“You got lucky, man.”
“I know. I’ve been blessed for sure.”
Rick had a great life and he seemed happy. He was a sought-after reconstructive plastic surgeon whose practice specialized in severe facial trauma. For the right price he’d also do cleanup jobs on botched surgery patients. Rick referred to those as his “gravy” cases because those patients paid his high rates in advance. Rick’s story could have turned out differently if it weren’t for Joyce’s perseverance and his deep abiding love for her. They met in med school but Joyce got pregnant ending her academic pursuit at the time. She became his business manager handling all insurance, business and financial matters extremely well.
Michael was fifteen at the time, but he remembered the phone call that sent his parents over the proverbial edge. It was bad enough Rick and Joyce chose to elope. It was an entirely other matter that they did so because she was pregnant. For a long time their mother could barely speak to Rick let alone Joyce—until of course she had the chance to meet her grandson Justin. While his parents softened considerably towards her, it took a few years. Caitlin and Aaron’s births within three years further eased the strained relationship.
When it happened, Michael had to endure endless conversations about birth control and avoiding girls with “agendas.” He was warned virtually every time he left the house about not making the same “stupid mistake” his older brother had made. If it weren’t uncomfortable enough, his mother would give him lectures about the type of girl best suited for him. Girls that “gave it up” to him would surely do so with others.
Her logic was nice girls didn’t have sex before they’re married, ergo if a girl offered him sex she wasn’t worthy of having him. Yet, the girls he knew who were sexually active came from the type of families they implored him to pursue. In the end, he reasoned she was overreacting. But he promised himself when the time came, he would always protect himself.
CHAPTER 11
April 12:
Spring break trip to Belize was more than expected. Even though she bitched because I bought her ticket, we had a great time. Things were touch and go since Christmas break. But we’re good now. We’ll get the ring a little later. She wants to wait until we graduate before making anything official.
With less than a month of classes to go, no doubt we’re stressed. On top of that she’s already started studying for the bar exam in July. The D.C. Bar is tough, but I think we’ll be fine. I’m trying to help her stay calm about it—but for her, it’s as if her whole life hinges on one test.
“Baby, let’s take a break. We’ve been studying for a while and I’m tired. Let’s go to bed,” he said.
Janine just looked at him with her eyes red from pouring through textbooks and notes. “Why don’t you go, I’ll join you later. I just really want to go over this one more time. Okay?”
“Janine, stop.” He took her hands gently stroking them. “If you don’t get rest, you’re not going to do well anyway. We’ve got time.”
“These papers are due in three days and exams start in less than two weeks!” she shrieked.
He hadn’t seen her this worked up in long time. This was more than stress weighing on her. She was moody, irritable and at times a little irrational. If he didn’t know any better he’d swear she was having one of her self-proclaimed “funky periods.” But he knew she wasn’t having it.
“I’m done studying. Come to bed with me,” he led her from the table to the bedroom.
She was exhausted—hell, they both were. He took off his clothes and slipped under the covers. But she just sat on the side of the bed staring off into space. He sat up, moved closer to her and began massaging her shoulders. The more he moved his hands cross them, the tension seemed more resistant to his touches.
“You’re really tense. I don’t like seeing you like this. It’s going to be okay.” He kissed the back of her neck, but instead of leaning into him like she usually did, she pulled away. Something was very wrong with her.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing!” She got up and went to the bathroom.
He laid back down trying to figure out what had her in such a mood. Being together for over two-and-half years, he had never seen her this way—even when she was angry with him. And then it hit him. He jumped out of the bed and went to the bathroom door.
“Janine?”
“What?”
“What’s really going on with you?”
“I told you, nothing. I just…”
“Open the door.”
“I’m on the toilet!”
“Then I’m coming in.” He opened the door and instead of finding her using the toilet, she was sitting on the lid with her head in her hands. He leaned against the sink calmly asking, “Baby, are you pregnant?”
She didn’t answer him, but looked up at him with deep sadness in her eyes before bursting into tears. He leaned over, taking her by the shoulders and led her back to the bedroom with his arms wrapped around her.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I don’t know. I just feel so stupid and ashamed.”
“Ashamed of what?”
“I can hear your parents now!” Her tears welled from a deeper space as she began sobbing uncontrollably.
“This isn’t about my parents. This is about us. This is our baby. Our family.”
“I don’t know how this happened,” she said through her tears.
“How late are you?”
“Almost three weeks. My period was due shortly after we got back from Belize.”
“That’s not something you keep from me.”
“I’m sorry. I just didn’t know what to say.”
“Have you taken a pregnancy test or seen a doctor yet?”
“No.”
“So how can you be sure?”
“Because I’m three weeks late! It can only be one thing!”
“We’ll schedule an appointment first thing Monday to confirm how far along you are. Okay?”
“I’m so sorry, Michael. I’m just so sorry.”
“Sorry for what?” he hugged her tightly and kissed her forehead.
“This! This is a mess neither of us needs right now.”
“You have the implant, right?”
“Yes—of course! I go to the clinic every three months to get it. I would never do that to you!”
“Baby, calm down! That’s not what I was suggesting at all. Listen to me…that little fighter of ours wants to be here because it’s beat the odds by ninety-nine point nine percent,” he said trying to break her mood and show his support. “But the implant has to come out as soon as possible to keep the baby safe.”
“I’m not sure I’m ready for a baby.” She looked up at him with an expression letting him know exactly what she was considering.
He hesitated thinking carefully about how to say all that he was feeling. “Ready or not, this is happening…but whatever you want is fine. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want this with you, because I do. And yeah, it might be tough, but it will be okay.”
“This is a nightmare. This isn’t how it was supposed to be.”
“Baby, look at me…I got you,” he said softly. “I’ve got us and it might seem like a nightmare right now, but it could be our dream. Let’s just find out for sure and go from there. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“It’s late, we both need some sleep.”
She leaned back on the bed without removing her clothes and cradled herself as close to him as possible. They lay together for a while neither saying much, so he reached over and turned off the lamp on the nightstand. As he lay there, he couldn’t help but imagine their lives together with this baby. He knew she’d be a wonderful mother because she was so warm and loving. She had come from a supportive family and that radiated in virtually everything she did. But he also knew she was scared and uncertain.
She was already feeling stressed before this and he didn’t want to add to it by sharing his feelings with
her yet. He felt deeply conflicted because he knew if she was pregnant, ultimately the decision to continue or terminate the pregnancy was hers alone. But deep down he knew if she was pregnant, he wanted their baby and he wanted her—forever. He reasoned with himself it was premature to share his feelings until they were absolutely certain what they were dealing with. He looked over and saw she had faded off to sleep. Gently placing his hand on her belly he fell asleep too.
They studied together through the weekend managing to get their papers finished. During breaks, they simply sat together on the couch embracing each other occasionally watching TV. Even though few words were shared between them, she seemed more at ease having released her secret. He did everything he could to keep her as relaxed as possible. From rubbing her shoulders and cooking each meal to just holding her, he chose to pamper her any way he could. As he pampered her, the idea of being a father washed over him.
Like Janine, he thought parenthood was something that would happen to him later in life. Both of his siblings had children in their twenties, but he wanted to become a father in his thirties. He reasoned he’d be established in his career and ready to support a wife and family on his own income, not from dividends or cash earned from his trust funds. As he thought more about it, it didn’t matter where the money came from. Their child would have everything he or she needed—the most important thing being two parents who loved each other deeply.
When Monday morning came, they made the call to the clinic before heading off to classes. They had an appointment at three-thirty and he was feeling nervous and elated at the same time. Janine was still relatively quiet. They agreed to meet at the clinic rather than heading back to her apartment. Admittedly, he had a very difficult time staying focused in his classes. On one hand he was trying to contain his rising elation about potential fatherhood. On the other, all he could think about was how she was doing. Being in their last semester, they only shared one course so he wouldn’t see her again until the appointment.
At the appointed time, he arrived at the clinic with a stomach full of knots. Janine was seated near the entry waiting for him. He walked over to her and gave her a long hug. He whispered, “It’s going to be okay.” She looked at him, faintly smiled and walked to the registration desk to sign in. Given why they were there, it didn’t take long before a nurse called her back to the exam area.
“I’ll be here when you’re done unless you want me to come with you,” he offered.
Janine extended her hand to him and together they walked back to the examination room. The nurse took her vitals and asked a few questions before handing her a urine sample cup. Janine took a deep breath and stepped inside the small adjacent bathroom. Michael sat down on the chair near the examination table and waited as patiently as he could. It didn’t take her long to collect the sample that she handed to the nurse. A few moments later another came in to draw her blood. He was very attentive to the collection technique and listened carefully as the nurse spoke.
“Miss Powell, the lab will review your results, which won’t take long at all. I’ll share those with you as soon as they are available. If you are pregnant, a doctor will be in to examine you and talk with you about next steps for prenatal care or other options you may be considering.”
“I understand,” Janine said. She turned to him and gave him a loving yet tortured look. He stood up and hugged her tightly.
Their wait seemed an eternity, but in fact it took less than twenty minutes before the nurse reentered finding them still hugging each other.
“Miss Powell, both your urine and blood tests came back negative. You aren’t pregnant.”
“But…” she struggled to find her words and he struggled to shield his disappointment at the news.
“You can be late for a lot of reasons. It does happen. Sometimes it’s caused by extreme stress, major changes in diet or exercise. There are a number of factors that can impact your menses. But you are not pregnant. The doctor will see you in about four weeks when its time for your next birth control implant. The good news is your birth control is working. Have a nice day.”
The nurse left the room and Janine burst into tears of relief. Hugging her, he could feel all the tension slipping from her body. But deep within him, he was grieving. He tried not to linger in those feelings believing one day they would decide together the right time to start their family.
As close as he and Rick were, Michael never told him about his brush with fatherhood. There was no point. They continued to chat until it was time for him to freshen up and get dressed. It was a already a little after six and his mother wanted the family downstairs at six-thirty to help greet guests. To keep the peace, they all agreed to oblige her.
CHAPTER 12
As instructed, the entire family began gathering in the massive foyer at six-thirty. Their mother had made clear she wanted them to stay in this area for an hour before joining the guests at seven-thirty. Michael chuckled when Rick let out a disapproving grunt as Caitlin came down the staircase to join them. At twenty-one, she was tall, striking and far more curvaceous than Michael remembered. She clearly had her mother’s figure. She wore a floral blouse with a pencil skirt and platform heels accentuating her figure. Justin and Aaron simply wore slacks and jackets with open collared shirts.
Mya’s girls wore lovely matching dresses with bows and their natural textured hair had been let loose. Thirteen-year-old Chase looked like a prep school kid with his khaki pants and blue blazer. But as Michael looked at him, he realized his nephew more strongly favored Malcolm, while Nia and Joy favored Mya. As he took in the scene, it all felt so reminiscent of the many events he and his siblings endured growing up. They all knew how to behave and understood the consequences if they didn’t do as expected.
When Mya and Malcolm finally made their way down the staircase, he thought his sister looked stunning. She had wrapped her waist-length dreadlocks into a series of twists on top of her head that she wore like a crown. Her ankle-length dress was light and flowing, belted at the waist. Her style reflected her bohemian preferences mixed with her ethnic pride and simple elegance. A style-challenged Malcolm looked a bit awkward next to her. Mya often teased the most common things in Malcolm’s closet were white button-down shirts and various types of khaki, navy and brown pants. Michael always thought he was a good guy. More important, he loved his sister supporting all her dreams—no matter how eclectic they were.
“You look great, Sis!” he said to her.
“Thank you! And so do you! Look at my handsome brothers—all suited up! I love the French cuffs Michael, and that suit—wow! I won’t even ask how much you paid for that.”
They took their positions near the front door, as the caterers and coat check workers prepared for their roles as well. Sure enough, Michael noticed the first set of headlights making its way towards the house.
“Show time!” Mya said with a hint of sarcasm.
“Let’s get this party started,” Rick added.
By seven-fifteen, there were easily over two hundred people at the house with cars still making their way down the drive. Michael and his siblings dutifully greeted while his nieces and nephews had been excused to enjoy the festivities as much as they could. There were certainly no other kids their ages attending, but they managed to find their own ways to have fun. Meanwhile the five adults smiled, shook hands helping each other remember various people as they came in.
As Michael chatted with one of the guests, Mya patted him on the shoulder and whispered in his ear.
“Mike, were you expecting her?”
“Expecting who?”
“Look.”
As he turned his attention towards the doorway he saw Christine walk in.
What the fuck! He thought but simply said, “No, I wasn’t.”
“I just wanted to be sure. I’ll take care of it, okay? You keep chatting here,” she said. She made her way to Christine who was being warmly greeted by Joyce.
Michael continued his conversa
tion, giving little outward indication his temper was flaring. Mya led Christine out towards the patio before returning to him. As he concluded his chat with another of his father’s former associates, he turned to Mya with his arms folded.
“What the hell was Mom thinking?” Mya asked. “She knows better! Why would she do that?”
He calmly said, “It doesn’t surprise me Mom did it. But it pisses me off Christine would accept.”
“When’s the last time you saw her?”
“I ran into her a few weeks ago in a bar.”
“And?”
“And nothing. I was on my way out, she spoke and I left.”
“Do you think she wants you back? Is that what this is all about?”
“I don’t know and I really don’t give it shit.”
“Okaaaay. Well, don’t let it spoil your evening. Promise me that much.”
He looked into his sister’s eyes. Her concern for him was genuine and her big sister instincts were acute. “I’ll be fine. Trust me.”
As he made his way out to the patio, he looked around trying his best to release his anger. But sure enough, he saw Christine sitting at the table with his parents laughing and talking like they were old friends. He knew the first time he brought her to meet them she was just the type they always wanted for him. After only a year of dating, he thought it was a horrible mistake when his mother insisted on getting Christine into her club chapter. Despite his protestations, she was adamant Christine was the type of young blood her chapter needed. It was now apparent to him they had continued their relationship despite the fact he and Christine were no longer a couple. He could only imagine what she shared with his mother about their breakup.
He steadied himself rather than let his anger impact him further. He resolved to focus on the fact this evening was for his dad who seemed happy being the center of attention. But it was abundantly clear his mother and Christine were trying to run some game on him. He hated being manipulated. The more consideration he gave the situation, the angrier he became. He knew there was only one way to outplay them both.
His Pleasures and Pain (Book II) (Allen Trilogy 2) Page 8
