Confessions of the Other Mothers (Part One)

Tamera was at the brink of exhaustion. She had been up all weekend with a sick baby. Teddy helped but even when he was taking care of Christina she found it hard to rest. It always broke her heart a little when she cried and she couldn't make it better. Logically she knew that sometimes babies just had to cry but it was something different about it being her baby. Little Tina was normally a calm but expressive baby, she rarely cried like this. In all of her 7 months she hadn't been this sick. Tam and Teddy contacted her doctor who told them what to do to get the fever to break. He advised that if they couldn't get it down to bring her in. Tam made an appointment on the spot because she didn't want to have any trouble getting in if they needed to. She sighed as she watched Teddy coo to Tina before heading to work. She had taken the day off so she could take her daughter to the doctor.

"99.2, Tam I think the fever is breaking," Teddy advised to his half sleep wife.

"Hmmm, that's good but don't you think we should take her in just to make sure everything is okay?" Teddy smirked at Tam.

"The doctor said to bring her in if the fever didn't break, but if you feel it's best I won't argue with you. I would rather be safe than sorry. She's a lot less fussy this morning too." Teddy kissed the top of Tam's head. She had been getting a lot of forehead kissing lately. Teddy didn't even really let himself think about Tam as his wife since Tina's arrival, first and foremost she was the mother of his daughter and she took that responsibility very VERY seriously everything else fell to the background.

"I noticed that too," Tam muttered with a little smile. As she looked at her daughter through the monitor on her phone. "She might even get some sleep."

"That means you might get some sleep too. You need to rest Tammy Girl. I know you are quite robotic in many ways but you do need sleep. You are human," he chuckled and Tam was too tired to laugh it his little joke. "Did you want me to stay you can sleep? Or I can take her to Mom's house so she can look after Tina?" Teddy offered and Tam shook her head.

"No, today's a big day for you remember you can't bail on Boyle. He was the one you worked so hard on. Call me and let me know how things go," Tam said as she got up to walk her husband to the door.

"Okay and you call me if anything changes here," he instructed. Tam lifted her head to kiss Teddy goodbye and he gave her another kiss on the forehead. Tam sighed and smiled even though she hated the dreaded forehead kiss. "Have a good day, we'll miss you," she called after him and he waved back to her. She closed the door and let out an exhausted huff. She hated to admit it but she needed help and she knew just who to call.

Shea made her way to Teddy and Tam's house at the same time as Gail. They both gave each other a knowing look.

"Teddy called you?" Shea asked Gail with a smirk.

"And I assume Tam called you?" Gail smiled back at Shea. They had become quite close over the span of Teddy and Tam's life. The considered themselves the other mothers. They were the ones that raised Teddy and Tam while Ana and Imani worked. Not saying that Ana wasn't there but sometimes worked needed more of her focus that she would've liked and that's when Gail would come to the rescue. Imani did disappear and she disappeared often so Shea was very much Tam's other mother. Gail knocked on Tam's door and of course Tam was expecting Shea but was a little shocked when she saw Gail.

"Teddy called me Dear," Gail explained and both women stepped in the house. Tamera took a deep breath.

"Of course he did, he was worried about me," she murmured. "To honest he should be … I'm really tired." She plopped down on the couch.

"Christina's sick and I feel a bit like a failure for being so tired. I thought my maternal instincts were supposed to kick in as soon as she had her but I feel clueless and scared most of the time. However, I mean I have been pretty clueless about her from the start anyway why would expect maternal instincts to be any different," Tam huffed and held her head in her hands. Gail looked at Shea and Shea just shook her head.

"The reason you're tired is because you're trying to do everything yourself. So you can stop this little pity party and just accept some help," Shea stated bluntly. Gail looked at the monitor on Tam's phone.

"It looks like she's sleeping peacefully now," Gail smiled at the Tam.

"Yeah finally." Tam leaned back.

"By the way, you mentioned not knowing you were pregnant. A lot of crazy things were happening in our lives when you became pregnant it isn't so crazy that you didn't acknowledge any of the signs," Gail cooed as she sat beside Tam. Tam nodded and laid down on the couch.

"I don't want to dig up the past. I just want to sleep Miss Gail," Tam mumbled. She cradled one of the deco pillows to her head and Gail pulled the throw over the child. She went in search of Shea who was looking after the baby.

"98.7. They did an excellent job but I fear the girl scared herself sleepless," Shea muttered as she smoothed Tina's little brown curly hair back. Gail looked down at the baby in the crib and smiled. She motioned for Shea to follow her so they could talk freely.

"She has plenty of people willing to help. She is just as stubborn as she claims her husband is, however I've never seen that side of him," Shea fussed while in the kitchen. The couple had a few dirty dishes she figured she help them tidy up.

"Oh Teddy is stubborn! She's not lying to you about that," Gail chuckled and then sighed. "Maybe I will swing over a couple times a week to check on them." Gail thought out loud and Shea frowned.

"What the child needs is a babysitter, so she can go back to work and get out of mommy mode," Shea stated bluntly.

"I know what happens with overly attentive mommas, they get so baby centric they forget they have other responsibilities. Other duties," Shea insinuated and Gail nodded.

"We don't want that, however I understand why she would be hesitant to bring anyone unfamiliar into their home," Gail counted and Shea nodded. After everything Tam had been through it does make sense that she hover.

"How about we split babysitting responsibilities? It's clear she trusts both of us or else she wouldn't be snoring right now," Shea chuckled. They both looked back at Tam who had conked out on the sofa. Tam's mouth was ajar and her hair was all over the place. Shea went over to Tam and frowned at her a little bit.

"Now this takes me back." She shook her head watched Tam's face. It was obvious she was dreaming. She let out big sigh and shifted.

"Teddy," she muttered and Gail smirked.

"Aw that's cute," Gail cooed and Shea snorted.

"In my experience whenever Tam dreams of Teddy it's never cute but hella awkward. Actually, we should probably head back into the kitchen. You want to some coffee?" Shea asked as she picked up Tam's phone so she could monitor the baby. Before they could fully leave the room they heard Tam again.

"Oh Teddy," she murmured in her sleep and Gail chuckled. She'd heard and seen worse in her lifetime. She went to work in the kitchen and pulled a couple of mugs down.

"So she would have dreams about Teddy too huh?" Gail snickered because she knew Teddy had quite a few about Tammy when he was growing up.

"Yeah, and it confused the hell out of me. The dreams started when she started dating Luke. One day I was cleaning up in her room and she starting talking among other things in her sleep and I was amused and horrified at the same time. The reason I was confused though was because Ted and Tam used to argue like cats and dogs back then. Do you remember?" Shea handed Gail a cup of coffee and sat down with her.

"Oh yes, I remember those days. I knew eventually they'd get it together. They were both avoiding the real issue, they wanted each other but were scared to tell each other and so … it took a little longer but they got there. I figured the Luke situation would've made it clear to Teddy but even after that was over he never made a move," Gail shook her head.

"Well, in Ted's defense she claimed not to really be into sex and stuff. To hear Tam tell it Ted had plenty of sex before her and maybe he didn't want to defile her. However, if he knew the way she dreamt about him. He probably would've made a move sooner. He almost caught her having one of her little dreams and I had to kick him out of the loft … as nicely as I could." Shea snickered and Gail burst into laughter.

"I would've loved to be a fly on the wall for that!" Gail took another sip of her coffee. "But you know I think I would've let him witness it. It would pushed things along wouldn't think?" Shea gave it some thought.

"It could've or it would've destroyed their friendship. Teddy would've called her out on the dream. Tam claims to not remember any of the dreams she has. So she would've denied it and if he would've pressed to do something intimate she would've denied him," Shea countered.

"I don't know. Teddy knows Tam pretty well he might have played it better but this is all hypothetical anyway," Gail shrugged. "You truly think she didn't remember the dreams I mean there had to be some kind of evidence of them."

"Yeah, now that was an interesting enough conversation to have with her!" Shea muttered. "The wet dreams aren't just for little boys sweetheart talk." Both women giggled. Shea looked down at the monitor it seemed the princess was awake and ready to eat.

"I'll heat the bottle, you go get her?" Mrs. Taylor asked and Shea nodded. The women fed the baby and Tina studied both women with happy energetic blue eyes.

"So how did she take the talk?" Gail asked as she held the baby.

"As well as could be expected. She thought I was lying and that she was only having bladder issues. So she'd wear a light pad to bed. Hell, I didn't care as long as I didn't have to witness anymore stained panties I was good. I did take the opportunity to try and ask her about Ted but she dismissed me VERY quickly. So I never brought it up again but when they got together I had the strong urge to tell her I told you so," Shea giggled. After a few seconds Teddy came in the room and smirked at both the ladies and his daughter.

"Ladies, you seemed to do the impossible. You got Tam to rest and soothed this crying little beauty." Teddy didn't try to take Tina out of Gail's arms she seemed content since she was eating.

"Tam was easy, she pretty much tapped out as soon as we got here," Shea explained.

"And Tina is a healthy little baby," Gail said and shrugged. Teddy sighed and frowned.

"I told Tam that I thought we broke the fever and that she could trust me to take care of the baby while she sleeps. She doesn't trust me," Teddy said firmly yet quietly.

"Your mother didn't trust your dad with you either at first. It's first baby syndrome," Gail advised and he nodded. He was supposed to go back but something he had heard peaked his interest and he wanted to ask questions.

"So I didn't mean to eavesdrop but," he started and Gail put her hand up.

"So you didn't hear anything!" Gail cut him to the quick and Teddy tried his best not to roll his eyes.

"You should get back to work Teddy, Tam said something about a big meeting today?" Shea switched the subject.

"Yeah Boyle had to push the meeting back. I don't know if that's a good sign. Tam used to dream about me?" Teddy asked even though he knew he wasn't supposed to.

"Yeah, and you used to dream about her too," Gail said as she shrugged him off. "What's the big deal?"

"Nothing, I just wonder what she used to dream about?" Ted got up said his goodbye to the ladies. He walked past his wife and placed another kiss on her forehead.

"Teddy," she sighed and he turned back her thinking she had woke up. She hadn't she just put her hand on her heart and smiled. Tam was his innocent one, there was no way anything dirty had been concocted in that angelic brain of hers. If there was anything nasty he was surely the one to put it there.