by Marla Meyers
“Did you hear that, Honey? They are giving you something,” Brycen said, comfortingly.
“Well, it’s not enough!” Marissa shouted.
Becka remained in the background.
“I can see the head, Marissa,” the doctor said.
Becka turned to leave.
Brycen grabbed her hand and pulled her back, keeping one hand on Marissa’s arm. “No, stay, Becka.”
Becka thrilled, said, “Are you sure?”
“You’re her best friend. We love you. Stay.”
Becka gave Brycen a quick hug and kiss, and leaned down to Marissa. “Our baby is almost here.”
“I have phoned your doctor in Houston. We are a month early, I understand.”
Marissa was having another contraction and didn’t seem to hear him. But, Becka heard him loud and clear and quickly looked over at Brycen to see if he responded. As far as Brycen knew, she should be two months early. She continued to look at Brycen, waiting for him to question the doctor. He didn’t.
“Push, Marissa!” the doctor said.
Becka, not much help at this point, didn’t think she had ever seen so much blood before. She sat down.
“It’s a girl!” the doctor announced proudly, as they held the baby up for everyone to see.
“Baby, we have a daughter!” Brycen proudly announced, “Baby Tara!”
“Becka, come see,” Marissa said, quietly, motioning Becka to come closer and see the baby.
“Oh my God, Marissa. She’s beautiful!” Becka said, looking down at the small child lying on Marissa’s stomach.
Marissa was feeling the full effects of the drugs, and Becka’s heart almost stopped when she heard Marissa faintly say the name Joshua. Again, she looked over at Brycen for some sort of reaction. Nothing. He just continued to hold her hand, then said, “Look at our precious daughter. Look what we did, Marissa.”
Marissa drifted off to sleep and the nurse took the baby to the nursery. Becka and Brycen sat there quietly for a minute, then Brycen said, “Let’s so get some coffee.”
“Okay,” Becka said, nervously, knowing that Brycen was sure to question her about the due date and ask her who Joshua was. He did neither. They sat drinking coffee and Brycen rambled on about how fast he drove there, how he was scared that he would miss the whole thing, about how much he loved Marissa and what a happy family they would have. He was a proud Father. If he knew or suspected anything he never let on.
Chapter 19
Melanie and the baby stayed in the hospital for two days. Tara, as they did name her, was small, but healthy. Brycen had stayed in Marissa’s room on a cot the nurse had brought in for him. Becka came and went.
“Baby, you ready?” Brycen asked Marissa, as she gathered up the last of her things. Becka had gone out and bought her all the little necessities toothpaste, etc.
“Yeah, I think so. Are they bringing Tara in here?” she asked Brycen.
“Yes. They will bring her to us. You get to ride out in the wheelchair, though.”
“Oh boy,” Marissa said, grinning, then asked, “So where’s Becka?”
Brycen smiled broadly. “Well, my dear. Becka won’t be leaving with us today.”
“What?” Marissa asked, confused and realizing she hadn’t seen too much of Becka since the baby was born. She would buzz in and buzz out, but she didn’t stay long.
“She plans to stay in Grove Hill for a few days,” Brycen said, not elaborating.
“What are you talking about? Becka will go crazy in this small town. What about her job and stuff?” Marissa asked.
“Seems she has made all the arrangements, Mel,” Brycen responded, then paused, before saying, “Now, honey, think about it. What would keep Becka here?”
Marissa thought for a minute.
“Oh my gosh! She’s found a man!”
“Yep!” Brycen answered, grinning.
“Who?” Marissa inquired, thinking about the people she had seen since her arrival.
“There’s a doctor that works—” Brycen started.
Marissa cut him off, saying, “You’re kidding! Not the doctor she met last time we were here?”
“I don’t know. I just know that they have been having lunch. And, I think they had dinner together last night,” Brycen answered, coaching her to get up as the nurse wheeled in the wheelchair. Another nurse was carrying the baby.
“Speak of the devil,” Brycen said, as Becka came trailing in behind the nurses.
“Hey, little Mommy,” she said to Marissa, leaning down to kiss her on the forehead.
“Hey,” Marissa replied, “what’s up?”
“I think I am going to hang out in Grove Hill for a few days.”
“So, I hear. Dr. Reynolds?”
Becka smiled. “Yes, Dr. Reynolds. Where’s my baby?” she asked, leaning over the nurses shoulder and taking a peak at Tara.
“Becka, come here,” Marissa motioned.
Becka leaned down to the wheelchair Marissa was in and Marissa gave her a big hug, saying, “Thank you for everything!”
Becka smiled, kissed her on the cheek and said, “It meant the world to me to see the birth of this baby. I love you and I’ll talk to you in a couple of days. By the way, has anyone talked to Paul or Kelly?”
“Yeah. I did,” Brycen said. “I talked to Kelly last night. She sends love and congratulations, honey.”
“I hope they come by in a few days. Right now I just want to get home and get in my own bed,” Marissa said, sounding tired.
They said their good-byes, loaded up Tara and headed for Houston.
It was a tiring drive. They had to stop several times so that Marissa could nurse Tara. When they finally got home, everyone took a nap.
Brycen stayed home with Marissa for the next few days. He was a doting Father and husband. It took a few weeks for things to seem normal, but they were adjusting. Marissa got up with the baby during the night, since Brycen had to work. He would come home in the evening, hold Tara, and tell Marissa everything that had gone on in the office that day. Marissa had planned to go back to work after being home with the baby for about six weeks.
Becka stayed busy commuting back and forth between Houston and Grove Hill. She and the Doctor were becoming quite an item. Marissa heard less and less from Becka as the weeks went on. But, she knew how it was when you were starting a new relationship and she was happy for Becka. But, she missed her.
“Next week I go back to work,” Marissa told Brycen when he got home from work one evening.
“Yeah, I know. I’ve been thinking about that,” Brycen said, with concern in his voice.
“What’s wrong?” Marissa asked, sensing his concern.
“I just don’t know if Jo Ann is the right person to keep Tara.”
Jo Ann was a woman in the neighborhood that had a three-year-old daughter. Marissa had gotten to know her well the past few months and liked her a lot.
“I thought you really liked Jo Ann?” She asked.
“I do it’s not that I just, oh, I don’t know.”
“Brycen, what’s wrong?” she asked him, irritated now.
“I just wish you could stay home with her,” he stated, his eyes questioning her.
Marissa had always just assumed she would go back to work. With the sale of the farm and Brycen’s income, she didn’t have to work, but it had always been such a big part of her life. She thought for a minute.
“Brycen, you know I wouldn’t leave Tara with Jo Ann unless I totally and completely trusted her, don’t you?”
Brycen sat down on the couch next to her and put his head on her shoulder, then said, “Yeah…I know. I trust her. I just think Tara needs her Mommy.”
This was out of nowhere. Brycen hadn’t mentioned this before. She knew he was so happy when he came home at night. They cuddled up on the couch with Tara, ate dinner and talked. They talked a lot.
“Let me think about it, okay?” Marissa said.
“Sure. I love you. Whatever you decide. I wan
t you to be happy,” he said, sounding glad that she was going to think about it.
By the next week, Marissa had decided to quit her job. Or, had Brycen decided for her, she wondered? She loved being with Tara, but she was afraid she would miss the “high’ and the fulfillment she got out of her job. Brycen brought it up every night for the next week, though. He kept telling her it was her decision, but he had so many reasons that he thought she should stay home. Maybe Tara did need a full-time Mommy, she thought.
Becka continued seeing the doctor. Marissa saw her less and less and she began missing her terribly. No more late nights together, staying up drinking wine, painting toenails. Each of their lives was taking shape, as she knew it should be. Marissa had her family now, which she adored, and Becka had Pete, the Doctor.
Paul had come back to the states. She enjoyed his, Kelly and the kid’s visits, but they lived far enough away that she did not get to see as much of them as she would have liked.
People get wrapped up in their own lives. She and Brycen were no exception, she knew. Watching Tara grow and develop into a little person with Brycen made Marissa happy, though. Life was good. But, she still missed the way things used to be with she and Becka.
Chapter 20
“Honey, go pick up your toys. Your party is going to start in a few minutes,” Marissa told JL. Tara, as they prepared for her fifth birthday party. Several neighborhood children would be there, Paul and his kids and, Becka and husband, Pete.
Becka married Pete six months after they met. They had lived in Grove Hill ever since. Marissa would have never believed it. Becka, she always assumed, needed the fast pace of the city, as she did. But, Becka had surprised her. She adored Pete and developed a new career for herself. She remodeled old homes. And, there were plenty in Grove Hill. She worked all around, though. She stayed busy and seemed happy.
Marissa and Becka had promised each other that they would stay in touch and they had kept that promise. They met the first Thursday of every month at a little diner between Houston and Grove Hill. They would spend the day together talking. Sometimes Marissa would bring Tara to see Aunt Becka, and other times she would go alone. They had not missed a Thursday in five years.
“Knock, knock,” she heard a familiar voice say, gently opening the front door.
“Hey. come in!” Marissa shouted to Becka, then
motioned to Tara to carry her toys to her room. Then she headed towards the front door to see Becka alone.
“Where’s Pete?” Marissa asked.
“Playing Doctor. Emergency at the hospital,” she answered, then asked loudly, “where is my Tara? Aunt Becka has something for you!”
“Aunt Becka!” Tara shouted as she came running through the living room, her long brown hair bouncing down around her shoulders.
“Come here, you!” Becka said, scooping her up.
“Did you bring me a present?” Tara asked, her brown eyes lit up.
“What? A present for you?” Becka teased. “I think I might have something for you! Where is your Daddy, by the way?” she asked, looking over at Marissa.
“He’s at his work,” Tara responded quickly, seemingly unaffected.
“He’s always at work,” Marissa mumbled softly, then said, “He’ll be here though. He had to go into the office for a while this morning.”
Just then, the doorbell rang, as Marissa was busy scooping up toys that were scattered all over the living room.
“Tara, can you get the door for Mommy? Becka, I’ll be right back. I’m going to go throw all this stuff in Tara’s room.” She headed towards Tara’s room in the back of the house.
Tara answered the door and in walked two little girls from down the street. Marissa returned. “Hi Leslie. Hi Angela. Why don’t you guys go play in Tara’s room until the other kids get here. How’s that?”
They headed down the hall. Marissa sat down beside Becka. “I’m so glad you’re here, Becka.”
“You are quite the Mommy, Mel. I knew you would be. What was that mumbling I heard earlier, though, about Brycen always being at work?”
“Always. He lives there. It is getting worse and worse. He spends less and less time with us.”
“You didn’t mention that the last time we met. When did this start?” Becka asked.
“Oh, I don’t know. It’s just gotten bad here lately. God, Becka. Sometimes I am so lonely I feel like I’m going nuts!”
They sat quietly on the couch for a minute, then Becka said, “I know, Marissa. I guess it happens in the best of relationships. Pete and I have totally separate lives. I don’t know when it happened. It just happened. I mean, we’re happy and all, I guess. As happy as married people get, I suppose. Maybe we expect too much?” she asked, looking at Marissa.
“Maybe,” Marissa said. “I know that I miss you, though. Are you going to stay the night?”
“Yeah, I thought I would. I’ll drive back tomorrow,” Becka replied, smiling. “We’ll paint our toenails, or something!”
Marissa thought Becka must have been reading her mind.
“Hey, I’m going to go check on the kids. Get the door if the bell rings, okay?”
“Okay, I can do that,” she joked. The door opened a few seconds later and Brycen walked in.
“Well, Miss Becka! Where’s Doctor Pete?” Brycen asked, closing the door behind him.
“Hospital. Emergency,” she stated, then rose to give Brycen a hug.
“Well, we’re glad you could make it,” he replied, smiling and leaning over to hug her. As he did, his hand slid down the left side of her rear, his fingers moving towards the inside of her leg. Before she realized what had happened, he moved his hand, and headed towards Marissa, who was walking into the room.
“Hey Babe. The kids all here yet?” he asked.
“Not yet. Just Leslie and Angela. They are playing in Tara’s room,” she said, and headed for the kitchen, saying, “Becka, want to give me hand?”
“Sure,” Becka said, moving towards the kitchen and glancing back at Brycen, who just smiled, wickedly, Becka thought. He had never laid an inappropriate hand on her before, never been anything but a gentleman. Her first reaction was to tell Marissa, “Do you know what your slimy husband just did’? But, she didn’t. Instead, she helped Marissa set the table with party hats and favors.
After the party, Kelly and Becka helped Marissa clean up. Paul and Brycen talked work, then went into the backyard to fix a broken swing on Tara’s swing set. Becka still wanted to tell Marissa what had happened, but not with Kelly there, maybe not at all. She wasn’t sure.
Later that afternoon, everyone left, except one of the little girls from another neighborhood.
“I’ll be right back, Becka. I’m going to take Christi home,” Marissa said, grabbing her purse.
Becka started to go with her, then thought to herself, no, I’ll take advantage of this opportunity to tell Brycen that running his hand down my ass is not appropriate and that I didn’t appreciate it.
“Okay. I’ll just sit here and chat with Brycen. See ya’ in a minute.”
Marissa had barely hit the driveway when Becka looked over at Brycen, sitting at the opposite end of the couch. “You asshole,” she said dryly.
“You enjoyed it, Becka. It wasn’t a big deal. Don’t make a big deal out of nothing,” Brycen said, not even looking at her, but staring ahead at the TV he had just turned on.
“Don’t ever touch me like that again, got it?” she said, adding, “and no…I did not enjoy it. Fuck you, Brycen.”
“Oooooh. Such strong language from such a pretty lady,” Brycen said, sarcastically, still staring at the TV.
“I’m going outside,” Becka said, getting up and heading for the door.
“You’re safe, Becka. I’m not going to jump you or anything,” he said, turning to look at her this time. “Really. I’m kidding. I’m sorry if it offended you! I didn’t know you’d react like that. It just happened. You looked so good walking in that door. I don’t know. Sorry, ok
ay?”
“Whatever,” she said, walking out the door.
She sat on the front step waiting for Marissa, wondering to herself what had happened to Brycen. She hadn’t seen him in a while, but he had never showed this side of himself. Had he always been like this and she had just never noticed? No. Something was different. He had changed. As she watched Marissa’s car drive up, she decided not to tell her. Maybe it wasn’t that big a deal. He only rubbed her ass a little.
That night Brycen went to bed early and Marissa and Becka did, indeed, stay up late, drink wine and paint their toenails.
Chapter 21
It was 2:00 a.m. when Marissa awoke to hear shrill screams coming from Tara’s room. She had never heard anything like it. Her chest ached as she flew from the bed and sprinted down the hall, calling to her daughter. “Tara, Mommy is coming!” Brycen was on her heels. “Tara!” he was yelling down the hall.
As they entered Tara’s room, she was sitting straight up in the bed, screaming. It was so shrill, as if she was in agony.
Brycen reached down and grabbed her shoulders, yelling at her, “Tara, wake up!”
“Don’t shake her!” Marissa yelled at Brycen, pushing him out of the way. “Tara, baby doll, wake up. It’s Mommy!”
“Mommy!” Tara shouted, reaching out and throwing her arms around Marissa’s neck. “Mommy, it burned!”
“Oh, baby, what burned? You had a bad dream, Sweetie,” Marissa said, holding Tara and stroking her hair.
“The fire. It burned me!” Tara continued, crying and shaking uncontrollably.
Marissa continued to hold her, saying, “Sweetie, it was a dream. You are okay now.”
“Tara, Honey, do you want to come sleep with me and Mommy?” Brycen asked, reaching out for her hand.
“Yeah, Daddy. Will you carry me?”
“Sure, Baby, come on.” Brycen swooped her up and they headed into their bedroom.
Marissa and Brycen sat up in the bed as they watched Tara fall asleep in between them, then Marissa said, “She has never had anything like this happen. I wonder what caused this.”
