Redemption

by Phil M. Williams

  Chapter 27: Second Chances

  They made it to the ski resort, but they never made it to the ski slope. Danny rolled off Michelle, his breathing elevated. They lay in bed, side by side, naked. She rolled partially on him, her arm across his chest, and her leg across his thighs. They lay silent, catching their breath in the dimly lit loft. Michelle thought about what it all meant. She silently chided herself for jumping into bed with him. This wasn’t supposed to happen. It’s too soon. How long has it been since I left Jason? It was at the preliminary hearing. That was what, ten, eleven days ago. This is seriously self-destructive. What the hell am I doing? Danny’s a player. I know he sleeps around. This is what he does.

  She rolled off him to her back.

  Danny turned to her. “I liked you there.”

  “You sure?”

  He turned on his side and scooted closer, so their bodies were touching again. He kissed her on the lips. When they parted, he said, “This isn’t casual for me—if that’s what you think.”

  “It’s not?”

  He shook his head. “For the last six years, I’ve thought about what I did to you. I’m so sorry, Shelly. It’s, by far, the worst thing I’ve ever done in my life. And I did it to the person I love the most in this world.”

  Michelle took a deep breath.

  “It was the biggest mistake of my life.”

  She turned on her side, facing Danny. “I should’ve forgiven you.”

  He shook his head again. “No. You were right to walk away. I wasn’t ready to treat you the way you deserve to be treated, but I am now. If you give me the chance, I’ll prove it.”

  Chapter 28: Surprise

  Michelle kneeled before the toilet in her parents’ bathroom and vomited. A mixture of dull red and green chunky liquid splashed into the toilet water. She spat and caught her breath, sitting on the tile. The house was quiet. Her mother was at work, and her father was helping his police buddy, Bryan McCloud, finish his basement. She struggled to her feet, went to the sink, and washed out her mouth. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and had a revelation.

  “Oh, my God.” She thought, When was my last period? Think. Today’s February 16. She winced. I’m late. I should’ve had my period by the tenth. “Shit.” She thought about the sex she’d been having with Danny. They’d used protection, but condoms weren’t 100 percent. When was the first time? It was in Blue Knob. End of January. She went to the kitchen and checked the magnetic calendar on the refrigerator. It was a Saturday. It had to be January 30. What about my January period? Did I have my period then? She couldn’t remember having her period then either. Then she remembered the unprotected sex she had had with Jason on Christmas Eve.

  Michelle leaned against the kitchen counter, her legs wobbly, the room spinning. “I can’t believe this is happening.” She would’ve been elated two months ago. Now, she was possibly carrying the child of a pedophile. What will Danny say? Will he want to be with a woman who’s pregnant with another man’s child? Michelle took a deep cleansing breath. She went to her room, changed from her pajamas to jeans and a fleece, and left the house.

  She drove to the nearby Rite Aid. She browsed the pregnancy tests, picked one with attractive blue and pink packaging, and checked out. She walked out of the automatic doors, and stopped dead in her tracks, her hand over her chest. Jason’s M3 was parked next to her BMW, and he stood next to her car. She shoved the pregnancy test into her purse and grabbed her keys for a quick getaway. Then she marched across the parking lot to her car. Jason met her in the middle of the lot, and walked alongside her. His hair was disheveled. He had a scruffy beard. His eyes were bloodshot.

  “I really need to talk to you,” he said.

  Michelle continued to her car, not breaking stride, gripping her keys. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “I know your parents don’t want me to come to their house, so I …”

  Michelle stopped at her car and turned to Jason with a look that could kill. “So, you followed me?”

  He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

  “Don’t make me report you for stalking.”

  He dipped his head. “Please, Michelle. It’s all a big mistake. I swear. I never touched Becky.”

  “You admitted to molesting Lori.”

  “It’s not the same thing. I was—”

  “Save it for the judge.” Michelle pointed at her husband. “If you come near me again, I’ll go to the police so fast it’ll make your head spin.” She climbed into her BMW and drove away, leaving Jason in her wake.

  Chapter 29: The Big Lie

  Michelle gaped at the plus sign on the pregnancy test for a long moment. Then she placed it in the bin and covered it with trash. She knew Danny didn’t have to work until noon, so she called him.

  “Hey, beautiful,” he answered, knowing the phone number from his caller ID.

  “Hey. Um, I have to talk to you. It’s important,” Michelle said.

  “What’s up?”

  Michelle walked from the bathroom to her bedroom, her parents’ cordless phone to her ear. “Do you mind if I come over? I think it’s an in-person conversation.”

  “Yeah. Now you got me worried. Are you okay?”

  Michelle grabbed her purse. “I don’t know. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

  She left her parents’ house and drove across town to Danny’s apartment. It was another gray winter day in Loganville, making the white siding on Danny’s four-story apartment building appear dirty. His apartment was on the ground floor. When he had moved in, he had volunteered to take a ground-floor apartment, as they were more susceptible to break-ins.

  She knocked, and he opened his door almost immediately. Michelle stepped inside and removed her coat, hanging it on the coat rack near the door. He wore athletic gear from his morning weightlifting at the gym. They walked into the living room.

  “You got me seriously worried,” Danny said, sitting on the black leather couch.

  Michelle sat next to him, her body turned toward him. “I’m sorry.”

  “Did I do something wrong?”

  Michelle shook her head. “Absolutely not. The past couple of weeks with you have been really great.”

  Danny grimaced. “I feel a but coming.”

  Michelle took a deep breath and said, “I’m pregnant.”

  Danny was slack-jawed and wide-eyed for a few seconds.

  Michelle reached out and put her hand on his knee. “I’m so sorry.”

  He smiled and said, “Wow. I wasn’t expecting that. I mean, I thought we would eventually get married and have kids, but years down the road.”

  Michelle frowned. “It’s not what you think.”

  “Hold on. Maybe this is a blessing—”

  “It’s Jason’s.”

  Danny winced, as if he’d been punched in the gut. He ran his hand over his face and said, “Fuck.”

  “I know. I’m so sorry. This wasn’t planned. It happened over Christmas. Obviously, before you and me and before I knew about what he did.”

  Danny exhaled. “What are you gonna do? If you have this child, he’ll have visitation rights. If he has a good lawyer, which he does, you might be forced to visit him in prison so he can see his kid. Jason will be in your life forever.”

  Michelle hung her head. “I know. I don’t know what to do.” Tears welled in her eyes. “I can’t have Jason’s baby, but I can’t have an abortion. I won’t. My baby’s innocent.” She sniffled. “What am I supposed to do?”

  Danny took Michelle’s hand. “I wish the baby was mine.”

  Michelle raised her gaze and wiped her tears with her index finger. “So do I. More than anything.”

  Danny hesitated. “What if we said it was?”

  Michelle tilted her head. “What are you talking about?”

  “Why couldn’t we say the baby’s mine? The only person who might know will be locked away in prison for life. Think about it. We raise this child as if it’s mine. We nev
er tell anyone. Ever. You never have to worry about seeing him again. The child never has to go through the trauma of finding out that his or her father is a pedophile.”

  Michelle was slack-jawed. “Are you serious? Isn’t that illegal?”

  “Nobody will know.”

  “We’d be living a lie.”

  “Would you rather our child know that their father is a pedophile?”

  Michelle stared at Danny.

  He squeezed her hand. “We can make this work.”

  Michelle leaned forward and kissed him on the lips. When they parted, she replied, “You said, ‘our child.’”

  Chapter 30: The Announcement

  A week later, Michelle and Danny had dinner with her parents. They sat at the dining room table in her parents’ house, eating spaghetti and meatballs, with side salads.

  Frank leaned back in his chair and patted his belly. “I’m stuffed.”

  Danny swallowed and set down his fork, his plate clean. “This was really great. Thank you, Ruth.”

  Ruth beamed. “You’re welcome, Danny. It’s nice to see you two reconnecting as friends.”

  Michelle took a drink of water. “I have something to tell you two.”

  Frank sat up straight.

  “Let me guess.” Ruth pointed across the table at Michelle and Danny. “You two are dating?”

  Danny smiled.

  “I always thought you two would end up together.”

  “How did you know?” Michelle asked.

  “Because I have eyes,” Ruth replied. “I see the way you look at each other. And Danny’s been calling the house for you.”

  “What about your divorce?” Frank said, frowning.

  “I’m working on that next week. I already have an appointment with a divorce attorney,” Michelle replied.

  After dinner, Frank and Danny went to the basement to watch television. While the boys watched TV, Michelle helped Ruth with the dishes.

  Ruth turned off the faucet and said, “I need to ask you something, and I want an honest answer.”

  Michelle set a plate in the dishwasher and stood, facing her mother. “What is it?”

  Ruth glanced around to make sure nobody was listening. The men were still downstairs. Ruth spoke in a hushed whisper. “Are you pregnant?”

  Michelle was stunned for a second. She whispered back. “No. Why would you think that?”

  Ruth frowned. “You’re a terrible liar. I found your pregnancy test when I took out the trash.”

  Michelle’s shoulders slumped in submission.

  Ruth shook her head. “Oh, Shelly. I’m assuming it’s Jason’s child.”

  Michelle hesitated for a beat. “No. It’s Danny’s. Do you really think Danny would be with me if I were carrying another man’s child?”

  Ruth raised her eyebrows. “He would if he didn’t know.”

  “Mom. I can’t believe you think I’d do something like that.”

  “I’m not judging you. I know it’s a difficult situation, but I’m pretty sure you’ve only been seeing Danny for a few weeks. I doubt you’d already know you’re pregnant that quick.”

  Michelle hesitated again. “It wasn’t that quick. Danny and I had an affair over Christmas break. I’m not proud of it, but it happened, and I don’t regret it. Jason always wore a condom. He never wanted children.” She touched her stomach. “This is Danny’s baby. I’m certain of it.”

  “Okay, honey.” Ruth didn’t sound convinced.

  “I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone. Not even Dad. We’re worried about what people will say. You know how people are around here. They’ll say our baby has a pedophile for a father. We’re not telling anyone until after the trial and after my divorce. This is hard enough as it is.”

  “I won’t mention it.” Ruth gave her daughter a hard stare. “I understand if you don’t want Jason in your baby’s life, and I’ll go along with whatever you say. That’s your decision, but I sure hope Danny knows. You can’t build a relationship on a lie.”

  Michelle dipped her head, chastened. “He knows.”

  Chapter 31: The Crib

  The day after Michelle had told her parents about her rekindled relationship, Danny asked Michelle to move in with him. She accepted. Michelle loved her parents, but she didn’t want to live with them anymore, and she wanted more privacy to conceal her pregnancy. Her parents often had friends and family popping over.

  Over the next month, Michelle settled into Danny’s apartment and his life. She cooked his meals and doted on him. They watched movies on his big screen, cuddled on his couch. They made love often, unconcerned about contraception.

  Now, Michelle stood in Danny’s kitchen, wrapping the receiver cord around her finger, the phone pressed to her ear.

  Her divorce attorney said, “Jason won’t sign until after his trial. He seems to think you’ll change your mind if he’s acquitted. I know that’s not what you want to hear, but the trial is less than two weeks away. We might as well wait. It’ll take much longer if we take this to court, not to mention the expense.”

  The trial was scheduled for March 27.

  Michelle exhaled. “I just want this to be over.”

  “It will be soon.”

  “Okay. I guess I have to wait.”

  “I’ll be in touch.”

  “Thank you, Les.” Michelle hung up the phone. She rubbed her temples. Then she went to the cupboard, grabbed the Utz barbecue potato chips and went to Danny’s leather couch. She turned on the television, flipping through the channels. She stopped on MSNBC. Talking heads chattered back and forth, with stock tickers scrolling at the bottom of the screen. A headline just above the stock ticker read, High Flying Tech Stocks Grounded. She thought about Jason’s prediction for a stock market crash. She pushed Jason from her mind, flipping through the channels for something mind-numbing. She settled on a trashy reality TV show.

  Several minutes later, the lock turned, and Danny pushed open the front door. He carried in a large cardboard box.

  “Could you get the door?” Danny asked.

  “What’s that?” Michelle asked.

  “It’s a surprise.” Danny carried the box toward the office, which had mostly been a place for Danny to play computer games.

  Michelle turned off the television, shut the front door, and met Danny in his office. There was a picture on one side of the box. It must’ve been facing away from Michelle when Danny brought the box inside.

  “What do you think?” Danny asked, gesturing to the picture of the white crib on the side of the box.

  Michelle held out her hands, a scowl on her face. “What were you thinking? Nobody can know I’m pregnant.”

  “Nobody saw me.”

  Michelle dropped her hands and exhaled. “I’m sorry. I’m on edge with the trial coming up, and my attorney just told me that Jason won’t sign the divorce papers until after the trial. I guess I’m just feeling stressed.”

  Danny wrapped her up in an embrace, kissing the top of her head. “It’s gonna be okay.”

  “What if he finds out?”

  They separated.

  Danny took her hand. “He won’t. You’re not showing yet. The doctor said it usually takes longer to show with your first pregnancy. Nobody will know. Not until long after the trial and your divorce. Then he’ll be out of your life forever.”

  Michelle and Danny had gone to an OB/GYN two weeks ago. They’d found out that conception was likely on December 25, 1999, and she was eleven weeks pregnant. Thirteen weeks now, as of March 14, 2000. The due date was September 18, 2000. She’d had an ultrasound and told the technician that she didn’t want to know the sex, but the technician had said that it was too early anyway. The OB/GYN gave Michelle a clean bill of health for her and her baby.

  Michelle chewed on her bottom lip, still nervous. “What if he gets off?”

  Chapter 32: The Question

  It was unseasonably warm. The leafless canopy overhead allowed the bright sun to reach the forest floo
r. Michelle followed Danny up the Allegheny Mountain trail. Sweat beaded on her hairline. Her jacket was tied around her waist, covering the tiniest of baby bumps.

  Danny turned his head and said over his shoulder, “Have you decided about the interview?”

  Danny had spoken to his father, Gerald, earlier that day on the phone. Gerald Gibbs was the principal of Pleasant Valley Elementary, which was an eight-minute drive from Danny’s apartment. Principal Gibbs had mentioned that he had some openings to fill for the next school year and inquired about interviewing Michelle.

  “I don’t know,” Michelle replied.

  Danny stopped next to a massive oak. Standing on a tree root, he turned and waited for Michelle to catch up. When Michelle stopped in front of him, he asked, “What don’t you know? My dad would hire you in a second.”

  Michelle frowned. “We talked about this. I’m due in September. I doubt your dad would want to hire someone who immediately goes on maternity leave.”

  “It might be worth talking to him at least, maybe mentioning that you wanna start the following year. You don’t have to tell him why.”

  “I know. I’d like to get through this trial, my divorce, and my pregnancy before looking for a job. I should have more than enough money to take a year off with the baby.” Michelle let out a heavy breath. “Unless Susie takes everything.”

  Michelle still had full access to her joint accounts with Jason, even though they were separated and headed for divorce. Although, Michelle had spent very little since she’d left Jason.

  Danny nodded and looked away.

  “You think I’m an asshole for worrying about marital assets.”

  Danny turned his gaze back to Michelle and showed his palms. “I’m not judging, but, if Susie takes everything, like she says she will, we’ll be fine. I have savings. I can take care of you and our baby, until you’re ready to go back to work. We’re in this together. I think you forget that sometimes.”

  Michelle stood on the same tree root as Danny. “It’s a lot to take in. A few months ago, you were a bachelor without a care in the world. I just …”