This Is Us - Chapter 55: Chapter 55
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THOMAS POV
"Mommy, you're scaring me,"
Jaydean was shaking like a leaf as her mother tore open her bedroom drawers like a madman, throwing her clothes into her pink unicorn suitcase as he laughed hysterically while Luca and I watched him closely. He opened a drawer so hard that one of her snowglobes tumbled to the floor and shattered, causing our little girl to scream out of pure terror.
"Matthias, let's talk about this," Luca gently tried to butt in and suddenly his laughter stopped. With his back to us, he slowly brought his head up and stared at the wall in front of him like he was possessed by the fucking devil. Even Cooper was fearful of our husband.
We had just gotten home from Jaydean's doctor's appointment and after a long conversation over the phone with his cousin Marius in a strange language we had never heard him speak before, he told us we were leaving.
He didn't say where, how, why, or when.
"There's nothing to talk about. We're leaving," He says and goes back to zipping up her suitcase, rolling it out to the hallway like the tornado he was. I had never been more afraid of him than I was right now.
"We're not going anywhere until you tell us what's going on," I finally found the courage to speak out. Jaydean hugged my prosthetic legs out of fear and I wrapped a protective arm around her.
"You don't have to come then. Jadean, let's go," He snapped and held his hand out to her but she refused, shaking her head as she burried herself in my legs as an attempt to hide.
"Matty, please calm down. You're scaring us," I gently pressed on and he laughed again, smacking his own forehead and sighing.
"I'm scaring you? You know what's scaring me? The disease that's going to kill our daughter if we stay in this fucking country. We're going to Bridgeport," He finally revealed some of his plan and Luca scooped up Jaydean from the floor, clutching her shaking body close.
"We're not exactly objecting to leaving Matthias, we just need you to calm down before you have a bloody heart attack, kill our babies from the stress, or scar our daughter for life!" Luca spits the truth in his face and pulls back with Jayde, terrified of him attacking us.
Matthias looks at both of us and his bottom lip starts to tremble.
"You're talking about Bridgeport like it's some kind of Neverland. Why do you want to take her out of the country to some tiny island in the middle of nowhere when she can get the treatment she needs right here," I add and he narrows his eyes.
"You've never been to Bridgeport, you might not know what it's like but I swear on the lives of our five children that this is what's best for all of them," He says in one long breath, his body tense his brows furrowed in frustration.
I looked at Luca as he met my gaze at the same exact time, the two of us were unsure of everything right now, barely able to come to the terms with the fact our little girl has cancer and our children have only a 20% chance of making it into the world.
I spoke to him through our eyes, telling him we have to go or he's going to kill the babies from his high stress. He told me with a gulp that he was fearful, unsure, and hesitant but willing as long as I was going. I nodded, saying it would be alright as long as we worked together.
I turned back to Matty, who had started to sway, having a hard time standing up straight on his feet. I waved my hand for Luca to stay as Matty's eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fainted from the sheer panic of the situation. Thankfully I was able to make it so I was right beside him and caught him as he fell, gently laying him down on the hardwood floor.
"Babe, go grab our bags from New York and put them in the car with Houston and Cooper," I told Luca as he was unsure of what to do but he put Jaydean down on the floor and scampered to the bedroom.
"Jaydean honey, come here," I opened my arm to Jayde but she shook her head, fearing her mother's lifeless body would reanimate and attack her. I gave her a stern look and nodded for her to come forth. Thankfully this time she obeyed, tiptoeing towards Matty and I.
"I know your mommy was very scary for a few seconds there, but he was like that because he loves you, so so much and he only wants the very best for you. Okay, honey? He's scared because you're very sick and he doesn't want anything bad to happen to you," I explained and the fear seemingly vanished from her eyes as she got down to the floor and pressed her little head against Matty's chest.
"Is he going to be okay daddy?" She asked as she listened for his heartbeat and I gently ruffled her hair.
"He'll be just fine princess. Now I need you to go grab the bag that he packed for you and your lambie and meet us in the car with your Papa okay?" I asked her gently pinching her nose to mess with her a bit and she quietly nodded.
Relieved that Luca and Jayde were going to be okay I turned my attention to the person I was the most worried about. With his head in my lap, I slowly examined him with my eyes. Thankfully there was no sign of blood and when I felt his hardened stomach where the baby bump was more prominent, I could still feel the little ones kicking away.
I know if they died, he would never be able to forgive himself or get past it.
I had accepted the fact that if these babies die, he will probably die too.
Matty's breaths that were once hyperventilated, were starting to slow along with his chest which was rising and falling at a normal rate now. I let out a relief-filled sigh as I craned my neck to gently kiss his forehead. Staying there for a moment as I listened to the sound of his breathing regulating itself, praying he wasn't going to have a heart attack or an ulcer on this plane ride.
His phone suddenly vibrates in his pocket and I took the liberty of reaching into it and pulling it out, seeing the caller was someone by the name of Jamie Grayson-Caspian. Thinking this might be the person he was talking to earlier, I picked it up instead.
"Alohowa Matty-yah, Anata heleʻoe ma kahi alakaʻi kuko?" A man answers in the language I'm assuming I heard Matty speaking earlier.
"Hello? This is Thomas, Matty's husband?" I told the guys and there was a long 'Ah'.
"Hey Thomas, it's Jamie, your husband's cousin. I'm supposed to tell you guys the Jet is ready at LAX when you are and I'll be there to pick you up from the airport with your visas. See you soon!" The same guy says in English with a deep New Yorker accent and hangs up.
I can only blink a few times trying to understand what just happened before putting Matty's phone in my pocket as I reach down and carefully cradle him in my arms. Knowing I couldn't carry him down the stairs, I look to Luca who pops out of the bedroom with our bags.
"I guess we're going to Bridgeport,"
"Mommy, you're scaring me,"
Jaydean was shaking like a leaf as her mother tore open her bedroom drawers like a madman, throwing her clothes into her pink unicorn suitcase as he laughed hysterically while Luca and I watched him closely. He opened a drawer so hard that one of her snowglobes tumbled to the floor and shattered, causing our little girl to scream out of pure terror.
"Matthias, let's talk about this," Luca gently tried to butt in and suddenly his laughter stopped. With his back to us, he slowly brought his head up and stared at the wall in front of him like he was possessed by the fucking devil. Even Cooper was fearful of our husband.
We had just gotten home from Jaydean's doctor's appointment and after a long conversation over the phone with his cousin Marius in a strange language we had never heard him speak before, he told us we were leaving.
He didn't say where, how, why, or when.
"There's nothing to talk about. We're leaving," He says and goes back to zipping up her suitcase, rolling it out to the hallway like the tornado he was. I had never been more afraid of him than I was right now.
"We're not going anywhere until you tell us what's going on," I finally found the courage to speak out. Jaydean hugged my prosthetic legs out of fear and I wrapped a protective arm around her.
"You don't have to come then. Jadean, let's go," He snapped and held his hand out to her but she refused, shaking her head as she burried herself in my legs as an attempt to hide.
"Matty, please calm down. You're scaring us," I gently pressed on and he laughed again, smacking his own forehead and sighing.
"I'm scaring you? You know what's scaring me? The disease that's going to kill our daughter if we stay in this fucking country. We're going to Bridgeport," He finally revealed some of his plan and Luca scooped up Jaydean from the floor, clutching her shaking body close.
"We're not exactly objecting to leaving Matthias, we just need you to calm down before you have a bloody heart attack, kill our babies from the stress, or scar our daughter for life!" Luca spits the truth in his face and pulls back with Jayde, terrified of him attacking us.
Matthias looks at both of us and his bottom lip starts to tremble.
"You're talking about Bridgeport like it's some kind of Neverland. Why do you want to take her out of the country to some tiny island in the middle of nowhere when she can get the treatment she needs right here," I add and he narrows his eyes.
"You've never been to Bridgeport, you might not know what it's like but I swear on the lives of our five children that this is what's best for all of them," He says in one long breath, his body tense his brows furrowed in frustration.
I looked at Luca as he met my gaze at the same exact time, the two of us were unsure of everything right now, barely able to come to the terms with the fact our little girl has cancer and our children have only a 20% chance of making it into the world.
I spoke to him through our eyes, telling him we have to go or he's going to kill the babies from his high stress. He told me with a gulp that he was fearful, unsure, and hesitant but willing as long as I was going. I nodded, saying it would be alright as long as we worked together.
I turned back to Matty, who had started to sway, having a hard time standing up straight on his feet. I waved my hand for Luca to stay as Matty's eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fainted from the sheer panic of the situation. Thankfully I was able to make it so I was right beside him and caught him as he fell, gently laying him down on the hardwood floor.
"Babe, go grab our bags from New York and put them in the car with Houston and Cooper," I told Luca as he was unsure of what to do but he put Jaydean down on the floor and scampered to the bedroom.
"Jaydean honey, come here," I opened my arm to Jayde but she shook her head, fearing her mother's lifeless body would reanimate and attack her. I gave her a stern look and nodded for her to come forth. Thankfully this time she obeyed, tiptoeing towards Matty and I.
"I know your mommy was very scary for a few seconds there, but he was like that because he loves you, so so much and he only wants the very best for you. Okay, honey? He's scared because you're very sick and he doesn't want anything bad to happen to you," I explained and the fear seemingly vanished from her eyes as she got down to the floor and pressed her little head against Matty's chest.
"Is he going to be okay daddy?" She asked as she listened for his heartbeat and I gently ruffled her hair.
"He'll be just fine princess. Now I need you to go grab the bag that he packed for you and your lambie and meet us in the car with your Papa okay?" I asked her gently pinching her nose to mess with her a bit and she quietly nodded.
Relieved that Luca and Jayde were going to be okay I turned my attention to the person I was the most worried about. With his head in my lap, I slowly examined him with my eyes. Thankfully there was no sign of blood and when I felt his hardened stomach where the baby bump was more prominent, I could still feel the little ones kicking away.
I know if they died, he would never be able to forgive himself or get past it.
I had accepted the fact that if these babies die, he will probably die too.
Matty's breaths that were once hyperventilated, were starting to slow along with his chest which was rising and falling at a normal rate now. I let out a relief-filled sigh as I craned my neck to gently kiss his forehead. Staying there for a moment as I listened to the sound of his breathing regulating itself, praying he wasn't going to have a heart attack or an ulcer on this plane ride.
His phone suddenly vibrates in his pocket and I took the liberty of reaching into it and pulling it out, seeing the caller was someone by the name of Jamie Grayson-Caspian. Thinking this might be the person he was talking to earlier, I picked it up instead.
"Alohowa Matty-yah, Anata heleʻoe ma kahi alakaʻi kuko?" A man answers in the language I'm assuming I heard Matty speaking earlier.
"Hello? This is Thomas, Matty's husband?" I told the guys and there was a long 'Ah'.
"Hey Thomas, it's Jamie, your husband's cousin. I'm supposed to tell you guys the Jet is ready at LAX when you are and I'll be there to pick you up from the airport with your visas. See you soon!" The same guy says in English with a deep New Yorker accent and hangs up.
I can only blink a few times trying to understand what just happened before putting Matty's phone in my pocket as I reach down and carefully cradle him in my arms. Knowing I couldn't carry him down the stairs, I look to Luca who pops out of the bedroom with our bags.
"I guess we're going to Bridgeport,"
End of This Is Us Chapter 55. Continue reading Chapter 56 or return to This Is Us book page.