Taken

by Debra Lee

  “I just took you for groceries yesterday.”

  “I know but I’m starving for a banana.”

  Carol bit down on her lower lip before suddenly whipping the wheel to the left and cutting across traffic, leaving a trail of honking horns as she turned into the supermarket parking lot.

  She rammed the gearshift into park, shut down the engine, then turned to Mary with her order. “You stay put. I’ll get the bananas.”

  Mary did as she was told. Carol could get in and out of the store much faster than she could. Mary also knew Carol had been using all of her feminine resources known to woman to get Chester Allen to ask her out on a date. And now there was a good chance Carol would be late meeting him. Then there was that possibility the faithful husband would get cold feet and turn tail and run home to his wife in the interim.

  If Carol’s going to be stood up it won’t matter if she’s a few more minutes late, Mary rationalized when she got out of the car and headed inside the store. This time it was an irresistible craving for chocolate.

  Carol was already standing at the checkout counter when Mary came in the door. Mary’s new craving had become so overpowering she ignored the angry glare from Carol and proceeded toward the candy aisle. Her mind was on one thing, chocolate until she rounded the corner and nearly walked right into Kyle Frederick.

  “Excuse. Mary. My God, it is you.”

  Mary knew it was too late to avoid Kyle like she had managed to do numerous times over the past seven months. So she did the only other thing she could do. She weaved out around him thinking if she ignored him he’d walk on.

  Kyle grabbed her by the arm to stop her. And even though Mary never expected it, his touch caused that old familiar stirring deep within.

  Focusing on the tile floor, Mary said, “Please Kyle. I’m in a hurry.”

  “That’s it? Not even a hello?”

  He stopped when Mary shrugged off his hold and her eyes finally met his. She trembled with anger by this time.

  “What do you want from me, Kyle? Is it, oh hi, how’ve you been? How’s the wife?”

  “I was fine a minute ago,” Elaine answered through clenched teeth after suddenly materializing and latching onto Kyle’s arm.

  Mary wanted to tell her she could release the firm hold on his arm. Mary knew Kyle belonged to Elaine. She survived the heartbreak all those months ago when Kyle told her he was in love with someone else. Less than a week later she was humiliated further when she opened the newspaper and was slapped in the face by their wedding announcement.

  Now Mary could see what the urgency had been. Looking at Elaine’s bulging middle was like looking at her own reflection. Mary knew she was on the verge of tears, laughter, or a hysterical scream when Carol saved her from doing what she knew she’d later regret.

  “We have to go, Mary.”

  Mary wasn’t immediately aware Carol had slid her arm around her as she spoke or that she proceeded to slowly guide her outside.

  It could have been going from the air conditioned building and into the wall of heat that snapped Mary out of her dilemma. But it was more likely her sudden awareness came from the knife cutting sensation that stabbed into her side and sliced all the way around to her back. Whichever, she gave out a howl as she doubled over.

  ***

  “You’re being ridiculous,” Elaine insisted as Kyle helped her into the car. “If it was your baby she’d have told you.”

  Kyle disagreed. But he kept his thoughts to himself and slid in behind the wheel of his car. There was no point upsetting Elaine more than she already was. But Kyle couldn’t ignore the obvious fact.

  If Mary was carrying his child he had a right to know. He was entitled to share in its upbringing. And yes, he would not shirk the financial responsibility. Even though he knew Elaine would want him to.

  Since their marriage Kyle had discovered Elaine had a stingy streak. The truth is, from the time he said I do everything he owned had become theirs. Everything Elaine came into the marriage with had remained hers.

  “Oh no. Kyle….” Elaine squealed as she doubled over.

  “What? What’s wrong? For Christ’s sake answer me, Elaine?”

  Chapter Seven

  “The doctor’s on his way,” Carol said as she pried Mary’s fingers one by one off her arm.

  In a few seconds the contraction ended and Mary lowered her head back down on the pillow. For what seemed like the hundredth time, Carol used a wet cloth to wipe perspiration from Mary’s brow and cheeks.

  “Sorry, Carol,” Mary said, exhaustion evident when her words came in a hoarse whisper.

  “Stop apologizing. I’ll see Chester another night.”

  “Ooh…. Here we go again.”

  Mary’s words were replaced with a scream of pain as her muscles tightened into knots with another contraction.

  ***

  In another birthing room down the hall, Elaine clawed Kyle’s arm until she drew blood.

  Kyle was in pain. But it wasn’t from the damage Elaine’s nails did to his arm. He hurt for Elaine.

  “I’ll never make you go through this again,” he promised.

  Elaine’s body continued to convulse. She was almost delirious and screamed at the doctor. “I can’t stand it anymore. You have to do something.”

  Then another nightmarish scream that brought Kyle to tears. He felt so helpless, so completely at fault.

  But then the doctor said, “Come on, Elaine. Push. One more. Come on now. You can do it.”

  She did.

  And the next time the doctor spoke, Kyle heard him exclaim, “It’s a girl.”

  ***

  “It’s almost over, Mare. Come on, one big one,” Carol coaxed.

  Mary didn’t need Carol’s encouragement. Her body commanded her now. She had no choice but to push with every ounce of strength remaining in her.

  Then she heard that glorious cry.

  “She’s beautiful,” Mary gasped when she saw her.

  “Beautiful? She’s a bloody mess,” declared Carol, wrinkling up her nose.

  Mary was too preoccupied to hear her.

  By dawn Mary was situated in her room. The nurse had just left and Carol was saying her goodbye.

  “You’re going to work?” Mary asked.

  “I have to. But I’ll stop back over my lunch hour,” Carol assured and headed for the door.

  “Carol.” She stopped at the door and glanced back at Mary. “I couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you. And Jena thanks you, too.”

  “Jena?”

  Mary smiled. Then she saw Carol wasn’t smiling. “Would you prefer I call her Carol?”

  “My middle name is fine.” Carol managed a smile. “Actually, I’d feel honored.” Then she was gone.

  Mary was relieved Carol hadn’t decided her first name would be the better choice for her daughter’s name. It would have been a disappointment since Mary had made the decision weeks ago to use Carol’s middle name if she had a girl. Perhaps she should’ve discussed it with Carol then. But she wanted to surprise her. And it appeared as though she had.

  She settled back against the pillow thinking she’d try and get some sleep as the nurse had suggested before she left. But it was no use. She was too excited to let the exhausting events of the night bring her down. How could she sleep anyway when all she wanted to do was shout to the world about her miracle?

  It was too early to phone her parents in Florida. Since retirement they had gotten into the habit of sleeping late. But without fail, Mary knew her grandmother rose with the sun.

  ***

  Elaine was asleep when Kyle slipped out of her room. He planned to stop home for a quick shave and shower before heading into the office. But before he did any of that, he couldn’t resist stopping outside the nursery window. He needed another peek at his precious baby girl.

  “Hi, honey. Remember me?” he whispered and waved to the sleeping newborn on the other side of the glass.

  It was almost an effort, b
ut Kyle finally looked around to the other newborns. He noticed there were more girls than boys as he began reading the name tags attached to their beds. Anderson, Moser, Jones, Murray.

  “Murray!” He repeated that one out loud.

  Could it-no-maybe. There was one way to find out for certain. He headed to the nurses’ station around the corner.

  ***

  Mary continued to bubble over with joy as she wound up the telephone conversation with her grandmother.

  “I promise, Nana. I’ll bring her to visit soon.”

  Whatever Sadie Johnson went on to say Mary did not hear. She was too shocked to hear or see anything but the man who poked his head inside her room.

  As Kyle fully emerged into the room Mary did manage to say, “Have to go, Nana.”

  She hung up the receiver without taking her eyes off Kyle.

  “Do you mind if I visit?”

  Of course she did. But she couldn’t bring herself to tell him. The truth was she couldn’t bring herself to say anything.

  “I just saw your baby,” Kyle said as he moved deeper into the room.

  Mary located her voice. “What are you doing here, Kyle?”

  “Been here all night.” He smiled. “Elaine and I had a little girl early this morning.”

  There was no way to describe the kind of excruciating pain that suddenly tugged at Mary’s heart. It was almost as bad as the day he told her it was over between them. On second thought, Mary knew she’d never survive that kind of pain again. But she wouldn’t let him see how much his news hurt her.

  “Congratulations,” she finally said.

  “Thank you,” Kyle said with a nervous smile, then cleared his throat out loud and looked down into her eyes. “Mary, I have to know. Is she mine?”

  Mary bit down on her lower lip so hard she nearly drew blood. But that wasn’t what brought the slow stream of tears.

  “She is mine.”

  Kyle’s statement immobilized him. It wasn’t that he hadn’t suspected it. But now that he knew it was true, he wasn’t sure how to handle it. Should he go on impulse and put his arms around Mary and tell her how sorry he was?

  Mary knew she had dumped a tremendous load on Kyle’s shoulders even though she hadn’t actually come right out and admitted Jena was his. But she didn’t have to. He knew it was so by the way she broke into tears.

  She couldn’t stand seeing him suffer and helped him out from under his sudden burden when she said, “I don’t expect anything from you, Kyle.”

  “You should’ve told me, Mary. Things might’ve—”

  “Don’t Kyle. If you had known it wouldn’t have changed things. You were in love with Elaine. And it’s obvious now that she became pregnant about the same time I did. You would’ve made the same choice.”

  “Perhaps.” Kyle knew she was right. But he couldn’t just walk away and pretend none of this was happening. “I want to do the right thing, Mary. Just tell me what I can do.”

  Silence.

  “Leave us alone,” she finally managed, even though that’s the last thing she wanted. The love Mary had once felt for Kyle was to her chagrin still very much alive, which is why she decided to leave him off the hook completely.

  “I can’t. I’d like to be a part of her life if you’ll let me. If not, I’m still going to help financially.”

  Mary had adhered to a stringent budget once she knew she’d be raising her baby alone. But she knew her salary would never allow for extras. So how could she refuse what Kyle was offering? Jena deserved those extras a legal secretary’s salary would never afford her.

  Mary agreed to accept a monthly contribution from Kyle. But she’d have to think about how often, if at all she would permit him to see their daughter.

  Kyle said he understood. He wasn’t going to get into the issue of how he could legally force her to allow him to see their daughter. Not now. Not after what she’d just been through. But he couldn’t promise himself he wouldn’t take action in the future if Mary refused him the visitation rights he was entitled to according to the law.

  Mary wanted to reach up and wrap her arms around Kyle when he had leaned over and kissed her on the forehead before he left her room. But of course she did not.

  In less than twenty four hours her life had gone through some extreme changes. And suddenly, the night without any sleep was beginning to get the best of her. She drifted in and out of sleep most of the morning. By the time Reilly burst into the room with a handful of balloons, she was wide awake.

  “Dropped by the office to see if you read my manuscript and they gave me the good news.”

  Mary’s smile that had emerged when he first barged into her room disappeared. “I didn’t read it yet, Reilly. I’m so sorry.”

  “No problem. Besides, it’s not like you weren’t busy.”

  Reilly did not reveal his disappointment. And when he gave it a second thought he wasn’t disappointed at all. Now he had an excuse to drop by again. If he was lucky, it might take several visits before she’d have time to read his manuscript.

  Mary watched Reilly tie the balloons to the railing near the foot of her bed before pulling the only chair in the room alongside her and sat. It was as if he sensed she wanted company. She did. Anything so she wouldn’t have to think about Kyle and what she was going to do.

  “So, you need anything? A big Mac or a—” Her chuckle temporarily cut Reilly off. “I just thought-well everyone says hospital food’s the pits. I wouldn’t know first hand of course.”

  Mary suddenly had a thought. She wasn’t sure she should impose. But he did ask if she needed anything. “Reilly, there is something.”

  “Name it, kid.”

  “If all goes well, I’ll be able to go home in the morning. And I was wondering. I mean if you’re free.”

  Reilly couldn’t believe it. Fate was suddenly shining down on him. “You need a lift home?”

  “I know Carol would do it. But she’s done so much already and—”

  “Say no more.”

  “Excuse me.” They both glanced at the nurse who peered around the door. “This little one wants a visit with her mommy.”

  Reilly jumped up and stepped aside as the nurse handed Mary her baby. He smiled as he focused on Jena. When he turned his attention to Mary he looked at her differently than he ever had before. Or that she had noticed.

  “So I’ll see the two of you in the morning then.”

  “That will be good, Reilly, and thank you.”

  Mary noticed he was unusually jittery as he started for the door. “Oh and Reilly.” When he turned back to her his eyes were wide with anticipation. “Thanks for the balloons.”

  Reilly blushed. In truth, he was on cloud nine when he turned around and ran smack into the door. He glanced over his shoulder and assured Mary he was fine, then made a mad dash out of the room.

  Chapter Eight

  Reilly Jackson had never been a morning person. But he was up with the sun and chirping of the birds this morning. He tried to busy himself to pass the hours until it would be time to go to the hospital to bring Mary and the baby home. And there was plenty to do to keep him busy until then.

  His home, a one room cottage along the Susquehanna River was a mess. But when he made up his mind to write the book he had talked about forever, that’s what he did. When there wasn’t a clean shirt to be found he had to take time out to do the laundry. The refrigerator needed to be restocked from time to time. Otherwise he had lived and breathed the characters that came to fill the pages of his book.

  After hauling eight garbage bags outside to the dumpster, there was a counter filled with dishes to be washed and put away. He couldn’t remember if he owned a vacuum cleaner, but found one in the back of the houses only closet and used it.

  He had to admit the place looked almost as good as the day he moved in three years ago. It was the only place he had been able to find quickly. The rent was cheap, too. A big plus, considering his circumstances.

  “I want
you out of here by the time I get home from work,” were the exact words of his father a few weeks earlier.

  That’s how that particular argument had ended. Reilly knew the guy meant business this time. He had had enough. Reilly didn’t understand then.

  How dare he throw me out of my own home? Who does he think he is? Mom will never let him get away with it, Reilly thought.

  “You’re twenty four years old, Reilly. Your father and I worked very hard to see to it you got to go to college when your brothers and sister didn’t get the chance. Then you go through job after job. Now it’s time you use that education and take responsibility. After all, we can’t support you forever.”

  Seeing this new side of his mother blew Reilly away. He resented her for everything she had said at first. But when you’re on the street and broke it doesn’t take long to figure out the world doesn’t owe you a living, nor do your parents.

  Reilly had majored in journalism. His mother was right about him having several jobs since graduation. Odd jobs he’d pick up to keep him in partying money. But none that involved using what he went to college for. He didn’t like the idea of being told what to write.

  Reilly Jackson wanted to make up his own stories. He didn’t want to be a writer of facts and the sad realities of real life. In the end he knew his mom was right. He wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth. It was time to take responsibility and earn a living. Even if it meant writing the opposite of what he knew he was destined to do. Fortunately for him the local newspaper had recently lost one of their reporters.

  It wasn’t such a bad job. Reilly wasn’t forced to sit behind a desk from nine to five, cranking out boring article pieces. He was assigned to report on those front page headline stories. The investigative part of the job actually got the adrenaline flowing, especially when there was a juicy story to be had about local political corruption. And last year there was a kidnapping and murder case to cover.

  His mom’s lecture that day helped him make another wise decision. He started socking away thirty percent of his salary. He wanted to write fiction. And when the time came, he’d have enough money to do it without any outside interference from the demands of a regular job.