Chapter Twenty-Three
Meghan
“You’ve been making babies!” Grandma exclaims loudly in the middle of Jaime’s room, drawing everyone’s attention, including the nurse.
“What?” I gasp, too embarrassed to meet anyone’s eyes as Nick and I enter the room. But I feel them. Every single pair of eyes is watching, judging, and probably laughing that I’m the target of Grandma’s sexual comments.
“I can feel it, Meggy Pie. And smell it. You smell like man. And sex. Like Abby does,” Grandma proclaims, glancing at poor Abby and offering her an evil little smile. This woman is the devil, plain and simple.
“I didn’t…we didn’t…” Abby stammers, her face as red as a tomato.
“Yes we did,” Levi mumbles, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her back against him. She’s still blushing, but she giggles as he kisses her neck and whispers something in her ear.
“I just walked in the room. Why are you bothering me already?” I ask the ornery old woman who’s cooing down at baby Amelia.
“Sex looks good on you,” Grandma shrugs.
“Can we stop talking about sex in front of my daughter? She’ll never have it. Ever,” Ryan says hovering over where Grandpa sits in the chair with the baby in his arms.
“Oh, Ryan, don’t be silly. Of course, she’ll have the sex!” Grandma bellows.
“That’ll be hard since she’s never allowed to date,” Ryan grumbles, placing a kiss on Jaime’s forehead.
“Never underestimate the levels of sneakiness a girl will go to for sex,” Grandma reassures Ryan, who suddenly looks a little nauseous. “Anyway, we’ll let Meghan and the hot dentist visit for a bit. We’ll just buzz across the hall and see Lexi Lou and the stripper.”
Grandpa stands up and walks toward me, Ryan looking like his brain is about to explode with each step Grandpa takes with his baby girl. He seems to visibly relax as Grandpa places my newest niece in my arms. Her face is wrinkled, even in sleep, and I instantly fall in love.
“She’s perfect,” I whisper to no one in particular.
“She is,” Jaime agrees, smiling up at her husband.
“I think she looks a lot like Ryan,” Abby says beside me, reaching for Amelia’s tiny little hand.
“Definitely,” I add, tracing a finger where dark little peach fuzz sticks out wildly from beneath the little cap. My niece purses her lips and makes a little sucking motion.
“I’m ready to get out of here,” Jaime grumbles, sitting on the edge of the bed and stretching.
“Soon, love,” Ryan reassures her, sitting beside her on the bed and wrapping his arm around her shoulder. Jaime sinks into him easily, closing her eyes and breathing him in.
“We’re going to head out,” Abby says, heading over to our sister and giving her and Ryan each a hug. “Congratulations again, you two. She’s a beautiful little girl.”
“She is. She’s amazing like her mother,” Ryan says, placing a kiss on his wife’s lips.
“Are you heading over to see Lexi?” I ask as Abby gathers up her bag.
“We already did, and there’s no way I’m going back now that Grandma is there,” Abby says as they head out the door. “We’ll stop by and see you in a few days,” she hollers to Jaime as she follows Levi into the hall.
“How’s everything with you two?” Jaime asks when Nick and I are the last ones in the room.
“Good,” I reply, not giving anything away.
“You two seem to be…spending a lot of time together,” she hedges, clearly looking to get a little more details out of us.
“I love spending time with your sister,” Nick says, reaching down and taking Amelia’s tiny little hand in his much bigger one.
“She is pretty great,” Jaime replies with a huge grin.
“She is,” Nick agrees, returning her smile.
“I am still here, ya know,” I mumble, feeling my cheeks turn heated as they talk about me.
“We know,” he says, placing a kiss on the side of my head and making my blush turn even darker. The show of affection makes me blush and feel a little self-conscious, but when I glance up at my sister, she’s merely smiling at us, which makes me smile.
We visit for a bit until the nurse comes in with discharge papers. Dad also arrives, ready to help Jaime and Ryan home with their new daughter. After giving him a quick hug and promising to come over and see the baby once Jaime and Ryan get settled, we head across the hall to Lexi’s room.
As soon as we step over the threshold, I immediately feel like we’re invading on a private moment. Lexi and Linkin are both sitting on the bed, baby Stella cradled in her mom’s arms. Linkin has Hemi in his arms, while Hudson crawls between them, his small hand reaching for his new sister.
“You have to be gentle with the baby,” Linkin instructs softly as Hudson grabs the blanket Stella is swaddled within. I can’t help but smile adoringly at the moment, which is actually broken the moment Hudson swings and hits his new baby sister in the leg. Stella startles and instantly starts to scream, Hudson quickly turning to look at his dad with big innocent eyes.
“Yeah, you did that, buddy. You have to be nice to your sister,” Linkin grumbles, taking Hudson in his arms and setting Hemi down between he and Lexi.
“Not sure this was a good idea,” Lexi says as Hemi now reaches for his sister. But instead of hitting her, Hemi gently rubs his sister’s leg and starts to babble baby talk. Stella immediately calms down and falls back asleep, while Hemi crawls onto his mom’s lap and lays his head next to his sister’s.
My heart soars.
“Do you see that, little man? That’s how you’re supposed to treat your sister,” Linkin says to Hudson who seems more interested in chewing on a plastic set of keys than trying to make nice with his new sister.
Lexi glances up and gives us a smile. “This might be more challenging than I thought.”
“They’ll get used to her. They’ve had you two all to themselves, and now they have to learn to share,” I tell my youngest sister as we come over and sit in the empty chairs. “I thought the grandparents would be here.”
“I made them leave,” Linkin says, blowing kisses on Hudson’s neck and making him giggle.
“He did not. They started to give each other the do-me eyes and said something about a broom closet,” Lexi says with an eye roll.
“Do I want to know what’s happening right now in the broom closet?” Nick whispers over my shoulder.
“Not unless you want nightmares,” I confirm.
“Someday we’ll tell you stories, Nick,” Lexi says as she stands up with baby Stella. “Here, Miss Stella. Meet your auntie Meggy.” She kisses the baby’s cheek before placing her in my waiting arms.
She’s tiny, but not nearly as small as her brothers when they were born. She fusses for a moment before settling into the crook of my arm and falling back asleep. Something inside of me starts to yearn, something that I wrote off as a life goal. But holding all of these babies? I’ll be honest, it makes me hungry to be a mother.
And sad that the one person who I pictured in this moment isn’t here.
Then I just start to feel guilty because the man who is here has been nothing but supportive as I deal with my crazy issues.
“So, I have to admit, I was a little surprised that you chose the name Stella. I don’t remember it being on the list,” I say to my sister as she picks up one of the boys and changes his diaper.
“It wasn’t on the list,” Lexi says as she removes the wet diaper and replaces it with a fresh one.
“What was on the list?” Nick asks, staying right by my side, his large fingers gently touching the baby’s cheek.
“Henry for Henry Ford and Shelby for one of my favorite cars,” Linkin says, moving to change Hudson’s diaper right beside my sister.
“Shelby GT 500? Nice,” Nick agrees with a smile. Linkin glances his way and raises his knuckles for a bump.
Guys.
“I didn’t want Shelby. I wanted Stella. And since we named our boys after his other favorite cars, I decided I wanted this one to be feminine and classic.” Lexi smiles down at her happy son and sweeps him into her arms.
“You should have gone with Nova,” Nick says casually, but there’s no mistaking the way Linkin tenses.
“Nova? That’s fucking brilliant. Babe, why didn’t we name her Nova?” he asks his wife.
“Because if you ever want to use your dipstick again, you were going to let your wife name your daughter Stella,” Lexi says without even looking his way.
“Ahhh. Yeah, we decided on Stella, man,” Linkin says to Nick with a wink. “But there’s always next time.”
“No, no. There is no more next time. You’re getting fixed,” Lexi says.
“The hell I am! No one is coming near my balls with a scalpel, babe. That’s a no-sharp instrument zone.”
“Stop being such a man. It’s quicker and easier for you to get fixed than me.”
“Neither one of us are getting fixed. Not yet. I’m not done reproducing with you,” he says and waggles his eyebrows at her.
“You are for the next six weeks, buster. Remember what happened the last time?” she sasses, clearly talking about the time they only waited four weeks to engage in sex after the boys were born. She was pregnant right away.
“Oh, I remember. I remember you did this one thing with your –”
“Stop! For the love of God, please stop talking,” I beg. “You’re going to scar these beautiful children.”
“Thank God they don’t remember anything right now. Mommy is a bit of a dirty, horny, potty mouth,” Linkin tells Hudson as he picks him up and holds him against his broad chest. My heart soars for my sister – for all of them, actually. They all have wonderful men in their lives and their families are growing rapidly.
“And Daddy is a raunchy, sex-fiend who thinks he’s going to die if his penis isn’t played with daily,” Lexi says to Hemi in a baby-talk voice.
“You love my penis. Admit it,” Linkin teases, giving his wife a wolfish grin.
“I will do no such thing. Your penis makes me pregnant,” Lexi sasses, holding her face stern as she tries not to laugh, a face that makes Linkin laugh.
“Things just got weird,” Nick whispers in my ear.
“Definitely,” I reply, turning back and facing my sister, who’s looking at her husband like she wants to swallow him alive. “Anyway, we’re going to head out and grab some supper, where people aren’t talking about penises.”
“Well, we’re glad you stopped by to meet our angel,” Lexi says, giving Hemi to her husband and coming over to take Stella into her arms, cradling her closer to her chest.
“It was good to see you guys,” Nick says to my sister and her husband. Linkin gives him a head nod, since his hands are full of kids, and walks over to his wife and daughter. Before I slip out of the door, I watch (slightly mesmerized) as Linkin bends down and gently kisses his new baby girl’s forehead before placing a tender kiss on his wife’s lips.
My heart starts to pound as I watch their exchange.
Their family.
The dream of my own family someday was ripped away, my heart stomped on and pulverized with five-inch stiletto heels. That picture perfect future I once saw so vividly is now dark and full of uncertainty. I hurt, ache actually, for Josh. His touch, his laugh, his love. I want that back. I want him back.
But that’ll never happen.
He’s not coming back.
Then I feel Nick’s hand on my lower back, and just his touch offers so much strength and comfort. It honestly makes me feel like I can do this, even though I have no idea what is on the horizon. Maybe – just maybe – with him by my side, it won’t be so scary to think about the “next.”
We’re both quiet as we make our way down the hall and toward the exit. After turning the corner and heading to the elevator, a door on the left opens quickly, and my grandparents spill out.
“Oh, Meggy! Here, this storage closet is open for business,” she says, making my brain bleed.
“Grandma! You’re at a hospital,” I chastise, giving her my best stern look.
“Oh, knock it off. We may be in a hospital, but we’re in the maternity ward. You know, where the babies are born? You do know where babies come from, right? Do I need to get out the diagram again?” she asks.
“No, no, not necessary.”
“Diagram?” Nick asks, his eyes lighting with humor.
“Yes, it was quite detailed. Orvie stayed up two nights making sure that diagram was anatomically correct. Not all penises are the same size, you know,” she says to Nick.
“I’ve heard,” he chuckles.
“It’s okay if you’re on the small side, Nicholas,” she says, her eyes dropping to Nick’s crotch. “But something tells me you don’t have that problem, do you?”
Nick chokes on air. “No, ma’am. I don’t have that problem at all,” he replies, laughter laced in his voice.
“I didn’t think so. You look like a man who’s packing a decent sized meat-club. I have an eye for these things, you know.” Grandma nods repeatedly.
“I bet you do.”
“Come on, Emmie. Let’s grab a bite to eat. I’m starving,” Grandpa says, taking my Grandma by the hand.
“Engaging in the sex always makes him hungry,” Grandma whispers as she turns his way. “Let’s head home to eat dinner. Brian is going to Jaime’s for a while. I bet we have plenty of time for another pickle tickle.”
A gasp slips from my mouth and I swear my jaw hits the ground. You’d think I was used to their sexual banter, but I’m not. I’m never prepared.
“I’ll take a pill,” Grandpa assures with a kiss on her forehead as they shuffle off to the elevator.
We stand there for a few more moments and watch them step onto the car. “Are we catching the elevator?” Nick asks.
“Nope, we’ll wait for the next one. I don’t trust them not to start rubbing…things.”
“Good point.”
Together, we stand there and wait as the door to the elevator closes, sending my grandparents down to the ground floor. After we wait a few more minutes, I finally walk over and push the button for the car. Inside, neither of us speaks as we start to move downward two floors.
Nick reaches for my hand, wrapping his large, warm hand around mine and bringing it to his lips. “I was thinking, maybe you’d like to come over tonight. I can make dinner,” he suggests.
“I like dinner,” I reply casually.
“I suspected as much. Then maybe afterward, we can watch a movie or some television.”
“What do you know, I like movies.”
“Good to know. Then I thought we could wrap up our sleepover with a pickle tickle,” he says, his hazel eyes lighting up like a Christmas tree.
“What a coincidence. I really, really like pickle tickles,” I state boldly as I wrap my arms around his chest and plaster my body against his. He’s hard against my lower stomach, as he grips my ass and grinds against me. At the rate we’re going, we’ll be lucky to make it to dinner.
“Me too, Meggy Pie. Me too.”