The Edge of Reason Series (1,2,&3)

The Edge of Reason

    "Can you come over, Grace?" Melissa said through tears. Grace could hear the baby screaming in the background.
"Yah, sure honey. I'll be right over."
Melissa heard the phone click and threw it on the couch. She walked quickly back to the bassinet where her two month old son Gavin was screaming his head off.
    He had been crying like this for almost a week at the same time each night, and tonight she had finally given in. Melissa just couldn't keep her composure any more after six sleep-deprived nights in a row. She wished her husband could stay home at least one night, but she knew they needed the money now more than ever.
    "Sshhh. Calm down, sweetheart. It's okay," Melissa stroked the back of his head as she paced around the living room, bouncing him.
    A minute later there was a knock at the door. Melissa unlocked it and let Grace inside.
    "He won't stop crying," Melissa bawled with her son. Grace could see that her eyes were bloodshot and wondered how long she had been upset. "He's been doing this since Tuesday. He'll start crying around midnight and won't stop until about 4:30, 5," Melissa explained as she tried to calm down. "I'll feed him and he'll calm down for a few minutes, but then he just starts back in again." She wiped her face.
    "I'm sorry. Come sit down. I'm just standing here rambling!"
    "No, no, no. Here, let me take him for awhile," Grace held her hands out.
    "Are you sure? You'll probably leave with busted ear drums," Melissa managed a laugh. "I just wanted some company, someone to help me calm down..."
    "Melissa, it's fine. Let me take him for awhile," Grace insisted.
    "Ok," Melissa gave in and handed Gavin over.
    Grace held the infant against her chest and went over to the couch.
    "Come on, honey," she patted the seat next to her. "Come relax for awhile."
    Melissa joined her on the couch and tried to calm down while her friend tried, unsuceedingly, to calm her son down.
    "Hi, baby boy! You're gettin' so big!" Grace cooed. "You're awfully cute, but you gotta stop stressin' mommy out!" she rubbed his back. Melissa laughed. "Daddy's going to think I'm off my rocker even more! Grace, thank you so much for coming over. I didn't wake you up, did I? Oh shit! I didn't wake anyone else up, did I? I didn't even think about that until now!"
    "No, don't worry. You didn't wake anyone up. I'm never very tired on Sundays anyways."
    "Ok. Good! I would have felt really bad!"
    "Don't worry about it. I told you if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to call. No matter what time it is! I know how hard it is, especially with your husband being gone half the time," Grace patted Melissa's leg with her free hand. "What are friends for?" she smiled.
    Melissa didn't say anything for a minute. For whatever reason, she began having thoughts run through her head that hadn't popped up for quite some time. She tried not to seem awkward.
    "He should be calming down soon," Melissa looked at the clock. It was a lie. He would probably still be crying in an hour, but suddenly she felt bad for having Grace over at such a late hour. But mainly, she didn't want her friend to notice her sudden nervousness.
    "Are you trying to get rid of me already?" Grace joked.
    "No. I just don't want to feel like I'm keeping you. I know normal people like to sleep," Melissa laughed.
    "For the last time, Melissa, I'm not tired and you're not keeping me from anything. And just for bringing it up again, I'm not leaving until I damn well please," Grace whispered with a smile.
    Melissa wondered why she was whispering to realize that her son had finally fallen asleep quite contently on Grace's chest. As if she were reading her thoughts, Grace said, "Look. Gavin finally calmed down," she looked down and smiled at him.
    "Great. My son likes you better than me," Melissa lightened up a bit.
    "Oh, he does not. He just wore himself out."
    Melissa got up and leaned over Grace to pick Gavin up and accidentally brushed her hand against Grace's breast in the process. Her mind went blank for a second.
    "Oh God! Should I say something or pretend like I didn't notice?" her mind raced. "Shut up! You're being stupid, Melissa!" she scolded herself.
    "Sorry," Melissa mumbled as she walked across the living room and placed Gavin in his bassinet. It seemed like hours went by before Grace responded.
    "It's okay," she laughed. "It's not like you were trying to feel me up or something."
    "Yah," Melissa whispered from across the room. She leaned over and kissed Gavin, wiping a tear away.
    Grace must have seen her watery eyes, as hard as she tried to fight it. Melissa was starting to get irritated at the way Grace seemed to sense her every emotion and knew her every thought.
    "What's wrong?" Grace asked concerned as Melissa walked back to the couch. Melissa even kept her head down, hoping Grace wouldn't notice. Melissa was so tired and emotional at this point that she couldn't even fight the wave of tears building behind her eyes.
    "I'm just tired," she managed as she sat down next to her friend. Grace looked at her sideways.
    "Are you sure nothing else is bothering you?"
    Melissa tried not to sob even harder. "I'm fine, honestly." She didn't know what had come over her so suddenly, but she knew she had to keep it under control, mask it, so her friend wouldn't worry. She leaned in and hugged Grace anyways.
    "Thank you for being such a good friend," Melissa cried.
    Grace put her arms around Melissa and stroked her hair.
    "Sshh. It's no problem. Hey, you know what you need?"
    "What?"
    "Why don't we chill out to some Dave Matthews Band like we used to all the time and I'll give you a back massage?"
    Melissa was beyond the point of caring what happened and it sounded like a good idea to her.
    "Sure," she agreed. "That sounds nice. That music should still be on my computer somewhere."
    "Don't worry about it," Grace interrupted. "I'll find it. You lay down on the couch." She went to the computer and fiddled with it for a few minutes before asking "You don't think this will wake Gavin up, do you?"
    "No, probably not. It has the same affect on him as it does me sometimes," Melissa laughed.
    "Aha! Been listening to Dave Matthews without me, I see!" Grace smiled and hit the play button on the first song.
    Melissa rolled her eyes, then paused. "Why, out of all the songs she could have picked, did Grace play this one first?" she wondered.
    Grace returned to the couch. "You don't care if I sit on you, do ya?"
    Melissa was lying face down on the couch. "No," she laughed. "It's not like I'll be able to tell a difference anyways."
    "Oh, whatever," Grace grumbled. Melissa felt Grace climb on top of her and straddle her back. She felt her fingers slowly dig into her and felt instantly at ease with the mellow music in the background.
    "Thank you," Melissa whispered as another tear welled up in her eye.
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You Are My Sunshine

    "Grace?"
    "Melissa?"
    "Hey, what are you doing?"
    "Oh, Warren just went to bed and I'm just sitting here watching TV. Why? Ya bored?"
    "Mmm, not exactly," Melissa let out a breath.
    "Are you okay?"
    "Grace," Melissa let out another breath, "I'm in labor. I have been for a few hours, but I was hoping it would go slow enough that I could wait till Eric got home," she paused. "But I don't think I an wait any longer."
    "Do you want me to drive you to the hospital?" Grace asked concerned.
    "Stop reading my mind," she tried to joke. "Would you? I'll call Eric and let him know as soon as I get off."
    Yes, of course! I'll be over as soon as I can!"
    Melissa called her husband while she waited for Grace.
    "Hey, honey," she tried to sound like she wasn't in the worst pain of her life.
    "Hey. Is everything okay? You usually don't call unless I'm on break...Are you in labor?" It dawned on him.
    Her husband, Eric, had agreed to leave his phone on at work for the past month in case anything happened with Melissa or the baby while he was gone.
    "Yes, but I'm fine, I swear. Grace is getting ready to take me to the hospital. She's on her way now. I thought it would be faster than waiting for you hold on," Melissa paused as she felt another contraction. "I'm fine, honestly. Just get to the hospital as fast as you can. I love you."
    "I'll be there in 20 minutes, tops. I love you too. Tell Grace to be careful."
    No sooner than she had hung up the phone Grace was at her door.
    "How are you doing?" she raced over rubbed Melissa's stomach.
    "I'm so glad you're here," she hugged her friend. More pain came over her and she tightened her grip. Grace guided Melissa's head to her shoulder and rubbed her back.
    Melissa was trying hard not to moan or scream.
  "Let it out, babe. Just let it out."
    "We need to go," Melissa ordered. "My bag is upstairs by the bedroom door. I'm going out to the car."
    "Oh no you're not. You wait for me." Grace disappeared up the stairs and returned a second later. "Let me go put your bag in the car then I'll come help you in. Did you get ahold of Eric?"
    "Yah. He should be there around the same time."
    Grace put the bag up and helped Melissa to the car.
    "I've only got one rule: you are not allowed to have that baby in here!" They both laughed.
                                                  ***
    They were only halfway through the 15 minute drive to the hospital when Melissa finally spoke again.
    "Grace, I don't think I can do this. You had better step on it!" Melissa's groans were growing into screams.
    Even Grace was getting nervous now. Her friend's contractions were only about 30 seconds apart, if that.
    "Hold on," she stepped on the gas pedal as hard as she could.
                                                  ***
    Grace pulled up right in front of the emergency room doors and ran in. Eric was already inside and ran out to meet Melissa. He opened her door.
    "How are you doing, honey?" he asked before really taking everything in.
    "I've gotta push!" she pleaded. "I don't want to have the baby in the car!"
    Just then Grace and a nurse returned with a wheelchair.
    "Please," Melissa cried. "I've got to push!"
    The three of them helped her into the wheelchair and raced back inside.
                                                    ***
    "I need whatever doctor is available right now!" the nurse shouted as they passed the nurse's station.
    "What room?" one yelled back.
    "Delivery two!"
    As they entered the room and helped Melissa change into a gown, she began to grow hysterical.
    "Ms. Evans, I don't mean to be a bitch, but I can't wait for a fucking doctor!"
    "Just try to calm down, sweetheart. Everything is going to be fine," Eric tried to reassure his wife.
    "I'm gonna go wait downstairs," Grace told Melissa and gave her a hug.
    "No! Stay! I mean, only if you want to," she breathed.
    "Is it okay, Eric?" Grace asked.
    "If it's okay with her, it's okay with me."
    Just then Melissa started pushing.
    "Honey, you've gotta wait till the doctor gets here," Eric said.
    "I can't!"
    "Trust me," Grace whispered to him, "It's not exactly something that can be stopped."
    They each walked around to opposite sides of Melissa's bed and held her hands.
    One of the nurses yelled down the hall.
    "We need a doctor in here right now!"
    10 seconds later, which seemed like an eternity to Melissa, a doctor finally came jogging through the door.
    "I'm Dr.Macintosh," she introduced herself briefly. "Let's have a look, shall we?" A nurse handed the doctor a pair of latex gloves as she took a quick peak under the hospital sheet.
    Alright, Mrs.Williams. Are you ready to have this baby?"
    Melissa was already pushing again.
    I'll take that as a 'yes.'" the doctor tried to joke.
    Melissa gave a few more pushes.
    "I can see the head."
    "Come on, Melissa. You're doing so good. you're almost there, honey," Eric coaxed.
    "Is it okay if I look?" Grace asked "I've always wondered what this looked like from the other end."
    "I said you could stay. I didn't say anything about being able to look at my cooch!" Melissa laughed a little. Grace looked down anyways.
    "Oh. Lots of hair!"
    "Listen, I tried to shave the other day," Melissa was cut off by another contraction.
    "Push, push, push!" Dr.Macintosh ordered. "You're almost there. Just one more big one!"
    A few moments later the baby's cries filled the room.
    "It's a boy!" the doctor announced. Melissa, Eric, and Grace began crying too.
    "It better be a boy! I don't think a little girl would appreciate a blue room and all the blue and green clothes we bought!" Melissa laughed.
    The nurses cleaned and weighed the baby and handed him to Melissa.
    "Eight pounds, seven ounces, and twenty-one inches long," the nurse announced. "Do you have a name for him yet?"
    The three of them looked down at the baby in awe.
    "Oh my God, you're huge!" Melissa laughed. "Gavin Michael will be his name, right honey?" she looked up at Eric.
    "Right. Gavin Michael. I'm so proud of you, Melissa."
    "I'm so glad he's finally here. It feels like I've waited forever," Melissa said.
    "I'm proud of you too, babe," Grace finally spoke up. "I told you he had lots of hair. He's amazing." Grace kissed Melissa, then Gavin, on the forehead.
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Dark Side of the Moon

    "Hey, I'm home from the store. Are you still coming over?" Grace asked.
    "Of course. I'll be there in a few minutes."
    Melissa gathered her things and got in the car. Two minutes later she was at Grace's house. She knocked on the front door.
    "Come in!"
    She made her way inside and looked for her friend.
    "Where are you?" Melissa called out.
    "I'm in the bathroom!"
    Melissa turned down the hallway towards the bathroom.
    "Is it safe to come in?"
    "Yah, come on in."
    Grace was sitting on the toilet with the cover down when Melissa walked in.
    "I couldn't wait. I had to know as soon as possible," she looked up with a solemn face.
    "Have the results shown up yet?"
    "No. Any second now. I set the timer," Grace pointed toward her kitchen timer that was sitting right next to the pregnancy test on the bathroom counter. Just then it went off. Grace and Melissa both about jumped out of their skin.
    "Are you ready?" Melissa asked.
    Grace sighed. "Yah, let me look at it first," she jumped off the toilet. Grace picked up the stick and stared at it for a long time.
    "I'm pregnant," she whispered.
    Melissa and Grace were both silent. Melissa was waiting for a reaction from Grace and finally got one a minute later.
    "What am I going to tell Warren?" Grace's eyes were filled with tears. "I mean, yesterday I was excited about the thought of having another baby running around the house and to be honest, I still am. But it dawned on me today. I'm 36 years old. I'm not the 20 year old full of energy I was with Julie, you know? And hell, I wasn't much older when I had Jeremy." Grace was full on crying now. "Julie's going to graduate from high school next year, for God's sake! Warren's not going to want to do this all over again. I mean, I don't know that for sure, because I haven't even mentioned this to him, but I just have a feeling, you know? I'm not crying because I'm sad. I'm just happy, but really, really scared at the same time."
    Melissa wrapped her arms around Grace and held her tight. She could feel her tears soaking her shirt.
    "Everything will work out, Grace. You know it will. Warren might be shocked at first, but I'm sure he'll be just as excited as you are after he gets used to the idea. Grace, he loves you so much. Everything will be fine."
    "You're right," Grace sniffled and wiped tears away from her eyes. "Warren's great and we've been through worse things, right?" She paused a moment. "I'm still really scared," Grace whispered. "Warren's going to be home any minute."
    "Hey, where's that beautiful, strong woman I know?" Melissa joked as she tugged on Grace's cheeks. "You want me to stick around when Warren gets home?"
    "Would you?" Grace grabbed Melissa's wrist.
    "If you really want me to..."
    The front door closed and they heard someone walking through the house.
    "Hello! Where is everyone?" Warren called out.
    Grace walked into the hallway with Melissa right behind her.
    "Hey, babe."
    Warren turned towards them.
    "Hey. What's going on girls? Whoa, something kinky in the bathroom? And I wasn't invited?" he joked.
    "Warren, we need to talk about something."
    He walked over to Grace and held her arms.
    "Is everything okay? Is something wrong?" he grew concerned quickly by the tone of her voice and look on her face.
    "Well, it depends on how you look at it," Grace tried to joke.
    "Have you been crying?"
    "Just come in the bathroom with me real quick," Grace leas her husband by the wrist and closed the door behind them.
    Melissa went in the living room and sat down. She wanted to give them at least a little bit of privacy.
   
    Grace turned her back to Warren to hide the pregnancy test.
    "You promise you won't flip out?"
    "Honey, we've been married for 17 years. You should know by now that you can tell me anything. What could it possibly be?"
    Grace spun around with the pregnancy test in hand.
    "I'm pregnant," she started crying again.
    Warren was speechless for a few seconds while Grace continued crying. He finally snapped out of his trance and hugged his wife tight.
    "Hey, stop crying," he stroked Grace's hair. "Why are you crying?"
    "I didn't know how you would react," she sobbed. "I was so afraid you would be mad."
    "You thought I would be mad? Grace, no. Of course I'm not mad," Warren laughed a little. "I think it's great. I mean, yah, I'm a little shocked, but I think it will be great, don't you?"
    Grace stopped crying for a second and looked in Warren's eyes. "You really think so? I think it will too. I didn't want to admit it, but I was kind of excited. I still am, but what are we going to do? We're old farts now," she managed a laugh.
    "So what? We're not old enough to not be having sex still, so we can't be that bad off, right?" Warren and Grace both laughed.
    "That's better. I don't like seeing you upset, babe. Everything will be fine."
    "You're starting to sound like Melissa. Oh crap. Melissa's still here." Grace started to walk out but Warren wrapped his arm around her waist.
    "Hey."
    "What?"
    "I love you."
    "I love you too," she smiled.

    "Is everything okay?" Melissa asked.
    "Yah," Grace grinned.
    Warren came up behind Grace and put his hands on her stomach.
    "What do you think, Mel? can a couple of old farts like us handle this?"
    "Oh, I'm sure you can manage," Melissa joked. "Well, I'll leave you guys alone. I've gotta go wake Eric up anyways, if he's not already."
    "Thanks for coming over," Grace said.
    "No problem. Call me tomorrow if you want. Love ya."
    "Love you too."
    "See you later, Melissa," Warren chimed in.
    "Bye, baby," Melissa rubbed Grace's stomach.
                                            ***2 Months Later***
    "Hey! How was your doctor's appointment?" Melissa answered the phone.
    Grace was hysterical.
    "Melissa," she sobbed. Grace could barely speak through her cries. "Can, I, come over?"
    "Oh my God! Grace, what's wrong? Is it the baby?"
    "I'll tell you when I get there," she managed.
    "Why don't I just come over there?" Grace had already hung up though. Melissa waited anxiously in the few minutes she waited for her friend. Grace wasn't one to cry a lot, so she was worried every time something came up to upset her that much. Grace was an extremely strong lady, and it took a lot to rattle her.
    Grace didn't even knock and was still bawling when she came in the front door. She ran straight into Melissa's arms.
    "What a change of pace," Melissa thought. "The 22 year old woman comforting the 36 year old woman." She let Grace basically fall into her and almost fell over herself.
    "Grace, what is wrong?"
    She just shook her head and sobbed. And Melissa let her for several minutes.
    "Come on, babe. Let's go sit down. You've gotta tell me what's wrong." Melissa lead Grace to the chair and kneeled in front of her.
    Grace finally looked at Melissa through bloodshot eyes.
    "It's the baby," she mumbled.
    "What's wrong with the baby, Grace?"
    "There is no baby," Grace cried. Melissa was taken aback for a moment.
    "What do you mean there is no baby?" she finally found the words.
    "Grace shook her head again. "There wasn't a heartbeat, Mel. I was so excited. Then, nothing. There just, wasn't anything at all besides that horrible, lifeless image on the damn screen!" Grace got angry and began bawling again. Melissa was speechless.
    "I am so sorry, Grace," she finally whispered.
    "It was awful, Melissa. Warren couldn't come either. I know he tried and wanted to, but he just couldn't. I didn't think it was a big deal either because I figured there would be other appointments, you know?" Grace tried to hold it together. "He doesn't even know yet," she whispered through trembling lips. "Oh my God, Melissa! Why?!" Grace collapsed in tears on the floor and fell into her best friend's arms again.
    Melissa held Grace and cried with her as Grace rocked back and forth.