Authors: Eve Vaughn
The nurse shot Simon a nasty glare before doing as the doctor asked. “Thank you,” Jessica whispered before another jolt of pain tore through her body.
“It’s okay, Jess, I’m here,” Simon assured her.
“We’re going to need you to push really hard this time, Jessica. Can you do that for me?” The doctor’s voice barely registered through the pain, but she nodded.
Gritting her teeth, Jessica pushed with all her might.
Simon gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “It’s okay, Jessica. Scream if you want to.”
She did just that, howling.
“You can relax now, Jessica,” the doctor instructed.
“I don’t think I have the strength to do this anymore,” she groaned warily.
“You can do it. I know you can.” Simon’s words were encouraging.
She smiled at him, surprisingly happy to have him by her side in this moment. She could put aside their differences for now because having him here for the birth of their children seemed right. “Thank you.”
He gave her hand another squeeze. “I’d ask you how you feel, but I can only imagine. You’re doing such a great job, Jessica.”
She closed her eyes, taking deep breaths.
“Okay, Jessica. I’m going to need you to give me everything you’ve got on this next one.” The doctor ordered, gently.
“Oh God, I’m not sure if I have another push in me.” But she lifted up on her elbows and did just that.
“That’s it. You’re doing beautifully. Here comes the head. Give me one more push. There you go. Congratulations on your baby boy,” the doctor announced, followed by the wail of an infant. He certainly had a healthy set of lungs.
Jessica was torn between laughing and crying. “A boy?” she said through stilted breaths. She looked at Simon who had tears in his eyes. “We have a son.” The doctor held up the squealing baby. It was bloody and covered in embryonic fluid, but she’d never seen a more beautiful sight. He turned his little head in her direction and miraculously he quieted down. It was almost as if he knew his mommy was near. Her heart fluttered within her chest. This time when the tears came they were tears of joy.
“Would you like to cut the cord, Daddy,” the doctor asked Simon.
Simon turned his gaze her way, longing filled the blue depths. “May I?”
Regardless of how she felt, she didn’t have the heart to take away something this meaningful to him. She nodded, exhaustion making it near impossible to speak.
He walked to the doctor, and wiped a tear away before taking the scissors. It was one of the most touching things she’d ever seen.
Jessica didn’t have a chance to bask in the afterglow of that knowledge when another wave of pain hit her.
“Baby B is on the way and it’s coming fast.”
Ten minutes, later, another cry filled the air. “Congratulations on your daughter.” Jessica collapsed in exhaustion. The doctor raised her daughter up just enough for Jessica to see. She looked pretty much like her brother, but smaller and angrier. Jessica knew right then that her daughter would be a handful. She chuckled softly to herself. Only minutes old and her children were already expressing their personalities.
A boy and a girl. She was a mother.
Simon again had the honor of cutting the second cord before rejoining her. “They’re beautiful, Jessica. Thank you for giving me two beautiful children.” He bent down and kissed her forehead.
Everything between them seemed to vanish in that one magical moment. There was no pain or recriminations. They were just two parents celebrating the birth of their children. No matter what happened from here on out, their lives would forever be entwined by those two little lives.
“When can I hold them?” Jessica asked
“We have to clean them up and get their vitals. After that they’re all yours,” Nurse Nancy answered, her tone slightly icy. She was probably still a bit miffed about their earlier exchange, but Jessica was too happy and tired to care.
Later, her children were wheeled into the hospital room. Her milk had yet to come in so the bottle was their only option at the moment. “Which one do you want to feed?” A new nurse asked. Jessica was glad it wasn’t Nancy.
“If you don’t mind,” Simon answered for her. “I’d like to feed my daughter.”
The nurse smiled. “Ahh, she’s a Daddy’s girl already. Okay. Here you go, make sure you support her head.” She handed the swaddled bundle to Simon, who wore a huge grin on his face. Jessica couldn’t help feeling a little giddy herself when she was handed her son.
She’d heard the love was instant the second a mother held her child. While she couldn’t vouch for other mothers, that was certainly the case with her. She touched his soft cheek and pushed away a stray curl off his forehead. He had a head full of curly black hair, and milky skin. He was much too small for her to make out distinctive features, but the murky eyes, looked to be a dark blue.
She looked at her daughter, who was bald and slightly darker than her brother, but not by much. Her eyes were slightly open.
The nurse left the two of them alone as they bonded with their children. Words weren’t needed as they took turns holding each of the babies and feeding them. Once the children were sleeping the awkwardness set in.
Some of the euphoria started to wear off and Jessica was once again faced with reality. “So, uh…have you thought of a name for the babies?” Simon was the first to break the silence.
Jessica sighed. “Believe it or not, I haven’t, but I was thinking of something clean and concise. I don’t want to name them anything too trendy or something that would make them the objects of ridicule.
A slight smiled crossed Simon’s face, his eyes twinkling. “So I guess Tangerine Karate Fighter and Squireleesha Jell-O Mold are out of the question?”
Even though she knew he was joking, Jessica rolled her eyes. “Not even in jest, buddy.”
“For our son, have you thought of Jason?” he asked tentatively.
The thought had crossed her mind. “Jason,” she whispered to the sleeping infant who at that moment opened his eyes, a slight smile tugging at his little pink lips.
“He likes it,” Simon observed.
“Could be gas.”
“No, I think he likes it.”
Just then the baby released a little poot before closing his eyes again. Jessica giggled. “Okay, weird coincidence. I think I would like to call him that. Jason Simon.”
Simon lifted one dark blond brow. “You’d name him after me? Even…” He gulped.
After what she’d just experienced, Jessica realized just how selfish it would be if she tried to keep Simon out of the children’s lives. “No matter what has happened between us, you are their father. I appreciate you being here with me in the delivery room.”
He grasped her forearm. “Does this mean…does this mean you’re willing to give us another chance?”
“Simon, I never said anything about that. Please don’t make more out of this then it is.”
His face fell. “I see.” After a brief pause, he said gruffly. “Well, if we’re settled on a boy’s name, let’s think of something for our daughter.”
After a few minutes of deliberation, they decided on Jasmine Marie. Their moment of peace was disturbed when the door flew opened and Jessica’s mother and father stormed inside.
“Why weren’t we called immediately, and what’s he doing here?” her mother demanded without a “how are you and the babies?”
“Marie, don’t start,” Keith gently chided.
“Don’t start what? I wasn’t notified when my grandchildren were being born. I simply got a call after it happened and now I’m expected to smile and pretend like everything is okay when that man sits there with my daughter and grandbabies as if he has a right. How could you do this to me, Jessica? I was supposed to be here. Not him.”
Jessica closed her eyes and silently counted to ten. “Mom, please. You’ll wake the babies, and Simon has every right to be here as he is their father. How about calming down and saying hello to your grandchildren, Jason and Jasmine.”
Marie glared at Simon, nostrils flaring. For a moment, Jessica thought she would ignore the babies altogether, but finally, she focused on the children. Jessica held Jasmine and Simon held Jason.
“Ohhhh, look at them. They’re so tiny. How big are they?”
“They were---” Simon began before her mother cut him off.
“I didn’t ask you. I was talking to my daughter, and if you had any decency you’d leave this room right now.”
“Marie!”
“Mom!” Jessica and her father said at the same time.
“What? Do you expect me to pretend that everything is all fine and dandy? It’s bad enough my grandchildren have to share his DNA but I’m not going to let him ruin this moment.”
“The only one who’s ruining this moment is you, Marie. Can’t you see you’re upsetting Jessica?” Keith pointed out.
Marie turned around to glare at him. “Now you’re taking
his
side? Don’t you care about what he did? And how he got off scot free? I visited the family lawyer, by the way, to tell him about
that man’s
involvement. He didn’t believe there was enough evidence for a conviction because the witnesses only saw three men attacking Jason. Were it not for that, I would have gone straight to the police.” She then turned her glare to her daughter. “And you. You big traitor. How can you sit here with him like this is some big happy family? Didn’t he do enough to you already? Or are you ready to forgive him because he’s good in bed? It makes me want to vomit when I think of you two together.”
Tears burned Jessica’s eyes. Her mother’s words stung because she hadn’t forgotten what Simon had done, but having him at the delivery whether she’d wanted him there or not, had changed something within her. “Mom, can we please not talk about this right now?”
Simon placed his son in the bassinet next to his seat, grabbed his cane and stood. “I’m sorry for the pain I’ve caused you and your family. I’ll leave.”
Her mother turned her back to Simon but not before shooting him a venomous glare.
“Jessica, I’ll be out in the hall if you need me.” Simon limped out of the room, relying heavily on his cane.
“Mom, this wasn’t the time or place for that,” Jessica said when she was sure Simon was out of earshot.
“And I’m supposed to give deference to the man who participated in the murder of my son? That’ll never happen.” Marie reached into the bassinet and picked up Jason. When she looked down at her grandson, she smiled for the first time since she entered the room. “He’s so darling. They both are. I think the first name is appropriate, but what were you thinking when you gave him that man’s name? I couldn’t help but notice the tag on the bassinet. Really Jessica, are you trying to break my heart?” She gave Jason a kiss on the cheek.
Jessica shot her father a pleading look. “Dad?”
“Marie, just drop it, okay? Everything isn’t always about you. Do you think it’s any easier for me? I wanted to rip his head off but like our daughter stated now isn’t the appropriate time to vent. Jessica is probably exhausted, and the last thing she needs is your bitching.”
“But--”
“I said enough.”
To Jessica’s surprise, her mother shut up. Normally, Marie would have told him to go to hell and that would have led to an argument. What was going on? The last few times she’d seen her parents, they’d been acting very chummy with each other. Jessica decided not to read too much into it because for all she knew they could be back at each other’s throats soon enough.
“Dad, would you like to hold Jasmine?”
“I would love to.” He took the tiny infant from Jessica’s arms. “She’s gorgeous, and so small.”
“Actually, they’re pretty big for twins and a month early. She’s five pounds two ounces and Jason is five pounds ten ounces. I’ve never lost so much weight at once in my life.” She laughed.
“Well, I still don’t see why no one saw fit to call me so I could be in the delivery room with you,” her mother huffed.
“Mom, I didn’t know Simon was going to visit me today, and when he did I was having contractions. We didn’t have time to call anyone. Nothing has changed between Simon and me other than the fact that we now have two children together. Do you think I can forget what he did? I never will, but I have to learn to deal with it for the babies’ sake. Can we please drop it now?”
“But you seemed awful cozy with that boy.” Her mother didn’t seem to want to let it go.
“He means nothing to me.” Jessica only said it get her mother to move on to another topic. The truth was, she wasn’t sure how she felt about Simon but something made her look toward the doorway.
Simon stood in the doorway with hurt etched across his face.
CHAPTER TWENTY
“Are you sure she won’t mind my coming over? I mean the last time I saw her it wasn’t in the best circumstances.” His mother patted her hair in place and fixed her clothing. He noticed she only fidgeted with her clothing when she was nervous.