Chapter 13 The Fruit of My Womb

*HADLEY'S POV*

HADLEY: What are we doing here?  What is this place?
MASON: It's a house I bought recently...
HADLEY: Why did you buy a house?...one that is right across the street from ours...that doesn't make any sense...oh wait...are you...Mason, you don't have to do this.

MASON: What?  What are you talking about?
HADLEY: Are you...moving here?
MASON: What?!  No!  Of course not!  Why would you think that?

HADLEY: I don't know...I...

He looks at me with shock.

MASON: Baby, no matter what happens, I am never going to leave you.  Please know that.  I bought this house because we have some visitors and I wanted them to have their own place.

HADLEY: Oh...do I...did I know them?
MASON: You keep asking me about children...
HADLEY: Yes...
MASON: How would you like to meet them?

After Mason knocks on the door, a beautiful grown woman with light brown hair and big green eyes comes to the door.

I look at Mason and I look back at her.  They don't look similar at all.  Then she hugs him.

WOMAN: Mason!
MASON: Hey, baby!

Oh wow, were we those parents that let their children call them by their first names?

Then she looks at me.

MASON: This is Sidney, but she goes by Lamb.

LAMB: *laughs* Well, no one has called me Lamb since....I left home.

HADLEY: Is she...?
MASON: She's your daughter.

I notice he doesn't say "our" daughter.  Hmm...

Then, a tall, dark-complected man with blonde hair walks out.

MAN: Hey Pops!

MASON: Hey, there's my boy!  How are ya' son?

Pops?  Okay...I am confused.  Firstly, I'm confused because I didn't think I was old enough to have grown children, especially two of them, and secondly I'm confused about why Mason seems to regard the boy as his but not the girl.  What the hell?

MASON: Baby, this guy is Weston, or West.  He's our son.
WEST: Hey Ma!
HADLEY: Um...hi.

As I look at him, I notice the family resemblance.  His lips are full and wide like Mason's, his eyes are green like Evie's, but shaped like mine and my father's.

LAMB: Mom...oh, wait, is it weird to call you Mom?
HADLEY: Um, no, I guess that would be okay...

She smiles.  She really is extraordinarily beautiful, the only problem is that I don't recognize her features at all.  Her nose is very small and her eyes are cat-like.  Her frame is also very small.  She is the first relative I have met that is tiny.

LAMB: We've all been so worried about you, Mom.
HADLEY: I've been worried about me too...
LAMB: So...you really can't remember anything?
HADLEY: No, I'm sorry.  I wish I could remember, but I can't.

LAMB: I don't want to say the wrong thing...
HADLEY: Hmm, I guess...why don't you tell me about you...

I am still so confused, but she has a soothing voice and way about her.  She tells me she runs a daycare in Sunset Valley and she loves it.  She wants to settle down one day and she has been seeing someone that she might settle down with.

*MASON'S POV*

Hadley and Lamb seem to be getting along pretty well.  I invited her because she is quiet and gentle.  Of course, West wouldn't leave me alone until I told him to come into town.

MASON: Will you be okay while West and I go inside to talk?
HADLEY: Yeah, I'll be fine.
MASON: Okay...I'll be right inside if you need me.
HADLEY: Thank you, honey.

WEST: See ya' Ma!

WEST: It's hard seeing her like that...she really doesn't have a clue who we are, does she?
MASON: Nope.  I was really wanting to protect you kids from that.
WEST: We're grown people, Pops.

MASON: I know, maybe I made the wrong decision,
WEST: What does Mom know about us?
MASON: *sigh* She doesn't know much...I just told her about having children.

WEST: Dad!  Are you crazy?  How can you keep something like that from her?

MASON: Can you imagine how she would have reacted?
WEST: She seems fine with Lamb and me...
MASON: Yeah, but you are two of 100, West.  And she has gotten a lot better over time.  If you had seen her at first, you probably would have done the same thing.
WEST: What happened?
MASON: She was so, distraught all the time.  I didn't want to overwhelm her.

WEST: Are you going to tell her now?
MASON: *sigh* I have to.  I want you all to be able to see her...and she needs to know.

WEST: How do you plan to tell her?
MASON: I don't know...

HADLEY: What are you all talking about?

WEST: I was just telling Dad about how I'm playing football now and how I can probably beat his old man tale now.

MASON: Ha!  The student surpasses the teacher, huh?
WEST: Teacher?  Is that what you call yourself?  Haha!  We all had to learn in order to avoid concussions with the damn football!
MASON: Hahahaha, you learned, didn't you?

WEST: Hey, come on, Ma, I'll show you around this place.

*HADLEY'S POV*

The house has four bedrooms and needs a lot of work, but he seems excited about it.

HADLEY: I'm still not sure why you all couldn't just stay at our house...
WEST: Uh...well...
HADLEY: Of course it's probably because of our house guest...

I roll my eyes.  Briana and her daughter are still staying with us.  Apparently finding a job and getting on your feet takes longer than I would have thought.

West looks contemplative for a minute, then he smiles at me.  I smile back because it's obvious he got that trait from Mason.

WEST: Hey, let me take a picture of my famous Mama...non of my teammates believe that you're my mom.

HADLEY: *blush* Okay, let me just fix my hair...

He goes to take the picture, but I stop him.
HADLEY: Wait!  I have to look right...let me try this pose...

He laughs and snaps the picture.

WEST: Haha, you didn't used to be so...concerned about all this.

I glare at him.

WEST: What's the matter, Ma?
HADLEY: There it is again, I know I'm not like I used to be, West.  I can't help it.

WEST: I'm sorry, Ma.  I didn't mean to offend you...I guess I just expected...
HADLEY: Yeah, everyone keeps expecting me to remember everything.  Look, I know it's weird, but I am the way I am now.  This is what you're going to get.

WEST: I'm really sorry, Ma.  I didn't mean anything by it...
HADLEY: I know you didn't...I'm sorry too...it's just...this is all frustrating.  You understand, don't you?
WEST: Yeah, sure...it's no big.

Right then, Mason came outside.

MASON: Can I talk to you, Hadley?

I follow Mason into the living room.  He looks tense.  I suppose today has been trying for him too.

HADLEY: What did you need to talk to me about?
MASON: About your children...
HADLEY: They're great, but something is bothering me...why do you say they're my children and not ours?
MASON: *sigh* Because most of them aren't mine...at least not biologically.
HADLEY: Most of them?  Not yours?  What do you mean?

MASON: *sigh* I'm going to tell you something and I don't want you to freak out...
HADLEY: That's not a great thing to tell someone.  I can't promise you I won't freak out.
MASON: Okay...*sigh*
HADLEY: Mason, would you just tell me?  I'm sure it can't be all that bad...
MASON: You have 100 children.

HADLEY: What?
MASON: You have...100 children...it was a challenge you wanted to complete...
HADLEY: I gave birth to 100 children?
MASON: Yes...
HADLEY: Did you father all of them?
MASON: No...that's the other thing...all the fathers were different...that was part of the challenge.

HADLEY: I SLEPT WITH 100 MEN???

MASON: No, well, first of all, there were only about 50 fathers...when you count the twins and triplets...
HADLEY: That's not much better...
MASON: You didn't sleep with them.
HADLEY: Now I'm more confused...
MASON: You used sperm donors...
HADLEY: ...to have 100 children?  But I had West with you?
MASON: Actually, the last eight are mine.

HADLEY: *sigh* Wow.  That's a...lot of kids.  It's a wonder I can even walk...

MASON: Ha!  Yeah, I guess it is.

HADLEY: Why didn't you tell me?
MASON: Well, I guess I just wanted to find the right time.  It's harder than you would think to tell someone they have 100 children....
HADLEY: Hahaha, I guess that's true.

I spend the day getting acquainted with West and Lamb.  They are both wonderful people.

*MASON'S POV*

It's been a few days, and I think having some of her children home has helped Hadley, but things are still a little strained.  I have been busy working and she doesn't seem to understand.

HADLEY: I don't understand why you have to work at all.
MASON: It's something I enjoy, Hadley...and I can't let my teammates down.
HADLEY: Yeah, but we have plenty of money and we never get to spend any time together.  Are your teammates more important to you than I am?

MASON: Of course not!  We spend plenty of time together...
HADLEY: You know, I'm starting to think you're purposely avoiding me...and I'm stuck here at home with that lazy woman and her brat...I really think we ought to throw them out.
MASON: Where would you suggest they go?

HADLEY: How is that my problem?

I sigh, but I don't say anything else.  I keep trying to remember that she's going to be a little different, what with the memory loss, but sometimes she says things like that and I have no idea how she's the same woman I grew up with and fell in love with.  Of course, if I bring it up, I'm a bad person because I'm expecting her to get her memory back.  I would really love to accept that her memory is gone and just concentrate on the future, but how can I do that when sometimes she acts like a person I don't even recognize?

MASON: *sigh* I'm done eating.  I think I'm going to go read.
HADLEY: Oh for crying out loud!  That's all you ever do!  Damn it, Mason!  How are we supposed to move on from all this if you won't spend any time with me?

The truth I can't bear to tell her because it would make me an insensitive asshole is that I don't want to spend time with her.  Every time I do, I wait in anticipation for something to click with her that will bring her memory back, but it never comes.  Worse than that, I have to endure her whiny, self-centered rants.

HADLEY: Fine, I'm going to bed.

She storms out with her plate and comes back to get mine.

MASON: Hadley, wait.

MASON: I don't want to fight baby.
HADLEY: I don't either...it's just...frustrating...I just miss you.

MASON: I know.  I'm sorry.

HADLEY: I'm sorry too honey.

Looking in her eyes, I know I have to make this work.  I can't lose her, but I don't know how I'm going to make this work.