At this point, Simon could do very little to stop what was about to happen. Wincing, he followed them into the other room, which had been converted into a nap and play center for Jr., when they would be downstairs. There was a long, awkward silence as Simon stood there with his eyes squeezed shut.
Between the coos and the smiles, they finally got to Jasmine’s bottom half and the moment of truth came. Pulling open her diaper, Miriam and Jack expected to see a few streaks of poop. What they weren’t expecting was the gender of their grandchild was not what they were told. Those were little girl’s privates, not a boy’s. She was also darker in hue around her labia than expected. Stunned. That’s what they were. Completely stunned and flabbergasted. Slowly, they turned their heads to Simon and stared at him for an explanation.
Cherish didn’t know what was going on beneath her. She had her own problems to deal with. She was hungry, tired, and now Jr. had decided to become one with Jasmine at the same instance. Just as she pulled her breast out for him to eat on, Jr. released a series of gas bubbles and squirts. She quickly pulled him away and lifted the fidgety little boy in the air. Without fail, he once again waited until he had a fresh diaper on his butt and soiled it. Cherish narrowed her eyes at him as his face twisted and his mouth opened; about to wail out.
Grabbing the pacifier, she pushed it between his little lips quickly, “Oh no little boy, don’t you start. Mo—I am not going to feed you with that mess on your butt. We can’t have you getting a rash. Calm down.” She whispered to him. Cherish’s nerves were on high and shaken. She tried to change Jr. quickly but the thought of her daughter downstairs distracted her.
Jr.’s hungry grunts were muffled as he sucked on the pacifier. That is, until that cold wipe once again touched his little butt. They learned he hated the feeling but Simon was far too tired to make a mad dash to the store for a warmer. Now, they kicked themselves.
It was game on.
Spatting out the pacifier, Jr.’s little face quickly turned a deep, red shade and a second later he blurted out a wail rivaling Jasmine when she was angry. This situation was delicate enough and Jr.’s almighty cry announced to everyone in the house and the neighbors that he existed. At the worst possible moment.
Cherish’s fingers were quick to push the pacifier back into his mouth as she quickly wiped his bottom down and placed a fresh diaper on. She then lifted him up and shoved her tit in his mouth but, the damage was already done. Feeling completely sick, she knew her time there was up. She could only sit on the bed, stare at the door, and bump on his little bottom; waiting.
Jack did a double take out into the hall and charged through as Miriam stuttered for answers, “T-twins? Did…did Emily have twins, Simon? Is that why she…”
Simon shut his eyes and blew out a sigh. He could hear Jack’s footsteps echo on the stairs causing him to rush and follow. The footsteps approached Cherish and she rocked from one side to the other nervously. Miriam quickly cleaned and changed Jasmine before she too followed. Now, just when they were about to find out the worst possible news, Simon opened his mouth and tried to reason with them, “This was a last-minute coincidence. She needed a home and I couldn’t abandon th—” Before he could finish, Jack opened the door and saw Cherish holding onto his grandson with her breast in his mouth; feeding him.
Cherish’s nostrils flared out of her own fear as she cradled Jr. in her arm and clenched her jaw. Jasmine rested in Miriam’s arms peacefully. She was a very laid-back baby compared to the male counterpart tugging milk from his mother’s breast. She and Jr. were the only ones who were at peace it seemed.
Blinking a few times, Jack honestly didn’t know what to think. He had thought the “she” his son in-law had said was referred to the baby. Now, he had a new set of suspicions. Miriam joined the men in the doorway and, at the sight of Cherish, released a tight gasp. She was at a loss for words. Simon looked distressed and tense as he released all the breath in his lungs with defeat.
Glancing between all of them, Cherish grabbed a receiving blanket, tossed it over Jr., and stood. She opened her mouth to speak only to shut it again. Taking a step forward, she finally spoke, “I…I uh. H-hello? M-my name is Ch-Cherish.” She didn’t think about how wrong the situation looked because she knew the truth. She glanced from Jasmine to Simon and landed Jack’s face, “M-Mr. S-Simon helped me…uh. I-I’m sorry. I…I know I shouldn’t be here but…” She shifted Jr.’s weight beneath the blanket and looked to Simon for help.
Jumping in with a long sigh, He took a couple of steps into the bedroom and turned to face them, “Cherish is a fast friend of Emily and mine. We met her a bit before Jr.’s birth. By chance, when I was leaving the hospital, I heard them telling Cherish that…” He stopped and looked down at Jasmine. He shut his eyes, “…they told Cherish that the father abandoned them and because she didn’t have a place to live, she would be taken away.” He pointed to Jasmine. Miriam glanced down at the baby in her arms, “So I just jumped in and said I was there to pick Cherish up and I brought her here.”
