A Different Reality (Lasting Love)

Last Few Weeks

"Hurry up, buddy." Justin helps Ben pick out the beach toys he wants to take with. Kayleigh is already in the car waiting for us, and I wanna sit down. I have another month left of this pregnancy, and I'm more than ready for it to be over.

"Baby girl toy." Ben holds up one of Kayleigh's old teddy bears handing it to Justin. Kay has decided this baby is a girl, which means Ben also thinks that because he goes along with whatever she says.

"She doesn't need it yet, Ben." Justin lays it back in the toy box "What if we take your favorite toys? I'll help you make sandcastles for them to live in."

"Ok!" He gets up and runs out to the car. Justin gets him buckled in his seat while I get in the front.

"We go now?" Kay asks impatiently.

"Yeah, honey, we're leaving."

Justin starts to drive, and I hand the kids some toys to keep them entertained. Both of our parents are going to be there too, but the kids don't know that because we want to see their reactions.

"This is so uncomfortable." I complain about my bathing suit "I can't wait to get it off."

"You should've gotten a new one." He looks over at me laughing "You ARE allowed to buy yourself things."

"I know that. I just didn't expect to blow up for like the 3rd time in the last few months." I look down, noticing that not only can I not see my feet, but I also can't see my knees well at all either "I feel huge."

"Well at least you know you're done with this in a few weeks. You can get back to your normal self and not be so uncomfortable anymore." He lays his hand on my belly, which causes the baby to kick and makes me even more uncomfortable "I think you look beautiful though. There's just more of you to love right now."

"Okay, well thanks, but now you stop somewhere." He looks at me like I'm crazy, so I explain to him "Your child is kicking me in the bladder."

He pulls into a parking lot a few minutes later and I run into the store with Kayleigh following since she decided she needs to go too. We make our way to the bathroom after I pull her away from every and any toy that she might possibly see, and she decides she doesn't need to go anymore.

"Well I still do. You need to stand here so you don't run off." I lock her in the stall and suddenly feel nauseous. I quickly grab my hair and hold it out of my face just in time to vomit everything I have ever eaten.

"Mommy?" Kay walks over petting my hair "You done? I want beach!"

I take a few seconds to collect myself, and finally start to feel better. She, of course, is still trying to figure how to unlock the stall door and escape.

"I'll be fine, honey. Just stay in here."

She tries to crawl under the stall door, and watching her makes me feel sick again. This time, it's the thought of me child's hands touching the dirty bathroom floor.

"Honey, just stay one more minute, okay?" I quickly pee and grab my stuff, praying that we won't need to stop again "Now we can leave."

We wash our hands and start to walk out to the car. She sees some candy she wants, so I reluctantly let her pick out a piece for her and Ben. I make her hold my hand as we walk out to the car only to see that Justin and Ben are play fighting in the grass next to where he's parked. Kay runs right up to them joining in while I stand there waiting for Justin to notice so we can leave.

"They're going to be waiting for us, Justin." I finally get them to stop after a few minutes "You guys can do this all day at the beach."

He puts the kids back in their seats and we drive to the beach. They talk to each other the whole way, saying what they're going to do the whole time, which is mostly just play with sand and swim. Of course Ben also plans on eating all the food.

"Well, I guess we're here!" Justin pulls up to the beach. The kids practically run out of the car up to our parents as soon as they can.

"Maybe we can just leave them here?" I ask Justin jokingly "Our parents probably wouldn't even notice if we left right now."

"As soon as he needs changed they'll notice." Justin pulls me through the stand "And I think the kids might miss us. Maybe."

We walk up to where they all are and watch again as the kids run around. Our parents are trying their best to keep up with them. They end up having a race, and the kids win, so they give them some extra candy.

"They remind me so much of how you were." My mom stands next to me watching everything "I can't believe how much they look like the two of you."

She walks back over to the kids eventually leaving me to watch. Justin is laying in the sand letting them "attack" him. Both our dad's are helping them, while his mom, Sherry and my mom are working on burying his feet. The kids think this is the greatest thing ever.

"Hey, you okay?" Phyllis notices that I'm not doing anything "You wanna eat?"

"I'm fine." I sit near them in the sand, but she knows that I'm not "fine".

"What's wrong?"

"Just tired. And sore." I laugh, trying not to complain too much. She nods her head, sympathizing with me, but also thinking about something else.

"I have something for you." She hands me an old picture "I just found it the other day, and thought you guys would want it."

I look at it closely and emotions rush over me. It's Justin and I as kids. Probably about two, and it brings back so many memories. The kids look so much like we did at that time.

"That's crazy." Sherry passes it around as we eat "You two cloned yourselves."

"Yeah," Justin's dad adds "You did."

Justin takes it from him, studying it "Well, at least we know they'll look good once they're older."

"Or they could look horrible." My dad says.

"Well, I guess we have to love them either way."