Okay, here it is...the much anticipated showdown between Naomi and Addison, LOL. Honestly, I don't know what to think about it, I just let it flow and this is how it came out. All I will say is that it is drama, ugly drama at that. Thanks for reading guys :) XOXO
Chapter Eleven
Sam practically yanked Naomi out into the hospital corridor so their conversation wouldn't wake Isaiah. He was so livid, he was breathing fire. "When exactly did you plan on telling me my son was getting discharged today? Were you just hoping I would show up after you had taken him home"?!
"What are you talking about Sam? You were in the room last night when the doctor said they would probably let him go home today. How could I possibly withhold something you heard directly from the original source" Naomi snapped. Sam was absolutely losing it; he was ready and willing to blame every little thing on her.
"Probably and definitely are two different things. When were you going to tell me Naomi" Sam rebutted, not easing his accusatory tone.
"First of all, I found out less than an hour ago. I've barely had time to think let alone announce to the world he's leaving the hospital. Even if I called you immediately after I found out, how do I know you would've picked up the phone? You haven't spoken directly to me the whole four days Isaiah has been here. You sit and talk with my mother and ignore me. So why would I go through the trouble of trying to track someone down who won't speak to me; especially when I knew you would show up sooner or later to visit your son anyway? You want me to tell you, fine. Isaiah is getting discharged today, I'm taking him home".
It looked like Naomi was telling the truth but Sam was skeptical of anything that came out of her mouth these days. If she could keep his son from him, who knew what else she was capable of. His son was the only positive thing he had to look forward to these days. Sleeping at his place was so lonely and depressing; he missed going to bed and waking up next to Addison. She'd claimed that they weren't broken up, but Sam feared she might be slipping away. They'd barely talked in the last four days. Though their houses were next to each other; they felt hundreds of miles apart. He prayed to God that he wouldn't lose Addison but at the end of the day, it was out of his hands. However, he could control what type of relationship he had with his son. "I want him to come home with me" Sam announced.
Naomi immediately shook her head, objecting. "No, I don't think so".
"You can't keep me away from him".
"I know you don't believe me but I'm not trying to Sam. But taking him to your house is just not a good idea. They're discharging him today but he's still weak and his immune system is still compromised. He still needs time to recuperate. And the best way he's going to do that is at home in an environment he knows and is comfortable with".
"And what do you expect me to do in the mean time? Just sit idly by and twiddle my thumbs"?
"God Sam, no. Would you stop trying to make me out to be the villain? I know it was wrong for me to keep Isaiah a secret but I never did it to be malicious. And as I told you that first night, I would never try to keep you away now that you know he exists. Until he's feeling stronger, I have no problem with you visiting him at my house. I'll stay out of your way; I'll go upstairs or run errands while you visit with him, it doesn't matter. My number one concern is for Isaiah's health and recovery".
"And after he's recovered"?
"Then we'll work out a schedule. I want Isaiah to get to know you just as much as you want to know him".
Sam really hated that Naomi sounded so reasonable; he wanted an excuse to rant and rave at her. He didn't know if the anger he felt towards her would ever go away; he didn't even know if it would weaken. To his dismay, Naomi was right. Isaiah needed time to fully recover and putting him in an unknown environment away from his mother would more than likely frighten and stress him out, which would inevitably set back his progress. "Fine, he goes home with you but I'll be stopping by every single day to check on him".
"I wouldn't expect any less".
"And as soon as he's fully recovered, I want him to start spending some nights at my house".
Naomi hesitated; she'd never spent a night away from Isaiah since he'd been born. The very thought made her chest ache. This was moving way too fast. "We can discuss that" she hedged.
"No Naomi; there is no discussion. I'm his father and I have the same rights to him as you do. And as his father, I have the right to make decisions for him and spend time with him whenever I like".
Blowing out a frustrated breath, Naomi responded "I know that Sam. I'm just concerned about making the transition for Isaiah as smooth as possible. Moving so fast might not be such a good idea. Don't you think you should start with day trips before jumping right into overnight stays"?
"You just have an answer for everything, don't you"?
"No, I don't. I don't know how to convince you that I didn't keep Isaiah from you out of vengeance or spite. I don't know how to get you to talk to me without yelling, that is when you choose to speak to me at all" Naomi confessed.
To be honest, Sam didn't know what it would take either; or if it was even possible. Staring at her for a moment, seeing the frustration in her eyes, he almost wanted to let all of his anger go. Then he looked back into the hospital room where his son was sleeping. He'd missed six months of watching his son sleep; his anger rose again. "Good luck figuring that out" Sam snidely, before he walked back into the room, leaving a stunned Naomi in the hallway alone.
…
"Did you have a nice nap" Addison asked insincerely.
"Addison, what are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be at the hospital all day" Naomi said, sitting up straighter and swinging her legs over the couch onto the floor. This was the first time she'd seen Addison, who'd been conveniently at the hospital all week, since Isaiah had been revealed. Naomi knew this moment had been coming, but she still wasn't prepared.
"Doesn't matter; but since we're both here, I thought we could have a talk" Addison said, ignoring Naomi's question.
What was there to say? Naomi needed more time to find the right words; and more importantly, right now, she needed to locate her son. "Now is not really a good time. I have to find my son. Pete took Isaiah with him earlier today, they should have been back by now" Naomi said, flustered. Standing up, she walked to her desk. "Where is my phone? Please God, I hope nothing happened to them".
"He's fine. He's next door with Sam. Pete came back over an hour ago, around the same time Sam and I stopped by the practice. When he saw you sleeping, he didn't want to disturb you. He's nice that way. And since Sam can't function without spending time with his son, it worked out perfectly".
"Oh thank God" Naomi said, relieved, clutching her chest. Sitting on the edge of her desk, she took deep breaths until she fully calmed down. When she'd regained some sense of normalcy, Naomi looked back at Addison. "Thank you for telling me".
"Sure, no problem" Addison said diplomatically.
Naomi studied Addison more closely. She had spoken in a nice even toned, emotionless voice but there was a thinly veiled layer of vitriol beneath the surface. She was pissed. There was no way she was going to let Naomi leave without having their inevitable conversation. However, it still didn't make Naomi any more eager to hash it out with Addison. "I should go check on Isaiah" Naomi hedged, trying to delay their talk for a few more minutes.
"What? You don't believe me" Addison accused. Look down by your feet Naomi. Isaiah's car seat and baby bag are sitting right there. Or is it Sam? Do you not think he's capable of looking after his own son"?
"No, it's none of those things. It's just that…."
"Good. So let's have our little chat" Addison demanded, cutting Naomi off.
Playing with her hands nervously, Naomi admitted "honestly, Addison, I don't know what to say to you".
"Really? You can't think of one thing" Addison asked, standing up and walking closer to Naomi, disbelief written all over her face.
"Based on your reaction, I'm guessing there's something specific you want to hear from me; but I have no idea what that is".
"Well, let's see. You slept with Sam behind my back and secretly had his baby. You're a smart woman Naomi, I'm sure you can figure it out".
Naomi shook her head. "I've already explained what happened and owned up to the mistakes I made. And I've given you space to digest everything. I don't know what else you want from me".
"How about a damn apology" Addison finally yelled, frustrated. "You're supposed to be my best friend and you stabbed me in the back. An apology should be automatic without me saying anything". Angry tears threatened to fall from Addison's eyes.
Naomi jumped up from the edge of her desk; it was her turn to disbelieve. "You can't be serious".
"I'm serious as a heart attack" Addison said, lifting her chin in resolve.
"Then you're in for a big disappointment because I'm not sorry. Not when those mistakes brought me my son. Nothing in this world that involves him could ever make me feel sorry. Besides…" Naomi took a deep breath. "Never mind, I'll just leave it at that".
"Oh, don't stop now. Finish what you were going to say" Addison insisted, ignoring the pangs in her chest. Not only was Naomi unrepentant but she was throwing Isaiah in her face.
Naomi stood straighter and looked Addison directly in the eye. If Addison really wanted to know, she was going to tell her. "Truthfully, I don't feel any loyalty towards you anymore. And you certainly don't feel any towards me. It doesn't make me proud of my actions, I know what I did was wrong, but it certainly has made me feel less guilty".
Addison stepped back, taken off guard. She hadn't seen that blow coming. "Excuse me? Exactly how have I been disloyal"?
Grunting, Naomi just shook her head again. Now who was the clueless one?
"Tell me" Addison yelled.
Naomi contemplated if she really wanted to throw everything out on the table, including her old feelings for Sam. Sometimes holding onto her pent up emotions really did take its toll. Maybe expressing how she felt would relieve some of her stress. In the end, she decided to just let the words flow; what did or didn't come out would be left up to the heat of the moment. "Fine. You said we're supposed to be best friends. Last time I checked, best friends don't date their best friend's ex-husband. But you did and you got caught in the crossfire".
Addison went deathly still. "So there it is. I was wondering how long it was going to take for you to admit you had a problem with me and Sam". Addison sarcastically checked her watch. "Not too long; it only took you two and a half years. And it took even less time for you to try and sabotage us".
"Get over yourself Addison; the world does not revolve around you as much as you like to think it does. I have better things to do with my time than plot against you. I was simply making the point that exes can be unpredictable. You never know what might happen between them; which is why friends shouldn't date each other's exes in the first place. Point blank, you betrayed my trust. What? Was I magically supposed to be okay with you dating Sam because you said so? I don't think so. And yet I still took the high road. I didn't interfere, I didn't voice my objections; instead I moved to the other side of the country. Even when I came back, I put up with all of your baby talk and gave you advice. That's the exact opposite of sabotage".
"Then what would you call Isaiah"?
"Don't go there Addison; I would never use him or any child as a form or revenge" Naomi cautioned in a dangerously low voice. "He's a blessing that came out of a very messy situation".
"You mean the messy situation where you fucked my boyfriend" Addison asked angrily. "As much as you want to pretend otherwise, the truth is I did nothing wrong. You and Sam had been over for a long time. He was fair game and we fell for each other. You're the one who betrayed me. Feeding me some bullshit about exes being unpredictable is not going to cut it Naomi. You're just acting all high and mighty and trying to justify what you did".
"No, I'm giving you the facts. Lord knows you've had enough exes to know I'm telling the truth. As I've said a thousand times, I know what I did was wrong, but I never intentionally set out to hurt you or anyone. As grateful as I am for my son, I wouldn't have made the same choice again. You're the one who is living in denial about their actions. You knew getting with Sam would hurt me, you knew" Naomi screeched, her throat getting tight, her eyes getting moist. "And yet you did it anyway. And to make matters worse, you didn't even have the courtesy to soften the blow. You never told me you liked him nor had feelings for him. Just one day you two were in love and a couple and that was it".
"Why does it even matter" Addison screeched back, getting defensive. "You didn't want him anymore. You up and abandoned him like he was week old trash"!
"Wow…just wow! Sam's dick must have you speaking in tongues. I find it interesting how you used to wonder how we both let each other get away from the other, how you used to beg us to kiss and make up; but now that you're screwing him, I've suddenly turned into some evil heartless bitch who left him on the side of the road. And of course, you were just doing your duty by rescuing him from a life of destitution and despair, right"? Naomi shook her head in amazement. If only her so called friend knew the truth. What excuse would she use then?
"You did abandon him! You were dating a new guy every week, including my brother! He was miserable"!
"You don't think I was miserable too?! I was just trying to move on with my life. As my best friend, you should've known that"!
"And Sam tried to do the same. But because he finally moved on with me, you can't stand to see him happy".
"Yeah, I've just been such a pain in the ass by keeping my mouth shut and moving to New York. And I just couldn't wait to hide our indiscretion from you all in the name of destroying his happiness" Naomi spewed sarcastically. Getting serious, she added "really Addison? You asked me how I felt and I told you; but I've never acted on my feelings. So for you to make all these accusations is ridiculous. It's not like I made Sam sleep with me. How can I be the destroyer of his or your happiness when I didn't even force him to do anything? For all I know, he could still be happy. Yall are still a couple aren't you"?
Addison had had enough of Naomi's smug attitude. Who the hell did she think she was? "You know what? You act like Sam isn't allowed to love anyone but you. You couldn't be more wrong. He wouldn't have even taken a second glance at you if it wasn't for me".
Naomi rolled her eyes. "What are you talking about"?
"I'm talking about freshman year of medical school. Sam wanted me; he asked me out first. But I knew you liked him so I said no. I'm the one who told him to give you a chance. If you want to play some childish territory game, fine; but have all the facts first. Sam has always been mine; I just let you have him".
Naomi stumbled back into her desk, jarred. It took everything in her to keep her face expressionless. That couldn't be true. Could it? She looked into Addison's eyes and saw she was telling the truth. Sam had wanted Addison all along. He had only settled for her. Had he ever really loved her then? Naomi had the sinking feeling the answer was no. Maybe Sam had cared but she had been the only one that was in love during their marriage…and after their marriage. Their whole relationship had been a farce. That truth hurt worse than anything else Addison had or could say combined. Adding insult to injury, the manner in which Addison had dropped the new information made it doubly difficult for Naomi to process. It was as if she expected Naomi to thank her for letting her borrow Sam, for providing her happiness. So many thoughts were racing through her head, Naomi didn't even notice Sam standing in the door until Isaiah started whining in his arms; she looked at them and automatically knew he'd heard Addison's revelation. She had to be sure. "Is it true" Naomi asked.
Sam knew his ex-wife; he knew the conclusions she would jump to. She'd assume that he never loved her or that he'd settled for second choice. That wasn't true. In actuality, he'd forgotten even asking Addison out until now; the moment he'd laid eyes on Naomi, that had been it for him. But Naomi had asked a yes or no question; and however over exaggerated Addison's version of the story might be, she was telling the truth. Plus, his anger at his ex-wife over their son kept him from being too sympathetic. "Yes" he answered.
Naomi nodded her head absentmindedly, still trying to digest everything. "Wow. You learn something new every day". She was grateful she'd kept her feelings for Sam to herself; it would have made her look even more pathetic than she already did. She turned back to Addison. "After that, I don't think there's anything left to say. You've firmly put me in my place" Naomi said with an empty smile. She felt defeated and broken, but she wasn't going to show it. The few moments she'd let her guard down over the last few years kept biting her in the ass.
"I guess not" Addison said uncomfortably, suddenly feeling like she'd gone too far. She was trying to hide it, but Addison could see the pain in Naomi's eyes. But Naomi had hurt her too.
"We have plenty to talk about" Sam said, addressing Naomi.
Naomi wanted to scream. There was nothing like being kicked when you were already down. She looked at her ex-husband and only thought one thing. He had never loved her. Something inside her ripped, tore in two but outwardly, she kept her composure. "Does that mean you're actually talking to me"?
Before Sam could answer, Isaiah's whines turned into full blown screams. Apparently, he wasn't getting enough attention. Naomi immediately felt guilty; she had been so caught off guard by what Addison said, she hadn't fully registered that he was in the room, and that it had been hours since she'd seen him. "Isaiah" she exclaimed, reaching for him as he reached for her.
Sam was tempted to hold onto Isaiah, but he saw the look in his ex-wife's eyes. She needed the love and comfort of her son; and his son needed his mother. Something about the pain in Naomi's eyes made his anger soften against his will. He was starting to regret not explaining the situation fully to Naomi. He really had loved her; and he still cared for her deeply…when he wasn't busy hating her. So when Naomi reached for Isaiah, Sam released him into her arms.
Isaiah was still screaming even when Naomi took him. "What's wrong Zay-Zay? What's wrong with mommy's baby" she asked, rocking him. It wasn't helping. He screamed and cried and clung to her shirt desperately.
"He's worn out; he was almost asleep when you two started yelling" Sam said matter-of-factly, as he went to stand by Addison. He hadn't heard the whole fight, but he knew it was about him. As usual, Naomi's mother had been right. Naomi had never been comfortable with him dating Addison.
"Mommy is sorry" Naomi whispered, hugging him close. Isaiah kept tugging at her shirt, his face full of tears and misery. Reaching for the baby bag, Naomi looked inside for a bottle but unfortunately, they were all empty. Thinking fast, she grabbed a baby blanket instead. "Okay, okay" Naomi cooed as she went over and sat on the couch. Quickly unbuttoning her blouse, she shielded herself as she pulled down one side of her bra down and let Isaiah latch on. He immediately calmed down as he began to suck ravenously. "That's better; mommy's baby is just hungry and tired" Naomi said, as she wiped the tears and snot from his face before covering him and her chest up with the baby blanket. Not bothering to look up from her son, Naomi said "So Sam…talk, fast preferably. I need to get Isaiah home".
The smartness in Naomi's tone automatically kicked Sam's anger into high gear again. Why did he even try with her? And why did she have to breastfeed Isaiah in front of him? She could have given him a pacifier and waited a few minutes. He shifted uncomfortably, wanting to look away from her, but he stood his ground. "I want to know why you insisted Isaiah wasn't well enough to leave the house but at the first chance you got, you brought him to work behind my back".
Naomi stared at Sam incredulously. Now it made sense; he didn't want to talk to her, he wanted to yell and accuse as usual. "Sam, I said that two weeks ago. I would think he's feeling better by now. Besides, I didn't do anything behind your back. I had no choice but to bring him to work. My mom is gone, your mom left this morning, and the babysitter had a last minute emergency. I couldn't cancel on my patients again, so I did what I had to do".
"And you couldn't call and tell me any of this" Sam demanded. "What was going to happen when I stopped by your house later and both of you weren't there"?
Naomi felt like she was stuck in a time warp with Sam; always having the same exact argument . "Oh, is this the part where I'm supposed to pretend you've actually spoken to me in the last two weeks" she asked. "Sam, if you wouldn't even speak to me in person, why would I think you would pick up the phone? And to answer your other question, I planned on being home by then. No matter how much you keep accusing me of it, I'm not trying to keep you away from Isaiah".
Sam ignored her rebuttal and kept going. "And then, you let Pete take him for the afternoon. You won't even let me leave your house with my own son but Pete gets to spend the whole afternoon in the park with him".
"He was doing me a favor" Naomi said, raising her voice. "Why must everything be my fault? You're a doctor too. You visit Isaiah every day; you know as well as I that he was feeling better. Why didn't you bring the subject up about taking him out the house again until now? You like to keep reminding me how you have just as much say so when it comes to Isaiah as I do. So why are you waiting for me to say when and where it's okay to do things with your son? I haven't forced you to come over my house every day, that's all you. You want to make different decisions for your son, then start making them".
Balling his fists at his side, Sam said through clenched teeth "You're impossible".
"Why? Because I refuse to let you blame me for everything? I wasn't the only one in that bed Sam; I didn't make Isaiah by myself. It was wrong of me to keep him from you, and for that….I truly am sorry. That's the one thing I'm truly sorry for in this whole situation. But I made the best decision I could at the time and I can't change it. You have to make a decision Sam. Either you can keep hating me and making it impossible for us to raise Isaiah together, or you can put your hurt feelings aside and we can do what's best for our son" Naomi ranted. She really wasn't in the mood for this; she was tired of playing this game with him. She was tired of being dumped on by everyone she knew. And having just learned that the man who'd stolen her heart had never loved her, and was now in fact staring at her with pure hate in his eyes….she was barely holding onto her sanity. It was taking so much of her concentration, she didn't even feel it when the baby blanket slipped down, exposing her naked breast. Somehow in the chaos, she'd also missed Isaiah stopping and falling asleep. He must've been so tired from his day with Pete, once he'd eaten; the noise had no longer bothered him.
Sam tried to ignore her nakedness, tried to keep his eyes from roaming to her soft full bouncy breast. But the basic instinctually male part of him that wanted only one thing was making it hard. For the life of him, he couldn't remember what he wanted to say.
"Sam, if you have something to say, say it" Naomi nearly yelled, frustrated beyond belief.
Addison, who had been quiet, noticed Sam struggling. They were slowly trying to work though him cheating on her. Addison loved him and really wanted them to work, especially after just having a big blowout with Naomi. If she was going to lose, or by many indications, had already lost her best friend, she wanted it to be worth it. But Sam having a hard time keeping his eyes off his ex-wife was definitely not helping their situation. "Maybe you should cover up first" Addison said, speaking up.
"What" Naomi asked, confused. Looking down, she gasped. Isaiah was asleep and her chest was on full display. Embarrassed, she quickly pulled the blanket over her, fixed her bra and buttoned her blouse. Then, she threw the blanket over her shoulder and gingerly picked her sleeping son up and placed his head on her shoulder as well. Wiping milk from the corners of her mouth, she gently patted his back until he burped in his sleep. "Sorry" Naomi mumbled. "What did you have to say".
Addison observed Naomi jealously. She wanted so badly to have her own child to breastfeed, to fall asleep in her arms, to love and to care for.
Sam finally got his train of thought back. Naomi had actually apologized; that was the first time he'd heard her show any remorse. It didn't erase her transgression, but if she could apologize…maybe he could learn to forgive. Sighing, he said "You're right, we do need to start getting along better for Isaiah's sake. And if I'm going to keep proclaiming I have the right to make decisions for him, then I need to start making them. So, I want Isaiah to spend the whole day Saturday and Saturday night with me. I'll pick him up early in the morning and drop him back off Sunday afternoon".
Naomi looked up, panicked surprise on her face. "Wait Sam, I don't think…."
"I don't care what you think Naomi" Sam shouted, a burst of anger rising. Taking a deep breath, he calmed down and tried again. "Look, I'm just exercising my parental rights. You've had him to yourself for six months. One day will not kill you. You want me to try and put my feelings aside, I will. But you have to compromise too. I want a day and night with my son. We need longer periods of time to bond; and he needs to get to know Addison and Addison needs to get to know him. She's an important part of my life and I want Isaiah to feel relaxed around her". Sam hadn't said that to be mean or hurt Naomi's feelings; he'd said it because it was the truth. He reached out and grabbed Addison's hand and squeezed it.
Squeezing his hand back, Addison smiled, feeling relieved. She needed to stop overreacting to every little thing. Yes, Sam had messed up but he loved her. She had nothing to worry about except getting past this little rough patch. And in the long run, Isaiah could turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Maybe the more time Sam spent with his son, the more open he would be to having more kids with her.
Naomi looked away from them, glanced at her son as he rested peacefully. She kissed him on the cheek and wondered how she would survive Saturday night without him; wondered if he would like Addison more than her. Her heart was breaking into so many pieces and floating into so many different directions, she didn't know what to do. But she had made her bed, and now she had to lie in it. "Fine" she said. "I'll have him ready Saturday morning. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a baby to put to bed". Standing up slowly, to keep from jostling Isaiah, she walked over to his car seat, picked it up and put it on her desk. Carefully, she placed him the seat, strapping him in. As she started to gather her belongings, she heard Sam break the awkward silence and ask her "Do you need help"?
Briefly closing her eyes, Naomi inhaled. She was painfully close to losing it all together. She had to get out of there. Turning around, Naomi put on her fake smile. "No, I'm fine, thank you. You two have a good evening. I'll see you tomorrow" she said, effectively dismissing them. She turned back around just before tears started to fall.
FYI: I know things are far from resolved between Naomi and Addison but there was no way it was going to happen in one chapter. Though their friendship is not my main focus, there will be more conversations between them in the future. I don't know where they'll end up by the end of this story, but it won't be in this nast spot. :)