The Hook-Up (Part Two)

Chapter 268

Almost forty minutes and lots of traffic later Lauren punched in the number to open the gate to their home. She parked her car and drug herself to the door to hear Geronimo whining in his crate. "Hang on, boo. I got you." she told the dog hurrying to get him out of his crate. Surprised by her presence he started jumping on her and trying to lick her. "Oh no..." she told him sternly directing him to get down. He quickly answered her demands going to lay near the couch she was going to lay on in just a few seconds. "Geronimo..." she said stretching out on the couch. "I miss you..." she said lifting his head up to pet him. "But the way you smell and the way you get all jumpy is just too much..." she said holding her head trying to get over her nausea. "You better be one damn cute baby because I'm already hating you..." she said moving her hand to her stomach. "Thirty more weeks." she said closing her eyes instantly falling asleep. She was waken up by a high pitched scream coming from the other side of the house followed by Bruno's soft voice singing a melodic tone.

"Calm down, Evee. I'll get you a bottle in a second." he told her. Ezra stayed quiet in his other arm but trying to wiggle out as soon as they hit the door. Hearing the scream Lauren rubbed her eyes standing up to see her son sitting on the floor trying to decide if he was doing to start to crawl in the expansive house.

"Are the floors clean?" she asked Bruno picking him up.

"They came over while I was gone today, so they better be..." he told Lauren taking Ezra from her to set him on the floor. "He's fine, Laur."

"Okay. Okay." she said following Bruno to the kitchen where Everlee was already sitting in a high chair holding onto two empty bottles hitting them against the tray. "Which one do you want?" she asked her 9 month old daughter. "This one?" she asked holding the blue bottle watching her daughter reach for it. "This one, Bruno..." she said handing him the bottle watching him mix the formula for her. After getting it to Everlee Lauren picked her daughter up to set her on the floor with a set of toys she knew Ezra would come and steal within minutes.

"Lauren, here..." Bruno instructed handing her a cup of warm tea. "This is what they sad would help...."

"Who is they?" she questioned.

"At TJ's..I asked what helps with morning sickness and this is what they gave me." he said holding up the box. She took the box reading it over. "I trust you. But only this once." she smiled at him taking another sip.

"How is it?" he asked.

"It's going to take some time to get used to it...." she told him. "But watch when you come home in August it will be all I drink." she smiled placing the cup on the table to sit down next to Everlee. "Did you get them clothes and everything?" she asked him.

"I'm super dad...." he said holding up her overnight bag. "Diapers...." he pulled out some diapers. "lotion..." he pulled out diaper rash cream. "Pajamas..." he pulled out two sets of onsies. "Clothes for tomorrow...." he pulled out two matching outfts for his children. "And everything else I already had here...."

"Do you have the banana chips and the cereal and oatmeal?" she asked him. "They really like the apples..."

"Of course...." he smiled making her melt. "Right here..." he reached up on his toes to get the items out from a top shelf making her laugh.

"Did someone else put those away for you?" she giggled.

"Maybe..." he said rolling his eyes showing her.

"You're doing a good job, Bruno." she admitted eying the ground next to the twins. "Come sit with me and play with them...."

**

A few hours later Lauren sat on the couch on the other side of Bruno scrolling through her facebook. He glanced over at her seeing the lack of interest she had in regard to the current silence. "I don't want to talk about it." she told him.

"Why?" he asked her. "You even said that I was doing a good job. But it doesn't feel like you're trying really hard, Elle. It's like you're almost taking advantage of me." his last statement caught her off guard causing her to turn to look at him. Once he had her attention he continued his thoughts. "You only want me around when I'm helping you in some way. Helping you feel better, helping you with the babies, helping you find time to go to a meeting...it's all about you." she looked at him a bit confused by his statement but did not interupt or get mad.

"Tell me more, Bruno." she said without intimidating him.

"Because I need help too, Laur. I need help figuring out how the next four months are going to be. How am I going to not miss the twins for those four months? How am I going to not miss Geronimo? Is the house going to be safe? What is the tour going to be like? I need help too. Because now that I got you your tea and your stomach is better it's like I'm just here. We're just sitting here together because the babies are here..you can go home if you want to. I've got them. I can take them to daycare tomorrow if you just want to go home." he said defeated.

"Oh Bruno...." she sighed putting down her phone. "That's not what I want. I want to do be with you. I just don't know what to say. I don't know what to do. I miss you so much." she told him trying not to cry but failing feeling the tears come down her cheek. "I don't know what I'm going to do or say about what has happened recently. I may be able to forgive you but I will never forget everything that has happened."

"I don't want you to forget...." he said wiping off the tears. "It's what makes us stronger, baby."

"But some days I just feel like it's not enough. No matter what we do there's always going to be something to mess things up. If it's not one thing it's another...every time we figure it out...." she rambled.

"We're going to make it, Lauren. I promise you....." he said reaching for hands to pul her into his chest. "I promise you." he said again kissing the top of her head feeling her body fall into his.

"I just want it all to be okay." she told him.

"I do too, Laur. We want the same thing." he answered quietly.

"Brunz, I'm tired. Can we go to bed?" she asked pulling away a little.

"Yeah. Come on..." he said helping her stand up. "You know...I didn't mind pregnant Lauren that much last time...." he said wrapping his arms around her waist. "I think she was my favorite."

"I was?" she asked sitting down on the bed reaching for the bag he had packed for her filled with both work clothes and pajamas.

"Yeah. You were happy all the time. Even when you were miserable. You were happy..." he said leaning down to wrap his arms around her shoulder. "They make you happy. Ezra and Everlee make you smile. No matter how crazy the day is, when you see them, Lauren....you change. And I don't think I would have it any other way...." he said kissing her nose. "And this one is going to make us even happier..." he said leaving the room. "I need to take a shower."

"Okay." she answered flopping on the bed eventually getting under the covers to find the spot that she loved to sleep in.