Babies 78 & 79: Willing to Try

Yet another set of girl triplets...well, been there, done that...at least I know what I'm in for this time.

I'm lucky...Benna loves taking care of the babies which is good because I am really tired all the time.  All this added stress with Ryan is getting to me.  He keeps telling me that he just needs time and he can get used to my "lifestyle choice" - his words.  Well, yeah, I chose to do this, but my children are more important to me than anything.  At the same time, I love him and I want him to be a part of my life, I just have to figure out a way to make him okay with this.

Benna isn't the only helpful girl I have...Bradley tries her hand at cooking...she gets stuck at how to turn the food processor on, but it's a start.

"Do you smell something burning?" I ask Benna.
She sniffs and replies, "Uh-oh."

We run downstairs to see Bradley cussing as black smoke starts seeping out of the oven.
"Aww, man!" Bradley exclaims, among other things she probably shouldn't have said in front of her mother.

We still sit down to eat it though...I figure this is a good lesson...and besides, if my children are anything like me, they will have a lot of burnt food days in adulthood...they may as well get used to it!
"How is it?" Bradley asks Fiona.

Fiona doesn't have much of a poker face...and bless Bradley's heart, the waffles are frozen in the middle and burnt on the outside, so they were not very tasty.

After breakfast, Bradley redeems herself by telling everyone a ghost story.  

Later that day, I get a call from Ryan to come over to his house for dinner.

When I get there, he's cooking away.  It smells heavenly.  I swear, something about a man cooking just gets me...
"How's my sweetie?" He asks.  He hasn't called me sweetie...or any pet name in awhile...it's actually been kind of awkward between us.  He finishes with the dinner and puts his full attention on me.
"Um...ok...the girls are running me ragged, but other than that...oh, wait...I'm sorry." I start talking about my kids and stop myself.  I wonder if he doesn't want me to talk about them either...I kind of want to avoid a fight.
He wraps one of his strong arms around me and picks my chin up with his free hand.
"Baby, don't ever apologize for talking about your kids," he says.
I don't know why, but sometimes I feel so unsure of myself when I'm with him, "Really?"
"Of course, I'm not completely unreasonable." he tells me.
Hmm, I was beginning to think bipolar, but I'm not going to say anything.
"I know...," I change the subject, "wow, I'm starving...let's eat."

He puts his attention back on the preparations, "Yeah...and after we eat, I have something I want to talk to you about."
Uh-oh...nothing good ever comes from those words.

We stay quiet through dinner, then I get up to clear the table...

He comes up behind me and pulls me close to him for a kiss...it's deep, passionate, and reminds me of the ones he used to give me when we first got together.  Something is different...

I pull away,
Me: What was that for?
Ryan: You know I love you, right?

Uh-oh.  Nothing good ever comes after those words either.
Me: Yeah...
Ryan: Well, I haven't been showing it very well lately...and that's going to change.
Me: Okay...good.  What brought this on?
He stares at me with those big eyes and looks so hopeful.
Ryan: I have an idea...and I hope you'll go along with it...well, I can't imagine you not going along with it...I mean...it's kind of...
Me: Whoa, wait a second.  Can you fill me in on the topic of conversation before you get going with it?

Ryan: Oh, yeah, sure...I'm sorry.

He looks so timid...I wonder what he could be talking about...
Ryan: Okay *deep breath*  I think we should have a baby.
I'm slightly shocked, but I guess that's not completely off the wall.
Me: Really?
Ryan: Yeah, I think it will give me a better idea of where you're coming from.
Me: Okay...I think this is a good idea, but I just want to remind you that this doesn't mean that I'm going to start just having kids with you, right?
Ryan: Completely understood.  I just want to see...it might help us.
Hmm, I remember something Mama used to tell me about a baby not being a band-aid, but...maybe that philosophy doesn't really apply to me...since I've had so many children already.

Me: Well, then I think that sounds like a great idea.

Ryan: Really?!

He gets so excited he picks me up and swings me around.
Ryan: Thank you, baby, you won't regret this, I swear.
Me: *laughing as he puts me down* I know I won't love.

Ryan: So what's the process?  When do you want to get started?
Me: How about right now?

Ryan: Hmm, I was hoping you would say that.

We race to his bedroom and get things started...it isn't long before I hear those chimes and I know I'm pregnant with Ryan's baby.
I really do hope this works for us.  Maybe being a father will make him understand why I have to do this.  It's gotten to the point that I can't not.
He wants me to spend the night, but I have to get going.  Bradley and Benna are getting ready to move out and the triplets are aging up as well, so I have to be there.

He understands and promises to call me tomorrow.

When I get home, I see Bradley, gorgeous as ever, ready to embark on her life.

And Benna behind her, ready to take the world by storm as well.  I am so proud of my girls.

The first of the triplets that ages up is Mandy.  She looks a lot like me but she has that awful poop green hair color...hopefully she'll grow out of it.

Monica is next and she is stubborn.  When I tell her to open her eyes for a picture, she shuts them tight.  Oh-kay.

Then she sees something shiny...heaven help me.

Finally I get a decent picture.  Monica looks a lot like me as well, complete with my purple hair.

Makayla is last and by far the quietest, thank goodness.

The next day, I get the morning paper and I see something shocking.

I gasp and feel like the air has been sucked out of the room.  I can't breathe.  I feel a strong pain in my chest.  "Are you ok, Mommy?" Veronica asks me.
"Yeah, I'm fine..." I tell her, I get up and try to make my way outside, but my knees are wobbly.

I run outside and end up in the garden.  What is wrong with me?  I should be happy for Mason, but every fiber in my being is screaming that he shouldn't do this.  It must be something about that girl.  He can't marry her.  She's too...too...I don't know...but my gut is telling me this isn't right.  I have to talk to him.

Okay, now that I have a plan, I take care of the girls...and start showing...I'm definitely pregnant with Ryan's baby!

The next day, I decide to surprise him!

"So guess what," I say when he lets me in.
"What?" he asks.
"I'm pregnant!" I exclaim.
His mouth drops, "Wow!  Just like that?"
I laugh, "Of course, just like that...what did you expect, a stork?"

He puts his hand on my expanding belly and the baby moves against it.
"Oh wow," he says in awe, "this is amazing."
I smile at his reaction.  I'm glad he's not flipping out about the whole thing anymore.

He pulls me into a deep, passionate kiss.
"I love you, baby," he tells me.
"I love you too." I reply.

My next stop after surprising Ryan is to Mason's.  I have to talk to him about Deidra.

When I get there, I can't believe my eyes.  He looks so different.
"Hey, Hadley!" He greets me with a smile.
"What in the world happened to you?" I ask.

He's wearing a black and purple pinstripe suit and gold rimmed sunglasses...the style can only be described as pimp chic.

"Do you like it?" he asks, "It's part of my new image."
"Um...it's...different." I say, forcing a smile.
"Huh," he replies, "isn't that code for 'You look like crap, but I'm trying to be nice'?"
"Um..." I sputter...for some reason I'm nervous.  I guess it's not every day that I have to tell a good friend that he's marrying a gold-digging whore.

"Damn, girl," he starts, "What happened to you?  The Hadley Reed I know wouldn't hold back like that..."
Somehow, that snaps me out of my nerves.  I look up at him and smile.
"Okay, you look like you just need a purple hat with a feather to finish off the ensemble...and maybe a couple gold teeth." I tell him.
"Wooh!" He exclaims, laughing, "Don't hold back, now!  That's my girl."
My heart flips.  Man, having to tell him this is really getting to me.

Deep breath.  Okay, here I go.

"So, I have a bone to pick with you, mister," I start.

"What's that?" He asks.
"Um, gee, I don't know...maybe I'm a little hurt at having to find out important information about a loved one from the paper." I tell him.
His face falls for a minute, like he's registering what I'm talking about, "Oh..."
"Yeah" I reply, holding up the article announcing his engagement.
"Hadley, I'm sorry...I've just been so busy lately..."

"So it's true?" I ask, "You're really engaged to that woman?"
He looks at me seriously, "Yeah, I am.  I want to get married...settle down.  I think it's time.  You met her, remember?  She told me she saw you at Mom and Dad's party."
I try to speak, but my throat is slowly closing and my mouth has gone completely dry.  I'm starting to get that pain in my chest again.  My ears start ringing and I guess because I haven't said anything, Mason continues talking.
"...she really liked you.  I told her she would..." it's all blurring together until I finally get control of my mouth again.
"You can't marry her," I blurt out.
He looks stunned.  He takes his shades off and rubs his eyes.  Then he looks at me, so obviously hurt.

"What do you mean, Hadley?" he asks.
I can't speak.
"Why can't I marry her?" he asks.
I look away.  I still can't say anything.  I look down, but he pulls my head up and holds it with both hands gently but firmly on my jaw, so I'm looking him in the eyes...and I can't look away.
He repeats slowly, "Why...can't...I...marry...her, Hadley?"
My lips start to quiver.  I feel a lump forming in my throat and my chest starts to hurt again.  My eyes start to water.
His eyes look at me as though they are desperately looking for an answer, but I can't think of a thing to say.

I bite my bottom lip to make it stop quivering.
It seems like it's been an eternity and he hasn't let me go yet.  My heart is racing and I still don't know what to say to him.  Finally I speak.
"She's just not right for you."

He sighs, lets go of my face and puts his shades back on.

He swallows hard before saying, "You don't even know her, Hadley..."
"Yeah, but I know you...and she's not ri..."
He puts his hand up, "Stop.  Don't say anything else, okay?"
I gasp.  I have never heard him speak to me in the tone of voice he just used.  He's mad.  I've never actually seen him mad before.
"Mason, I'm sorry," I start crying.

He cuts me off.
"Hadley, I know you mean well, but I have a right to be happy, don't I?" He starts.
"Of course..." I answer before he cuts me off.
"...and I can't just keep waiting around for..." he continues, but then stops, seems to collect his thoughts and starts again.
"...for life to happen to me...I've got to make it happen.  So I'm doing this, Hadley.  I'm going to marry Deidra and I would love to have you there."

"I know, but Mason..." I start again.
"No, don't 'but' me, Hadley," he says, "I want this.  If you can't support that, please just go."
The dam breaks in my eyes and my tears fall.
"Mason," I say softly.

Just then a car shows up.  He looks back at it as if he's just remembering he has to be somewhere.
"Look, I've got to go..." he starts.
The rest of his words jumble around in my head and before I know it, he's getting in the car and it's speeding away.

I drive home and when I get there, I just sit in the driveway and burst into tears.  I walk inside, call a baby-sitter to take care of the girls and go straight to bed and cry myself to sleep.  

The next morning, even though I don't feel any better, I make myself get up and work with the triplets on their skills.  I would like to get them aged up before I have this new baby, and thankfully I accomplish that.

Mandy's greenish hair thankfully grows into a more brunette and she looks a whole lot like me.

Monica still has the purple hair.

Makayla is slightly darker than her sisters and has my mom's light brown hair.

I admire how huge my stomach has gotten when all of a sudden, my water breaks.

I quickly go into my room and give birth to...

Baby 78: Karen Reed

...and Baby 79: Sheila Reed.