I'll Fight Hell to Hold You

Confrontation

Paul was barely awake and making coffee when the doorbell rang. He opened it to find a very tall man standing there. "May I help you?"

"You were seeing my girlfriend, the tall stripper, weren't you?"

Paul admitted he had been out on one date with her, almost a year ago. "I went out with her once. That was last year and I haven't seen her since." "Do you mind telling me why you're here?"

"I think she's still seeing you."

"She's not. I would appreciate you not waking up my family. Let me get dressed and we can talk outside."

The man agreed so Paul shut the door and went upstairs. He quickly threw on some clothes and went back downstairs. "Paul, is something wrong?" asked Tommy, half awake.

"No, baby, everything's fine." "I'll be back in a few minutes."

Tommy waited until the front door shut before he got out of bed and dressed. Slipping downstairs, he tiptoed to the window. Seeing the heated argument going on outside, he opened the door just as the guy swung. His fist connected with Tommy's jaw and nose which started bleeding immediately. 

Seeing the blood, the guy took off leaving Paul to take care of Tommy. "Baby, lie back. I'll try and stop the bleeding." I am so sorry!"

Tommy was seeing stars and had a major headache. He tried to not panic as Paul called the ambulance. He could barely breathe with all the blood in his nostrils. Finally the EMT was able to clear his nostrils and give him oxygen. "Do you want to go to the hospital?"

Tommy shook his head which made him wince from pain. He as carried upstairs and put back to bed. Paul propped him up at an angle and gave him painkillers. "I'll be back, okay?"

Closing his eyes, Tommy drifted off back to sleep. He had to breathe through his mouth. He wasn't able to sleep deeply so he could hear everything going on. Opening his eyes, he found Paul holding  the girls and  took them from his husband.

"Mama? You fall?" asked Taylor. "Dat b'ood?"

"Yes." whispered Tommy. "I'll be okay." 

Hannah touched Tommy's cheek and signed to Aurora and Mady. ""O'y(Rory) sca'ed it hu't."

"Yes, I hurt but I'll be fine." Tommy signed to Aurora and Mady that he would be okay. Rory snuggled up on Tommy's shoulder, sucking her thumb. Mady stared wide-eyed at Tommy until he picked her up too. Smoothing her curls down, he held her on his other shoulder. 

Hannah and Taylor held out crayons so Tommy could draw them pictures. Aurora wanted to try so Paul gave her some paper and a crayon. Mady pointed as Aurora drew. The two little girls signed to each other. Taylor and Hannah followed Paul to the playroom. He let them paint.