The Runaway Gypsy

Dreaming

I wake up to the sun high in the morning sky, finding Rhett asleep in the chair I had left. Landon, Perry and Mark are all sitting in the little living room area that’s off to the side of the room, playing cards. And Laila my sweet Laila is curled up beside me breath even, eyes closed, peaceful. I could care less about anything in this world, so long as I have her. Mark notices I’m awake “about time you woke up, sleeping till the middle of the day and missing so much. Really how do you expect to keep up with the big kids when you refuse to stop acting like a baby”. He laughing but it doesn’t sit well with me, “what happen? Mind you, we never went to sleep till the middle of the night and so long as she’s sleeping I ain’t moving. She needs rest.” Marks eye brow goes to his hair line “oh you really don’t know, well the s**t seems to have really hit the fan while you two sleep. That sister of yours sang like a canary, seems my moron brother should have been named trouble because he’s knee high in it as well-“ I cut him off “we will talk about it latter mark” I don’t want Laila getting upset and talk of her twin Lucas being involved in hurting her won’t help that “she already knows Bo, she has not been asleep for some time now. She’s an amazing faker but her eye balls have been flinching for hours while she listen, why she fakes it is beyond me” I feel her body shift just the slightest when she says “because people with big mouths know nothing, but those with big ears know everything” I smile at her comment cause it’s true “ Isn’t my wife brilliant, Mark? Disagree I a promise I’ll get up and make you see error in your judgement” he nods “oh she’s something that’s for sure” I lean down and kiss the top of her head and she looks up and whispers “good morning”

“Mornin darlin, we gotta get out of here this bed is way to small and this place just lets any ol rift raft in”

“ I agree I want to go back home Bo, I want to sleep in my own bed and just be home I miss watching movies and stuff”

“I know darlin and as soon as I can get thing sorted and get you out of her we are going back to New York ok we will be in the apartment as soon as the doctor say you two can fly”

“What, no I don’t want to go back to New York. I meant here I want to go back to my house on the ranch”

I don’t want to take her back there, not after what happen. “Darlin after what happen, why don’t we go back to New York visit your family for a while. Rip the house down and build new you can have a house built how ever you like on the ranch, how about that darlin”

She pulls out of my arms sits Indian style, folds her arms, pouts out her lip and says “NO” in the most adorable rotten way. I sit up in the bed, fold my arms, pout my lip and give her a “No” right back. I know this game, my sister all play it, I am not fazed by it.

“Robert Matthew James Edward DeClare, I said I wanted to go home to my home and I want to go now”

Did she just pull my real name out of no where, no one ever uses my given name ever. I don’t even use it for legal reasons. The only way she could have known it was to see my drivers license.

“I’m sorry, but where did you pull my real name from?”

“Your mother told me it, why”

“Ain’t no body called me Robert since the day my mother called me it, that’s why”

“Well it’s your name isn’t it?”

“Ya but you heard anyone call me that?”

“I know what your doing and it’s not going to work I want to go home Robert”

“Stop calling me that”

“Not till I get took home Robert”

“Darlin I done told ya I’ll take you home, just not back to that house, not after what happen there. Let’s go to our place in New York, have the baby there and in the mean time we will build a new house here. Once it’s done we will bring our little family back here, sound good”

“No it doesn’t sound good Robert”

“Stop that, I mean it. Your starting to grate my last nerve with that name”

No one knows how much I hate my legal name, and I really hate it that she won’t call me Bo. I love it when she calls me Bo, the way her lips make the o shape is percent for kissing.

“Oh does being called Robert bother you, well you can’t live in New York City with a hick name like Bo and get things done in the city you’ll have to be Robert Matthew Edward James DeClare there”

And with that I stand and walk out of the room, out of the hospital and just drive.

Laila POV

Where is he going?

I look to my brothers and that are looking anywhere but at me.

“What the heck, where is he going we are done talking”

Rhett bust out laughing but it’s Landon that speaks “that was a lot of things but talking isn’t one of them”

“What yes it was, we was talking about going hone”

“No Laila that was a fight, or as Daisy would say a debate”

“That wasn’t a fight no one even raised their voice, your dramatic”

“Oh little sister that was a fight, the man walked out as to not strangle you. He warned you to, and you kept it up. He’s worried about you and doesn’t want to take you back to where the worst thing that ever happen to you took place”

“What that’s not the worst thing that ever happen to me, not even close. Why would he think that”

It’s Rhett who answers

“First off what the hell Laila, that bedroom looked like a horror movie murder seen. I seen it and trust me it’s the thing of night mares. What could have happen to you that’s worst them that”

I debate telling them about what happen when I ran away, but now doesn’t seem like the time my mental health isn’t any of their worry it’s Bo’s I know I have to get him to understand “get out” is all I say to get my brothers attention laser focus “what” is all they ask at once “get out of my room now I’m making a call and what I’m going to say is none of any of you’s guys business now get out” slowly everyone but Rhett stands and walks out.

“You to, get out”

He sits planted firmly to his chair.

“Oh hell no, I have been in for a pound threw this whole thing, I get to learn the dirty secret”

I stand up but I do it to fast, Rhett catches me before I hit the tile floor. After a moments head stops spinning and he helps me back to the bed “in for a dollar, in for a pound kid. I’m not leaving Laila and I won’t tell ok”. I ignore him and turn my back to him after he gives me his cell phone and I call Rhett. It takes four time of me calling back to back for him to answer “what is it Rhett?”

“It’s me Bo, not Rhett”

“Oh I’m Bo again how kind of you, your majesty”

“You say that like a insult but you forget I am married to a King”

“You know what I meant Laila”

“I know, I was just saying”

“Besides what good is it to be a King when own wife won’t even listen to me snd do what I ask of her, and for her own good at that”

“Because you think it’s for my own good Bo, but it’s not. You think being hit a few time is the worst thing to ever happen to me your wrong. Ok so I just want to go back to our home is that so much for me to ask for”

“Yes it is because from what I know it’s a pretty bad thing to happen, some one broke into our home and hurt you, we could have lost the baby Laila. That’s pretty bad Laila so what could have happen to you that was worst then that?”

“When I was gone I got shot in the back by a stray bullet and was on life support for a week this is nothing”

There is no response for so long that I think I lost him “Bo are you there, hello”

“What, are you serious right now. When? Where?. Your lying I have seen every inch of your body Laila there no scar or anything”

“It’s on my back by my should blade, you might have seen a lot of me but it’s almost always my front side, it’s why I always where shirts that cover it or my hair done”

“I’m on my way back but this isn’t over”

He hangs up the phone with out another word. I turn back to Rhett who’s on his feet and in two stride is lifting my hair and looking down the back of my shirt to see the scar I hide “well s**t, it’s true. Why didn’t you say anything it’s been months since you have been back and not a word?”

“I don’t know didn’t seem like much to talk about. Everton would have told me how stupid I was and I didn’t feel like hearing it and no one noticed, so why bother but now. Well it seems to work in my favor.”

My brother just goes back and sits back down. He seems to be shocked into silence for once in his life. I spent my whole life being less then what I am really am. I was told I was weak, when I was strong. I was told I wasn’t smart, when I was smart. I was told I was I was less then I was till I got to know Bo. He told me I was smart, he told me I was strong, he told me I was everything when everyone told him I was nothing. I know he believes in me, I know he sees the real me. I just have to get him to understand I don’t need him to be my shield right now. I don’t think it will be easy, but he has to see. I don’t want to go back to New York City, it was a prison to me. I couldn’t do normal things there, it was a city I loved but at the same time a city that also suffocated me. Here tho I have freedom, I go to the grocery store by myself and wonder long every aisle in the store for as long as I want, say hello to all the friendly people. I could make all over the adorable newborn baby of a local police officer when after he ran her into the store like he was running the foot ball to a winning touchdown. Bo took me to a local high school football game and I was able to go get my own drink and snacks and make friends. Life here was nothing like I was use to back in the city. Back in the city I never knew one of our neighbors names I didn’t know anybody at the grocery store because I never went to the grocery store, everything there was done by a service and you never seen the people who worked for the service. I love being here and this is the life I want our child to know. This is where I want to live and grow old. This is my home here with Bo and that’s what I plan on telling him if he ever shows up again. The doctor comes in and my brother walks out when he sees his wife at the door. I know she likes it here and wants to stay here full time as well. She’s from a small town in Pennsylvania and even tho it’s our back yard, she is still use to small town living. The doctor gets my attention and now that we are alone I think it’s time we speak more freely

“Doctor I know you are going above and beyond because of who my husband is and his family, but truly as long as my baby is ok and I feel fine I don’t see why we need to stay in the hospital longer then any other person would have to”

“Mrs.DeClare I have cleared you to go when ever you’d like, I have known your husband since he was born, he was my first delivery in this unit. I was fresh out of school when your mother in law came threw those doors screaming like a coyote about him coming and now, and she wasn’t lying. We badly made it to a bed before he came, boys been in a rush ever since.”

“Oh wow I didn’t know that, I don’t have a doctor. How do I get a doctor here anyways doctor?”

“Just call me Doc everyone else does, I will have the ladies at my office contact you next week to get the paper work filled out and get you on the books for your monthly check ups till your closer to the due date if that’s ok with you?”

“That’s perfect, thank you”

“No problem now then about that due date from the scans and from you told me earlier you seem to be about two and half months along so we are looking at a due date around the start of May so for now we will ball park it at May 4th”

“May 4th, that don’t seem to long away”

“It never does but you rest and take things easy for the next few weeks, I expect to see Bo DeClare running around this town like a chicken with his head cut off till I see you again is that understood young lady?”

“Yea doc”

“Alright then I’ll leave you to give this young man hell and put him in his place for storming out of my hospital earlier on”

I laugh as the doctor never so much as lifts his head from his charts and walks out. Bo is standing in the door was looking timid as can be. For such a big man, it’s odd to see him look so small. As he comes closer to me, I can’t help but feel back for using his given name to bother him the way I did.

“I’m sorry Bo, I don’t want to fight with you. I just want to stay here that’s all”

He nods his head but doesn’t say anything else.

“Bo, this is home to me. I feel better here and now I have a doctor and everything. Here, with you life just seems better. I wish you could see it like I do. I love it here this, here, is my dream come true.”

“I see that Laila, I know you want to stay here. Trust me I understand that but I don’t want to take you back to that house. It’s a total mess in there, plus would you really feel safe there now?”

“Are you really going to leave me alone long enough for something to happen to me?”

“No, not any time soon I’m not, why”

“Then I see no point in leaving your sisters and my sister in laws are already taking that room apart, it will be like new by the time we get home latter on. Till we get a new bed and bedding we can either sleep in the spare bedroom or we can sleep in one of the ten bedrooms in the big house that’s up to you. However we are going back to the ranch and staying put ok?”

“Fine Laila I won’t fight you on this but Im not happy about it, first sign that something isn’t right we are gone you got it?”

“Yes sir”

He comes to the side of the bed Im sitting on and bends down and kisses me. Then takes a deep breath and as he lets it out he lets out every drop of worry in word vomit form “Laila I panicked when I seen you, I thought you was dead. There was so much blood and your just a tiny pint of the thing to start with. I don’t care if some one comes at me, but I do care about you getting hurt. My whole life seemed to disappear in the flash of light, then when we got here and your brother had to give blood, I couldn’t even tell the doctor what blood type you was to help you I was so useless to you in every way that matters. I wasn’t there to protect you, I could answer a question that could save your life. What type of husband am I if I fail you when it matters the most?”

“The new kind Bo, that’s what kind you are. I don’t know your blood type either, I couldn’t protect you from much. However you are the most kindest, most loving husband ever and as time goes by we will get batter at all this stuff, I’m pretty sure by the time May rolls around you’ll know more about my body then I do cause after this I’m just gonna say stuck like glue is going to be a understatement”

He nods but is still looking at the floor as if he didn’t hear me at all.

“I love you Bo, I love you with my whole heart and our little baby loves you to”

He looks up at that, and I smile at him “it’s the truth and that’s all that matters, isn’t it?”

“Ya I guess”

“You guess? You guess that’s it’s ? You don’t love us, you don’t feel lucky knowing we love you, you don’t feel good knowing that your wife and child wants to go home with you and be with you and love you. Really well fine I’ll go home by myself then how about that Bo?”

“What the hell”

“ oh what the hell your self, I don’t have time for this pitty party you want to be in. I got stuff I have to do. You don’t want a home with me fine, you don’t care if I love you fine, you don’t want this baby fine. I don’t care any more you big mean freak I don’t care.”

I don’t even know why I’m so mad at him, but I take my ring off and throw it at him, you want me back in my prison in New York I’ll go but I’m not going with you. I’ll go back to my gilded cage by myself.”

Bo’s POV

Lailas went from zero to sixty in less then a second. I don’t know why she’s mad, I don’t know why she’s threw her ring at me, and more I don’t even know where she’s getting all this from. I didn’t say any of that.

“Darlin slow down will ya, I didn’t say none of that. I don’t want you and the baby gone no where, you two is my reason from breathin. I love you more then life itself darlin you know that. You know that I want a family with you, that I wanted it long ago. I don’t want you back in that city, not if your not happy there. You want to be here fine by me love, but your right I’m gonna stick to you like glue because you and our baby is everything to me”

She goes from ragging mad to sobbing crying in the space of a second, when I pull her into my arms she wraps hers around me and I feel like something clicks back together inside me “I’m sorry Bo, I don’t know what’s wrong with me” I laugh “oh I do, Nova was the same way when she was expecting, totally bipolar” I refuse to let her go even when she pulls away from me “Darlin please, I love you, I love you so much so please understand me when I say I’m sorry I wasn’t there when I should have been. I need you to know I won’t mess up like that again. I’ll be home every night for dinner, he’ll from now on I’ll even be home early enough to cook it. Im gonna start using the office in the house and I’m not gonna be out riding as much either.”

She just nods her head and ask if she can gather her things so we can go home. I let her go and start to help her. After everything is gathered up, I go to the nurses station and ask if we can leave and they say we can. They bring a cart to the room and a wheel chair I make Laila sit in the chair and I push her down to the front door where my sports car is parked, I throw her bags in the trunk and place her in the car, I even buckle her up. Then we start home, to start pulling out life back together. She starts humming to the radio and I put the top down while we are stopped at the red light, the holidays is coming and with the cooler temps we can leave the top down more “this car won’t do for much longer, I’ll be sad to see it go” it clear to see my wife has lost her mind but I ask all the same “what are you talking about darlin?”

“There is no room for a fat chick or a baby in this car Bo so what would be the point of having it?”

“I’ll buy you what ever kind of family car you want as long as the word mini or van is not involved but this car is for date night or running away either way we are keeping it. And for the record a little weight ain’t gonna hurt ya darlin if you 90 pounds socking wet I’d be shocked.”

“I’m 105 for the record and I have put on seven pounds in the past two months that’s not good, and I don’t know how cause I have been sick more then well. I can’t stand the smell of meat any more and the other day one of the guys on the ranch was smoking and I almost threw up on him it was so bad Bo”

I give her a smile “ginger helped Nova so why don’t I stop and get you some of what she use to make me get her and see if that helps, I felt like a drug dealer with her so I guess I’ll be your ginger dealer from now on, sound good?”

She nods and we stop by the store, while I go one a all things ginger hunt, my wife goes on a full scale junk food hunt I find her in the freezer section with a open box of fudge bars, that she is eating while chucking pints of different flavors in the buggy. I shake my head and smile as I try to lead her away from the ice cream and to the check out. If she wonders how she’s putting weight on she needs to look at what she’s got, it’s all junk food. For now I’m not saying a word but starting tomorrow we got to get her eating better. I tell her to stay in the line to check out and run over to the vitamin aisle, I get to the prenatal section and why is there so many, I call Nova and ask her which to pick out and she gives me a list. I make it back to Laila just as the cashier rings threw the last item and I drop the arm full of stuff I have. He rings us up, I pay and we make out way back to the car that is already packed full. We pack the bags in the car and Laila spends the rest of the ride eating fudge bars and telling me how good they are, how down right amazing they are. When we get home I carry all the food in for her to put away and then I bring in our bags and find her at the door of the guest bedroom crying “darlin what’s wrong” she just points. When I get to the door and look in I see my sisters have been busy the room is stripped of everything, there is tons of pastel colors painted on the wall, tarps are on the floor, ducks and bears are in one corner, while swans and hearts are in the other “I don’t like swans but I think we can paint them pink and just say they are flamingos right?” She sobs out “oh darlin f*ck the swans I’ll buy you flamingos” she laughs at that “flamingos and butter flys Bo” I nod “what ever you want, but I’d like to know where the b*techs think we are going to sleep” Nova voice scares the s**t out of me, I didn’t even hear the door open “the door was left open Bo, but your bedroom would probably be a good guess, we got the new bed in there this morning and everything is all clean and fixed now just like new” Laila rushes to our bedroom and looks in “Bo it’s perfect, thank you Nova thank you so much your the best”. Laila is so happy I can’t help but smile and feel happy too.