The Years Disappeared

Rachel

"Morning."
She blanks me, waddling past with her coffee, her huge bump forcing her to walk slower now.
"Um, Stevie? Hello?"
"I'm not speaking to you," she warns, pretending to be interested in a newspaper, aggressively flipping each page way too fast to fool me or anyone that she's actually reading it.
"That counted as speaking to me, you know?"
She folds her arms.
"Don't push it."
"Why are you mad?"
"You should know."
"Great yes, sure, I should be able to read your mind."
"After almost seventeen years Lindsey, yes!"
"You're crazy!" I laughed, raising my hands in the air.
"You think I'm kidding?"
"Well..."
"I was in your office with Bella, directing her because obviously I'm not gonna be climbing about the place right now! When she finds this..." she reaches behind her to grab a black folder that she shoves in my face. "-this on the top shelf!"
"Uh..."
"Open it. Or I will."
I slide a few of the old Playboy magazines out, avoiding her incredibly unamused look.
"Baby what's the big deal?"
"They're dirty! Get them out! How could you...After everything we've been through!"
"What? Stevie you can't be serious, it's just a few magazines, please don't be upset."
"I am serious. Lindsey. I already feel like...Like a balloon, and then I find out you've been looking at this trash, that you leave in reach of our children!"
"Honestly, I don't even really loo-"
"Fuck you!" She hisses before staggering off, calling out for Karen.
I stand shaking head, barely noticing Joe entering the room.
"What's up daddy?"
"Take my advice son- never marry a woman."
He tilts his head in confusion before zooming off.

"Lindsey!" I hear Karen yell from somewhere in the house, and then again. The fear in her voice instantly draws my attention and I quickly find her at the bottom of the staircase with her arms around Stevie's shoulders, a huge wet puddle on the floor. At this sight I propel myself in their direction, replacing Karen's hands with my own as we try and get her to the car. Stevie screams intermittently and once we have her laid down in the backseat, I send Karen inside to take care of the children. I miss several red lights as I feel my stomach turning. "I can't do this Lindsey, I can't!" She cries as we near the hospital.
"You can babe. You can! I promise you!"
"I can't lose another baby Lindsey! I can't! I can't!" She is screaming at this point and I am trying to hold it together for her while my own eyes are stinging with tears.

Finally we make it into the hospital and immediately we're told she's pretty far to being on her way. I hold Stevie's hand as she pushes and hyperventilates.
"I love you Steph, just a few more."
Everything seems to freeze around me for a few seconds as I see my daughter's little face for the first time as they hold her up, but she doesn't cry.
"Lindsey why isn't she crying?" Stevie shrieks at me and I don't know where to look or what to say. Luckily, I don't need to think too much because I hear a rough, high-pitched scream as the midwife smiles down at her, gesturing for me to cut the cord.

"She's perfectly healthy. Congratulations."

Stevie doesn't speak as they place her in her arms, but simply stares down at her still in tears. Once we're given a few minutes of privacy, she whispers to our little girl.
"I love you so much already...I was so scared you were going to be sick." She smooths the little patch of fluffy hair obscuring her forehead and she whimpers in response, opening her little mouth to yawn. I'm just standing aside watching this when Stevie looks up at me.
"Come see our daughter Linds."
I pull up a chair and gaze down at her as she goggles back up. I finally let myself feel
after forcing myself to hold up for my wife, and well up as she wraps her little starfish fingers around Stevie's thumb, making more little high pitched noises as if she is trying to desperately talk with us.
"Nothing could ever top this." I tell both of them as I lean to kiss them in turn, of course lingering with Stevie.
"What do you think about Rachel?" I ask as I rub my nose against hers.
"It's perfect."
"Are you still mad with me?"
"Oh Linds..." She pats my cheek. "I'm always mad with you."