Date = 15 April
Place = San Francisco (UCSF Medical center)
POV – Enrique
“Hurry, doofus,” my sister scolds me, “the pink ones must go in the middle.”
“They’re all fucking pink,” I mumble back staring at the huge bunch of pink balloons I’m trying to tie to the end of the bed.
“No, no, no, these ones are rose, those are salmon, that’s flamingo, and Logan got the fuchsia and watermelon ones.” I look over her head at my brother. He motions by circling his finger against his temple. He shares my opinion … she’s fucking crazy. However, I’m not going to be the one to tell my very hormonal sister that I think she lost it. Mel can be scary under normal circumstances … now she’s even worse. I think she shares some of Jackson’s multifunctional genes.
She holds out some more balloons. “See, these ones are pink and they must go in the middle.”
“I’ve got the cake,” Aria bursts through the door, and sets the pastel purple triple layer on the table in the corner. Around the tower on the top tier are toppers of Rapunzel (whose yellow braid of hair wraps around the cake from top to bottom) Maximus, Pascal, and Flynn (yes, I know their names at this point since I’ve seen the movie like a hundred times by now). On one side is a star emblem with an 8, on the other Leyla’s name. Additionally, it is embellished with a lot of flowers and what appear to be the floating lanterns from the film. I must admit, it’s a stunningly perfect cake and exactly what Leyla ordered. And it should be for the price Alejandro paid for that thing … not that I care about money … I just never imagined a cake would cost more than a good bottle of scotch.
Aria smiles at me and my mind wanders to the dirty-dirty positions I was hold up in a few hours ago. I’ve taken her from behind, bent over the sofa, we did a 69, I took her from behind again against the wall, I rode her in the bathtub … and we experimented with a few more positions that would make a stripper blush. Luckily Aria is keen on trying something new. What is it about this girl that keeps me wanting more? Yeah, she’s pretty, but so is Amanda for instance … so what makes Aria so special? Voodoo pussy bro, voodoo pussy … Damion’s words jump into thought and I grin … well, she does have the best little pussy I’ve ever tasted that’s for sure. My dick stirs and it’s an incredible welcoming feeling. The little man at least appears to work just the same as before. Thank goodness … no lingering after-effects.
Logan bumps me with his shoulder and whispers.
“Hey, get those dirty thoughts out your mind, bro and put these pink balloons between the other pink ones.” Oh, if my sister heard him now.
Lee, carries in some additional balloons – dare I say more pink ones?
“Where do you want the blush and bubblegum balloons?” Lee asks, looking all serious at Mel. I guess I dare not. I roll my eyes.
“Does it matter?” Logan remarks, “They’re all fucking pink!” I respect him for his bravery so I swing my hand to show that I fully agree with him – 100%. We receive some serious stares from the other three people in the room. If looks could kill, my sibling and I would be very dead right now.
“What?” I’m sorry but this is just ridiculous. Even for Mel. And especially for Lee.
“Ug, excuse my lame brothers. They’re good kids,” Mel states with a stern look just as Jackson and Ilkay appears with arms full of presents. “They just need love, TLC and some serious mothering.” She scrutinize us all and stops at Jackson . “Especially that one.”
“Hey, what did I do?” he utters surprised. “I just got here.”
“Precisely,” Lee bitches snobbishly. Gmf. As if he didn’t enter just moments before my brother.
“What about Ilkay?” Jackson still tries, but I know it’s a losing battle … even for him.
“He’s a doctor. He’s working AND helping. And today it just so happens that he’s my favorite brother,” Mel says and Ilkay gives us all a smirky shit-eating grin.
“Sis, do you want us to combine the champagne balloons with the rose ones?” Ilkay pouts in a flattery voice that makes him sound officially gay.
“Ass kisser,” Jackson mouths to him behind the girls’ backs. He gets a sarcastic air kiss as reply from our oldest sibling. My middle finger shoots in the air. Ilkay does a little winning dance to rub it in even more.
“Can I help?” Damion enters with some more presents. He’s dressed in a tracksuit and slippers, since he hasn’t been released from hospital yet. For some unknown reason, his drink was spiked with a way higher amount of drugs than mine. A mixture of fear and anger tightens my chest. He almost died. And we got nothing. The guys Lee managed to catch is not talking. The only clue we have is that the Old Man might be part of this.
“Ah, the love of my life is here,” Mel coos, pushing Ilkay out of the way hardhandedly to get to Damion. Ilkay’s face drops into a hurtful pout. I bite back my satisfactional laugh. And just like that he goes from hero to zero … ha ha ha.
“Nope, you rest and get that body of yours back into full working order,” Mel hugs him and then stands on her tippy-toes to whisper something in his ear that makes him smile. Every normal manly guy knows that dirty smile. Jackson slaps him behind the head.
“Stop having indecent thoughts about my sister! She’s already fucking pregnant.” He also saw the smug face. Damion holds up his hands in surrender, but the content smile stays on his mug.
“And anyway … you’re dick is still broken,” Logan lets up.
“Oh, he’s dick is working just fine, thank you very much,” Mel coos and then slaps her hand over her mouth, blushing red.
“Oh, dear hell, no … please tell me you didn’t have sex in your hospital room?” Ilkay seems as if he’s gonna throw up all over the flamingo colored balloons.
“Okay, I won’t tell you,” Damion teases taking my sister into his arms, kissing her … with tongue … and now I want to puke.
The room starts to fill up as everybody arrives. Doctor Burden carries a basket filled with white cake-pops, and some stickers. She drops it on the table. Then she takes out a black board and hangs it on the wall. Today I’ll know if I’m getting a niece or a nephew.
“I don’t like all these pink balloons,” Luke says looking around the room. The girls’ heads whip up to stare at him. Me and Logan gasp in our breaths and we hold it, waiting for our sister to strip it. Haley whispers something in his ear and he gets this slo-mo W. T. F face.
“But they ARE all pink,” he says under his breath, “It’s so freaking girly.” Mel smiles at him.
“Oh, Luke, you’re so cute.” I snort. Is that all he’s getting? Why does he get off that lightly? If one of us said that, that person would get smacked for sure. And I’m positive the baby is to blame for all this mayhem. It’s time the little bean gets pushed out so my sister can return to nearly normal.
“Does this mean you’re having a girl?” Luke pulls a face that suggest he’s not happy about that idea. Mel messes up his hair, but before she can answer Noah pushes Leyla into the room in a wheelchair. I swallow down the lump in my throat at the sight of her.
That tiny angelic face is pale and her teal eyes appear larger than normal, but they look spooky, sunken into their sockets. But then her whole face lights up with a smile that would melt the sun.
The realization hits me hard in the chest – I adore this little girl with all my heart. Just like I adore her sister. Well, duh, not exactly in the same way. I care for Leyla like I do for Ilkay and Mel and all the others, while my feelings for Aria is totally different. My dick moves again. Yep, one-hundred-and-eighty degrees different. Love. The word rumbles foreignly unfamiliar through my brain and the pukey feeling is back.
Noah picks Leyla up and puts her onto the bed. One can see that she’s tired, but she hides it well behind her sunny smile. I’m not familiar with the treatments she’s getting, but I asked Ilkay what I can do to help her. One thing he mentioned is that her throat would be very dry, so I hand her some ice water I brought especially for her. In a new pink cup … or is it rose? Or watermelon? Whatever, she takes it eagerly and sips on the straw for a while.
“Okay, since it’s your day, what do you want to do first?” Aria looks lovingly at her sister, “Cake, presents or Mel’s baby?”
Leyla puts her finger on her lips. “Mm … I think the baby first … then cake … then presents.”
Doctor Burden picks up the basket and puts it on the bed.
“I have to tell you … this morning I blindfolded the parents, pushed Damion’s hands into some paint and pressed them in the shape of a heart on a T-shirt. Mel is wearing that shirt right now under her hoodie. But they don’t know what color the heart is yet.”
The doctor winks at Mel.
“Okay, each of you grab the pink and blue stickers with your name on it. First you will get a turn to stick your color sticker on that blackboard – pink if you think it’s a girl, blue if you think it’s a boy.” She points to a blackboard with a pink and blue side. “Let’s start from oldest to youngest.”
Mel hands Uncle John the first stickers.
“Must we pick what we want it to be or what we think it is?” He asks.
“The sex you guess it’s gonna be … wanting has nothing to do with it.” He settles on a pink sticker.
“I’m going with statistics. The previous generation was more boys … so the next one must be more girls, wouldn’t you say?”
“Now grandpa.” Deimos also goes for pink, saying, “I agree with John.”
“Now the grandma.” Haley looks so chuffed.
“Oh, I don’t mind what’s between it’s legs … but a little girl would be nice,” she lets out a little cheerful yelp, rooting for that granddaughter.
Damion hands Ilkay his stickers, he guesses blue. Noah opts for pink. So far, pink is in the lead. Jackson picks blue. I want blue, but I think pink. Alejandro choose blue. Logan picks pink, Jesse and Aria too. Lee goes for blue. Kiara for pink. Axel digs pink. And lastly Luke puts on a blue sticker.
“I want it to be a girl,” Leyla is the last one to go.
“Fuck, not another girl,” Luke mutters which earn him a deadly stare from his mom. Pink is in the lead.
“Okay, Mel, what do you think it is?” the doctor asks with a big smile.
“Well, I’m hoping it’s a girl, for obvious reasons, but my gut tells me it’s a boy … so I’m gonna go with blue.” She adds a blue sticker.
“I’m hoping for a boy, but I think it could be a girl,” Damion grins, sticking his name on the pink side.
“Looks like most of you expect it to be a little girl,” the doctor says, “so let’s see if you’re right.”
“Damion, you come stand behind her and get ready to open the zipper.” Damion puts his arms around Mel’s body, underneath her armpits and takes hold of the slider.
“Damion, whenever you’re ready … zip it down.”
“Ready,” Damion asks looking lovingly down at my sister. She nods with a huge smile.
She folds her hands over her mouth. We watch in silence with huge expecting eyes as the zipper teeth separates as if in slow motion to reveal the white T-shirt she has on underneath. Damion rips the two, now loose ends, of the hoodie away. There on Mel’s tummy is Damion’s hand prints in the shape of a heart. Blue … the hands are blue.
The room erupts into cheers, shrieks and shouts. Damion looks over Mel’s shoulder down at her tummy.
“It’s a boy! I’m having a fucking boy!” he shouts and grabs my still shocked sister to swing her around. He drops her and kneels to speak to her tummy.
“Hey, son … eh … Xamos … we’re gonna have so much fun together. The boys and I will take you on bike rides and I’ll show you how to do a double flip and a quick inside pass and the right way to jump out a plane and … OUCH!” He gets smacked by both my sister and his mom.
“What’s that for?” he asked confused.
“Bike rides … double flips … jumping out of planes … seriously?” Mel glares at him. Damion pulls an innocent face.
“Yeah … eh … I’ll wear one of those thingies that you strap the baby to your body with.” Lee slaps his palm in his face while shaking his head as if Damion said something seriously wrong. Damion looks from Lee back to Mel and recalculates like the clever boy he is. Men have that gift … we can change the content of our whole story in an instance by just looking at a girl’s facial expression.
“Not the first day he gets out of course … I suppose he has to sleep and suck some tit then,” My sister stares at him with a you-are-on-thin-ice face. This seems to rattle Damion a little, so he continues his explanation:
“I meant a little later … like when he’s a month,” he manages to stay calm and use hand gestures, but Mel pulls up her brows. That’s not a good sign. Time for a new story. “Okay … no,” he holds up his hands, “Three months then … ” Mel now has a deadly face.
“Five months,” he asks carefully, but Mel just tilts her head. She’s intimidating him without saying a word. He’s not going to win this one and he knows it. “I think I’ll just shut up now.” Mel nods while Lee says, “I think that’s probably a good idea.”
“Ug, she’s seriously going to mommy the boy into a full-blown sissy,” Jackson remarks under his breath next to me.
“I heard that,” Mel says, now targeting my twin, but Jackson sticks his tongue out at her, saying: “I’m not Damion. You don’t scare me.” But what Jackson doesn’t know is that it’s not Damion’s fault. This whole conversation thing is so much more difficult if you love the girl. I can relate … I’ve experienced it with Aria.
I bump my twin with my elbow. “Don’t worry, that’s what uncles are for … we’ll toughen him up,” I whisper.
“Yeah we will. He’ll play hockey before he can even speak full sentences.” He holds up his hand for a high-five to which I comply.
“We won’t let him be a wuss,” Logan agrees from my other side, “Not on our watch.”
“But just wait at least 6 months,” Ilkay mentions and we all accept. He’s the doctor after all … he knows more about babies than we do. We can let him be a mama’s boy for six months. My sister can’t ruin him in such a short time, can she?
“Eh … do babies still poop in their pants at six months … I don’t want to get a face full of shit midair,” Alejandro makes a great point. I agree.
“Yeah, I don’t have a clue how to change a fucking nappy, and I’m not sure I want to learn.”
“Don’t worry … we’ll get him a fuckload of sponsored baby boxers, that way we can just throw the dirty ones away each time. Or we can always get him a hot nanny with big milk jugs to change his pants. I mean, what boy wants his mamma to touch his dingy.” All the men laugh. The women just roll their eyes.
“Oh, boy,” Leyla sighs, rolling her eyes.
“And we’ll definitely teach him how to write his name while he pees.” Jackson continues all serious. And I start to wonder at what age a baby starts to walk. I mean, he should be able to walk before he can stand up and pee, shouldn’t he. Or do babies stand up before they walk?
“Yuck, why would he want to write his name with pee?” Leyla’s face shows clear disgust.
“It’s a boy thing,” Luke gives her a cocky answer.
“It’s stupid,” she snaps back.
“That’s why it’s a boy thing, princess,” Haley laughs.
“You have to know how to spell his name, before you can teach him that,” Lee sneers, leaving Jackson with an amused-angry look on his face.
“Oh, I think I’ll get it right, Shrimp. It’s not rocket-science.”
“I understand the complicated part you mentioned during our first visit, way better now,” Doctor Burden whispers with a wink to my sister. “I think, for your baby’s survival you should move away from all of them for the first 5 years. Like, go to Iceland or something.”
“Yeah, sometimes I look at these guys and they prove that one in three men are just as vain and stupid as the other two,” Lee grumbles.
“So doesn’t that include you?” Jackson throws a comeback, getting into his roommate’s face.
“Nope, cause I’m not your average man,” Lee says without hesitation.
“You’re right … you’re no man … you’re a tiny midget.”
“Okay, now for cake,” Aria suddenly claps her hands, ending the impending war. Noah moves the cake onto the overbed table. Leyla’s face is filled with joy.
“The toppers are Funko Pops, so you can keep them,” Aria explains and her sister’s face gleams even more.
Noah lights the eight candles.
‘Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Leyla, happy birthday to you.’
She struggles a bit to blow out the candles, another indication that she’s worn out.
“Do you want some cake?” Aria asks.
“Nope, maybe later. I’ll open my presents first.”
Luke jumps onto the bed with her, a huge piece of cake in his hand, and passes her his present. It’s wrapped up in black paper with colorful comic book sound bubbles saying BAM! KAPOW! and so on … very much Luke and not so much Leyla. It’s a skateboard … at least it’s pink with a graffiti pattern … something in Leyla’s taste.
“I love it, but I can’t skate.”
“When you get out of here, I’ll teach you, Luke promises with a huge grin. “I got you some safety gear too, but I left it at home.” Judging by the huge dimple showing grin and the glow in her eyes, Leyla actually looks pleased, as if she’s looking forward to those lessons. She opens some more presents, with Luke’s help of course. I bite into a cake-pop and stare at the blue core. The realization hits me. Fuck, I’m gonna be an uncle. I’m getting a nephew. My insides gets all warm and mushy again.
“Ricky, what did you get me?” Leyla asks.
“You know, princess, your present is waiting for you at home. I could not bring him into the hospital.” I take out my phone and show her the photo of the chameleon. Her own chameleon … complete inside a huge wood-and-glass terrarium. It has plants and rocks and sand and lights and everything a growing spoiled reptile needs. I’ve placed it in her room on the shelf next to the smaller habitat where Petunia lives. Remember the spider in the bathroom … that’s Petunia.
Leyla grabs me in a tight hug. “Thanks so much, Ricky. That’s the best present ever.” I smile as the warm feeling I’m slowly getting used to rushes through my body.
“But for now, we got you this,” Jackson hands her the Build-a-bear box. The stuffed animal comes inside a kennel type holder, complete with a birth certificate. We named him Banksy (after her favorite street artist) and of course the date we chose was 1 April … our birthday.
We just brought the teddy-bunny. The boys assisted in creating a loft play area for her room, replete with a closet that houses enough space to hang, hook and store everything we bought for this bunny. We’ll construct everything while she’s in hospital to surprise her when she gets back home. Aria was a bit pissed that we spent so much money … but it’s not as if we can’t afford it. Hell, I could probably buy the whole damn shop without it even making a dent in my bank balance. And I could be wrong, but Jackson might have even deeper pockets than me … and he bought most of the outfits.
“Hey, guys,” Ilkay grabs our attention, “I also have something I need to tell you.” He sounds more serious than usual. We stare at him in silence, waiting for him to continue.
“I’ve decided to join ‘Doctors without Borders’. I’m leaving for Geneva, Switzerland in a few days to finish my recruitment and then they’ll send me where I’m needed from there.”
“Sorry?” Mel asks confused. Can’t say I blame her. I was also flabbergasted when he told me a few days ago. But he explained that it’s about Amy. Even though I knew he’s still broken up about that girl, I didn’t realize he was this torn up. Fucking whore. If I ever get to meet her, I’m gonna tell her exactly what I think of someone like her. She fucked him and just left without even a goodbye. I mean seriously, who does that?
“I’m gonna be gone for a while, but I’ll come back when it’s time for this little man to be born, don’t worry.”
“But … what about your studies?” Mel asks in a little voice. I know her. She’s sad. She doesn’t want him to go. Hell, nobody wants him to go. We haven’t been apart from each other for more than a few days at a time … this is gonna be months.
“I’ve cleared it with my professors. Mel, I have to go. I need to get my head clear.” She nods.
“I understand.” She gets it. I do too. Sort off. If Aria left me now, I would probably do the same thing.
“Is it about that fucking Amy chick?” Okay, maybe Jackson doesn’t get it yet. “Have I not taught you guys anything? I told you not to fucking fall in love. It never ends well.” He points at Damion. “Just look at him. The guy can’t even think for himself anymore. He has to ask permission for everything. It sucks.”
Looking at the female faces in the room, he’s really put his foot into it this time. But that’s Jackson I suppose. And if I didn’t already understand that you can’t chose who you fall in love with, I would probably agree with him wholeheartedly. But this time I rather keep my mouth shut.
“Yeah, he’s right. Just score another girl … or two. I can hook you up if you want.” Looks like Logan is just as clueless as our other brother. Oh, the naive bastards. If they only knew. But they haven’t experienced love before. I mean, Logan almost became the first guy to induce pregnancy through the throat.
“Ug, pull the tampons from your asses, dudes, it seems it got stuck there,” Lee snarles at both brothers, “maybe he just wants to get away from dimwits like you.”
Jackson moves closer to his roommate, while Logan pulls the one side of his mouth upwards – his telltale sign that he’s aggravated.
“I don’t stick stuff in my ass,” Jackson barks. His face is not the angry scowl I expected. No. Instead he looks slightly amused.
“Oops, my bad,” Lee snickers, “so you’re not gay?” This time Jackson does not think it’s funny.
I wonder how these two has survived living in the same house this long.
“I’m not the one with the tiny prick that carries tampons around,” Jackson snaps, making Lee blush. Jackson told us about Lee’s supply that he keeps in case of bleeding.
“Two words,” Logan interrupts.
“I bet they won’t be meaningful,” Lee professes calmly, pushing his bottom lip out.
“Fuck off.”
“See, I was right,” Lee says feigning a yawn.
“Hey, watch your language … there’s kids in the room,” Mel scolds them.
“Oh, don’t mind me,” Luke says taking a huge bite of cake, “please continue.”
“Anyone wants some cake,” Haley breaks up the tautness. That cake sure proofs to be a tension-breaker.
“Thought you’ll never ask,” Lee hooks an arm through hers as if nothing happened. I walk over to Ilkay.
“Bro, I think it’s a good idea … as long as you don’t stay away for too long.”
“Doc, can I go with you to Switzerland?” Leyla asks. Ilkay walks to the bed and take her little hands in his.
“Not this time, Princess …” Leyla hugs her new bunny tight against her chest and bites her quivering lip.
“But … if you promise me to fight bravely against this stupid cancer and win, I’ll take you all the places you want to go.” Her sad eyes light up again, “Is that a deal?” I swallow the tears that’s suddenly welling in my eyes.
“Deal.” Ilkay hooks her pinkie in his. I’m for sure as hell gonna miss him when he’s gone. Out of everybody, I’m the closest to him. Who am I going to confide in now? Just then Aria takes my hand in hers as if the universe is trying to tell me something. And I find myself standing there, wondering how I can be this tired and this happy at the same time.