Eleven
Nick stood in the door as he gazed at Selena across the room. She was rocking their baby girl, trying to calm her down. He watched as she gently placed the baby on the changing table to see what she had conjured up in her diaper. She unfold the flaps and peeked inside, it was clean. Selena deeply sighed and put the flaps back together.
"What is it?" She worriedly as the baby continued to cry.
She picked her back up and rocked her again.
"Here let me help," Nick said walking over and reaching out for the baby.
But Selena didn't reply, she didn't even look at him. She moved over to the bed and sat down, he did he same. The room was silent as always with the two of them. He looked down at his folded hands. He wasn't sure how to confront her about their situation.
"Selena I'm trying to make this better..." He said then looked at her.
She got up and walked over to the crib and laid her daughter down, she was fast asleep. Selena placed a kiss upon her forehead and covered her with the blanket. She then walked past Nick and went out the door, he followed her down the hallway.
"Selena," he called about two times. She didn't utter a word, she just kept walking. Being fed up Nick grabbed her hand and spun her around to face him.
"Aren't we a little too old for the silent treatment?" He joked.
"Are you serious?" She asked in disbelief.
"Serious about what?" He asked.
"You left me and our kids so you could spend your time with someone who is probably not even pregnant with your baby." She said angrily.
"Okay first of all she is not just someone, she was my girlfriend and we were in love. Second, she is pregnant and even if I don't know at the moment that the baby is mine, I can't just abandon it."
"Like how you abandoned our kids." She said folding her arms.
"I didn't abandon them, I'm here aren't I?" He fought back.
"Yeah for what, one day? You've spent more time with an unborn baby than you have with the twins. You promised that you'd be here for them, for us..." She started to tear up.
"I am here." He reassured her.
"No you're not, stop saying that you are!" She said out of frustration.
"I have been here alone feeding, bathing, burping, and changing their diapers. I am exhausted Nick, I haven't slept in days. And on top of that I sat here worrying when you'd come home." She cried.
"Selena..." He said then touched her arm.
"Don't." She said and pulled her arm away from him.
She looked at him one last time and walked down the stairs. She wiped her tears as she walked back outside to join the rest of the family to finish breakfast. She needed to eat because she was feeling weak, besides she needed to breastfeed the babies soon.
He sighed and followed her right outside.
"Selena please listen." He said.
The family was now looking at the two with fixed eyes.
"No, you know what Nick? I thought you would be the same Nick that I fell in love with in high school but I was wrong. The real Nick wouldn't do this."
"Selena..." He called again.
"And you know what else? I think you're scared of commitment. You called off the wedding, you can't even spend one day with the twins, and you're probably gonna abandon her baby too."
"That's enough." He warned her.
"Or what, are you going to hit me again?" She asked.
The family gasped and exchanged looks, shocked at what she said.
"I never hit you." He defended.
"But you were going to. Like I said, you'll never be the old Nick." She said and walked inside.
Frustrated he started to storm after her.
"Nick!" Denise called as she stood up and walked over to him.
He stopped in his tracks and turned around.
"Give her some space." She said with a sigh.
"Well apparently I've given her too much space, but when I'm around she wants me to leave her alone."
"You're being really selfish right now. You guys either sit down and talk this out or you go to couples therapy because this is not healthy." She lectured.
"She doesn't want to talk this out mom, don't you get it?" He said sternly.
"Once you start being here, helping with the babies she will come around. You can't just mess up and expect her to wait for you with open arms"
He sighed and nodded. He knew she was right.
"Okay."
"And that means staying here and not going to New York." She said.
"I know.."
Just then Sam frantically ran outside. Everyone's attention was now on her.
"Sam are you okay?" Denise asked concerned.
"Selena is passed out on the ground, she's not waking up!" She said in panic.
"What?!" Nick asked then ran inside.
There laid Selena on the ground, out cold.
"Selena?" He said with a shake in his voice. He fell to his knees and shook her. No movement.
Then in came Denise and the rest of the family.
"Mom! What do I do?" Nick said while looking up at her for her help.
She pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed for an ambulance. Her hand was shaking as she heard the dial tone. Nick looked back at Selena as she laid there lifeless. He started to tear up as he continued to shake her.
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Hospital
Nick and Denise sat in the waiting room. Anxiety overtook his leg as it continuously shook to the beat of his heart. Every horrible thought ran through his mind, he tried his best to dismiss each one. Denise place her hand on his knee and gave him an empathetic smile.
"You know, I felt this exact way when you had that accident," she started to say.
He stayed quiet.
"I was sitting here so worried that you weren't going to make it, and I bet that's probably what you're thinking right now. And that some way somehow that this is your fault but"
"But this is my fault mom." He said through his gritted teeth.
She looked at his face then his eyes as they were on the verge of crying. She knew it was his fault, she just needed to hear him say it.
"Now that you owned your mistake what are you going to do?"
"I'm going to make this better, I need to..." He said.
Just then a man in a white coat walked up to them with his clipboard of information.
"Jonas?" He called out.
Nick and his mom stood up.
"That's us," said Denise.
"How is she?" Nick asked.
"She is doing fine. She fainted because of the lack of sleep and food intake. I'm aware that she recently conceived twins as it says here, correct?" He looked at the papers.
"Yes" Denise answered.
"Well she needs to maintain an essential diet I assume she's breastfeeding. She needs at least six hours of sleep a day. She's being put on bed rest for a week to assure this. She has also tested for postpartum depression, I'm prescribing you this make sure she takes two a day. They will help with the stress and depression." He said handing Nick the slip of paper.
"Any questions?" He asked.
But Nick was silent as he stared at the slip.
Denise noticed and placed her hand on his shoulder.
"No questions, thank you doctor."
"No problem, She's is in room 328B," he said before leaving.
"Let's go Nick." Denise said awaking him from his deep thought.
The two walked down the hall searching for the room, once they found it they stopped in front of the door. Denise knocked waiting for her response.
"Come in!" They heard her say.
They entered the room and closed the door. Selena was laying in bed looking very weak and pale. Her hair was up in a high bun
"Hey, how are you feeling?" Denise asked as she walked over to the side of her bed.
"I'm doing okay. Where are the babies?" She asked worriedly.
"They're fine, the family are at home with them no need to worry," she assured her.
"Okay," she said with a small smile.
The whole time Nick was standing there not knowing what to say as the girls went on with their conversation.
"Well I'm going to the bathroom, should give you two some time to talk." She said with a smile.
She nodded at Nick and then left the room.
He slowly walked over to the side of the bed and sat down. Selena stared at him waiting for him to start the conversation. She watched as he struggled to find the words to say.
"Selena..." He started to speak.
"...this is all my fault. I should've been there for you, for the twins like I promised. I shouldn't have left you to see Olivia. I shouldn't even have rationalize what I did because what I did, what I said was horrible and unfair to you and the babies. I promise, this time, to be there for you, for them, so something like this never happen again." He said pouring his heart out. He reached for her hand but she pulled it away.
"I'm not mad about the baby and I'm not mad at you for being there for them, It's just the fact that you lied to me, lied that you'd be there for us, lied that you went to New York for work when you were being there for someone else instead. That's what really hurts." She said through her tears.
"Why did you cheat? Was I just not good enough for you?" She asked with a tremble in her voice.
"I didn't cheat, I promise. I was really on a business trip in New York and I ran into her. I looked away for one second and she drugged me. I was barely conscious to know what we were doing."
"And why didn't you tell me this before?"
"I was embarrassed and I didn't want you to worry. Trust me, I would never cheat on you. I love you." He confessed.
"You can't just say sorry and expect everything to be okay, Nick."
"I know that and I'm going to be here with you and help. I'll be up at night feeding and changing the babies. I'll be there to make sure you get plenty of rest and food. I'll be here this time like I promised."
"And what about Olivia?" She asked.
"Like I said I'll be right here with you. When she gives birth I'll get a paternity test and we'll go from there. The bottom line is, I'm here for you." He said then kissed her hand.
"Okay." She simply said, hoping that this would be the last time he'd make that promise.