Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner

For several minutes, Johnny just stood there, stone still and silent, his mouth half open.

“Say something please.”, I sobbed.

Johnny smiled. “That’s great, baby!”, he exclaimed. He pulled me into his arms, hugging me tightly. “That’s just great.”

“No, it’s not.” I shook my head. “We’re not ready...”

“Yes, we are.”, Johnny assured. “A baby...God, this is amazing.”

“I’m not ready.”, I mumbled, crying even harder. “I-I don’t know how to be a mom! My mom died when I was six. I-I don’t know what to do.”

Johnny cupped his hands around my face and gently stroked my cheeks, wiping away my tears with this thumbs. “Hayliee, stop worrying. You’re going to be a perfect mom. It doesn’t matter if your mom died when you were six or the moment you were born. Being a mom isn’t something you learn, it’s something you just know how to do.”

I stared down at my stomach and sighed. “I still don’t know. I just don’t know.”

“I don’t either.”, Johnny whispered, and I looked at him in horror. “But we have nine months to figure it out together.”

I smiled up at him through my tears. “Johnny, what would I do without you?”

“Worry yourself to death?”, he suggested. He snaked his arm around my waist. “Now, why don’t we sit down on the couch and watch tv? Let’s settle down, because you need your rest, baby.”

I stared at him suspiciously as he pulled me down next to him on the couch. “Now, don’t you start that shit with me.”

“Hey, I’m just trying to be helpful.” He lifted up the fabric of my shirt and splayed his hand across my stomach. “Just think about it, Hayliee.”, he whispered in my ear. “Our baby is in here.” He rubbed my stomach of emphasis. God, Johnny’s really happy about this baby. Johnny turned the tv to my favorite show, one I knew he hated, and wrapped his arms around my middle. A baby...God, this is going to change everything. I glanced down at my stomach, where Johnny had placed his hand. I laid my hand on top of his and sighed.

“Baby, what’s the matter?”, Johnny asked.

“Thinking.”, I stated absentmindedly.

“About what?”, he pressed.

“This baby.”, I whispered. “And how everything’s going to change now.”

“Nothing is going to change.”, Johnny said, almost like he was promising it.

I shook my head somewhat exasperatedly. “Yes, it is!”, I shouted. “When we have this baby, nothing will ever be the same. We’ll be up all night, we’ll be exhausted, we’ll never have anytime to ourselves. There will be no alone time. I mean, we just got married, Johnny. I wanted to enjoy being a newlywed, I wanted to enjoy my new husband, before I got pregnant.”

“Baby, we’ll still have the next nine months to enjoy each other.”, Johnny pointed out.

“Meanwhile, I’ll be puking up my guts and big as a fucking house.”, I seethed. I pushed Johnny’s arms off of my waist and stood up.

Johnny seized my hand. “Where are you going, Hayliee?”

“For a walk.”, I mumbled.

Johnny sat up and reached for his coat. “I’ll come with you.”, he offered.

“No. I-I need to be alone.”, I sighed.

“Alright.” Johnny stood and hugged me tightly to his body. “Be careful and call me if you need anything.” He kissed me gently. “I love you, Hayliee.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “I love you, too, Johnny.”, I replied, kissing him again.

Instantly, Johnny hands slid from my shoulders to my waist. He kissed me harder, forcing his tongue through my lips to explore my mouth. I moaned, but I knew where this was probably headed, so I pulled away.

“Damn.”, Johnny mumbled.

“Now that,”, I started, breathing hard. “Is probably why I’m pregnant.”

Johnny just grinned, kissing me again, this time so sweetly I almost melted. We separated slowly, and I gazed wordlessly up at Johnny’s face, biting my bottom lip.

“Be careful.”, Johnny reminded me. “And don’t take too long.”

“I won’t.”, I promised.

“I’m going to miss you.”, Johnny pouted.

I laughed. “I’m only going to be gone for like twenty minutes!”, I exclaimed.

“I would miss you even if you were only gone for twenty seconds.”, he continued.

“Bye, Johnny.”, I whispered.

“Bye, baby.”

Outside, the air was cool and crisp. I started off down the sidewalk and the first thing that flew to my mind was one of my deepest, darkest secrets, and it hit me so suddenly, I almost couldn’t breathe.

This wasn’t my first pregnancy.

I thought back to when I was still dating Jon. Our relationship was still in the ‘giddy’ stage, and I was head-over-heels for Jon. So, when I found out I was carrying his child, I was ecstatic. Jon, however, was not.

I stood outside the English hall, waiting for Jon, the same thing I did everyday. As soon as I spotted him walking out the door, I rushed up to him excitedly. “Jon.”, I piped, trying to get his attention, but he ignored me, brushing past with his friends. “Jon.”, I said again, and this time he turned around.

“Oh, hey Hayliee.”, he said flatly. “What do you want? I’ve got plans.”

I glanced to the ground nervously. “Um, can I talk to you in private? It’s kind of important.”

Jon shrugged and followed me off to the side. “Well, what is it?”, he asked irritably.

“I’m pregnant.”, I blurted.

Jon’s face remained emotionless. He moved closer to me, and I thought he was going to hug me. That’s when I was completely shocked when he laid his fist into my stomach, folding me in half. “If there really is anything in there, it’s dead now.”, he hissed, walking away.

I found out a few days later that I’d miscarried. Needless to say, that had been the end of my relationship with Jon. And barely a few weeks later, I’d met Johnny. It hurt to think how much differently things would have turned out if I’d been pregnant with Jon’s baby when I’d met Johnny.

The abrupt sound of a twig snapping nearby thrust me from my thoughts, and I whipped around, heart beating fast. I assured myself it was just my imagination, and kept walking. Suddenly, I felt a hand close around my elbow. My first instinct was to scream, but another hand was swiftly clamped over my mouth. “Scream,”, a gruff voice said. “And I slit your throat. Do you understand?” I nodded, and he removed his hand from my mouth. “Now give me all your money.”

“I don’t have any.”, I stated.

“Give me your money!”, he repeated.

“I don’t have any!”

“Give me your ring.”, he said suddenly, gesturing to my left hand. I quickly obeyed, slipping the ring off of my finger and placing it in the man’s hand.

“And your necklace.”

My heart stopped. He wanted my necklace, the one thing I had left of my mother. I clasped my hand around it, shaking my head. “No.”

“Give it to me.”, he ordered.

I shook my head again. “No!”, I screamed.

The man thrust his arm forward, and an agonizing pain seared through my abdomen. He quickly yanked the locket from my neck and fled. I pressed my hand to the source of the pain, and when my hand came away covered in blood, I blanched. I fell to my knees, shock causing my whole body to go numb. I knew I didn’t have long before I lost consciousness, so I hurriedly pulled out my phone and called Johnny.

“Hey, baby.”, he greeted. “What’s up?”

“Johnny...”, I gasped, feeling my words hitch in my throat.

I could almost sense Johnny jumping up off the couch. “Hayliee, what’s wrong?”

“Mugged...stabbed...my locket.” I was having trouble speaking now. “Help me...”

“I’m coming.”, Johnny promised. “Don’t move.”

“Okay.”, I mumbled. And then I collapsed onto the asphalt.

Laying there, bleeding out, I was scared for my life. I drifted in and out of consciousness, trying to remember to keep my hand pressed to my side. Soon, Johnny’s face started swimming in front of me, and I reached out for it, shocking myself even further when I hit something solid.

“Ow.”, Johnny’s voice said from far away. He scooped me into his arms. “Hayliee? Hayliee, baby, you need to stay awake. The ambulance is on its way. Just stay awake, okay?”

“Johnny...”, I breathed. “The baby...” As soon as I said this, I started crying.

“It’s going to be okay, Hayliee.”, Johnny promised as I struggled to hear his voice over the wail of the sirens.

As they loaded me into the ambulance, I tried vainly to stay latched onto Johnny.

“Don’t leave me...”, I begged. I thrashed wildly on the gurney. “Johnny!”

“Shh...”, he cooed. “I’m right here. I’d never leave you.”

. . .

When I woke up, the first thing I noticed was the needle protruding from my wrist. I stared at it strangely and yanked at it, trying to pull it from my arm.

“No, Hayliee. Don’t do that.” I looked up and saw Johnny trying to ward off my attempts to free the IV from my wrist. His shirt was covered in blood, which I assumed was my own, and his face was the whitest I’d ever seen it.

“What happened?”, I asked.

Johnny’s face went even whiter, if that was possible. “Baby, you were mugged.”

I suddenly remembered. “He-he took my ring.” I showed Johnny my left hand.

“That’s okay.”, he assured. “I can get you a new ring. All that matters is that you’re okay.”

I automatically reached for my locket, and was surprised when I found it missing. Fresh tears sprang to my eyes. “M-My locket. Wh-where’s my locket? Did the doctors take it?”

Johnny just stared at me. “Baby, you weren’t wearing a locket when I found you.”

“Yes, I was!”, I screamed. “I always wear that locket.”

Johnny squeezed my hand sympathetically. “Baby, I hate to say this...but your locket probably got stolen.”

At this point, I began to cry. “My...m-mom gave m-me that locket.”, I sobbed.

“Oh God, Hayliee...I-I’m sorry.” Johnny tried to pull me into his arms, but I shoved him away.

“Hayliee?”, a soft voice from the doorway. I looked up through my tears and saw Ada standing in the doorway.

“Ada...” I reached out for my sister. She sat next to me on the bed. “Ada, someone stole my locket.”

“Oh, Hayliee.” Ada hugged me tightly. Glancing over her shoulder, I saw Johnny looking very disgruntled. I knew what he was thinking, so I gently pushed Ada away and drew Johnny into my arms.

“Aww, is Johnny jealous?”, I whispered into his ear.

“A little.”, he pouted. “Why didn’t you hug me?”

“I’m hugging you now, aren’t I?”

Johnny nodded, nuzzling his nose into my neck. “I love you, baby.”

I smiled happily. “I love you, too, Johnny.”

Next to us, Ada clapped excitedly. “Oh my God, that is so sweet!”

Just then, a doctor walked into the room. Normally, I would’ve practically shoved Johnny off the bed, but at the moment I was feeling clingy, so I snuggled closer to his chest. Johnny obviously read my mind. “Wow, I’m surprised I’m not on the floor right now.”

“I just want you to hold me.”, I whispered. “I’m scared.”

“Well, Mrs. Seward.”, the doctor said suddenly. “It looks like the knife missed all your vital organs and blood vessels. And, don’t worry. Your baby is going to be fine, too.” With that, the doctor left the room, and Ada turned to me and Johnny with a shocked look on her face.

“A baby?”, she gasped. “Hayliee, are you pregnant?”

Johnny rubbed my stomach and I nodded. “We just found out yesterday.”

“Oh my God, congratulations!”, she shouted, hugging us both. “I’m going to be an aunt!”

“Ada, you’re already an aunt.”, I laughed. “Listen, Ada, don’t tell anyone about this. Johnny and I want to tell everyone.”

“Promise.”, Ada said. “Cross my heart.”