The Story of My Life
Chapter 36: Home is where the heart is
A/N: I know it's been like a million years since I last updated, but I have a perfect excuse. I was hospitalized for 2 weeks (late December to early January) after contracting a virus from the flu. I want to thank Writer'sFantasy who was the last person I had responded to for my review of your concern. I'm better know, I had to just catch up on many things high school and upcoming college life. Thank you Cocoaeyes for the favorite and the review here's the next chapter.
Home sweet home, a saying I was so happy to say. After staying at the hospital for exactly three months for the recovery of my wife and child we were finally granted the official release to be sent home. I had felt myself growing insane for staying in there for so long, though I should've taken my mother's advice to visit the office and get some work there, get some rest home or take a trip to the beach I couldn't find myself leaving my family behind, they needed to share mostly every moment with me.
I held Marron slung over my shoulder with my left hand while I held the baby carrier with my right, we were living back in the apartment as it was close to everything and was better as we now had a child to take care of. I placed her on the couch and I placed the carrier next to her. She smiled at the bundle of joy looking curiously with his unblinking eyes at his new surroundings, she unbuckled him from his car seat and picked him up, he was overjoyed as he smiled at Marron's actions. Being in the incubator for three long months had to be lonely especially when he lacked human touch from his parents so I knew he was happy to finally be fully loved like he was supposed to.
One week later.
It was when I was getting ready for work and Marron said she would be able to watch the baby for the hours in which I would be gone when I found her hugging the toilet puking her guts out. She was contracting a fever.
I stayed home that day, and for an entire two months. Marron had recovered from her time at the hospital but then she seemed to have caught the flu, so I had taken leave off work to take care of not only her but our son. A task I had and still found difficult.
I held him tightly as I slowly bounced him in my hands to hush his crying, he really had abandonment issues thanks to his time in the incubator. Its like every time you put him back in his crib he would start with his crying, he actually didn't like sleeping in his crib which shocked me a bit as it was really comfortable (not that I slept in it before), but he liked sleeping on a human's chest to feel and hear your heartbeat so he knew you hadn't left him. He liked staying on Marron's chest more as I assumed because of her breast and he like nuzzling between them, he was a little pervert in the making. And when it came to sleeping on my chest it took him some time for him to fall asleep as I didn't have the God-given hormones to produce breast like my wife. One time when I was desperate and was really tired as I had to wake up early to start working on this case and then make Marron soup I put on Marron's bra (that popped off my back minutes later) and placed two small rolls of clothing in between them. The kid was a breast expert as he didn't fall for my trick but he cried even more to my annoyance.
The microwave beeped loudly, signaling his meal was finished heating up, I grabbed it from the microwave after opening it and walked over to the nursery before feeding him. I stared at him as he sucked hungrily on the bottle, he was growing, bigger than what he was before and Arai said he was doing good, he had already taken his vaccines but I sure couldn't risk him being by his sick mother, I couldn't deal with two sick people. I began tapping my feet because of impatience as he was slowly but greedily drank the milk and I needed to get to his mother.
I began patting his back, not too soft and not too rough as I tried to burp him, the whole process of burping the baby was a process I disliked and avoided the most when Marron wasn't sick. But for the past two months, that's all I'd been doing. He finally burped minutes later and I thanked him as my hands were getting tired. I walked over to the crib and placed him down, hoping he'll give me a few minutes to help take of his mother. He didn't fuss right away so I took his permission to hurry up and leave. I left his door open and made sure the baby monitor awkwardly sitting in my pants was adjusted to a high volume in which I would be able to hear his cries. I went across the hallway and entered the master bedroom. The room's temperature was like the North Pole, the ceiling fan and portable AC was on full blast as Marron was dying of heat as though the sun resided in the room. Her temperature seemed to have always been rising and not decreasing as we both wished, as I was growing rather restless of all this housework and babysitting while juggling with the company. It's my responsibility to take care of my family and work, I know, but it's so much that one man can handle.
Marron was in her best sitting up position and I would've scolded her as I knew she had to struggle to get herself in that position by herself when she could've called for my aid. She was watching our son through the TV from the video camera I had set up in his room a month ago as she wasn't able to go near him because of her physical state.
"He's a little troublemaker isn't he?" She mumbled while trying to laugh lowly but ended up coughing.
I smiled lightly, "Yeah, he is," I agreed with her statement, my tone a little sad.
I looked down at the bucket of water I had placed down an hour ago, the ice had long melted but it didn't worry me as I didn't want to bathe her in frigid water. The only thing she was actually capable of doing was using the bathroom and chewing and swallowing her food. While I had to take care of everything from giving her sponge baths, helping her change out of clothes and putting on her clothes, spoon feeding her etc.
I entered the bathroom adjacent from us and grabbed her bar of soap and washcloth before placing it down on the counter. I was about to help her out her nightgown till the doorbell rung. I raised my eyebrows at the sound, not expecting Gina till later.
I exited the room and headed straight for the door, I didn't dare ask who is it or peep through the peephole as my curiosity was just telling me to get it over with quickly by opening the door. So I did.
I invited them in when Krillin cleared his throat and I apologized for my behavior, I stepped aside so they could enter and I closed the door behind them.
"Afternoon," I mumbled, not even bothering to add the good as my mood told me otherwise.
"Where's my baby?" 18 questioned seconds later, arms folded and looked at me with such fierceness as though I was holding Marron hostage.
"Which one?" I questioned.
She smiled lightly at my question, probably being reminded of being a grandma to such an adorable baby boy.
"Both."
As though on cue crying seeped through the baby monitor stored in my pocket and I almost cursed. I felt myself sighing without permission.
"I'll be right back," I excused myself as I was ready to head to the nursery till I was stopped by Krillin's voice.
"Hold your horses Trunks, me and 18 will take care of this, Marron called us in for a reason."
I watched Krillin place the items they brought down and headed down the hall and into the open baby's room. I stared at the single get well balloon and the bouquet of flowers sitting next to an insulator my eyes were glued to filled with soup.
I needed help, that was true. A lot of it. But to be honest I didn't really want to accept it. Marron and my son were my priority and everyone leading busy lives in which I didn't want to interrupt because I needed a "little" help. I was stubborn like that and I knew Marron didn't like being babied and taken cared of as she didn't like being rendered useless and I know she was growing annoyed of me helping her out but she couldn't do anything besides rest and get better so I know it took her a while to call her parents up.
I entered the room to find Marron smiling a little more brightly.
"I could've done this on my own," I told.
She smiled lightly, "I know," was all she said.
A soft knock sounded on our bedroom door, but before I or Marron had a chance to say come in the person just invited them self in.
"Hey mama," Marron tried to sound happy, but the sickness was just clearly evident in her voice.
18 stared at Marron for a while, taking in her full appearance before saying, "You look terrible," she finally said after her awkward stare.
"Thanks," Marron muttered as her mother didn't even fail to hide the truth.
Though Marron wasn't in the best shape she still looked pretty to me, her hair was a mess I had to admit, she had bags under her reddish swollen eyes and her nose was runny but as my vows said for sickness and in health I would stay by her side even in her bad times.
"No problem," 18 said with a smile, "but you really let yourself go, is this the face you want your husband to see every day?"
I stood next to Marron as silent as a mute person, this surely was my mother-in-law.
"I don't mind," I finally mumbled into the silence as Marron who had been glaring daggers at her mother for saying such embarrassing things in front of me.
She rolled her eyes at my answer, "do you need my assistance or something," she asked examining her fingernails as though she just noticed the ruby red color painted on her nails.
Marron cleared her throat, "Just watching over the infant is fine, Trunks will take care of me," she said before falling into a small fit of coughs.
"Well I made you soup, I'll bring it now if you want…" her voice trailed off.
"I'm going to be giving her a bath now," I told, pointing at the bucket of water.
"You?" She questioned as though it was unbelievable.
"…yes me," I answered a bit unsure as to why she was asking such a ridiculous question.
"You're going to let this pervert touch you?" She asked her daughter.
I stared at her with a shock expression, was she really calling me, ME, a pervert, I was her husband for god's sake.
"He's my husband."
"So?"
Did she not know that we just had a baby, it takes more than touching to create a child. But I sure wasn't going to say that aloud.
"I'll take you a bath," 18 volunteered.
Marron's face wasn't the only face that went red, I was embarrassed for her just hearing the comment.
"I'm not a little kid anymore!" She answered through her sheer embarrassment.
"Was just trying to help," she mumbled before heading out the room.
I locked the door and helped Marron whose face was still red sit up. I placed a towel under her before helping her out her nightgown.
I dumped the bath water out in the tub before heading over to grab the soup they had left out for Marron.
She was almost done when she refused to eat more, she just stared at me with a sad look in her eyes, she was probably noticing the bag under my eyes I had been ignoring for weeks. I hadn't properly slept in months, I used to be the one to beg my mother to sleep when she kept working late now she was the one doing it to me, oh how the tables had turned. I did receive a bit help from her and friends but as they had busy lives to conduct I wouldn't want them to sacrifice their time for a priority that was mine to handle.
"Please," she begged me.
I was never able to really say no to my wife and when I did it was a hard thing to do or if I really and I mean really disapprove as she's her own person I shouldn't be restricting her from her basic rights.
"Okay," I gave in.
I would've loved to share the bed like we used to but she said she didn't want to really risk a chance of me getting sick while I said it was a rare thing for me to sick thanks to my father's bloodline. But she also just didn't really want me in here for long saying that her germs may not affect me but it might get to our son.
I exited the room and took a peek into the nursery, 18 was cuddling with the baby as she rocked on the rocking chair while Krillin who was standing next to her smiled. I decided not to break their moment and take a nap on the couch.
I woke up to find that I slept far too long. Though I didn't set an alarm I expected my body to jolt me awake at the right time but as my body had been begging for sleep like this it was understandable why I couldn't wake myself up.
I rubbed my eyes and let out a yawn before sitting up and stretching my arms. I got up ready to check on Marron, my head did a quick examination of my surroundings and I saw a figure sitting on a chair belonging to the dining room table.
"Gina?" I questioned once my eyes fully grasped the features of the figure. She was sitting with her laptop in her face, a few papers plastered on the table and an empty plate with crumbs of what had once been a meal.
She looked up at me a little surprised look on her face, "Good evening Mr. Briefs, I came by the time you requested but I was told you were sleeping, but they invited me in for dinner," she explained.
"Alright, that's fine," I said before heading to the master bedroom.
I smiled once a saw Marron fast asleep a content smile on her face as she snored softly. I closed the door and took a peak in the nursery. 18 was cradling my son in her arms as she rocked back and forth in the rocking chair as Krillin read him a bedtime story. My sleepy son smiled as though he understood the words being read to him and such an action caused my smile to broaden.
The couple looked up, sensing my intruding presence. Krillin stopped reading to tell me they left food in the microwave for me. I thanked them kindly before taking my leave.
I rubbed my temple furiously as I felt a headache coming on, after eating and washing the dishes I got to work. But right now all I wanted to do was avoid work. I went for my ears to remove the unnecessary glasses I always find myself wearing at work to realize I didn't have it on right now and this was just a force of habit.
"Sir, I can take it from here if-"
"No, no," I interrupted, "I can't leave you with this workload."
"But sir-"
"I'm fine," I found myself interrupting her once again.
She gave me a look of concern but I waved it off before looking back down at the papers that were the cause of the oncoming headache. ]
I found myself giving up as I felt myself drowning in the mass amount of papers. I couldn't ask for a better secretary as Gina who was insisting, in the beginning, said she'll try her best to handle as much as the work she could tonight, I thanked her as I helped her pack up, thanked her on the elevator ride and thanked her once she got in the taxi.
Once I got back in the apartment Krillin and 18 were making their leave, I couldn't find myself to give them enough thanks while Krillin waved it off saying we're family. I smiled. I entered the nursery and grabbed a few blankets and a pillow from the closet and made my bed. I found myself staring up at the ceiling smiling lightly at the beautiful glow illuminating from the glow in the dark stars, it really felt like you were sleeping under the stars.
I retrieved my phone from my pocket once it vibrated, my mother had texted me.
Mom: It's really hard to believe but after conducting a plethora amount of tests the arm is ready to go.
Me: Really?! We did it, I can't wait to see the look on Toshiro's face.
I could already imagine how my mother looked right now, weary face and an expression of unbelief on her face. I smiled once more, today was a good day.