Squeak

Brothers

Adrian

My foot bounced anxiously as I waited for news about my daughter. She'd passed out by the time we made it to the emergency room, and the nurses promptly whisked her away while I explained her symptoms. My frustration built when I was told I couldn't go back with her while they ran tests. I was directed to the receptionist, who looked like she'd rather be at home, knitting in front of the television.

I approached the counter and wasn't surprised when she greeted me with a bored expression, a clipboard filled with bullshit, and a fountain pen you had to repeatedly scratch on a blank space until it worked.

"Please fill the forms out and bring it back to me. I'll also need a copy of your insurance card and ID."

I snatched the clipboard and the pen off the counter and located an empty plastic chair far away from those coughing and wearing masks. I stared blankly at the generic medical form. My dyslexia picked the perfect time to kick into overdrive, and the words seemed to jumble in front of my eyes. After ten minutes and no headway, I tossed the clipboard to the side and called Jezebel to get her ETA.

"I'm parking now. How is she it?" she asked frantically.

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?" she snapped.

"I don't fucking know, Jezebel!" I yelled, capturing nearby patients' and loved one's attention. My frustration was about to spill over. Everything that could go wrong had been going wrong lately. Erik was out, and I wasn't prepared for the firestorm coming my way. Like a fool, I fell for Jezebel when my job was to keep her close. Jacob was furious, but how could I not fall for the woman I'd been sharing a bed and raising a child with? Only a real psychopath could fake their love for someone for several years. I had to remember that whether Erik was out or not, the love Jezebel and I had was real. We were getting married, and hopefully, soon, we'd make Izabel a big sister.

"I'm sorry, Jezebel. I'm just worried," I apologized softly once everyone in the emergency room lobby became bored of me.

"Me too," she choked out.

"Hey. Everything will be okay. Izzy will pull through," I said, trying to comfort us both.

"Let's hope you're right," she murmured before disconnecting the phone.

***

Once I somewhat gathered myself, I managed to get through half of the medical intake forms before I heard hurried clicking against the tiled floor. I looked up to find Jezebel running in my direction. I paused to take a moment to appreciate her raw beauty. She was beautiful when I met her, save for the extra, unnecessary weight; however, I could see past that and recognize her potential. She was stunning now—a woman I could be proud to have on my arm. My ego would go through the roof when she received compliments from strangers. The best one was from a group of teenage girls who had mistaken her for some model and hounded her for an autograph. They apologized profusely when she removed her large-framed sunglasses, putting their suspicion to rest. You'd think Jezebel's looks were the only thing that attracted me to her, but that was the furthest from the truth.

Jezebel was a very driven woman who sped through college and law school because she took advanced placement courses throughout high school and tested out of the core college classes. She took at least 16 credit hours every Spring and Fall semester and enrolled in the summer semesters if courses were available. She did all of this on top of being a mother, partner, and businesswoman.

Jezebel was an amazing mother to Izabel, and while she doted on our child, she could also be firm with her; hence me overruling her regarding the chocolate cake the night I proposed.