Blainsville

37) The Exposed

Diana

I heard the door click as it unlocked I was half asleep on the couch, Alaina and AJ beside the couch an earshot away. I open my eyes quickly and grab the nearest object to try and defend myself and our children, a candle holder. I take the candle out and grab it and head to the door slowly and quietly just as the door opens I realize who entered, "Jimmy?! Jimmy! Oh my God, you're home! I missed you, I was so scared and worried and... How did you get here? How did you get out? What did they do to you? Are you ok?" He puts his lips to mine and I instantly shut up as we kiss passionately for what I could feel was forever. I was terrified and worried and so many other emotions at the same time I was glad he was home though but was there really a way out of this? He took my hand and we took a seat together on the couch and just curled in on each other he was warming himself mainly by the fire, we watched as our twins slept peacefully. "They're so perfect, aren't they?" He whispers, I nod kissing his head. I'm not sure when or how we fell asleep but we were, just the Bloom's sound asleep together in front of a blazing fire on a snowy night. Jimmy was sound asleep rather quickly but we did sleep with one thing that night, a candle stick and a butcher knife... Hopefully at least one of us would make a break for it while the other was on defense. I had turned over slightly because not only was I cold but my arm under his weight caused my arm to go numb. I slowly sit up careful not to make any bone pops as to wake the babies. Today they were three weeks old and each day they were changing more and more as when he was first pregnant. Nobody tells you that watching your babies grow up would be just as fast, I gently get up off the couch and head to the kitchen for a drink of water. I make it to the kitchen and realize that the fire was going out probably earlier which is why it felt freezing in the room. I grab a glass from the cabinet close the door and fill my glass with a bit of water. I can see that there's about two feet of snow in the yard which meant shoveling out. As I'm standing there thinking if I should just wake Jimmy up and we all head to the bedroom but if we moved the babies they would wake up... I wasn't prepared for that right now. Suddenly I hear a small whimper and I already know who this might be because it's about 3:30am and he's hungry, "It's ok, AJ are you hungry and cold buddy? Ok let's go to the bedroom it should be warmer upstairs. Jimmy? Baby, wake up." Jimmy doesn't move but Alaina opens her eyes and glances around, "what's going on? Why's Alan crying?" He asks looking around confused and he pulls the blanket over his shoulders. "He was just hungry, the fire went out a bit ago so it's freezing is why I'm awake. I figured we could go to the bedroom and get comfortable and just turn the radiator for up there." Jimmy nods and stretches before going for Alaina whos not crying but isn't tired either, "I think you're just cold, little girl. I think we should probably go to bed then huh? It's Sunday and we don't go to church." He chuckles holding Alaina close to his chest she slowly goes back to sleep.

Jimmy

We were walking upstairs I was half awake but Alaina had woke only she wasn't hungry probably just wet so I was going to change her diaper and put her to sleep. As for Diana she was breastfeeding AJ once more he woke up every couple hours is he was hungry or wet but mainly hungry. She was sitting on the bed without a shirt but a blanket instead, I had turned on the heater and headed to the nursery to change Alaina, "Hey, Ana it's pretty cold in here even though the windows are new. Makes me wonder why it's so drafty." She doesn't answer, "Diana?" I glanced to our bedroom and realize that Diana was asleep slumped over AJ I quickly grab AJ and put him in his crib where he falls asleep just as fast. Alaina has a clean diaper so I give her a kiss and lay her down beside her brother I turn on the heater a bit higher and head to bed. The next time I awoke I was curled beside Diana and I wasn't as cold but I had a feeling something was wrong... Off. Diana wasn't in bed anymore so I got out of bed and it was maybe early morning by the brightness off the window and the snow reflecting back. "Diana? Diana? Ana, where are you?" I head to the nursery and see the babies are sound asleep together I sigh in content. I head downstairs and looked in the living room the tv was on so was the lamp but she wasn't in here. That's when I hear talking it's faint but it's there it sounds like Diana and two men... Uh no, two men... Agents. "I surrender alright? You can have one of the twins but... I didn't want to say anything to anyone. But one of them died... She was sick and passed away in her sleep. You can have her but I want her given a proper burial and ceremony because she deserves that. I may not have kept her alive long but damn it... She was our life." I hear her crying suddenly. I don't look out the window merely listen, "So where's the baby if we may ask?" The door then opens, "Um... Hello, what the hell do out two want? What are you doing here? How did you know where we lived?" I'm asking scared but Diana pulls me aside, "It's alright, baby... I'm giving them a twin alright? She didn't survive the first few days remember?" Diana nods at me and she glances to the small box where her baby was. "Oh, Diana you don't have to do this." I tell her but she puts her hand to my cheek, "It will get them off our back. I need to do something with her and we get a burial for her as a trade." She says giving me a hug. The two men open the box and then close it quickly, "So what was her name? In the case that you want a burial we need a name to label her for your funeral." Diana looks at the box then at me, "I don't know, Allison." She says opening the door for them to leave, "Now please leave my home. I don't want to continue to look at her like that... Just give me a minute ok?" She tells them and suddenly she breaks down, "I'm sorry, babe, I'm so sorry. It wasn't anyone's fault, babe, we tried." I hold her because I know there's nothing we can do now but let them believe the total lie it would give us time to leave the state if they did find out. The agents shake my hand and then hers, "Thank you for cooperating with us. We will give her a proper burial at the end of the month at the public cemetery. Again, nothing personal right?" One holds his hand out for me I don't grab it we just stand there waiting for them to leave so we could get out of here. "I did the one thing I could do to save this family." I hold Diana close to me, "I know, Ana. I know..." I whisper in her ear.