Toxic (H.S.)

24

"No, it's mine." She looked at me and gave me a look over. "Why are you awake?" I shrugged.

"I get scared that they'll take him away from me." She leaned on her arm and looked at me. "You two are the only parts of my life that keep me sane and this woman is trying to take my baby away." My eyes stung from tears fighting their way out. "What if she does it?"

"She won't, I won't tolerate someone causing you pain like that." She put her hand on my cheek. "Look at me, I won't allow her to take him, she'll have to go through me and believe me I will go ape shit on her ass if she takes my cutie patootie." I smiled. "Come here."

I snuggled into her side and she gently scratched my scalp. "You're very soothing." She giggled. "You make me feel like everything will be alright."

I never had a real sense of comfort around people but with Marlene, the world could be crashing down around us and I would feel safe here. "You know why?" I shook my head. "Because I love you more than anything, and we'll be fine, I promise."

*

By spring everything felt at ease and we all sat down in the living room after dinner and were trying to get Ollie to say dada. "I'm dada." He stared at me and bounced in my lap. "Yes, dada."

"Ahhhh!" He screamed making Marlene giggle.

"You can't force him to talk, watch this." She sat up and crawled over picking him up. "Ollie look at Marlene." He looked at her and smiled big. "Watch." She grabbed his hand and placed it on my cheek and said. "Dada."

"Da da da da da." He repeated, my eyes widened.

"Marlene he did it." Ollie looked at her and touched her face.

"Ma ma ma ma!" Her eyes widened and she looked at me almost terrified. She handed him back to me and slowly stood up walking out of the room. Ollie began crying when he didn't notice her and laid on my chest for comfort.

It probably upset him more because I didn't have soft squishy boobs like Marlene. I stood up and set him down on his swing where the music soothed him.

I went into the room where Marlene sat on the edge of the bed with her face covered. "He was probably trying to say 'Marlene'." She sniffled. "The fact that the first sound of your name happens to sound like 'ma' is a coincidence." She didn't say anything. "Are you upset that he called you that or...?"

"I'm the closest person that boy has to a mom, and it kills me because Shane was right. He's nothing of mine in life but everything in my heart and if we fought one day or you got upset you can just take him away." She let out a small sob.

"Baby I wouldn't do that, first of all, I don't plan on leaving so get that shit right." I walked over and sat beside her. "Now we are going to get married and you will be my wife, which means you'll be his mum too." She turned to me and smiled. "He's yours too not by blood but by this." I poked her heart.

"It doesn't bother you if he starts calling me mom?" I shook my head.

"He needs one, and if I may say you're a pretty good one even without kids." She laughed. "Yes smile, please stop crying or I'll cry." She agreed, wiping her eyes.

*

Marlene

After the word around the office got to Liam about me being engaged he hadn't stopped bothering me on planning a wedding. "What about bridesmaids?"

"I don't have a lot of friends, I stopped talking to a lot of people when I came back to Washington." He sighed. "Can't we hire people-"

"Marlene please be serious, have you decided on a date, location, flowers, food, a band or a DJ?" He sounded so concerned.