Love In Strange Places (19 page)

He placed his hand through the hole in the incubator, and touched her little hands. “
Muñeca, papa te quiere
. Be strong and fight.” Her tiny fingers squeezed his large one.

Tears ran down his cheeks. He said, a prayer out loud, not caring who heard him. “God, I haven’t asked you for much since my mother left us. I’m coming to you on bended knee. Please, please save the life of my little girl.” He wiped his tears. “I’m so thankful for my little boy being strong. God, please save her.”

Someone put his or her hand on his shoulder. “He heard you, because it came from your heart.” Shannon said the words between tears, looking at his little girl.

He turned and Shannon hugged him tight. “They’ll be okay.”

He broke down in her arms. “I treated her so wrong. I never once let her explain her actions, if I were with her…maybe this wouldn’t have happened.”

Shannon wiped his tears. “Andrew, don’t worry about that now. Your babies are here now, and I know you love her. Go see your son. I’ll stay with Natalie.”

“Natalie?”

“Yes.” She smiled. “
Sherry picked out their names about a month ago. Natalie and Nathaniel.”

“You knew she was having twins?”

“I was the only one that knew. You get to pick their middle names.”

He smiled. “I do?”

“Yes. Go see your son.”

Andrew walked into the other room. Matt stood next to the incubator with his son in it. “My son,” Andrew said proudly. He was hooked up to some tubes, but not as much as his little sister.

“
Mi sobrinito
.” He hugged his brother. “Congratulations!”

“Did you know she was having twins?” Andrew asked.

“I didn’t know.”

“Did you call Dad?”

“Yes, Dad is on his way, and your in-laws too.”

“He looks like me, doesn’t he?” Andrew said, smiling, touching his boy’s head. “Man, I never knew you could love someone so tiny so much. Don’t get me wrong, I love my niece and nephew, but this love—”

“I understand completely.”

“My baby girl might not make it. Please pray for her,” Andrew asked, still rubbing Nathaniel’s little head.

“I will. I’m going to see my niece.” Matt hugged him and left.

“Hey, baby, I didn’t expect both of you, but I love you more than anything.”

“Would you like to hold him?” the nurse asked.

“Yes, yes!” She opened the incubator and gently picked him up.

“Here you go, Daddy.” She made sure Nathaniel’s tubes weren’t in the way.

Andrew handled him with care. He was bigger than his sister, but still little in his arms. “Hey.” The baby’s mouth opened and he made little sounds. “I love you, little man.” He smiled, kissing his forehead. “You’re perfect.” He chuckled. Nathaniel began crying and opened his eyes slightly. “There they are. The Johnston stamp.”

The nurse watched the interaction.

“Your sister is going to be okay.”

He sat in the rocking chair next to the incubator and enjoyed just staring at his son. His hair was brown. He had his mom’s round nose, her lips, and his eyes. He combed his hair with his fingers. “
Te quiero
.”

Andrew pushed the door open and entered the cool hospital room. Sherry lay there, with an IV hooked up to her arm. The doctor said she would be fine, but she would be staying in the hospital for up to two weeks. He sat down next to her, took her hand in his, and kissed it. “My love….”

Her eyes fluttered open and she turned to face him. Tears ran down her cheeks. “Where are my babies—”

He didn’t let her finish her question. “Nathaniel and Natalie are fine.”

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.”

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. W
ho 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 tak
e 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 damn 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.”