When I Met Her....

Staying

Staying

Steph's POV

    Keeping my calm as long as I have is surprising to me.

"Excuse me for a second." I say to the girls before rushing out of Laurel's hospital room to the front desk. "Can you page my husband for me? Tell him it's an emergency."

"Yes ma'am." The nurse behind the desk complies.

    She picks up the phone and makes and over-all intercom call for Robert. I'm pacing steadily infront of the admittance double-doors when Robert shows up.

"Hey, hey! What's going on? Are you okay?" He asks as he approaches me.

    His hand immediately flies to my stomach.

"I'm fine...she's fine." I say, laying my hand over his. "It's about Laurel."

"What about her?" the panic immediately returning to his face.

"Amanda is trying to take Laurel with her back to Louisiana."

"Wait, what? What are you talking about?"

"Amanda came in to talk to Laurel after the transfusion like we discussed and she asked Laurel to move back home with her."

"She asked her?"

"That's how she made it seem, but it was so much more than that. She made it seem like she could take her from us." I say, feeling my nerves elevate.

"Okay. First you need to calm down, love." Robert says, rubbing his hands up and down my shoulders.

    Until then I'd never realized how cold I was until his warm skin came into contact with mine.

"She can't take Laurel from anybody. Even if she wanted to."

"What makes you think so?" I ask, trying to slow my erratic breathing.

"Because Laurel is 18. A legal adult. She no longer has to do anything she doesn't want to do. Plus, she graduates in a few weeks. There is no way she'll be able to transfer and keep all her credits from this semester. She'll have to repeat twelfth grade." Robert says, staring deeply into my eyes, forcing me to calm down.

"You're right." I sigh.

"I know I am." he teases cockily.

"Oh shut up." I say, playfully hitting his chest.

    Carefully, he pulls me against him, planting his lips on mine.

"I have to get back to work. I don't see how this hospital ever ran without me." he chuckles.

"Me either." I frown.

"Hey, don't worry. This is only a temporary thing until Laurel gets discharged. We just have to make sure she's adjusting well to the blood."

"Okay." I say.

"When's your next appointment. I want to make sure to be there?" Robert asks sincerely.

"March 11th, I think." I recall, trying to remember if that's the correct date.

"This upcoming Friday?"

"Umhmm." I mumble, pulling my phone from my pocket.

NEW MESSAGE: LAUREL

L: Can we talk 4 a sec?

M: Yeah. I'll be right there.

"I have to go. Laurel wants to talk to me." I say to Robert.

"Alright. I'll see you in a bit then." Robert smiles, pecking me on my cheek.

    He turns away and starts for whatever unit he was just on, and me to Laurel's room.

********************

Laurel's POV

"I need to talk to my mom for a second...to make sure she's okay after that fiasco with Amanda. Would you mind stepping out? Moments like these can get a little emotional." I say, chuckling lightly at the last part.

"Sures." Melony says, jumping off the bed. "While I'm gone call Julia or something and tell her to come see you whenever, because I am so sick of hearing about how much you miss her."

"I don't talk about how much I miss her." I say in my defense, though I know I miss her like crazy.

"Yeah, you do." Melony smiles.

"When?" I challenge.

"In your sleep." Melony laughs.

"I don't talk in my sleep!" I shriek.

"If you say so. One day I'll record you and you'll see." Melony says, doubling over with laughter.

"Get out!" I shout playfully, pulling a pillow from the bottom of the bed and throwing it at her.

    Unfortunately, she catches it.

"3 years as a goalie does come in handy outside the game." Melony says, tossing the pillow back.

    I roll my eyes and she moves towards the door to leave. Just as she opens the door to step out Steph comes in.

"Where to, Melony?" she asks.

"Just to get some air." Melony answers.

"Alright honey." Steph says, smiling at her sweetly.

    Melony walks out and Steph comes to sit on my side of the bed.

"Hey." I say softly.

"Hi." she says back.

"How are you?" I stall, not wanting to jump straight into deep conversation.

"I'm fine." She says, more to herself than to me, I think. "How are you? After everything with your mom and all?"

    So much for small talk.

"I-" I start, then I stop, trying to find the words to explain how I felt.

"Laurel, I want you to know, as much as it pains me to say, your father and I completely understand if you want to spend these last few weeks and summer with your mother before you go off to college. I know you two have been apart for some time now.And I just realized that when I kind of jumped at your mother earlier I didn't really give you a chance to speak for yourself. " Steph says.

    Her words say she'll understand, but her eyes tell a whole different story.

"I'm not going anywhere." I assure her, taking her hands into mine. "I don't trust Amanda as far as I can throw her. There is now way in hell I'm going anywhere with her."

    It's almost visible the weight that is lifted off of her knowing I don't want to leave my life here with her and dad. It's kind of flattering to know I have that effect on someone.

"Are you sure? I don't want you to feel pressured into staying with us if you don't want to."  Steph asks, rubbing soothing circles into the back of my hand.

"I'm positive. You've been more of a mother to me these last few months than she has in years." I tell her.

"Are you sure?" Steph ask, tearing up.

"I am absolutely sure. Don't cry." I say, pulling her against me.

    Her arms wrap tightly around my torso.

"I'm sorry. It's these damn pregnancy hormones." She laugh-crys.

"It must suck." I joke, releasing her.

"Sometimes." she shrugs, "Hopefully, you'll get to experience this one day."

"Maybe." I say, faking enthusiasm.

    Knowing that with Julia I might have the pleasure of being a mom, but never the experience of carrying a baby.