Chapter Twenty-Four (1/2)

Chapter Twenty-Four

As the weeks went by things between Chase and I just got better and better, the sex was great and communicating was easier as well. Instead of snapping when we were stressed we were able to talk about things easier.

He was finally accepting I was healthy and wasn't going to lose it again and I was accepting his overbearing at times way of caring about me; instead of finding it insulting I found it sweet. He stopped being so controlling about what I was doing and eating but even when it pissed me off I always knew t came from a good place.

He wanted to make sure that I was really eating, that I wasn't going to pass out again and end up hurting myself; I thought that he just wanted to control my life but now I realize how stupid I had been being about it.

We were three months out from the wedding and almost all the arrangements had been made, it was just the tedious little details that were quickly driving me insane and the fact that I had to wait for two girls to have babies before I could do anything else with them, which was going to leave it last minute and we all barley made it through Christmas without killing one another.

It's not that we didn't want to spend it together it's just that everyone was already stressed and Christmas is a stressful holiday as well as an emotional one for us all. Riley and I always went to their grave two days after Christmas and we spent some time with them and talked about the holidays.

They were buried right under a tree and every year we would bring Christmas lights and put them up and over their stones for mom so that she never has to miss them. It was harder to find battery operated ones but we did eventually.

This year they let us have our time with them before we saw Rochelle, Chase and Monica come and join us and just like that night seven years ago, we sat down holding hands. Monica, Riley, Chase, Me, Rochelle.

The seven year mark was hard, Monica talked to them about how they were going to be grandparents again and so did Rochelle, she always said that her kids would call them grandma and grandpa one day and she told me that this baby would know them as such.

Rochelle's parents were more free spirited which lead to a not nasty divorce where she bounced from one parent to the other while they took turns traveling. I'm not saying they didn't love her but they just didn't love her as much as they loved exploring the world.

After she had said something to my parents she spent most her time sleeping in my room, she would go to school from our house and come home to it, my parents helped her with her homework and my mom helped her through it when she got her period for the first time. My dad insisted on meeting the boys she was going out with and when she started having sex my mom made sure she got on the pill.

My parents were her parents growing up and her actual parents never even really noticed she was gone and I know that it still hurts her to this day. They'll be at her wedding, if they remember to come.

They may have given birth to Riley and I but they raised her since we were six or seven. Chase was over a lot but not as much as Rochelle, his parents love him to death and when our parents died they tried really hard to be that parent figure in our lives.

I knew I was being unfair to his mom on this wedding and so I had decided to call her to see if she wanted to go shopping with me to pick out her dress for the wedding, I never meant to leave her out and for the next three months I told myself that I would try to involve her as much as I could in the wedding, it's not her fault my mom's not here.

”Anyone know what happened to that driver?” Rochelle asked

”Still in prison.” Riley and I both said at the same time, he got to live his life after his mistake killed two people. when we got the call we thought that it was just the snow that played a factor in what happened and even worried for the man's life, that is until we were told he was blowing twice the legal limit.

It was why I was angry with Chase that first night when I thought he drove home drunk, he had admitted to having a couple beers early on in the night but I trusted that he wouldn't put my life in danger and I still trusted him when he said he was fine that night.

We were all sitting there laughing and talking to them like they were really still here, when we said something sometimes one of us would pip in with what they would have said to it and it was the best day I've had here.

It wasn't so depressing, it was happy, celebrating the memories we did have with them.

”Oh shit.” Monica said and we all looked at her

”What?” Riley asked and she closed her eyes and her jaw clutched.

”Labor, I'm in labor.” Her jeans were soaked through and she had her hand on her stomach. We all looked expectantly to Riley but it seems he had just became a statue right now and he was just staring at her.

”Riley!” we all yelled in unison.

Chase was the first one to jump into action, he smack Riley and told him to snap out of it, she was a couple weeks early.

”We don't have anything prepared yet.” Monica said as Riley finally got to helping her up.

”Riley will take you to the hospital and the three of us will go to the house and pack a bag, I'm sure Scott had Rochelle's packed a month ago and she'll know what you need.” I wasn't a mom; I had no fucking clue what she would need exactly.

”You guys laugh, but he did.” Rochelle said and we laughed harder and then Monica cringed.

”Hospital, got it.” Riley said and looked at their graves ”It's show time mom and dad, god help me because you two were the only reason I got through this the last time.” he said and I caught the saddened look in his eyes.

This was a very bitter sweet moment for him and I never thought about how he would feel having this baby since mom and dad were there last time.

Maybe this was what we needed, a reason to find joy on this day instead of just misery and pain.

Rochelle took her car and met us at Monica and Riley's, we waltz in and the babysitter jumped at seeing us.

”Back so soon?” Rory asked

”Yes, we're taking the kids to Chases parents, Monica's in labor.” I said a little frantically. I went into the nursery to pack for the baby, Rochelle went to pack for Monica and Chase got the kids. I grabbed him an outfit and since mom and dad weren't prepared I would get to pick his first outfit so of course I went with one about him loving his Aunt. I got a bag ready with diapers and socks and a hat and all that stuff and I grabbed the blanket Chase's mom had made him and then I was ready.

I got downstairs and Rochelle had a bag packed for Monica and Chase came down with the girls and a bag. Monica headed over to the hospital and Chase and I dropped Lina and Mia off with hugs and kisses to his parents before heading over next and we went to the waiting area.

Nice part of having money is that Monica had a private room. We went there and brought them the things they would need while we waited for Scott to show up.

A scream tore from Monica's throat as she clutched her stomach and Riley did great trying to coach her into breathing through the pain, I held her hand and she went from whimpering in pain to cursing out Riley only to cry and say that she was sorry.

Jesus I had to do this again in a few weeks when Rochelle had her baby and it was going to be a nightmare, seeing this made me rethink the whole having kids thing. People always said how childbirth was a beautiful thing but it looked a lot more like torture to me.