Chapter 14
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It was just a matter of time.
Kate had every intention of taking this to court, but she also knew her daughter had the final say. She was on the brink of adulthood and could articulate her wants clearly in any court. Sure, she wondered if Laura really wanted to leave her, but the truth was, Richard was a master intimidator and her daughter was ‘daddy’s girl’.
Kate had always held out hope Richard was bluffing and he wouldn’t really want to take Laura completely, knowing how devastating that would be. But once again, she’d underestimated him. He didn’t give a rat’s ass about anything but hurting her. This was a power play, a way for him to get what he wanted. And it was working. Feeling a heaviness in her chest, Kate closed her eyes and tried to think of a way to fight back.
She was on her bed staring at the wall when the phone rang. A glance at the caller ID told her it was her doctor’s office. Part of her just wanted to let it ring, but she knew they were calling with test results and she needed to answer.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Kate. It’s Doctor Finn.”
Kate pushed herself into a sitting position. She expected to hear from the office, but not the doctor. If she was making the call herself, there must be something wrong. Great. Let’s add a terminal illness to what could go wrong with her life.
“Oh, God. What’s wrong with me?”
“Calm down. Nothing’s wrong. You’re healthy.”
“Then why are you calling?”
“Well, your test results did indicate something new.”
Kate’s stomach sank and she grabbed the glass of wine she’d placed on her night table. “New? New how? Oh, my God. I have a brain tumor, don’t I?”
“Well, since we didn’t examine your brain, I wouldn’t know about that, but the truth is, you’re pregnant.”
Kate froze, the wine glass touching her lips. She stared at the golden liquid and put it back on her night table. Pregnant? The shock was working its way through her system and finally, her brain processed the information. “Pregnant?”
“Yup. Hard to say how far along you are. Do you remember when you had your last period?”
“I’m pregnant?! How?”
The doctor chuckled a little on the other end of the line. “The usual way, I’m guessing. You’re seeing someone?”
“Yes. Well, not anymore.”
“Did you have unprotected sex?”
“No! He used a condom!” Now she was trying to remember when she had her last period. Was it in September? Did she really not notice?
“No birth control is foolproof, Kate.”
“That’s why I’ve been tired and a little queasy from time to time.”
“More than likely,” her doctor said.
“I don’t think I’ve had a period since September.”
Her doctor went silent for a moment. Silence like that was never good. “So you’re almost out of your first trimester then. Look, you need to see an obstetrician as soon as possible.”
“The doctor that delivered Laura only does gynecology now.”
“Okay. Your age makes you high risk, so let me give you the name of someone very good at University Hospital.”
Kate grabbed her journal and a pen from her night table and started to write all the information. With her free hand she touched her belly, and couldn’t believe how things could go from bad to nightmarish with a phone call.
*
Later that night, Kate sat in her den, still in shock, watching the hockey game. It seemed only right she share this moment with her baby’s father. Even if he had no clue what was going on. David was having a good game, brutalizing the New York’s top scorer, as well as having a goal and an assist. Of course he didn’t know their carelessness had produced a child.
When the panic set in, David was the first one she wanted to tell, and she’d made the mistake of dialing his cell phone. She hung up and didn’t leave a message. Hopefully, he wouldn’t see her number in the missed call log. It was too soon. She needed some time before putting herself in the position to be rejected by him.
Over the last three hours she’d made a list and gone to the grocery store because Kate realized she had to adjust her diet. She stocked up on produce, milk, cereals, yogurt—lots of real food. While she was out, Laura called and told her she was staying at her father’s house.
That left Kate alone in the house… just her and the baby in her belly. David’s baby. What the hell was she going to do?
Kate picked up the phone and dialed the familiar series of digits. Her lifeline. Her sister.
“Hello!” The bright sunny voice that came from the other end of the line brought the tears.
“Trish?” Her voice cracked—the fear, the confusion, all flooding to the surface.
“Katie? What’s wrong, honey?”
The tears choked her. “I-I need you to come here.”
“Oh shit, Kate, what did Richard do now?”
“It’s not Richard.” Kate tried to compose herself, but watching David on TV and talking to her sister broke any control she had on her emotions. “I’m pregnant,” she cried.
“What? Holy shit.” Trish had no idea how to respond because Kate hadn’t ever told her about David. “Kate… who…?”
“Can you come, Trish?”
“Absolutely. I can be there tomorrow.”
“Thank you.”
“Kate, are you all right?”
“Umm, other than being pregnant by a man who doesn’t love me, yeah, I’m just peachy.”
Trish drew in a deep breath. “Hang in there, honey. I’ll be there in the morning.”
“Thanks. I really just…” She started to cry again. “I need you.”
“I know.”
After she hung up with Trish, she focused on the TV and watched David in the postgame interview. It brought the tears harder than ever. She wanted to tell him about the baby so badly, but she couldn’t bear the fact he didn’t love her. Since the night they spent together three weeks ago, Kate was certain she loved David. The night had been her romantic fantasy come to life. He was gentle and kind and they emptied their hearts to each other. At least she had. She talked to him about things she hadn’t even told her sister.
Then reality intruded in the form of Chelsea Connor. She didn’t think David cared for her old student; Kate knew she had his heart, but for how long? The photo shook her out of her stupor and forced her to face the fact that while David could have been hers for the moment, it wouldn’t last. How long would it be before David got tired of her and moved on to someone else? He was completely wrong for her, but she loved him anyway. She was adjusting to the fact she’d have to move on, and now this. His baby. Something that would always remind her of the man she couldn’t have.
*
David held the phone and had his thumb on the button that would dial Kate’s number. When he saw the missed call, hope shot right through him. Maybe, just maybe, she’d changed her mind about him. About them. Glancing at the time on the phone, he saw it was after eleven, and knowing she had to go to work in the morning stopped him from making the call. He’d have to wait until tomorrow to hear what she had to say.
*
Kate called in sick.
It wasn’t a lie, really. She was an emotional wreck—exhausted, nauseous and in no shape to teach. Thank God her sister would be there soon.
Kate had been up half the night thinking about what she was going to do, and when she did sleep, she was restless, dreaming about her baby and David. Their baby.
She’d called the doctor and gotten an appointment for the following day. The fact she was so far along was probably what caused the concerned tone in the receptionist’s voice. This was going to be very different from the last time.
Her pregnancy with Laura had been uneventful in the sense that Kate delivered a healthy girl. She had been twenty-three and the doctor had little doubt that all would be fine. Richard, however, became the Svengali of expectant fathers.