Take One Last Breath

“Preg…..?” Hanna couldn’t seem to get the whole word out of his mouth, even though I was surprised he could move his lips at all. It seemed like ten minutes that everybody was frozen stiff after Kori’s revelation that she was pregnant. In reality, it had only been half a minute. I knew she was carrying a child, already, as did Knoxville, so all we could do was smile. I thought she would break the news a little bit more smoothly, but what she did worked, and everybody would be shocked, anyways.

“Yes, Hanna. I’m fucking pregnant. I have a child in my stomach,” Kori said.

“So you ate it?” Dunn asked dumbfounded. Knoxville couldn’t hold back his laughter, but everybody else was still too shocked to say anything. Bam was probably frozen because he wasn’t expecting the news to be broken like this. Kori rolled her eyes, but she still couldn’t fight back her smile.

“The point is, I’m pregnant, and Bam’s the father. I know this news is sudden, and I had the same reaction as you guys when I found out. This wasn’t planned, and this situation hadn’t even crossed our minds, but it did, and we’ve decided to keep it. We honestly believe we can be good parents, and whether you agree with our decision or not, I want – I need your support. I can’t do this alone,” It sounded like she had the speech ready, and it looked like she had a huge weight removed from her shoulders once she was done talking. Everybody started looking around at one another, until April finally spoke up.

“I’ve always wanted grandkids,” she stated, and a smile broke out to her face, and was seemingly contagious as Kori started to smile as well. April ran around the island, and engulfed Kori into a tight hug, and it wasn’t long before everybody joined in.

..::-------::..

“She’s going to kill my son,” I said to Kori as we watched Levi pulling Riku around in a wagon as she rode a tricycle.

“She won’t,” Kori claimed, “Not on purpose.

I think we’ve been letting the kids hang around Bam and his friends a little bit too much,” I suggested, and Kori agreed with me by nodding her head. Out in the field, we could see Ville driving Bam’s hummer, pulling Bam around by a sled attached to the back.

“He’s going to kill my husband,” Kori said blankly, and my eyes returned to Levi and Riku. It had been almost four years since the summer Kori and I stayed at Bam’s house. Kori, of course, still lived there. The two got married a year after Levi was born. Oh, right, Levi. Bam and Kori had a daughter, and she’s absolutely beautiful for a kid who’s three and a half. Silky brown hair, Bam’s blue eyes, most of Bam’s features, but still a stunning image of Kori. They’ve been happy from what I know, and Missy’s been completely out of the picture since Bam took her to court, and got a restraining order put on her. Knoxville, Hanna, Dunn, and Steve-O are absolutely in love with Levi, and Kori’s began to trust them around her alone. Everything’s calmed down at the house, so now nobody’s in any immediate danger just from being around one another.

My eyes returned to Bam and Ville, and now Bam was behind the wheel, chasing a running Ville.

“Not if your husband kills my husband first,” I declared. Ville and I never got unmarried after we got drunkenly hitched in Vegas, but we did have an official wedding after his formally proposed to me. It was a large catastrophe with friends and family from everywhere. Now we have our own kid, a year old son named Rikku. We live in Finland in Ville’s house, but we visit Pennsylvania regularly for my convenience, so I can see the family that took me in. Family wasn’t a soft spot for me anymore, because now I was starting one of my own, and I couldn’t be happier. I was completely clean from doing drugs. I had absolutely no more relapses, and Ville couldn’t be more proud. Then again, he’s the reason I got clean the second time, and I’m so thankful of him. The love I have for is immaculate, and I stick to his arm like a sleeve.

“I’m sure neither of them will come out alive,” Kori stated, and then we started laughing.

“Let’s hope that’s not the case,” April said as she walked by us with a plate full of cookies.

“Cookies!” Levi squealed, and she immediately stopped the tricycle and ran for the platter. April giggled a little bit as she bent down, displaying the plate of treats to her.

“Take however many you want,” April offered, and Levi immediately stole two cookies from the plate.

“Oh, ma, you know how she gets when you give her more treats then she needs,” Kori testified.

“Happy?” April said jokingly, and Kori shook her head slowly, “Now what the hell are those two doing?” She asked as she watched Bam and Ville, who were now wrestling around on the wet ground.

“Tha’s a dollar in tha jar, gam-ma,” Levi pointed a small chubby finger up at her, and April placed a hand over her mouth.

“How about we just keep that one a secret, boo-bear,” April smiled, offering another cookie to her.

“Kay,” Levi said shortly, not hesitating before she took the cookie from April’s hand. She skipped back to her tricycle, and April sighed as she came over to sit on the curb with Kori and I. They’re gonna hurt one another,” April pointed out, and I shrugged.

“This happens, what, every time we visit?” I pointed out, and Kori nodded without diverting her eyes from the kids.

“It’s almost kind of hot, when he comes in and he’s all sweaty,” she sighed, and I rolled my eyes. Seeing as how their relationship started from sex – or so she told me – I’d assume that they didn’t think of that any less than they did that summer.

“Oh, Kori, not around the mother-in-law,” April said, faking the fact that she was disgusted.

“That’s how you got a grandchild, Ape,” Kori testified, and it was my turn to shake my head.

“Yes. I now have two amazing grandchildren,” April said contently. Technically, April wasn’t Riku’s grandmother, but she treated him just the same. April was my aunt, so I was sure what that made her to Riku, his grand-aunt? Kori was basically Riku’s aunt, as well, and we were all family now. It felt absolutely amazing. I looked down at my hands, which were now covered in full colored tattoos. My right hand said ‘Riku’ in white italicized scroll in front of a navy blue background. There was a large iron wrought anchor, the image going all the way up past my wrist, signifying the fact that he kept me where I needed to be. With him, sane, caring. My left was Ville’s name in the same scroll with a dark red background, and a old wooden steering wheel of a ship, signifying he’s what led me on. He was the one who a lot of my actions and emotions were based off of. I told myself I’d never feel that way about a person, I’d have total independence, but I was so in love with him that it scared me at times. Sometimes I even had to take a step or two back and get a hold of myself.

“And you have another one on the way,” Kori said, and then blushed. I looked at her with bugged out eyes.

“You’re pregnant?” I said in excitement. All she seemed to be able to do was nod.

“Thank to lord,” April whispered.

“I just found out last week. Bam doesn’t know, and I’d like to break the news to him if you didn’t mind,” she admitted, and I nodded.

“Of course. Man, he’s gonna be fucking happy, like jumping off the wall,” I said, pulling her into a hug.

“I’m so happy,” April stated, “But I’m going to go make dinner now. I’ll be in the kitchen.” She got up after dismissing herself, and Kori and I said a short goodbye to her.

“I’m not scared this time,” she admitted proudly.

“You shouldn’t be, K. You’re a fucking amazing mother. I know because I watched you raise Levi, and she’s turning out fucking great,” I said, and her blush got deeper.

“Please, you basically raised her. You’ve been here more than you’ve been back in Finland,” she exaggerated. Truth is, I haven’t come to visit as much as I wanted, but I cherished the times I did come, and so did Ville. We had the best of times, and I told myself as soon as I found out I was pregnant with Riku that he would grow up surrounded by his family, since I wasn’t surrounded by my own growing up.

“I didn’t, and you know I didn’t,” I protested, and Kori sighed, placing her head on my shoulder.

“How do you think I should tell Bam?” She asked, but it didn’t sound like she was nervous.

“Well, his birthday’s coming up. That can be one of his presents, just like, walk in with a present bow on your tummy. He’ll look confused as fuck, but he’s smart, I’m – okay, you might have to explain it to him. I think that would be a nice way of telling him without making it feel like you’re dropping a load on him,” I suggested, and she seemed to ponder this.

“Who’re you pooping on?” Bam asked as him and Ville started walking towards us. Ville picked up Riku on the way, and then sat down next to me.

“We’re not pooping on anybody,” Kori said.

“Daddy silly,” Levi said as she trotted the few feet towards us. Bam picked her up and put her on his lap.

“Levi silly,” he said back, kissing her on the cheek.

“I’d just like to point out that Bam’s a mad man and that he almost killed me,” Ville interrupted, “He was chasing me with his car. That’s not normal.”

“You made the mistake of getting out of the driver’s seat,” Bam defended.

“You fell off the sled and were pretending you broke your leg,” Ville protested even farther.

“You fell for it,” Bam pointed out matter-of-factly, “And you always fall for it. I’ve pretended to break my leg so many times and you’ve fallen for it each and every time.”

“Alright, so next time you act like you’ve broken something, I won’t believe you,” Ville stated.

“What if I actually break something then? You’ll just pretend I’m fucking okay?” Bam asked, acting as if he were insulted.

“Jesus Christ, you two are like a married couple,” Kori butted in, and I leaned against Ville.

“Don’t make me jealous,” I said, looking up at him, and then smirking. He mirrored my smile with one of his own before quickly kissing me on the lips.

“Eww, cooties,” Levi made a disgusted face at Ville and I, and I couldn’t help but giggle.

“When’s dinner going to be ready?” Bam asked, changing the subject.

“April went in to make it like five minutes ago, so you’ll have to ask her if you’re really that curious,” I told him.

“Yeah, yeah,” he waved me off, playfully. Bam and I had a good relationship now, like we were actually on good friend terms. He stopped playing pranks on me for the most part. All in all, our lives were changing for the better, and we were all happy. Everything started out in complete and udder chaos, and even when Kori and I thought that things would turn completely to shit, everything made a complete one-eighty. We found the loves of our lives, and started our own families. I still end up pinching myself just to make sure I’m not dreaming. It’s been a long journey, but one that I’d never change for the world, and I know I can say the same for everybody else that had a part in the catastrophe – except for a few others.

On other terms, I don’t feel like I’m taking my last breath every time I’m around this place, and I don’t have to watch my back. Everything’s amazing now, and I know that’s where it’s going to stay.

Amazing.

©Shannon.