My Stepbrother the Ultimate Collection (Five Complete Box Sets)

by Cindy Wilder

  The nurse called me back from the waiting room. She did the whole weight, height, blood pressure, and temperature thing. It was the same as always. I was a grown woman, so some new things were added to the mix. The whole give a sample in the cup and running of blood work was new for me. They said the drug test would take a couple of days. It was almost week before my job was starting. I waited patiently for the doctor with a smile plastered on my face. I had been doing that for two months. I was pretty sure my face was frozen that way.

  When the doctor walked in, I sat up straight ready to get it over with. She seemed perky and friendly enough. The normal questions followed about family history and how I was feeling. When she asked about my last cycle, I was shocked. That was a new one for me as well. Like I said, it had been a few years. I was an adult. Of course the questions would be different. The funniest part was that I didn't know the answer to her question. I had to get my calendar out of my purse to tell her. With everything that had been going on, I hadn't really thought about it. I was glad that I kept track in my calendar. If not, I would have looked like a complete moron. She finished asking me questions once I answered her.

  "You came in for a physical," she said. "Have you been feeling sick at all?"

  "Not at all," I said. "I've been under a lot of stress the last couple of months, but I've been feeling pretty good lately."

  "What kind of stress?" she asked.

  Wasn't that a bit person, I wondered?

  "The man I care deeply about was deployed. I'm in the middle of changing jobs and have recently moved. The reason I'm here is for a drug test. I figured I would get a physical at the same time. I haven't been to see a doctor in years."

  "You've been feeling good lately though?" she asked.

  "Very good," I said with a smile. "I've had more energy than usual."

  She raised her eyebrows at me. Most people in that area must be lazy, I thought.

  "Carrie," she said. "I have something to tell you."

  "Yes," I said. "Is everything okay?"

  She scooted her chair a little closer.

  "I'm not sure how to say this," she began. "You're pregnant, Carrie."

  "What?" I asked. "That can't be."

  "When was the last time you had sex?" she asked.

  I knew that date exactly. It was the day I went to see Kyle and found out he was getting it on with a girl on the base.

  "That matches with your last cycle," she said. "You're over two months along. Were you protected?"

  I let out a breath and bit my lip.

  "We were not," I said. "It was kind of a surprise visit before he left. I can't believe this. So when would I be due?"

  "The middle of May," she answered. "You need to make an appointment with a gynecologist."

  I shook my head, as I sat in disbelief. I couldn't tell you anything she said after that. When she was finished, she left the room. I got dressed and drove to my apartment in a fog of confusion.

  I turned on my laptop to do a bit of research. There was already an email from Kyle.

  Carrie,

  I'm so proud of everything you have done for yourself. Good job doing it alone. I'm glad you found a place with a nice pool. Your dad must be freaking out. I can't imagine Rosie right now.

  You did well with the car. That one needed to go anyone. You deserve a new one.

  The apartment looks awesome. Where's my picture of you? I miss you so much.

  It's harder here than I thought it would be. I'm not sure how I'm going to make it a year.

  Talk to you soon,

  Kyle

  I had no idea what to say to him. There was no way I could tell him I was pregnant with his baby. He told me he wanted me to live my life. I wasn't sure he planned on us being together when he got back. There was so much going on in his life already. I didn't want to add to his stress or worry. No matter what he was doing with her, I knew he would worry about me if I told him. That wasn't something to be told in an email. I quickly sent him something short telling him I wasn't going to send a picture of me and I hoped things got better where he was. Of course I told him I missed him and that he needed to be safe. He had no idea that there was a reason to come home. I didn't know what I was going to do.

  There was one person I really needed to talk to. I had told my dad that I wouldn't be home until the holiday, but I couldn't wait. Rosie needed to know what was going on. There was no way it was going to be over the phone. I called my dad and let him know I would be home for dinner that weekend and I'd be staying the night. She sent me a text within minutes, letting me know how excited she was. It was nice to know I had someone in my corner. I knew that no matter what I did, Rosie would always be there for me. She was the only person I could ever count on to be there for me unconditionally.

  I showed up at my dad's house with a smile on my face. As soon as I pulled into the driveway, she ran out onto the porch for me. I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her tight. When I went up to put my bag in my room, a sad feeling washed over me. I took a picture of my new room at the house. It was Kyle's, but I had taken it over while he was gone. I quickly typed out an email about how I was there and sent it with the picture. Maybe it would lift his spirits, I thought.

  Dinner with my dad and Laura was nice. She actually asked about my new place. I was surprised she wasn't as big of a bitch as usual. Rosie cleared the table while I talked with my dad.

  I went out to the porch with a book. It made me think about Kyle putting blankets out for me. The October air was cool and felt so refreshing. When I heard the door open, I was hoping it was Rosie. I was relieved when she walked over and sat down next to me.

  "I miss you already," she said.

  "I miss you too," I said. "You want to make a box for Kyle tomorrow. We can't send cheesecake, but we can send other stuff."

  "Sure," she said. "Anything you want to talk about?"

  I shook my head.

  "You came here just for dinner. Something just doesn't seem right about that. I'm here when you're ready."

  I nodded my head. She patted my leg, got up, and walked back into the house.

  Shortly after Rosie went inside, I went to bed. The thought of sleeping in his bed helped. I hadn't slept that good in weeks. I planned on leaving in the morning, but I also hadn't planned on waiting until morning to talk to Rosie. When I made my way downstairs, she was in the kitchen.

  "Go shopping with me," I said. "You can help pick things out for Kyle."

  We had some breakfast and headed out the door. She was so much fun to shop with. We picked up some of the funniest things to get him. I went to put the stuff back, but she stopped me.

  "It will make him feel better. I know it will," she said.

  We got him socks, t-shirts, underwear, deodorant, toothpaste, and other things. Some of the underwear had sayings on them. We got nail polish, crayons, a coloring book, and other silly things as well. I picked out some of his favorite snacks and candy. We saw a little figure that was holding a sign that said hero on it. Rosie fell in love with it. We checked out and headed home. I was about halfway there and couldn't take it anymore.

  "I'm pregnant," I blurted into the air.

  Her head snapped over to look at me. I saw a small smirk cross her face before it quickly disappeared.

  "Are you serious?" she asked.

  "I'm very serious," I said. "I found out when I went to get the drug test. I had no idea. The doctor sprang it on me. I haven't felt any different."

  "How far along?" she asked.

  "Do you really have to ask?" I asked her.

  "You never know," she said with a smile.

  "What's with the smile?" I asked.

  "I didn't realize I was smiling," she said.

  "Bullshit," I snapped. "It happened when I went to see him. It was the first night I was there. It was right before I found out someone else was making him very happy."

  "Have you told him?" she asked.

  "No," I said. "What am I supposed to do,
email him? How was your day? I'm pregnant. I can't do that. His mind needs to be on his job. He's not planning on us being together. I've been working very hard the last two months to move on with my life. I wanted a fresh start. I didn't want to be around the memories I had of him. I moved five hours away. This isn't exactly what I had planned. I'm not sad. Don't get me wrong. I'm very happy about this baby. I'm going to be the best single mom there is."

  "What if he wants to be a part of his child's life?" she asked.

  "He can be in the baby's life as much as he wants. I won't have a problem with that. I'm not sure how I'm going to tell my dad. It's not going to be easy, considering Kyle is the father and my dad has no idea we were together at all. I'm asking you to keep this between us. I know you don't like keeping things from Kyle, but I really need you to this time. I'm not telling him he's going to be a father through email. The few messages I have gotten haven't been very happy."

  Rosie told me she would be there every step of the way with me. I asked her to be there when I had the baby. She wrapped her arms around me and told me there was no other place she'd rather be.

  We packed up the box for Kyle and wrote notes to put inside. I wasn't sure how long it would take him to get the package. We had lunch, I dropped off the package, and I drove home.

  When I got home, I sent him a quick email to let him know there was a package coming his way. We just had to see how long it would take to get there.

  I thought about what Rosie said about Kyle wanting to be in the baby's life. It would be amazing if he was. He was going to miss my pregnancy and possibly the birth of his child. I knew that he wasn't going to be with me, but I hadn't thought about his involvement with the baby. As I stood looking at myself in the mirror, I decided to keep a record of the rest of my pregnancy. If he was still gone for the birth, he could at least be a part of it. I grabbed my phone and took a picture of me in a t-shirt and shorts. Then I took a side view picture. I knew there was nothing to see but wanted him to able to see the progress.

  I grabbed an empty notebook and sat down on my bed to begin my journal of the journey ahead of me. When I opened it, I wasn't sure how to begin. I wrote the date of my physical appointment and began writing. Before I knew it, I had several filled pages about that day and the surprise that came my way.

  Kyle emailed me every week or so. He let me know when he got my packages and asked how I was doing, and I let him know when I sent each one and always said I was fine. I began to think maybe I was wrong in not telling him about the baby. He was in a very stressful situation and telling him would either give him something to look forward to or something to worry about. With as much as he worried about me being away from my dad's house, I was afraid to tell him. He needed to have his head with him at every moment. I didn't want to pull his attention away at all. What if he was with that girl, I thought? It could put a damper on their relationship. That wasn't what he needed. I knew there was a chance he wouldn't talk to me after he found out I kept it from him, but it was more important that he came home safely. If not telling him gave him that extra concentration, it was a risk I was willing to take.

  My job began and was going very well. I was still under a full load of classes. Since I wasn't due until the middle of May, I decided to sign up for a full load for winter classes as well. If I got my work done, I could finish before the baby was born. It made me very tired and busy, but I was getting by just fine.

  I made sure to write in my journal about each new thing that happened and how I was feeling. Each appointment had its own page. I even recorded the sound of our little one's heartbeat on my phone. I had an ultrasound and put a copy of the picture in the journal. Of course I sent a picture of the baby to Rosie as well. She was just as excited as I was.

  I went home for the holiday. My dad was very specific about wanting me there. I was showing a little, so I made sure to wear bigger clothes. He didn't seem to notice, and Rosie was there to help me through it all.

  When I went to get my second ultrasound, I asked if they could tell what I was having. I was excited and tears poured from my eyes when they told me I was having a little boy. As soon as I got home, I wrote about my feelings in the journal and attached a picture. I sent Rosie a text of the picture saying it's a boy.

  My lease wasn't up yet, so I decided I would put the baby in my room. It wasn't like there was anyone else in there with me. I had a bassinet right next to my bed and a crib along one wall for when he got a little bigger. With each check, I bought something new like a bouncer, swing, and play yard. I also bought lots of cute clothes and diapers. Rosie wasn't happy about me doing it alone and not having a shower. I told her that Kyle was going to find out he was a father before my dad did. I didn't care what I had to do.

  I kept track of the baby's first roll and kick in the journal and took little videos of him moving in my belly. It was the coolest thing.

  My dad wasn't happy about me not visiting, but he knew I was working very hard. It helped that he had just made some huge deal and didn't have a minute to spare. I was thankful he was working so much. That was the first time I had ever felt that way.

  Rosie and I continued sending packages to Kyle each month. His emails were pretty consistent. One day they stopped. It was a week before my due date that I received my last email from him. He had been gone for almost nine months. I took my weekly picture and couldn't believe how big my belly was. It was unbelievable that it could stretch that far.

  When I went into labor, Rosie was on her way. She told my dad that she wanted to visit me for a week, and he didn't have a problem with it. I think he was happy someone was checking up on me. She ran through that hospital door like there was a fire under her ass. I had never been happier to see her. It sounded crazy, but I had her take pictures of me with my phone through it all. It didn't matter how awful I looked, I wanted to be able to show Kyle his baby coming into the world. I was in labor for twenty hours total. Only the last hour was really horrible. When I heard that tiny cry, I couldn't help but cry. Rosie cried right along with me. She took pictures of me holding my little man.

  I named the baby after his daddy, but I did give him my last name. Rosie was so amazing through the whole thing. She got me home and stayed for a few days. I took a twelve week leave from work but managed to keep up on all of my school work. Most of it was done while baby Kyle was sleeping. It was only the first couple of weeks. My finals were all I had left. I was happy when they were done. I could devote every second to my new baby boy.

  Rosie called me every single day to check on me. I would ask her if she heard from him, but her answer was always the same. Days passed without a single email. She tried to tell me they probably moved from one place to another and he hadn't been able to write. Days turned to weeks, and I couldn't help but worry.

  I kept myself busy with the baby. Honestly, I wasn't sure how school and work were both going to fit into everything. I wasn't willing to give up being with baby Kyle any more than I had to. That was when I decided to take the spring and summer off of school.

  You would not believe how many pictures I was taking of the baby. He probably thought his mommy was crazy. I just wanted to catch every new or cute thing he did.

  It had been a month since I had heard from Kyle. I thought I was going to explode with joy when I finally got an email from him. It was just as Rosie said. They had been moving and had other things going on. He mentioned my dad in the email and asked why I hadn't been to visit him. I didn't know my dad was emailing him as well. My response was that I had been really busy. I felt bad for not telling him the real reason, but I still believed I was doing the right thing. His next email shocked me. He wanted to know if I had found someone. It said that my dad had mentioned it. He must have thought that was why I wasn't visiting. They couldn't have been more wrong. I sent back that my semester had just ended and I really had been busy.

  When I didn't hear back after that, I thought maybe he was upset with me or thought I was lying. I sent him
another email asking if everything was okay. Another month went by without hearing from him. Could they really move again, I wondered? Rosie hadn't heard from him either, so I knew it wasn't because he thought I was with someone else. I wasn't sure why he would even care considering he was being taken care of by his woman friend while he was there.

  I had just changed baby Kyle and was rocking him to sleep when my phone rang. It was in the other room, so I waited until I put the baby in the bassinet. By the time I got to the living room, my phone was ringing again. It was Rosie. I picked it up and could barely understand her.

  "Rosie," I said. "Calm down. What's going on?"

  She continued to sob into the phone.

  "Are you okay?" I asked.

  "Yes," she said.

  "Is dad okay?" I asked.

  "Yes," she barely got out.

  "Is it Kyle?" I asked.

  "Yes," she cried.

  I felt my stomach drop and fell onto the couch.

  "He was hurt, Carrie," she said after a few moments. "He's back in the United States but doesn't want any of us there. He made me promise not to tell you."

  "Is he going to be okay?" I asked. "He talked to you. That means he's going to be okay, right?"

  By then I was crying right along with her.

  "He won't tell me anything. I couldn't stand the sadness in his voice. He just kept telling me not to come and to make sure I didn't tell you. It didn't sound good. He sounded awful."

  "I'm going," I said.

  "No," she snapped. "You can't go, Carrie. He said he doesn't want you there. He said if you come, he'll turn you away."

  "Bullshit," I snapped.

  "No, Carrie," she snapped.

  "I'm going with or without you, Rosie," I said. "It's your choice. Would you go with me? I'll need help with the baby."

  "He didn't sound good," she said.