Suddenly she pulled away. Ephram looked at her, wondering why she stopped them.
Madison started to sit up, "What are we doing Ephram?"
Ephram sat up next to her, "Well...I kinda thought it was obvious..."
Madison shook her head and looked down, "No I mean...why?"
Ephram looked down, he didn't really have an answer.
Madison looked at him, "Is it because we both want it? Or...do we feel some sort of obligation to Julia...cause if that's the reason...well I don't have to tell you how it would end..."
Ephram looked up at her, "Madison...I-"
Madison shook her head, "We can't...ok, we just can't...it would be like opening up some huge can of worms...I mean, what if we try and then it ends badly...we can't do that to Julia..."
Ephram sighed, she was right, they couldn't risk it, but now he had all these feelings again, he couldn't just ignore them.
Madison stood up, "I think I'm gonna go to bed...I guess I'll see you in a couple hours..."
Madison rushed to her room, she felt tears start to form in her eyes. She quietly closed the door behind her and leaned against it, tears pouring down her cheeks. Why did she stop it? She had wanted it so bad, why did she do that? It felt so right. No, it wasn't right, it was wrong. They couldn't do that to Julia, things were fine the way they were. But now they're complicated anyway. What would their relationship be like now? Even more awkward then before. How could she have been so stupid? She shouldn't have kissed him in the first place! But she couldn't help it...she had been fighting the urge to act on her feelings for the past 2 days...it just happened.
Ephram sat on the couch, he hadn't moved. He put his face in down and ran his fingers through his hair. How could he have been so stupid? He ruined everything! Why did he have to kiss her? Why did she have to stop it? Now he was even more confused then before. How was he supposed to act around her? They obviously both wanted it...no, he couldn't think about this, they had to stay platonic...for Julia's sake. It was the only way things could work out. If they got together, who knows how long it would last? It would probably just turn out like it did last time...same outcome...well maybe without the baby. But things were different now...he was older...almost legal!
He quickly shook his head, it couldn't happen...not now anyway.
He leaned back on the couch and tried to get some sleep.
After what seemed like a minute of sleep, Ephram awoke, once again, to the sound of his screaming daughter. He started to slowly get up.
Madison pushed herself out of bed as she tried to get her eyes completely open. It was pitch black in her room, but she pretty much new the way to the bassinet by heart. She finally stood up, her legs still weak, and slowly walked towards the screaming. All of a sudden she felt her foot slam against something, the pain rushed through her, "Shit!" she yelled as she sat back down on her bed, holding her throbbing foot (yes it was still attached to her leg.)
Ephram heard Madison yell and rushed to the room. He opened the door and flipped the light switch, forgetting that his eyes weren't used to the light. Both he and Madison quickly shielded their eyes.
"Are you ok?" Ephram asked, loud enough so she could hear over the baby. He had his hand over his eyes, but cracked a couple fingers so he could see her.
"Yeah...yeah I'm fine...just stubbed my toe" she cringed in pain.
Soon they were both used to the light and opened their eyes. Madison was about to get up and go over to the baby but Ephram stopped her, "I'll get her..."
He walked over to the bassinet and lifted Julia up. He held her close to his chest and bounced up and down as he swayed, "It's ok ...I'm here now" He checked her diaper, "well...there's a smell that will definitely wake you up in the morning..."
Madison laughed as she watched him lay Julia down on the changing table. She stood up and limped over to them, "How'd you get so good at this?"
Ephram glanced back at her and gave her that sly smile that always made her knees week, unfortunately for her, her knees were already weak, she had to cling on to the table to keep herself upright.
Ephram noticed this, "Are you sure you're ok?" he asked as he continued to change Julia.
Madison shook her head, "No-yeah...yeah I'm fine...just a little tired I guess"
Ephram finished and picked the, now calm, Julia up. Madison held out her arms and he carefully handed her off.
Madison cradled the baby as she walked back over to the bassinet. She gave her one last kiss before laying her down and covering her up with the pink blanket. Madison turned on the music box that sat on her dresser and followed Ephram out of the room.
"Do you know how lucky we are?" Madison asked as she sat down at the table.
"how are we lucky?" Ephram asked as he sat across from her.
"did you see how easy it was to put her to sleep? My mom says that it took her at least 20 minutes to get me to sleep...and in all those pregnancy books, which by the way, don't prepare you at all, anyway, they say that it usually takes at least 10 minutes but, it can take up to an hour...I mean, Julia...you give her what she wants and then she's out..."
Ephram smiled, "I guess we are lucky..."
Madison started to sit up, "What are we doing Ephram?"
Ephram sat up next to her, "Well...I kinda thought it was obvious..."
Madison shook her head and looked down, "No I mean...why?"
Ephram looked down, he didn't really have an answer.
Madison looked at him, "Is it because we both want it? Or...do we feel some sort of obligation to Julia...cause if that's the reason...well I don't have to tell you how it would end..."
Ephram looked up at her, "Madison...I-"
Madison shook her head, "We can't...ok, we just can't...it would be like opening up some huge can of worms...I mean, what if we try and then it ends badly...we can't do that to Julia..."
Ephram sighed, she was right, they couldn't risk it, but now he had all these feelings again, he couldn't just ignore them.
Madison stood up, "I think I'm gonna go to bed...I guess I'll see you in a couple hours..."
Madison rushed to her room, she felt tears start to form in her eyes. She quietly closed the door behind her and leaned against it, tears pouring down her cheeks. Why did she stop it? She had wanted it so bad, why did she do that? It felt so right. No, it wasn't right, it was wrong. They couldn't do that to Julia, things were fine the way they were. But now they're complicated anyway. What would their relationship be like now? Even more awkward then before. How could she have been so stupid? She shouldn't have kissed him in the first place! But she couldn't help it...she had been fighting the urge to act on her feelings for the past 2 days...it just happened.
Ephram sat on the couch, he hadn't moved. He put his face in down and ran his fingers through his hair. How could he have been so stupid? He ruined everything! Why did he have to kiss her? Why did she have to stop it? Now he was even more confused then before. How was he supposed to act around her? They obviously both wanted it...no, he couldn't think about this, they had to stay platonic...for Julia's sake. It was the only way things could work out. If they got together, who knows how long it would last? It would probably just turn out like it did last time...same outcome...well maybe without the baby. But things were different now...he was older...almost legal!
He quickly shook his head, it couldn't happen...not now anyway.
He leaned back on the couch and tried to get some sleep.
After what seemed like a minute of sleep, Ephram awoke, once again, to the sound of his screaming daughter. He started to slowly get up.
Madison pushed herself out of bed as she tried to get her eyes completely open. It was pitch black in her room, but she pretty much new the way to the bassinet by heart. She finally stood up, her legs still weak, and slowly walked towards the screaming. All of a sudden she felt her foot slam against something, the pain rushed through her, "Shit!" she yelled as she sat back down on her bed, holding her throbbing foot (yes it was still attached to her leg.)
Ephram heard Madison yell and rushed to the room. He opened the door and flipped the light switch, forgetting that his eyes weren't used to the light. Both he and Madison quickly shielded their eyes.
"Are you ok?" Ephram asked, loud enough so she could hear over the baby. He had his hand over his eyes, but cracked a couple fingers so he could see her.
"Yeah...yeah I'm fine...just stubbed my toe" she cringed in pain.
Soon they were both used to the light and opened their eyes. Madison was about to get up and go over to the baby but Ephram stopped her, "I'll get her..."
He walked over to the bassinet and lifted Julia up. He held her close to his chest and bounced up and down as he swayed, "It's ok ...I'm here now" He checked her diaper, "well...there's a smell that will definitely wake you up in the morning..."
Madison laughed as she watched him lay Julia down on the changing table. She stood up and limped over to them, "How'd you get so good at this?"
Ephram glanced back at her and gave her that sly smile that always made her knees week, unfortunately for her, her knees were already weak, she had to cling on to the table to keep herself upright.
Ephram noticed this, "Are you sure you're ok?" he asked as he continued to change Julia.
Madison shook her head, "No-yeah...yeah I'm fine...just a little tired I guess"
Ephram finished and picked the, now calm, Julia up. Madison held out her arms and he carefully handed her off.
Madison cradled the baby as she walked back over to the bassinet. She gave her one last kiss before laying her down and covering her up with the pink blanket. Madison turned on the music box that sat on her dresser and followed Ephram out of the room.
"Do you know how lucky we are?" Madison asked as she sat down at the table.
"how are we lucky?" Ephram asked as he sat across from her.
"did you see how easy it was to put her to sleep? My mom says that it took her at least 20 minutes to get me to sleep...and in all those pregnancy books, which by the way, don't prepare you at all, anyway, they say that it usually takes at least 10 minutes but, it can take up to an hour...I mean, Julia...you give her what she wants and then she's out..."
Ephram smiled, "I guess we are lucky..."