CHAPTER TEN! WOOOOOOT!
August – Hunter is six months old
Tori rests on her back, watching tv, next to Hunter who plays with a toy on his blanket. Jade stomps into the apartment and slams the front door.
"Where have you been?" She seethes. Tori sits up and meets her angry expression with one of confusion.
"I went to the park, I thought it would be nice to take Hunter for a walk." She says.
"Oh, oh, so you think it's okay to just take someone else's child without telling them?" Jade throws her purse onto the table.
"What?" Tori moves to stand in front of Jade. "We went for a walk, I didn't take him out of the state."
"He's not your son! You can't just take him whenever you want." Jade snaps. Hunter starts to fuss. Tori looks devastated.
"Not my – are you kidding me?" Her brows draw together in anger. "I've been here to raise him just as much as you have, for the past six months! I was there through your morning sickness, the mood swings, the cravings, the horror of thinking we lost him, and you have the audacity to say that he isn't my son?" Jade picks up the crying baby. "I am just as much his mother as you are."
"No Tori, you aren't his mother. You don't understand." Jade tries to sooth Hunter. Tori's mouth drops open.
"Fine!" She rushes back to the bedroom. "Let's see how you do raising him by yourself!" She yells from the room. Minutes later she has a duffle bag and her purse.
"Good luck!" She yells before slamming the door so hard that Hunter starts screaming again.
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"Shhhhh. Sweetheart, everything is going to be okay." Stephanie Vega holds Tori as she sobs. They sit on the Vega's couch in their living room.
"No it's not mom. It hurt, what she said to me. It hurt so bad. I gave her a year of my life. I gave a year of my life to her son. My son." She starts a wave of fresh tears.
"Baby, I'm sure if you take some time, you can go back and talk to her." Stephanie tries to consol her.
"I miss her already, and him. I miss Hunter so much." She sniffles. "I gave them both my heart." She sighs. "I don't even know what happened. We were happy, everything was fine. Then all of a sudden Jade starts this whole thing."
"Like I said, I think you should give her some time and go talk to her tomorrow." Stephanie kisses her daughter's forehead.
"Thanks mom."
"It's what I'm here for, I love you."
"I love you too."
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"Oh Hunter, please stop crying." Jade is pacing back and forth in her small kitchen holding her writhing son. It is nearly two AM and she can't find any reason why he is crying.
"How did Momma ever get you to sleep without me waking up?" She slips into a chair at the table. Hunter continues to wail.
"I'm sorry I sent her away. I'll get her back tomorrow. Please just go to sleep." She is nearly crying herself. Hunter settles a little.
"Your Momma will be back tomorrow." She tells him. "I miss her too. I am so stupid." He seems to calm more and she leans back and closes her eyes. She falls asleep at the kitchen table with Hunter in her arms.
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Tori awakens the next morning to three missed calls and two text messages.
"I know you probably don't want to even look at me, but I need to talk to you."
And
"I am so stupid. Please come back to me. I love you. You and Hunter are everything good in my life."
Tori smiles when she reads them. She doesn't call her back. She doesn't even text her; instead, she throws her clothes into her duffle and tells her mom she is going home.
"Did you guys talk it through?" Stephanie asks.
"Not yet, but don't worry, I'm sure this won't happen again." Tori kisses her mother on the cheek.
"I love you, Mom. I'll see you later." She lifts the strap of her duffle onto her shoulder.
"Make sure you bring Hunter by soon." She tells her daughter.
"I will!" Tori answers and closes the door behind her.
She drives slowly to their apartment. She wants to talk about what happened. She wants to know why Jade freaked out like that. When she enters the apartment and closes the door there are lips on hers and hands in her hair and Jade is crying and it all seems like too much.
"I love you so much, Tori. I am so sorry." Jade tells her between kisses.
"I love you too." Tori replies soberly. Jade pulls back.
"What's wrong?" Jade asks.
"Jade, you really hurt me. You know I think of Hunter as my son. Why would you say those awful things?" She asks.
"Someone at work got to me yesterday. They kept telling me that my son having two moms was wrong and he would grow up messed up. I was angry about that, and I was so scared when I came home and you were gone. I had no idea what happened to either of you." Jade turns to face Hunter as he rolls over onto his belly.
"There is nothing wrong with Hunter having two moms." Tori also looks at the baby.
"He will grow up loved and healthy. Please don't think any differently." Hunter hears Tori's voice and starts to crawl over to her.
"Hi Peanut!" She smiles and lifts him into her arms.
"I missed you." She kisses him and he starts to giggle. Jade wraps her arms around Tori's waist.
"I love you, Tori." She leans into Tori. "You and Hunter are my whole world. And I know that sounds cheesy but its true." She whispers.
"I love you too, Jade." Tori smiles. Hunter sneezes.
"And you too, Hunter!" Tori kisses the crown of his head.