Chapter 9
Transitions
May 7, 2001
Donna felt like a weight was lifted from her shoulders. She was hesitant when she had changed her mind regarding Jackie's proposal and thought it was all right because she was doing more so for Eric than herself. She was relieved that Eric and finally Jackie realized although the gesture was meaningful and Donna did love Jackie for it. That it was wrong. You can't do something like that without messing up the children's, not to mention all the adults involved, lives. It wasn't her business and she didn't ask what was the conversation with Hyde that finally changed her mind. She was just glad Jackie gave up on the idea. Now her and Eric were in the waiting room at Roosevelt Hospital in New York City because she wanted her friends there and she didn't want strangers watching or worse, her Father watching Tiffany.
"Can you believe Hyde is in the delivery room with Jackie?" Eric asked
"No-if that were me in there, would you be in the room with me?"
"I'd be in the room with you, Donna, I might be fainted on the floor, but I'd be in the room with you."
"You're funny, Eric." said Tiffany, she couldn't wait to see the babies
"Wasn't I ever suave?"
"No, dear, nice try, that was Fez." Donna replied
Meet the Parents
"Come on, Jackie, push harder!" Hyde coached her, she was tired and it was easier with Tiffany maybe because there was only one of her and she had two babies to push out.
"Steven, shut up, I know how to push." He took that with a grain of salt many of his friends told him the names they were called when their girlfriends or wives were in the delivery room. It was par for the course.
"Jackie you know the drill, you're almost there." The doctor said to her.
"Spoken like a man," She just wanted her babies OUT of her body. She forgot how terrible childbirth was. She just wanted to see her beautiful babies and the smile that would be on her husband's face when he meets his babies for the first time.
Two hours and ten minutes later an exhausted but elated Steven Hyde went inside the waiting room. Tiffany ran to him.
"Daddy, are the babies born?"
He picked her up and hugged her, "Yeah. You are now officially a big sister."
Donna and Eric got up to congratulate him. When Eric saw the sparkle in Hyde's eyes he knew even if he didn't come to the conclusion before he never could have 'taken' one of his children.
"Are they boys or girls?" Eric asked
"One of each."
"That's awesome, Hyde." Donna said, she was really happy for them.
"Can we see Mommy now?" Tiffany asked
"The doctor said to wait for twenty minutes, but we can go to the nursery windows to see the babies."
"I'm really happy for you." Eric said quietly as Donna walked ahead with Tiffany.
"I know, thanks, Forman."
Girl Talk
When Hyde took Tiffany back to the apartment and Eric went out to buy a present, Jackie wanted to see Donna again just to make sure that everything was all right.
"Donna, you don't have to worry, I'm fine."
"I know I told you before, but they really are beautiful, Jackie. Do you have names picked out yet?"
"Hannah and Hunter."
"Hannah and Hunter Hyde? Sounds like you had those names in your head for awhile."
Jackie smiled and decided to change the subject.
"I don't want you to worry, Donna, you and Eric will have a baby someday. I never should have let my emotions get in the way. Every time, I have an idea something always goes wrong."
"It wasn't a bad idea, it came from your heart-you just didn't think of all the consequences. When do you get discharged?"
"Tomorrow. They don't keep you in very long like they did with our Mother's unless there's a problem. I'm rich and even my insurance company doesn't want to fork out the money."
"That stinks," Donna noticed the ripped up card in the garbage, "From Brad?"
"Yeah, and if Steven saw what he wrote in that card he'd go down there and kill him, that's why I ripped it up."
Donna looked at the clock, "I don't know where Eric is, he said he was just going to buy a gift and come right back."
"Are you and Eric really fine?"
"Yes, Jackie, we are fine." Donna noticed Jackie's eyes droop.
"I'll let you rest. I'll talk to you later, Mom." Donna quipped as she watched Jackie sleep with a content smile on her face.
Cradle and All
July 4, 2001 Florida
Not quite two-month-old Hannah and Hunter Hyde's first trip was a plane ride to Florida to visit what all intents and purposes Hyde considered their unofficial grandparents Red and Kitty Forman for the Fourth of July holiday. Eric and Donna were also coming for a visit but couldn't stay as long as usual this time due to work commitments for both. Kitty was gushing over the babies with Jackie, she never saw her Grandson because Laurie was a grown up snot. Tiffany suckered not only Donna but also Hyde and Red into playing a board game. Eric came back from the newsstand a few minutes ago and wanted to see how long he could enjoy the solace. He had something very important to ask Donna and was almost afraid to. What if she said 'no'? (again). He thought of asking her on the airplane but chickened out, he tried to again in the rental car but he couldn't bring himself to. He knew this was to be their last chance.
"Oh, Eric, you're back." Donna went in the kitchen to get herself a soda and sat down next to him.
"I just went to get a paper," Eric sighed, it was either now or never, "Donna, there's something I want to talk to you about, but I don't know how to tell you."
"I sensed there was something, you don't have to be afraid to talk to me."
"I know. There was a reason why I was late coming home from my support group meeting last week."
"You didn't---"
"No, I didn't."
"I'm sorry, Eric."
"It's okay. The reason why I was late was Mr. Greene wanted to see me and another former user in his office; this is hard I'm so afraid you are going to say 'no'."
She held his hand, "What is it?"
"They chose me and another person in the group for," He took the folded up pamphlet out of his jeans pocket, "this."
"The Greater St. Louis area Recovery Child Bridge Program." She read the title.
"I told them I couldn't commit to anything until I talked it over with you. The reason that they chose us is because we're the ones who are less likely to relapse after we had our initial expected relapses and are in steady jobs."
Donna read many articles about babies born to drug addicted Mothers, many children if they didn't lose their health battles were shuffled in and out of foster homes, and sometimes not the best foster homes. Maybe this was the child that was on the horizon? She knew if the baby died, Eric would be a complete wreck, while she kept it all in until exploding at the next holiday family function. A lot of those babies did pull through and led somewhat normal lives when adopted by loving families. Could it be them?
She grabbed the pamphlet and put it in her pocket just incase someone walked in the kitchen. She put her arms around Eric and hugged him.
"I know this is not going to be easy, but let's do this."
"I love you, Donna, you are the best wife ever."
Eric knew the road that lie ahead was going to be the most difficult chapter of their lives, even when compared to his active drug user days. He kept his mind focused on the end result-Them finally being a family in the true sense of the word.
There was a small balcony off to the dining room which kind of resembled Eric and Donna's in St. Louis it was the perfect size for a small family get together and Red didn't want anyone else doing the grilling but him which was fine by everybody else. Jackie just put the twins down for their naps and decided to help Donna take the plastic plates and forks out for Kitty.
"Donna, I know that look, you have a secret you want to tell," Jackie smiled, "What is it?"
"I don't have a secret, Jackie. I don't know if Eric wants everyone to know yet."
Jackie put the bag containing the plastic utensils down and pulled out a chair for Donna, "Spill it."
"It's not bad, but you cannot tell Mr. and Mrs. Forman," Donna realized herself and Eric could be also be called "Mr. and Mrs. Forman" it made her feel old, older than she wanted to be, but she wasn't going to cover her gray hair (not that she had any yet.) the way someone else she knew very well did.
"I won't. Did you finally call an adoption agency?" Jackie asked
"Not quite." and Donna told Jackie a Cliffnotes version of what she and Eric discussed.
"I think that's great. I saw a special on TV about babies born to drug addicted Mothers and I cried, of course, I was pregnant with Tiffany at the time and married to Brad, so I was an emotional roller coaster anyway."
"I'm nervous, I had reservations being a Mother to a normal healthy baby. How can I be a Mother to a baby who-" Donna trailed off her words.
"Love is the same."
"How in the Hell did you get so smart?" Donna had to change the tone of the conversation and figured saving face with humor would do the trick.
"I was always the genius of the group, we better get back to the barbeque before they start sending in the search dogs for us."
They got Mrs. Forman's plastic supplies and walked to the balcony. Jackie knew Donna and Eric would be all right.
Later that night
"Eric, I am glad you thought of getting your parents a sofa bed for Christmas." Donna stretched her legs then rested them on his.
"You told Jackie didn't you?" Eric asked, he wasn't angry he just figured because of all the smiley looks she gave him and Donna during supper.
"Yeah. She knew something was on my mind."
"I don't think we should tell our parents. We don't want to get their hopes up." Eric said while trying to undo her bra
"I know. Eric, how many years has it been and you still can't undo my bra?!" She laughed, she rarely wore one to bed, but sometimes she liked to put it on for the foreplay just to see how long it would take for him to successfully take it off.
"Well, what are you doing wearing one to bed?"
"Ssh, I think someone is coming through the living room."
'Well, if you weren't wearing a bra, Donna, I'd be done by now!'
"Take it to a motel, man."
"Hyde! What are you doing up?" Eric asked
"Steven, if you think about taking the last of the apple pie you are mistaken."
Eric put the covers over his head at the sound of Red entering the room
"I believe Mrs. Forman promised me the last piece."
"What's all the noise?" enter Kitty
"It's Eric's frustration on not getting any." Hyde quipped
"Hyde!" Eric replied with his head still under the covers. How could he say that in front of his parents? He didn't care how old he was.
Donna laughed, "They're all hungry for a midnight snack."
"I knew this would happen, that's why I hid the OTHER pie."
Donna pulled the covers off Eric, "Go have some pie."
"I'm not hungry." 'well not hungry for pie'
"Yes, you are."
"Oh, I get it. Do you want some pie, too?" Since Hyde was in a good mood with Eric especially after their roundtable argument she wanted to make sure it stayed that way.
"No," she kissed him on the nose, "I'm tired. I'm going to bed."
"That's not fair, Donna."
"Tell that me last week when you stayed up late playing with your Star Wars CD-ROM."
"Touché," Eric replied wryly trying to convince himself that a slice of his Mother's homemade apple pie was better than making love to Donna. It wasn't.
NYC Mid July 2001
Tiffany sulked as Jackie and Hyde played with the babies in the living room. She loved her brother and sister at first, but that was before they started getting all of the attention. She drew a picture and her Daddy didn't look at it just like her real Dad didn't LOOK at her drawings either and her Mommy's favorite new words were "not now." She would have runaway to Eric and Donna's house but they were too far away.
"Tiffany, will you help me pick these toys up?" asked Jackie, she wanted the housekeeper to come into a clean house.
"Why? I didn't make the mess!"
"Tiffany," Hyde couldn't believe the words that were about to come out of his mouth because he still hated authority and everything corporate but he still had three children to raise so, so be it, "Don't take that tone with your Mother."
"You and Mommy only care about the babies! I hate them! I wish they were never born." She ran to her room.
"Steven," Jackie started to get up, she wanted to cry, her daughter never was like this before, even on the day she locked herself in the closet.
"I'll go talk to her." Hyde said as he kissed his wife for reassurance.
Hyde didn't know whether to laugh or cry when he saw Tiffany start to pack her little suitcase.
"Where are you going, Tiffany?"
"I don't know. Eric has cool toys, but his Mommy cooks good."
"And how are you getting to where you want to go?"
"MY private jet." Damn, she had him there.
"Don't you like it here anymore?"
"I used to. The babies were cool at first but now they are pains."
"I see. Your Mommy and I love you very much and we don't want you to be unhappy. So, if you want to leave you can leave."
She stopped packing, he was supposed to get angry and stuff.
"You DIDN'T look at my drawing!"
"Yes, I did. It was a pink horse."
"Nah-uh, Daddy, it was a PURPLE unicorn."
"I'm sorry, Tiffany. I know it seems that your Mommy and I push you aside and that's not true at all, it's just hard taking care of two babies."
"I want to be a baby!"
"No, you don't. You're Hannah and Hunter's big sister. You'll get to teach them everything you know, because kids shouldn't get all their lessons from adults."
"I will?"
"Yeah. Do you still want to runaway?"
"No."
"How about a hug for your Daddy?" Hyde asked "Okay! But it was a PURPLE unicorn!" She replied in his warm shoulder.
"Is everything all right in here?" Jackie opened the door as Tiffany ran into her Mother's arms.
"I love you, too, Mommy!" She ran to hug her Mother.
"Aw, sweetie, I want you to know that me and your Daddy love all of you the same."
"Daddy explained it, can I go outside and play?"
"Sure." Jackie kissed her cheek. It was only a matter of time before she would be sixteen and they would be fighting over boys and curfews.
"You want to ride your bike?" Hyde asked
"Yeah, but not the one Dad got me, the one YOU got me."
Tiffany was only one of a very select few who could turn Steven Hyde's heart into butter.
MO
Donna hung up the telephone as Eric sat on the sofa trying to watch a movie. He didn't ask her; she just did it on her own. She brought two glasses of iced-tea and set them on the coasters.
"What are you watching, Eric?" In a rare instance when it wasn't a movie from a galaxy far, far away.
"The Perfect Storm."
"What happened did you break your Star Wars tapes?"
"Don't even think that, Donna. In the event of a fire if it's either saving you or all my Star Wars stuff that's going to be a pretty hard choice to decide." He ribbed her
"All right, you know what time it is,"
"Uh-oh."
"That's right Eric, it's headlock time."
"You realize I'm not going to fight back, right? I'm in your chest. Think about it." He replied in a muffed voice.
"Hmm," she abruptly let go to watch him wobble like a weeble but not fall down, "You're right, good night, Eric!" She pretended to get up.
"Is this going to lead to sex?" He batted his eyelashes
"It might." She led him to their bedroom.
They kissed each other as they moved closer to the bed.
"Donna," he said as he unbuttoned her blouse, "I love you so much, and thank you."
She stopped for a moment. "Thanks for what?"
"For the call you made earlier. I didn't tell you to make it, I just assumed I was going to make all the arrangements-"
"Well, Eric, you assumed wrong, we're going to be going through this TOGETHER." She put her hands on his shoulders and brought him to her.
"I know this is going to sound corny-"
"It hasn't stopped you before."
"True. Do you think we could fantasize that this is the night we-you know."
"Made our baby?" She whispered into his shoulder
"Yeah. I told you it was corny."
"No, it's not Eric," she felt her back fall on the soft, billowy bed, "I think it's a beautiful thought."
For what was to them a very beautiful night to "make" a baby.
**************************************************************************** ****************
May 7, 2001
Donna felt like a weight was lifted from her shoulders. She was hesitant when she had changed her mind regarding Jackie's proposal and thought it was all right because she was doing more so for Eric than herself. She was relieved that Eric and finally Jackie realized although the gesture was meaningful and Donna did love Jackie for it. That it was wrong. You can't do something like that without messing up the children's, not to mention all the adults involved, lives. It wasn't her business and she didn't ask what was the conversation with Hyde that finally changed her mind. She was just glad Jackie gave up on the idea. Now her and Eric were in the waiting room at Roosevelt Hospital in New York City because she wanted her friends there and she didn't want strangers watching or worse, her Father watching Tiffany.
"Can you believe Hyde is in the delivery room with Jackie?" Eric asked
"No-if that were me in there, would you be in the room with me?"
"I'd be in the room with you, Donna, I might be fainted on the floor, but I'd be in the room with you."
"You're funny, Eric." said Tiffany, she couldn't wait to see the babies
"Wasn't I ever suave?"
"No, dear, nice try, that was Fez." Donna replied
Meet the Parents
"Come on, Jackie, push harder!" Hyde coached her, she was tired and it was easier with Tiffany maybe because there was only one of her and she had two babies to push out.
"Steven, shut up, I know how to push." He took that with a grain of salt many of his friends told him the names they were called when their girlfriends or wives were in the delivery room. It was par for the course.
"Jackie you know the drill, you're almost there." The doctor said to her.
"Spoken like a man," She just wanted her babies OUT of her body. She forgot how terrible childbirth was. She just wanted to see her beautiful babies and the smile that would be on her husband's face when he meets his babies for the first time.
Two hours and ten minutes later an exhausted but elated Steven Hyde went inside the waiting room. Tiffany ran to him.
"Daddy, are the babies born?"
He picked her up and hugged her, "Yeah. You are now officially a big sister."
Donna and Eric got up to congratulate him. When Eric saw the sparkle in Hyde's eyes he knew even if he didn't come to the conclusion before he never could have 'taken' one of his children.
"Are they boys or girls?" Eric asked
"One of each."
"That's awesome, Hyde." Donna said, she was really happy for them.
"Can we see Mommy now?" Tiffany asked
"The doctor said to wait for twenty minutes, but we can go to the nursery windows to see the babies."
"I'm really happy for you." Eric said quietly as Donna walked ahead with Tiffany.
"I know, thanks, Forman."
Girl Talk
When Hyde took Tiffany back to the apartment and Eric went out to buy a present, Jackie wanted to see Donna again just to make sure that everything was all right.
"Donna, you don't have to worry, I'm fine."
"I know I told you before, but they really are beautiful, Jackie. Do you have names picked out yet?"
"Hannah and Hunter."
"Hannah and Hunter Hyde? Sounds like you had those names in your head for awhile."
Jackie smiled and decided to change the subject.
"I don't want you to worry, Donna, you and Eric will have a baby someday. I never should have let my emotions get in the way. Every time, I have an idea something always goes wrong."
"It wasn't a bad idea, it came from your heart-you just didn't think of all the consequences. When do you get discharged?"
"Tomorrow. They don't keep you in very long like they did with our Mother's unless there's a problem. I'm rich and even my insurance company doesn't want to fork out the money."
"That stinks," Donna noticed the ripped up card in the garbage, "From Brad?"
"Yeah, and if Steven saw what he wrote in that card he'd go down there and kill him, that's why I ripped it up."
Donna looked at the clock, "I don't know where Eric is, he said he was just going to buy a gift and come right back."
"Are you and Eric really fine?"
"Yes, Jackie, we are fine." Donna noticed Jackie's eyes droop.
"I'll let you rest. I'll talk to you later, Mom." Donna quipped as she watched Jackie sleep with a content smile on her face.
Cradle and All
July 4, 2001 Florida
Not quite two-month-old Hannah and Hunter Hyde's first trip was a plane ride to Florida to visit what all intents and purposes Hyde considered their unofficial grandparents Red and Kitty Forman for the Fourth of July holiday. Eric and Donna were also coming for a visit but couldn't stay as long as usual this time due to work commitments for both. Kitty was gushing over the babies with Jackie, she never saw her Grandson because Laurie was a grown up snot. Tiffany suckered not only Donna but also Hyde and Red into playing a board game. Eric came back from the newsstand a few minutes ago and wanted to see how long he could enjoy the solace. He had something very important to ask Donna and was almost afraid to. What if she said 'no'? (again). He thought of asking her on the airplane but chickened out, he tried to again in the rental car but he couldn't bring himself to. He knew this was to be their last chance.
"Oh, Eric, you're back." Donna went in the kitchen to get herself a soda and sat down next to him.
"I just went to get a paper," Eric sighed, it was either now or never, "Donna, there's something I want to talk to you about, but I don't know how to tell you."
"I sensed there was something, you don't have to be afraid to talk to me."
"I know. There was a reason why I was late coming home from my support group meeting last week."
"You didn't---"
"No, I didn't."
"I'm sorry, Eric."
"It's okay. The reason why I was late was Mr. Greene wanted to see me and another former user in his office; this is hard I'm so afraid you are going to say 'no'."
She held his hand, "What is it?"
"They chose me and another person in the group for," He took the folded up pamphlet out of his jeans pocket, "this."
"The Greater St. Louis area Recovery Child Bridge Program." She read the title.
"I told them I couldn't commit to anything until I talked it over with you. The reason that they chose us is because we're the ones who are less likely to relapse after we had our initial expected relapses and are in steady jobs."
Donna read many articles about babies born to drug addicted Mothers, many children if they didn't lose their health battles were shuffled in and out of foster homes, and sometimes not the best foster homes. Maybe this was the child that was on the horizon? She knew if the baby died, Eric would be a complete wreck, while she kept it all in until exploding at the next holiday family function. A lot of those babies did pull through and led somewhat normal lives when adopted by loving families. Could it be them?
She grabbed the pamphlet and put it in her pocket just incase someone walked in the kitchen. She put her arms around Eric and hugged him.
"I know this is not going to be easy, but let's do this."
"I love you, Donna, you are the best wife ever."
Eric knew the road that lie ahead was going to be the most difficult chapter of their lives, even when compared to his active drug user days. He kept his mind focused on the end result-Them finally being a family in the true sense of the word.
There was a small balcony off to the dining room which kind of resembled Eric and Donna's in St. Louis it was the perfect size for a small family get together and Red didn't want anyone else doing the grilling but him which was fine by everybody else. Jackie just put the twins down for their naps and decided to help Donna take the plastic plates and forks out for Kitty.
"Donna, I know that look, you have a secret you want to tell," Jackie smiled, "What is it?"
"I don't have a secret, Jackie. I don't know if Eric wants everyone to know yet."
Jackie put the bag containing the plastic utensils down and pulled out a chair for Donna, "Spill it."
"It's not bad, but you cannot tell Mr. and Mrs. Forman," Donna realized herself and Eric could be also be called "Mr. and Mrs. Forman" it made her feel old, older than she wanted to be, but she wasn't going to cover her gray hair (not that she had any yet.) the way someone else she knew very well did.
"I won't. Did you finally call an adoption agency?" Jackie asked
"Not quite." and Donna told Jackie a Cliffnotes version of what she and Eric discussed.
"I think that's great. I saw a special on TV about babies born to drug addicted Mothers and I cried, of course, I was pregnant with Tiffany at the time and married to Brad, so I was an emotional roller coaster anyway."
"I'm nervous, I had reservations being a Mother to a normal healthy baby. How can I be a Mother to a baby who-" Donna trailed off her words.
"Love is the same."
"How in the Hell did you get so smart?" Donna had to change the tone of the conversation and figured saving face with humor would do the trick.
"I was always the genius of the group, we better get back to the barbeque before they start sending in the search dogs for us."
They got Mrs. Forman's plastic supplies and walked to the balcony. Jackie knew Donna and Eric would be all right.
Later that night
"Eric, I am glad you thought of getting your parents a sofa bed for Christmas." Donna stretched her legs then rested them on his.
"You told Jackie didn't you?" Eric asked, he wasn't angry he just figured because of all the smiley looks she gave him and Donna during supper.
"Yeah. She knew something was on my mind."
"I don't think we should tell our parents. We don't want to get their hopes up." Eric said while trying to undo her bra
"I know. Eric, how many years has it been and you still can't undo my bra?!" She laughed, she rarely wore one to bed, but sometimes she liked to put it on for the foreplay just to see how long it would take for him to successfully take it off.
"Well, what are you doing wearing one to bed?"
"Ssh, I think someone is coming through the living room."
'Well, if you weren't wearing a bra, Donna, I'd be done by now!'
"Take it to a motel, man."
"Hyde! What are you doing up?" Eric asked
"Steven, if you think about taking the last of the apple pie you are mistaken."
Eric put the covers over his head at the sound of Red entering the room
"I believe Mrs. Forman promised me the last piece."
"What's all the noise?" enter Kitty
"It's Eric's frustration on not getting any." Hyde quipped
"Hyde!" Eric replied with his head still under the covers. How could he say that in front of his parents? He didn't care how old he was.
Donna laughed, "They're all hungry for a midnight snack."
"I knew this would happen, that's why I hid the OTHER pie."
Donna pulled the covers off Eric, "Go have some pie."
"I'm not hungry." 'well not hungry for pie'
"Yes, you are."
"Oh, I get it. Do you want some pie, too?" Since Hyde was in a good mood with Eric especially after their roundtable argument she wanted to make sure it stayed that way.
"No," she kissed him on the nose, "I'm tired. I'm going to bed."
"That's not fair, Donna."
"Tell that me last week when you stayed up late playing with your Star Wars CD-ROM."
"Touché," Eric replied wryly trying to convince himself that a slice of his Mother's homemade apple pie was better than making love to Donna. It wasn't.
NYC Mid July 2001
Tiffany sulked as Jackie and Hyde played with the babies in the living room. She loved her brother and sister at first, but that was before they started getting all of the attention. She drew a picture and her Daddy didn't look at it just like her real Dad didn't LOOK at her drawings either and her Mommy's favorite new words were "not now." She would have runaway to Eric and Donna's house but they were too far away.
"Tiffany, will you help me pick these toys up?" asked Jackie, she wanted the housekeeper to come into a clean house.
"Why? I didn't make the mess!"
"Tiffany," Hyde couldn't believe the words that were about to come out of his mouth because he still hated authority and everything corporate but he still had three children to raise so, so be it, "Don't take that tone with your Mother."
"You and Mommy only care about the babies! I hate them! I wish they were never born." She ran to her room.
"Steven," Jackie started to get up, she wanted to cry, her daughter never was like this before, even on the day she locked herself in the closet.
"I'll go talk to her." Hyde said as he kissed his wife for reassurance.
Hyde didn't know whether to laugh or cry when he saw Tiffany start to pack her little suitcase.
"Where are you going, Tiffany?"
"I don't know. Eric has cool toys, but his Mommy cooks good."
"And how are you getting to where you want to go?"
"MY private jet." Damn, she had him there.
"Don't you like it here anymore?"
"I used to. The babies were cool at first but now they are pains."
"I see. Your Mommy and I love you very much and we don't want you to be unhappy. So, if you want to leave you can leave."
She stopped packing, he was supposed to get angry and stuff.
"You DIDN'T look at my drawing!"
"Yes, I did. It was a pink horse."
"Nah-uh, Daddy, it was a PURPLE unicorn."
"I'm sorry, Tiffany. I know it seems that your Mommy and I push you aside and that's not true at all, it's just hard taking care of two babies."
"I want to be a baby!"
"No, you don't. You're Hannah and Hunter's big sister. You'll get to teach them everything you know, because kids shouldn't get all their lessons from adults."
"I will?"
"Yeah. Do you still want to runaway?"
"No."
"How about a hug for your Daddy?" Hyde asked "Okay! But it was a PURPLE unicorn!" She replied in his warm shoulder.
"Is everything all right in here?" Jackie opened the door as Tiffany ran into her Mother's arms.
"I love you, too, Mommy!" She ran to hug her Mother.
"Aw, sweetie, I want you to know that me and your Daddy love all of you the same."
"Daddy explained it, can I go outside and play?"
"Sure." Jackie kissed her cheek. It was only a matter of time before she would be sixteen and they would be fighting over boys and curfews.
"You want to ride your bike?" Hyde asked
"Yeah, but not the one Dad got me, the one YOU got me."
Tiffany was only one of a very select few who could turn Steven Hyde's heart into butter.
MO
Donna hung up the telephone as Eric sat on the sofa trying to watch a movie. He didn't ask her; she just did it on her own. She brought two glasses of iced-tea and set them on the coasters.
"What are you watching, Eric?" In a rare instance when it wasn't a movie from a galaxy far, far away.
"The Perfect Storm."
"What happened did you break your Star Wars tapes?"
"Don't even think that, Donna. In the event of a fire if it's either saving you or all my Star Wars stuff that's going to be a pretty hard choice to decide." He ribbed her
"All right, you know what time it is,"
"Uh-oh."
"That's right Eric, it's headlock time."
"You realize I'm not going to fight back, right? I'm in your chest. Think about it." He replied in a muffed voice.
"Hmm," she abruptly let go to watch him wobble like a weeble but not fall down, "You're right, good night, Eric!" She pretended to get up.
"Is this going to lead to sex?" He batted his eyelashes
"It might." She led him to their bedroom.
They kissed each other as they moved closer to the bed.
"Donna," he said as he unbuttoned her blouse, "I love you so much, and thank you."
She stopped for a moment. "Thanks for what?"
"For the call you made earlier. I didn't tell you to make it, I just assumed I was going to make all the arrangements-"
"Well, Eric, you assumed wrong, we're going to be going through this TOGETHER." She put her hands on his shoulders and brought him to her.
"I know this is going to sound corny-"
"It hasn't stopped you before."
"True. Do you think we could fantasize that this is the night we-you know."
"Made our baby?" She whispered into his shoulder
"Yeah. I told you it was corny."
"No, it's not Eric," she felt her back fall on the soft, billowy bed, "I think it's a beautiful thought."
For what was to them a very beautiful night to "make" a baby.
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