All For Love (Urban Fiction) Part 5

Chapter 39 Dandria

As I sat in the dim light of the nursery, the soft hum of the baby monitor filled the silence. Camille was snuggling against my shoulder, her small mouth wrapped around my breast, suckling while I rocked gently in the creaky chair. It was hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that just a few months ago, I was pregnant, and now here I was, a mother of twins, two whole babies. The day had felt so long, and even exhausting because of the effort it took to care for them. I glanced over at Cameron, I could see how drained he was too.

He sat on the edge of the crib, cradling Danni against his chest, his eyelids heavy as he fought to stay awake. The lines of fatigue were deepening as he swayed slightly, nearly toppling over into the crib. I felt a little sympathy, but it was quickly overshadowed by how tired I felt myself. The sound of Camille's soft sighs was soothing, but the moment was shattered when Danni let out a scream that pierced the air.

Cameron jolted awake, eyes wide and red with confusion, and the rhythmic motion of his rocking stopped. Danni's cries echoed through the room, and Camille, startled, pulled away from me, her little face scrunching up as she joined in on the screams. I could sense Cameron's frustration bubbling beneath the surface, an immediate tension that had begun to suffocate me.

"Damn it," he muttered under his breath, his hands tightening around Danni as if he could somehow will her silence. I bit my lip, feeling the irritation rise within me. "You're barely awake, and you're supposed to be putting her to sleep," I snapped, unable to hold back. "You should be grateful you only have to deal with this at night. I'm the one managing both of them all day."

He blinked at me, confusion crossing his face. "And you think I'm not overwhelmed? Maybe you should ask your mom and sister for help," he suggested, a hint of defensiveness creeping into his voice. The suggestion cut deeper than he realized. My sister and mother had barely asked to change a diaper, even though they had been living in my home since their surprise visit. Truthfully, I didn't want their help. I didn't really trust them with my babies. And the truth was, Cameron didn't have the best relationship with them, especially after Danielle had lied on him.

"Yeah, right," I shot back, a bitter laugh escaping me. "If I needed their help, I'd ask. But they didn't have these babies, we did." My heart raced as I recalled the tension that had hung over our family, the unspoken words unforgivable acts I swept under the rug time and time again.

He ran a hand through his hair, frustration flaring in his eyes. "It's not like I'm trying to avoid being here. I'm working my ass off to get us out of this house. You know, the one that Spencer bought for you?" His voice rose slightly, a mixture of anger and weariness. "I can't just buy you whatever you want at any second in the day like he could. Once I'm where I want to be in my career, I'll have more time."

I felt the heat rise to my cheeks, I was embarrassed and angry. The secret of Spencer's purchases had been a point of contention, a topic that had caused division between us because Danielle had revealed my secret. "That's not fair, Cameron. Are you going to use that against me every time? I don't want to be here just as bad as you but I'm on maternity leave," I replied, my voice trembling with emotion. "I just need you to be here with me. I need us to be a team."

He sighed, the fight slowly draining from him as he glanced at the crying girls, their small bodies writhing in distress. "I'm trying, Dria. I really am. But it feels like we're loosing our connection. If it's not about the girls, then we don't really talk like we did before. I'm here, but don't forget about me too..." And in that moment, I could see the cracks in his armor, the weariness that came from juggling a demanding job and being a father to our twins.

I wanted to reach out, to comfort him, but the frustration stuck in the air between us. Instead, I held Camille close, feeling the warmth radiate from her tiny body, and hoped that somehow we could find our way back to each other through the struggles of our new reality.