You Got Me On My Knees, chapter 25

An engaged woman has responsibilities:
First of all she has to call her family and announce it. Hard job, considering how thrilled they all were when I told them that I wanted to be with Mike. Anyway they all pretended that they were happy for me. Then she has to tell her friends, of course. Well Amy was the first to know since she was hanging out with Billie when Mike went to tell him and she was pleased to hear it. She came over and we partied. (She drank vodka, I had chocolate milk).



I had to update Jane a little because she didn't even know that I was pregnant so they all came kind of harsh on her. But she was happy too and she even suggested that I hurry up so we can get married together.
Myla screamed from joy and told me that she always knew it would end up like this and finally Anastasia said her congratulations when she came to pick up Estelle. She wasn't exactly ecstatic but I didn't expect her to be.

Everything was going great now. I was eight months along already and Mike and I agreed that we were going to get married two weeks after the baby was born.
Hadn't I found Amy crying in the guest room one morning I could end this story right now.


But she was crying really strongly, so I couldn't just pass by without hearing her.


"Hey what's going on?" I asked concerned.


"Oh nothing. It's nothing really."
"It's not if it makes you cry. What's up?" And then I noticed the scary and new scar on her neck. "Jesus Christ! Amy! Who did this to you?" She didn't reply so I drew my own conclusions. "It's that son of a bitch Rob isn't it? Oh Amy I knew he wasn't a good guy! We should call the police right now. This man will kill you."
"No El, don't. It wasn't Rob. There is no Rob."
"What?" I was freaking out now.
"I said there is no Rob. That day at the café I was like that because of my mother."
"I don't understand."


"Well yeah and now it's not a good time to start explaining because you're pregnant and Mike would kill me if anything happened to you."


"And you expect me to just say 'cool let's just leave your mother abusing you'?"


"Yes. For now."


"Amy you're not leaving this house before you tell me what's going on."


"I really can't."


"Well then I'll sit here until you can."


We spent a moment like that, with Amy sighing and hiding her face in her hands
and me, looking at her with my arms crossed.
"I was adopted." She started. "When I was five by this really cool couple who were rich and treated me like I was a princess. They loved me very much El. And still do I mean."


"Yeah I know."


"But my mom, my real mom, is not a good woman. She gave both of her children away and she stills threatens me about it."


"What do you mean?"


"I have a big sister. My mom gave her away two days after her birth and I always wanted to meet her. But my mother is afraid that if my sister finds out about her she will give her in to the police for child's abandonment. So that day when you found me, I was there because I had followed my sister and my mom had followed me."


"God. Poor girl. How did you track your sister anyway?"


"I can't say that because you're pregnant and... "


"Oh come on Amy! It's not that big deal to me."


Amy took a big breath. "I saw her picture somewhere and read her last name. According to my research that was the name of the family that adopted her."
"Where did you see her picture?"
"El please don't make me say more."
"Amy tell me where did you see the picture."
"I saw it in a book she had written ok?" And that was when I realized what was really going on. I know you had probably figured the whole thing out centuries ago but what can I say, I guess I'm not as fast as you.


So I was her big sister. How I felt about it?
It was like my feet were no longer on the ground. Have you ever felt your whole world crushing in front of your very eyes? How about the things you always thought of as given facts disappearing in a heartbeat? No? Well you can't really feel any empathy can you?



And Amy had a point with the whole pregnancy thing because my water broke before I could say another word and I started screaming.
Premature labor was just what I was hoping for really.





Everything was pretty much taken out of a nightmare until the guys came.



Amy had driven both of us to the hospital where they couldn't find a room for me right away so I had to wait on a wheelchair, screaming my heart out. It really hurt a lot even if I'm making it sound funny. It was like I was getting forty tattoos all at the same time. No it was like I was getting forty tattoos all at the same time while an hour ago I had discovered that my family was not actually my real family and that I had a younger sister instead of me being one. Good stuff hugh?
Anyway once Mike and the other two came I relaxed a little. I tried telling him about Amy and the whole deal but he wouldn't let me speak. But she told him anyway sometime during an exam I had to take.




It turned out that I would be able to give birth normally. Yep, no way I was avoiding the forty tattoos.


"Mike my mom and my dad are not my real mom and dad..."
"Baby, please don't think about that now. You're going to give birth soon so you have to be calm. Please."


"But you don't understand...I was adopted...or they found me or something...I don't know... Mike..." And then I stopped to shout through another contraction.


"El I was adopted too. But I really don't give a shit because my real mom was a drug addict ok? So I would have probably been killed if I stayed with her. Instead I got raised pretty well and I met you. And fuck El you met me too. And even if you didn't get along with your family you can't deny that they did everything to make you happy as far as material goes. You always had everything."


And people say I am the smart one. He was right of course. And yes I would need some explanations but the important thing at this moment was the person that was coming out of me...


"Alright miss Stoan let's see what we got here," said my doctor. I really hate it when doctors use that phrase. It seems to me that they think too high of themselves. I'm probably paranoid but I really hate that phrase.
"So you're a little early right?"


"Yes I am."


"Well there is no need to worry about that many women have the same problem, we can deal with it."



"Yes I was informed. When will I be able to actually give birth?"


"Your exams show that you are nine centimeters dilated so I say about now."
I widened my eyes in surprise and then looked at Mike who smiled goofily and gave me a kiss on the forehead.


"Okay then...let's go." I breathed.


You're supposed to push once the great pain starts or so I had heard. I felt the same fucking pain through the whole fucking time. You are forced to sit on a chair, open your legs (yeah I'm being graphic get over it) and then a whole baby is just going to pop out of you.


Three million tattoos all over my body in every spot you can imagine.


That's how it felt. I seriously thought that I was going to blow up.
"I can't do it! I can't do it!"
"Of course you can do it baby come on!" Poor Mike was sweating from head to toes next to me.


"No, I'm gonna die. I can't push anymore."


"Miss Stoan you have to push one final time."


"That's it babe! One more time! Come on please!"


And I pushed one more time. What would you do if you had a doctor, your fiancé and three nurses all expecting you to?
Now in the movies once the lady gets the baby out she miraculously stops hurting and she takes the baby in her arms which is miraculously cleaned up and they all look beautiful.


Let me tell you that I was the least beautiful I've ever been in my life. And I was till hurting. Much less sure but still...


You forget about it all though once you see your baby. That's the miracle.
"God..." Mike laughed, looking at his child from the doctor's hands.


"Hey Rachel..." I breathed and immediately went to sleep.











I wanted someone else to tell this part of the story because I get ultra embarrassed just thinking about saying it to you but unfortunately Mike denied it before I even got to the point, claiming that he is not a good narrator, Billie said he could do it if only he was allowed to make himself look good and Tre believed that it was going to be something like a diary and diaries are boring.
So here I am now, having to inform you that my second novel was a one million best seller, liked by many critics and there even was a discussion of turning it into a movie. Yep all that was me and I can proudly say that I have blushed and feel nauseous as I am telling you. What is it with me not being able to say something nice about myself? Hell I can't even take a compliment without feeling uncomfortable. And to think that some people love all that shit.



Anyway the fun part was the press conferences. Let me tell you they did not expect a woman still having some of her pregnancy weight on with an engagement ring on her finger and her hair dyed, supposed to start promoting her book. Last time they saw me I was a shy and freaked out eighteen- year- old. They were kind, thank God and didn't go all crazy about my private life even though I know that is the juicy stuff. They asked me if I'm married and I said not yet and who was the father of my baby and that was when my publisher Bruce popped in and told every one that they should get back to 'High Fidelity'. Oh yeah, forgot to mention: that's the name of my book. It's kind of sarcastic because the character is not loyal to his girlfriend but as far as the title is related to me, it's 100% true. I did stay pretty loyal to Mike through the years. Maybe not physically because hello, I'm not made of wood but mentally without a doubt. Even when I was with Luke who was supposed to be my "serious relationship," I still loved my Mikey .



"How come you chose to write from a man's point of view? You seem to know so much about what a male is thinking."


"Oh well I've been around men for most of my life so it was actually easier for me."



You see, Mike and I connected from the first time we talked back in my parents' house when he and Holly mistook my room for the bathroom and he asked if I liked the Clash.
We had chemistry; we worked. I haven't felt that for anyone else.




"In your book you pass the theory that there is no such thing as candlelight dinners or second honeymoons. Do you believe that?"


"Absolutely not." Laughter. "No I've been quite lucky I have all the romance I need in my life. More even."



And Mike truly cared about me. No, Mike loved me. At first he loved me like I was his younger sister, then he loved me like I was his best friend and finally he loved me like I was his girlfriend, his fiancé, his wife.




"But why did Laura did not accept Rob's proposal of marriage in the end? We didn't expect that."



"Well Rob wasn't ready to get married yet. But those two are going to be together for ever either way. So Laura turned this proposal down, she will say yes to another one."







We sat down and talked.



My family and me I mean. Amy was there too. They said that I was adopted and they found me at an orphanage in Ohio. That's where Amy was born too.
And I got the name Layla because on their way home from there they had that song on. I was pretty shocked the first few months. I stopped talking to anyone and so did Loraine who had no idea about any of this.
But I had my daughter to keep me from going insane.



"Care to give us any clues about the inspiration of Rob's friends in the book?"


"Oh they're a combination of my crazy buds and my psychotic imagination."



Green Day were on a roll, first Nimrod with "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" which was literally the story of our lives, and then so they went rocking millions.
Right up to American Idiot which was bigger than Dookie if you can believe it. They all seemed to grow up and yet they were childish as ever. I loved those guys.



"Mom?"


"What honey? I'm in the kitchen."


"Math sucks."


"Now why do you say that? Math is cool."


"No it's not. I don't understand. It says that I have three apples and then my friend gives me other two but then he takes back three... Why would he give me two apples and then take three? It's unfair. I want to punch that friend of mine's nose." I nearly choked when I heard that.
"Well Rach why don't you ask Estelle to help you? Go on. Then we can watch Yellow Submarine."
"Great ok! When's dad going to be here though?"
"In an hour or so. Go finish before he arrives."




Rachel got nothing from me I am sad to say. He had her dad's eyes, face, looks and most of his personality. But I would never admit that; I kept claiming that she had my style. Thank God Estelle adopted my style. She liked to go shopping with me and she was always asking me about her clothes and what songs to listen to and whatnot while Rachel was always hanging out with Mike and Billie and she took a major likeness in Tre which I believe was the reason why my daughter wanted to punch an imaginary apple boy's nose.

"I'm here and I come bearing gifts!" Mike shouted.


"Well as long as it's Prada you're welcome," I kidded. The gifts were Mike Billie and Tre holding two boxes of pizza each and cherry juice for the girls.


"Hello husband and husband's best friends." I greeted them and kissed Mike on the lips right before Rachel came out of the room screaming and falling in his arms. Estelle followed, holding a book. She had that from me too.


"Hey Ellie," she said and sat on my lap. She liked doing that still despite her nine years.


"Hey Stella. Thanks for helping Rachel with the maths."


"Anything for family." She shrugged and I kissed her rosy cheek.




"Alright now people!" Tre shouted and raised his glass of cherry juice. And I thought it was for the girls. Anyway we all got up and joined him.


"To the birthday girl." They all looked at me.


"To my wife," Mike said putting his arm around my waist.


"To the most kick ass friend," continued Billie, winking at me.


"To mommy!" Rachel yelled from Tre's hug.


"To El," Estelle muttered shyly.


"To...not peeing in the pool," I said. "That's what you get for putting me on the spot and being corny!"







"That was a pretty good birthday hugh?" I asked Mike from the bathroom.
"Yeah." He yelled back at me. "It's a shame Rachel didn't get your peeing in the pool comment."


"Well she's still young. We have time," I joked and heard him giggling. I got out with my bathrobe and went to our room where Mike had already lied down. I climbed on top of him and kissed his lips deeply letting him know that the evening was not over yet.


"Hello birthday girl. You still do ok if one considers you're already twenty nine."

He kidded.
"Well what about you old thirty three hugh?"


"It's different with men you see..." he continued. "The more we age the more attractive we get."


"While I get all old and fat right?"
"Nope. You still my little sex kitten." We laughed.


"Well then let me miaow." And so we went, not worrying about the kids because they were sleeping over at Tre's to be with Ramona anyway.



I could never get used to Mike. After all this I always felt like I was fifteen and he was the hottest guy on earth, coming to my room by accident.