CC: Leahs having a freak out?

When wasn't she having a freak out?

Me: what over

CC: some boxes came in the mail with some baby stuff and she just freaked out and wanted rid of them

That was weird.

Me: what did you do with them?
CC: stashed them beside the washer n dryer fer when she changes her mind
Me: smart plan, b back n an hour

I sighed, dropping my phone in my pocket as I stretched my arms. I'd been recording all day, and my bones were stiff. I'd finished up most of my shit and I was beyond ready to go home.
Now? Not so much.
"Andy!"
I glanced over as I started down the hallway toward the exit, seeing Sarah energetically bounding towards me, her red and blonde hair reminding me of how Leahs used to be before she'd gone all dark on me.
Where did that girl get so much energy?
"Hey, Sarah," I gave her a tired smile.
"Hii! So, I just got the invitation for the baby shower, it's so cute!" she waved what I assumed was the invitation in her hand. "It's this Saturday, right? Like are you excited? I can't believe she invited me!"
I couldn't either, to be honest.
I'd been surprised as hell when Leah had asked Sarah to come; Leah hated excited people.
Or energetic people.
Or basically people who just moved in general right now.
"It is a girl, right?"
"Yeah, Gracie."
"So cute! And it totes goes with the band too, eee! I'm just so excited to meet Leah, like you have no idea. She's one of my idols! And I freaking loved her in the Motionless in White video! She's the only person who could pull off that outfit, even when she wasn't wearing it!"
I blinked at her.
Maybe I was a bad boyfriend, but I still hadn't watched the video. I just hadn't had time between warped and her moving in and just being pregnant in general.
I really needed to watch it, because I couldn't even imagine Leah now without the extra balloon on her waist.
Hell.
"Er, Sarah, I actually have to get going, " I said, edging for the door. "Leah was needing me home."
"Oh my gosh, sorry I kept you! Tell her I said hi!"
"Will," I said, heading for the door before she decided she needed to tell me something else.
She was a nice girl, but she talked way too much.
It took me the full hour to get back with traffic, and I was exhausted when I finally stepped inside my apartment, seeing balloons and flowers pinned everywhere, some streamers in the corner and ---.
"Why is there a stuffed porcupine on the coffee table?" I sighed.
"It's for a game," Vale told me from her position in the floor in front of it. She was carefully putting the pins in the stuffed thing.
I didn't even want to know the game.
"Where's Leah?"
"I did the bedroom, " CC grunted, struggling to fold a pink ribbon into a bow. They were the only two left out of the crew that had been here this morning, and I was pretty sure Ashley had left as soon as possible to get away from the "hellbeast," as he called her all the time.
I let my phone and keys do onto the counter, then headed for the bedroom with a sigh; this was going to go one of two ways, and I'd probably end up sleeping on the couch again.
"Lee?" I called, opening the door. Leah was sitting on the bed, and she looked over as I came inside with a smile.
Well, the smile was a good sign.
"You're home," she looked relieved, twisting slightly.
"Sorry I'm so late," I said, leaning down to give her a kiss; at least she was letting me kiss her again after she found out I'd been talking to Juliet.
I still was, honestly, just a text here and there.
But it wasn't like what Leah thought.
"How was your day?" she asked brightly, fiddling with her sweat pants; poor thing, it was all she could wear.
"Good. Sarah waved her invitation proudly in my face and told me to tell you hello. She's excited to meet you."
"Until she sees I look like a whale," she sighed as I sat beside her, slipping my arms around her shoulder.
"You don't look like a whale, you're not even that big."
"I feel it," she murmured, and glanced up at me. "You're just being nice."
"No, when am I ever nice?" I chuckled, nuzzling my face against her neck, smelling that familiar vanilla scent she always managed to have. I let my hand rest on her stomach, and feathered light kisses across her skin.
She giggled, caught off guard, and swatted at me.
"Andy, stop, it tickles."
"It tickles, huh?" I grinned, and she gave a peel of laughter as I blew raspberries.
"Eww! Stop! That's so gross!"
I laughed, wrapping my arms firmly around her small frame and pulling her against me, missing the feel of her in my arms.
I couldn't live without her, but damn sometimes did I wish for a vacation.
She pressed her face against my neck, and I felt her wrinkle her nose as she smelled the cigarettes on me, though she didn't say anything. She'd never said one word about my smoking, but somehow that made me feel even more guilty about it then if she'd been screaming and yelling.
"So how was your day?" I asked lightly, stroking her hair, and she shrugged.
"Boring. I watched everyone hang up decorations. Vale is a slavedriver, I think she almost made Ashley cry."
I chuckled; I didn't doubt that.
"They're never going to get along, are they?"
"Nope," she shook her head with a yawn, and then curled her arms around my waist, pulling me closer to her. "I missed you, though."
"I missed you too. I shouldn't have too much left, so I can be home some more." I glanced down where my hand rested on her stomach, feeling the baby kick slightly.
Leah sighed. "She's been doing that all day."
"Really? She must be excited for her party."
"I guess, but it's weird," she grumbled. "I mean, it's not a bad thing, it just feels weird to have something moving there."
"I don't doubt it, angel."
"At least we have most of the bedroom done," she murmured. "And Clarke made sure the bed didn't turn into a death trap. You guys were really doing bad."
I chuckled. "I know, we had no idea what we were doing, it was almost a disaster. Clarke to the rescue."
"Mhmhmm, I hope he didn't invite Clara to the shower, I think I'd go into labor right there. I hope she gets hit by a bus."
"Me too," I snorted, thinking about the conniving brunnette. She might have her claws in Clarke right now, but as soon as he was no longer useful, I didn't doubt she would cut him off like she had Leahs brother, and probably dozens of other men.
She was a viper, that one.
A silence started to grow between us, and I let it. I wanted her to tell me about her freakout earlier of her own accord, not have to drag it out of her.
"I know what you're doing," she said after a moment, and I glanced down at her.
"What do you mean?"
"You coming in here all snuggly and sweet? You never do that anymore. You just want to know why I wanted rid of the boxes, right? I bet CC told you."
"Uh, wh ---."
Now I felt like shit. Was I not affectionate enough? Half the time I was afraid to touch her because she looked like she wanted to punch me.
"My mother sent them," she said after a moment, and I felt my eyes widen.
"What?"
"I'm not sure how she knew where I lived, or how she got my address, but she sent over a lot of my baby clothes, since it's a girl, and a lot of toys." her voice wavered. "She said she hoped her granddaughter enjoyed them as much as I did as a kid."
"Well," how the fuck did I respond right now? Did I say that was nice? Did I blast her because she was evil?
Fuck fuck fuck.
I just stayed silent, squeezing her slightly because I had no idea how she wanted me to react.
She seemed okay with silence.
"I know you've never met her, Andy, and I hope you never have too, because she's just so awful," she sniffled. "She's so cruel. And I don't want that around my baby. I don't want anything of hers around my baby. And if she knows where we live, what if, what if Romochka does?" she started to cry. "What if he tries to hurt her?"
"Baby, no one is gonna hurt you or her," I told her softly, pressing my lips into her hair. "He's never coming after you again, he's never getting out of jail." I'd made very sure of that. "You're safe from him. And I'm a rockstar, people find out where I live all the time. It was probably just one of those things."
"Do you think someone told her the address? Do you think she sent it to be cruel? I ran away from her, you'd think she'd get the message I didn't want anything to do with her."
"I know, but ... maybe she wants to make amends?"
"No," Leah clenched her hand in my shirt. "I never want to see her or speak to her or even know she's alive. I'm just waiting for the funeral announcement."
"Leah!"
"I'm serious, Andy, no one understands." she shook her head. "No one gets it..."
I hesitated, and tilted her face up to mine, crystalline tears glittering in her green eyes. The scars that ravaged her back made me understand more then she thought, I knew she'd been through enough abuse to last a lifetime. Her mother couldn't be a good person to have done that to her own child, and I couldn't imagine what she would do to a grandchild.
There was a reason none of her children were even in the same state as her, or anywhere close by.
"She'll never get anywhere near you or Gracie," I told Leah, kissing her gently. "I would never allow it. That's my baby, you're my woman, and I will never let anything happen to the two of you, got it?"
She nodded, sniffling, and quickly mopped at her eyes.
"I just get so ... scared." she admitted, looking down. "I dont want to be like her, Andy, I don't want to hurt my baby. I don't want to just snap one day and, and hurt it, and, and ---."
"You're not your mother, Leah," I murmured, stroking the tears from her face. We'd gone over this in the beginning, but that woman had left more then just physical scars on Leah. She was the reason she needed to take medication to keep herself calm, to keep away the nightmares she'd had trouble with for as long as I'd known her.
Leah had the worse case of anxiety I'd ever seen a person have; she'd just shut down if it became too much.
And it worried me now she wasn't taking her medicine like she was supposed too, but I understood her worry, the risk of another early labor.
She didn't want to risk the baby or spend another two weeks in the hospital.
I stroked her face, wishing I knew the words she needed to hear to be able to be calm. I adored this girl, and I knew our relationship wasn't perfect, or what it used to be, but I had hope that when the baby was born and everything calmed down, it would return to normal.
Because I loved her, and I wanted to take care of her.
"I love you, Leah," I rested my forehead against hers.
"I love you too, Andy." she sniffled, squeezing her eyes shut against more tears.
My poor angel, I thought, hugging her to me. I would take care of her, no matter what it took.
Her and that baby were my world now, and sure, I slipped up sometimes and was an asshole, but everyone did that.
We would make it work.
We had too.

Notes

Can they make it work, or is this just one big disaster?
Not everything always has a fairy tale ending!

Leave a comment and a vote:)

Also, make sure to check out My Fallen Angel and Make Me Feel Alive