We've Got A Lot Of Catching Up To Do ~ Chapter 3

Moments later, I found my newborn son and I in the back of an ambulance, heading to the hospital. After a few minutes of riding in the back of an ambulance, we arrived at the hospital. They wheeled my son and I into the emergency room and I saw Shawn, Mimi, and Chelsey waiting for me.

"Shawn," I said.

He walked over to the bed and they stopped pushing me for a brief moment.

"Can he come with me?" I asked, looking at the nurses.

"Yes, he is the doctor here," one of the nurses answered.

I took his hand and he walked with me as they wheeled me into a room. An instant later, a nurse came in and took my son to the nursery to get cleaned up.

"Shawn," I said quietly.

"What?"

"Will you call Mom and Dad and tell them I had the baby?"

"It's already been done. Mimi called Brady and he called your parents. They'll be here in just a few minutes," Shawn said, taking my hand and patting it.

"Thanks," I said, placing my hand on top of his.

"For what? I didn't do anything."

"For helping me have this baby, and coming over when you did. I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't been there."

"No problem, but actually you should be thanking your husband for asking me to go over there."

"That reminds me, I have to tell him."

"Here," Shawn said, handing me the phone. "I'll give you some privacy."

"Thanks. Can you bring Chelsey in here when you come back?"

"Sure," Shawn said as he left the room.

I quickly dialed the number to the ranch in Texas.

"We're not home right now. Please leave your name and number and we'll call you when we get back," Mark's voice said over the answering machine.

"Mark, honey, I just had our baby. Seven pounds, six ounces. Call me when you get this. I've got my cellphone. Love ya! Bye!" I said as I hung up the phone. I placed my cellphone beside me on the table.

"Mommy! Mommy!" Chelsey said as Shawn carried her into the room. "Can I see bubby again? Pleeeeease?"

"Yes sweetie, but when Grandma and Grandpa get her, you have to go with them because it is way past your bedtime," I said as Shawn brought her over and placed her on the bed. I got up and walked to the baby's bed and got him out. I brought him over to the bed and sat down beside Chelsey.

"I'm gonna leave and give you some more privacy. I have to go check on some other patients anyway. That's what I get for coming here, but it was worth it," Shawn smiled at me.

"You can come back anytime. You're like family. You always have been," I smiled back at him.

"Well, I'll see you guys later," Shawn said as he left the room.

"Mommy, what's his name?"

"I'll let you help me out with that. Should it be Michael Lawrence or Christopher Andrew?"

"Christopher Andrew," Chelsey said, not quite sounding like Christopher Andrew.

"Christopher Andrew Brown," I said, looking down at my sleeping son. "Your big sister helped name you. Do you want to call him Chris? It's easier to say than Christopher, but that's still his name."

"Chris," Chelsey said, pronouncing the r like a w.

"Knock! Knock! Can we come in?" my mother said as she and my dad came into the room, carrying a bouquet of flowers.

"Come on in," I said as I looked up.

"How are you feeling? Mimi told us Mark had to leave and she told us about you trying to move back here."

"I'm fine, Mom," I said as I got back underneath the covers on the hospital bed.

"Boy, we've got a lot of catching up to do. I wish I could have traveled to Texas more often to see you."

We sat there for a few more minutes talking. Mom and Dad both held Christopher before the nurse came in and took him into the nursery. When my parents left, they took Chelsey with them to spend the night. It was awful, thinking that I would be in the hospital during my brother's wedding. Mom promised that she would bring the videotape over for me to watch after the wedding.

I fell asleep that night with a feeling that something bad was going to happen. I cried uncontrollably until I finally drifted to sleep. I knew why I was crying.

I thought back to a few months ago. I had been shopping with one of my friends in Texas, getting a present for Brady and Mimi's wedding. The image I had seen that day had changed my life forever. I had cried myself to sleep that night too.

I awoke the next morning and the nurse came in, and seeing I was awake, went to bring Chris to my room.

"What's the matter? Have you finally decided that you can't make your hair look perfect?" Shawn said entering the room, carrying Christopher.

"Nothing," I said, wiping my eyes.

"I walk in on you crying, and you tell me nothing's wrong. What is it?" Shawn asked, walking over to the bed and placing Chris in my arms.

"Nothing really," I said, smiling down at my baby.

"Alright then, I'm just making my rounds and the nurse told me you wanted to see him," Shawn said, checking everything he needed to check.

"Hey, can I tell you something?" I asked Shawn as he got ready to leave.

"Sure, anything," Shawn said, turning back towards me.

"Close the door please."

"No problem. What is it?"

"You know how I said that Mark and I are moving back here?"

"Yeah, I remember Mimi telling me something like that last night."

"Well, WE are not moving back here, the kids and I are."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, Mark and I are getting a divorce. A few months ago, I was shopping with Fran, one of my friends, when we saw Mark go into a store. I decided that I would sneak up on him and surprise him, but I was the one that got surprised. He was cheating on me."

"Belle, I'm sorry..."

I waved my hand in front of him for him to stop. "After a few choice words, I basically told him that if he wanted to stay married, then to come home, but if he wanted a divorce to never come home again. He came home that night, and I thought we were going to be okay, but then a few weeks, I saw him with her again, and we hadn't even spoken until yesterday when he met Chelsey and me at the airport. He wanted to keep his kids safe, he could not care less about me."

"Belle, I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything, Shawn. I went through the same thing when we broke up, and I can get through it again."

"But we didn't have children. It was totally different. I always admired you. You always took care of everyone else's problems before yours," Shawn said, walking over to the bed and hugging me.

"And I always knew that no matter how much I tried to cover something up, you could always see right through me," I said, hugging him back. "If I ever needed you, now's the time."

"I'll be right here for you. Shoot, I have a wedding to get to. I'll see you later. If you need me, you know where I am," Shawn said, as he pulled away from the hug. "Belle, I'll help you get through this." Shawn said as he left the room.

TO BE CONTINUED...

I really hope you like this chapter. It was a tough one to right. A little more serious than what I wanted, but I guess that's okay. Please read + review and tell me what you think will happen. Ideas are welcome too!