A Melwood Story

/chapter twenty-eight/

A Melwood Story
Chapter 28

Chris

I wake to no one in bed beside me. I touch the pillow lightly. Cold. She hasn't been in bed for awhile.

I sigh. This is the second time this week I've woken up to no Melissa and it's only Wednesday.

Like she knew I was thinking about her, she comes into the room.

"Oh," she says, surprised to see me up. "Good morning."
"Do you need help with anything?" I ask.
"No, I mean, I'm only thirty nine weeks pregnant and taking care of four kids for two hours every morning before you wake up."

I push the blankets off of me, swinging my legs off the bed. "When would you like me to wake up then?"
"When the kids wake up at, six," she says. "But I guess since you're probably leaving after the baby is born it doesn't really matter to you."
I look down at the floor. "I'm not leaving after the baby is born, Melissa. I promise, okay?"
"And I told you, I won't trust your promises until you actually go through with them."
I nod slightly. "Okay."

She sits on the chair by the closet, placing her hand on the baby. "Now, since you want to help, you can go get the kids dressed."
"Okay," I say, then get up and head out the bedroom door.

"Dad!" Nya calls as I pass her bedroom.
I turn back around and pop my head in the room. "Yes, Nya?"
"Where were you?" she asks.
I glance around. "What do you mean?"
"Uh, this morning," she says. "Only mommy has been up in the mornings with us, making us breakfast, packing our lunches."
I hesitate. "Sorry. I've just been really tired."
"So has mommy," she says, then looks away from me. "I miss the old daddy."
"I-" I start, but Nya interrupts.
"It doesn't matter. I'm seven years old now, at least be a good father for Sofia. She deserves it."
"I'm sorry, Nya."
She looks at me straight in the eyes. "Don't apologize to me. Apologize to Max, Lulu and Sofia."

I turn and walk down the hallway to Max's room. "Hey, Max," I say when I open his bedroom door.
He looks up from his drawing. "Oh, hi daddy."
"What are you going to wear today?" I ask, stepping into his room.
"Clothes," he replies.
"Maxwell..."
"Fine," he says. "Did mom send you?"
I nod. "She did, actually. Why?"
"Well, you haven't been in my room for awhile."
"I'm sorry about that."
"Eh, apologize to Fia. She misses her dad and she's only one."
"I will. I promise."
"Okay. Well, I'm also four, so I'll either get dressed myself or ask Lulu or Nya for help."
I nod again. "If you need my help, I'll help."
"Got it," he says, then goes back to drawing.
I step out of the room and close the door behind me.

Melissa is walking down the hallway as I'm heading to Lulu's room.
"Did you dress the kids?" Melissa asks.
"Uh, neither Nya or Max wanted my help."
She looks like she considered rolling her eyes for a moment, but stopped herself. "Chris."
"I tried. Okay, I tried."

"You need to go to a support group, or go talk to someone. Something is up. Since you're not telling me, maybe you'll tell someone else."
"Melissa..."
"No." She sighs. "You're a father, Chris. You need to be there for your kids, and if you want more children after this baby, you need to figure out how to manage yourself. Please. For your kids."
I nod. "I'll go see someone."
"Thank you," she says, then goes down the hallway to Max's room. "Hi my little dude."

Melissa

I'm glad that Chris wants to be better. At this point, as long as he can still be here for his children, that's all I care about. It became not about me and my feelings the second Max and Lulu were born and the second Nya called me mom for the first time.

Once my kids became apart of my life, all I wanted in the world was for them to have loving parents and happy lives. And I still want that for them. I want them to have a loving father and not grow up saying that their father left them when they were younger.

After getting the kids dressed for the day, I feed Sofia and then try to find Chris.

"Chris?" I call from the bottom of the stairs.
A couple seconds pass before he peeks his head out of our bedroom. "Yes?"
"Do you want to take the kids to the park down the street?" I ask.
He seems to think for a moment. "Sure."
"Okay," I say, then take Sofia with me up the stairs to get the older kids ready.

A pain shoots through me when I reach the top step. I turn and sit down quickly, making sure to keep Sofia in my arms.

I take a few deep breaths, in and out, in and out.

Chris comes out of the bedroom. "Melissa? Are you okay?"
I shake my head, my hand shaking with it from nervousness. "No."
"Do you think it's the baby?" he asks.
I nod. "Probably."
"Okay." He takes Sofia from my arms, then goes down the hallway to the kids bedrooms to get them.

"Max! Lulu! Nya! We have to go," he says.
Nya peeks her head out the door. "Go where?"
Chris glances down at me.
"To the hospital, Ny," I answer for him.
"Why?" Nya asks.
"Your mom might have the baby," Chris tells her.
"Might," Nya repeats.
"So, get your brother and sister and let's go," Chris says.
"Fine." Nya pushes herself out her bedroom door, goes down to Max's, then Lulu's room. "Max! Lulu! We're leaving."
Max and Lulu come out of their bedrooms almost immediately.

Chris walks over and helps me up with his free arm. "Lean on me."
I nod, slightly.

We make it to the hospital only minutes before the contractions start getting worse.

I text Chyler and ask if she could come pick up the kids and take them to her house while we're heading to the room. She replies that she'll be there as soon as she can.