"Jennifer can we talk now?"

"About what?"

"You know who." she stiffened. "Come on honey don't you think it's time?" he asked.

"Not now Jeremy. Not ever" She said attempting to leave. He grabbed her elbow forcing her to stop.

"It's been three weeks baby. How long are we going to ignore that Terr..... "

"Shut up! Shut your mouth Jeremy. I told you never to mention her to me. What is wrong with you?" she yelled at him.

"Jennifer"

"Don't Jennifer me. How many times do I have to tell you that I don't want to talk about it?"

"Okay" he let her go and went to the bedroom. There was no talking to her when she got like that. He would give her more time and maybe try again later.

Jenna took the closest thing she could touch which happened to be a vase and threw it against the wall. They were fighting now. If it wasn't about one thing then it was the other. Jeremiah had a problem with everything she did. Jennifer your not eating enough. Why don't you find something to do instead of sitting at home all day. Why haven't you cooked dinner. You're still in your pajamas, were you in bed all day?  Jennifer this and Jennifer that. She couldn't have a moment of peace in that house anymore. She needed out. She needed air.

Jeremiah was standing in the shower his hands on the wall while water trickled down his back. He couldn't do right with Jennifer. She snapped at him whenever he tried to tell her anything. He had seen her eat a handful of times and even then it was fruits or coffee. He was at work all day and he couldn't keep himself from worrying about her. What if he came home and she was gone again? Or maybe she got sick because she wasn't taking care of herself? It scared him every time he came home and found her sitting on the sofa in her pajamas just staring into space. He could see her on the road to getting depressed and he was trying his hardest to help her, be with her, but she kept pushing him away. He couldn't remember the last time he had made love to his wife. The water was getting cold so he turned the shower off and got out. Pulling on sweatpants he went to see if she had calmed down. She had left.

"Where have you been?" he asked her when she came back. It was almost midnight and he had been praying that she hadn't disappeared again. Now that she was home the only feeling he felt was anger.

"Out" Jenna told him heading upstairs.

"Jennifer it's almost midnight. How can you be so careless?" Jeremiah was trying to reign in his anger but her snappy attitude wasn't helping.

"Am here now. Aren't I?" she entered the bedroom slamming the door on his face. He opened it banging it so hard the walls vibrated.

"I am sick of this Jennifer. I can't take it anymore. I've been walking on eggshells around you for weeks and I can't keep doing it." he roared at her but she didn't even flinch.

"You're sick? Please enlighten me on how I make you sick. Please"

"Do not twist my words Jennifer. You know that's not what I said"

"Oh I heard you alright. How do you think I feel huh? I can't take it anymore either. Every time I see you all I can think about is that she chose you over me. You Jeremy who isn't related to her in any way. She chose to raise you while I was on the streets all alone. When you were probably having a party or celebrating or at a football game, I was lying in a pool of blood. When you were having Christmas dinners and travelling around the world some bastard was raping me. So how do you expect me to feel? I can't get past the fact that she could have come back for me but she chose not to. She didn't want me. And if my own mother got tired of me who are you to stay? Sooner or later you'll leave just like her and I'll be right back where I started. Hell one foot is already out the door. So please tell me how you feel while am here dying inside little by little. Please" Jenna yelled then dropped to the floor and crying. This was what it had come to. Fights that ended with her crying. She was sure if she had been collecting her tears they would fill a bathtub by now.

"Baby why are you thinking like that?" he asked kneeling in front of her. "You are my wife. We have plans to have a soccer team and raise them in a nice homey house. How could you think I would ever leave you" lifting her face with both hands on either side of them. "I love you. You hear me? I love you and am not going anywhere" he kissed her dragging her on top of the bed. "I love you, I love you" he said between kisses.

Jenna pushed his sweats off with her feet. They were the only thing he had on and his body was hot on top of hers. He made quick work of unbuttoning her blouse and when the buttons took too long to come undone he ripped the rest of it off. While she struggled to get her arms out of the blouse he was busy pulling off her jeans together with her thong and kissing every inch they exposed. She took off her bra and wrapped her hands around his neck. Jeremiah kissed her with heat and hunger devouring her lips. He'd missed her. Missed the way he felt when he was with her.

He nudged her knees apart and slid one finger along her confirming she was ready for him. Positioning his length at her entrance he pushed in, inch by inch until he was buried deep inside her. Both of them moaned in pleasure. Jenna's hands were on his back scratching and trying to hold on because it was all too much. She could feel him pulsing inside her with every push. She wrapped her legs on his thighs opening herself up to him more and used his ass as an anchor while digging her fingers into him. He increased his movement and with three more hard strokes they came apart together.

"I missed you baby" Jeremiah whispered to her when his heart beat had calmed down. He was still on top of her bracing his weight with his elbows. He wasn't ready to pull out yet. 

"I love you." Jenna said kissing his chin.

------------------------—----

"We're going out. Get dressed" 

"So now you're going to order me around?"

"Jennifer I just want a break from all this. One of my friends is having a birthday party and am invited. Let's go and have fun. Forget our problems for even an hour"

"Am tired. You go" Pretending to care about anyone was not on Jenna's list. She was tired as she'd told Jeremiah but she also didn't feel like mingling.

"Stop it Jennifer. Am pretty sure I left you at that exact spot when I went to work this morning. Come on when was the last time we actually went out?" Jeremiah was trying, really trying but Jennifer kept getting worse.

He bought her flowers everyday, gifts, anything he thought would lift her mood but he was failing. She rarely spoke unless spoken to, she barely ate anything claiming she wasn't hungry and she stayed at home all day doing absolutely nothing. He wasn't imagining it. Sometimes he would come back and find her right where he left her, breakfast utensils in front of her and all. He once suggested she visit a therapist to at least try and talk with someone if she wouldn't tell him anything and she exploded. They fought about it almost all night, resulting in him sleeping in the other bedroom. He was at a loss on how to help her. He thought that they had made up two weeks ago but sex doesn't fix anything. If she shut him down every time he started a conversation then how were they going to fix their problems?

"I don't feel like going. Why won't you leave me alone?"

He took her elbow and dragged her to the bedroom "Because you've been alone all day. You have an hour to get dressed or I will drag you to that party the way you are" Jeremiah left her alone and went to the kitchen to prepare her something to eat.

She protested against eating but he forced a sandwich on her and made sure she ate every crumb then they went to the party. Robert the host was warm and a bubbly person. He made silly jokes that got Jennifer to smile for a while and forget everything. She interacted with people and laughed, she even danced with a few guys that surprisingly Jeremiah didn't have the urge to punch. Seeing her happy like that made him happy. He would do anything to have his wife back. The person who woke up everyday laughing. The person who cared about others and wanted to help whenever she could. The person who was strong enough to overcome the crap she had gone through and still come out on top. He wanted that girl back.

"Hey lady shake what yo mama gave ya" some idiot said loudly making Jennifer freeze. If there was ever a time Jeremiah wanted to kill someone it was then. He could see the guy swaying and he knew he was drunk but that didn't stop him from wanting to bash the idiot's head in.

Jennifer was having a great time until that guy opened his mouth. He had kept his distance not wanting to cause her any kind of distress. Even when she smiled at him from across the room it had taken everything in him not to go over and take her in his arms. Jeremiah was treading softly around her. Now someone's big mouth had taken him back to square one. He wanted her to forget even if it was just for one night only. She headed to the bar and he followed her. "Hey having fun?" he tried to play it off

"No"

"I see cake. Let's go steal some" please say yes. Please

"I don't want to. Can we go home now? I came to your stupid party, had fun or at least tried to, I even ate your sandwich. Can we leave now?"

"Not before Robbie cuts the cake. Come on I know how much you love your cake. Remember the f......"

"Jeremy!" she said vehemently attracting the attention of a few people. "That cake over there makes me want to throw up. So is all the food on t....." she faltered. "It.... Makes.. "

"Hey are you okay?" he asked when she swayed placing a hand on her lower back.

"Yeah. Just.... "  she fainted.

"Jennifer!" he caught her before she hit the floor.. "Dammit Jennifer wake up" he said trying to shake her awake. A crowd had formed around them curious to know what was happening.

"Make way people." Robert said pushing his way to the front. "I called my driver. He's waiting downstairs, let's go" he picked up Jenna's purse while Jeremiah carried her outside.

"Don't worry she'll be fine." Jeremiah had been pacing the waiting area for twenty minutes and he was about to barge in there and demand to be told what was going on.

"I should have forced her to eat more. She's so frail because she hadn't been taking care of herself." He said going back and forth.

"Calm down. You're giving me a headache with all your pacing" Robert told him.

"Why don't you... "

Robert cut him off. "Doctor! How is she?" Jeremiah whirled around forgetting what he was going to tell his friend.

"Hi am doctor Rodriguez and am happy to say your wife is fine" Jeremiah expelled the breath he didn't know he was holding.

"So why did she faint?" that came from Robert.

"Because she's weak. Judging from her blood sugar levels she hasn't been eating well. And that's dangerous when she's supposed to be feeding two people."

"Two people?" Jeremiah understood perfectly what the doctor meant but Robert was a little slow.

"Your wife is pregnant. Congratulations but you have to make sure that she's eating well. Her diet should be healthy and followed regularly otherwise she would put herself and the baby at risk"

"Can I see her?" Jeremiah asked finally finding his voice.

"Yes. This way please" Dr. Rodriguez told him already heading to his left.

"I still have questions Doc." Robert protested following them.

"Hey honey. How are you feeling?" she was awake and smiling. That was a good sign.

"A baby Jeremy. Our own baby" Jenna cried opening her arms. They held onto each other crying happily. They had discussed kids before they got married and decided they both wanted them. Besides Jeremiah had never used protection so it was pretty clear where they stood on that subject.

"This is only the beginning. Remember we said a whole soccer team"

"We'll see after we have this one." Jenna said laughing.

"No. I want at least five children..."

"At least? Hey do you know how painful labor is?"

"Do you? Come on we can do it. Besides am here for emotional support."

"Me too. Anything you need am right here" Robert commented from the door and they both turned looking at him.

"Why are you here?" Jeremiah asked. He thought his friend had gone back to his party

"Emotional support like you just said. Duh"

"Ignore him.. The doctor said you have start taking care of yourself Jennifer. No more coffee or alcohol okay?"

"Okay. Can we go home now?"

Jenna changed. She was happy now that she was going to be a mother. She woke early, exercised, ate healthy meals and even went out. Sometimes she would just walk around the park or sit there watching kids for hours. Jeremiah brought home a big teddy bear that he instantly regretted because she slept with it and he had to wait until his wife was asleep to hold her. They went shopping in baby stores but many are the times they didn't agree on anything so they bought two pairs of everything. Jeremiah wanted a girl and Jenna wanted a boy because they had a better chance of surviving alone than girls but she didn't tell her husband that. They turned one room into a nursery and spent weekends decorating it. Both of them were happy but never, not even once did they talk about their issues. Jeremiah didn't want to upset her any more so he kept his mouth shut because despite their problems she was getting better with each day that passed.

Three weeks after she left the hospital, Jeremiah came home one day looking worried. Jenna thought of asking him but didn't want to hear anything about her mother so she went on as if nothing was wrong. He kept staying up late on his computer and as much as she wanted to know what was going on she didn't snoop or even pretend to notice. Her suspicions were confirmed when he came home drunk one Friday and talked to her even though she hadn't asked. "Jennifer I don't know what to do. I've tried everything, pulled strings, called my friends in other countries and asked for their help but nothing Jennifer. I don't know what to do anymore"

"Why don't you go take a shower. You stink like a brewery"

"Jennifer did you hear what I said? She's dying and I can't help her. Again there's nothing I can do"

"I don't want to talk about it. Just take a shower and sleep it off Jeremy" she told him knowing he was talking about her mother.

"Why are you being like this? She's your mother Jennifer.... "

"A mother who left me. Why should I care?"

"Because you are her daughter Jennifer. I saw my mother waste away and there was nothing I could do. How can you be so indifferent?"

"She didn't care about me so I don't care about her. Simple" she left him standing there and went to the bedroom.

"Isn't her being sick payment enough? She's suffering Jennifer knowing that you hate her so much. Isn't her dying enough for you?"

Jenna whirled around and stopped to breathe when she felt a little cramp. "I was dying once you know. No actually I was dying twice, where was she?"

"Jennifer"

"Don't you dare tell me how she's suffering or dying. Been there, done that but unlike her I fought for my life. And I was alone. She has you and the twins and your father, lucky her Jeremy."

"I don't believe you're that heartless Jennifer. You can't be so cold"

"If you don't want to shower, leave me alone. Am going to sleep I have a stomachache"

"Don't turn your back on me we're still talking."

"No. Am done talking Jeremy. You do whatever you want" she got in bed and cuddling her teddy she closed her eyes.

Jeremiah huffed and left. He couldn't be anywhere near her right then. He needed someone who had a heart to care enough about his problems. "Robbie meet me at lux" he said and hung up his phone leaving. Jenna turned when she heard the lift opening and closing. She caressed her stomach hoping that when she woke up in the morning the stomachache would be gone. Otherwise she would have to go to the hospital because her doctor had warned her about self medicating herself when she was pregnant.  She fell asleep waiting for Jeremiah to come back.

**************************************************

Almost done here. Next one is going to be the beginning of the end. Brace yourself.