The Matters of Her Heart

Yay! More hospitals

"I still wanna know why didn't you fucking tell me?" Parker was yelling, yet again.

Aashayla rolled her eyes and continued to change Paisley's diaper. Clearly he was still pissed.....an entire week later. Was she going to keep fighting with him? No, he was acting crazy. It wasn't worth her breath, nor his but he wasted it anyway.

Picking up her new daughter, Aashayla walked out of the family nursery, Parker in tow.

"Stop ignoring me," he practically growled as he jerked her around by her arm to face him.

"If I drop our child, the last thing you'll need to worry about is being ignored. I will not keep having this argument with you," she threatened. "I was in the wrong, I know that. I'm trying to fix it and you're not making it any better. Now, I have to go finish planning not only our wedding, but also setting up our house! You will leave me alone until further notice."

He knew she was right, not only was she planning their 'shotgun wedding' -that he was forcing upon her- but she was helping him raise their children. He let her go, kissing her lips sweetly before watching her walk away.

Aashayla walked around the garden, rocking Paisley, trying but clearly failing to get the poor thing to sleep. Her stomach was upset and Aashayla was beginning to think she was lactose intolerant like both Parker's had been.

"I know honey, I know," she cooed as she rubbed her back and her stomach in rotation. It was a quick and easy method she'd learned early on.

Taking a break, she sat on the bench and sighed. The stress was beginning to get to her, her back aching from being hunched over the bunches of bridal magazines and the laptop Parker bought her for the online shopping. So far, she had three of the ten bedrooms decorated, the kitchen and six bathrooms, the color scheme for the wedding, the place, the reception was set, the cake tasting and flowers were being done the next day, and her apartment was being packed up and given away to a person in need while her and little Parker's valuables were being shipped over.

She felt an ache in her chest as she thought about her first encounter with her now "husband to-be".

Flashback

"How long is it going to take for whomever this is to show up?" Shelly asked. Seconds later, the doorbell rang. When everyone moved towards it, Tanya opened it to reveal her best friend from high school.

"You're here!" Tanya squealed.

The two hugged, oblivious to the eyes on the child standing in the doorway. The resemblance was uncanny and nobody knew what to think.

"Tanya baby girl, who is that?" Maxwell asked worriedly as he eyed the newcomers suspiciously.

"Aashayla?!"

Everyone turned to look at Parker as he entered, baby Paisley in his arms. He nearly dropped the baby in shock.

"Hi Park," she spoke hesitantly. Grabbing onto her son's hand, she pulled him closer, not wanting attention drawn to him though it was too late.

Parker stared for a long while, everyone in the room not breathing. He couldn't believe his eyes, was he seeing and imagining things? What was really going on? His heart was breaking at the sight of the child in front of him. He knew the moment they'd made eye contact, what was going on. "H-how could you?"

She looked down in shame, not knowing how to respond. The hurt and betrayal in his eyes crushed her very being. She knew what she'd done was wrong, but they'd drifted apart and she hadn't found out until after he left her for the marines to study medicine and get his life together. They were young, she was confused.