Babies 82, 83, & 84: One Way or Another

The house is too quiet.  I've never been here when it has been empty before...there is a certain eeriness about it...

The first thing I do is find another baby daddy.  I'm not so much used to an empty house and I'm anxious to be surrounded by running, screaming children again.  Go ahead, call me crazy.

The next thing I do is go to work on my personal life.  I meet Ryan for lunch.

He starts immediately, "You know, I really miss you."
"I miss you too," I tell him, even though I'm not sure if it's really him I miss.

"I'm sorry I tried to force you into something you weren't ready for," Ryan tells me, "If you will have me, I'll be willing to wait as long as you need and be happy with whatever part you let me into."

I am amazed, "You really mean that?"
"Absolutely," he replies.

This time, I pull him into a kiss...what am I waiting for?  He really is a good guy...and he loves me.  Maybe I should just go for it.

"Ryan, I think I'm ready," I tell him.
He looks confused, "What do you mean?"
"I'm ready for you to move in with me." I let it out quickly before I change my mind.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting for those words to come out of your mouth," he says, leaning in for another kiss.

"I'm glad, sweetie." I say, "so you think you can deal with my continuing the challenge?"
"Of course," he says.
"And you won't try to rush me into anything else for awhile?  We'll just live together and see how it goes, right?" I ask.
"That's it, I swear," he promises.

"Okay, then I'm sure I'm ready." I tell him.

We part ways with plans in motion for him to slowly start moving into my house.  I go home, go to bed, and am jolted awake by the need to puke...yup, I'm definitely pregnant with Baby 82.

After I lose all my dinner and before I make breakfast, I get an interesting phone call...from Mason.
Me: Hello?
Mason: Hey Hadley...what's going on?
Me: Oh, um, not a whole lot...what's going on with you?
Mason: Not much really, I was wondering...do you think you can come over here?  I've got something I want to talk to you about...
Me: Um, ok...sure...just give me a few...
Mason: Ok, see you in a bit.
Me: Ok, bye.
Mason: Bye.

Hmm...I wonder what he could want...

"Come in," Mason greets me when I get to his house.
"Hey...what's going on?" I ask.
He's shuffling his feet and I'm wringing my hands nervously.  Yeah, things are off to an awkward start.

Because I keep waiting for her to pop out of thin air, I ask the question that is really weighing on my mind, "So, how's Deidra?"
Mason looks down, then back up at me, then back down before muttering, "She's fine."
This is getting nowhere.  Okay, enough.
"Why did you call me, Mason?" I ask.

"I just wanted to know something," Mason mutters.
"What is it?" I ask.
He does his nervous thing again.  I don't like this.  We could always talk to each other before.  What has happened to us?
"Mason, just say it, we've been friends for years," I start, "If you can't tell me, who can you tell?"
"That's...just...problem," he mutters something I can barely understand.
"What?" I ask.
Finally, he takes a deep breath and looks into my eyes before he starts to speak, "Hadley, do you love me?"
"Of course I love you," I tell him, "you're one of my best friends."

He takes me by the hand and stands close to me...closer than he's ever been before...I can feel the heat radiating off of his body and it makes my heart flutter.
"No, I mean, really love me..." he says.
I feel like the air has been pulled out of my lungs again, but I still reply, "Mason...I-I don't know."
He looks at me with his warm brown eyes and caring smile, "Yes you do, Hadley...I'm not just some random guy asking...you've known me your whole life."
As I look at him now, I wonder if it could be true...am I in love with him?  Well that would be perfect, wouldn't it?  Even if I am, it's not like it matters.  He's marrying someone else.  Who knows if he even loves me back?

"Mason...I can't answer that..." I tell him.
"Why?" he asks, "because you don't know the answer or because you don't want to?"
"I don't know," I tell him, "why does it matter, anyway?"
"It just does..." he tells me.
"You've got a fiance..." I start, but trail off.

"What if I didn't?"
I let go of his hand and pull away from him, "I can't do this, Mason."
"Hadley...wait..." he says.
I turn and head for the door, "No, I'm sorry.  I can't."
"Hadley!" he calls after me, but I am already in my car, driving home as fast as I can...but I can't help but think...

Do I love him?

I go home to work on dinner...Ryan is officially moving in and I am really excited about it.  Of course I fix his favorite...and try not to think about the conversation I had with Mason...but yet...

Thoughts of him keep drifting into my head.

But I can't think about it...Ryan walks in the door, "Hi honey, I'm home!"
That's such a cheesy line, but I can't help but smile.  Maybe this is exactly what I need.
"This looks great," he tells me as he sits down.
"Thank you," I reply.

I remember Mason as a teenager, so bashful...
Ahh!  STOP IT, STOP IT, STOP IT!

After dinner, Ryan and I cuddle before bed, it surprises me that he's not squeamish about my pregnant belly anymore.
"This feels so right," he says.
"I think so too," I reply.

But I still can't get Mason out of my mind...Ugh!  WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?

Ryan leans in for a kiss before bed...

I remember my first kiss...I thought it was just for fun...but was it?
Ugh!  I can't keep doing this to myself...it doesn't matter anyway...he's getting married.

I go to sleep with Ryan wrapped around my body and Mason wrapped around my mind.

The next morning, I fix crepes for breakfast...

But I go into labor before I can enjoy them...

I head up to my room...this seems like it's going to be a long one...eventually though, my babies are born.

Meet:

Baby 82: Kevin Reed

Baby 83: Tonya Reed

and Baby 84: Iana Reed