Clay and Glen walked into Chelsea's hospital room, she still looked peaceful like she was sleeping but both boys knew the truth. Clay sat down and slipped his hand into hers, "Hey sweet heart it's Clay, the doctor said he's going to wake you up. The swelling has gone down and the baby should be just fine, I know we wanted to wait to see the gender but I sort of walked in while they were checking the fetus, it's a boy just like you wanted."
"You wanted a girl?" Glen asked from his spot on the other side of her.
"Yeah, I always wanted to have a daddy's little girl sort of like Spencer and dad. They seem so close you know, I guess I just want a relationship like that with my kid but I don't see it happening if we have a boy, not that I didn't want a boy..."
"I get it man, don't worry...I'm the same way," Glen admitted with his eyes downcast so he didn't see his brother smile over at him. They sat quietly in the room each to their own thoughts waiting for the doctor to show up.
Arthur sat in the living room all by himself, a glass of scotch in his hand half emptied into his stomach the bottle on the coffee table waiting to be poured. The images from the television flickered on to his face in the darkness, he remembered another time where he sat lonely in the living room and he didn't want to go back to that depressed man. He couldn't loose his kids, well two of them he wasn't but his third and youngest might be gone forever, out of his reach if he couldn't come up with anything. Arthur's mind whirled with dizziness of alcohol and ideas, his eyes closed the darkness behind the lids darkened and brightened with the changing of the images. He felt useless and scared, two feelings he thought he left in the past, his breathing steadied out as he drifted off to sleep.
"Do you want to tell me what's bugging you?" Ashley asked sitting at the end of the bed, Spencer turned and sat all the way down in the chair and stared at her girlfriend.
"It's happening again," her voice sounded on the verge of tears but Ashley sat patiently for her to continue when it was apparent the younger girl needed further coaxing Ashley stood up and told Spencer to stand than she sat down in the chair and the blond sat in between her legs with her back pushed into Ashley's chest. Ashley snaked her arms around the girl's waist securing her hands on Spencer's stomach.
"What's happening again?" the brunette whispered in her ear causing a little shiver to spread thru Spencer's body.
"Mommy and daddy getting mad at each other than mommy leaving and daddy always has a drink in his hand. Than he gets mad at us, I don't like it when he yells. We have to be really quiet and good so we don't get in trouble." Spencer nodded her head as if telling Ashley a very important rule.
"What did they fight about?" she began rubbing very gentle on the blonde's stomach over the thin cotton t shirt causing her girlfriend to sigh and lean her head on to Ashley's shoulder.
Spencer shrugged, "Lots of things...how me, Glen and Clay were always in the way. Mommy spending too much time gone...I don't know stuff!" she said getting agitated, yanking away from Ashley and plopping down on the bed with her face buried in her pillow.
"Spence?" Ashley got up and sat down next to her on the bed.
"It's because of me isn't it?"
"What?"
"Mommy left because of me, I did something wrong...I know it, she was acting weird. What did I do? If someone told me I can do better, I'll fix it..."
"Spence no, shhh...it's not your fault..." but the blond wasn't listening she ranted on about fixing what ever she did and not meaning to be a bad girl, the tears that threatened to spill finally tumbled down her rosy cheeks. Ashley didn't know how to handle this outburst so she just wrapped her arms around the girl as they both lay on the bed. Spencer calmed down a few minutes later as sleep enveloped her, tired from the school and guilt, which shouldn't be there...God can't her mom see she's hurting...
Kissing the girl's forehead she untangled herself and headed down stairs to see Mr. C passed out drunk on the couch. After what her girlfriend told her she actually for the first time since meeting him didn't like him all that much, she slipped the glass out of his hand and took the bottle into the kitchen and poured both down the drain. Back in the living room she found him flopped down and sprawled on the couch, she walked to the linen closet and grabbed a pillow and blanket. Carefully she lifted his head placing the pillow beneath it than draped the blanket over his large frame.
"We'll talk about this in the morning young man," Ashley scolded. Wagging her finger and all knowing the man was out cold, smirking she climbed the stairs and crawled back into bed with her girlfriend who snuggled closer for warmth. I can't believe I'm going to bed at nine o' clock...but man this family is wearing me out. She thought as she too fell asleep.
Glen and Clay pulled up to Madison's house, "Do you want me to come in?"
"Sure man," the two boys got out and ran thru the rain huddled under their umbrellas and rang the door bell.
"What are you guys doing here?" Madison asked motioning for them to enter.
"I wanted to see you and make sure you were okay." Glen leaned in and kissed her, without his sister to giggle at them he swept his tongue across her lip which she gladly accepted it which deepened the kiss.
"Thank you...hey Clay."
"Madison," he felt a genuine smile cross his lips. He wasn't a Madison fan until recently, the ex cheer leader was proving to be one of the best new additions to their screwed up group.
The three sat down in the living room, Madison's mom made them hot coco while the kids warmed up in front of the roaring fire, "I told them."
"What they say?" he had his arm around her shoulder while she cuddled into his side.
"Not much, a lot of things are going on. Their getting a divorce, wow I think that's the first time I've said that out loud."
"We couldn't say it back then, remember Glen? Every time we tried we felt guilty..." Clay thought back to his early years in Ohio.
"I'm so sorry you guys," Madison acknowledged both boys and not just Glen. Clay's heart went out to her once again.
"Hey Chelsea woke up," Glen smirked toward his brother.
"How is she?" Madison's eyes large with concern.
"Better, sort of." Clay really didn't want to talk about it, "Um not to be the party ruiner but we need to get home, it's getting late."
"Why don't you guys stay here, I mean it's getting really bad out there...what if something happens?" Madison all most lost it at the thought of anything else going wrong.
"Chill babe," Glen leaned down and captured her lips to calm her nerves, he felt her melt under his touch, "What about it Clay?"
"Fine, let me call dad and tell him what's going on." Clay tried to reach someone at home but finally just told the voice mail before the three of them headed upstairs. Clay got the guest room while Glen and Madison cuddled, that's right not even a single thought of sex, in Madison's bed.