2.4 Sleeping with the Fishes

“I’m gonna kill him. I’m gonna kill him! Just wait ’til I see him again,” Melody screamed.

“Baby, this is River we’re talking about. I’m sure he has a legitimate excuse for not being here,” Bianca tried to reason. “I just hope he’s not here in another room hurt!”

“He’s not here! And if he were, he would still try to come down and see me!! He’s full of excuses! ‘I had to work!’ ‘I was in class!’ ‘I was out with the guys!’ ‘My battery died!’ ‘My phone was on silent!’ ‘I was in a meeting!’ Plumming lame excuses!! None of those things are as important as me! For all I know, he found someone else and made her important! Can’t handle his fat, pregnant wife and loud kids? Are we too much pressure for him?!”

Melody’s words hurt. Bianca had suspected there was trouble, but she never imagined it was that bad. “Come here, baby. Come here.” She embraced her hysterical daughter as they both began to cry.

“Where is my husband, mom? I want my husband!”

“I don’t know, baby. I’m sure wherever he is, he is thinking of you and trying to get here. Your hormones are all screwed up right now! You’re thinking irrationally. You don’t mean any of that stuff you said, right? Look, the doctor is here now. Let’s go in here and meet this baby, ok? Then, when you get home in the morning, everything will be much better, ok?”

Melody dried her tears and saw the doctor waiting for her. “Oh, it’s you Dr. Smiley! You delivered my last child.”

“Yes! I thought you looked familiar. You had a…a boy, right?”

“Yes. He’s eight now!”

“My. Time flies. Well, speaking of time, we should get going.”

Melody got changed into the hospital gown and met Dr. Smiley in the delivery room.

I can’t believe he’s not here. He’s really not coming!

After a long, laborious but complication free birth, Dr. Smiley delivered a beautiful, healthy baby girl. Melody named her Harmony.

“Oh, thank the Watcher! You’re a girl! Your daddy is going to love you…and maybe he’ll stay home more often…”