The Hook-up

Chapter 153

"Where's Bruno?" Larissa asked handing her a the onsie that Bruno had brought her two days before.

"He said he had to work and would be home later." Lauren answered with a shrug smiling at Everlee as she lifted her daughter's hands up lightly to put the shirt over her head. "You're so precious!" she said sweetly to her daughter showing her daughter that she was the center of attention. Larissa smiled at her sister letting her take care of her daughter. "I just wish I was bringing both of them home. I'm afraid that she won't be able to sleep without him. Renee said that they ended up putting them together last night because they wouldn't stop crying. It put them to sleep right away. She even took a picture...." She told her sister showing her a picture on her phone of Everlee's arm over her smaller brother asleep in the crib together.

"I think she'll make it. He's here for two more days?" she asked.

"Two more days." Lauren sighed holding her daughter up with her hand behind her head. "We're going to make it, though, right, Ev?" she asked her daughter who was looking into her mother's eyes making Lauren crack a smile.

"I think their names are perfect, Elle. They're so different." Larissa told her sister handing her a pacifier for her niece.

"I think I'm ready." She said to her sister handing Larissa her overly stuffed overnight bag and carseat to put the baby in.

"Okay. Well, let's go then. Are you going to be okay when you get home?" she asked.

"Yeah. I think so." She told her sister. "I mean, I'll have to get used to being by myself, right?"

"I just wish you didn't have to this soon, Lauren. I hate that he's doing this to you. But it's not my place to tell you what to do." Larissa answered with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Yeah. I know. It sucks. I shouldn't put up with it. Blah blah blah blah." Lauren answered sarcastically.

"I would just keep a copy of everything that is important and keep it somewhere safe just in case something happens..." Larissa said to her sister as they entered the elevator to go to the car.

"What do you even mean by that?" Lauren asked.

"Laur, it's not just you anymore if he does something ridiculous one night. Like what if he starts yelling and screaming about you 'dating someone else behind his back'" she asked with air quotes. "Or something else. And he throws things or gets really mean and drunk like he has in the past? You can't just run out the door and say, 'I'll be back.' Or have him throw something and then clean it up the next day. It's just too dangerous." Larissa told her. "So, if he does something like that then you have a plan. Like an escape plan or something. I don't know." She told her sister.

"Larissa! He's not beating my up and we're safe with my husband. Oh my gosh. I don't even know what you're talking about!" Lauren said a bit frustrated.

"Mom told me about the fight y'all had before they were born." Larissa told her.

"It was silly. I shouldn't have come down there. I would have been fine and he would have too, if I had stayed home." Lauren said justifying her actions.

:"But he didn't need to blame you for them being born early. I think that's what got mom. She said you did say some things that could have been seen as mean, but my god. If he can't recognize when you're upset then I don't know..." she said pointing to the parking lot. "I'll be right back."

Lauren sat down on the bench holding the baby's car seat with the baby sound asleep in the car seat. Lauren turned the baby to face her and bent down to look at her daughter. You know, she is a little right. I do need to know what I'm going to do if you're dad starts shit again... she thought to herself looking at her daughter's nose that was a carbon copy of her father's. She touched the small nose smiling from ear to ear hearing her daughter start to breathe a bit heavier as Lauren touched her nose. "Sorry, mama." Lauren told her daughter as she waited for her sister to come to pick them up. Lauren glanced up at the side of the street where other people were waiting. She smiled at a couple that was preparing to take their newborn home too. She saw the father kiss the baby sweetly good bye as he left his wife at the curb the same way Larissa had for Lauren. Shit. Why am I missing this. I need him with me. She thought reaching for her phone to call him. She waited several rings until he picked up.

"Are you okay?" he asked without even saying hello.

"I'm fine. I just wish that you were here." She said to him.

"I'll be home in a few hours, babe. I'm sorry I couldn't be there to be home with you right away. I have the rest of their lives to make up for it." He replied.

"I guess. It's just that you'll never have this moment to make up for anything. Like there's a mom and dad a few feet away from me and it's just so perfect." She told him. 'The dad kissed his son and then his wife and now she's sitting there glowing like a fool looking at her baby. And I'm sitting here waiting for my overly stressed older sister to come take me home like her own child. It's stupid." Lauren told her husband going from sad to angry that he wasn't there. "It's just stupid that my husband can't be with me to walk my....our daughter into the house for the first time." She said with angry tears coming down her cheek.

"Lauren." He paused in a caring but demanding tone. "Calm down. Go home with your sister. I'll be home in a few hours." He said to her.

"But I don't have Ezra with me." She said now fully crying.

"Mama, Ezra will be fine. You know that. You'll see him tomorrow. And then you and I get to bring him home. Okay?" he asked trying to calm her down.

"But he's only been alive for 3 days and I already can't see myself spending more than a few hours away from him...." She said feeling her sister sit down next to her wrapping her arms around her sister to comfort her.

"I know, Lauren. I know. He's going to be fine." He said returning to the concerned voice.

"But I have to feed him." She said starting to make excuses not to leave her son.

"You pumped for him before you left, babe. You called and told me how much of a pain it was." He reminded her. "You said that you knew it was the best thing to do, so he was healthy. He's going to be fine."

"Okay. You're right. He's going to be fine. I'm just overreacting." Lauren answered him wiping away the tears. "Hurry home, okay? I need your help."

"I will, as soon as I can, Lauren. I love you." He said to her sweetly.

"Okay. I love you too." She answered hearing the noise of a track being played behind him. "Go back to work. I''ll talk to you later."

"I love you, Lauren. I'll see you later tonight." He said hanging up the phone.

"Oh my god. What the hell am I thinking?" she asked her sister wiping away her tears. "This is ridiculous. When will I stop crying?"

"Not until they turn 5." Larissa laughed unsnapping the car seat to pull a sleeping Everlee out of the car seat to hand to her sister so she could get help putting in the car seat. "You would think I could do this..." she told the nurse who was helping her. "After 4 kids and now a niece and nephew..."

"Everyone needs help...." The nurse smiled turning around to take Everlee from a very emotional Lauren.

Lauren and Larissa drove the 35 minutes back to the house. Lauren asked so many questions about the babies and what to do that at one point Larissa just told her to shut up. "Okay. Fine." She said to her sister as they pulled up to the house. Lauren handed her sister the key to open the door.

"Look, sissy...." Larissa said to her sister seeing a pile of flowers half her size sitting in the middle of the entry way with a note attached to two balloons. "What does it say?" Larissa asked taking Everlee out of the car seat hearing her start to wake up whimpering a little.

"Hang on...." Lauren said opening the card with a smile creeping across her face.