women couldn’t possible co-exist in such a small space. “He’d be here if he could, sweetie. We both know that boy’s probably issuing commands of his own, in an attempt to get here and be by your side.”
“I know! But I’m still pissed off! He was supposed to be here,” I end the sentence on a whine.
“He’ll get here when he gets here. Right now, you need to focus on bringing this little one into the world. I’m here and not leaving.”
Nan has been a godsend and a lifesaver. Travis was only able to get leave once during my pregnancy, and we spent that week alternating between getting things ready and spending it in bed. I’m proud of what he’s doing for our country and all, but I miss him. Despite the distance, we’ve grown closer through our letters and I’ve fallen in love with him. And that’s not something I wanna share in a damn letter!
“How much longer?” I pant out. It seems like it’s been forever since my labor started and I’m not sure if I can handle much more.
“Babies come on their own time,” the doctor states walking in the room.
“Well, that’s just great,” I mutter through the pain. “I’m never having another one, I hope Travis is happy with one, because this ain’t ever happening again!”
“We’ll see,” Nan says, coming at me again with the wet rag. I’m ready to shove the damn clothe down her throat.
“Let’s see where you’re at,” the doctor says, putting on a pair of gloves. I feel like a damn freak on display, my legs splayed out, my huge belly overshadowing everything. She makes quick work of checking me and once she’s removed the gloves and washed her hands, states, “It won’t be much longer.”
I’m about to reply when I hear all hell breaking loose in the hallway. Great, just what I need! Opening my mouth to say something, I can’t believe when the door bursts open and in walks Travis, dusty BDUs and all. “Travis,” I breathe out right as a contraction hits.
“Got here as quick as I could, sweetness,” he replies, coming to my side. His face pales when he sees the pain I’m in, but in true fashion, he pushes it down and grabs my hand as he leans in and kisses me. “Wouldn’t miss this for the world.”
“Yeah, well good thing you got here because this is a one and done situation,” I grind out through my gritted teeth as the baby sends all my nerves into agony.
“We’ll see,” he murmurs as he brushes my hair away from my sweaty forehead. “You look beautiful,” he whispers.
“You hit your head again, didn’t you?” I ask, my eyes drinking in the sight of him. The love I feel rolls over me, and I state, “I need to tell you something.”
He leans closer and kisses me and when he pulls back, he says, “I love you, Paisley.”
“You took the words out of my mouth, Travis. I love you, too,” I reply, tears welling up and flowing down my cheeks.
A Twisted Kind of Love Page 4