Babes Stripping For Love

Mara felt pain coursing through her arm. She managed to open her eyes only to squint from the brightness of her hospital room. It took her a couple of seconds to get her bearings and reminded herself of where she was and why she was there.

“Hey, you’re awake,” The heavy drawl of his voice made her turn to her side and immediately Mara was faced by Keegan.

“What time is it?” Mara tried to sit up and Keegan helped her when she winced from the pain.

“Nine in the morning. The nurse had your breakfast delivered, do you want to…”

“Ugh, I need to brush my teeth and I need to go pee. Can you get one of the nurses to help me?”

“Why don’t you let me help you.” Keegan smiled at her. Last night Charlotte had Marjorie deliver Mara’s toiletries and her change of clothes after Keegan told Seamus’s wife that he was hoping that she would be discharged the next day.

“Oh…”

“Come on, it’s not like I haven’t seen you naked before.” He grinned and watched how her face blushed from his words.

A few minutes later, Mara did let Keegan help her, but not without a few awkward moments from her side and how she then insisted that he closed the bathroom door as she does her morning business. “I will call out for you once I’m done, Keegan… just… just give me some privacy, okay?” Keegan kissed her temple telling her that he’d be outside the door if she needed him. Mara bit her lip when she felt a throbbing pain as she accidentally moved her hand though she powered through and bit down her lip, trying to shove her pain to the back of her mind.

Later that afternoon, they finally discharged her after Keegan had assisted her, and she signed all the necessary administration forms.

“I think it’s best we tell Cody that I got hurt when you rescue me from his dad. I still don’t know if it’s best to tell him that the man had died, or…” Mara was worried that the new development was going to bring back Cody’s nightmares. “I think knowing that his dad died will bring him closure, but I have a feeling that I need to have him talk to a professional just to know his mental state… Oh God, Keegan, I really don’t want to mess up my baby brother. He’s such a sweet child.”

“He is,” Keegan assured her, he put his hand on hers while not leaving his eyes on the busy traffic in front of them. The drive from the hospital will take about another half an hour and it was the half an hour that Mara could use to center her mindset. She wanted her little brother to see that she was getting better and that she will be alright, that they have nothing to worry about. Not in the near future.

Mara didn’t want to deal with what was going to happen next. She wanted to focus on Cody and she was going to take Charlotte’s offer and stay with her and her husband until Mara was better, physically, mentally, and financially. The issue will need to be revisited when she was feeling better to weigh her available options.

“I’m going to stay with Charlotte.” She finally blurted out.

“Only until you’re better, since I also need to catch up on my work and I will feel better leaving you knowing you will have someone to help you when I’m not around.”

“Keegan…” Mara didn’t want to owe him anymore. She knew they were intimate but she didn’t want to be too dependent on him. She needed to be sure that she could handle her’s and Cody’s future should anything happen between them in the long run. It was a rational thought, and she needed her head to be on point and not to focus on her future with Keegan. He had left her once it had carved a very memorable impression in her mind and her heart.

“Mara, I need to do the right thing with you.”

“Okay.” Her headache was coming back, and it was easier for her to end the conversation than to argue about what she thought about what he needed to do.

“Hey, are you feeling okay?”

“Headache,” Mara confessed.

Keegan nodded and told her to sleep on it while he drive. “Test back and sleep, it’ll be a while with the heavy afternoon traffic.”

When they finally arrived, Mara was tired and Cody’s face was plastered with worry when he saw Mara’s arm wrapped in bandage and wearing a sling to lessen its movement.

“Hey, little man. How are you?” Keegan greeted after Cody hugged his sister. He became too quiet and Keegan wanted him to not dwell on his worry. A kid should not worry, he should be happy, like other kids his age. Like Keegan was when he was a kid.

“Is Mara okay? She doesn’t look okay…” he half whispered when Marjorie greeted his sister, informing Mara that she had set up her room. Apparently, Charlotte had her stuff moved to another guest bedroom though still not far from Cody’s. Charlotte came to greet them not long after Cody and she ushered them all to the living room where Marjorie had snacks and tea waiting for them.

“Your sister will be okay. She was hurt, but the doctor had sent her home, meaning that she’s better and will recover soon enough.” His explanation had Cody smiling again. Then it wasn’t long for the little guy to tell Keegan about his day and what he has been doing with Charlotte since Keegan was out with Mara.

Seamus joined them almost an hour later when they were quietly enjoying their afternoon snack. He was quick to summon Keegan to his home office. He didn’t want to part from Mara, at least not yet. But he knew that it was important for him to follow his boss. Keegan had been absent from his duties long enough, and he needs to dive back in, he owes his boss at least that.

When Mara was alone with Cody, she told him that she loved her little brother and that everything was finally going to be okay. And that they won’t be leaving town if Cody didn’t want to. Then after dinner, Keegan left to do a job for Seamus while Marjorie helped Mara get Cody ready for bedtime.

“I want you to know that you’re welcome to stay here for as long as you want Mara. I mean it.” Charlotte said as they were talking over their chocolate marshmallow drinks before bedtime.

“Thank you. I still don’t know what I’m going to decide and I need to see if I could get my old apartment back seeing we have no more threat on our lives. I would need to find new employment, I don’t think is wise for me to stay at Babes. Cody will grow up and I rather not let him find out about my shady line of work.”

“So, nothing is going on between you and your fake fiance?” Charlotte goaded, smirking, as she took another sip of her drink.

“I don’t want to get comfortable with Keegan, maybe he’s changed or maybe he was just trying to fix his past mistake. Either way, I am not going to put my hopes up for him.” She shrugged and Charlotte didn’t look convinced so Mara told her about her past and how Keegan had left her. It was about time that she finally told Charlotte about her past. She had opened her doors for Mara and Cody, the least that she could do was be honest with Charlotte.

“Well, in my opinion, you are doing the right thing.”

Having known Charlotte for a while, Mara knew that she’d be the last person to judge her. And Charlotte’s last words told her so. There were no further questions, and Charlotte didn’t scold her for wanting to get back to her previous drafty apartment. Though she still told Mara that she’d always have a place at her home whenever she needs one. “Oh, and I’ll gladly babysit Cody for you when you found a new job. Marjorie loves your little brother and Seamus couldn’t stop buying Cody toys and books. He always comes home with something for Cody and I think it’s the sweetest.”

“Well, I think he’s ready for one of his own.” Mara teased and Charlotte flushed, already revealing her situation without saying a word.

“Oh. My. God… you’re pregnant aren’t you?”

“I am. I just took the test this morning. I’m going to tell him once he gets back.”

And surprisingly at that exact moment, Seamus walked into the room and greeted both Charlotte and Mara. “Evening ladies,” he greeted his young wife, kissing her on her temple. Then he greeted Mara telling her that Keegan was going to be a couple of hours late.

“Go… tell your husband. We’ll talk again in the morning.” Mara told her as she finished off her drink, got up, and placed her glass in the sink. Charlotte followed her, placing her glass in the sink before they parted. Mara went to Cody’s room first, to check on him. He was sleeping peacefully and so she continued to her room before she rest on her bed.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Sleep didn’t come easily for her, maybe because Mara slept too much while in the hospital. She swallowed her pain meds before going back to her bed, her eyes closed until she eventually drifted off to sleep. She dreamt of her future and Cody’s, but most of all she dreamt that Keegan was there along with them.

It was a beautiful dream, she did wish that maybe it could truly be her future one day.