I thought of Kathy when looking at Simon. He had her eyes, her smile, and her hair—everything. When he frowned, he had wrinkle marks—just as Kathy—however, she tried her hardest to remove them.
“He looks like my…mom,” I said. “My mom, Kathy.”
“Nah, I think he looks like you,” Kelly said. “He’s such a beauty.”
Jason walked into the room with water bottles in his hands—back to his old ways. His eyes narrowed as he saw me up and alert. “Glad to see you up again.”
“Hmm,” I said.
“Here,” he handed me the water I had asked for hours ago.
“You think I’m a fool don’t you. No thanks!” I tossed the water into the trashcan.
“I’ll leave you guys alone,” Kelly said as she left the room.
“No, you’re no fool, just naïve, but that’s okay,” he said. “It will get you far.”
“What do you want from me?” I said. “Just leave me alone.”
“Not this again,” he sighed. “You just had a baby, can’t you just relax?”
“Relax? So, you can chop my head off.”
“Seriously, Lily? I’m not trying to do anything. I’m just giving water to my wife.”
“You’re just angry that I know your plans,” I said.
“What plans? I would like to know my plans. You’re just paranoid,” he said.
“You should be warned that I am now, two steps ahead of you.”
Jason snatched Simon away from me. “You’re woozy in the head. I should take him.”
I smiled. “I got my eye on you.”
Two days later, the hospital released baby Simon and I. I amazed them by the energy I had just after the birth that they thought I was back on drugs—which was impossible because I was never on drugs in the first place. Of course, I was drug tested and they did not want me to breastfeed because apparently I was some drug addict waiting to relapse.
“Ew gross, what is that on your arm?” I pointed to a caterpillar object on Jason, who was sitting on the couch.
“Where?” Jason gasped as he held Simon.
“I don’t know; it’s gone now,” I cleared my eyes. “There it is again!” I got up and slapped the caterpillar on Jason’s arm.
“Hey! What are you doing? There is nothing there! You just want a reason to hit me!”
“No, it was there!” I searched the floor. “It’s on Simon’s forehead!” I lifted my hand to smack it.
“I swear if you hit this baby—” Jason grabbed my hand before I did something stupid.
“But, I saw something!” I sat back down on the couch and closed my eyes.
“You’re having weird hallucinations. Go to sleep or something.” Jason left to the downstairs room with Simon.
Baffled, I followed Jason into the room.
“You are so annoying me now! Why don’t you go get a job or go hang out with friends!” he snapped. “Just stop following me around the damn house all the time!”
“I don’t want to work. There is no point to work…and I have no friends.”
“Well, go do something!” He shut me out the door. “Why don’t you go organize your medication? And while you’re at it, why don’t you take some more.”
“No, I have to watch your every move in case you harm Simon!” I slammed my fist on the door. “I don’t want to leave!” I kicked the door and Simon began to cry in the room.
Jason opened the door. “Stop it! What the hell is your problem?” he grabbed my shoulders and walked me to the den. “Just stay down here! I have to treat you like a child to get you to act right.”
I clawed Jason’s arm. “I hate you so much, Jason.”
Irritated, Jason shoved me back in the chest. “Just stop it, Lily!”
“Stop hitting me!”
“If you hate me so much, why don’t you divorce me?” Jason ran to Simon’s cries. “Just do me a favor, okay?”
My face flooded with tears and snot, until my vision was blurred. I rubbed my chest where Jason had shoved me and thought about calling the police. This was considered domestic abuse, right? I held the telephone in my hand, ready to dial. What was the use—no one would believe me. I was crazy Lily. It was unfair how people like me were not considered reliable sources.
It drove me nuts not to go into the room to see what Jason was doing. It felt like it was my duty to watch Jason’s every move. He was a psycho and who knew what he was thinking. I was just afraid he was going to upset baby Simon.