My living room was filled with people who didn’t want to be there. I didn’t particularly care though, it was time to air this shit out. “Well…you all know why we’re here,” I started. “We’re going to have twins welcomed into this family quite soon and you’re all a mess.”“I’m sorry, why aren’t your parents here?” Belinda asked. “Because despite my mom being a pregnant narcissist married to a man child and my father being an alcoholic married to a homewrecker, we’re actually in a good place. The rest of you are not. So who wants to go first?”I was met with silence.“Belinda and Alistair, meet Faye and Steven. You are all parents to Grayson.”“It’s nice to see you two again,” Faye offered nervously. “And you,” Alistair nodded. “Though I didn’t think we’d ever have to sit down with you.”“Dad, don't be rude,” Grayson snapped. “Oh so you do recognize me as your Dad still, how nice! You wouldn’t know it from all the missed calls and texts!”“I told you I needed space! You don’t just g
“Can’t one of you switch the date?” I asked while video chatting with my parents.“Sophia absolutely cannot. She already hired the caterer and the big balloon for the gender reveal.” Dad sighed. “Wait, she's doing a gender reveal too?” Mom asked. “Does she insist on taking everything from me?”“Come on Mom, what does that mean?” I questioned. “Hello? First she took my husband, then I announce I’m pregnant and she announces her pregnancy with the man she stole from me. And now she wants her shower and gender reveal on the same day as me! Am I crazy?”“Yes, Bianca, you absolutely are!” Dad stated. “You have always been out of your mind!”“That’s rich coming from someone who just got out of rehab.”“Hey, I went to rehab too!” I protested.“I’m just saying, this is my time to shine. This is my second chance!”“Right because your first one was so shitty.” “Scarlett, what’s wrong with you?”“I am so sick of hearing about this baby being your second chance at being a mother and doing it r
“What are you doing here?” I asked. “I’m having a girl!” Mom announced. “A beautiful baby girl!”I gaped at my mother. What the hell was wrong with her? Crashing Sophia’s baby shower to announce the gender of her baby before she could. How could she be so incredibly selfish?!“Why are you like this?” I asked. “No, Scarlett, why are you like this? You chose to come to this woman’s party over mine as though she didn’t tear apart our family!”“That was years ago, Mom. We have all moved on. You are pregnant with another man’s baby.”“Yes, another girl!” Mom said proudly.I was both not happy and very excited about this. I had always wanted a sister. Sure that would be different considering I was a twenty-four year old and wouldn’t actually grow up with her, but still I wanted to be a big sister to a girl.I was worried Mom would raise this girl just like me and I had a plethora of issues and insecurities. But this little girl would have something I didn’t. A big sister who would have h
What are you doing here?” I asked, ushering him in.“I’m finally back in town and Lulu gave me your address so I could surprise you. I didn’t know there would be so much of you to surprise!” Rudy hugged me tightly. “What is going on here?”“I’m just a little knocked up.”“A little? You’re about to burst!” He chuckled. “It’s not mine right?”“Afraid not lover boy.” I giggled. “So…who’s the lucky man?” “Lucky men…I’m having twins. A boy with Lee and a girl with Grayson.”“Your life is so overly complicated, it should be a movie!” Rudy shook his head before looking over at EJ. “Let me guess, you’re her boyfriend through all of this.”“Unfortunately not,” EJ grinned. “I’m actually Lee’s brother.”“I have so much to catch up on!”I smiled. “Well sit down and get ready for the story of a lifetime.”--“Oh my god, Letty what the hell? How in the world is this happening?”“I have no idea, this is just my life now,” I shrugged. “But what about you, what have you been up to?”“Just a lot of t
“I can’t believe you told Lee and Grayson!”“Come on, Scarlett, I was worried about you!” EJ stated. “You don’t need to, EJ. And you don’t need to tattle on me like that.”“I felt that Grayson and Lee should know.”“Did you also tell them that you’ve been kissing me?” I challenged. “That kind of seems like something they should know about.”“Me kissing you doesn’t put anyone in danger,” EJ pointed out. “No, but it puts relationships in danger. Not only mine with the guys, but yours and Lee’s. He’s your brother EJ, there is no way I’m worth all of this.”“Lee wants you to be happy, no matter who that’s with.”“You clearly don’t know him that well.”“I was just looking out for you, okay?”“Like I said, I don’t need you to EJ. I’m an adult and I can take care of myself.” I said firmly. “Now, you don’t have to stay with me today, Rudy and I are going shopping.”“What? You’re not supposed to hang out with him!” EJ protested. “No, my kids aren't supposed to, but seeing as they aren’t out
Pain startled me awake. The contractions were coming a bit faster than before. It hurt so badly, I was afraid something was wrong. I think I was in an ambulance. I could hear beeping and worried voices. “My babies,” I whispered. “Are my babies okay?”“She’s awake!” A man announced. “Ma’am can you tell me your name?”“I-I’m Scarlett…is everything okay? Are my babies? Oh!”“Scarlett, you are going into labor.”“Where’s my phone? I have to call them! My babies’ fathers need to know!”“My name is Phillip. I know you are scared right now, but we can call them when we get to the hospital.”“I’m not ready Phillip!” I sobbed. “Th-they’re not supposed to come this soon. Something is wrong! I-it hurts!”“Do we have your permission to give you an epidural?” Phillip asked. My mind was racing. Should I risk it? I was in so much pain, but what if this is just a gateway back into drugs? What if I was still too weak to handle this?“I don’t know! I’m um…I’m an addict. I don’t think it’s good, but
This couldn’t be happening.Everything was going wrong today. Scarlett wasn’t supposed to run off or get in that accident and definitely not supposed to give birth today. It was earlier than expected. Even though I was excited, I still wasn’t ready for it. Nothing could truly prepare me for fatherhood. But I was so eager to hold my son in my arms. But now there were complications. Grayson and I weren’t even allowed in the room. “What do you think is going on in there?” I asked. “I have no idea, but it’s not right.” Grayson was pacing nervously. “We should be in there!”“They said it was better that we weren’t.”“There weren't supposed to be complications. Lee, I have a really bad feeling about this.”“Please calm down and stop pacing, you're making me nervous!” I snapped. “Sorry I just…god, Lee, what if something goes horribly?” Grayson asked, sitting next to me. “What if one of the babies isn’t okay or what if she-”“No! Don’t talk like that. I-it’s gonna be fine, it has to be.”
I couldn’t breathe. The woman I loved and my daughter were fighting for their lives and all I could do was sit in the hallway, imagining the worst possible outcomes. That Scarlett wouldn’t make it and I would be a single father. That Joy wouldn’t make it and I would have a hole in my heart forever. That they both wouldn’t make it and I wouldn’t be able to keep on living. I felt horrible for hoping that if one of the babies made it, it was Joy. I didn’t want Lee to lose Julian, but I needed Joy at this point. I had changed so much to prepare for being her father. My life was completely altered because of her and it couldn’t all be for nothing. She and Scarlett had to be okay. I heard what the doctor said and yet it didn’t actually process for me. Lee and I had to choose who the priority was. Our babies or Scarlett. “I can’t choose,” I whispered. “Considering these are her first babies, we feel more obligated to Scarlett if you cannot make a choice.” He stated. “I can’t lose my