Skip Navigation
Souvenir {Open}
|
Post by Tempest on Dec 24, 2012 21:55:35 GMT -5
Caroline lacked. Whatever it was, she felt empty. Perhaps all of the possible emotions had been used up, or perhaps she was just exhausted. Despite the rest she'd had.
Or because of it. It was all mixed up. All she knew was that the hospital would drive her crazy, if only for the fact that she couldn't see her babies when they were so close. When she awoke, she had almost panicked. Most of the labor was a hazy mess in her mind, and she couldn't actually remember the actual birth until she attempted to recall the faces of her children.
One normal, healthy baby girl. And... a wolf cub. Or something like that. We see what we want to see, hear what we want to hear
We feel what we want to feel. Had Tobias really kissed her when their daughter was born?
They were wheeling her down the hall. She was answering questions mechanically, agreeing to take whatever they were giving her.
The vice-principal's processing speed was slow, but it was beginning to draw her to the things that required thought. They were all alive. The babies, Tobias. Jaime, Amy, most of the people at the school. The boy had clawed her insides, but that was nothing. He was a fighter. Good, they needed to be fighters. Lucas hadn't stolen her babies from her. The world had been a bit of a bitch lately, but she had her babies. They were going to survive and thrive, leave the hospital. The boy and the girl- they'd grow up in a place where they would be accepted and loved for their differences.
And heaven help whoever tried to hurt them. Her hackles rose out of the mere idea that somebody might attempt to harm her babies.
The nurse pushed her to the guest lounge. Her eyes lit on Jaime, who had fallen asleep in his chair, then on Tobias.
Pale, shaken, and battling the weariness, she still smiled. It was a grim expression when partnered with the sheer haggardness of her appearance, but she was not particularly aware of this fact.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 27, 2012 11:29:52 GMT -5
Tobias had watched Jaimie falling asleep with little interest, before rummaging for some pocket change for the coffee vender. With a grumble, he paid for a weak cup and watched the liquid spit out sadly “Jaysus, everything stateside cost something,” Tobias said to himself. He took a sip and then chucked the lot of it. It wasn't coffee, it was making love in a canoe: Effing close to the water.
Caroline had been rolled in while Tobias was examining the snack machine for some chips to eat away the boredom. He had heard the wheelchair squeak along the hallway, but it hadn't register until she was in the room.
Without thought or permission, but very glad that Jaimie was sleeping, Tobias crossed to her. Kneeling down on both knees, he took her hands up in his and searched her face. “Are you okay?” It wasn't what Tobias meant to ask, even though the answer did matter to him. What he had wanted was to be taken back, and not just for the sake of his children. For the sake of himself. Tobias had watched the sun set behind the village and had only thought of what it would be like had he lost her. “Do you need anything?”
|
|
|
Post by Tempest on Dec 27, 2012 21:41:12 GMT -5
Caroline blinked, finding her hands in Tobias's. He was on his knees. The nurse took Caroline's glance as a hint and left them alone.
Silence reigned while she searched for the words. So much had happened, time was broken. When she spoke, her voice was hoarse and unsteady. "I am... fine." It had been so long since she could speak normally. Her power problems had vanished sometime after the birth.
"Three things." She looked at his hands, then his eyes. "One. I need you to tell me everything, and listen to everything. No holding back." She kissed his left hand. It smelled like cigarettes. "Two. I need you to be patient with me, knowing what has happened and how much you missed. You wanted to be part of our childrens' lives. I... I will respect that." She kissed his right hand.
"Three. I need names. I want our daughter to have my grandmother's name. Otherwise... I don't know. They're your children too." She bit her lower lip, taking her hands away from his. Shame drew her gaze to her lap. "Tobias... I'm sorry. I should not have said those things back at the bar. I was angry, and you were an easy target."
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 28, 2012 23:00:14 GMT -5
Tobias swallowed several times. She had said he could be a part of the children's lives, but not of hers. Defeat did not colour him well, but what else could he say just then? “I'm quite keen on Rory David as a name. We don't have to spell it in the Irish.” That would be a lot to ask of a teacher to try not a butcher a name with so many silent vowels. Besides, what with the wolfish side of Tobias creeping out across his son's skin, he didn't need to add to the bullying that would likely ensue. “I don't know about girls. I got to pick for my other daughter...”
Now he was just avoiding the first thing Caroline had asked of him, and if he played at that much longer, Tobias would likely just anger her again. Leaning back on his heals, he shook his head and sighed. “I can't...I don't know everything, so. I can tell you the bits that I do, but all of this madness is hazy for me. The Company Men...” He paused to message a crick in his neck. “I was kept in a cell and observed. If I made any mention of what was happening in a letter...anyway, it wasn't the worst of corporal punishment.”
Tobias had been treated much like Pavlov’s dog and it had only been a week since they let him out. The thought of it sent a chill down his spine. As if on cue, the agent with the hangdog expression that had shadowed the school before initiating Tobias' rendition, appeared silently in the doorway.
“I hear a congratulations are in order,” said the agent, in a slow, precise voice. Instantly Tobias jumped to his feet. He blocked Caroline from view and a heavy snarl whipped through the thick pulls of his neck and shoulders. He might have even barked, but a small shift of the agents hand, stilled Tobias. The man's hand was always around a small remote now, with a button he could thumb and send a shock wave down Tobias' spine. “Bad dog,” the agent said coolly.
The monitor on Tobias' bicep began to drum out a quick warning sign, like an overeager smoke alarm eying the process of toast. “Is this really the time?” Tobias bit out, his feet rooting to the earth. The muscles in his arms and face were now not entirely human. To this question, the agent only smiled.
To Caroline he said, “I'm glad the delivery went smoothly.”
|
|
|
Post by Tempest on Dec 30, 2012 17:39:34 GMT -5
"Rory David is a great name. My father's name is David." Caroline winced; she had forgotten about her parents' upcoming visit. That would make things more complicated for a bit. She shook that thought from her mind. Focusing on the present was important. "Lauriana.... Marie." She sounded it out, pulling a middle name seemingly out of the air. Lauriana was a person she had met a few times as a child, and who seemed like a nice, respectable lady. Caroline's few memories seemed to circle around the old woman hanging lagartijas from her earlobes. However, her mother had told her many stories of Lauriana's feistiness and self-respect.
Caroline listened to Tobias recount what he'd been through, her brow furrowing. In most ways, she would have preferred that Tobias had just... disappeared. As he'd done in the past. Despite the... the infuriating inconvenience his absence posed, Caroline was not the kind of person who would wish such confinement on anybody. She was not quite appeased by his meager offerings, but if he didn't remember, then he didn't remember. There was nothing she could do about that.
Her eyes flashed dark fury when the agent came in. He had not been far from her thoughts throughout the months since Tobias was taken. Not for Tobias's sake, but because this man had insisted on entering the affairs of a private school and had done nothing when the problems with the public actually started. Oho, mere resentment couldn't even begin to cover what she felt about the presence of this man. Tobias's reaction to him was far more extreme than she could have imagined.
A snarl, even? What was this about? She had a sneaking suspicion that this could mean that Tobias's detention had something to do with the agent.
When Tobias blocked her from view, she took a moment to compose herself. As the vice-principal of Foresta, she was obligated not to lose her temper when dealing with guests like this man. She couldn't even remember if the scheduled interviews had taken place- in light of all that had happened, it was highly unlikely. She took a deep breath and tried not to get angry on Tobias's behalf, despite the dog comment.
It hurt, and was probably a bad idea, but she got to her feet and placed an arm on Tobias's shoulder, trying to pull him back from the rage. "Yes, Agent G. The delivery went well." She was not going to give this man any reason to take any undue interest in their children. "What brings you to the hospital? Surely you're not here just to congratulate us." Her voice was cool and cordial, but not friendly.
She could hear Jaime stirring behind them. Without a word, her half-brother's half-brother rose to his feet and drew closer. This was deja vu, save for the fact that she could now speak normally and they were not on a rooftop.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2013 20:22:08 GMT -5
Agent G only smiled, and sidestepping out of Tobias' eye line, said, “Actually yes. For the time being. This really is just a formality.” With a dramatic pause to examine his fingernails. “Ask yourself what other reason would we allow that creature to walk freely? We want to observe him in his...natural environment...We want to see him functioning as a patriarch. As he is estranged from his other offspring, and as she has no obvious abnormality in her blood, you Ms. Harlequin were the next option.”
The vein in Tobias' neck throbbed as his jaw set forward and he snarled again. “You can't do that. You don't have any--”
With a hard chuckle, Agent G cut Tobias off. “Rights? Yes, you said the same thing when we took you in. Be thankful we've decided to not be more involved.”
The monitor on Tobias arm became shrill as his fists clenched, and its band dug into his pale skin. Nails thickening on his arm, dug into his palms. Nostrils flaring, he watched the agent in stunned silence. Tobias' blood pressure was rising to a dangerous level now and he wanted so badly to attack, to rip the folds of old flesh away from that man's neck. There was no pride in his inaction. With a sanctimonious little grin, Agent G said, “Oh...we are angry. Well, I will leave you now to some family time.” He used his fingers to draw quotations in the air and turned to leave. “Ms. Harlequin, we'll be in touch with you by weeks end.”
The door swung back and forth, exposing the distance between them and the Agent. Even when he was gone from view, Tobias could still hear his wingtip shoes echoing in the silent building. Slowly, Tobias stiff shoulders collapsed in defeat. He could do no right and caused her more suffering just by showing up. His back was turned to Caroline still, or he would have had to hide the wet suddenly staining his reddened cheeks.
|
|
|
Post by Tempest on Jan 1, 2013 21:34:00 GMT -5
Caroline started shaking the moment the man left. Jaime stepped forward quickly and adjusted the wheelchair so that the woman didn't have to move to sit down. And sit down she did. Between the burning in her belly and the weakness she suddenly felt in her knees, there was no other option. She was so angry... and so scared.
If it had just been Tobias and her, things would be different. Now, she had to consider her babies. If they didn't tread lightly, they would also be imperiled. Her dark eyes glinted like coals. "This became a human rights issue the minute they picked you up." Everything she held dear was now at stake and she was beginning to understand the fierceness she had witnessed in her mother, and had heard of her grandmother. "They got lucky the first time around."
Caroline's mind raced. Though she had never resorted to such measures previously, she had contacts that she could call. So did her parents. She looked up at Tobias, wanting to comfort him, to ease his rage. But what could she do when her own rage might just add fuel to the fire? They had sparked so many times in the past, she was unsure she could help him off this anger platform.
Jaime commented, "He only showed up to make you look uncontrolled, Tobias." Caroline realized that this was an apt description of the case- if they were truly just 'observing', then interfering in such a manner showed a clear bias. This reeked of trap. That only pissed her off more. Her eyes drifted to Tobias. She could see his shoulders slump.
This felt worse than the rage. Were they all destined to be broken? She sent a look to Jaime and he nodded. She waited until her brother-in-spirit left the room before speaking again. "Tobias... I-" Was there anything she could say to make it better? No. Nothing. Her jaw tightened. "Since the mood can't get any worse, I guess now is as good a time as any to tell you about what happened in your absence." It was still a bitter thing. She closed her eyes, but opened them again- the images were still too vivid that way.
"Emilio is dead. Renata and Lucas blew him up, along with part of the gym. Some other people were injured. It's hard to tally up the damages, but he knew something about it prior and was able to get most of the students and teachers out before the explosion." Somehow, it felt a little better to put this out in the open. No more secrets, no more dancing around the truth as though it were some kind of... of.... bomb.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2013 21:59:11 GMT -5
Tobias listened. He didn't feel he could even breathe the words spinning in his head. Emilio's death was not something he wanted to hear. Was Jaime the only one who could help Caroline if Tobias got carted away from him? It had been everything for his sanity to know that Caroline had her family and would not be hurt by this. It had been consolation that his daughter, Amelia, would not be touched either. With Emilio dead, it was like a sweater coming undone thread by thread.
He passed a hand over his jaw and rubbed his neck. What Caroline had said about human rights almost made him laugh. Tobias had thought that very same thing, but as the current government didn't consider him human, he would have to petition to Ireland for its support, and they had a habit of staying out of things. “They've robbed me of my humanity. Caught me, tagged me, put me back in the wild.”
The edges along his profile were still harsh and misshapen from his fight against the sudden burst of rage, and he felt like he was painting himself with pity. This was not how things were meant to be. “I'm sorry I can't bring your brother back with kind words,” Tobias added. At least he had never known that pained grief that could not be named, because the shock and sorrow were too great. There would always be an empty chair where Emilio was meant to be.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2013 22:51:50 GMT -5
The last student had left her office over five hours ago, but Amy had been busy with paperwork, stocking the cabinets, hanging up the late Christmas decorations, trying to keep herself busy. Being alone was bad for her; she was left with her thoughts. Work kept her mind off of things, kept her from thinking too much about, well, everything. There wasn’t much nowadays that didn’t make her upset, but she had to keep her mind off those things. It wasn’t good for her health to feel that way all the time. Plus, Jaime had been right; Emilio wouldn’t have wanted her to be so upset. Besides, she had their daughter to think of. Amy was so lucky to have this little girl growing inside of her, the product of the love Emilio & she had had for each other.
Amy looked at the clock and sucked her teeth. She didn’t want to go back to the apartment just yet, but Caroline had gone into labor and Jaime was there with her, making sure she was okay. Amorina weighed her options, not that she had many. She could either stay at Foresta for a few more hours, cleaning the office more than she already had, making excuses for her not to go home, or she could go visit Caroline in the hospital. She was nervous; worried that Caroline wouldn’t want visitors so soon after giving birth. Still, she wanted to make sure Emilio’s half-sister was alright. Caroline and her may not have technically been family, but Caroline was her daughter’s aunt.
It didn’t take Amy very long to make it to the hospital. She’d had to run home to shower and change from her scrubs, deciding on a deep blue maternity sweater that showed off her growing bump nicely and some wonderful maternity leggings. You could find “maternity” anything if you looked hard enough. She had even found maternity heels (and had almost bought them), but figured she should stick with sneakers and warm boots for the duration of this pregnancy.
She had checked her car before getting in, making sure nothing had been tampered with, nothing added that shouldn’t have been there. That took longer than actually driving to the hospital; she needed to be thorough. She wouldn’t allow anything to happen to Rosemary before she was able to see the world before them. It wasn’t an easy feat, but she managed well enough, waddling from one end of the car to the other, constantly checking every inch of it.
She’d asked the receptionist where Caroline Harlequin would be and was making her way up to her room when she spotted Jaime in the hallway. As quickly as she could, she wobbled up to him, keeping a small smile on her face. “Jaime, hey,” she said, slightly out of breath. Walking was becoming increasingly tiresome, though she hated admitting it. She glanced towards the waiting room, thinking she might have heard Caroline’s voice, but looked back to Jaime. “Is everything okay? Is, ah, is Caroline okay for visitors yet?” She felt a soft kick and placed a hand protectively on the top of her stomach, gently rubbing the spot that had just been kicked.
|
|
|
Post by Tempest on Jan 11, 2013 0:04:04 GMT -5
Caroline listened to Tobias, seemingly withdrawing into herself. Her dark eyes flashed with sudden inspiration, but she kept her thoughts to herself. The idea was still half-formed, and it needed a bit of research to flesh it out more.
She let out a soft sigh when Tobias made comment about her brother's death. "I didn't know Emilio for very long, but I'm glad to have had the time I did. It's been harder for Amy, and Jaime too, I think." She wanted to get up and move around. However, the doctor had told her to take it easy and she knew better than to test her limits further. "His behavior makes more sense now that we know what he knew." Caroline looked at Tobias, her brow scrunched up. He was still not quite himself yet and that made her both nervous and upset.
"Well, I guess you know about that now... Maybe it's time to go home." She glanced at the door, wondering if she should wait for Jaime to return before she left the hospital.
----
Jaime turned when he heard his name uttered in a familiar voice. "Hola, Amy." He had procured a small cup of water in the short period of time he had left Caroline and Tobias, and the coolness of the condensation as it beaded on the outside served to wake him up further. Amy's light coloring was set off by the deep blue of the sweater, something he was sure Emilio would have appreciated. He asked, "How are you feeling?" Amy had sounded slightly winded when she greeted him.
In response to her question he shrugged. "There was some issue with the birth. I don't know the details. She's awake now, and having a word with Tobias." His face was blank as he added, "I think she was going to tell him about Emilio." He glanced at the door too, feeling a great deal more tired at the thought despite the nap he'd had earlier. Amy's movement when she placed a hand over her stomach reminded him that he needed to stay positive. "I'm sure they've gotten most of what needed to be said out there. Shall we?"
He moved to the door of the waiting room and pulled it open, holding it for Amy with a small smile on his face.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2013 16:43:49 GMT -5
The palms of his hands were still too rough to be counted as human, but Tobias only realized this after he scrubbed his eyes. He pulled in a sharp bit of air between teeth that were too long. “Here's the thing. I just got in yesterday. I don't---” what Tobias was about to say was cut off by the door swinging open. Jaime was with someone. He new her face, but he couldn't place her name. Tobias shook his head. What had they done to his memory?
Tobias moved closer to Caroline and placed a firm grip on her shoulder. He wasn't sure he wanted to go home, not if the hospital was still holding his children and his memory being foggy with names and faces. He let go of Caroline, and... “Amy!” he said suddenly, then quieted again. He played around with his nose ring and then chewed on his thumb nail. “You look...pregnant. In a good way. A great way. Hi.”
What the hell was wrong with him? “I'm going to...stand over there,” Tobias added lamely, kissing Caroline with a sandpaper jaw then walked over to the window to stare out it. Then he started pacing, though he told himself not to. What were the doctors doing to his son and daughter. Would it be rude of him just to slip away and check on them? Tobias rolled his neck, veins throbbing. Agent G was probably lurking around, but could he do anything? Was the hospital on the side of the gifted or the normals?
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2013 18:29:43 GMT -5
Amy smiled at Jaime and gave a wave of her hand. “It’s nothing, really. Walking is becoming a sport for me now. I’ll have to start wearing tennis shoes everywhere I go,” she chuckled, giving a sigh of slight exhaustion. She really was okay; carrying around another person was simply starting to take its toll on her. That small walk had made her feet begin to swell a bit, but she knew she had a little bit before they started to really hurt her.
News of complications made Amy frown. Since he said he didn’t know the details, she didn’t push him any further; if Caroline was awake, Amy would simply ask her. She wanted to ask him more questions, but told herself not to just yet. Caroline was okay, and so were the babies. She’d hoped if anything had happened to them, Jaime would have told her.
Tobias’ name confused her for a second; she had forgotten he had returned. And she had forgotten he had no idea about… what had happened. Amy nodded, a bit to herself. “He’d find out sooner or later.” Giving a small smile to Jaime, she walked in to the waiting room, and her smile grew at the sight of Caroline. She was about to say something when Tobias shouted her name. She laughed and shrugged, patting her stomach. “Well that’s good. I’d be a little worried if I didn’t look pregnant. One more month left.” Her smile had only grown while speaking of her unborn baby girl, and she harnessed that happiness, knowing she had to keep it for the day. This was no time for her sadness.
She walked over to Caroline and hugged her as tightly as she could, placing a swift kiss on her cheek. Sitting in one of the chairs, she took Caroline’s hands in hers and gave a slight squeeze. “Congratulations, Momma. How are you doing? And how are the babies?” She wondered where the babies were at the moment; they could just be sleeping, or, because of the complications, the doctors may be monitoring them.
|
|
|
Post by Tempest on Jan 14, 2013 23:17:36 GMT -5
Caroline wasn't sure what Tobias was about to say before Amy and Jaime came in. She watched her... what? Ex-fiance? Baby-daddy? Anyhow, she watched Tobias's interaction with Amy with some growing concern. It was like.... like he'd been at war, and had left part of himself behind. She accepted his kiss wordlessly, but she felt a creeping sort of exhaustion. There were too many things that were not right and her social supports had their own problems to deal with.
Still, she had a smile ready for Amy, and she gratefully hugged the younger woman back. "Amy! You look beautiful! I hope things haven't been too busy at the clinic lately." Her smile faltered a little, just at the idea of her babies being out of her arms for the time being. "I won't say it was easy. Our son is a bit of a fighter." That was an understatement, but Caroline was keeping Amy's pregnancy in mind. The last thing she wanted to do was get her too nervous about coming to term.
"They both seem to be healthy, though, and they can come home as soon as the doctors are sure that everything is fine." There was nothing she could do about that. Even if it felt like the hospital was holding her babies hostage, she was in no condition to battle this choice on their part. She smiled at Amy, who had given her hands a squeeze. "After all of the darkness, there's light. Speaking of which, how is my niece-to-be?"
---
Jaime held back, not wanting to interrupt the sisterly words exchanged between Amy and Caroline. He watched, feeling happy in a most awkward way, until Tobias's pacing started to make him nervous. He frowned and approached the man. "Hey, man. You okay?" Tobias still seemed a little wild, much different from the guy who'd taken one for the team all those months ago with the Renata thing. That interference had nearly broken his relationship with Caroline, and Jaime wasn't one to forget that.
"You need some air or something?"
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2013 0:09:10 GMT -5
A weird almost mechanical sound was coming from his jaw. Without knowing it, Tobias had started grinding his teeth. Was he being effected some how by post-natal depression? The monitor on his arm felt tight and the low hum started again. “I'm fine,” he bit out, and an extra snap of his teeth followed. “Don't touch me!” It hadn't mattered that Jaime didn't touch him, but Tobias was feeling incredibly caged. Everything right now, from the too clean smell of disinfectant, to the squeak of nurses' shoes two floors down, was putting a strain on him, reminding him of his incarceration. It was almost like being drunk; a sober part of the brain was screaming for reason, for a halt in action, but failed to help and could only watch the drunkenness from the sidelines. Frustrated with himself for being unable to voice his distress, Tobias punched a hole in the wall, and the monitor went off in several shrill beeps.
----
Almost at the same moment the doctor came in, and Tobias hurried past, cramming a cigarette between the hard lines of his mouth. The doctor flustered, stared after Tobias, then regained composure. “The children are doing fine. They are sleeping now. You are free to go home mid-morning, but we'd like to keep Rory and Lauriana just a little while longer. Rory's condition, Circumscribed Hypertrichosis, is manageable. Often times this version of hypertrichosis regresses at puberty.”
He had used names to appear more familiar and friendly. It was not wise to share that the doctor had been approached with a handout from Agent G. A handout that he only had twenty-four hours to think over. “Has your husband always been so intense?” The doctor added, eying the fliers at the side of the waiting room that spoke about AA meetings and abusive spouses. He did not think that Tobias had been to any of the pregnancy meetings...not according the the nurse station gossip.
----
Outside in the smoking area, Tobias rolled his neck again and lit another cigarette with the butt of his old. Inhale. Count to ten. Exhale. The only good thing that had come from being a test subject had been the psychologist assigned to him. She at least had told him what to do whenever Tobias lashed out irrationally. Breathe. Get a hold on the anger.
Agent G appeared out of nowhere, his jacket drawn up around his swarthy skin against the cold. “You shouldn't smoke around the babies you know. Not even two days out of the clinic and you're smoking again. We had you completely clean.”
Tobias had a few choice words in response. Agent G's smile looked more like a grimace slashed out of an aged hunk of wood. He palmed something in his pocket and Tobias didn't have time to react. An electric shock pulsed through his arm and he nearly bit through his tongue. It sent him to his knees and he spat out his own blood. “Just because you're free for now,” Agent G said, approaching smoothly. “Doesn't mean you get to negate your medication. Once a month as always.” He lifted Tobias' shirt and counted three of the protruding vertebra up from the belt. “You should really eat more,” said the Agent as he drove the thick needle into Tobias' spine.
He had to lay there for a moment, vomiting. It had always made him feel dizzy and The Company Men had not seen fit to tell him what their 'medication' was for. Slowly, he found his footing and staggered back up to the isolated hall, stopping at the bathroom to get a wad of tissue to stopper the flow of blood.
----
The doctor was talking about vitamines and the first few precautions to take with breast feeding. Tobias had heard this all before. “Good God!” said the doctor, jumping back. “What happened?”
“I fell. Bit my tongue,” Tobias attempted to say, though vowels were difficult at the moment. He looked ashen, with all the brain drained from his face and neck, and the whites of his eyes had a hint of yellow, as if he had suddenly contracted jaundice. The doctor left to go get stitches. Only when he was out of earshot, Tobias added. “I don't want you to worry about anything. I just had a chat with Agent G.” at least, he had hoped that's what it sounded like he said.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2013 20:01:32 GMT -5
She was relieved at how alert Caroline was; usually women just out of a bad childbirth were still loopy off some pain killers or something. Caroline had always been strong, though; this quick recovery wasn’t surprising to Amy. To the inquisition of the clinic, Amy shook her head. “No, it’s actually been pretty boring. Jaime’s been extremely helpful though. I’ll have to start worrying about him taking my job from me.” The extra hands around the office had been the only way she would have made it without a mental breakdown. Sure, at times she felt a little coddled, but Jaime was Emilio’s half-brother. It wasn’t surprising that they shared some traits.
Amy tried giving Caroline a comforting smile and gave a little shake of her head. “With you two as parents, of course they’ll be fighters. I’m sure they’ll be home with you in no time.” She couldn’t imagine the stress Caroline must have been under. Anxiety bit into her stomach at the idea of anything going wrong with her own childbirth. Tobias had come back into Caroline’s life at the perfect time; he had been there for the childbirth and would, hopefully, continue being there throughout the children’s lives. Who would be there for her daughter, other than her?
Caroline’s question made her chuckle. “She’ll have a wonderful career as a soccer player if she keeps kicking so much. I have about three weeks left until she’s considered full term, so we’ll be meeting her soon enough. I think I’ve decided on a name too.” Here she stopped, suddenly feeling unsure of her decision, but who else could she really consult? Glancing down at her swollen stomach, she smiled. “I think I’ve decided on Rosalie Emilia, though sometimes I’m stuck between that or Rosemary. And I want her to have Emilio’s last name, of course.” The last part she added as a sort of afterthought. She hoped that Caroline and Jaime would be okay with that.
She was about to say something when Tobias punched the wall, making her jump. He seemed so on edge; it wasn’t the best first impression after leaving for eight months. She watched him leave, trying as hard as she could to keep the frown off her face. Lord knows what he had been through in those eight months. Tobias had never had an easy life, she knew that, but still, this was a whole new side of him she had never come close to seeing. Something was obviously wrong with him.
Turning to Caroline quizzically, Amy was about to ask something when the doctor approached them. She was glad to hear that the babies (who had the most adorable names ever!) were doing well, and disappointed to hear they’d have to stay a bit longer. Listening to him was interesting enough; she’d be hearing this same spiel not too long from now, but gave a soft gasp when Tobias walked through the door. Her hand went to her mouth and she gently shook her head. Back for a few hours and already drama was following him.
|
|
|