On the Edge

by Avance, V. E.

  That’s right, the guys are moving home today. “Oh ok, Mom. Be safe.”

  “I brought you some water and your dad will bring your lunch when you’re hungry. I made you an egg salad sandwich. All he has to do is plate it and you’re ready to eat,” Jason explains as he places the water on the coffee table and gives me a peck on my cheek and they turn to head out.

  I’m watching some mystery movie that I found while channel surfing when my cell phone rings. I reach over and check the caller ID and see that it’s Tommy. I really don’t want to fight with him but I know that he’ll get mad if I don’t answer the phone. “Hello,” I say, as I answer the phone.

  “Where the hell are you?” He asks angrily.

  “I’m at my parents’ house.”

  “So, you decide to leave me in the middle of the fucking night? That’s real mature Abigail.”

  “I didn’t decide to leave you. I was having complications with the pregnancy and you were nowhere to be found. I had to call my brother to come get me and take me to the hospital. And, if anyone left anyone, it was you who left me. You got what you wanted and then you left me alone. So, do not start judging me unless you want to be judged, Tommy!” I exclaim to him as I feel my heart beating faster within my chest.

  “So, your brother was able to drive both his car and yours?” He growls at me.

  “Why is it any concern to you? You hurt me and then left me when I needed you the most.”

  “I didn’t know you were hurt. I left because I needed to get away from you just as you needed the weekend away from me. And what, they couldn’t bring you home to me after you were discharged?”

  “No they couldn’t. I need bed rest and I won’t get that staying with you! And furthermore, I don’t want to stay with you anymore. You have a Jekyll-and-Hyde personality and I can’t keep wondering which one I’m going to encounter each day.” I scream into the receiver.

  My dad must have heard me because, before I know it, he’s at my side grabbing the phone from my hand. “Tommy, you need to calm down.”

  I can only hear my dad’s side of the conversation. I don’t know what Tommy is saying but I’m sure he’s probably not very happy. “I understand you’re not happy, Tommy, but screaming and yelling isn’t going to rectify the situation. Why don’t you calm down and think about things for a few days.”

  Tommy is speaking now since my dad is quiet. After some time, Dad starts talking again. “I understand Tommy. Why don’t you come over Friday, let’s say six o’clock, and we can all sit down and talk like reasonable adults.” There is another pause before my dad ends the conversation with, “See you then Tommy,” then he hangs up and hands the phone back to me.

  “Tommy is going to take the rest of the week to calm down and wrap his head around some things before we all sit down and talk. You don’t need that stress Abby. If he calls again or text messages you, holler for me and I’ll deal with it again, princess.”

  “Thank you daddy, he was really upset with me and I couldn’t get him to calm down.”

  “Well, we will be talking to him on Friday and I’ll make sure that Mike and Jason are here just in case he gets out of line. Abby, I don’t know a lot about Tommy but something isn’t right. I don’t think this is stress.”

  “I don’t know him that well either, Dad. Maybe he doesn’t handle stress well because of his upbringing in the foster system?”

  Dad shrugs as he makes his way to the kitchen. I hear him fumbling in drawers and cabinets before I hear something fall. It sounds as if whatever it was broke. A few choice words escape his mouth before he reappears with my lunch on a paper plate. I guess the sound I heard was a glass plate breaking. I chuckle a little as I accept the plate from my dad and begin to eat my lunch while continuing to watch the movie on television.

  * * *

  The week drags by. Every day is the same routine. I get up late, eat breakfast on the couch, watch television or read, eat lunch, work on a crossword puzzle or two, take a nap, eat dinner, watch more television but this time in the company of my family or Jason and then go to bed. My routine is a bit different today, however. Tommy is supposed to be here tonight. I decide that I want to get dressed in street clothes and do my hair and make-up.

  Mike and Jason are over for dinner an hour before Tommy is supposed to arrive. Mom lets me eat at the table with the rest of the family instead of in lying position on the couch. This feels so good. Mike wanted to sit next to Mom tonight so I am between my dad and Jason. Mom made her homemade chili with cornbread. It’s so good that I have seconds and thirds. I almost out eat the guys, but they have four helpings. My belly couldn’t handle another bowl.

  Before I know it, the mess is cleaned up and the doorbell sounds. It’s a few minutes after six and Tommy has arrived. I have to admit, I’m a bit nervous about this meeting. I probably shouldn’t have eaten so much. Mike and Jason put their hands on my shoulder before exiting to Mike’s old room. Dad doesn’t want them around to agitate Tommy but he does want them within calling distance in case we have an issue. My dad has gone a little more overboard than I think he needs to. He has his service weapon in its holster with his shirt covering it. “Good evening, Tommy. Come in,” my dad says as he opens the door for Tommy to enter. “Please, make your way to the dining table.”

  I’m sitting at the table facing the kitchen so I can see Tommy enter. He looks better today. He reminds me of the man that I met at the mall the last week of February. We have been through so much in less than four months than most couples go through in a decade. I am glad my parents are here because they are going to lay the rules down with Tommy so that I can recover and the babies stay safe. The end goal is for me to move in sometime after summer so we can adjust before the babies make their arrival at the end of December or the beginning of January. Mom is sure I won’t make it to my due date since I’m carrying multiple babies. “Take a seat Tommy. Anywhere you like is fine by me,” my dad says.

  Tommy takes a seat next to me. I see the worry in my dad’s eyes but he doesn’t say anything and takes his place at the head of the table. Mom sits across from me with a warm smile on her face.

  “Tommy, we asked you here to talk about the situation that you and Abby are in,” Dad starts the conversation. “We understand that an unexpected pregnancy is a scary thing to be faced with but we also know that what is done can’t be undone. We have all accepted that these babies will be making their appearance after Christmas but it seems as if you have not come to terms with their pending arrival.”

  “Sir, I am under a great amount of stress. You can only imagine how shocked I was when I heard that I was going to be a father and I received a double shock when we discovered that there were two babies. Yes, I didn’t take the news well. I am the only one with a job and I fear that I will not be able to provide the necessities for my children and, since I grew up in foster care with nothing, I want to be able to give my children what they need.”

  “Tommy, we understand your fears and they are legitimate fears, however, we feel that Abigail needs to stay here for some time so you can work out what you need to work out. Even when she’s ready to move in with you, you two will not be on your own. Joyce and I will gladly help when we can and Mike, Abby’s brother, has even offered to help to ensure that these babies are cared for. We are a close family and we do not let one of our own sink under stress.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Wilkinson. When do you think I will be able to move Abigail in with me so we can start our family?”

  “Well, that’s another thing, Tommy. Abigail is on bed rest for another three weeks. She will not be leaving this house for any reason until her follow up appointment. I don’t know exactly what happened last Sunday, but she was scared and you were nowhere to be found. She experienced some complications and we need to make sure she heals and the babies are well before she can even start visiting you at your place.”

  “So, she won’t even be allowed to move in with me after her bed rest has expired?” To
mmy says as he glances at me.

  “Tommy the family has discussed that it wouldn’t be in anyone’s best interest if she were to move in with you immediately following the termination of bed rest. We believe that you two need to take baby steps, so to speak. After the doctor releases her from bed rest, you and Abby can start going out for the day a couple times a week. This will happen in the month of July. Toward the middle of August, she can start staying weekends with you through September. The first weekend of October, which would be around the sixth, we could move her in so you two have a few months to adjust to living together before the babies arrive. That is, only if she wants to move in with you. The decision is fully her own to make.”

  “I understand your concerns with your daughter moving in with me and I will honor whatever schedule you have for her. I just want to let everyone know that what happened before will never happen again. I was really stupid and I let my fear and anger get the best of me and I wasn’t there when Abigail needed me the most. I can’t take back what I did but I can promise it will never happen again,” Tommy assures everyone at the table. “Will I be able to visit with Abby during her bed rest?”

  “Yes. We would never stop you from seeing Abigail unless that’s what she wanted. You are more than welcome to visit her anytime you like but you have to remember, she is on strict bed rest. This is the first time she’s been up and sitting for an extended period of time since her release from the hospital. She will not be leaving anywhere and you will have to visit her in the living room here,” Dad informs him.

  “I understand and accept that, Mr. Wilkinson.”

  With that, my mom helps me to the sofa in the living room and allows Tommy and I some privacy as they escape to their bedroom. “When is your next appointment?” Tommy asks after I get comfortable on the couch.

  “Mom made my appointment for the twenty-fifth of June at ten o’clock in the morning. I should be having another ultrasound that day.”

  “I didn’t think they did ultrasounds at every visit?” Tommy questions the need of another ultrasound.

  “Usually they don’t, but I will have one every time I go in because I am carrying identical twins and they are sharing the same placenta and that makes this high risk.”

  “High risk, is everything going to be alright?” He generally sounds sincere in his worry.

  “Dr. Hubert says everything should be fine. He just wants to make sure they don’t get tangled up inside there. If that happens, then it could be a bad thing for one or both.”

  “I’m so sorry, Abigail. I didn’t know how bad this could be. I feel like an asshole,” he says as he starts to cry. “I didn’t realize how much I truly love you and these babies. I was so selfish and only thinking of myself. Please, will you forgive me?”

  I run my hand through Tommy’s hair. “I forgave you a long time ago. I love you Thomas Jackson and I want to make this work.”

  He places both his hands on my face and gives me a deep and passionate kiss. I love kissing Tommy but sparks aren’t flying with our kiss like they do when Jason kisses me. What the hell does that mean? I know I love Tommy but something is different with us than it is with Jason.

  Tommy decides to head home so I can rest with the promise to stop by tomorrow afternoon. It’s almost eight and I’m getting tired and still need to take a bath. Maybe I can get Mom to allow me to take a shower tonight. Tommy shows himself out the door since I am bounded to the sofa. I pick my phone up from the coffee table and text my brother.

  He just left.

  Mike and Jason are out in the living room in no time flat. They must have been waiting for that message so they could pounce for information. I explain what we all talked about and how Tommy was behaving. I leave out the lack of spark in the kiss. I inform them that Tommy is supposed to be here tomorrow. “Could one of you two please be here when he shows up? He was sweet today but I just don’t fully trust him yet,” I say.

  “I’m busy tomorrow with Katherine,” Mike explains.

  “I’m free. I’ll stay in Mike’s room with the door cracked so I can keep an ear out for anything. You don’t have to worry about him, Abigail,” Jason assures me.

  “I think this schedule is the best thing for you,” Mike adds and Jason nods his head in agreement.

  Mom comes in to ask me if I’m ready for a bath but I convince her into letting me shower. The only stipulation that she has is that she is to stay in there with me just in case anything happens. I love my mom and love that she’s so attentive, but I feel like I’m being smothered.

  After my shower I head to my room to retire for the night. Mike has left a bottle of water on the nightstand and even my dose of my nausea medication and Mom has turned back the covers. As I crawl into bed, Mike brings in my phone.

  “There are some text messages on your phone. Most of them are from Katherine but there is at least one from Tommy. I talked to Katherine since the messages so you can ignore them. She just wanted to stop by to see you tomorrow. I told her that I would pick her up in the morning so she can visit before Tommy comes over.”

  “Thanks, Mike. It will be nice to see Katherine tomorrow. I need a little time with my best friend.”

  Mike hands me my phone and kisses my cheek. He and Jason are getting ready to head over to their new place. I can’t wait until I’m off bed rest so I can see the new place, I think as I unlock my phone and check my message from Tommy.

  I’m so sorry that I was an ass. I like the schedule your family has in place. I love you Abigail and those babies. Tell them daddy loves them and I’ll see you guys tomorrow afternoon. Sweet dreams and goodnight.

  Tommy is trying and I hope he continues to try. My thoughts go to the babies and creating a loving and safe home for them before I drift to sleep.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Tommy is supposed to be here this afternoon for our visit. I feel uncomfortable after all that happened the past few days that I requested Jason be here during the visit. Mom has some plans for the day so she will be in and out. Dad said that he needed to stop by the police department to finish a report that the district attorney’s office needs by the end of the week. Jason arrived early this morning to enjoy breakfast with me and laze around watching television.

  “When do you start work?” I ask Jason during the movie.

  “I’m supposed to start work Monday morning. I’m really excited,” Jason says, almost unable to hide the full excitement that he has about his new job.

  “Did you get that job that you were talking about a while back?” I ask.

  “Actually, I did but I was offered another job that I took instead. I took a job as a financial advisor for a small firm here in Placid.”

  “Yea, that sounds like a boring job,” I state with a long, sad face.

  Jason laughs at my face and kisses my forehead, “Yea, it’s a little boring but it pays more and it leaves me the opportunity to work from home more often than the other job would have.”

  Jason is not the type that likes to stay home and he has never really cared much for money before. He is one that likes to do what he finds fun and, as long as the pay gives him his necessities, he didn’t care about making a lot of money. “So, why do you want to make more money and be able to work from home?” I am now intrigued to discover his motive behind this job choice.

  “Honestly, Abigail, I did it for you,” Jason says as he takes my hand.

  Now, I’m a little confused. Scratch that! I’m a lot confused. “Why would you take this job for me?”

  Jason looks down at our hands. “Abigail, you’re going to need help with the babies after they come. Even if you and Tommy work out, you’re going to need help. By working from home, I can come over here and help you with the babies so you can go to college. By making more money, I can help you with tuition so you don’t feel like you’re a burden to your family, even though you are not a burden to anyone.”

  I don’t have time to respond to Jason before the doorbell rings. Jason gives me a qu
ick peck on the cheek before making his way to Mike’s bedroom. Mom makes her way from her room to the front door before I have a chance to get up. “Good afternoon, Tommy. How are you?” Mom asks as Tommy steps into the foyer.

  “I’m good, Mrs. Wilkinson,” he responds. Mom smiles at me and retreats back to her bedroom. Tommy walks over to me and kisses me on my forehead. “How are my lovely angel and our sweet babies doing today?”

  I give him a smile, “We’re alright. Getting tired of bed rest but it’s needed for these little beans.”

  “Yes, you need to rest for them. We can’t have anything happening to our children because you didn’t listen to the doctor,” he states.

  “Yes, but we wouldn’t have had to be on bed rest if you had listened to me and thought of others,” I point out.

  Tommy’s leg begins to bounce up and I can tell he’s beginning to hold back his anger. I am pretty sure I just over stepped his imaginary line, but it’s too late to back track now. I decide to push forward. I have Jason and my mom here so this is the best time to bring this conversation up. “Tommy, we need to talk about something. I do not want you lying to me about it.”

  His lips pucker out as he shoots me a look that tells me to get on with it before he changes his mind. I swallow and take a deep breath. “Tommy, I have thought about what I know of you, what I’ve seen and your Jekyll-and-Hyde attitude. It is my belief, as well as others, that you are doing drugs. Now, I don’t want to hear that it’s baby powder on the counters or that you’re under stress as an excuse for your mood swings. We already know that you are on drugs.”

  He’s hands are beginning to shake. With each second that passes my heart seems to beat harder and faster. I know that I just pissed him off and I know that I just put myself and the babies in harms way. I really should’ve avoided this conversation. Too late now, I already opened that can of worms and now it’s time to face it.