by Megan Smith
“Sorry.” He said gently. I could see the storm in his eyes start to clear out.
“It’s fine, we may be a little fragile right now but we aren’t going to break.” I stared into his crystal clear blue eyes, willing him to understand. “Take us home.” I winked and started to slowly pull my hand away.
Hunter looked down at the ground and shook his head and then stood, reached for Ryder and picked him up. He gave me a half smile, glanced over his shoulder and then walked to the car parked outside.
I could hear Lynn breathing harder behind me as she wheeled us out to the car. She even got a little too close to hitting my broken ankle on the door. I muttered under my breath, “Bitch!” Then I glared at Hunter so he would know to get me the hell away from her.
Hunter scooped me up and gently placed me in the car, “I’ll stop by tomorrow afternoon when I get off my shift.” Lynn said, stepping away from the car.
“Don’t hurry.” I muttered.
Hunter chuckled. “We’ll be there.” He told her while walking around the front of the car to get in.
We pulled away from the curb, and I glanced around the car. It was pretty awesome. There were so many buttons that I couldn’t even figure out what half of them were used for. We’d only made it a few blocks from the hospital but the car ride was like driving in mid-air. You barely felt any bumps. That could all have something to do with Hunter though.
I looked in the side mirror and noticed a line of cars behind us. I glanced at Hunter, who had a death grip on the steering wheel, and then to the gauges to see how fast we were going. He was going 25 mph in a 40 mph zone. “Um,” I looked in the side mirror again, then back to Hunter. “You do realize the speed limit is 40, right?”
“Yeah, I know, why?” He answered, still not removing his eyes from the road.
“Oh I don’t know, maybe because there are like ten cars behind us.” I said rolling my eyes.
“So?”
Really? “Hunter relax, nothing is going to happen. Shouldn’t I be the one that’s worried?” His knuckles started turning pink again. “Doesn’t this car have like ten air bags in it?”
“Yeah, the salesman said it was one of the safest SUV’s they make.” He glanced quickly at me then returned his eyes right back to the road.
“Good, then drive the damn car.” I said smiling at him. Big old worry wart.
He chuckled, “Yes ma’am.”
Before we even had a chance to really settle into the car we were pulling up at home. Home sweet home.
“Coop and Jay are working. Let me get Ryder inside and then I’ll come grab you.” Hunter said as he shut off the car and unbuckled his seatbelt.
“Okay.” I couldn’t wait to get settled inside, I missed being home. Being home with Hunter and Ryder made me feel complete. I would have to figure out a way to get rid of Lynn and then slowly kick Cooper and Jaylinn out as well. I’m giving my body five days, five days, that’s it.
True to CC’s word, she had Lynn removing the catheter by the end of the week and was quickly kicking her to the curb. Lynn brought CC a pair of crutches two days ago against doctors’ orders and she’s been determined to make it on her own. This is one of the things that I found so sexy about her, when she puts her mind to something, there’s no changing it. I adored her all the more for it. You can tell her she can’t do it, but she’ll prove you fucking wrong over and over again.
Before Lynn would sign off on CC’s discharge paperwork she had to prove that she could do it with no help from anyone. Like I said, you can’t tell her she can’t do something because that only makes her more determined.
We were in the bedroom and CC was lying in bed, “Ok CC,” It’s the first time Lynn had called MacKenzie that since the time in the hospital. I didn’t even have a chance to correct her before she spoke up about it, “My name is MacKenzie, not CC.” she snarled at Lynn. My little firecracker was in full force today.
“I’m sorry; I didn’t realize I called you CC.” Lynn replied. “Now, what I was about to say MacKenzie, I need you to get up from this position to the bathroom with no assistance.”
CC barely let her finish before she was swinging her legs off the bed, she reached over and grabbed the crutch that was leaning against the nightstand next to the bed. She hoisted herself up and hobbled over to the wheelchair, sat down and leaned the crutch up against the bed. Then she pushed herself down to the bathroom, stopped in front of the sink and hoisted herself out of the chair and then jumped with her good leg to the toilet and sat on the lid.
She looked up at Lynn, slightly breathless and smiled. Task complete.
Lynn smiled, “Very good. If you can do it back I’ll sign the paperwork and be on my way.”
CC loved a challenge and she completed it just as gracefully as she had on the way there. I went over to her, kissed her head, then bent down and let her kiss Ryder.
“Mommy’s a fighter huh, big guy?” I said to him.
“I look up to the best, Chunky Monkey.” CC said, beaming up at me.
Lynn cleared her throat, “Here is a copy of the paperwork, please be sure to follow up with the specialist in a few weeks to see if the cast can be removed.” Lynn tossed the paperwork on the bed.
CC squealed and flung herself back on the bed. I raised my eyebrows at the nurse, “Thanks for everything, Lynn.” I followed behind her down the stairs to see her out.
She opened the door but stopped before stepping out and turned to look at me, “If there’s anything,” she emphasized the word anything, “At all, I can do for you; here’s my cell phone number.”
She held her hand out for me to take the card but I just said, “No thanks, we’ll be fine.”
She looked like I’d slapped her, she huffed and then turned on her heel and left.
Ryder and I took the steps two at a time to get back upstairs to CC. When we walked in she was laying there resting her eyes. “You ok?”
She opened her eyes and smiled, “Better than ok.”
Ryder started fussing; it was about time for him to eat. “Someone’s hungry.”
“Yeah it’s about that time; here lay him next to me while you go get the bottle ready.” I placed him next to her on the bed and went to make up the formula.
A few minutes later, I was heading back upstairs when I heard singing. I stopped and listened, her voice was so soothing and calm. Ryder must have thought so too, because he wasn’t making a sound. I crept to the door and peeked in, not wanting to interrupt her.
She must have sensed me because she stopped and stared at me. “Don’t stop. He likes it.” I said, glancing down at Ryder.
I looked back up at her and she was blushing, “I can’t sing while you’re watching me.”
I climbed onto the bed; Ryder snuggled between me and his mother. I reached over and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. “Marry me tomorrow.”
She giggled, “No way. I’m not getting married with these ugly ass casts.”
We laid there for a while just staring at one another, words weren’t needed to explain how we were feeling. I knew I was in trouble all those years ago when I’d first laid eyes on CC; to this day I still got butterflies when she looked at me. It was like she could see me, everything about me, the good, the bad and the ugly, and she still loved me.
After I finished cooking dinner for CC, Jaylinn, Cooper and myself, we were all sitting on the couch when CC leaned over to me. “So do you think you can help me in the shower? This is my gift to myself for losing the bitch.”
Before I could answer Cooper said, “You got rid of the bitchmobile?”
“Yes!” CC answered a little too loudly and caused Ryder to jump in Jaylinn’s arms.
Cooper laughed and that set Ryder off; I laughed when Cooper grimaced at the cries. “You better watch out, he’s got a heavy hand.” I joked with him. The other day he and I were changing Ryder while Jaylinn painted CC’s toe nails and Cooper had his face in range of Ryder’s hands and he hit him right on the no
se. Cooper joked that he had heavy hands and was going to grow up to be an MMA fighter.
“Anyway, can you help me?” CC was giving me the puppy dog eyes and she knew I couldn’t say no.
“Go!” Jaylinn said, “Cooper and I got this tonight.”
I winked at my sister, scooped up CC and hauled ass upstairs. I couldn’t wait to get her naked with me and not have to worry about Ryder crying before we were even halfway undressed.
I set CC on the counter, turned the shower on and then grabbed two towels and threw them on the toilet seat.
“Maybe this isn’t such a good idea.” CC said timidly.
I was taken aback, how could this not be a good idea? Then it started to come to me, she’s probably a little nervous, I haven’t seen her naked in a while and barely at all since she’d had the baby.
I finally forced myself to move. I pulled her shirt off and then reached behind her, I unclasped her bra and pulled back slightly so it could slip off her arms. I willed myself not to stare at her body. She had been hiding it from me since she’d woken up, I didn’t have the heart to tell her I’d seen all of the bruises and scars already.
I reached under the sink, grabbed the plastic bags and tape to cover her wrist and ankle. Once that was out of the way, without breaking eye contact I lifted her off the sink and steadied her, then hooked my fingers on both sides of her panties, and pulled them down her hips until they rested at her feet where she could step out of them. Her eyes stayed on mine as I pulled off my boxer-briefs.
As we stepped into the shower together, I adjusted the setting so we wouldn’t burn our skin and then I pulled her into my arms under the flow of water. Her whole body started shaking, I knew she was nervous about me seeing her naked for the first time since the accident. No matter what she thought she looked like, she would always be perfect to me. After a few minutes of holding her, she sighed and rested her head on my shoulder. I planted my feet so I wouldn’t slide and take her down with me; I knew taking a shower with two casts on couldn’t be easy for anyone.
I kissed her cheek and whispered, “I love you, nothing is ever going to change that, CC. I need you to believe it though, trust me.”
“I do. It just still makes me a little uncomfortable.” She whispered back to me, squeezing me a little closer to her.
I pulled her away from my body carefully, but didn’t let go. “I never want you to be uncomfortable, ever. We’ve been through too much shit to let something like this get in our way. Out of everything that’s happened; we have a little piece of us waiting on the other side of that door. I can’t even begin to explain the feelings I get watching you with him.” She looked down, but I lifted her chin back up until she looked into my eyes. “All of these scars on your body will fade and settle into the back of your mind. All but one, and it’s the best one. You protected Ryder, CC. These scars are proof of that, if you didn’t do what you did; there’s a good chance he wouldn’t be here with us.”
She was crying at this point but I needed her to understand me. She always bitched and complained that we were too overprotective of her, but sometimes she was the same way. She just never saw it. It was time for her to figure it out on her own; she was a Cahill after all, at least for now.
She whimpered, “I’m sorry.”
I pulled her to me and crushed my lips to hers, making sure she knew there was no reason to be sorry.
Motherhood was agreeing with me, according to my mother, she told me so when she stopped by the next morning to visit with her grandson and me. Hunter refused to leave our sides, while I loved him something fierce, he was getting on my last nerve.
After he carried me downstairs and got me settled in the recliner, Mom sent him to the store with a shopping list. She told him to go to the store across town, she claimed they had baby formula on sale, but I knew it was her way of making him stay out longer.
“Thanks Mom.” I said to her when Hunter left.
She smiled, “Of course baby girl. You looked like you were going to strangle him if he asked you if you were ok one more time.”
I huffed, she’d been here five minutes and she could tell already, “Yeah. I don’t mind that he’s hovering after everything we’ve been through, but damn, I need to breathe a little.”
She chuckled and laid Ryder down next to her on the couch to change his diaper. “So how are you really feeling?” She asked.
How did I feel? Should I lie and tell her everything was perfect? Or should I tell her the truth? Decisions, decisions.
“You want the truth?” I asked honestly.
“Always.”
“Will my body ever go back to the way it was before my pregnancy? I mean it took nine months to create him, please tell me it takes no more than nine months for everything to go back?” There, I could start with that. I’d keep the deep shit for later on.
She grimaced, “Not exactly. But that’s not a bad thing at all, just ask Chloe. Why? What’s going on?”
“What do you mean, not a bad thing? I want my body back, Mom.” I whined, trying to fight back the tears.
She’d finished snapping up Ryder’s pajamas and placed him in his swing. She came over and sat on the arm of the recliner, put her arm around me and I leaned in to her. I missed my mom; I missed our little chats in the morning. I even missed her bitching and complaining about my brothers pissing on the toilet seat or my dad working long crazy hours at work.
“Baby girl, tell me what’s going on in that brain of yours.”
She still held me tight to her, “I can’t bring myself to look in the mirror, Mom. I’m so ugly now. I have this little pouch and these stretch marks.” I was sobbing trying to get the last part out. “You should’ve seen the way Hunter was looking at me last night, Mom.”
She brought my head down to rest on her leg and ran her hands through my hair. She continued to do this until I finally calmed down. I wiped my face with the blanket that was draped over my legs, took a few deep breaths and then lifted my head. “Sorry Mom.”
“Oh baby girl, don’t ever be sorry.” She grabbed my good hand and held onto it. “I’m sure Hunter wasn’t looking at you any differently. That boy sees nothing but you, MacKenzie. You’re beautiful inside and out, Hunter adores you.”
I shuddered. I hoped that was still true.
She pointed to Ryder who was snoozing in his swing. “Look at that baby, MacKenzie, he came from you. Yes, maybe he took some of your beauty, but would you have it any other way? You lost some, he gained it.”
“I feel like I’ve failed him, Mom. I wasn’t there when he needed me the most; I missed his first week of life.” I told her, still shuddering.
“And there’s nothing we can do to change that sweetie. What’s done is done. Hunter was there to step in and he did an amazing job. Most boys his age would be running for the damn hills and never looking back. Just thank your lucky stars that boy is head over heels for you. Let the past be in the past.”
The house phone rang, Mom patted my hand and then let go to answer it. I heard her from the kitchen, “Hello.”
I knew my mom was right, in a way, but it ate at me every time I looked at my boys. One day, hopefully, I’ll be able to leave it in the past like Mom said.
“Hello. Who’s there?”
“Hello.” That’s been happening a lot this week, every time I answered the phone, it’s always just someone breathing down the line.
“Well that was weird, all I heard was breathing.” Mom said when she walked back into the living room.
“Yeah, I think it’s time we get the number changed. Probably some kids playing games.”
“Yeah, maybe. So what else is going on?” Mom asked. She sat on the couch, where there was a basket full of clothes. She picked up a pair of Ryder’s little pants and folded it.
“I feel like there’s a shit storm brewing and everyone is hiding from me. I can only ever get Hailey on the phone. Jaylinn comes here after work but claims she’s tired and goes to bed. Chloe is the only
one who comes over for a visit and doesn’t run. Christ, I can’t even get Mason to come over, as a much of a pain in the ass as he is. I’m about to tell him something’s wrong just to lure him here.”
Mom laughed and shrugged her shoulders, “I don’t know what’s going on. Maybe you should have Hunter call them all and plan something for this weekend. Your dad and I would love to spend some time with Ryder for a little while.”
“Yeah, maybe I will.” Mom continued folding the clothes while I watched a movie on Lifetime.
After CC and I took our shower together, I wrapped her in my arms until she was sound asleep. After I knew she was out for the night, I got up and crept downstairs to check on Jaylinn and Cooper, who were still watching Ryder for us. Cooper was in the kitchen warming up a bottle for Ryder when he told me to call his dad; apparently he’d wanted to talk to me.
I rang him and after spending some time on the phone, I felt a little more at ease that he was taking care of the situation. I hadn’t really expected anything less; I mean we’re talking about his daughter and grandson. Not to mention the fact that she was completely clueless about any of this.
He’d explained that he’s known about my whole situation since we’d moved here. I was informed that Mom had confided in Mrs. Cahill. Apparently they’d gotten to drinking one night, shortly after meeting, and had hit it off. The next morning she’d been worried that she’d told Mrs. Cahill too much and that we’d be moving again. She needed to keep us safe. Mrs. Cahill had sat her down for coffee and they’d talked for hours, while Jaylinn and I were out playing with the Cahill’s at the baseball field behind their house.
He knew all about Dad’s robbery of the South Berry Credit Union. He knew that Mom had been held captive at gun point in her own home, as ‘insurance’, while it happened. Jaylinn was only a baby at the time and they made sure to keep her in a separate room. When Dad finally came home that night and the captors let Mom go, they’d found Jaylinn in her crib naked, with a piece of tape over her mouth. He knew Dad had gotten into some trouble and didn’t have a choice but to rob the bank or he would have been killed. He knew that I’d been with my grandparents when everything went down. He knew Dad told Mom that it would never happen again.
