Page 12 of I’m Fine Save Me (The Spiral Duet #1)
My mother-in-law smiles with tears filling her eyes as she nods, kissing Tegan’s temple. “That’s beautiful. Our little Hannah Grace. She’s as blonde as you were when you were born, honey.” Clearly she can tell her daughter needs the distraction too.
She hisses through gritted teeth and I squeeze her hand tighter.
“You’re such a fucking badass. Do you know that?
You made that beautiful little girl over there.
You carried her, kept her safe, and you still kept being the best damn wife a man could ever have.
” I mean every word with every fiber of my being.
“I’ll do everything possible to give you both the life you deserve.
She’s already got the perfect mother. I’ll fight like hell to be the best father. ”
Once we’re settled into a room, both of my girls have been cleaned up, and the only visitors that are left are her mom and sisters. I ask Dani to walk with me to get coffee and I proceed to give her the apology she’s due for my outburst when I was overwhelmed.
Me doing better starts right now.
Tegan
Everyone finally left around midnight and I don’t think I got a full hour of sleep with my on and off checking on Hannah. Finally, after a few hours of noticing me jerking awake every twenty minutes or so, Cooper called the nurse into my room.
She gave me something for pain. Before it took effect, Cooper promised if Hannah needed me, he would wake me up. I slept until I heard muffled, aggressive sounding voices from outside of my room a few hours later.
The plastic bassinet wasn’t in the room, which meant Hannah was in the nursery for a vitals check or an actual bath. The voices I heard were both male and one was very clearly Cooper.
The other didn’t sound right though.
It sounded like… Wayne.
I had specifically told everyone who visited not to say anything about us being here. No social media posts, no phone calls. Everyone we wanted to be here, we directly invited ourselves.
“What the fuck?” Carefully, I get up out of bed and curse the soreness in my body and this giant diaper like underwear that is just– so ridiculous.
The magic of birth my lily white ass. The only magical part of this whole ordeal was that little beauty in the nursery.
Stepping up to the door, I listen quietly and can now clearly hear the exchange between the two of them.
“I’m her grandfather. You can’t keep me from seeing her. You can’t keep me from seeing my daughter either for that matter!” Wayne yells indignantly.
“We told you that when they were both home and ready to see visitors, we would call you,” Cooper reminds him.
“She told you that weeks ago, Wayne. She asked you to respect that one fucking request about this whole thing, because you’re nowhere near being forgiven for everything you’ve put her through. ”
Cooper’s voice is so remarkably calm. I’m honestly a bit shocked that he’s so level headed right now.
Any time that he and Wayne are in the same room, the tension itself could cause damage.
Instead, he’s the one with a calm tone, keeping his voice down, and speaking like he’s trying to reason with a wild beast.
“I’ll ask you again, please leave. Tegan will call you and invite you over to meet the baby when she’s ready for visitors. She’s been through a lot and they both need to rest.”
I keep listening at the door because I know if Wayne sees me, then he gains ground to stand on.
I don’t want that.
We might have talked and found some kind of footing with one another, but we have not fully repaired anything between us.
He still hasn’t offered anything but excuses and platitudes when it comes to paying me back.
There’s no effort on his part towards doing anything more than talking about the potential success of his book.
Sadly, he’s actually started treating me like a therapist when we talk. He mopes about my sisters not giving him the time of day. He tries to lay fault on my mother for why he cheated on her. He tries to make me feel guilty for not wanting a relationship with his new wife and step daughter.
We haven’t repaired anything.
We especially have not made enough progress for me to want him around my newborn daughter.
“Sir?” I hear the voice of one of the nurses that helped Cooper and I figure out the best way for me to shower with his help. I think her name was Diane. She’s very soft spoken until she has to get stern, so I know she’ll intimidate Wayne.
He’s never been able to handle a strong independent woman. “You’re going to have to leave. You weren’t allowed back by this family. Lydia said that you were coming to visit an employee?”
Lydia? My brow furrows and I lean closer to the door waiting for an explanation.
I hear Wayne clear his throat. I can only imagine the questioning look on Cooper’s face. “Right. Lydia knows that Melinda and I are good friends. I was going to have lunch with her and saw my son-in-law coming back from the cafeteria. I didn’t know my daughter was here.”
Even I can hear the lie. I just don’t know who told him I was here… unless Lydia and Melinda happened to have my information and called him.
That thought sours my stomach. Is he watching me?
“And she doesn’t want visitors.” Cooper reiterates firmly.
I step away from the door and go to brush my hair and teeth before gingerly climbing back into bed.
When Cooper comes back in about ten minutes later, he’s pushing the bassinet to the side of the bed.
“Hey you,” he says with a soft smile and presses a soft kiss to my lips then proceeds to tell me about Wayne’s visit. Only when Hannah stirs does he pick her up and hand the swaddled little bundle to me so she can nurse.
Fuck Wayne. Fuck him and his attention seeking drama.
I have everything I could possibly need right here with me. Our perfect little girl is nursing and healthy. My wonderful husband stood between me and the heartbreak that would come from that confrontation; and we have our little family ready to go home and start this next chapter of our lives.