“It doesn't bother you at all the man I am?”
I smile. There is so much love and appreciation for this man flowing through me right now. “You are whom you were born to be, Draven. It used to upset me some whenever I thought about what you might be up to while you were out. However, when I woke up, I woke up a new woman. I woke up so strong, and I got that strength from you. Since the moment you took me to your house and told me I'd be living there from now on,” We both laugh. “You have been slowly making me stronger. I can't change the man you are, and I'll admit that I used to want to. The killer part, I mean.”
“And now?”
“And now, I wouldn't change you for the world, Draven. Not one little thing. You are everything to me. I never want to lose you. I just wouldn't survive without you. Hell, I don't even remember me before you. What I'm saying is, you are the love of my life, Draven Vidal, and I will love you until my dying day.”
He leans into me and kisses me long and soft. All the while I'm holding onto his cheek. “I love you more, Marnie. You saved me, baby. I knew the moment I met you at Brooke and Hawk's wedding that you were special. Did I know you'd turn my life upside down? No. Did I know you'd become the love of my life? No, but I'm so glad you are.”
We're staring into each other's eyes like lovesick fools for a moment or two. I've never felt so happy. Everything is going to be just perfect from here on in. I know it is.
The doctor comes into the room with his clipboard. “Mrs. Vidal, it's very nice to see you up and about.” Hardly, I'm in a damn wheelchair.
Draven pulls himself onto the seat beside my wheelchair, my hand still in his. “Is everything all right?”
“I see the little one now has a name,” The doctor says more to himself than to us.
“He sure does.” Missy, our son's private nurse, pipes in. I hadn't seen her walk back into the room. She left when Draven crouched down beside me.
Don't get me wrong, I don't hate the girl, but I don't like her much either. I'm probably being stupid, but as soon as Draven wheeled me in, she gave me a distasteful look. She went on to talk about my son's in such a manner that made me feel like she was their mother not me. She told me how and when they feed, how they liked to be positioned in their incubator, how they liked to hold hands. How many times they have their diapers changed, how they've started to latch onto Draven's fingers when he touches them because they recognize their Daddy.
I know she's only doing her job, and I'm being irrational, but these are all things I should know!
Fucking bitch. I wanted to smack her face in so hard her whole skull collapsed! I know it's not her fault that I haven't been here, but she's a very silly slut to think it's okay to make me feel less of a mother because she's the one doing my job. Draven might not have noticed it, but I'm a woman, women notice when another is hoping to take her place. This bitch would take my place as wife and mother if only she could.
The only thing she'll get from me is a bullet in her stupid brain if she says one more thing to piss me off, job or no job. Okay, I won't shoot her, I don't have it in me, but I'll make sure she never forgets my face.
“Little Dray is doing much better.” I resist the urge to roll my eyes at her saccharine tone. Let's see how she likes losing her job.
“That's right,” The doctor continues. “Both boys are doing exceptionally well. They've gained weight, and they're breathing much better. I'd like to remove the oxygen tubes sometime this week, and I think Mom and Dad will be able to hold them and give them their first bottle feed.”
I'm so excited my nose is burning with emotion! I haven't missed everything. I'll be the first one to feed my babies, not this bitch. The only reason Draven hasn't held them or fed them yet is that he didn't want to do it without me. Silly man, he should have been holding them from the moment the doctor said he was able.
“So how much longer do you think they'll be here?”
“Well, Mr. Vidal,” I squeeze my husband's hand. I'm excited and scared all at the same time. “I imagine another couple of weeks at least. I'm not saying that's a definite; it could be much sooner if they continue to gain weight. I'd like for them to be taking at least 4oz of milk each bottle feed, and I'd also like the smallest boy to be at least 5Lb 6oz before he leaves here.”
“How heavy are they now?” I ask. Because surely they've gained more than a few ounces in the past four weeks.
“Well, Luka is now 4Lb 15oz, which is fantastic. Little Dray is 4Lb 2oz. It might not seem like they've gained much weight to you, but I can assure you they have.” He smiles kindly.
“So if Dray manages to gain enough weight even in a week, they can go home?” Draven is saying they because we don't want them separated for anything. We're both worried that if they are, Dray could start to lose weight and even become sick. Draven's done a lot of research about it all lately.
“As long as he gains the weight and maintains it, I'll allow him to go home.”
I screech excitedly and wrap my arm around Draven's neck. I still haven't let go of my baby boys tiny hands yet. I need them to have a bond with me as they have with their father.
Draven holds me tightly. It's all going to be okay; I know it is. My boys are getting stronger, and soon they'll be home with us. However, for now, I'll just keep praying that they pull through healthily. I didn't see the boys with c-pap machines, and everything else they were hooked up with, I'm seeing them only with feeding tubes and BP monitors, so I'm getting to look upon them and see how beautiful they truly are. I can't take away the pain Draven felt seeing Luka and Dray so tiny and hooked up to machines, but I can help him see that our little soldiers are going to be just fine.
I'm not stupid, I know it's going to take a while before they're like normal babies their age, but isn't it a wonderful thing how resilient children are? Time will move quickly, and my sons will be teenagers before I know it. I won't spend this precious time worrying unnecessarily.
Draven and I sit with our boys after the doctor has left, Draven is on the other side of their incubator with his hand inside next to mine, touching babies. I saw and felt it as soon as he touched their hands, the way they both moved their little bodies slightly, the way they sensed just who was touching them. They have a strong bond already. They're Daddy's boys.
Bitch face keeps throwing me looks and smirking at me, and it's pissing me off. Why is it when you're stuck in a damn wheelchair, not strong enough to wipe the smirk off a skanks face do they stand there like they own the world?
I don't know, but I'll tell you something, if that bitch touches my husband’s shoulder, squeezes it just once more I'll kill her! I don't care how I do it, but I will do it.
This bitch has a death wish! She claps Draven's shoulder, leans down with her eyes on my baby boys, a sluttish smirk on her face. Who the fuck smiles like that at children? My blood is boiling so much I actually feel sick, like, legitimately sick!
“They're making excellent progress. I've never known such strong boys.”
I'm gonna kill Draven; he's actually smiling at her, chatting with her. Does he honestly not see what she's doing? I never had him down as a stupid man.
I have never in my life felt jealousy like this. I've never had anything to be jealous about. When I woke up a different woman, I had no idea that woman would be jealous and angry and will hurt you if you cross her. I woke up the true Marnie Vidal, and Marnie Vidal has had enough!
“If you don't take your hands off of my husband, I will kill you!”
That's it, bitch, look at me when I'm talking to you.
“I'm sorry, I...”
“Have done nothing since I came in here but try to prove how much better you are than I am. Shall I tell you something?” I shift forward in my wheelchair, gripping the side with my hand so tightly my knuckles are white. “You will never be better than me, and do you know why?” She shakes her head no. “Because you will never be me. You dare disrespect me like this in front of my children?” I scrunch my eyes in disg
ust.
“Marnie,” Draven's voice is a warning tone. Oh, hell no! I'm not a submissive little child he can demand to be quiet, those days are long gone.
“Don't even.” I hit him with a hard stare, he narrows his eyes for a second before sighing and nodding his head. Good. I turn my eyes back to bitch features. “You know who my husband is, don't you?”
She swallows hard and says, “Of course, Mrs. Vidal.”
“Mrs. Vidal... And who is that?”
“You.” She swallows hard again.
“That's right, me. Not you. Draven is my husband, Luka and Dray are my sons. Don't you ever forget it. Now, I'm telling you this only once. I do not want you caring for my sons any longer. I don't want you anywhere near my husband either. I'll be speaking to your boss about having you removed for this position.” She opens her mouth to protest. There is no room for protest here.
I hold my hand up to her, and her mouth snaps shut. “It would be best for you not to fight me on this. Trust me; it won't end well for you. You know that, don't you?”
Fuck, is this feeling my husband gets when he's interrogating men? I say interrogating because I'm not about to kill this girl as much as I want to. However, it's such a thrilling feeling!
“Of course, Mrs. Vidal.” With that, she scurry's away, and I'm left here chuckling to myself. God, that felt good!
I stroke my babies tiny hands with my finger while humming to them the way I did when Lydia and Amber were babies.