"Hey um, I gotta go get Alex from G-mommy's i'll be right back. Okay?" Seaweed said getting up from his chair next to the hospital bed. Everyone nodded in understanding as he wiped his tears and left.
As he drove to his G-Mommy and G-Daddy's house, he wondered if he should tell them all that had happened with Maybelle. That is their daughter, so they have a right to know, but could they handle it?
"Hey Seaweed! Alex is just getting changed so he should be ready in a second. Come on in." Lawrence said when he opened the door. Seaweed stepped in the house and went back to the living room where Ellie was changing Alex on the couch.
"I'll need to tell you all something." Seaweed said sitting down ,in his favorite chair since he was a kid, and they focused their attention to him.
"Momma's in the hospital. She was pregnant and at her 9th week, she miscarried. She was depressed afterwards. She wouldn't eat, she wouldn't get out of bed, she wouldn't even talk. This morning, while nobody was home, she decided to try to take her life. Luckly, I got back just in time to get her an ambulance, and they were able to save her before it was too late." Seaweed explained delicately.
Lawrence got up and grabbed his keys while Ellie handed Alex to Seaweed.
"Where are you going my love?" Ellie ask her husband, getting up behind him.
"I'm going to see my little girl." Lawrence said walking out of the house and shutting the door.
"We should go. You can ride with me." Seaweed said heading towards the door. Ellie nodded and they left.
When they all got to the hospital Inez and Corny were standing in the lobby.
"What's going on?Why are y'all not back there with her?" Seaweed ask. Inez took Alex while pacing back and forth.
"One of her cuts opened and they can't stop the bleeding." Corny explained. Just then a nurse approached the family.
"They got the wound closed and the bleeding to stop," the nurse reported. She looked around and saw that there were an additional 2 people and said, "but only family is allowed back there right now."
"All of us are family. That's her daughter, Grandson, Son, i'm her father, this is her mother, and he's her husband." Lawrence explained pointing everyone out.
"Well then you all are welcome back there." the nurse said, gesturing to Maybelle's room. The all walked swiftly down the hall, eager to get back to her.
"Baby girl?" Lawrence ask quietly as they all entered the room. Maybelle forced her eyes open to see who was there.
"Daddy?" Maybelle wispered. They all crouded around her bed, finding places to sit.
"How is my May beauty?" Ellie ask as she brushed her hand gently down Maybelle's tired face.
"May beauty?" Corny ask before Maybelle could answer her.
"She was born in May, as you know, and Belle in French means beauty, and when she was born she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, so I named her Maybelle." Ellie explained to Corny, and everybody listened like they were hearing it for the first time, but they all knew the story by heart.
"I'm okay mommy." Maybelle said smiling weakly.
"But you're not baby girl." Lawrence said taking her hand delicately.
"I know." Maybelle said breaking down into tears again. They all gave Lawrence a look of "really?".
" It's okay baby we can get through this. Okay?" Corny said placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Yeah Momma. Things happen and life goes on. It's how we deal with the things that really matters." Seaweed spoke wisely, shocking everyone in the room. Maybelle nodded and dried her eyes. Inez was holding Alex and playing with him to keep him from crying.
"Do you want to go see Lottie?" Inez ask Alex in a playful tone. Maybelle streched out her arms and took Alex from Inez. She held him close and smiled.
"I can't leave you. At least not yet." Maybelle told Alex sealing her statment with a kiss on his forehead.