Baby Just Say Yes

"Ray, you might want to watch this," Rayleigh's mother said to her a week and a half after they got back from Cancun. The vacation had been amazing, but now they were back to the hectic life that they’d been living ever since the twins’ birth. She looked in from the kitchen, where she was readying two bottles for Cayden and Jaimee, and she saw a blonde anchor woman on the screen. When she realized who it was, she rolled her eyes.

"Mom, that woman doesn't--"

"Just sit down and listen to it, Ray," her mother insisted. "I know you don't like her, or respect her, but just listen to what she's saying. It's important."

Rayleigh rolled her eyes, but knew she had no choice now, and she did as her mother said. She sat on the couch, and began listening to the report.

"And in further news," The blonde woman was saying, as if she really didn't believe it was newsworthy but had been forced to report it anyways, "Mr. Richard Coslov has been officially declared by the Los Angeles Police Department a high risk for society. As we reported last week, Coslov was released from his prison term, contrary to what the judge in his trial, which lasted for several months, recommended the state penitentiary to do. It is suspected that he was released in part on a bribe, which is being investigated by the State Bureau of Criminal Activity. The public is urged to contact state police, not the L.A.P.D., if they see Coslov...".

"What?" Rayleigh asked, all color draining from her face. She'd known that her father had been released from prison, but Brian had told her the police department was dealing with it and working on getting him back in prison. Just then, Brian walked into the room, and she glared at him.

"You told me that they were dealing with it, Brian," she said, her voice eerily calm under the circumstances. He gave her a confused look, and then when his mother-in-law gave him the signal that Rayleigh had found out about her father, he gave her an oh, shit look.

"I didn't want you to worry while we were in Cancun," he said quietly, not wanting to piss her off even further than she already was.

"Dammit, Brian! This is something I should worry about! Our kids were here, in danger, while we were off having fun in fucking Cancun!"

"Honey, you needed to--"

"Don't tell me that I needed to relax, mother. That's not going to help me at all."

"Ray, you were on a fast road to the ER. Is that what you want?" Brian asked her, this time his voice becoming more angry. Her mother stood up.

"I'm going to just leave now and let you two work this out," she said, walking up the stairs. Rayleigh could hear her mother warning everyone else to stay out of downstairs.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Rayleigh asked him, her voice cold while at the same time hurt.

"I already told you, Ray! I didn't want you to worry so much you put yourself in the hospital! That would be bad for everyone!"

"Everyone, or just you?" She asked him. He gave her a deer in the headlights look.

"What do you mean by that, Ray?" He asked, truly confused, his voice a little bitter.

"Are you really worried about my well-being, or do you just--"

"Don't even finish that sentence, Rayleigh. It's bullshit and you know it." Brian told her. "Why are you even asking me that?"

"Because I'm not sure whether or not you're with me because you love me or because you feel an obligation because of Cayden and Jaimee," she said, her voice smaller. Even though it was stupid, she couldn’t help but feel that way.

"How can you even feel like that, Ray?" He asked her, this time it being his turn to feel hurt. "Exactly how many years have we been together?"

"You're forgetting the few years we weren't together, when you were with her."

"Oh, Ray. Get over that already. Michelle is long past history, and we both know it."

"Then why did you go see her?" Rayleigh asked, lying her head against the wall, closing her eyes. She was beginning to get a headache from all the stress. She’d never been one for fighting, especially with her husband.

"Who told you that I went to see her?" Brian asked, his voice low. "Not that I'm denying it,” he added. He couldn’t lie to his wife; he hadn’t done anything wrong with Michelle. The thought of cheating hadn’t even crossed his mind.

"So you did go see her, then?" Rayleigh asked, her head up immediately.

"Yeah, I did, Rayleigh. Val told me she was threatening suicide again if I didn't at least talk to her. I wasn't there with her alone, if that's what you're thinking. Val was with us the whole time."

"Why would you even care?" Rayleigh asked. He narrowed his eyes at that. He knew that Rayleigh didn’t like his ex-girlfriend, but that was stooping low, even for her dislike of the woman.

"Ray, she was my girlfriend for three years. You can't expect me to just all of a sudden hate her."

"So you still have feelings for her," Rayleigh said, making up her own conclusions about what had happened. Brian sighed angrily.

"No, Ray. How many goddamn times do I have to tell you? I don't have feelings for her!"

"So why did you go!" Rayleigh screamed. "It's not like you had to!"

"So you really wouldn't have cared if she did kill herself? Do you realize how much pain Val would have been in? And as a result, Matt?" Brian asked her. "Are you really that selfish, Ray?"

"So now you're calling me selfish? Oh, this is just fucking unbelievable, Brian." She scoffed angrily. "Fine. Go see her for all I care." She said, turning to walk upstairs. Brian grabbed her arm, and she turned to glare at him.

"Ray--"

"Don't touch me, Brian." She said, walking upstairs. "Leave me alone. I just need to think right now."