“I will. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Night, Gabby.”
“Night, Mi.”
“I feel like you’re in labor again,” Paxton said from below his shirt. He lifted it over his head and tossed it to the floor. Right beside the hamper.
“I don’t remember that. Tell me.”
Paxton walked toward me, slipping out of his jeans. “Scoot up.”
I moved up and then back to his chest, “How long was I in labor?”
“Not long. Your contractions started around nine at night, but your doctor told us not to come until they were five minutes apart. That was around ten the next morning.”
“Was it easy?”
“No, not at all. It was long and you were in a lot of pain. It sucked.”
“Were you at least there for me?”
“No.”
“Dick.”
“I’m sorry, but if it’s any consolation, Ophelia made it all worth it. My God, she was so perfect.”
That made me smile, yet feel sad. I sipped my drink and handed it over to him. “I don’t remember that. I don’t remember holding her.”
“Jesus, straight vodka?”
“Almost,” I snickered. “Why don’t we have any more kids?”
“You can’t have anymore.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know, something to do with your ovaries, or uterus, something. I forget. We tried hard for an entire year before the doctor would consider anything else.”
“We didn’t follow through?”
“No, I mean, I met you at the doctor that day. You jerked me off in a cup and I went back to work. It was a couple days before you got the results.”
“You were mad at me because I couldn’t give you any more babies?”
“No, I was mad because you couldn’t give me a boy.”
“You might be getting one.”
“Will you stop saying, might? He’s coming here, Gabriella. There’s no doubt in my mind.”
I took a deep breath and stood. “I hope you’re right. I have to go pack our things. Hurry up.”
Paxton didn’t hurry at all. I had both our bags packed, and was snuggled in bed by the time he came out. I could hear him on the phone with Pete, telling him what to do at another job site.
“Look at this, Pax. What do you think?” I questioned when he finally crawled in beside me.
Paxton looked over my shoulder and frowned. “That’s not your sister. Turn it off. We have to get up early.”
“It could be.”
“Stop looking for dead people. You get pissed off at me every time I suggest it, but you look for them.”
“I look at everything, not just that.”
“Gabriella, that body was found in West Virginia. It’s not her. Go to sleep.”
That wasn’t about to happen. I don’t think I slept three hours, but Paxton didn’t either. I could tell he tossed and turned all night, too. Our bodies tangled together more times than I could count by the time the alarm went off on Paxton’s phone.
“Jesus, did we sleep?” He questioned through a yawn and a stretch.
I jumped right up and got ready while he lay on his stomach, sprawled across the entire bed. “Paxton, come on. Mi’s going to be here any minute,” I complained from the bathroom, several times.
He finally rose from the dead once I was dressed and ready to go.
“Where’s my shirt?”
“Right there. Right beside you. I’m going downstairs. Get up.”
“I’m coming, I’m coming.”
I went into Rowan’s room first, turned off her lamp, and moved her book before leaving her with a kiss and a whispered ‘I love you’. I dragged Phi from the foot of her bed to the top, and untied her pajama pants from around her waist. I shook my head wondering about her, sometimes I didn’t know about that kid.
Paxton met me at the door with our bags just as Mi got there. We barely talked to her. Paxton tried to give her orders, but Mi was too tired.
“Yeah, yeah, I got it. I’m going to borrow your sofa for a bit.”
“Call me if you need anything. We’ll be in the air for about four hours.”
“Okay, night,” Mi called while her bag dropped to the floor, and her pink Minnie Mouse slippers fell to the floor.
Paxton set the alarm and closed the door. “This is such a bad idea. She’s wearing Hello Kitty pajamas. I don’t like this.”
“Stop it. She’s fine.”
“She’s a freak.”
“Wait,” Mi called from the door. “I forgot. I brought this for Vander. Tell him it’s from Aunt Mi.”
“Thanks, Mi,” I said as the little stone fell into my hand.
I handed it to Paxton and he stuck it in his pocket, rushing me along.
The thought of a few more hours of sleep was my plan, unfortunately it didn’t work. I was too wired. With every minute that passed, I became more and more anxious. This was about to happen. Paxton didn’t sleep either. He tried for a while, but like me, gave up, and opened his laptop. I pulled one foot to the seat, wishing we had first class. We were like sardines, utilizing every inch of space.
“What’s this?”
“A design for a new customer.”
I pointed to a bunch of odd shaped squares, stacked at the end of a pool. “What’s that?”
Paxton looked over and smiled. “That, my dear, is a pile of old concrete I picked up for next to nothing.” Paxton clicked on a gray paint bucket and filled it in. “The guy has four boys. He wants something they can climb on, hide in, slide down, and crawl through. I can’t wait to start on it.”
“Hmm, where’d you get that idea?”
“My smart wife. Look at this one, this is the one that’s going in our pool,” Paxton explained.
That’s how we spent our flight, working on plans for Paxton’s job. I think it helped keep us both from wanting to jump out of the plane. Our minds needed the distraction.
We landed in Flint, Michigan right on time, picked up our rental car, and called Mi to check on the girls. They were about to head out for dance, and then they were going to Mi’s work to see the babies. I tried to explain to them where we were and what we were doing, but honestly, they didn’t care. They were more interested in Mi at the time.
We started to grab something to eat, but changed our mind at the last minute, thinking maybe we could take Van to lunch. It was worth a shot. Once we checked into a hotel, showered and cleaned up, we headed to the family service’s building. I don’t know what I was feeling on the ride there. I heard Paxton talking, pointing out the window to different buildings, some famous bridge, and a statue. I heard him, I looked, and I commented, but it wasn’t really absorbed. For the first time since I had learned that we were going there, I didn’t feel nervous. I didn’t feel anything. I was numb.
Paxton held onto my hand while we made our way across the parking lot, talking about food of all things, where we were going to eat, and he wanted seafood. I was fine all the way to the door, up the elevator, and half way down the hall. That’s when I stopped and slid my hand from Paxton’s. At that exact moment, to the second, was when I knew Paxton and I would be okay. I never said a word. Not one. He turned to me, puzzled at first, and then compassionate. He smiled a warm smile and looked around, taking my hand.
I didn’t even care that the bathroom he pulled me into was the men’s. Paxton had me in his arms before the door ever locked, and I cried. Of all times and places to finally break down, it just had to be there. I don’t know why I cried, but I did. I was about to see him, Izzy’s little boy. Her little boy that shared Phi’s birthday. I’m not so sure that was the only culprit though. It was a flood of emotions that I let get the best of me. I couldn’t control it. It hit me from out of nowhere.
“Shhh, I’ve got you, baby girl, and I’m never letting go.”
That one little sentence engraved so deep in my heart, I would never forget it. Paxton held his arms tight around my heaving body, while I let it go. Hysterical, ugly cry all over his shirt. I swear it took ten minutes to finally stop. Every time I thought I was good, it came right back.
It took another ten minutes for my face to look half way presentable. Of all days to have a meltdown. Geesh. I reapplied my eyeliner, catching Paxton’s look from behind.