Kim stared at the closed door where the ob-gyn had disappeared. Yes, she’d been feeling a bit nauseous. Yes, she hadn’t gotten her period when she was due, but easily blamed it on stress. The craziness of the holidays with her family and work and Gerald. And why would she have considered the possibility when she was on the birth control pill?
The words from the doctor rang in her ears.
“Did you take any other medicine for the past month?” he had asked.
“No I just take Tylenol when I have a headache….but wait, I did. I had walking pneumonia and I had to go on…” She trailed off as the knowledge took root.
The doctor nodded. “Antibiotics. Your primary should have warned you it reduces the effects of the pill. I see this slip-up a lot, actually. Happy news, I hope?”
A longing welled up from deep inside and burst through like a starburst of emotion. Yes. It’s happy news.
At least for me.
She climbed behind the wheel of her Volkswagen. Then rested both palms on her flat belly.
A baby.
She was going to have Gerald’s baby.
Her mind flashed back to the past few weeks. They’d grown closer, until the natural rhythm of husband and wife become second nature. Christmas with her family seemed more relaxed, as Gerald had made a true attempt to enjoy himself. He made love to her with a passion that reached deep and grabbed her soul. She believed the walls slowly crumbled between them. Sometimes, she caught him staring at her with such raw, emotion, she lost her breath. Yet, each time she opened to tell him she loved him, his entire demeanor shut down like a robot. As if he sensed that once she spoke the words, there’d be no turning back.
She had waited for the perfect time, but now her time was up. She loved him. She craved a real marriage beyond a contract. And she needed to tell him what she’d done with the money.
Tension fluttered in her belly. He’d refused to marry Cindy because she’d wanted a child. Logically, Gerald was afraid he’d repeat the mistakes of his father. But Kim hoped once he realized the baby was real, and part of him, he’d open himself up and finally let himself love.
She drove home in a state of excitement and anticipation. Keeping the truth from him hadn’t even occurred to her. She expected a reaction of shock and a little fear. But her gut told her Gerald would eventually warm to the idea. After all, this wasn’t a planned event, so Fate had sent them this baby for a good reason.
Stubbornly, Kim believed she’d make her husband happy. The news would force him to finally open up to her and take a risk. She knew he loved her.
She pulled her car into the driveway and made her way into the house. Old Yeller trudged toward he door to greet her, and she spent a good amount of time his ears and kissing his face until she saw the healthy signs of his tail thump. She hid a smile. If only her husband could be this easy. A little love and patience, and her dog bloomed.
She walked into the kitchen where he was hard at work with dinner. The apron tied around his waist declared him CHEF OF THE YEAR, a Christmas present from her mother. She snuck up behind him and stood on tiptoes, squeezing him tightly and nuzzling her nose against his neck.
He turned around and gave her a proper kiss.
“Hey.”
“Hey.”
They smiled at each other.
“Whatcha cooking?” she asked.
“Grilled salmon, spinach, roasted potatoes. And the salad of course.”
“Of course.”
“I have news.” He said
Kim studied his face. A gleam of triumph lit his eyes and those carved lips kicked up a notch. “Oh my God. You got the contract.”
“I got the contract.”
She let out a whoop and jumped into his arms. He laughed and swung her around, then bent his head and kissed her. The familiar warmth and heat coursed through her, and she dug her nails into his shoulders and hung on. When he’d kissed her deeply and thoroughly, he eased away and beamed down at her. Her heart pump up and filled with so much joy Kim worried she’d burst.
“We’re celebrating, baby. We have an extra bottle of champagne from New Year’s Eve chilling in the fridge. Let’s get drunk and crazy.”
She pause and wondered when to spring her news. A normal woman would wait until dinner was served and they basked in the news of the waterfront deal. A normal woman would bide her time and ease her husband into the idea.
Kim admitted she’d never been normal. The news of his success bode as a good omen to spring her own news.
“I can’t drink anymore.”
He smiled at her and resumed seasoning the salmon. “Trying to lay off the sauce, huh? It’s not this stupid diet, is it? Wine is good for the blood.”
“No, not the det. I was at the doctor’s today and he said I couldn’t drink.”
He glanced at her and frowned. “Are you okay? Are you sick again? I told you to see my doctor instead. Yours is that weird holistic guru who likes to give out herbs and stuff. I had to practically tackle him to give you real drugs when you had pneumonia.” He threw the potatoes in the roasting pand and drizzed them with olive oil.
“No, I’m not sick. There’s something else he told me.”
“Oh.” He set the spoon down and turned with a touch of panic. “Bby, you’re starting to freak me out. What’s going one?”
His concern touched her. She took his hands and squeezed tight. Then spilled out the news.
“Ge, I’m pregnant.”
Pure shock glimmered in his eyes but Kim was already prepared. She calmly waited for the realization to hit him so they could talk. She knew Gerald wouldn’t give in to his emotions but remain logical and rational.
He carefully removed her hand from his and took a step back toward the counter. “What did you say?”
She took a deep breath. “I’m pregnant. We’re going to have a baby.”
He seemed to search for his words. “But that’s impossible. You’re on the pill.” He paused. “Aren’t you?”
“Of course. But these things sometimes happen. Actually the doctor said-“
“How convenient.”
She blinked. He looked at her as if she’s become a two-headed monster. Unease trickled through her; she retreated from him and took a seat at the kitchen table. “I know this is a shock. It was for me, too. But a baby is coming and we have to talk about it.”
He remained silent, and she gentled her voice. “I never planned for this. I never planned to make this real marriage. But I love you, Gerald. I’ve just been waiting for the right time to tell you. And I’m sorry I sprung it on you like this, but I didn’t want to wait. Please say something. Anything.”
She watched as her husband transformed. The man she loved and laughed with began to recede. The distance between them grew with an arctic chill that caused a shiver to race down her spine. His face was carved in stone. And as she waited for his next words, Kim suddenly had a horrible premonition they’d taken another turn in the road.
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