Romantic Nonsense
Chapter 8
Maddie actually appreciated the way Mike took charge. It allowed her to concentrate on keeping herself and the babies going. On Tuesday; she got off work early enough to go to the courthouse with Mike. She had never planned on having a big wedding with the white dress, but she had never planned on getting married to a man that probably would never love her.
The way he talked about his kids, she knew he would adore their babies. That's all she wanted. To have the childhood that she didn't get. A mom and a dad who would move heaven and earth to make sure they were happy. As informal as their wedding was; Maddie still was going to hold out hope that their marriage turned into a happy one. One day; after work, Maddie walked into Mike looking at a real estate website.
"What are you looking for?" Maddie asked.
"A house. I don't want to raise two babies in an apartment. No yard. No storage for strollers, car seats or extra diapers." Mike answered.
"I was thinking about that too. Anything in particular in mind?" Maddie asked.
"Four bedrooms. At least two bathrooms. A nice kitchen. I don't mind a fixer-upper but that might not be conducive to twins." Mike told her.
"Four? I can understand three bedrooms." Maddie asked.
"Just in case. I've never gotten confirmation on my older daughters. If one of them surfaces; I would like to have a space for them. I know its unlikely, but I still want to hold onto hope." Mike answered. Maddie patted his arm in response.
"Nothing wrong with a bit of hope. I can put some feelers out at work if you'd like me to?" Maddie asked.
"Sure. Probably better that way. Heard anything from your mom?" Mike asked.
"No. I spoke with the building supervisor and he thinks she's left." Maddie said.
"I really hate it for you." Mike remarked.
"I hate it for the babies. I loved my grandparents and these babies won't have grandparents on either side. I feel like I'm robbing them of something." Maddie remarked.
"They will have all the emotional support and love from us. And we have enough friends that they will have that as well. Tons of aunts and uncles. Sure; grandparents are great and I raised my older kids with grandparents, but we can manage and they will still have happy childhoods." Mike assured her.
"I suppose. I just wish my mom would be more normal. I really could use some advice. This pregnancy thing is rough." Maddie remarked and Mike laughed.
"I have been through three pregnancies; although I didn't personally experience them. I had a front row seat and Christine was very upfront about her struggles. While I may not have all the answers, I can help some." Mike offered.
"It's the hormones and morning sickness. This can't be normal. I go from wanting to rip your clothes off to throwing up my lunch." Maddie said and Mike laughed again.
"That's pretty normal in my experience." Mike said.
"Wanting to have sex all the time?" Maddie asked.
"Once you're further along, it won't be as comfortable so you won't want to. And I don't think its normal for every pregnancy. With Hannah; Christine was particularly…anyway; she was the same way. Once she hit the sixth month; she had no desire to have sex. Would barely let me touch her. Of course; Hannah was also born in September; so that might have been part of it too. The heat got to her that pregnancy." Mike explained.
"I'm scared of the pain." Maddie admitted quietly, completely changing the subject.
"I know this doesn't seem right now; but once you have them, the pain won't be so bad. I don't mean to compare you all the time, but once Christine had Katie; I couldn't understand why she would want to have another baby. She went through it all naturally, and yes; there were a few moments but once she had her; she was absolutely serene. It was so…beautiful to watch her with Katie in that first few hours; even after, but that first few hours…its really precious to me now." Mike explained. Maddie had sat next to him on the couch and she patted his knee, knowing that even though it was a favorite memory; it was painful.
"Was it the same with Hannah and Lucas?" Maddie asked.
"Yes, it was with Hannah. I wasn't there when Lucas was born. I would imagine it was, though." Mike answered.
"She did it naturally?" Maddie asked, worried Mike would expect that of her.
"With Katie. Hannah; she had an emergency C-section. She had an epidural with Lucas. I don't have a problem with epidurals if that's what you're worried about." Mike said.
"Why the emergency C-section? All the scenarios are so scary." Maddie remarked.
"Hannah was breech and the cord was wrapping around her neck. Christine was also hemorrhaging. I had to make the decision for her. It was either a 'save the mom or save the baby' decision, and thankfully they both lived. I didn't want another one after that, so Lucas was a bit of a shock." Mike said.
"And now you are having twins." Maddie said.
"Well, my birth control methods need some work. Seriously; stop worrying about the scenarios. What happened with Hannah was a fluke. And while at times; I struggled with the idea of Christine going through that again, Lucas' birth went off without a problem. Christine was fine. Lucas was fine. The only thing wrong with the whole thing was that I was in the Indian Ocean, but I had a perfect baby boy when I got home. The doctor has said this pregnancy is progressing very normally, and the last ultrasound was perfect." Mike pointed out.
"If you had known then what you know now; would you have proceeded any differently?" Maddie asked.
"I would have been a better husband and father. I would have been home more, and when I was home; I would have been more focused. I would have loved them better, but I don't regret loving them in the first place. These babies are my second chance and I plan on being the best I can be for them." Mike said. Maddie simply cuddled close and hung onto Mike; knowing that while he may not care about her, he would love their babies.