Just To Be Loved

by Lee, Vivian Rose

  Mya looked from one to the other. Hunter remained dumbfounded.

  “Yes, in the fridge is a full bottle. Run hot water over it until it’s warm, please.”

  Henry rushed out the room past Hunter whose mouth was open as he stared at the babies in the bassinets. Mya disregarded him and changed both babies’ gowns. In the meantime, her father returned with the bottle and handed it to her.

  “Can you feed Henry while I nurse Benjamin?” She asked.

  “Which one is Henry?” He asked.

  “I can’t tell them apart yet. Look at their bracelets,” she suggested.

  Henry lifted the tiny arm. “This is Henry,” he smiled. Henry lifted the baby from the bed and Mya handed him the bottle. Henry walked from the room and sat on a tattered chair covered by towel. He cradled the baby in his arms and placed the bottle in his mouth.

  In the room, Hunter watched Mya lift the second baby and cradle him in her arms. She grabbed a baby blanket and tossed it over her covering herself and the baby, and released her breast, lifting it so that he could latch on and then raised her head. Her eyes met his and dared him to say anything. Instead, his eyes scanned the room with disgust before he stormed out.

  Hunter saw his father sitting in a ragged chair feeding the child, and Henry’s head rose to meet his Hunter eyes.

  “They’re beautiful aren’t they Hunter? You need to explain why they look so much like you. Not now of course, but this will be discussed. Understand?”

  “Yes Dad.”

  “I can’t believe she has my children living in squalor,” he said sounding irritated.

  “Don’t Hunter. She called us and that is all that matters. We will take Mya and my grandchildren from this place today, and that is all we are concerned with right now.”

  Hunter was still in a mild state of shock. Henry lifted the baby to his shoulder and gently rubbed his back until he burped. Mya returned with the other baby and went directly to Hunter before silently handing the baby to him.

  “I’ve never done this before,” he admitted sheepishly.

  “Hold your arms like mine,” she instructed. She gently placed the baby in his arms. “Support his head.”

  Hunter held his son nervously, but when Benjamin’s eyes open to looked up at him, Hunter’s heart was instantly lost.

  “How do you tell them apart?” Henry asked.

  “Henry has a half moon on his behind and is the oldest. Other than that I have to look at their bracelets.”

  Both babies had beaded bracelets with their names spelled on it and Hunter promised to get gold engraved ID bracelets for his sons.

  “That’s the only difference. They are identical in looks.”

  Henry looked down at his grandson in his arms. “Mya, they have you and Ghani’s eyes,” he commented.

  He looked over at Hunter. If he wasn’t sure these twins were his, he now was. They had strong Native American features just like their father. Mya looked from one to the other as they admired the babies.

  “Let’s lay them down so we can talk,” Henry proposed, but when they returned the living room, Hunter didn’t hesitate to attack.

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant,” he asked harshly.

  “When should I have told you? On prison visiting day? Oh, I forgot. I’m the bitch you accused of trying to kill your father. Maybe they have the same psycho blood I have in me and they may be a threat,” she replied equally as harsh.

  “Mya,” Hunter growled stepping to her.

  “Okay children,” Henry intervened.

  “Forget this. I don’t know why I called you,” she snapped turning away.

  “If you think I’m leaving my sons in this hovel think again Mya,” he said waving his arm over the room looking at it in disgust. “Either you come with us today or my sons leave with me today!”

  “Hunter!” Henry said sharply.

  This time, it was Mya who stepped to him. “Oh yeah? Well it will be over my dead body,” she replied with a deadly calm as she met his hard glare. “I have been living in hell. If you think for one second that you’re going to take my babies away from me, you will find out firsthand what psycho really is.”

  “Hunter, Mya, stop it right now!” Henry barked.

  He reached out to her and she stepped out of his reach. Her action hurt Henry and he dropped his hand. “Why did you call Mya?” He asked.

  “Because Mr. Trent I have no one and I love my sons too much for them to be homeless. Since being released, I have been living on public assistance and working nights cleaning offices. The people that own this Section 8 house sold it and I can’t find another apartment I can afford. Rodger and Mrs. Thompson, the woman that watches the twins at night for me, thought that it was time I called you because I have to be out of here by the end of the next week. Believe me, I didn’t want to call. I don’t want you to think you owe me anything even though you showed me your asses to kiss.”

  Henry flinched.

  “Rodger wanted me to call you months ago.”

  “Rodger?” Hunter sneered.

  “Yes, the only man that believed me!” Mya snapped. “I called only because we have no place live. I have saved ever cent I didn’t need for my babies, but there are no places available I could afford. Trust me, if I had found a place, I would have never called, but I swallowed my pride for the sake of my babies.”

  “Mya I’m your father, I will do whatever you need.”

  “I don’t want or need your pity. What I need is your help because of my sons. I will work to pay you back; I just want my babies to have a roof over their heads. Other than that, I don’t want anything from you.”

  “Why you ungrateful…,” Hunter growled. “You act as if you were the only one suffering. My family fell apart because of you!”

  “Hunter!”

  “Fell apart!” Mya screamed. “Your family fell apart because you put me in prison! How do I know you weren’t the one that framed me? Out of everybody, you never once hid your hatred for me!”

  Hunter tensed.

  “I just want a good life for my sons. You still have each other, but I have nothing but my sons, and I’ll be damned if you’ll take that from me too!”

  Mya eyed Hunter with hate-filled eyes, and this time he had the civility to drop his head.

  “Mya, I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but God knows I want it,” Henry said.

  “Mr. Trent, I forgave you the day they released me. You were part of my past and I vowed to leave you there.”

  Both men remained silent. What could they say? Especially since it was the two of them that created this cold, hard woman? Henry however, was not ready to giving up on his daughter just yet. He knew that beneath all that hate and bitterness was his precious Mya.

  “Mom and Ghani will be glad to see you. They always believed in your innocence,” Henry admitted. Mya quickly averted her eyes, but not before, he noticed the glint of a tear that she quickly blinked away.

  Hunter kept a steady gaze on her as her words towards him only compounded the guilt he already felt. For the first time in his life, he could see that he was an asshole. How could he blame her for their family’s suffering when he knew that everyone’s suffering, Mya’s included, was because of him.

  “I’ll get the twins ready,” she said rushing from the room.

  Mya said nothing more to either her father or Hunter. She silently gathered what little the boys had and the few toys she could afford for them. There wasn’t much to remove from the house, and the furniture came with it. Henry and Hunter were able to get the babies carriers in the backseat, but the bassinets would be donated and the twins would get all they needed in their new home. After the last of her things were in the trunk, she told her father she needed to say goodbye to Mrs. Thompson.

  Mrs. Thompson came over and embraced her. “Well, my dear you know this is the right thing to do,” she whispered.

  Mya pulled from her. “Mrs. Thompson, I don’t know what I would have done
without you.”

  “Oh Child, God knows what he’s doing. Now introduce me to those good looking men over there.”

  Mya led Mrs. Thompson over to where her father and Hunter stood waiting by the car.

  “Mrs. Thompson, this is Henry Trent, and …”

  “I know who you are,” she smiled. “You are these beautiful boys’ Daddy. I see them all over you.”

  Hunter smiled extending his hand. “Thank you for helping Mya,” he said sincerely.

  Henry offered his hand. “It’s wonderful to meet the woman that cared for my daughter.”

  “It was no hardship. Mya is a lovely woman; it is easy to love her. Now Mya baby you keep in touch with me. If you ever need someone to watch the boys I’m always available, okay?”

  Mya hugged Mrs. Thompson again. “Give them a chance baby; it’s not in you to be hateful. God knows what he’s doing.”

  “I’ll call every day to check on you, and see if you need anything…”

  “Go on now. You’re going to make me cry.”

  Mya kissed her cheek, and then got in the backseat with the twins.

  “If there is anything, anything at all, please Mrs. Thompson don’t hesitate to call,” Henry said handing her his card.

  “She’s hurting really bad; please take care of her. She is a good girl and she loves her babies, but under all her armor is a heart that needs healing, and pity will push her away. She’s very vulnerable right now and she tries to hide it with anger. She needs to open up and get all that anger and hurt off her chest, and when she does, you will have your daughter back. She says she doesn’t need love, but that’s what she needs most of all. If you don’t want to lose the woman beneath that armor, show her love. That, I guarantee, is all she needs. Just be ready when she lets go.”

  “Thank you Mrs. Thompson. If I send a car will you come to visit?”

  “Oh sure I will. Now go my babies need to get comfortable.” Both men embraced her before leaving.

  On the ride home, the Trents were quiet. The twins slept and Hunter and Henry were deep in their own thoughts, until Hunter’s phone rang.

  “Heather,” he said, sounding somewhat surprised by her call. “No, I didn’t forget about tonight, but I have to back out. Something has come up and I’ll call you later on.” Hunter held the phone from his ear and rolled his eyes. “Look Heather, I’m not going. If you want to go, it’s fine.”

  “Tell her it’s a family emergency,” Henry whispered.

  “We have a family emergency,” Hunter repeated. “Heather… Heather, it can’t be helped. Look, go to the party and have a good time. Goodbye.”

  “I take it that she is not happy?” Henry asked.

  “Heather is only happy when she’s having her way Dad,” Hunter replied before looking out the window.

  “I don’t know why you put up with that.”

  “Because I haven’t suffered enough Dad,” he replied snidely.

  “You know son…”

  “Yeah Dad I know,” Hunter interrupted.

  He glanced back at Mya. She was looking out the window expressionless as his sons slept, and when he turned around and faced the front again, he and his father discussed Heather. He asked him if he was sure, Heather was the woman he wanted. He told him she was, but that was a lie. The woman he wanted hated his very existence, and he was too deep in with Heather to try to go after someone that he was sure he couldn’t reach, so he’d marry Heather, be in his two son’s lives, and hope for the best.

  Mya looked up at the house she once thought was home. No longer would she make that mistake. The car stopped, and Henry and Hunter got out and opened the doors. Henry extended his hand to help her, but she ignored it and got out. Hunter grabbed a carrier and Henry grabbed the other.

  “We’ll get the other things later,” Henry said. Mya nodded.

  They stood in the foyer. “Sylvie! Honey, come see who I have with me!” Henry shouted as his voice echoed in the large rooms.

  “Henry Trent why are you…”

  Sylvie paused at the top of the stairs when her eyes landed on Mya, and when Henry looked at his daughter to see her response, he could see that she was struggling to hold back the tears while his wife’s flowed like a faucet. Sylvie rushed down the stairs and didn’t stop moving until she had Mya in her arms. She moved Mya an arm’s length away and gazed at her face.

  “Oh, baby you’re home. You look thin. That’s okay though. Mom will get that figure back.”

  Sylvie hugged her again, and Henry noticed a slight softening in Mya’s expression even though she was fighting the love his wife displayed openly with all her might. Sylvie turned with her arm still around Mya, and froze.

  “Mya?” She said frowning curiously at her husband and son. Tears once again welled up in her eyes. She looked at Mya and cupped her face with gentle hands. “Is my baby a Mommy?”

  Mya nodded.

  “I’m a grand mommy!” Sylvie cried happily. “Oh Mya! Twins?”

  “Yes, Henry and Benjamin,” Mya said proudly.

  Sylvie smiled with love. “You remembered. Bring my babies over here so I can see them good. Henry, call Mama and tell her our girl is home!” She exclaimed.

  As Mya and Sylvie removed their blankets, Sylvie fawned all over them.

  “Goodness gracious they are beautiful,” she said as one of the boys yawned and stretched. “And will you look at that. Why they look just like…”

  Sylvie turned and looked at Hunter with a glare, but said nothing and went back to cooing over her grandsons. Henry and Hunter stood by while Sylvie lifted one of the babies.

  “Oh Henry look.” Mya lifted the other baby and handed him to her father.

  “Henry we are grandparents,” she grinned. “Mya, are they identical?” she asked.

  “Yes. Henry is the oldest by three minutes. He has crescent moon on his bottom, but that is the only difference I see so far. They wear those bracelets with their names on them so I can tell them apart after they are dressed.”

  “Thank you for coming home. I have missed you so much,” Sylvie said.

  Mya started to retreat within herself, and when Hunter saw this, his eyes narrowed on her. He immediately stood beside her.

  “Don’t you ruin this for her,” he hissed.

  “Still suspicious of me, huh Hunter? What? You think that I put a hit on her too?” Mya hissed back before moving away.

  “Baby let’s get these two settled in. I’m sure they need changing and feeding. Henry you and Hunter need to get everything for my baby’s needs. I’ll call the Baby Bootie Boutique and tell them to expect you,” she ordered. “Come on honey, we can put them in your room and put pillows around them.”

  Mya placed the diaper bag on her shoulder and took the baby from her father.

  “Did one of you call Ghani yet? Pick her up first, and by then we will have your list ready. We could probably get their beds today.”

  Father and son exchanged looks and smiled. Mom was back.

  “Son we need to talk about when you and Mya created these precious babies, but it can wait until later.”

  Chapter 11

  Mya and Sylvie fed and changed the babies together, and they now slept surrounded by pillows on the bed in her old room. Sylvie chatted nonstop, but Mya didn’t mind. For some odd reason, her constant chatter brought Mya comfort. They went online to the Baby Bootie Boutique and ordered all the things the twins needed. All Henry had to do was pick it up, and they would decorate the room next door to her and use it as the nursery.

  “Come on honey, I just know you would love a nice hot bath,” Sylvie replied.

  She would love a bath. It seemed like all she ever had time for was a quick shower. She stripped out of clothes, sank into the steamy hot water, and laid her head back, soaking and inhaling the soft floral scent of the bubble bath. She sighed and closed her eyes, savoring the wonderful steam that rose from the tub when a light knock sounded at the door. Sylvie peeped into the bathroom.

  �
��Come in,” she invited.

  “Are you alright?” Sylvie asked.

  “Yes, thank you. It’s been a while since I actually had the time to sit in a tub.

  “You enjoy it, and when you’re ready to get out, your clothes are in the closet. I never got rid of anything. They might be a little big, but by the time Mom finishes with you, you will have that lovely figure back again.” She left her to her bath.

  A few minutes later Mya sat at the vanity wrapped in a large fluffy robe brushing the tangles out of her hair. If she could have afforded it, she would cut her hair that fell to the middle of her back a long time ago.

  Sylvie stood behind her. “Here, let me brush your hair,” she offered. Mya stiffened, and looked up at her warily.

  “Please baby let me,” she whispered. Mya sat up straight and handed her the brush. The first touch of the brush to her hair had her eyes closing dreamily. She flashed back to times when she first arrived that this was the ritual. Sylvie would brush her hair while they talked and laughed like mother and daughter, and talked about anything and everything. Her eyes snapped open. No! She couldn’t let herself fall into this trap.

  She reached up for the brush. “Thanks,” she whispered.

  “Mya, I want you to listen to me,” Sylvie stated. Mya’s eyes met hers in the mirror before they lowered. She nodded.

  “I know you have been through hell, but I want you to know that I never believed those charges. I knew you were innocent, but Henry believed otherwise, and because he wouldn’t listen to reason, we separated for a while.”

  Mya gasped, her head snapping up to look at Sylvie. “I’m so sorry,” she murmured. If she hadn’t come here...

  “No sweetie, none of this is your fault. Don’t you ever believe that. Ghani wasn’t aware that you had been arrested. She was on a cruise and when she returned, she reamed us out. You see your father forbad us to help you, and I will always be sorry that I didn’t try anyway, but I never believed any of it baby, never. When we found out that you had been released, I returned to your father because I knew that he would be riddled with guilt; guilt that he is still not free of. For weeks, he hounded your lawyer for your whereabouts, and I’m not saying this to justify what your father did, I just want you to understand how he feels… how we all feel. I also know that you need time to trust us again and that’s fine, but know this. Along with whatever you believe, believe also that we love you and that we have missed you.”