Page 26 of Finding Hope

As her tears quieted, Jonathon pulled back so he could say what he needed to say. “It stops now, baby. No more staying up all night. You can’t keep going like this, otherwise you could really hurt yourself or him by mistake. I know you don’t want that to happen. Look at yourself, sweetheart. You’re wasting away to nothing. That’s not healthy. I’m going to fix you something to eat and then you’re going to eat it all. Then you’re going to climb into my bed and go to sleep for as long as you need. I’ve got Henry and I’m off tomorrow so I can stay up all night if I need to.” He grabbed her face gently with both hands. “We’re a team, okay?”

Her tears continued to fall, but thankfully, she nodded. “Okay.”

After two grilled cheese sandwiches and a glass of milk, Jonathon finally ushered Shannon back into his room. It took about thirty seconds before her snores filled his room. He kissed her head and then went out to the living room where his boy was moving his arms and legs, gearing up to throw a fit. Scooping him up, he carried him to the sofa and sat down with Henry lying on his chest.

After he fell asleep for the night, Jonathon decided to get online and order the baby monitor that Shannon’s mom had told him about when he shared his concerns with her. Margaret, her mom, had tried to stop by often, but they had a business to run and she didn’t want Shannon to know what she was up to.

The monitor had a little device that would go under Shannon’s pillow and vibrate when Henry made noises. Jonathon would be able to keep a monitor in his room too. He turned on the TV and watched football.

After Josie came home, he had her get ready for bed and then tucked her in before feeding Henry his bedtime bottle. He changed Henry and put him to bed. In his room, he checked on Shannon and she was still out, which was good. In the kitchen, he grabbed a beer out of the refrigerator and then sat back down to finish watching the game. Hopefully, after a few days of sleep and some food, she’d be back to normal. Then they could finally talk about their future.

Chapter Thirteen

Shannon

Shannon’s eyes fluttered open and she rolled to her back, staring up at the ceiling. The fog started to clear and she remembered what happened the day before. She had been so exhausted and crazy. She was starting to lose her mind and she knew it, but the day of the fire constantly ran through her mind. Jonathon catching her losing it was probably the best thing that could’ve happened. Every time she tried to sleep, she had woken up frightened that something would happen to the baby. At first, it had been easy to hide things from everyone, but then they began to catch on.

Her family couldn’t fool her when they pretended to just drop by. She loved that they looked out for her and she knew a lot of that was Jonathon’s doing. He wanted to take care of her and she loved it. Shannon climbed out of his comfortable bed and went into the bathroom, did her business, then washed her face and brushed her teeth. She grabbed her braided hair in her hand and felt warmth that spread throughout her whole body and settled in her heart.

Jonathon took care of her so tenderly that it still brought tears to her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she stepped out of the bathroom, put her processor on, and stepped out into the hall. Jonathon’s voice carried down the hall.

“Are you daddy’s big boy? Yes, you are. Should we go see if Mommy’s up?” A pause. “Okay, let’s go get Mommy.”

Shannon knew she was smiling like a big dope after hearing Jonathon talk sweetly to their boy, but she didn’t care. Stepping around the corner, she met Jonathon as they were getting ready to come to her. “Good morning.”

“It’s actually the afternoon.” He handed Henry to her, and she snuggled him against her chest.

“Wow. How long was I asleep?”

He looked at his watch and then at her. “Almost twenty-four hours.” Her eyes widened. “Hey, you needed it. Henry and I have been just fine. We sat around in our underwear, burped, farted, and told dirty jokes.” A laugh bubbled up in her chest and for the first time since Henry came home, she felt light and free.

“Where’s Josie? Did I scare her away?” Her stomach turned. Shannon really hoped that wasn’t the case.

Jonathon pulled her and Henry into his arms. “No, you didn’t scare her. She was with Tess when I found you in the bathroom. Right now she’s with Tessa and her best friend, Betsy, looking at wedding dresses.”

“I’m so happy for your sister. She and Cash both deserve all of the happiness in the world.”

“Yeah, they do. Are you hungry? I’ll make you something to eat.” They both laughed when her stomach started growling loudly. “Okay, come sit and keep me company while I get you some food.”

She sat down at the kitchen table and watched as Jonathon moved around the kitchen with smooth efficiency. A few minutes later, he set a plate down in front of her. He’d made her a grilled sandwich filled with turkey, bacon, avocado and cheese, with some steamed vegetables and yogurt. He took Henry from her so she could eat. Everything was delicious and she couldn’t thank him enough.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t taking care of myself. I should’ve been honest about everything.” She ate every bite on her plate and wanted more. Jonathon must’ve read her mind because he grabbed another sandwich off the counter.

After setting it on her plate, he grabbed her by the chin, tipping her face up. “You’ve got nothing to apologize for. You and me are a team, okay? Tomorrow the baby monitor I ordered should be here. It’ll vibrate for you when he cries or makes a noise and I’ll have one in my room too. Mine will just have a speaker so I can hear him. I want you sleeping in my room for the time being.” She tried to interject, but he held up a hand to stop her. “It’s only so you can get some good sleep. He’s starting to sleep longer in the night so we should both be getting sleep.”

Finishing her second sandwich, she got up and put her plate in the sink. “Okay, thank you. I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have you.” She leaned against the sink with her head down.

Jonathon came up behind her, and wrapped his arms around her waist. “You would’ve figured it out. Just remember, we’re a team: You, me, Josie and Henry, and together we can handle anything.” He kissed her forehead and she made her way into her room to grab clean clothes so she could shower.

In his bathroom, Shannon twisted her braid into a bun so she wouldn’t get her hair wet. The way he cared for tenderly the night before made her feel all squishy inside. In the shower, she took her time and shaved her underarms and legs. After drying herself, she looked at her naked body in the mirror. Jonathon was right. She was too thin. A slim figure was something she always had, but now she looked like a skeleton, like she was sick.

After she was done scrutinizing herself, she threw on pajama pants and a tank top the color of emeralds. She took her hair out of the braid and brushed it out. It hung in wild strawberry blonde waves. Cleaning up her mess, she threw her dirty clothes in the hamper in Jonathon’s room and stepped out into the hall. She found Josie and Tessa in the living room.

“Shannon,” Josie exclaimed as she ran toward her with a huge smile on her face. “Aunt Tessa, Betsy and I looked at dresses. I get to be in her wedding!” Shannon smiled as Josie danced around before grabbing her in a hug.

“That’s great, honey. No matter what you wear, you’re going to look beautiful.” She looked at Tessa, who was holding Henry. “Did you find a dress too?”

“No, not yet, but I have an idea of what I want. Cash and I both want something simple yet beautiful.”

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