The Human Side

by Cori Garrison

  Randy turned to look up at her. “You walked away and just left me there.”

  Stacy’s heart broke as she saw Randy’s eyes filled with vulnerability. She reminded Stacy of a small child who was lost and scared.

  Randy turned away when the tears started to roll down her cheeks. She hated for anyone to see cry. She couldn’t stop the tears now and she felt the bed move. I don’t blame her for leaving, who wants to deal with an insecure crybaby.

  She was startled to feel Stacy lay down next to her, wrapping her arms around Randy and pulling her over against her. She held her tight, letting her sob against her while she stroked her hair and back.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to see me like this.” Randy sniffled, keeping her face buried.

  “Don’t you ever apologize to me for showing your feelings or for being you.” She leaned up and turned Randy’s face to look at her. “What are you so afraid of baby?”

  “What if I’m not enough? What if I’m not deep enough to hold your conversations? What if I’m not interesting enough to hold your attention? What if you don’t want to stay with me?” Randy stared at Stacy with teary eyes full of self-doubt.

  Stacy smiled. “You really have no idea what a beautiful person you are do you? I’m sorry that circumstances in your life have left you thinking that you are not good enough or that someone couldn’t love you enough to stay with you.” She caressed Randy’s cheek softly. “You are so selfless. You sacrificed your own life to keep me safe. You went out of your way to visit a tiny baby because you connected with his loss. You have shown me a love I didn’t know existed. You have become not only my lover, but my best friend. There is nothing about you that could make me run.”

  “Do you think maybe we could try going to the hospital again this morning?” Randy asked.

  Stacy kissed her softly. “Of course we can. I am so sorry that I let my mouth run and ruined our time. I know you really wanted to see Jace.”

  “I did and I do. Its okay, we can go today. I can’t believe you came back?” Randy said, looking at her like she had three heads.

  “Came back?” She kissed Randy again. “Oh baby, I never left. It was just a misunderstanding. I promise that I will be more aware of how my fly-off-the-handle behavior affects you. I am so sorry.”

  Randy looked at her silently for what seemed like an eternity before she spoke. “This wasn’t supposed to happen. I didn’t mean to fall in love with you.”

  Stacy giggled “Honey, that’s okay you know. You can’t control everything.”

  Randy sighed. “I’m beginning to realize that, especially since I met you.” She pulled Stacy close. “Right now, I need you to be in control. I need you to make love to me, will you?”

  “You don’t have to ask me twice.” Stacy said, pulling her close to kiss her.

  ****

  Later that morning, Stacy and Randy finally made it up to the hospital to visit Rebecca, Shawn and the twins. Randy was nervous at first, she was certain that Shawn would look at her like she had ‘recruited’ her baby sister. She was surprised when Shawn greeted her with a hug.

  “It’s good to see you! I’m glad to see you up and around. How’s the leg doing?” Shawn asked.

  While everyone chatted, Rebecca’s watchful eyes did not miss the intimate interaction between Stacy and Randy. It wasn’t anything outrageous but rather the quick hand against Randy’s back or the adoring look in Randy’s eyes when Stacy smiled at her.

  When they left to head to the other side of the floor to NICU to visit baby Jace, Rebecca poked Shawn’s side. “I think whatever issue those two had after Randy was shot, is worked out.” She said with a sly smile.

  Shawn was busy memorizing the petite features of her daughter, but looked up at Rebecca’s face when she recognized something in her tone of voice. “What is it?” She asked.

  “I think they are sleeping together and I’m pretty sure it’s more than just sex for them.” Rebecca grinned at Shawn.

  Shawn grinned back. “Well that doesn’t surprise me about Randy. I was pretty sure she was in love with Stacy. Good for them. I hope they find as much happiness as we have together. I can’t wait for all of us to go home in the morning.”

  “Me either, I’m ready to sleep in our bed with you snuggled up behind me.” Rebecca stated excitedly.

  Shawn looked guilty. “Uh, well I guess I should tell you that I had a new mattress delivered yesterday. I made sure I bought the exact same one because I know you love it so much. There was just no saving the other one.” She explained.

  “Oh! I wasn’t even thinking about that! You take such good care of me, you know that?” Rebecca smiled and kissed her cheek.

  Later that night, they snuggled the best they could in the hospital bed. Shawn was running her fingers through Rebecca’s hair, getting her to drift off to sleep when her cell phone rang. She looked at the caller ID. “Hey Sam, what’s up?” She answered. “Hang on, let me check with Becca.”

  She held the phone down. “Sam said the doctor said that if Jace hasn’t had any setbacks by Saturday morning, they are going to send him home! She wondered if we would feel comfortable enough to stop by for an hour or so? Do you think you’ll be up to it? I don’t want these two out for long, but an hour at Sam’s house shouldn’t hurt.”

  “That should be okay honey; we can play it by ear.” Rebecca said sleepily.

  Shawn relayed their answer to Sam and hung up. “You are so damn adorable when you’re sleepy.” She said as she kissed Rebecca’s forehead. “Let’s go to sleep and in the morning, we get to take our babies home!”

  They were both wide awake by six the next morning. They blamed it on the babies being hungry and nurses interrupting them but in reality they were both too excited about going home to sleep any later.

  By nine the doctor had put the discharge order in the system. Shawn packed up the last of the stuff and headed down to load the truck up. “I’ll be back in a little bit baby.” She couldn’t keep the grin from her face.

  “You better be! Remember you promised me you were here to stay.” Rebecca teased her.

  Shawn laughed as she walked out of the room. “You couldn’t keep me away.”

  Before long she was back up to the room and found that Rebecca was sitting in a wheel chair waiting. The nurse was waiting and helped Shawn get the babies strapped in to their car seats. Shawn snapped more pictures with her phone of them before the nurse pushed Rebecca down the hallway with Shawn following behind, carrying a car seat in each hand.

  With the babies secured in the back seat and Rebecca sitting in the passenger’s seat, Shawn pulled away from the hospital and reached for Rebecca’s hand.

  “Take us home.” Rebecca said smiling at Shawn.

  ****

  Jenna had just stepped out of the shower when she heard Sam enter the bedroom. “He’s finally asleep.” Sam called to her. “I think he’s as excited as we are, but he has no idea why.” She laughed.

  “Baby, can you come in here for a minute please?” Jenna called to her.

  Sam appeared in the doorway almost immediately wearing only a tank top and short boy briefs. “Is everything……” She forgot about finishing her sentence when she saw Jenna, with her butt leaning against the bathroom counter, stark naked. “Are you… ok? She finally managed to finish her question.

  “No, no I’m not okay. I have this ache that will not go away. I need your help.” She crooked her finger at Sam. “And before I get distracted and forget to tell you, there is nothing sexier than your breasts in a tank top.” Her eyes drifted from Sam’s full breasts up to Sam’s eyes, noticing how dark blue they had turned.

  Sam arched her eyebrow. “Well, I can’t have my baby aching. What can I do to help? I could offer you these, if it would help.” She ran her hands under her own tank top and squeezed her breasts.

  Jenna nodded slightly; her eyes were glued to Sam’s breasts. “Come here.” She whispered. “Oh God, come closer please.”

 
Sam stepped forward and stood between Jenna’s legs. “I don’t remember having these problems when I was pregnant, but I know Rebecca said she was crazy for a while with it and now you seem to be in overdrive. I’m certainly not complaining, I love how you look at me, like you’re hungry.” Sam grabbed Jenna’s hands and pulled them under her shirt to cover her breasts.

  A vivid memory ran through Jenna’s mind of the two of them standing in the kitchen the night they first made love. Jenna had slid her hands under Sam’s shirt and squeezed them in a haze of lust, forgetting about the fact that Sam was breastfeeding, which caused milk to stream out. She looked up into Sam’s eyes as she squeezed them now. “I hope you find my breasts as sexy when I’m nursing as I did yours.”

  Sam groaned. “I used to think it would be weird to be breastfeeding and then allow your significant other to suckle also. But the two are nothing like each other. I found it incredibly erotic when you’d suckle. I can’t wait to try it with you. And for the record, your breasts are fucking sexy now.”

  Jenna unexpectedly began to cry.

  “Oh baby did I say something that hurt your feelings?” Sam pulled her into a tight hug.

  Jenna shook her head against her. “No, baby you didn’t do anything wrong. I’m just all over the place with my emotions. I love you so much and I am so incredibly happy that you asked me to marry you. I can’t wait until tomorrow when everyone is here so I can stop hiding the ring. I want the world to know that I’m going to marry you.”

  “I know baby. I can’t wait either. I’m glad we decided to wait though so that Shawn and Rebecca would have their exciting moment with the birth of the twins. Tomorrow we will celebrate Jace coming home and we will surprise them with your ring and the fact that you’re pregnant. It feels like forever since we’ve all gotten together.” Sam kissed Jenna’s neck.

  Jenna shivered and snuggled closer in Sam’s arms. “Take me to bed, I thought I wanted to be all sexy but I think I just want to cuddle with you and talk ok?”

  “Absolutely, as long as you stay naked.” Sam grinned.

  Jenna laughed and tugged Sam by the hand. “I will, if you are too.” She led her to the bed, flipping the light out on the way past.

  Sam pulled Jenna half way on top of her, holding her tight. “I’m so excited about tomorrow, I can hardly stand it. I keep looking over at the bassinet thinking about the fact that tomorrow night, our boy will be sleeping in it for the first time.”

  Jenna traced her fingers down Sam’s arm. “I keep alternating between excitement and panic. When I start to panic I just think about Jackson. What if he was all alone? I can’t imagine not bringing Jace to live with us, even if it means we will have three babies.”

  “I agree. I think it was meant to be though. Jace may need extra care for a while; with me working from home and you a nurse, it couldn’t be any better. The timing may be a little off, with this little one on the way, but life doesn’t always wait for the perfect time to happen.” Sam nuzzled Jenna’s neck and ear, softly kissing it.

  “So what do you think of Randy so far? Rebecca said she thinks Stacy is sleeping with her.” Jenna asked.

  Sam was quiet for a minute. “I like her. I won’t lie and say that I’m a little worried about it because Stacy is so young. But then I think about what I felt like when you were here at the house all the time helping me. I thought I was crazy and no one would support me.” She laughed sarcastically. “Well, I guess I was right on that, except Shawn.”

  “Oh honey. It breaks my heart knowing that I cost you your family. If I could do anything that change that, you have to know I would in a heartbeat.” Jenna sighed.

  Sam tipped Jenna’s face up. “I wouldn’t. I would pick you every single time. You are my soul mate and I can’t imagine not having you in my life. I guess what I’m trying to say is that even if I’m worried, I want to make sure that we are supportive of Stacy and that means welcoming Randy to our family.”

  “I really think Randy could use a family, regardless of whether or not she and Stacy are together. I think that’s why she feels so connected to Jace. She knows what it’s like to be an orphan. I feel like we have created this family of orphans. Some not because they don’t have parents, but because their parents chose not to parent; others because they have truly lost their parents. However you break it down, family is what we make it and I love ours.” Jenna kissed Sam’s shoulder.

  Sam ran her hand up Jenna’s back to her hair. “I couldn’t have asked for a better partner.. soon to be wife.. than you Jenna. From the moment you held me in your arms the first time, I knew I loved you. You have always made me feel safe and loved. You seem to know my mind before I do.”

  Jenna shifted so that she was completely laying on top of Sam. “I feel the same way about you Sam. Now, would you mind making love to your wife?” She brought her lips to Sam’s without waiting for an answer.

  ****

  Stacy rang the doorbell and smiled at Randy. “Why are you so nervous? They don’t bite.” Stacy asked.

  “Easy for you to say! I’m not used to this whole family thing and I’ve never really been around little kids, much less babies.” Randy said uneasily, standing with the use of cane.

  The door opened before Stacy could reassure her. Jenna smiled and opened the door wide for them. “Come in to the house of crazy. You guys have no idea how much we appreciate you coming over and watching Jackson while we go get Jace!”

  “Oh please, like it’s such a sacrifice to watch my favorite one year old.” Stacy laughed as the little boy toddled down the hall. “I think he’s more stable on his feet then you are!” She looked at Randy.

  Randy made a face at her as Jackson made a beeline for Stacy calling out “Cee Cee!” He wrapped his little arms around her leg and started bouncing for her to pick him up. “Well, someone is a little crazy this morning!” She laughed as she picked the squirming child up.

  Jenna rolled her eyes and headed towards the bedroom. “He’s been awake since six this morning!” She called over her shoulder to them.

  Jackson turned his attention to Randy, looking at her with his big blue eyes. She couldn’t help but smile at him when his little round face broke into a grin, displaying his dimples. “Oh you’re super cute; you are going to be trouble for your moms!” She reached out to poke his round little belly, which resulted in him giggling.

  “See, you’re going to do just fine, you’re a natural.” Stacy smiled at her with affection.

  Randy shrugged and turned her attention back to the little boy. “I can certainly see where you get your looks from buddy. He could be a miniature male version of you and your sisters. He really is adorable.”

  “Yes and he knows it already. Let’s go sit down so you can get off your leg.” She led Randy down the hallway and into the open kitchen-living room-dining room area. They took a seat on the couch and Jackson immediately scooted off her lap to play.

  Randy looked around and a sense of home came over her. She looked at the pictures of Sam, Jenna and Jackson sitting on the fireplace mantel and it reminded her of when she was a child and truly had a home. Her thoughts were interrupted when Sam entered the room carrying a diaper bag.

  “Hey sis. Hey Randy.” Sam said casually, as if Randy had been there a hundred times. “We will hopefully be back in a couple of hours at the most. Jackson may fall asleep wherever he crashes since he got up so early. If he does, just put him in his bed. You can help yourself to whatever and please make yourself at home. I think Shawn and Rebecca are going to head over here when we leave the hospital.”

  Randy smiled to herself. Stacy looks just like a carbon copy of her sisters, just younger. It’s like they made some Swedish mold to stamp out three perfect blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauties. They are all absolutely gorgeous in different ways. Shawn is edgier with the short, wild hair. Sam is the mama with a body to kill for. Stacy… She looked sideways at Stacy sitting next to her. Stacy looks like a femme fatale, all girly girly, but underneath she’s
rock solid.

  Stacy caught Randy looking at her and smiled. “Save those looks for when we are alone.” She whispered at her.

  Randy blushed. “Sorry, I didn’t realize I was looking at you like that.” She murmured back.

  The two played with Jackson for a solid hour before the little boy fell asleep playing with some toys on the carpet. Stacy carefully picked him up and deposited him into his bed, closing the door on the way out. When she re-entered the living room, Randy was not there. She looked around in confusion. For a girl with an injured leg, she sure moves quickly these days. She caught a glimpse of her looking out the French doors to the back yard.

  Randy felt Stacy step behind her, her arms going carefully around Randy’s waist. “What are you thinking about?” Stacy asked as she kissed the back of Randy’s neck, which sent goose bumps down her spine.

  “I was thinking about what it would be like to come home every night, knowing that someone was waiting for me. What it would be like to belong somewhere, have a family.” Randy said quietly as she gazed out over the back yard.

  Stacy hugged her from behind. “You can have all that if you want it, but only you can make that decision on whether that’s really want you want or not.” She said as she laid her cheek against Randy’s back.

  Randy didn’t answer her, but neither one of them moved, lost in their own thoughts. So much so, that neither of them heard Shawn and Rebecca enter the house with the twins.

  Rebecca entered the open area, catching the two of them out of the corner of her eye and motioned for Shawn to stop. Shawn looked at her with a questioning look until she followed her gaze and saw her sister standing with her arms around Randy’s waist, hugging her from behind. She smiled at Rebecca and then backed up a few steps with Rebecca so that they could make some noise, announcing their arrival.