A Humble Heart

by R. L. Mathewson

  She shook her head. “Not hungry now.”

  “Damn it.” He stood up and pulled out his phone.

  Dana watched as Edward paced the living room. She didn’t listen to what he was saying. She was still trying to calm down from the last two hours. It seemed like a lifetime ago, but her heart was still racing in her chest as if it just happened two minutes ago.

  Cole sat on her lap happy as a claim, eating a cookie that Amy gave him. Elizabeth watched her Daddy walking around for a minute before she jumped off Deana’s lap and ran over to him to give him a quick hug before she ran to see Amy in the kitchen.

  Dana began to feel lightheaded. “Cole, go see Aunt Amy for a minute, okay?” she said weakly.

  “Okay, Mommy,” Cole said, jumping off her lap roughly.

  She placed her head in her hands and tried to ride it out. “Ma’am, are you okay?” a police officer asked. She saw him drop to his knees in front of her.

  “Just dizzy,” she mumbled.

  “Get me a medic in here,” he yelled.

  Edward was by her side in a second. “Are you okay?”

  “Just dizzy, baby. It’s normal,” she said, trying to stay conscious.

  “Normal?” the cop asked.

  “She’s pregnant with twins,” Edward said.

  “You should be off your feet, ma’am.”

  “Dana, I’m taking you in for your appointment now. I just got off the phone with Dr. Downy. He wants you to come in immediately.”

  “What about the kids?” she asked hazily.

  “Amy’s here and Mom and Dad are on their way now to get them.” Edward said. He turned his attention to the officer. “My parents are coming. Is there any way to make sure they get in?”

  “I’ll make sure,” he said, helping Dana to her feet.

  Edward picked her up, his ignoring her weak protests and headed towards the front door.

  “Amy, we’re going!” he yelled.

  She popped her head into the living room with two pudding coated children. “Okay, Mom just called me. She’s on her way.”

  “Thanks, Amy,” Edward said. “Bye, guys, have fun at Grandma’s.”

  “Bye, Daddy! Bye, Mommy!” the kids said before turning to return to their pudding.

  *********

  “Everything looks really good,” Dr. Downy said, looking over her blood results and ultrasound again. “The babies’

  heart rates are strong and steady. Everything from the placenta to fluid looks good. I think you just had a hell of a scare today, which is more than understandable.”

  “Can I get off bed rest now?” Dana asked as she nibbled on a saltine cracker one of the nurses gave her earlier. Edward held her cup of apple juice for her.

  “I don’t see any reason why not. Now you are aware that you have to have these babies by csection, correct?” Dr.

  Downy asked.

  “Yes,” she answered the same time Edward asked “Why?”

  “There’s nothing wrong with your children, Edward,” he said in a reassuring tone. “Her last two pregnancies were delivered by csection and so it’s safer for her and the babies to do it this way.” He looked over his calendar. “How does January tenth for a delivery date sound, Dana?”

  “That sounds fine with me doctor.”

  “That’s the day we’re having the babies?” Edward asked.

  “Yes, unless she goes into early labor, which is a possibility with twins.”

  “What will happen if that happens?” Edward asked nervously.

  “Then you bring her in and I will take them out,” he said simply.

  “When do I have to stop traveling?” Dana asked. She had dozens of dates booked over the next several months.

  “I would say by six month as long as you’re doing well by car. I want you to stop traveling by plane in one month,” he said. “We’re good for now unless you have more questions?” he asked them both, but looked at Edward.

  Dana had to bite back a smile. No one answered. “Okay, I will see you back here in a month, Dana. Make sure you keep eating and drinking no matter what, okay?”

  “Yes, Dr. Downy,” she answered.

  “Um, I have a question,” Edward said, looking embarrassed.

  “What is it, Edward?”

  “When should we stop having, um, relations?” he asked, looking mortified.

  Dr. Downy chuckled softly. “She can have intercourse up until the day before her surgery unless I specifically prohibit it. It’s actually very good for her and the babies. So don’t worry about it.”

  His face reddened. “I can’t hurt them when I’m inside her, can I?”

  “No,” he said, chuckling. “They’re very safe.”

  Edward nodded and looked away. He had one more question, but now it seemed pretty stupid.

  “Okay, I’ll see you in a month.”

  Dana took his hand and led him out of the building.

  Before they were able to take their first step outside they were met by an onslaught of media.

  “What the….,” Dana began to say. She was shocked they followed them here.

  “Is she okay? Is it a boy? Are you here for an abortion?”

  were some of the questions screamed at them.

  Edward pulled her closer to him and led her to the car.

  He had a hard time opening her door for her with the paparazzi surrounding them. It took several minutes before she was safely inside.

  “What can you tell us about the girl? Is she your lover?

  Are you leaving Dana?” they screamed at him. He sat behind the wheel and slowly pulled out, trying to avoid the reporters who were making it difficult to leave.

  His phone went off. “Hello?” he answered as he drove them towards home.

  “Edward, how is she?” his mother asked.

  “She’s more than good. She just has to eat more,” he said, giving Dana a sideways glance.

  “Good, I was going to tell you that you should stay here tonight. The media is going crazy at your house and the police said they are going to be there for a long time. Don’t tell Dana this, wait can she hear me?” his mother asked.

  Edward looked at Dana, she didn’t seem to act one way or the other. “Nope go on.”

  “It was an active bomb. I think they called it a fire bomb or something. When activated it sent out a huge ball of flame.” His hand tightened on the steering wheel. “Pulling the card would have activated it instantly. Also, it was set on a timer. It went off seconds before the bomb squad was able to get to it. I’m sorry, Edward, but it looks like all the vegetation and the sheds in the backyard caught fire. The girl overdid it on the chemical she placed in it. They said it created a twenty foot circumference of fire. She had airplane fuel in it.”

  “Holy shit.” He thought of what his mother didn’t dare say. Dana would have been killed instantly. He fought back tears as he drove.

  “Baby, what is it?” Dana asked, placing a comforting hand on his thigh. He shook his head, too afraid to answer.

  A loud honk behind him caught his attention. He looked in the rear view mirror and saw several cars trailing them.

  “Uh, Mom, maybe I should take her to a hotel for the night.

  We seem to have several paparazzi following us.”

  “Nonsense, our house is secure. The house is set back on the property behind trees so we have privacy and if any of them enter the property I’ll call the police immediately.

  She needs home cooked food and her children tonight,” his mother stressed.

  “Okay, we’re on our way. Do you want us to pick up anything?”

  “Milk for the kids.”

  “Milk it is,” he said. “Tell the kids we’re on our way.”

  “Bye, kiddo.”

  “Bye, Mom.” He hung up and dropped his phone into the cup holder. He took Dana’s hand into his. “We’re going to stay with Mom and Dad just for tonight our house is a mad house at the moment.”

  “Okay.” She tightened her hold o
n his hand. He raised their hands to his mouth and kissed the back of her hand. “It will be okay.”

  “I know,” she said, giving his hand a squeeze.

  *******

  He pulled in front of a convenient store. “I have to grab milk for the little monsters. Do you want anything?”

  “Yeah, I’ll come in. I’m not sure what I want yet.” She got out of the car before he could argue.

  Edward took her hand and led her inside, holding the door for her. She tugged her hand free and headed for the snacks while he made his way to the milk.

  “So, you already have cravings?” a man asked Dana.

  She looked up to see the paparazzi had followed them inside. Three of them were in the store, snapping pictures and watching their every move.

  She forced herself to remain friendly. “Nothing specific.”

  She reached for a granola bar and added it to her basket.

  “That’s a hell of a rock. When’s the date? Did he propose before or after he found out you were pregnant?”

  “You guys never take a break do you?” she asked.

  “Nope, so?”

  She chuckled. “Sorry, guys, no easy answers today.”

  They shrugged casually. “That’s okay, we don’t mind a challenge.”

  “I can see that,” she said, smiling.

  “So, were you guys using birth control or was this planned?” he pushed.

  She ignored his question. “You know if you guys plan on following me around you could at least make yourselves useful and make a few suggestions here.” She gestured towards the snacks.

  “You can’t go wrong with chocolate. My wife is in her third trimester and that always seems to make her happy,”

  the larger man suggested.

  She nodded and grabbed a few bars of chocolate knowing Cole would sneak one for himself and his sister.

  “You can eat that much chocolate?” one of the men asked, probably hoping to discover if she was a secret chocolate addict.

  “No, I have two children, a fiancé and some in-laws to think about.” She moved onto something salty, just in case.

  “My sister swore by those breakfast bars when she was carrying my nephew,” the smaller man said.

  “Sounds good to me,” she said, grabbing a few. “Well, gentlemen, you’ve been very helpful.” She made her way to the register.

  “Here,” Edward said, placing the milk on the counter in front of her. He also placed several fruit pies on the counter.

  “I’m getting these before you send me out again like last night.”

  She shrugged shyly. “I got a craving.”

  He laughed and kissed the top of her head. “That’s okay.”

  Dana pulled out several folded bills the same time Edward pulled out his wallet. “You let a woman who’s carrying your children pay for her food?” one of the men asked in mock disgust.

  She sighed and put her money away knowing Edward would never let her pay with or without an audience. She turned to look at them. “You guys are so helpful.” They chuckled guiltily.

  Edward paid and carried the bags out. He held the door for her and ignored the paparazzi as he helped her into the car. “Aren’t you afraid she’s going to get fat eating like that?”

  He grinned and shook his head. “She’s carrying twins, and she eats very healthy ninety-nine percent of the time.

  Give her a break.”

  “Will you still love her if she gets fat?” one of the men asked.

  Edward ignored him and sat down behind the wheel.

  “Well?” she asked when he shut the door.

  “Well what?”

  “Will you?”

  “Oh, of course I will. It will just mean more of you to love and more cushion for the pushing.” He wagged his eyebrows for her. She playfully slapped him as a flash went off.

  “Uh uh, looks like they just got a story of you beating me,” he said, laughing.

  “That’s not funny!” she said, trying not to laugh.

  “I don’t think so either. I think it’s about time it came out about the beatings and abuse you inflict on me,” he teased.

  “Yeah, but you like it,” she said sensually.

  He looked at her and grinned hugely. “Damn straight.”

  ********

  “I know you’re kidding, Mom,” Edward said.

  She shook her head. “Nope, you get to sleep on the couch.” She gestured towards the basement couch.

  “Let me get this straight, you have a problem with me sharing a room with my pregnant fiancé?” he asked in disbelief.

  “Yup, you know the house rules. No unmarried couples share a room,” Eleanor said as she made up the couch for him.

  “Stop giving your mom a hard time. It’s fine. I plan on having the same rules for our kids,” Dana said.

  He scoffed.

  “Do you like the idea of Elizabeth sharing a bed with a boyfriend two doors down from us?”

  Edward looked appalled. “That’s different.”

  “How?”

  “Because she’s my little girl and I’ll kill any boy that touches her,” Edward informed her.

  Dana and Eleanor laughed as they said goodnight to him and made their way upstairs. It wasn’t over, far from it.

  Now that he had a green light from the doctor and ten weeks of fantasies, all featuring Dana, there was no way he was being kept away from her tonight, no way in hell.

  She was sleeping in his old room. That would work in his favor. There was a terrace right beneath the window. He already snuck up there an hour ago and unlocked it, knowing his parents were going to do this. They were extremely old fashioned when it came to what happened beneath their roof. They were more than fine with Dana’s pregnancy because they knew more than a month ago that he was going to propose.

  He turned the television on and threw a DVD in, knowing that all he had to do was buy some time. The kids were in the guest rooms, Amy was in her old room, and his parents were notorious for going to bed by nine o’clock sharp. He would just wait until eleven, sneak outside, climb into Dana’s room, and show her how much he missed and loved her.

  It was only ten o’clock when he couldn’t wait any longer.

  He left his shirt crumbled on the floor and made his way towards her. Ten weeks was too much to ask of a man when he has someone as incredible in bed as Dana. The things they did made his eyes roll back in his head.

  He already knew five things he was going to do with her by the time he snuck out the back door and made his way to the front of the house. He was careful not to make any noise as he made his way around. None of the lights were on except for his old room. It made him smile to think that she was waiting for him. He wouldn’t keep her waiting for long, oh hell no.

  Edward carefully climbed up the old terrace. “Ouch!” He winced as a thorn bit into his knee. His mother was trying her hand at gardening, a very recent hobby. He pulled himself up to the window and tested the window by gently pushing it up. It moved. He smiled