by Ancelli
She lifted her hand putting up to her head. “Oh God, thank you.” She remained quite for a moment, but he she saw something was wrong. “What’s wrong Andrew?”
He kissed her hand again. “Nathaniel is strong. He weighed four pounds.”
“What about Natalie?” Her breathing was getting shallow.
“Calm down. She weighed three pounds. She’s having problems breathing. Her lungs are under-developed. But she’s alive and fighting to stay that way.”
Sherry put her hands over her eyes and cried anew. “This is my fault.”
“No, it’s not. It was an accident.” He caressed her cheek, wiping her tears. “Matt said you followed doctor’s orders.”
“You checked up on me?”
“Always.” He pushed her hair back. “I don’t care what happened with Dean. I forgive you because I love you. I shouldn’t have let you go that easily.”
“You forgive me?”
“Yes. Do you still love me?”
She opened her mouth to answer, just as her mom and dad entered.
“My baby!” Mrs. Jones rushed over, moving Andrew out of the way. “I saw my grandbabies. They’re so tiny.”
“What happened?” her dad asked.
Andrew decided to leave the room and give them space. He went back to the NICU. He watched through the glass as Matt and Shannon touched Natalie, letting her feel their love.
“Son.”
“Dad.” He hugged him tight. “Thank you for coming.”
“How are my little ones?” Andrew filled his dad in on what had been going on with the twins. “Son, your baby girl is a Johnston and we are strong.”
Chapter Thirty
Two days later, Andrew was again at the NICU, looking through the glass.
“Sir, Mrs. Jones is asking for you.”
He rushed down the hall to her room. “What’s wrong?”
“Andrew, please take me to see my babies. They said I’m too weak, but I want them to feel my love.” He moved closer. “Please…one day was long enough, but two days is impossible.”
He couldn’t deny her because if it were him, he would fight anyone who tried to stop him. “Okay.”
“Thank you.”
“Let me get you a wheelchair.”
“No. I need to walk.”
As he helped her sit up, he could tell she was in pain. “Are you sure?”
“No pain will keep me from my babies.”
He helped her off the bed. “Put your weight on me.” She grabbed on to the IV pole and he carefully held her arm in his. They slowly walked to the NICU. They put on the gowns required by the NICU. He helped her wash her hands and disinfect. They visited Nathaniel first. Sherry smiled when she saw him.
“Mommy and Daddy love you.”
“Yes, we do.” He kissed her head.
The nurse came over and asked them if they wanted to hold him. Sherry couldn’t get the words out of her mouth fast enough.
“Yes.” She sat in the rocking chair and the nurse gently placed Nathaniel in her arms. “Hey, baby. I finally get to meet you face to face. It’s Mommy. I love you.” She touched his tiny fingers. “You’re so cute!”
“He’s our precious angel.” Andrew touched his head.
“My strong boy.”
They visited him for about thirty minutes, and then they went to visit Natalie.
“Andrew, she’s so tiny,” Sherry cried, “my sweet, sweet baby girl. Please don’t give up on us.” She touched her cheek. “We love you.”
With the help of machines, Natalie’s little chest went up and down.
Andrew placed his hands on Sherry’s. “God please save our baby.” They visited her for about ten minutes and he slowly walked her back to her room. He slowed, then stopped, a few doors down from hers.
“Sherry, do you love me?”
She broke down crying.
“Are you in pain?”
She shook her head.
“I shouldn’t have made you walk.”
“I’m in pain but that’s not it.”
“Then what?”
“I’ve never stopped loving you. I need to explain about Dean.”
“There’s nothing to explain. I want the real deal. No contract. Just you, me, and the twins.”
“I can’t,” she whispered, and slowly began walking to her room.
Andrew followed her. “But you just said you love me.”
“You treated me like trash, and you expect me to just act like that didn’t happen. You won’t even let me explain what happened with Dean because you’re afraid of what I might say.” She took a deep breath and stopped at her room door. “Andrew, you broke my heart. I’ve never let anyone in, and when I did, you crushed it to pieces. I don’t ever want to hurt like that again.” She leaned on the bed and he picked her up, placing her on it.
“Sherry, I’m sorry for the way I acted. I should’ve thought about the situation before I acted. I don’t want to lose you, baby. I love you with all that I am. I’ll wait until you’re ready.” He gazed into her brown eyes.
“What if I’m never ready?”
“You will be, because I can’t let you go.”
“Sherry, where have you been?” Dewayne asked coming up to her bed. He moved Andrew out of the way and pulled her into his arms.
“I’m okay.”
He backed away from her and faced Andrew. “What the hell were you thinking?”
Andrew glared at him. “I don’t have to explain anything to you.” He turned and left her room.
Sherry knew Andrew was pissed, but he didn’t want to make a scene.
“It wasn’t his fault.”
“What the hell were you thinking?”
She leaned up on the pillow. “I needed to see my babies.” She sighed. “I knew if I asked him, he wouldn’t say no.”
He sat next to her. “Girl, I was worried when I came looking for you and couldn’t find you.”
“Sorry I worried you, but I’m a big girl.”
“I know. Why didn’t you ask me?”
“Because I knew you would say no.”
***
Andrew was pissed, to say the least. Who the hell does he think he is, asking me about my wife? He had to walk off and cool down, because if he didn’t he would end up in jail.
He smiled when he saw the nurse feeding Nathaniel. He placed his hands on the nursery glass. He was blessed his twins were getting stronger with each passing day. He wouldn’t let anyone take away his joy. “I’m not giving up on her.” He calmed down and decided to go back to her room, make sure she was all right.
The door was cracked open. Andrew was about to push it open when he heard Dewayne speak.
“I love you, Sherry.”
His heart sank in his chest as he waited for her answer, but she didn’t. He thought about turning and leaving but decided against it, and entered the room instead.
He took a deep breath when he saw her sleeping.
“Haven’t you hurt her enough?” Dewayne asked him.
Andrew ignored him, strolled over to her bed, taking her hand and sat in the chair next to her bed.
“Look, dude, you don’t have to worry about her anymore. Just take care of your kids. I’ll take care of her.” Dewayne gave him a dirty stare. “There’s not room in her life for the two of us.”
Andrew finally glared at him. “You’re fucking right about that.”
“I might have been blind ten years ago, but she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I wont let her go without a fight,” Dewayne intoned, not backing down.
Andrew released her hand and stood in front of him. “You’re right. I made a mistake and I hurt her, but it took me less than a second to realize she was the best thing for me. It took you ten fucking years to realize that she was the best thing for you. If a fight is what you want then a fight is what you’ll get, because I love Sherry.”
“I love her too.” Dewayne remained quiet for a moment. “If you loved her so d
amn much, why did you divorce her?”
Andrew could feel his face getting warm. “You’ll be surprised to know—” He didn’t get to finish his sentence, because Tiffany came in.
She stared at them both, obviously aware of the tension between the two men. “Hi, Andrew,” she said, passing by him. “Dewayne.”
Then she turned and glared at them both. “I don’t know what’s going on and I don’t care, but this is not the time or the place to be spreading your testosterone.”
She continued to Sherry’s bed, and bent down, and kissed her forehead. “Hey darling. How are you feeling today?”
Her eyes slowly fluttered open. “I’m fine.” Then she looked over at her other visitors. “Please tell me you weren’t arguing.”
Andrew looked at her for an overlong moment. “If you need me, I’ll be in the NICU.”
She saw the emotion in his eyes. She’d heard everything they said to each other, and she couldn’t stop thinking of what he’d said to Dewayne.
“It took me less than a second to realize she was the best thing for me. It took you ten fucking years to realize that she was the best thing for you. If a fight is what you want then a fight is what you’ll get, because I love Sherry.”
“Dewayne, I’m fine. You can go home.”
“But—”
“Go home. I’ll call you.”
He walked over to her and kissed her forehead. “See you.”
“Damn girl, you have two men madly in love with you, but it’s a shame you only love one.” Tiffany sat down in the chair next to her bed. “Why don’t you stop all this foolishness and get back with your husband? I’ve never seen you as happy as I did when you were with him.”
“He is not my husband. He made sure he took care of that detail.”
“Come on, Sherry, everybody make mistakes. You did.”
Sherry arched a brow.
“You weren’t innocent in all this. You kept something from him, too. If the roles were reversed you would’ve acted a donkey too, and you know it.”
“Why are you defending him?”
“I’m defending both of you. His pride and ego got in the way when Dean’s wife told him all that junk, but he put his pride away and begged for you to forgive him, even when he didn’t know the truth. Now your pride is standing in your way to happiness.”
She sighed. “Maybe he was never my happiness. Maybe it’s Dewayne.”
Tiffany laughed. “If you believe that, you’re insane. Dewayne will never make you happy. Did you ever ask yourself why it took him so long to realize he wanted you or why you never once thought about him in years?”
“Tiff, I don’t want to talk about this anymore, and you didn’t come here to lecture me on my love life.” She rolled her eyes.
“You’re right. I came to see my good babies.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Days had passed and Nathaniel was doing so well. The doctor entered her room, “how are you feeling today?” he asked, looking at her file.
“I’m feeling much stronger,” Sherry answered.
“That’s good to hear. I have good news, we will be moving your baby boy out of NICU.”
Sherry and Andrew hugged each other.
“Do you have any update on Natalie?” Andrew asked.
“Her body is reacting well to the medicine, but she’s still delicate.” He placed her file back down in its slot. “You’re twins are fighters.” He said excusing himself.
After a while Sherry fell asleep and her cell phone rang.
Andrew stared at it, thinking if he should answer it, he didn’t want to violate her privacy, but something told him to answer, and that’s what he did, but the person didn’t give him a chance to talk.
“You haven’t been answering my calls. If you don’t meet me today at four, I’ll make sure your whole family sees what a slut you are.”
Andrew felt his nostrils flared. That’s Dean. Why would he talk to her like that? He texted him back. I can’t make it there. Can you come to my office?
He answered back. “See you at four.”
Andrew stood and kissed Sherry while she slept. “You stood by me. It’s my time to take care of you.” He looked at his watch; it was three.
He placed her cell in his pocket and left.
Twenty minutes later, he passed her assistant in the hallway on the way to his wife’s office. “I’m meeting someone here for Sherry.”
She stared at him, and he guest it was because, he hadn’t shaved in three days, looking rough.
“How are she and the twins?” she asked.
“She’s doing good and the twins are getting stronger by the minute.” He took the keys out her purse and opened her office door, remembering the last time he’d been there. His mind’s eye focused on the look on her face. Because of this fucking bastard Dean, he’d almost lost his family. He stood in the lee behind the door, waiting for him to arrive.
Dean entered the office and walked straight to her desk. “Sherry?”
The slamming of her door, and then the click of the lock appeared to frighten Dean.
“What the fuck?” he asked, turning around. He must’ve seen the anger in Andrew’s face. “She told you?” He started twitching.
Andrew decided to lie. “Yes, she told me everything.”
“Look, dude, I didn’t mean for her to fall. Is she okay?”
Andrew could feel his anger boiling over. “You caused her to go into premature labor!” He had to work to control himself.
Dean stuttered. “S-she wou-wouldn’t give me the money. Our deal was she gives me the money and I wouldn’t ruin her reputation, or yours.” He shook. “Where’s my money?”
“Before I give you the money, show me what you got.” Andrew took two long strides.
“She already saw it. She was worried about her family, and you. She made sacrifices for her family.” He thought for a moment. “Your buddy Mr. Shin would give anything for what I’ve got.”
“I want to see it.”
Dean pulled out his cell phone, tapped the screen a few times, and handled it to Dean. “Press play.”
Andrew forcefully took it from his hands, and did as he’d been told. He clenched his jaw until it hurt. The vein in his neck started jumping. He took the phone and threw it against the wall, shattering it into pieces.
“You think that’s the only copy I have?” He smirked.
In one swift move, he grabbed Dean’s shirt and pushed him against the wall. “When was that taken?” He made his hold tighter. “When?” he yelled.
“Long before you.” His voice was rattled.
“Because of you I almost lost my family.” He wanted to pull back his fist and punch him in the jaw, but he couldn’t afford that right now. His wife and kids needed him. He couldn’t afford to be thrown in jail. As a lawyer, he certainly knew the consequences. So instead, he punched the wall behind Dean. “I know your kind, looking for the highest bidder, but guess what? Your game ends here. If you do have any other copies, destroy them or you’ll regret it. I know very dangerous people and they won’t have a problem taking care of you.”
“Mr. Shin will protect me.”
Andrew laughed. “Mr. Shin doesn’t come close to the people that owe me favors. I’m not a violent man, but when it comes to my family, I’m fucking ruthless. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
“You would hurt me over a good lay?”
Andrew lost it mentally. He’d been trying to control his anger but this fool wasn’t getting the point. Dean started shaking his head. Andrew grabbed his neck. “You’re talking about my wife!”
“I’m sorry man…I lost my job, my family…I needed money.”
“I don’t fucking care about your reasons. You almost destroyed my marriage. My twins almost died because of you!” Now Dean couldn’t breathe. If it hadn’t been for the ringing of Andrew’s phone, he might have killed him. “Yeah.”
“Andrew, where are you?” his dad asked.
“Why?”
“You need to come to the hospital.”
Andrew released Dean.” Stay away from her, or you’ll be dead.”
“I didn’t mean to hurt her or the babies.”
Andrew opened the door and sprinted out of the office and down the stairs.
***
Andrew ran out of the elevator. His and Sherry’s parents were crying. “Why are you guys out here?”
“She kicked us out,” her mother said. “She needs you.”
“Is it Natalie?”
His father shook his head, and hugged him. “Son, I’m so sorry.”
He pulled away from his father and ran into Sherry’s room. She was crying uncontrollably.
“My Natalie is gone, she’s gone.”
He got on the bed and held her tight. “What happened?”
“Dad and Mom where visiting her, and she stopped breathing. Our baby is gone.”
He should’ve been here instead of confronting Dean, he thought looking at his knuckles behind her back. “I’m here now.”
Tears rolled down his face. “I can’t believe she’s gone. She was so sweet. My little girl is gone.” They broke down, crying together, holding on to each other. God, you didn’t answer my prayers. Not then with my mom and not now with Natalie. Why?
“Our little girl is gone….”
They wiped each other’s tears. “She felt our love,” he said. “She knew we loved her.”
“I needed you. Where were you?”
There was a soft knock on the door.
“Come in,” he called, still holding on to Sherry.
The doctor came in with a chart in his hands.
“What the fuck do you want?” Andrew glared at him.
“Andrew!” Sherry scowled at him.
“I have some good news.”
They both just stared at him through their tears.
“Your baby girl is still alive.”
They both took deep breath. “What?”
“She did flatline, but we performed CPR. Your parents ran out before we had her back on the ventilator.”
“She’s alive?” Sherry asked.
“Is she okay?”
