Playing House

Patrick, Marty, Maddie and I all sat in the waiting room for what seemed like forever. Patrick was still holding Madeline, who was just silently surveying the room with tears in her eyes. She wouldn’t even let me touch her, but I didn’t blame her. She probably thought I had sent Beau away and that she was next.

Marty kept fidgetting with his phone, getting up and making phone calls and then sitting back down. Finally whoever he was trying to get a hold of called him back because he got up again. I was too numb to even care, I just wanted to see my son.

I knew it was probably nothing. It was probably just the flu, and I shouldn’t have worried so much, but when you’re a parent everything gets so scary.

They bump their head and you just know they have a concussion.

They wave to a nice old man and you just know he’s a pedophile.

They scrape their knee and you just know they’re going to need stitches.

They go missing in the supermarket and you just know that they’ve been kidnapped.

Even the littlest thing can cause such a big worry.

Marty came back and looked at me.

“You want a coffee or something? Maybe some juice for Madeline?” He asked. I just nodded, and then he turned to Patrick. “Sharpie, why don’t you come help me.”

Patrick looked at him weirdly, but then Marty shot him a look.

“Oh…uh, sure,” Patrick said, setting Maddie in the seat next to me. The two of them walked away, and I know I should have known something strange was going on but I didn’t even care.

“Amalia!” I heard, causing me to freeze. Ben was coming down the hallway towards our seats. Madeline hopped up right away, running toward him. He knelt down and embraced her tightly, kissing her head in relief.

Oh, suddenly he’s all worried. Psh, give me a break.

He picked her up and walked over to me, sitting in the chair next to me. Maddie had her head on his shoulder, and although I knew she wanted to sleep I also knew she wouldn’t until she saw Beau was okay.

“Amalia,” he tried again. It wasn’t going to work though. I refused to look at him. “Amalia I’m sorry. I was drunk, I wasn’t thinking straight. If I would’ve known-”

“If you would have known what, Ben? I came to you and needed your help, and even though you wouldn’t let me explain what I needed that alone should have been enough,” I snapped.

“I’m sorry,” he repeated. I just shook my head, not wanting to hear it. Maddie slipped off of Ben’s lap and onto mine, and I think she realized what was going on. Ben looked heartbroken to say the least, but I shook it off.

Marty and Patrick returned soon after, carrying coffee and some juice. Patrick punched Ben in the arm before handing him his coffee, and then Ben looked at Marty expectantly, waiting for his hit. Marty just shook his head and sat down after Patrick.

“You’re not going to know when mine is coming,” Marty said. “That’s part of the punishment.” Ben nodded and sipped his coffee. Marty suddenly punched his arm, causing Ben to choke on the hot coffee. Ben glared at Marty but he just shrugged. “I couldn’t wait.”

Finally a doctor came out and came towards us.

“Um, the parents of Beau Williams?” She asked, looking around. I stood up swiftly, but what caught me off guard was the other three did too. Suddenly, as if he just realized what he did, Ben tried to sit back down, but Marty pushed him forward. The doctor looked at us strangely but turned to me. “You’re his mother?” I nodded, and we both turned to the men. “We can only allow family back there right now, so who’s the father?" Patrick and Marty sat down quickly, leaving Ben standing alone. “You’re the father?”

“Er…no, not exactly,” Ben answered, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

“Oh, but you’re married?” She asked, motioning between Ben and I.

Ben shook his head again.

“Engaged? Are you at least her boyfriend?”

“No,” Ben answered dejectedly, sitting back down and elbowing Marty in the ribs. The doctor sighed and smiled.

“It’s only the flu, so I guess you all can come back,” she permitted.

“Only the flu?” I asked as we all walked towards Beau’s room.

“Yes. But you did the right thing, bringing him in. His fever was very high,” she noted, looking at Maddie. “Is she his sister?”

“Twin,” I nodded.

“Can I just do a few simple tests? Just temperature and stuff, to make sure she doesn’t have it too,” she explained. I nodded and we all went into another room where the doctor checked up on Maddie.

After concluding Maddie was okay, she led us to Beau’s room.

“Alright, I’m going to say only two visitors at a time, and also I think it’d be best if she didn’t go in,” the doctor said, motioning to Maddie. Marty motioned that he’d take her, so I handed her over and walked in with Ben.

Beau was curled up in a hospital bed, shivering slightly. The doctor started explaining things to us, but I wasn’t listening. I glared at Ben, who immediately turned toward the doctor to listen intently. I walked over to Beau and tried to pull the blankets over him a little more, and I ran my fingers through his hair.

“So, he’s okay? It’s just the flu?” Ben asked, nervously.

“Yes. He can go home in a little bit, after you’ve finished the paperwork,” she said, walking out of the room politely. Ben stood in the middle of the room before collapsing on a chair with his head in his hands. He ran his hands over his head a few times before looking up at me.

“I’m so sorry,” he choked out. My expression softened when I saw he had tears in his eyes. “I was stupid, I know. I freaked out when they called me daddy, I…I didn’t know how to handle it. I love your kids Mal, but that…that’s a lot of weight to lay on someone, you know? I mean, shit, I’ve known you all less than a month, and…” he trailed off, trying to calm himself down. “And then you and me, I…I don’t even know why I messed that one up. This whole thing is just, scary. I mean, I’m facing like, instant family here. Instant responsibility. Instant liability. I did the only thing I could think of, which was run.”

I nodded, and even though I was still angry, I gave Ben credit. He was the only guy to ever apologize and explain his actions, so I owed him that much.

“I was so afraid, Mal,” Ben continued. “When Marty called me and told me you guys were at the hospital, I seriously panicked. I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off; I couldn’t even function. Amalia, I never felt so terrified and guilty in my entire life. I ran three red lights. And then seeing you and Maddie sitting there, crying…I couldn’t breathe. I-”

Beau started waking up just then, and when he saw me he leapt into my arms, holding on for dear life. I hugged him back, and soon I heard a knock on the window. I turned and looked, where Patrick and Marty, who was holding Maddie, were all waving to Beau. He smiled and waved back, before noticing Ben. He reached out to him, but Ben hesitated.

“It’s okay,” I nodded. Ben came over and wrapped Beau in his arms like his life depended on it. I walked out of the room, letting Patrick go in. He came out a few minutes later, telling Marty to go in.

“Ben won’t leave,” Patrick smiled. Marty handed Madeline to me and went inside the room.

“Ms. Williams?” The doctor called. I turned toward her with a small smile. “Here’s the paperwork,” she said, handing me some papers and a clipboard. “What insurance will you be using?”

I froze.

Shit, I didn’t have insurance anymore, after the hotel fired me.

“Uh…”

“Here,” Ben said, suddenly in the doorway. Marty was behind him holding Beau. Ben handed her a card.

“I thought you weren’t the father…?” The doctor noted, looking at his insurance card.

“I’m not. I’m her employer,” he answered. She nodded and walked away, leaving all of us standing there.

“Thank you,” I told him genuinely. He just nodded and went back in the room while I filled out the paperwork. Once it was all done and we got his medicine, we were able to take Beau home. Patrick and Ben drove Beau in Ben’s car while Marty, Maddie and I went in Marty’s car, because the doctor told us to try and keep the twins apart as much as possible.

Which was going to be hard, because they were twins. They did everything together. They were like, joined at the hip.

Once we got home, Ben put Beau to bed and I laid a sleeping Maddie in my room. I went to the kid’s room and helped tuck Beau in.

“Mommy?” he asked drowsily.

“Yes sweetheart,” I answered, pulling the blankets over him.

“When I’m better can we have a junk day?” He requested, trying to keep his eyes open for my answer.

“We will have the biggest junk day you can imagine, babe,” I smiled. He finally closed his eyes and Ben and I left the room.

“Junk day?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah,” I chuckled. “It’s just a day of junk food and movies and games…like that fort game we played the first day you met them. That’s their favorite.”

“It’s my favorite too,” he smirked deviously.

If I wasn’t so upset with him I would have jumped him already.

“Goodnight,” I forced out, turning around.

“Night,” he called after me.

A few hours later I was awoken by a loud thud from Beau and Maddie’s room. After making sure Maddie was sound asleep, I went to their room and opened the door.

Ben was sitting on the floor, tangled in blankets, rubbing his back. When he saw me his cheeks turned pink.

“I fell,” he said sheepishly, motioning to a chair. It had a pillow on the armrest, so he was obviously trying to sleep there.

“What are you doing in here?” I asked anyway, helping him up.

He just shrugged, embarrassed.

“I was worried about him.”

I nodded absentmindedly and looked at Beau, to try and distract myself from Ben’s bare chest.

“I was going to bring him into my room, but I didn’t think you would have liked that,” he said. I looked at him, confused. “I changed the sheets though.”

I cringed, suddenly remembering the girl he had brought home.

“But we didn’t do anything, I swear!” He asserted. I furrowed my eye brows at him.

“Yeah, it looked like nothing,” I muttered.

“Honest, Amalia,” he insisted. “I mean, we were about to , but then you knocked, and after you left all I could think about was you, and she left after she realized I wasn’t gonna go there.”

“After I left? You mean after you shut the door in my face?” I countered.

“Uh…yeah,” he winced. “I was drunk.”

“Stop making excuses, Ben,” I told him, walking out.