His Forever Flame

54. The Phone Call

"Yea baby. We're coming," she said picking up the twins.

They joined him around the laptop. Jay took Jayla and she held Jayden where Mouse could see them too. Jayla squealed and babbled at him. She loved talking to Uncle Mouse. Mouse talked to the babies for a bit until they got fussy.

"That's my cue. Time to get these two in the bath and to bed. It was good hearing from you Mouse. We miss you," Lauren said taking both the babies.

"I miss yall too. Give the babies hugs and kisses from me," he said as Lauren did as he asked. She took the babies to the bathroom and gave them a bath before nursing them and getting them down. Jay usually joined her by now, so she figured they must be having a serious conversation. She did Jayla's inhaler and then went to get ready for bed herself.

She saw he'd put the headphones on while she was getting the babies down. He only did that when Mouse was telling him something important. She let out a soft sigh hoping Jay would be ok. They just needed Mouse to come home.

About ten minutes after getting in bed, Jay joined her. "You ok?" she asked him quietly as he pulled her close to him.

"Yea.... Yea I will be," he said kissing the top of her head.

"You sure? Mouse ok?"

"Yea... They've just got a lot going on right now, and he just needed to talk."

Lauren softly kissed Jay's chest. "Well if you need to talk, you know I'll listen."

"Yea I know. I promise, I'm ok."

Lauren nodded. They watched a little TV until she drifted off in his arms. Jay stayed awake a little longer watching the news. He was worried about his friend and just needed him to come home. He did not like Mouse being over there with guys that Jay didn't know. He needed to know Mouse would be safe and protected, but he didn't and that worried him.

He eventually drifted off into a fitful sleep. His dreams were filled with memories of Kandahar. He tossed and turned eventually moving Lauren off him. In his sleep he hit her. Lauren woke instantly feeling his hand connect with her side. "Uhhhh..." she moaned. About that time he shoved his arm out which pushed her off the bed.

The next thing she knew he was over her with this crazy look in his eyes. He'd been dreaming and she knew it as soon as she saw the look in his eyes. She started to reach up and cradle his cheek. "Jay..." she whimpered. His hand come up and just before he dropped it to hit her, her voice whimpering his name snapped him out of it.

Lauren watched the realization spread across his face. "Jay.... Jay.... Jay...." she whispered trying to reach for him. He flinched and jumped off her. Lauren sat up watching his movements. "Jay.... Jay stop," she called as he threw clothes in a bag. "Jay.... please stop. What are you doing?" she cried jumping up and grabbing his arm.

He shrugged her hand off. "Jay... don't do this," she cried. "Where are you going?"

He didn't answer her. He threw on a jacket and grabbed his bag. Lauren begged and pleaded and cried with him to stop, but he wasn't listening to her. She sank in the floor crying hard as she heard their door open and close and he was gone.

She didn't know what to do. She didn't know where he was going. She hoped he would be back soon because she needed him. She eventually cried herself to sleep in the floor.

The babies woke about three hours later. They cried and fussed until she woke hearing them. Her eyes were swollen and she was sore from sleeping in the floor. She picked herself up looking around to see if he'd come back. When she realized he hadn't, a few more tears slipped out. She tried to pull it together as she went to get the twins.