Accidentally Perfect (21 page)

I left home about an hour ago.  Nathan was going to have Tony pick him up and take him to his place to grab some clothes and pick up his car.  As much as I wanted Nathan with me to pick up Amanda from the hospital, I felt that Brad may need a break from the reality of the situation.  I don’t want them to be at each other’s throat all the time.  Soon it will start to affect the
girls,
and I don’t ever want them to feel their loyalties should be divided.  They should always choose their father over Nathan.  Brad loves them, but I know that if the guys continue to be at each other's throats, it’s going to put the twins in a tough spot.  I know they wouldn’t want to disappoint me either.

Since everything is going as it should with Addie, they are releasing her in
another day.  I’m excited and nervous about it.  This is going to be a big step for me and the girls; moving in with Nathan.  I want the girls to feel comfortable, to feel that they are what’s most important and I have to remember that I need to make sure Brad is reassured that he is still their father;  the number one man in their lives.

I try to put myself in his shoes, to think about him getting serious with another woman.  How would that make me feel? If they decided to move in together would it make me feel left out of my daughters’ lives when they weren’t with me?  Would I be alright if they decided to call another woman, mom?   Emily was nice
enough;
I just wanted to make sure she was good for the girls.  I wouldn’t want them to not feel wanted in Brad’s apartment because there was someone else vying for his attention.  Maybe deep down I knew it wouldn’t
last, so the threat wasn’t there.

Brad never had the option to get used to the idea of another man becoming another father to his girls.  Brad knew from the start that Michael wasn’t a threat.  He knew there was no way that I would allow a man so much younger and immature to be a permanent fixture in my life.  Plus, now that I think about it, the girls weren’t that happy
with
him.  They did tend to be
needier
when he was around.  They fought for my attention while he was trying to spend time with us. Because of that there were many nights that I actually sent him home. 

Now here’s Nathan. There's no denying the fact that I love him.  I know it’s crazy, but I do.  I ache for his touch.  I yearn for his kiss.  I know the relationship is
new,
and all the chemicals in my brain are all firing off at top speed.  I know once the endorphins
slow,
the constant need to have Nathan won’t be so intense. We are still in our honeymoon phase, literally. But I know it’s more than that.  It’s more than the intensity I feel towards him.  It’s more than the passion or the way he knows how to touch me, how to fuck me.  I think he is truly my other half.  I broke when my father died.  My spirit dimmed that day, but now, with Nathan, I feel like I’m me again.

My phones rings, bringing my thoughts to the present.
  I look in the
rearview
mirror to make sure it didn’t wake up Amanda.  It never fails, she always falls right to sleep as soon as the car takes off. I see
Cruella
Di Ville pop up on my screen.  I internally groan.  “
Hi, mother.”

“Laney.  How are the girls?”  I seriously don’t want to tell her anything about the girls.

“They’re good.  I have Amanda
now, and I’m taking her home.”

“By home I am assuming you mean Nathan’s?”

“No, mother.”

“So have you decided this farce of a marriage is over?  Did he figure fatherhood is too much for his lifestyle?  Did he figure out that he couldn’t sleep with the entire female population when he is keeping a wife?”

“No, mother.
  For your
information,
we’re still planning on moving in with Nathan once Adele is out of the hospital.  Tomorrow we will be with Nathan.  For now, the three of us are staying at my house.”
      

“The three of you?
  Nathan is staying in the home that you shared with Brad? 
Do you think that’s appropriate, Laney, my God.
  Having a man in the home where Amanda’s father lived, do you think that is wise?” 

“Jesus mother, Michael was there all the time and you never once had a problem with it.  What happened to the fact that I married a Whitmore?  I thought your mouth would still be salivating of the possibilities of what that name could bring into your life.”

“I must admit, at first I thought the union, although certainly hasty was excellent.  But once I thought it over, I don’t see you as a good fit
for a man like Nathan Whitmore.”

“Ah, I see.  Is it because you don’t see him as a good fit for
me, or as a roadblock for you.”

“I beg your pardon, young lady?”

“Mother, as much as I wish I was still a young lady, I’m not.  I’m a mother of two girls who will soon be turning five and going off to school.  I am not a naive child mother.  I know you tolerated Brad because he didn’t give you too many problems.  He kept his opinions to himself.  Michael kissed your ass because for some reason he thought if he did that, then it would make me happy.  Michael never really knew me, because if he did then he would have come to my defense whenever you started in on me.  Nathan has your number
mother,
and you hate that.  You hate that you can’t walk all over him.  You hate that he holds me up while every other man in my life, other than my father, held me down while you trampled all over me and my
self-esteem
.  It’s a new dawn mother. 
One where I will no longer be your punching bag.”

“Laney-”

“I’m done mother. 
I’ll
speak with you another time. 
Goodbye.”

Damn that felt good.  I looked up in the mirror once again and to my luck, Amanda is still asleep in the back seat.  It takes about twenty minutes to get from the hospital to my house, and those last ten minutes are ones I won’t ever get back.  The phone rings again. 
Christ. 
“Mother, I know you love torturing me, but I, on the other hand, do not like to speak to you the way I do. For the love of God, can we please table this for another time?
  I’m not in the mood.” 

“Well, hello to you too, bestie.  What a lovely way to greet me.  I can only imagine what brought that on,” snickers Stella.

“I am so sorry,
yes I just hung up with my mother.  It’s never easy with her, is it?”

“Maybe you should add the theme song to Jaws as her ringtone, so every time she calls you can hear daaa da, daaa da.”

“Christ, woman!
That’s an excellent idea.  What are you doing?  I haven’t heard from you.” 

“Yeah, sorry about that.
  I went into work, took care of your shift for the next two weeks.  I told the charge nurse what was going
on,
and she happily changed everything around.  You will need to call her back once the two weeks is up to see what’s going on and see if you need to take some more time off.”

“Thank you for doing that S.  I don’t know what I would do without you.”

“So, how are the girls?  Is everything going to be alright with Addie?” 

I pull onto my street,
and I see Nathan standing by his car in front of my house.  He’s on the phone himself as I pull up.  “
Yeah,
S. She is staying in the hospital one more night.”  I pull into the driveway and turn off the car. “I have Amanda now and I’m going to get her settled in the house.”

“Are you at your place or Nathan’s?”

“My place.
  I’ll take the girls over to Nathan’s once Addie gets out.”

“I’m on my way.”

Once I end my call with Stella, Amanda’s door is open.  Nathan unbuckles her booster and takes her from the car giving me a wink.  Her limp body covers his as he carries her into the house.  “Can you hold her a bit?  I want to get a bed ready for her in my room.  I don’t want her sleeping alone while Addie is still in the hospital.”

“No problem sweet girl.  I’ve got her.  Take as long as you need.”  He has his arms around her so lovingly. 
Rubbing her back soothing her as she sleeps.
  Seeing him with my girls will never get old. 

I grab her blankets from her bed and take out a new sheet from
the linen closet.  While I’m getting my couch ready, Nathan walks in.  Amanda is awake with her head resting on his shoulder.  “Hi baby, how are you doing?”  I
say,
and I walk up and try to take her from Nathan.  She doesn't come.  She just turns into him tucking her arm between the two of them. 
Well then
.

“What’s wrong baby girl? Don’t you want to go with mommy?”  Nathan continues to rub her back.

“Nope, yous
warm.” 

“Well, Bear, let’s get you on the couch and I’ll cover you with your blankets and put a movie on for you.” Nathan puts her down,
and she crawls under the blankets. 

“Knock, knock,” Stella says as she enters my room.

“Auntie Staya
!”  Amanda bounces in her bed.

“Hey baby, how are you feeling?”

“Goods, I’m gonna watch a pwincess
movies.  You
wanna watch wif me?”

“You bet I do. Let me talk to mommy first.”  Amanda nods her head.

“Baby, we’ll be right back.  I’m going to get you something to snack on.  Then I’ll turn a movie on for you.”  She nods her head again.   

I follow Stell and Laney downstairs
.  I know they haven’t had a chance to catch up with everything that has been going on for the past couple days.  I’ve been around my sister long enough to know they are going to want to talk about me and probably dissect my and Laney’s relationship.  I don’t want to be the type of husband that never allows my wife her girl time.  I will always give her the time she needs, whatever makes her happy. “Let me take Amanda her snack so you guys can catch up.”

Stella took a seat
at the island. “Oh please Nate, I can’t get all the gossip from your wife here with you in the room.  Besides, most of that gossip concerns you.  I should start calling you Beast.  Remind me not to get on your bad side. I wouldn’t want to be thrown out on my ass like Michael was.”  She gives me a wink.    

“Michael had it coming,” I say standing next to the fridge closest to Laney.

“Seriously, was he in your house Laney?”

“Yep, he kept a key I let him borrow one time.”  I watch her as she takes some veggies out of the fridge and place them on the island.  Her eyes catch
mine,
and she blushes. 

“What?”  Stella asks.  She looks
between the two of
us.  “What was that
look
for?  Why Lanes, are you fucking blushing like that?”  My eyes flick to the
island, and Stella puts two and two together.

“Are you serious?  Nate, did you fuck your wife on the island?  When the hell have you two had the time with the girls in the hospital?”

“What can I say, S?  He can’t keep his hands off me.”  She laughs.  “I wouldn’t be surprised if that little tidbit is on the front page of tomorrow’s gossip rag.”