Something Worth Fighting For (39 page)

“Thank you, Ellie, we’ll let you know what we decide.” Vincent said as he wrapped his arm around his wife.

“We should get going, I’m sure I need to get my wife back home.” Atlas put his hand over my ever expanding belly. “I’m glad we were able to be here today.”

“Thank you for everything you did, Atlas. For going above and beyond to try and save him. I know you’re going to miss him, he loved you like a brother. We are grateful that you were here today and for your years of friendship with Adam.”

“He was one of the best.”

With that Atlas ushered me away with his hand on the small of my back. Darcy’s Audi was idling behind my parked car. Atlas helped me inside and with one last wave, we said goodbye to our friend.

❋❋❋

I had been accepting of the fact that he wasn’t up for talking yet and buried my head in my Kindle. We were halfway through Virginia when Atlas finally started speaking again. “When we first started dating Adam and I were walking through base and I was going on about you like always. He never once told me to shut up so I was kind of grateful to be able to act like a girl and ramble on.” Atlas laughed. “We came around the corner and Ben was standing there. I damn near pissed myself. He asked to speak with me and Adam looked at me like I had just been told I was being sent to the Army or Mars or something. He just leaned over after Ben walked back into his office and whispered “Don’t worry bro, I got your six. If anything happens we’ll go AWOL and live the rest of our lives in Cancun titty bar hoppin’, in flowered shirt, becoming drug lords, and live like kings.”

“Why am I not shocked by this?” I laughed, setting my Kindle back in my bag.

“Best part is Ben overheard everything he said. That man has like super sonic hearing or something. I went into his office and he told me to take a seat then asked me if he could go with us. Adam was standing at the door and just could not hold himself together. He fell out on the floor laughing but landed in front of the office door. We both turned around and saw him which just made him laugh even harder. It’s a stupid story but it’s one of the best memories I have with him.”

“Tell me more.” I reached over resting my hand on his thigh.

“He went as
Vanilla Ice
for Halloween a few years ago.”

“No!” I laughed.

“Totally, we went out to a bar and he sang the entire “
Ice Ice Baby”
song. I was impressed being that drunk he still knew the words but he sure did. Picked up two girls and collected six numbers. I ended up hungover on Caleb’s couch alone. We weren’t supposed to be out and he ended up on police call for the rest of the day in exchange for not being logged in.”

“Oh my God, I’m betting that Chad made that deal.”

“Sure did,” Atlas laughed. “When we first made it there we were so confused by the single letter names on mainside. We ended up lost so many times. He ended up writing a song or some shit that I don’t remember now how to figure it out. We sang it for months. We made drinks in the trash cans and hide them on inspection day so they wouldn’t go to waste. Man, I thought I had left Texas to stop partying and drinking but for the first few years with Adam...” He shook his head. “I’m shocked I remember any of it.”

“You two were a dynamic duo.”

“Yeah, we had some great times.” A pained smile spread across his face as he stared out the windshield. “I wasn’t supposed to tell you but he bought Darcy a ring. It’s sitting in the glove box of his truck. He planned to propose off the plane, I mean as soon as we landed. He was so in love with her. I think when he met her he finally got it, ya’ know, like everything clicked.”

“Was that how it was for you?” 

“Yeah, baby, that’s how it was for me.”

“So I was thinking...”

“Yes?” Atlas drew the word out, his accent making me smile.

“We should probably pick out some baby names. We find out what we’re having in a few weeks.”

“Cletus.”

“Oh hell no.” I shook my head as Atlas laughed.

“What? You don’t like Cletus? We could call him Cletus the Fetus.”

“You have issues.” I couldn’t stop laughing. “You can call one that for now but that is not sticking. I will not have a bunch of people running around calling one of my babies Cletus the Fetus.”

“I thought that was a fine name.” Atlas snorted.

“What if you end up having a daughter?”

“
But what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you.
..” Atlas quoted.

“Atlas!” I admonished him, laughing as I rubbed my belly.

“Adam’s a good name...” He suggested as I nodded.

“Adam is a great name.” I agreed. “So if it’s two boys, Benjamin Jackson and Adam Quinn.”

“I like it.”

“Iris for a girl? In mythology she is the messenger of the Gods, she’s supposed to link the Gods with humanity.”

“Carry on the tradition, I like it. What else?”

“Phoebe?”

“Another Titan, nice! Rhea or Asteria?”

“I like that too.”

“Well at least we have some choices now.”

“I can’t wait to find out.” I sighed dreamily staring down at my stomach.

“Me either. I feel like I need to break out singing the “
Circle of Life”
or something. A funeral today, one more going on, and here we are having babies.”

“I just want to hear you do the opening bars...” I giggled as Atlas took a deep breath. “No, no! I’ll pee!” I laughed, holding my legs together. He took another deep, threatening breath. “Pleaseeee!” I begged.

“Alright but it’s coming for you, when you least expect it.”

“I think that’s how we got pregnant.”

“Well damn, Ellie.” Atlas laughed as he wiped his eyes. “You got me on that one. What did you expect?”

“Not to be afraid to wash your socks.”

“Shit...” He shook his head, still laughing.

The car went quiet again as Atlas randomly chuckled to himself. “Thank you.” He said.

“For what?”

“Taking my mind off of things, making me laugh, letting me talk about him.”

“It’s part of my job.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, wife clause, section 72, lines 4-8.”

“I love you, Ginger.”

“Mmm, I love you, Cowboy.” I leaned back in the seat, closing my eyes, and let him drive us home.

“Are you coming?” I asked into the phone receiver as I grabbed my purse from the couch. The new house was still in boxes but it was finally coming along. I stopped at the door, looking around, “yeah, I better go pee again.”

“Yes baby, I’ll meet you there. Ben cleared it for me so I should be there no later than you. I’m heading out right now.”

It had been a little over a month since we buried Adam and life was getting back to our new normal. Atlas had still received a medal despite wanting it and we were waiting for his pinning session for his promotion and to see if he was going to get to become an instructor.

But today was the big day. I was sixteen weeks and stressing out over being late to our doctor appointment. “Be careful, please.”

“I always am, Ginger. I’ll see you soon. I love you.”

“I love you.” I said and hung up, tossing my phone into my bag as I ducked into the Mustang. I was humming along with the radio, the sun was shining through the open window, carrying the smell of the ocean, yeah, it was a good day.

Atlas’ bike was already in the parking lot when I drove in. He was leaning against it, arms crossed, helmet hanging from the handle bars. “Took you long enough.” He grinned as I climbed out of the car.

“Bite me. I had to pee like twelve times before I left.” I huffed, pushing my hair out of my eyes.

“I’m just messing with you, Ginger. Come on, let’s go see our babies.” He kissed my head, leading me through the double sliding doors.

The waiting room was filled with round bellies and crying babies. Atlas stepped back, wide eyed and clearly overwhelmed. “I got you, Cowboy, it’s fine.” I laughed, signing it and took a seat. His knees were bouncing up and down as women stared him down, some with anger, some with lust.

“I thought Afghanistan was scary...” He whispered to me as I bit my jaw trying not to laugh.

“Right? Imagine coming here with Darcy.”

“Dear God, I don’t know if I would have made it through the door.”

“She thought she was going to catch it, like it was a cold or something. I told her not to drink the water they put HCG in it.”

“Penelope Ryker?” A nurse in
Mickey Mouse
scrubs called out. I stood up, tugging on Atlas’ hand.

“Hey Becca.” I smiled to the nurse as she brought me back to get weighed.

“How are you feeling?” She asked as I sat my bag down and stepped onto the scale.

“Not bad, tired, but not bad.”

“Well you are growing two people so I would expect you to be just a little tired.” She teased as she marked my weight down and pointed to the chair. “We’ll just get your blood pressure and then you can go to the sonogram room.”

Atlas was pacing back and forth, running his hands over his head. “Baby you have got to calm down.” I laughed as he shook his head. “Nervous?” He nodded, his chest rising and falling rapidly. “Atlas, you’re going to hyperventilate, calm down.”

“First time Dad?” Becca asked, laughing.

“Yeah, you noticed?”

“Come on you two, right this way.” Atlas helped me out of the chair and onto the table in the dimly lit room. “Reann will be here in just a minute, good luck.” She closed the door as I patted the chair next to the table.

“You need to sit down just in case.”

“In case?”

“You pass out.” I laughed. He nodded taking a seat as Reann came in. Her short blond hair was pulled neatly into a tiny ponytail.

“Ready?” She asked, smiling brightly.

“Absolutely!” I clapped as Atlas just nodded slowly. She lifted my shirt, tucking it under my bra and folding over the stretch band of my jeans. The warm gel hit my stomach as she grabbed the wand swirling it over the top of it.

“Alright, let’s see what we got here.” My toes curled as she pressed the wand into my stomach.

“You okay?” Atlas looked concerned.

“I’m fine.”

“It’s not always the most comfortable thing.” Reann explained to him as she clicked the mouse on the machine. “Measurements for baby A look great, right on schedule. Baby B is a little smaller but still on track, nothing to be worried about. Did you want to find out the sex?”

“What’s the noise?” Atlas gasped as the steady rhythmic thumping filled the otherwise quiet  room.

“Their heartbeats.” Reann explained.

“Wow...” he whispered, clutching my hand. “That’s incredible.” His eyes were glued to the screen where our two babies faces were displayed. “I-- I’ve never...”

“I know,” I looked at his face etched with wonder. “Yes, we want to know.”

“I can tell you with little doubt that those are your boys.” Reann made circles around the anatomy on both babies as Atlas silently fist pumped the air.

“Two more Atlas Ryker’s what the hell am I going to do...”I laughed, wiping the stray tears that formed at the corner of my eyes.

“I’ll go put these in your chart and bring you to see the doctor.” Reann stood up, handing us the print outs. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you,” I was beaming as she left the room. “We have boys.”

“I am so relieved.” Atlas laughed as I wiped off my stomach and pulled down my shirt. “God, thank you so much, Ellie.” He leaned over the table, lips crashing into my own.

“What are you thanking me for?” I asked breathlessly when Reann knocked on the door.

“For giving me my boys...” His hand came to rest over my stomach as I choked back tears again.

“Don’t you know by now I’d do anything for you?” I smiled and led him to the regular office to finish the appointment.

❋❋❋

“Dad?” I called out as we walked into the beach house. “You here?”

“Yeah, Ellie, I’ll be down in a minute.” He called from upstairs. I nodded to Darcy and Atlas who released all of the blue balloons from the bags we were carrying. “What the hell...” Dad poked his head from down the stairs. “What the hell are you guys doing?”

“Surprise!” We yelled as he came down with a confused look on his face.

“Blue balloons?”

“Blue stands for...”

“Boy! Boys!” He came over hugging me tight. “Two more boys.”