16. Aubrey #2
I’m now past the first trimester, just hitting the thirteen-week mark, and I’ve started getting a tiny, tiny belly. Shane has been in heaven ever since it appeared and kisses my stomach every chance he gets. I think it just looks like I’m bloated or ate too much, but he thinks it’s beautiful.
Shane takes my wrist, pulling my thumb away from my mouth and smirks. “Are you hungry?” This man always knows everything.
I smile as a blush creeps up my cheeks and nod.
“I could get you something at the cafeteria if you want?” Ronnie offers from her seat across from us.
“No need, I have what she wants.” Shane smiles at Ronnie as he pulls a baggy filled with Froot Loops out of his man purse, then opens the bag and hands it to me.
“How did you get those?” I frown, munching away on my snack.
“I always have some on me, just in case. I know these are what you crave right now.” He leans in and pecks my cheek, making me blush a little more.
“And what if I start craving watermelon?” I joke.
“Then I’ll start carrying a watermelon around with me everywhere I go.” He winks and pulls away as I shake my head at his ridiculousness. Although I wouldn’t be surprised if he did that. Shane is just that way. He attends to all my needs and I love him for it.
“Jesus, he carries a bag of cereal with him just in case she gets hungry. Cereal! Can he get any more perfect?” Ronnie mutters, looking completely baffled.
“I’ll carry a bag of cereal for you if you want, Vixen.” Gabe leans into her and nips her ear.
“I don’t want cereal.” She frowns at him. “But I could go for your special smoothie, or one of your five-star meals.” She grins at him.
“When we get home, I’ll make you anything you want, baby.” They kiss as my mother takes a seat beside me.
She places her hand on my thigh, giving it a small squeeze. “You know, your brother once gave me the silent treatment, too,” she says quietly.
I turn to face her with a frown taking over my features. “He did?”
“Mhm.” She nods. “You were only three, so it makes sense that you don’t remember, but he did. For five whole months, he refused to talk to me.”
“Why?”
My mother sighs as she takes my hand in hers, looking down at our interlocked fingers.
“Your father and I were going through a rough patch. We weren’t sure if our marriage was going to survive it.
We kept fighting and barely spoke to each other.
It had become really toxic for us both, and for you kids, so we decided to split, take some time apart, clear our heads and hope we’d find our way back to each other. ”
I look at her with surprise. “I don’t remember you and Dad not being together…”
“That’s because it didn’t last very long, and like I said, you were still so young. Your father moved out of the house for two weeks. All it took was two weeks of us being apart to make things work again, and the minute they did, he came home.”
“That’s why Greyson shut you out?” I ask with confusion.
She nods. “Your brother was furious with me, blamed me for kicking your father out, told me I was the reason he wouldn’t have a relationship with his father.
He said…” Her eyes well with tears. “He said I was a horrible mother and that I should have been the one to leave, that you two didn’t need me.
” I can tell that even after so many years this still hurts her.
God, my brother can really be a jerk when he wants to be. I can’t believe he would say something like that to our mom. “I’m so sorry he said that to you, Mom…”
“I love your brother from the bottom of my heart, but sometimes he can be really hurtful. He says things he doesn’t mean when he lashes out, and they can cause deep scars.
” She smiles sadly. “But then, when he realizes his mistake, he’s the one who hurts deeply.
He’ll regret his actions and do everything to fix them. ”
“What did he do?”
“Well, after the full five months of not talking to me, and making me feel horrible about myself, your father sat him down and made him come to his senses. When he realized he was in the wrong, your brother cried in my arms for hours. He begged me for forgiveness and kept telling me how sorry he was for all the mean things he had said.”
She laughs softly. “But that wasn’t all. For two weeks straight, he came home every day from school with flowers he had picked along the way. He said he was hoping these flowers would win him back my love.”
I find myself getting emotional as I wipe the slowly falling tears. Shane places his hand along my back, rubbing it soothingly.
“Your brother has such a big heart, and he loves so deeply, but sometimes it clouds his judgment.” She squeezes my hand. “He’ll come to his senses, sweetie. Just don’t give up on him.”
“I’m trying…” I whisper as she comes in to hug me. “God, I’m going to miss you guys. I wish you didn’t have to go back home.”
“Well, we don’t really have a choice to go back. No one else is going to pack for us.” She laughs.
I pull away quickly, confused by her statement. “What do you mean by ‘pack’? Where are you going?”
She smiles as she looks back at my father. “We finally took your brother up on his offer. We’ve already quit our jobs and bought a house down here. We’re set to move in at the end of May.”
My eyes well with more tears. “You’re moving down here?”
“Yes, baby. Our home isn’t in Toronto anymore. It’s here, with you, your brother, and our four grandkids.”
“Oh, Mom.” I hug her once more. “I’m so happy!”
“Are you really, honey?” She beams at me when we separate.
I look back at Shane, leaning into his side. “So, so happy.”
It takes over seven hours before Greyson shows up in the waiting room. During that time, we all started getting hungry for real food, so Silas and Gabe ended up going out to get us all something to eat.
“You can all head over to the room, Emma’s waiting for you guys with the boys,” he says, smiling at everyone, but his eyes never come to me or Shane.
I stand once everyone has already started heading down the hall, excited to see the newcomers. I take Shane’s hand in mine and begin to follow the rest of the crowd, but Greyson blocks my way. “Why are you still here? I told you to leave.”
My eyes widen as my heart rate picks up. “We… we waited to see the babies.”
“Well, we don’t want you here. Go home.” He folds his arms over his chest.
“Greyson, you can’t be serious right now!?” I plead as my lungs tighten and a lump grows in my throat.
“I’m dead serious. You’re not welcome here.”
“But… but Emma… she’s my friend… my sister. Greyson, please! Don’t do this to me…” I beg him as tears begin to track down my cheeks and I start to feel lightheaded. I wobble to the side, and Shane quickly places his hands around my waist to steady me.
“You made your choice on who your family was when you got with him.” He glowers at Shane. “In there,” he then points behind him, “that’s my family, and I choose who’s allowed in there or not, so don’t cause a scene and leave.”
A sob breaks free as I cover my mouth with my hand, stepping back into Shane’s chest as I lose my footing once more.
Greyson turns and leaves us without another word as I begin to gasp for air and my vision blurs slightly.
I can feel my heart cracking into a million little pieces, my entire body aching as the tightness in my chest making it hard to breathe.
I need to get out of here. I need to go before I suffocate.
I step out of Shane’s hold and sidestep him, heading toward the exit. I hear him call my name, but I don’t stop, I need to leave. That’s what he said. My brother wants me gone, so I’m leaving. I walk close to the wall and place my hand on the railing, but it slips and my knees give out.
Shane’s hands reach me before I have time to hit the ground. He lifts me up quickly and presses me to his chest. One arm behind my knees and the other along my back as I cry into the crook of his neck.
“Tell me what to do, Angel. Tell me and I’ll do it,” he says quietly with pain in his voice, like his heart is breaking right alongside mine. “If you want me to go back there and punch him in front of everyone, I will. I don’t care if it costs me my career, I’ll do it for you.”