Fractured Mind

Chapter 22

Peter could hardly hold in his excitement. Mary Jane was due in two weeks.

She was constantly running around the house, trying to get everything done at once. Between baby-proofing the house, packing a bag for the hospital, and cleaning any hint of dust off every surface in the house, she was wearing herself out.

Peter tried to do small things for her, like wiping down the counters, but she would say he hadn't used the right cleaning spray and she would redo them. Then he would try making some of her favorite snacks, and she always ended up telling him they made her nauseous.

"I don't get it," Peter said to his aunt as Mary Jane was tidying up the babies' room, "nobody has been in that room since we set it up. What could she possibly be doing in there?"

Aunt May smiled at him and patted his shoulder, "don't mind her. She's nesting, honey."

"Nesting?" Peter snorted, "sounds like something a bird would do."

Aunt May whacked him on the head with a dish towel, "no, not like a bird, Peter! It's just an instinct that most mothers get the last couple of weeks before they give birth."

"She's just doing so many things and I'm not always sure what she's doing!" he said exasperated as he sat down at the kitchen table.

"Kind of like you," Aunt May raised her eyebrow at Peter before exiting the room.

Peter shook his head as she left. He made himself a quick glass of orange juice before going upstairs to check on Mary Jane.

"Hey babe, what are you up to?" he asked as he slipped into the room.

"Hey!" she said, smiling broadly as she turned to the sound of his voice. She was wiping down the walls with a small rag.

"You know, you keep cleaning the walls in here and you're going to take the paint right off," he said as he walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her body. "I can feel them moving around in there," he whispered.

"I know, they've been so restless the last few days. I'm freaking out that I might go into labor soon."

"You'll all be fine. Don't freak out," Peter turned her around and kissed her.

Mary Jane sighed, "I know we will be, because we have you," she winked at him.

Peter smiled and walked over to their cribs. "I can't wait to meet them," he said as he nudged the little lion on the mobile above the crib.

"Me neither. I actually just can't wait to not be pregnant anymore. I don't think I'd ever do this again," she sat down on the glider in the corner of the room, fanning herself with her hand.

"I don't blame you," Peter chuckled. He moved across the room next to Mary Jane and began pushing the loose strands of hair from her face. "You're so beautiful, you know that?"

"Oh, please," she snorted, "I'm a hot mess right now."

"You're beautiful," he repeated and kissed her head, "I'm going to go do a sweep of the city, will you be fine here alone for a few hours?"

"Alone? Won't Aunt May be here tonight?" she questioned.

Peter shook his head. "No, she's having another Friday bingo night with her friend. I'll only be gone a couple of hours, though," he said, watching the sun starting to set outside.

"Oh, okay. Yeah, that's fine. I'll just keep doing what I'm doing and I'll see you later," she smiled and got up from her chair.

"Call me if you need me. I love you so much," he gave her one last kiss on the lips before grabbing his bag from their bedroom and dashing out the front door.