"Natalie? Natalie!" Henry cried, sitting up. She just kept crying, he could tell she was trying to talk but couldn't get anything out. "Shh…okay hold on. Calm down, take a deep breath." He cooed.
Natalie was quiet for a moment so Henry asked "What's going on?" Natalie began crying again but murmured
"My Dad."
"What happened to him?"
"No..No..he called…..my…my..my Mom." She stuttered through her tears.
"Something happened with your mom?" Henry asked and Natalie burst back into sobs.
"Yes." He heard her whisper.
"I thought she was doing alright?" Henry asked.
"She was!" Natalie yelled, crying harder.
"Okay, okay. Shh..Natalie calm down. Just try to stay calm, take deep breaths, get yourself some water, I'm going to come over? Okay I'll see you in 5 minutes, just calm down, okay?"
"Mhmm." Natalie mumbled.
"Alright, see you soon." Henry said and hung up. He threw on some sweat pants over his boxers and a t-shirt. He ruffled his hair in the mirror and put on a sweatshirt, grabbed his phone and keys and drove to Natalie's.
He could see her bedroom light was on. He knocked on the door and she answered, looking exhausted, destroyed, and like all 24 years of her life had been spent sobbing.
"Whoa." He murmured, quickly hugging her and shutting the door. She clung tightly to his t-shirt and cried. "Shh…" He said, rubbing her back. "Come sit down." They walked back into Natalie's room and sat down on the bed, where she leaned into him and cried as he stroked her hair.
"Calm down, it's okay. Shh." He said. Natalie sat up and whispered in between her sobs,
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I called you..I just….someone…I needed….I just…I'm sorry, nobody else would…would understand."
"It's okay, Nat, what happened?"
"She was doing fine, they've even had her off meds for a few months and she was doing fine, but she just…yesterday was Gabe's birthday and she just…tried to…kill herself again."
"Oh my God. Nat, I'm so sorry." Henry hugged her and she cried some more. An hour later and they remained sitting on the bed together, her just sobbing uncontrollably, and Henry rubbing her back and trying to calm her down.
"She just…she did this to me..puts me through this and I'll never put Jessica through it. Never. And she did this to my dad, and to me, and now Jessica's going to grow up with her acting like this too and…" Natalie just kept on crying and Henry leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead.
"Shh."
"I hate her, I hate her so much." Natalie cried, tears flowing.
"You don't mean that. No parents are perfect, but she tries and she loves you." Natalie was shaking and Henry didn't know if he should do it.
But..she was feeling unloved, and this was all that he could remember making her feel better all those years ago when this happened. As she cried and he tried to quiet her down for Jessica's sake, he touched her cheek gently, leaned in and ever so softly pressed his lips to hers.
Nothing had ever felt so perfect. Her shaking stopped, and she was calm for a single moment until Henry pulled away and she broke back into hysterics, crying into his chest.
It went on all night, he would just kiss her head, or her cheek, and once or twice more her lips and she would calm down for a moment. But when he wasn't she was just crazy crying and he wished he could do more to make it better. He just kept holding her, and eventually probably out of exhaustion she began to settle down.
Henry kissed her longer this time, still carefully but it lasted a couple of seconds, and then laid her head on the pillow and tucked her under the covers and watched her fall asleep, still sniffling every once in a while.
Eventually his exhaustion overtook him and a couple hours later he woke up in Natalie's bed, to the sound of her and Jessica in the kitchen. Oh, how he longed to wake up to that sound every morning of his life. He crawled out of the bed and walked out into the kitchen.
"Henry! Mommy says you guys had a slumber party last night!" Jessica exclaimed happily. Henry looked at Natalie who gave him the "it's all I could fucking think of" look. Henry nodded.
"Yeah we did! And we watched scary movies, and your mom was screaming like a little girl." Henry teased, and Jessica laughed. He loved the sound of her laugh.
"Mommy did you!" Natalie nodded. "We're making pancakes, you can have some!" Jessica said.
"Great." Henry replied, and looked at Natalie who signaled him over to the counter where she was cooking. Jessica was coloring at the table. Henry walked over to Natalie.
"Are you alright?" He asked quietly. She shrugged.
"I…I don't remember you coming over last night, I just woke up..and you were here. But I think I called you but, all I remember is my Dad's phone call and really just the rest of the night I was such a mess, I can't remember anything." She admitted.
"Oh, well yeah you called me. You were….a mess." Henry said, trying to keep it light. "So I came over, and stayed with you and I just tried to calm you down."
"Was I really bad?" Natalie asked. Henry sighed,
"To be honest – I've never seen you like that." "He replied.
"I'm sorry." Natalie whispered.
"No it's okay, I don't mind cuddling." Henry teased. Natalie smiled,
"We cuddled?"
"It's the only thing that used to calm you down." Henry told her.
"That's all that happened, right?" Natalie asked.
"Well…" Henry murmured.
"What?" She asked. She was just nervous, because although she never would ever think that Henry would take advantage of her, I mean…they HAD woken up in bed together.
"I…just a few kisses."
"What?" Natalie cried.
"I kissed you, a few times…to calm you down. It did."
"What do you mean you kissed me?" Natalie asked, not quite…on the lips? She wondered. Henry saw that Jessica had gone into her room so he quickly said,
"Yeah – kiss. Like this." He said, knowing he was taking a huge risk, and he leaned in and kissed Natalie quickly on the lips again.
Her jaw dropped but before she could say anything Jessica skipped back in and the pancakes were ready. Natalie was just in shock. Henry couldn't believe he had the balls to do that. Natalie's phone rung and she walked into the other room to pick it up. Henry put some pancakes on plates and set the table and sat down with Jessica.
"It's probably Chad. She never talks to him on the phone in front of me." She explained.
"Is that right?" Henry replied and Natalie walked back in.
"It's my Dad. Henry, do you think that you could watch her today? I'm going to the hospital. I know you probably have plans but…."
"No, it's fine. But don't you want her to come?" Natalie shook her head.
"I mean, I do, and my Dad does…but I think I'll just get too…I don't want her to see me…the way I was last night." She explained. Henry nodded.
"Well, I mean if it's okay with everyone I could come, and me and her can go off somewhere if you get too…you know. I'm sure your Mom really wants to see her."
"Yeah, she does. And it's fine..just you need to be aware of when I'm going to…you know? I can't have her go through that – watching me go through it." Henry completely understood.
"That's fine." And they all finished eating and then Henry ran home to shower and they decided to meet at the hospital. They silently walked up to her room together, and Natalie knocked on the door.
"Coming!" She heard her Dad call, and he opened the door and walked outside, shutting it behind him. "Hey." He said gently to his daughter, hugging and kissing her. "I'm sorry, I should have wait until morning to call. You must have been up all night, look at you." He said.
"Thanks Dad." Natalie said sarcastically.
"Oh, no you look beautiful sweetheart I just…."
"It's okay, Dad." She said.
"And here's my little princess!" Dan exclaimed, picking Jessica up who squealed happily.
"Grandpa!" She cried. He kissed her.
"How are you?"
"Alright."
"Something's wrong. What is it?" Dan asked.
"I don't like hospitals." Jessica explained.
"Oh, well we won't keep you here too long, okay?" Jessica nodded and Dan put her down. "And I don't believe it." Dan said, looking at Henry. "I know I'm a Grandpa, but please tell me it's not just me and that Henry is actually in front of me." He teased.
"Yeah." Henry murmured. "What's up, Mr. G?" He asked.
"What's up?" Dan asked. "That's all I get. C'mere kid."
"Dad, please stop." Natalie begged as Dan tightly hugged Henry.
"What! I loved this kid, always thought he was perfect for you. I haven't seen you in…God 4 years." He said.
"Yeah, it's good to see you." Henry replied.
"You too, how've you been?"
"Alright." Henry answered.
"Well, um, Nat your Mom's excited to see you, so um the 3 of us will just hang out here." Natalie nodded and went inside while Henry, Jessica, and Dan sat down on a waiting couch in the hallway.
"Grandpa?" Jessica asked.
"Yeah?"
"How do you know Henry?" Jessica asked.
"Well a very long time ago, your mom and Henry loved each other very much." Dan explained and Henry cringed.
"What!" Jessica cried. "You and Mommy were IN LOVE!" She asked Henry loudly. He sighed and nodded.
"A very long time ago."
"How long?"
"4 years ago." Jessica gasped.
"Henry guess what!"
"What?"
"I'm 4 years old! What a…what a…co-….co-inc-. What a coin…sid…."
"Coincidence?" Dan asked.
"Yeah, that!" Jessica exclaimed. Henry and Dan both chuckled.
"So…what brings you back around?" Dan asked Henry.
"Nat, and I ran into each other in town. And….I made quite the discovery." Henry said, pointing at Jessica.
"Yeah, God. All that drama, seems like just yesterday." Dan said. "So, she is….you know..you are her…?"
"We don't know yet. Paternity test results come back in 2 weeks."
"That's got to be nerve-wracking." Dan said, smiling sympathetically. Henry nodded.
"You're doing alright?" Dan asked.
"Yeah, yeah. I've been worse." Henry said, cracking a smile. Dan gave him a confused look.
"Just…a phase…" He said, being careful how to word things around Jessica, "I went through after, all that stuff in college." Dan seemed to understand perfectly, and he nodded and asked,
"But now?"
"Better. A lot better." They continued talking as Diana and Natalie spoke in the hospital room.
"I know I've let you down." Diana whispered.
"It's not your fault." Natalie replied quietly.
"I still feel bad. I know that we were all just starting to hope that…."
"Mom, stop. Please. It's fine."
"It's not! I ruined your childhood, and your teenage years and then you grew up and things were better, and I just went and ruined it. Things were finally starting to make sense! And now I'm ruining your adulthood, and I'll end up ruining her childhood too!" Diana cried, tears beginning to fall.
"Mom, just…." But Natalie burst into tears too and ran out of the room and sprinted down the hallway.
"Whoa." Henry exclaimed.
"I would go get her, but you seem to be better with than me." Dan said. "I'll watch Jessica." Henry nodded and ran after Natalie.
"Nat!" He called, and she ran outside and sat down on a bench and let herself cry. He sat down beside her and put his arm around her. He didn't real know what to say so he just let her cry. Finally she stopped.
"Better?" Henry asked and she nodded.
"I'm just going to take a walk, can you bring her in to see my mom?" Natalie asked.
"Sure, you sure you'll be alright?" Natalie nodded.
"Thanks." She said and they parted ways. Henry walked back to the waiting area.
"Jessica, you want to go in and see your Grandma?" Henry asked. Jessica nodded and took Henry's hand and he opened the door.
"Grandma!" Jessica cried, running and jumping onto Diana's bed, into her arms.
"Jessica, sweetheart. Oh, how are you?"
"Not so good." Jessica said.
"Oh and why is that?" Diana asked.
"I don't like hospitals." Jessica said again. Diana looked to Henry.
"But, hospitals make everything better, kiddo." Henry told her.
"But if there's something to make better, that means something's wrong. You only come to hospitals if there's something wrong." Jessica whispered. Diana stroked her granddaughters' hair.
"Well, I came to the hospital because of something good." She said.
"What?" Jessica asked.
"To have your Mom. And your Mom came to a hospital to have you!" Jessica pondered this,
"And that's a good thing?" She asked.
"Of course! You make your mom happier than anything in the world." Diana said.
"Does she make you happy?" Jessica asked.
"Everyday." Diana replied. "And, Henry? Long time no see." Diana said, finally acknowledging him.
"Yeah, how are you?" Henry asked.
"Not my best, obviously. You?"
"Alright."
"That's good." Diana said, and then she got this hazy look on her face, like she was thinking really hard.
"I'm ready to go Henry." Jessica said.
"Don't you want to talk to Grandma a little longer?" Henry asked.
"I do…but I really don't like hospitals." Henry nodded, remembering how much Natalie hated them even as a teenager.
"Well, you guys have fun today. Tell Nat I said goodbye, I don't think she's coming back." Diana said. Henry nodded and lifted Jessica up. "Take care of yourself Henry…and of those two." Diana told him.
"Will do. Feel better."
"I love you Grandma!"
"I love you too, Jessica." And Henry walked out.
"Alright, Mr. G we're heading out." Dan stood up and kissed Jessica goodbye, and shook hands with Henry and then Henry left, called Natalie and they met up at their cars and drove home. And so many memories came flooding back to Henry. The first time he had seen Mrs. Goodman in a hospital – the first time she tried to kill herself, back in high school.
He remembered Natalie storming out and screaming at him – asking why the hell he stayed around with her. Henry found himself asking this question now.
Why was he hanging around them so much?
Taking care of them?
Why had he become so attached to them?
Henry met up with them at the house, and quickly hugged Jessica goodbye. He leaned in to hug Natalie but she pulled away and looked at the ground.
"Thanks." Was all she said. Henry nodded and walked out.
Reviews?
Hehe you still don't know who the father is yet :D
Thanks for the reviews and Henry shaped cookies guys!
