Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner
XXXII
Most people might not know it, but it’s extremely fucking hard to leave the hospital without your babies. “Why can’t I take them with me?”, I asked, trying to ward off Johnny’s attempts to lead me from the hospital.
“Your babies are still very sick.”, Rita explained. “Their lungs are very underdeveloped and they’re not breathing on their own. They’ll have to stay in the NICU until they can breath without a respirator, which I estimate will be around their original due date.”
“January?”, I asked incredulously. “I can’t take Madelyn and Isaiah home until January?”
“I’m sorry.”, Rita said. “But you can see them before you leave.”
“Okay.”, I conceded.
Johnny and I followed Rita down the long, white hallway, clutching each other’s hand tightly. I was still extremely sore, the staples in my abdomen paining me with every step. I leaned on Johnny, my unwavering support.
Rita stopped unexpectedly in front of an open door and gestured inside. We entered the room and there in front of us, snuggled inside their incubators, were our babies. The tears formed in my eyes as they traveled from Madelyn to Isaiah, taking in the dozens of wires attached to their tiny bodies.
I pressed my hand up against my daughter's incubator. “She’s so...tiny.”, I whimpered softly. I glanced over at Isaiah. “He’s so tiny. They’re not supposed to be this tiny, Johnny.” And then I started crying.
Johnny’s arms wrapped around me, drawing me close. He rubbed my back soothingly as I sobbed into his chest.
“Hayliee, baby. It’s okay.”, he whispered into my hair. “D-Don’t cry. Y-You know I don’t l-like it when you cry.”
I vaguely noticed the words ‘The babies are fine’ didn’t come out of his mouth, the very words I so greatly needed to hear. I pushed away from Johnny and turned back to the babies. “I want to take them home with me.”, I stated.
“I know you do.”, Johnny said. He laid his hand on my shoulder and I shrugged it away. Behind me, Johnny sighed. “Hayliee, listen to me. I know you want to take Madelyn and Isaiah home. But what you need to do is go home, take a shower, and rest a little. Among other things.”
I felt fury building in the pit of my stomach. “I can’t believe you.”, I growled, keeping my back to him. “You’re bringing up sex now? After I just gave birth to your babies? Your babies who might not even make it out of the hospital alive? Not to mention the fact that you cheated on me. And then you pinned me up against a fucking wall. Do you know how fucking scared I was? Don’t you dare try to bring up sex now, or anytime soon.” The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could even think. Johnny stared at me in shock.
“H-Hayliee, I’m sorry...” He ran his hand down his face stressfully. “I just...I...I wasn’t thinking. And you...you shouldn’t be scared of me. Because I am sorry. So fucking sorry. I let my temper get out of control. I never meant to hurt you.” He touched his fingers to my neck. “I deserve what you did to me.”
“No you don’t.”, I declared. I pressed lightly on his bruise and Johnny inhaled sharply. “You don’t deserve this. I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“But I hurt you.”, Johnny hedged. “I hurt you, and I deserve worse than this shit.”
I stood on my tiptoes and gently kissed Johnny’s bruise. “We’re both bruised.”, I whispered. “It’s just, yours is visible. Mine’s not. When that woman called and bragged about fucking you, it hurt. That’s why I threw your phone at you.”
“Let’s go home.”, Johnny said, changing the subject. “I don’t know about you, but I certainly need a shower.”
I suddenly turned back to the babies, snoozing in their incubators. “I don’t want to leave them.”
“Me neither.”, Johnny agreed. “But we both need to go home and rest. We’ll come back first thing tomorrow, I promise.” Reluctantly, I agreed and Johnny carefully led me to the car, lowering me into the seat. We drove home and all I could think about was Madelyn and Isaiah, and the growing gap between us.
. . .
“Come on.”
“No.”
“Hayliee, baby, come on.”
“I said no.”
Johnny stood in front of me, a terry cloth towel wrapped loosely around his waist. “Why not?”
“Just...because.”, I hedged. Johnny was trying to convince me to join him in the shower, but due to the fact that I’d just had twins, I had adamantly refused.
Johnny’s arms wound themselves around my waist, sending a shiver up my spine. “Are you scared?” After a moment’s hesitation, I nodded, ashamed. But Johnny only smiled, running his hands under the hem of my shirt. He traced the scar left behind from my C-section. “Why are you scared?”, he asked.
“I just...am.”
Johnny pulled me closer. “Don’t be. You’re beautiful. C-section or not, you are the sexiest woman I have ever and will ever see.” Somehow, Johnny’s word convinced me and I pushed away from him. Reaching between us, I loosened the towel from his waist and let it drop to the floor. Seeing Johnny like this again brought back feelings I hadn’t had in a long time. I placed my hands on the back of his neck and pulled him in, kissing him hungrily. Feeling playful, I bit slightly on Johnny’s lower lip. He let a low growl shake in his throat and I couldn’t help but smirk.
Johnny’s hands slid further up my shirt, pulling it up and over my head. Next his fingers moved to the hem of my sleep pants, moving them down my waist, and I shimmied my hips so that my pants puddled at my feet. When I finally stood naked in front of him, Johnny pulled away from the kiss and stared at me lustfully. “God.”, he breathed, skimming his hands along my curves. “You are fucking beautiful.”
“That’s all I ever wanted to hear.”, I whispered. I pulled Johnny into the shower and turned on the knob, letting the hot water cascade over our shoulders. I dragged Johnny towards me and kissed him until the steam billowed up around our bodies.
. . .
Startling awake for what seemed like the millionth time since I laid down, I glanced over at the clock, the bright LED numbers flashing 3:12.
Shaking, I laid back down, pulling the comforter up to my neck. Hard as I tried, I couldn’t sleep peacefully knowing my babies were still at the hospital instead of here at home with Johnny and me. I began to cry. I thought I was being quiet, but soon Johnny stirred from his sleep next to me.
“Hayliee, baby, what’s wrong?”, he asked groggily, finally registering that I was crying.
“Nothing.”, I whispered, holding back.
Johnny reached over and gently brushed stray hairs from my face. “It’s not nothing.”, he stated. “It’s Madelyn and Isaiah, isn’t it?” I nodded and Johnny dragged me close to him so that our bodies were lying flush against each other. I buried my face in his chest, completely ignoring the fact that he was shirtless. “Baby, Madelyn and Isaiah are going to be fine.”, Johnny assured me. “And you want to know why? Because they’re little fighters, just like their mom.” Johnny bent his head and kissed my hairline. “Now, let’s go to sleep. Visiting hours start at eight in the morning.”
I nodded, but I was too distracted by Johnny’s body to listen to the words coming out of his mouth. I ran my hands down his chest, trailing them over his toned, well-defined abs. I bit my lip. I shouldn’t be doing this. I shouldn’t even be thinking things like this while my babies were suffering in the hospital. But God, I just couldn’t help myself. Vulnerability made me do crazy things.
“Hayliee, what are you doing?”
I looked up at him, smiling at the look on his face. “Johnny, I...I just...ah, hell.”, I said, throwing my senses out the window. I brought my lips to Johnny’s, kissing him passionately.
Johnny pulled away, looking rather startled. “Hayliee, what-what are you doing?”
“It would be easier for me to show you.”, I explained slyly. Letting my hormones drive me, I kissed Johnny again, tracing his bottom lip with my tongue, but to my surprise, Johnny rejected me.
“So, you want me to kiss you?”, he asked.
“No. I want you to...fuck me.” As I whispered the last words in his ear, I felt him become hard, and that’s when I knew I’d convinced him.
Instantly, Johnny had me on my back, towering over me. It took less than two minutes for Johnny to have my clothes flung around the room, with his boxers gracing the doorknob.
“Hayliee, are you sure about this?”, he asked.
“Even if I wasn’t, I think it’s a little too late to change my mind.”, I answered.
“If you’re sure...”
“Will you shut up already?”, I breathed. I pulled him down, laced my legs around his waist, and silently prayed this would help me temporarily forget that my life had completely changed.
“Your babies are still very sick.”, Rita explained. “Their lungs are very underdeveloped and they’re not breathing on their own. They’ll have to stay in the NICU until they can breath without a respirator, which I estimate will be around their original due date.”
“January?”, I asked incredulously. “I can’t take Madelyn and Isaiah home until January?”
“I’m sorry.”, Rita said. “But you can see them before you leave.”
“Okay.”, I conceded.
Johnny and I followed Rita down the long, white hallway, clutching each other’s hand tightly. I was still extremely sore, the staples in my abdomen paining me with every step. I leaned on Johnny, my unwavering support.
Rita stopped unexpectedly in front of an open door and gestured inside. We entered the room and there in front of us, snuggled inside their incubators, were our babies. The tears formed in my eyes as they traveled from Madelyn to Isaiah, taking in the dozens of wires attached to their tiny bodies.
I pressed my hand up against my daughter's incubator. “She’s so...tiny.”, I whimpered softly. I glanced over at Isaiah. “He’s so tiny. They’re not supposed to be this tiny, Johnny.” And then I started crying.
Johnny’s arms wrapped around me, drawing me close. He rubbed my back soothingly as I sobbed into his chest.
“Hayliee, baby. It’s okay.”, he whispered into my hair. “D-Don’t cry. Y-You know I don’t l-like it when you cry.”
I vaguely noticed the words ‘The babies are fine’ didn’t come out of his mouth, the very words I so greatly needed to hear. I pushed away from Johnny and turned back to the babies. “I want to take them home with me.”, I stated.
“I know you do.”, Johnny said. He laid his hand on my shoulder and I shrugged it away. Behind me, Johnny sighed. “Hayliee, listen to me. I know you want to take Madelyn and Isaiah home. But what you need to do is go home, take a shower, and rest a little. Among other things.”
I felt fury building in the pit of my stomach. “I can’t believe you.”, I growled, keeping my back to him. “You’re bringing up sex now? After I just gave birth to your babies? Your babies who might not even make it out of the hospital alive? Not to mention the fact that you cheated on me. And then you pinned me up against a fucking wall. Do you know how fucking scared I was? Don’t you dare try to bring up sex now, or anytime soon.” The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could even think. Johnny stared at me in shock.
“H-Hayliee, I’m sorry...” He ran his hand down his face stressfully. “I just...I...I wasn’t thinking. And you...you shouldn’t be scared of me. Because I am sorry. So fucking sorry. I let my temper get out of control. I never meant to hurt you.” He touched his fingers to my neck. “I deserve what you did to me.”
“No you don’t.”, I declared. I pressed lightly on his bruise and Johnny inhaled sharply. “You don’t deserve this. I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“But I hurt you.”, Johnny hedged. “I hurt you, and I deserve worse than this shit.”
I stood on my tiptoes and gently kissed Johnny’s bruise. “We’re both bruised.”, I whispered. “It’s just, yours is visible. Mine’s not. When that woman called and bragged about fucking you, it hurt. That’s why I threw your phone at you.”
“Let’s go home.”, Johnny said, changing the subject. “I don’t know about you, but I certainly need a shower.”
I suddenly turned back to the babies, snoozing in their incubators. “I don’t want to leave them.”
“Me neither.”, Johnny agreed. “But we both need to go home and rest. We’ll come back first thing tomorrow, I promise.” Reluctantly, I agreed and Johnny carefully led me to the car, lowering me into the seat. We drove home and all I could think about was Madelyn and Isaiah, and the growing gap between us.
. . .
“Come on.”
“No.”
“Hayliee, baby, come on.”
“I said no.”
Johnny stood in front of me, a terry cloth towel wrapped loosely around his waist. “Why not?”
“Just...because.”, I hedged. Johnny was trying to convince me to join him in the shower, but due to the fact that I’d just had twins, I had adamantly refused.
Johnny’s arms wound themselves around my waist, sending a shiver up my spine. “Are you scared?” After a moment’s hesitation, I nodded, ashamed. But Johnny only smiled, running his hands under the hem of my shirt. He traced the scar left behind from my C-section. “Why are you scared?”, he asked.
“I just...am.”
Johnny pulled me closer. “Don’t be. You’re beautiful. C-section or not, you are the sexiest woman I have ever and will ever see.” Somehow, Johnny’s word convinced me and I pushed away from him. Reaching between us, I loosened the towel from his waist and let it drop to the floor. Seeing Johnny like this again brought back feelings I hadn’t had in a long time. I placed my hands on the back of his neck and pulled him in, kissing him hungrily. Feeling playful, I bit slightly on Johnny’s lower lip. He let a low growl shake in his throat and I couldn’t help but smirk.
Johnny’s hands slid further up my shirt, pulling it up and over my head. Next his fingers moved to the hem of my sleep pants, moving them down my waist, and I shimmied my hips so that my pants puddled at my feet. When I finally stood naked in front of him, Johnny pulled away from the kiss and stared at me lustfully. “God.”, he breathed, skimming his hands along my curves. “You are fucking beautiful.”
“That’s all I ever wanted to hear.”, I whispered. I pulled Johnny into the shower and turned on the knob, letting the hot water cascade over our shoulders. I dragged Johnny towards me and kissed him until the steam billowed up around our bodies.
. . .
Startling awake for what seemed like the millionth time since I laid down, I glanced over at the clock, the bright LED numbers flashing 3:12.
Shaking, I laid back down, pulling the comforter up to my neck. Hard as I tried, I couldn’t sleep peacefully knowing my babies were still at the hospital instead of here at home with Johnny and me. I began to cry. I thought I was being quiet, but soon Johnny stirred from his sleep next to me.
“Hayliee, baby, what’s wrong?”, he asked groggily, finally registering that I was crying.
“Nothing.”, I whispered, holding back.
Johnny reached over and gently brushed stray hairs from my face. “It’s not nothing.”, he stated. “It’s Madelyn and Isaiah, isn’t it?” I nodded and Johnny dragged me close to him so that our bodies were lying flush against each other. I buried my face in his chest, completely ignoring the fact that he was shirtless. “Baby, Madelyn and Isaiah are going to be fine.”, Johnny assured me. “And you want to know why? Because they’re little fighters, just like their mom.” Johnny bent his head and kissed my hairline. “Now, let’s go to sleep. Visiting hours start at eight in the morning.”
I nodded, but I was too distracted by Johnny’s body to listen to the words coming out of his mouth. I ran my hands down his chest, trailing them over his toned, well-defined abs. I bit my lip. I shouldn’t be doing this. I shouldn’t even be thinking things like this while my babies were suffering in the hospital. But God, I just couldn’t help myself. Vulnerability made me do crazy things.
“Hayliee, what are you doing?”
I looked up at him, smiling at the look on his face. “Johnny, I...I just...ah, hell.”, I said, throwing my senses out the window. I brought my lips to Johnny’s, kissing him passionately.
Johnny pulled away, looking rather startled. “Hayliee, what-what are you doing?”
“It would be easier for me to show you.”, I explained slyly. Letting my hormones drive me, I kissed Johnny again, tracing his bottom lip with my tongue, but to my surprise, Johnny rejected me.
“So, you want me to kiss you?”, he asked.
“No. I want you to...fuck me.” As I whispered the last words in his ear, I felt him become hard, and that’s when I knew I’d convinced him.
Instantly, Johnny had me on my back, towering over me. It took less than two minutes for Johnny to have my clothes flung around the room, with his boxers gracing the doorknob.
“Hayliee, are you sure about this?”, he asked.
“Even if I wasn’t, I think it’s a little too late to change my mind.”, I answered.
“If you’re sure...”
“Will you shut up already?”, I breathed. I pulled him down, laced my legs around his waist, and silently prayed this would help me temporarily forget that my life had completely changed.