Hurley and Brianna
“Baby, why do you always have to be on my nuts? I mean damn, woman, the only time you should be on these nuts is when you’re sucking them.” I grab my junk to emphasize my point, not like she can see me on the other end of her cell phone. But I’m a grown ass man, I don’t answer to nobody but me. God knows I love Brianna but she’s fucking hormonal as hell. I can’t wipe my ass sideways without her panties getting in a twist. She is bat shit crazy — always on my case, honey do this, honey do that. I can see her right now curled up in the recliner, her phone on top of her belly that doubles as a table, her throwing her hands around wildly as she bitches me out on speaker phone.
She is one sexy pregnant woman, and I’m not just saying that. My baby was built like a brick shit house before, but pregnancy has done her body good. Her breasts have doubled in size and her ass has filled out a little bit more. Just thinking about her perfectly round sexy ass makes my dick twitch with excitement.
I walk into the office and close the door with my foot. I have to adjust myself and don’t want to do it in front of the guys. They will just ride my ass if they see what I’m doing.
I put the phone back to my ear and get ready to take whatever she’s ready to scream in my ear. Fuck. She’s crying again. I don’t know what to do with her. If I say I love her she cries, if I say I want to fuck her she cries. I have heard pregnant women get emotional but damn.
She cries into the phone, “I just wish you were here. I don’t like being by myself right now. And I really want a chocolate milkshake and grilled chicken sandwich.”
“Baby, I will bring you one when I go on lunch, the Dairy Bar doesn’t open until after ten am. Hell, it’s only after eight right now. I’m sorry I made you cry, but I gotta go. The trucks going to be here any moment and I have to make sure this delivery goes smoothly.” I whisper a few things that I’d like to do with her and hang up with her still blubbering. I don’t know how much more I can take. I have so much on my plate right now. I’ve been busting my balls trying to do right and prove to her and her asshole of a father that I am ready to take care of her and our baby.
Bruce Jenkins actually had the nerve to try and pay me off to leave town — to leave my world behind. To ever suggest leaving my heart and our little dumpling …well he might as well of ripped my heart out of my chest and made me eat it. All I want is just to be with Brianna and our baby – to make a life here with my family.
I’m holding on by a thread, but I won’t give up.
I work all day long, busting my ass managing my uncle’s hardware store and at nights I take what classes I can. Bella and Ryan have been our saving grace. Bella is a trooper always ready to swoop in and save the day. She keeps Brianna from being lonely, except for today. Bella has classes all day and she can’t afford to ditch them. Today is truck day at the store, I can’t not be here. Ryan always has my back and keeps me in check. He reminds me of what I stand to lose every time I’ve reached my breaking point.
Brianna is freaking out because our dumpling could come any day now, and to be honest I’m freaking too. What in the hell do I know about being a father — just about as much as I know about women, not a damn thing. But I do know I will be a damned good dad and husband if given the chance.
I rub my hands against my forehead trying to make the pounding migraine that is threatening to take shape and jackhammer through my head go away. I go over to the retro coffee machine that sits on a small table in the far corner of this dusty old office. My Uncle Hank jokes that he has underwear older than me anytime I rag on his antique.
I try not to bust his wrinkly old balls too hard. He took a chance giving me so much responsibility. He started this store on a pipe dream and turned it into something great for a while, but he’s getting older and wants to retire. This store just needs some TLC. I’ve been taking classes to become an EMT with Ryan. His plans have changed a lot too since he married Bella. They don’t have plans for any kids anytime soon, but I ride his ass all the time, telling him it’s just a matter of time. Another guy from our class just found out his girlfriend is pregnant. It must be in the water. Bella says she refuses to drink from the tap, just in case.
Personally, I wish she were pregnant so she and Brianna could go through this shit together. I don’t think Ryan would mind it. There’s a part of him that would love to be a father, as scary as it is for him to think about. He and Bella both worry where they’ve both battled depression that she would get postpartum.
I finish off my coffee as I check the monitors to make sure they aren’t too busy upfront and head back to the loading dock to wait for the truck. Fuck. I wish this delivery would come on already, so I can do inventory. Another fucking perk of my daily grind — counting cases of screws and toilet seats. Fun shit. Yep. Hurley you are living the country boy dream. All I need is a trailer to match my rusty old truck.
After breaking my back in the storage room for three hours it’s finally lunch time. Being boss does have one good perk. I get to spend an hour with my baby during my lunch break. I climb into the cab of my truck and hit the drive thru of the local Dairy Bar to get what my woman is craving. I learned my lesson the one and only time I didn’t get Brianna’s order right. You just don’t stand in the way of a pregnant woman and her cravings. I brought her a vanilla shake instead of chocolate, woman about nearly took off my head with her cell phone. When Brianna gets mad she don’t care to let me know, but afterwards she makes up for it with the sweetest loving this side the state of Kentucky has ever seen.
I’ve been trying to get Brianna to live with me, but she won’t get out from under her momma’s skirt. I park behind Marcia’s — future monster-in-law’s Volvo. The front door is already unlocked for me and I shout, “Honey I’m home.”
“She’s in bed, that baby may come today so be ready, boy.”
“Yes ma’am. Thank you, Mrs. Shirley.” Mrs. Shirley is the housekeeper for the Jenkins family. And she just happens to be one of Bella’s Gram’s old biddies. I am sure the whole damn town knows that Brianna might be in labor.
Making my way upstairs to Brianna’s room, I can already hear her low moans whispering down the stairway. When I walk into her room she is sprawled across the bed moaning and sweat is beading across her forehead. “Baby, where’s your momma?”
Through gritted teeth, she says, “She and daddy had some kind of luncheon for one of momma’s women’s charities for who knows what.”
“Why didn’t you call me?”
“Oh, it hurts. This baby is trying to claw or kick its way outta me!”
I scoop Brianna up into my arms and yell for Mrs. Shirley to call the hospital and tell them I’m bringing Brianna to the emergency room. “Baby, how far apart are your pains?” I didn’t read all those pregnancy books for dummies for nothing.
“I don’t know, Hurley, it hurts damn it. I ain’t wearing a watch.” She smacks me up side the head.
“Come on, sugar bear, now’s not the time for giving me love taps. You know I love it when you get rough, but we need to get you to the hospital.” I place her in the cab of my truck and send out a mass text to our friends and family that we are headed to the hospital. We get about six miles down the road and just my luck I get a fuckin’ flat tire. “I got to pull over and change this tire or you’re gonna be giving birth in the truck.”
“You are going to get me to the hospital, Hurley Owens, you hear me. My baby ain’t being born in this tin can you call a truck. Ouch, oh sweet lord hurry, honey, I swear this baby is coming any minute now.”
I pull over at the first wide spot I can find. Brianna ain’t going to be happy — I forgot to put the spare back in the bed of my truck after I used it to make a delivery for the store yesterday. “Brianna, sugar bear, I need you to stay calm.”
“You don’t have a spare do you, Hurley? So help me, this baby is coming and it’s going to be born on the side of the road in your piece of shit truck. I knew we should have driven my car. I’m going to kill you.” Now comes her tears.
I get back in the truck with her and try to soothe her best I can. “Look.” I rub gentle circles across the top of her belly. “I’m going to call for help and the ambulance will get here in plenty of time. Don’t worry, baby.” I take out my phone and I’m not getting any service. You’ve got to be kidding me. “Take my phone and keep trying to dial 911. I am going to try to flag over someone to get us some help, okay?”
“Just get me to the hospital you fool!” She’s flailing her arms about and I know she doesn’t mean it. Hell, I’m upset too. And how can I be mad at her when she needs me the most.
This is it, Hurley, it’s your moment to prove to Brianna that you are a man that can step up to the plate to do what needs to be done to take care of her and your child.
It’s been ten minutes without a single car passing by. I am about to lose my shit. “Hurley, we can’t wait any longer, this baby is coming. I can feel the need to bear down. I need you to look down there and see if there is anything coming out.”
“What do you mean see if something is coming out?”
“The baby, you ass.”
“I knew that I was just making sure that you did.” I am smart enough that I have a blanket behind the seat. I spread it out on the seat, so Brianna can lie across it. Next, I take off my leather belt and give it to her to bite down on for the pain. I take off my shirt so that we can use it to wrap the baby in. If I’m going to do this I want to make sure I do the best I can with what I’ve got.
Brianna takes off her bottoms, so I can see, and have mercy I have to grip the door handle for support. I seemed to have temporarily forgotten how squeamish blood makes me. I once passed out from cutting my finger. I don’t do well with the sight of blood like at all. And I don’t think Brianna should be losing so much of it.
Pull it together man, your family needs you.
Finally, Brianna gets a signal long enough to put through a call to 911. I am so very thankful that help is on its way, but I don’t think they are going to get to us in time.
Brianna bites down hard on my belt, as tears leak from her eyes. It’s killing me to see her in so much pain. “Sugar bear, don’t forget your breathing techniques.” Looking between her thighs I can see the top of the head poking through. I’m going to need that belt for myself in a minute or I’m going to break my teeth from gritting them so hard.
“Hurley, I can’t do this, the pains too much. I –I.” She doesn’t finish her sentence as her eyes roll back in her head.
She has passed out on me.
“Bri, wake up, I can’t do this without you!” I’m so scared we haven’t gotten very far in my rescue courses. We have barely started covering CPR. “Pleas, hold on to me, baby. Hold on for our baby,” I beg.
Thankfully I hear the wailing of the ambulance sirens growing closer. I move out of the way as the paramedics load my life into the back of their ambulance. Thankfully, they bring Brianna back to earth with some smelling salts.
They won’t allow me to ride in the back with her but agree to let me ride as a passenger upfront. There’s no way I’m letting her out of my sight.
The driver explains to me that they believe the placenta has detached from the uterus wall — causing the bleeding and the pain.
“Please, lord let my girls be alright. I can’t imagine my life without them. I haven’t met my baby girl yet, but I already know I need her more than the air that I breathe. And Brianna I just want to be with her no matter what.”
Brianna is rushed into the emergency room and I am allowed to go in with her because she is begging for me not to leave her. Our daughter, Hannah Elizabeth Owens is brought into the world at 3:36 p.m. and weighs in at 8 lb. oz. She’s a short little thing at 18 inches and she has a head full of hair. Other than her exciting entrance into our lives she is perfect.
Brianna has to have a blood transfusion and a minimal surgery to repair the damage done to her uterine wall, but she is one proud momma.
I can’t take my eyes off our beautiful daughter. I go out to the waiting area while the baby is being checked and Brianna is taken care of. Bella, Ryan, and Gram are waiting for me. I am surprised Brianna’s parents haven’t shown up yet.
“Is she okay?” Bella questions, taking my hand.
All I can do is nod.
Moments later, I am taken back to Bri and Hannah.
“Hey, you.” She smiles up at me as our daughter suckles at her breast. Brianna is on the pale side, but she is gonna be just fine. Warmth flood my chest as I take in the beautiful sight.
“You scared me, sugar bear. Don’t ever do that to me again.”
“I’m sorry. It isn’t like I thought to myself, oh hey, why don’t; I pass out in the middle of giving birth to my daughter.”
“Marry me,” I say, shocking myself.
“What?”
“I said marry me, Brianna.”
“Are you on drugs?”
“Brianna, don’t you love me? I am holding on to you with all I got but you gotta give me something here. You won’t move in with me. You don’t want to marry me…”
“I’m scared,” she admits.
“Of what?”
“Everything, Hurley.”
“I’ll never hurt you.”
“We fight all the time. You can’t seriously think marriage is a good idea.” Her eyes leave mine as she smiles down at our daughter.
“Marry me, Brianna. I won’t ask again.”
“Hurley…”
“Bri….”
“I…” she trails off and that is all the answer I need.
“Can I hold her?” I change the subject.
“Sure.” She finishes up with the feeding and hands her off to me.
I look down at my daughter and I don’t know what to do. I love her and her mother more than my life, but Brianna’s family has it in her head I’m not good enough.
Maybe I’m not.
Defeat washes over me as I stare at my perfect baby girl and look into eyes knowing she won’t be coming home with me. She’ll be going to the Jenkin’s plantation once they are released in a few days.
As I sway my daughter back and forth in my arms, rocking her to sleep, I can feel Brianna staring at me.
“Are you serious about us moving in with you?” her voice comes out small and meek.
“I don’t want to fight, Bri, not right now.”
“Okay,” she agrees, softly.
“Okay what?”
“I’ll move in with you and if we can make it one year, I’ll marry you.”
“One year?”
“Yeah. One year. Think you can handle that, stud?”
Looking at my daughter, I smile. “Yeah.”
I only hope I can hold on.