After another two days, the new mothers and their children were released from the hospital. Of course there was a big welcome home party at Chris and Heather’s house, thrown by Heather’s and Gina’s family, who had come down the day after the babies were born. Once that one wound down, everyone moved a block away to Joey and Gina’s house for another welcome home party, this one on a smaller scale since everyone was tired and still pretty full from the lunch at the Kirkpatrick residence. The Fatone house was host to dessert and coffee.
By nightfall, the crowd had dispersed to their various houses and all that remained in the Fatone house were Gina and Joey, baby Marcus, and Gina’s brother and parents. Steven and his son, Nicholas, had retired to the guesthouse, where they had lived for the past few months. Still recovering from childbirth and worn out from trying to begin adjusting to her son’s schedule, Gina retreated to the master bedroom before her parents had even finished their last cup of coffee. It hadn’t been so bad during the parties, but with everyone else gone, she knew she couldn’t handle playing the adoring wife and loving, happy mother right then.
The mother part wasn’t a challenge. She adored Marcus and knew that he was her one purpose for living. It was the adoring wife that got to her. She hadn’t said anything to her parents, not wanting them to know that they had been right and that she had failed in making her marriage work so early in the game. Besides, if she didn’t admit it to them, then she didn’t really have to face that fact herself.
Gina was curled up on her side of the bed, almost on the very edge of the mattress. She stared blankly at the door, the bassinet pulled so close it was almost touching the bed. Marcus was sleeping soundly. She envied him that. If she could only sleep, maybe she wouldn’t have to think. The bedroom door opened and Joey stepped in, pulling it silently shut behind him. She glanced at him, then looked away, staring at the far wall.
He crossed the room slowly and sat on the edge of the bed, at her feet. He reached out, lightly resting his hand on her leg. She flinched at his touch, and that reaction, that natural impulse, hurt him more than anything she wasn’t saying. He pulled his hand back and stared at his knees. "Gina? Baby?" His voice was hesitant, fearful. She didn’t respond in any way. "Please, will you just talk to me? I know I deserve less than this, but the last few days have been a living hell. Please. I just need to hear you say something, anything." This was it. He had hit rock bottom. He was at the lowest point in his life and he was desperate.
Gina pulled her knees in and curled tightly into a ball. Just when Joey was sure she would never speak to him again, she broke her nearly four day long silence. "I can’t talk to you right now. I’m not sure if I can ever talk to you again."
He could hear the tears in her voice and it killed him that, because of his own stupidity, he had caused her this pain and he couldn’t ever take it away. He couldn’t even comfort her. This should have been the happiest time in their lives, and she didn’t want anything to do with him. Without another word, he stood and walked out of the room. As soon as the door closed behind him, Gina broke into sobs. Joey leaned weakly against the door, in too much pain to even scream or cry.
When he had recovered enough strength to move, he headed downstairs. There was an extra guest room, or the extra bed in the guest house, but he didn’t deserve that much comfort. He grabbed a pillow and blanket from the linen closet at the top of the stairs and headed for the den, even though he knew he wouldn’t sleep.
| [::-::Back::-::] | [::-::Next::-::] |