Here's the next installment of Her Moment of Weakness! Thank you for reading! Thank you for sticking with it! The next few chapters should be awesome if I play this right!
Please enjoy!
Mary had watched Marshall board the plane to Washington D.C. one week ago. Since then, she had ditched the sling from her shoulder and moved on to just being gentle with her arm. Slowly, she was getting everything back, her movement, Norah, and that overwhelming heartache that had made itself known in her chest since Marshall departed. Mary hadn't had the gull before he left to apologize, and she hadn't been able to face her own fear of admitting she needed him around.
Brandi had spent the last few nights with her, and Mary was about to pull her hair out of her scalp if she had to force one more conversation about the weather into an awkward silence during a commercial break. "Listen, Squish." Mary began. "I think I can handle everything here." She smiled meekly.
"Oh. A-are y-you sure?" She questioned, shifting on the couch to face her seemingly very pregnant sister.
"Yes. I am more than capable of taking care of Norah, and Marshall can't be staying in D.C. for much longer!" She countered logically. "I have my arm back, my doctor has been semi- less annoying than usual about 'taking it easy'. Really Brand, I think I need to get back into the swing of things before this kid makes their debut in a month and a half." Mary forced a somewhat thankful and sympathetic glance at her little sister. "If I need anything I'll shoot you a text or call you! I'm a big girl, squish!"
"Mary I-
"I swear, I can do this by myself! Norah's my little trooper; she can help me if I need it. And she knows your number and can easily dial the phone if anything goes wrong- which nothing will! I feel like an invertebrate. All I want is some control! Just some!"
"Okay. But, if the slightest twinge of doubt overcomes you in any way, you absolutely need to call me!" Brandi pointed a menacing finger at the busty blonde.
"Cross my heart, Squish." Mary lied through her teeth.
She huffed. "Fine." Brandi gave in biting her lip. "But, I'm coming by tomorrow!" She warned. "It's late, so I'll get my things when I come to check on you! I'll be back at four-thirty and I'll make you dinner!" She paused at the door, but only shook her head. "Bye."
"Bye!" Mary called from the couch. It was a most exciting urge that had come over her as the door clicked shut. She waddled to lock it, and then grabbed her cellphone from her pants.
It seemed the phone rang louder and louder with each passing moment, screaming in her ear as she awaited the warm sound of his voice to fill her ear drums.
"Hey Mare, everything all right?"
"Yeah!" She responded as if surprised he answered. "Uh- how's uh, Lia?" She furrowed her brow, blushing at the way she was already blundering the call.
"Well, Lia's fine. She's crawling through labor because of drugs and they're feeding another medication to mature the baby's lungs into her I.V. How are you? And Norah?"
" I'm fine. Brandi's been chatting my ear off, and been on my back- so it's just like you're home…" She laughed a little. "I- well… I miss you." Mary didn't even believe herself, and the stunned silence over the phone was enough to have her apprehensive. She nearly convinced herself that he had found some hot brunette in the Northeast.
"I miss you, too. I just want you to know…"
"Marshall, please… I really—she gasped, dropping the phone, hollering as a bout of scorching, stabbing fireworks filled her gut. Mary barely collected herself before she grabbed her cell from the ground.
"Mary? Mary?" She heard him calling as she pressed her phone to her ear. "Are you okay? MARY!?"
She took a deep breath. "Sorry, it slipped out of my fingers!" She fibbed. "Don't get your panties in a wad." Mary looked down at her stomach and bit her lip.
"Sorry, perhaps I am just a little paranoid due to the recent events." He let the panic flood from his tone.
"Yeah! That's it…" She whispered to herself. "When do you think you'll be getting home? I mean, does it look like Stan has things under control? Or…" Mary was already restless, wanting nothing more than the past couple of minutes to be untrue, but as always the fates were against her.
"I can't be too sure, Mare. I'd much prefer to be home with you, but Stan is two steps away from stumbling over the edge and I don't think him being a first time Dad is helping any."
"Well, you're a first time dad too!" She bit her lip. Why had she just said that? She didn't say things like that! "I mean, you know how it feels…" Mary muttered, pressing her elbow into her recovering side. She sat up, squeezing her phone tighter in her grasp.
"Yes, Mary. I know that very well. Unfortunately, Stan is a little more nervous than I am. He hasn't had his time to adjust. You have to remember this child is six weeks early. Most father's cannot mold themselves for fatherhood until the labor and delivery because that's when it gets very real."
"Yeah, Marshall? Don't spew that bull at me!" Mary shifted to the floor, pressing her back against the couch.
"It is most certainly the truth! I've felt it before. I changed that day Norah was born." Mary exhaled into the mouthpiece unintentionally, her concentration no longer on Marshall. "Mary? Are you feeling okay?"
"Yeah! Of course. I'm just having one of those goddamn Braxton Hicks contractions!"
She could practically hear the apprehension poisoning the quiet over the line. "Alright, as always, soldier through it! I'll wait until it's over."
She muffled a moan with her palm pressed to her mouth; the sound was one of annoyance more than pain. "It's d-done! See I'm fine! Now, back to Stan, what's wrong with Stan?" Mary questioned.
"He's just a tad bit apprehensive. This is happening faster than it should."
"I'll say…." She whispered under her breath.
"What, Mare?"
"Nothing, Marshall. I was just agreeing with you. It seems like only yesterday—Mary stopped again, but this time for a different reason. Norah stood watching her mother, sprawled out on the ground, rubbing her tired eyes.
"Daddy? Jinx?"
"Partner! Go back to bed! Mom doesn't feel well, I'm just taking care of her!"
The dark haired woman nodded in agreement in the arms of her father, her protruding belly sticking from her abdomen while her body remained tense. It was a scary sight, and frightened the blonde little girl as another loud, piercing moan echoed through the bare walls of the house and back to her tiny ear drums. The lanky man sit on the couch, letting the woman squeeze his hand so hard you heard cracking underneath her grip.
"What's wrong with Jinx?" She replied to him, ignoring the lady writhing in pain.
"Your mother is in labor. Do you know what labor is?"
"It sounds bad." She stated with a pout, her tiny feet glued to the hard wood floor in silent fear of the scene in front of her.
"It's not bad, partner, it just means…"
Another gut-wrenching holler bounced through the space around them, and then the small, blonde child began to cry.
"Mary, what is going on?" He responded to the quiet in worry.
"Nothing, Marshall! Norah just woke up!" Mary gestured for the tiny tot to come near, but she stayed, feet planted to the hallway entrance.
"Ma, why you is on the floorw?" She questioned, pointing to her mother.
Mary thought for a moment. "Uh, Bug… Mom's so big, when I drop something it's hard for me to bend over—
"So you falled?"
"No! I didn't fall!" She replied, struggling to get to her feet and back onto the couch.
"Who ya talkin to?"
"What was she talking about? Why were you on the floor?" Marshall cut in.
"Marshall, I dropped the remote!" Mary lied, closing her eyes to compete against a shout that wanted to rise from her throat.
"Ma, can I talks to Marwshall?" The kid pleaded, causing Mary to smile. It was only sometimes she could pronounce his name, most of the time she snuck the impediment in. It no longer irked Mary, just made her feel warm inside.
"Of course, bug." She said, running her fingers through her daughter's tangled hair.
"Marwshall! Mommy don't have no big Band-Aid thing on her awrm no more!" The child called excitedly into the phone.
"She doesn't? Well, Mommy didn't tell me that!" Mary heard from the earpiece which Norah held away from her head- instead she pressed the mouthpiece of the cell to her cheek. Both Mary and Marshall had attempted to teach her how a phone is usually held, but they had both failed. It was okay to Mary, though. It was entertaining to watch on nights like these where the hours just seemed to drabble on.
"Yeah, and Aunt Bwrandi slept ova with Ma!"
"You don't say, Norah!" There was a short pause. "I have to ask you to do a big favor for me!"
"What's dat?"She answered sweetly.
Mary leaned in to hear him better, but immediately shot back as the rocketing through her stomach screeched through her spine and down her legs.
"You need to take care of your Mom for me, Nor. Help her whenever you can."
"Okay… But, Marwshall?" She added shakily.
"What?"
"Are you comin home soon?" Norah looked about ready to cry, matching Mary's pained expression as the man tried to respond to the heartbreaking tone.
"As soon as I can Norah. I'll be home as soon as I can."
It was then that Mary found herself sliding to the ground again, observing Norah's face as it twisted into wonder. She shouted out, startling the small child so that her tiny fingers unwrapped from the phone. When it dropped the battery clattered across the room, disconnecting the call, and surely leaving the man in D.C. more worried than confused.
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