And I've been housing all this doubt,
And insecurity,
And I've been locked inside that house,
All the while you hold the key,
And
I've been trying to get out,
And it might be the death of me...
Be My Escape by Reliant K.
The sound of two screaming babies was all that could be heard from the guest house. It was six in the evening, and Lily Oken (she still wasn't used to writing it on her essays and such at school) was attempting to make dinner and care of six month old twins simulataneously. Her husband was nowhere to be found, and the exhausted, sixteen year old mother of two was trying to keep it together.
Her blonde hair was thrown up in a messy bun, and she could feel her blue eyes filling up with tears of frustration. Throwing a dish onto the ground, the ceramic dish shattering into pieces at her feet, Lily sunk to the ground, her back against the cabinets, sobbing.
After five minutes of crying her eyes out to match her children, the front door swung open and hurried footsteps came running in. Lily peeked up to find her best friend Jake standing there, panting from sprinting.
"Lily! Are you all right? I heard dishes breaking and screaming..."
"I'm not okay, Jake!" Lily sobbed. "I'm terrible at this! I'm a horrible mother! I can't! I can't do this anymore! I'm exhausted, and I'm tired."
"Sh, Lily," Jake soothed, helping her off of the ground and hugging her to him. "It's all gonna be okay. Just breathe. All you have to do is breathe."
Lily took in a shaking breath, pulling out of her breakdown, only to realize that her babies were still screaming their little lungs out.
"Oh, my babies!" Lily exclaimed tearfully, running to wear they were in little play saucers.
"Here, I'll grab Jailynn," Jake offered, lifting the little girl up into his arms. He rocked her back and forth and she hushed down as Lily did the same with J.R.
"Thank you, Jake," Lily said weakly as J.R. began to fall asleep in her arms. "I kind of lost it for a second."
"It's all right," Jake smiled. "That's what friends are for."
She beamed at him before carrying her baby up the stairs to put him down to sleep.
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When Oliver came home two hours later, he found his wife asleep on the couch, her head in the lap of his best friend, who was holding his daughter while watching the news. He couldn't help the bitter feeling of jealousy that arose in him; the three blondes looked like the picture perfect family.
"Jake. Hi," Oliver said gruffly.
"Oh, hey Oliver," Jake said amiably. "Lily had a bit of a breakdown, so I came over."
"Why didn't she just call me? You know, her husband?" Oliver said angrily.
"I just heard it from the main house and ran over," Jake explained, defensive. "Swear it."
"Woah, woah," Oliver said. "You heard it? It was that bad?"
"Yeah, man," Jake said with wide eyes. "The kids were screaming and she was trying to cook dinner, and she got so fed up that she threw a plate on the ground. When I came in, the babies were crying, Lily was on the ground, surrounded by pieces of the plate, sobbing."
"I'm worried about her," Oliver said, anxiety on his features. "She's so stressed out all of the time."
"Well, it's understandable," Jake stated. "Teenage motherdom can do that to a person."
"I'll go put Jailynn in her crib, then take Lily upstairs. I'll see you tomorrow," Oliver sighed, indicating for Jake to go home.
"All right," Jake said, slowly getting up and sliding Lily off of him. "I'll pick you up for school in the morning."
With that, Jake was gone. Oliver carried his little girl up the stairs, laying her in the crib and kissing her tiny forehead before going back downstairs and lifting up his sleeping wife with a slight groan.
"Hm?" she mumbled, waking up.
"Sh, Pretty Girl," Oliver murmured. "Go back to sleep."
"Hi Ollie," Lily said sleepily with a small smile. He put her on the bed gently.
"Hi, Love," he grinned. "You need some rest. Go back to sleep."
He went to leave the room, opting to do his homework downstairs.
"I love you, Oliver," Lily whispered.
"Love you, too," Oliver said back before closing the door gently and leaning his back against it.
This was harder then he thought it would be.
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The next morning, Lily awoke confused. She was still in the navy blue, terry cloth sweatsuit she had worn around the house the day before, but was in her bed. Oliver wasn't with her; in fact, his side of the bed was still made.
She walked down the stairs in confusion, hearing no crying from either of the kids. When she entered the living room, Oliver was lying on the couch, sound asleep, with both of the twins in their little baby swings on either side of him, both asleep as well.
Lily smiled slightly, walking over and gently shaking Oliver awake. "Wake up, Oliver. School starts soon," she said, kissing him on the cheek.
"Mmm," he groaned, sitting up with a yawn.
"Would you like to explain this?" she asked, gesturing to the twins and himself.
"They were crying a lot last night," Oliver explained. "I didn't want them to wake you, and I know the swings calm them down..."
"Thanks, hon," she grinned. "But really, you don't have to do that."
"Yes, Lil," Oliver interruppted her, "I do. You're exhausted. You need a break every now and then."
Lily's eyes narrowed. "What did Jake tell you?"
"That you had a breakdown yesterday," Oliver said, not missing a beat. "But Lily, he shouldn't have to tell me. You should have called me."
This got Lily riled up. "I didn't even know where you were Oliver! I never know where you are if you're not at home or at school!"
"No matter where I was, I would have come home!" Oliver exclaimed. "Because I love you, Lily! And I want you to be okay!"
"And I am okay," Lily said, her expression softening as well as her voice. "I promise, Oliver. It was a one time thing. Now go get dressed. You have a big test today."
Oliver kissed her lightly before going up stairs to get dressed. Lily sighed and went into the kitchen to make some breakfast before getting ready herself and heading to school with Miley.
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"Well, well, if it isn't Lily Oken," Cecilia Edwards sneered at the blonde as she pushed Jailynn's stroller into the school. Miley was pushing J.R., and the two girls exchanged an annoyed look.
"Just leave us alone, Cecilia," Lily said tiredly.
"Hm, for a girl with a husband, you're not very well put together," the black haired girl said coldly. "Just because you're married doesn't mean you should completely let yourself go."
"And yet she's still a damn sight nicer then you are," Miley snapped. "Now move, bitch, before I make you!"
"You're lucky you're pregnant," Cecilia said as Miley stepped in front of the stroller.
"No, slut, you're lucky I'm pregnant," Miley snarled. Cecilia glared at her and stalked back down the hall. Lily laughed, gaping at her best friend.
"Damn, Miles," Lily said, impressed. "That was intense!"
"I'm sick of her shit," Miley shrugged. "It's about time someone did something."
"True that," Lily nodded as they turned down the hall to the day care center. After saying goodbye to Jailynn and J.R., the girls headed to their English class, Miley waddling slightly.
They sat beside Trent, a sweet boy with an even sweeter baby girl named Jenny.
"Hey girls," he greeted with a tired smile.
"Tough night?" Lily asked, cocking her head to the side.
"Yeah," Trent said. "Jenny had a fever."
"Is she okay?" Miley asked with concern.
"Yeah, she's all right," Trent said. "My mom's taking care of her today, though, in case she has to go to the hospital."
"Well, we're here if you need any help," Miley offered. "If you need to take a day off, we'll get notes and homework for you."
"Yeah," Lily chimed in. "Babysitting help, homework help, anything. We've got your back."
"Thanks, guys," Trent said gratefully. "I might have to take you up on that."
"Please do," Miley said, ruffling his hair. "We've gotta stick together in a place like this."
"Too right," Lily nodded as Cecilia walked in and glared at her.
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After school, Miley walked out, surprised to find Jake sitting in his car, waiting for her.
"Jake!" MIley exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"I wanna take you out to lunch," Jake smiled. "Hop in."
"Well, it's a bit hard to hop these days," Miley said, indicating her slightly protruding belly.
Jake laughed as she clambered into his car. He put on some music and listening to Miley sing, her voice beautiful as usual.
"Okay," Miley said. "Where are we going?"
"You'll see," Jake said with a smirk.
"Aww, c'mon! You know how impatient I am!"
"Exactly," Jake teased. She stuck her tongue out and he laughed. Finally, he pulled up to a secluded section of the beach where a picnic was set up.
"This is where you took me in freshmen year," Miley gasped. "On our first real date."
"I know," Jake said with a smile. "It's how we got a fresh start before. And it's how we'll start new again."
Miley smiled, happy tears in her eyes. "You're amazing, you know that?"
"I've been told," Jake said with a grin. Miley swatted at him, but he grabbed her hands and pulled her in for a sweet, slow kiss.
"I love you," Miley mumbled into his neck.
"Love you, too," Jake said, kissing the top of her head. How he had ever doubted it, he wasn't sure. But in that moment, Jake Ryan swore that he could hear wedding bells in his mind.