Hope you all enjoy this next installment of "Her Moment of Weakness."
Slowly, but surely the new Shannon- Mann will be welcomed into this crazy world!
Thank you for sticking with this story!
Happy Reading!
Mary squeezed the arm of the couch as she slowly got to her feet. Her knees shook with nervousness and she was choking back tears, "Bug, pick that up for me please." She pointed to the ground where her battery, phone and case lay.
The little girl was kindly obedient and took the three parts, holding them between her tiny fingers and presented them to her mother. Mary grabbed them from her daughter's palm. "Ma?" She asked, her brow furrowed, her blonde hair tangled around her face. Her bottom lip protruded, "Are you okay?" She questioned, looking up at her with big brown eyes, glossy and full of sleepiness.
"Yes Bug, I'm fine. How about we get you to bed?" She replied as soothingly as she could, her voice quavering the slightest bit as she pieced her blackberry back together, her expression only partially involved in each situation. Mary jammed the power button on the cell, and sighed half in panic as the screen only flickered blue and then went black again. It was bound to happen eventually the way this phone had been treated since Norah was born, so it hadn't at all crossed her mind to scold the little girl. She shrugged, her heart now climbing into her throat, although she could only imagine how Marshall was feeling.
"But, I wasn't done talkin' to Marwshall." She pouted, itching at her belly over her star pajamas.
"I'm sorry, but my phone is broken and it's late. You have to go to sleep, we'll get Aunt Brandi to bring us to get a new phone tomorrow." Mary assured, running her fingers across Norah's cheek and then patting her on the back, "Now let's run along! Get your butt in bed!" The mother ordered playfully, getting a giggle from the blonde tot who had begun advancing toward her bedroom with a toothy grin on her face.
Mary took tiny, precise steps following the child to her room, which was still lit in orange. The blankets were pulled back and only needed to be tugged to cover her again, so there wasn't much bending in the fuss to kiss her daughter 'good night'. For that, Mary was grateful, as her back was beginning to cramp in a way she had never experienced, and everything was starting to become tighter the more she moved. She rolled her eyes and shook her head and attempted to console herself in hopes of finding this all to be her imagination. Mary went back into the living room and searched for the house phone that was out of its base as it always was. She could not find it, even after ripping the cushions from the couch and crouching down painfully to peek under every piece of furniture. Mary looked for it in her own bedroom and even in the bathroom. It was an odd feeling that overcame her, one of pain and confusion that rattled her mind so profoundly she found herself running hot, scorching water into the tub and she began to shed her clothes. It was a slow endeavor, delayed every now and then by a sensation of semi-overwhelming discomfort which she was still trying to ignore.
As the phone began to ring, she knew Norah was long into her adventures in dreamland and would not be fetching it for her. It stopped before she could get out of the bath, frustrating her entirely. But, the water seemed to be tricking her mind into believing the pain was subsiding so she hadn't the audacity to leave behind the pool of soothing, sudsy water and climbed back in.
Right now, even though her heart pounded, her body ached and everything seemed well out of her control, she felt strangely unsurprised. Perhaps it was the past events of this year that had prepared her for everything being less than easy, or somewhat unpleasant, but at this moment, everything bothered her, but none of it lingered the way it usually had. She knew it would be only moments before her sister came barreling through her front door, bewildered and panicky with Marshall on the phone the very same way, and she was ready to face it.
Another scary bout of whatever this was coursed through her stomach, up her spine and down her legs and she let out the slightest moan and adjusted herself in the bubbles, still awaiting Brandi's appearance as it would be. She refused to believe this was happening, burying herself in denial, she muffled a few of her shouts with a wash cloth that was nearby and rested her head against the tiled wall behind her, shutting her eyes.
She heard the front door close, but did not reach for her glock or worry about Norah as the familiar rasp of her sister's voice filled her ear drums, "Mary?" She called quietly, and Mary heard the hinges of her daughter's door squeak shut and Brandi's approaching footsteps.
It was an odd moment as she felt tears begin to stream down her face and she called calmly to the woman in the hall, "Squish?" Mary watched the doorknob turn and the young, blonde woman enter with worry etched in her face.
"Mary, what's going on? Marshall called me from D.C. with his feathers all ruffled over you hanging up on him." Brandi said annoyed and tired looking, but before she continued with her scolding, Mary couldn't help but let out a sharp exhale.
"I didn't hang up on him." She stated, "Can you get me that?" Mary asked pointing across the room at the red towel hanging from the sink.
"Are you okay?" Brandi asked, doing as she was asked.
Mary was sick and tired of hearing that phrase. She was almost hoping this kid would come out fast enough so that no one would ever ask her that again. She didn't like it, she didn't want to hear it and most of all she never knew how to respond to it, especially lately, because if she was being honest, she hadn't felt 'okay' in months. And it had nothing to do with Marshall or with Norah, it was her. She hadn't felt like herself since the moment Reggie had taken her down, because it hadn't only been her ego he had bruised, but her state of mind.
He had set off a fiery chain of fear that had spiraled into her taking it out on the only person she needed, and that was Marshall. It had been months of him standing up for her, being there for her, loving her and calming her and she felt like she had done nothing, but tear him away from the life he had so very much wanted only a few years ago. It was the past eating away at her, it had been all of those times she realized she would never be able to give him what he wanted and what he deserved and she had always handled it the same way, holding her feelings back because she was afraid. But, now she had him, and she wasn't sure what it was that had her scared to death, because he seemed happy and that had been the reason she had given him up those years ago, right?
Mary felt Brandi's eyes digging into her in anticipation, but all she could do was let out a loud sob, "No." She balled, "I am not okay! Marshall's in goddamn D.C., my phone is broken and I'm in labor, as we speak!" She cried, "I need Marshall!"
The sister hadn't a clue how to respond, so she did slowly, "I will get Marshall on the phone, but first, can I help you out of the tub?" Brandi asked.
Mary nodded, grabbing her sister's hand and then wrapping the towel around her body, covering her swollen middle which had caused this whole mess.
"Did your water break?"
"I don't know, I've been in the bathtub since the contractions started." She muttered as a pain worked its way around her stomach, they were still sporadic, but they were mind boggling, persistently in the same places, causing pressure in new ones. "Besides that only happens on TV." Mary added coldly.
"I'm going to call Marshall. You can talk to him while I put a few things together." Brandi said, taking her cellphone from her purse and hitting a speed dial. "Here, you take this and I'll just take care of some stuff."
She was surprised at how well her sister was faring. If any reaction Mary had been expecting a dramatic and long winded panic attack filled with blame and exaggeration, but as she never thought she'd have to admit, Brandi was growing up.
Mary listened to the ringing for a long while and her heart dropped when she thought she would only be hearing his voicemail.
"Hello?!" Marshall said into the phone hushed.
"M-Marshall?" She quivered, feeling nervous and guilty.
"Mary? I've been trying to get a hold of you! What happened? I had to call Brandi in the middle of the night!"
"Norah dropped my phone, and it's busted all to hell, then I couldn't find the—Mary gasped, but recovered quickly, "House phone…" She exhaled.
"Is everything alright?" He wondered sternly, Mary could practically hear him fidgeting.
"No." She said. " Nothing is alright. I want you home."
"But, Mare you know I can't leave Stan." He replied sadly.
"Marshall, I need you to come home. I can't do this without you." Mary whimpered, feeling around her hard stomach.
"Do what?" There was a short pause. "Oh my God, Mary." He stated in disbelief. "Mary, you just sit tight, I'm getting the first flight back to New Mexico! Stan will understand!" He screeched.
Mary heard voices in the background and a panicked Stan shouting, Go! Go, Marshall!
"I don't know if I can do this." She whispered through a clenched jaw. "You were supposed to be here, doofus. Even I thought I'd have my dork in shining armor, now." She laughed uncharacteristically. "We, uh, we have to plan this better next time." She joked.
"Yes, Mare. We will plan it next time." Marshall answered softly and pleasantly. "How far apart is your pain?" He wondered, and Mary could hear him moving quickly, the air whipping against the mouthpiece of his cellphone and his shoes against the tile, he breathed quickly as he always did.
"It's pretty much constant, right now." She groaned leaning over the sink, spitting a few times to combat the discomfort in her lower stomach.
"I want Brandi to bring you to the hospital. Mary, I know you don't want to, but they have to start to monitor your contractions, and keep an eye on the baby. He or she isn't due for another month, they'll be able to handle all the precautions."
Mary sighed, "We don't even have names!" She yelled, bashing her fist to the sink's basin, "And you're not here." She repeated shakily, rubbing her sore shoulder.
"I know. But, I will be there, I will be. And we will pick out names, we will." Marshall replied.
"Jesus Christ, this kid knew you were gone. God help us they're going to have my sense of humor…" She mused, grimacing, clutching the phone tightly in her hand.
"I hope our kid is all of you." Marshall stated, "I love you, and I need you to hang in there for me. I would prefer nothing but remaining on the phone with you, Mare, but I'm about to get into the car. And the next time I see you, I might get to meet my son or daughter." She could see him smiling through the phone.
"I-I love y-you." Mary quivered. She closed the phone, shouting and falling to the floor. Mary shook her head, "BRANDI!" she hollered, "Get in here, NOW!" Mary looked down at the puddle she was sitting in, "SQUISH!?"
It seemed Mary had forgotten her daughter was in the house in the midst of all the ruckus.
"Ma?" She cried, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Just get in the car, Partner!" He coaxed, opening the back seat to the little girl, "No fussing, we have to go!"
Jinx let out a most terrifying scream and the child only seemed to notice her mother's dampening lap and nothing else as she watched her father help her into the car. She buckled herself in. "Daddy, is Jinx okay?" She asked for the second time that night.
"Yes, Mom is fine; she's having a baby, Partner." He said calmly starting the car as Jinx squirmed in the front seat, chewing her bottom lip as beads of perspiration formed on her forehead and ran down her face. "You're going to be a big sister, soon." He said, "Very soon."
"Bug, I am fine. This just looks scary." Mary lied. "Can I tell you something, because you are such a big girl now?" She asked, getting to her knees, pressing her back.
Brandi showed up from behind the little girl, "Mary?"
"Hang on a second." Mary ordered, "Bug," She grabbed Norah's shoulder gently, pulling her closer, "I promise I'm okay, it's just," She let out a yell she hadn't intended to and the blonde child recoiled in fear, "It's just, I'm going to hurt and that's okay." She tried to reassure.
"I thought it wasn't good to be hurted, why you always hurted?" She asked curiously, staring down at her mother worriedly, examining the towel which was the only thing covering her as she stared down at the pool of pink water her mother was kneeling in.
"No, you see, this is fine, because it just means you're going to be a big sister earlier than everyone expected." Mary breathed. "Is that okay? That you're going to be a big sister sooner than you wanted?"
Norah scratched her head. "Of course, it is Ma." She smiled, chewing on her finger.
"Then, we're going to drop you off at Aunt Brandi's with Uncle Peter and your cousin Riles and the next time you see me and Marshall, we will have a baby. Is that okay?" Mary asked the child like she had a choice, obviously nervous and feeling unprepared, she hadn't really talked to Norah about the baby's arrival and even their house hadn't been baby proofed yet. They weren't ready at all.
It seemed it was only Norah who was prepared. "Let's go, Ma!" She grinned, tugging at Mary's towel. She turned to Brandi, "Aunt Brwandi, I'm gonna be a big sister!" Norah cried shoving past her aunt and heading down the hallway.
And Mary had to smile.
Aw, Norah, only you can lighten your mother's mood…
But, Uh-oh, will Marshall make it to the birth of his baby?
Please check out my new fic, "To Pull at Your Heartstrings and Appease Your Imaginations" !