by Mlyn Hurn
Michael looked at his brother. "Um, Jack?"
Jack glared at his brother. "What, damn it?"
Michael wished to hell that he had not taken Laena to his office earlier. "Now that we've been talking about this and all, I remember that things were really hectic during that time."
"So?" Jack folded his arms across his chest. "God! This is insane, Michael! This up and down stuff drives me crazy."
"Well, you were my first vasectomy, after the special training course I had taken. And to be perfectly honest, well, um...I can't remember if you came back for your follow-up sperm count." Michael paused, seeing the look of disbelief on Jack's face.
Jack shook his head. "I remember having the damned thing done. I was still sore when Celia's doctor called, you know the specialist she'd seen. Then things went from hectic to crazy. Celia went downhill so quickly following her diagnosis." Jack paused. "I know all my attention was divided between her and the boys. She still insisted I go ahead with the campaign plans. Damn it all, Michael! I know I never had any sperm count test afterwards. I didn't see a doctor until we were in the White House and that isn't precisely something I felt right discussing there!"
Michael flushed and looked down at his feet. "This may seem awkward, but maybe we should go over to the office, and you could-"
Jack groaned, pounding his fist into his palm. "You want me to jerk off in your office while you wait! Holy crap! This holiday sure is going downhill fast!"
Michael tried not to, but he laughed in spite of his wishes.
Jack glared at his younger sibling as he spoke. "Well, brother, it appears that we screwed this up nicely, didn't we?"
Michael shrugged. "It's the only way to really be sure."
Jack shook his head. "No, I believe Laena." He fished in his pocket for his keys. "Why I doubted her... Tell Mother I'll see her later. I am going after Laena, and hopefully straighten this out between us." He stopped a few feet from his car and looked back at his brother. "You're sure? You ran the test twice?"
Michael nodded and watched as Jack climbed into his car and started after the mother of his unborn child. He started back towards the family but stopped when he saw his mother walking towards him. He smiled, but the curious and concerned look on her face told him that she had seen something and was determined to have an explanation.
"Michael, what's wrong?"
Michael walked the last few steps and put his arm around his mother's shoulders, turning them both towards the picnic area. "Technically, I'm not sure whose confidentiality I am bound to protect."
"Stop beating around the bush and tell me!"
"Jack is going to try and correct a mistake that he and I made. Let's just hope he is successful." Michael felt disgusted with his behavior, and what he'd said to Laena. But he'd been torn between loyalty to his big brother, who had always been there to rescue him, bail him out and even teach him the important stuff about women, and his oath. With chagrin, he reminded himself that was indeed why you didn't treat family members!
Now that he stopped to think about it, it had been stupid to even think about Laena having another relationship on the side. They lived in a small community, and everybody knew everyone else's business. The news about Laena and Jack, after their dinner together, had spread like wildfire. "I owe her an apology as well."
Ruth stopped abruptly, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at her son. "And if he isn't successful?"
Michael looked over to where the children were playing games. "Then you might not get to see your newest grandchild being born."
* * * * *
Laena hadn't gone too far when she heard a car coming up behind her on the quiet road. She wasn't at all surprised to hear Jack's voice. She didn't stop as he requested, but kept right on walking. She did stop when Jack pulled the car to a halt across the road, right in front of her, and thereby blocking traffic. She glared at Jack. "You'll get a ticket doing that."
Jack left the driver's door open and the engine running as he exited the car. He stopped in front of her. "Laena, I'm sorry for what I said back there. It was stupid and thoughtless. Also, after you left, Michael remembered he never performed the standard postoperative tests. Michael did the vasectomy and before it was time to check everything out again, Celia had been diagnosed with cancer and I never gave it a second thought. I assumed the procedure was successful."
A moment later, the whoop-whoop of a siren drew their attention. Jack turned, aggravated. He got even more pissed when he saw Howie Striker climbing from the squad car slowly, taking time to put on his hat, before walking towards them.
"Oh, hell," Jack muttered under his breath.
Laena turned to look as well. The grin was huge that split his face when he recognized first Jack, and then her.
The sheriff strolled up slowly. "Howdy there, Jack, ma'am. Did you have an accident of some kind, Jack?" He paused to push his hat back slightly off his forehead with his index finger. Next he hooked his thumbs into his belt loops, casually looking from Jack to Laena. "That certainly is a weird position to get your car into. Did the other vehicle hit you and run off?" Howie rocked forward and then back on his heels once, and then twice. "Were you a passenger, ma'am, or a witness?"
Jack grimaced. "No, Howie. Everything is fine and I'll move it in just a second."
Laena answered a split second later. "It was aliens. The bright light of their spaceship turned his car around."
Howie was a good and observant sheriff, as well as having been married nearly twenty years. He noticed the tear streaks down Laena's face, which hasty rubbing could not entirely obliterate. Doubtful that anything requiring legal intervention was going on, this was most likely little more than a little lover's spat. As sheriff, he usually got an earful of the latest gossip from his deputies. Considering what he had observed at Christmas, plus some other interesting tales regarding these two, this should prove entertaining, if nothing else.
"Is this man bothering you, ma'am?" he questioned, shooting a suspicious glance towards Jack.
Laena shot a look at Jack before she replied.
If nothing else, the look on the young woman's face told him they'd had a fight. He'd seen that same look on his wife's face plenty of times-right before she said something to make him feel more uncomfortable than he already did.
"Why, yes, sheriff. I was just walking along, minding my own business, when he pulled in front of me and cut off my path."
Howie nodded and pulled his hands from his pockets. He rocked on his heels a bit. "Well, now, this being the Fourth and all, we sure don't need anything disturbing the peace of our little community, now do we?"
Laena couldn't contain her gasp of laughter, which earned her a glare from Jack.
Howie removed his hat and scratched the top of his head. "Maybe I should arrest him?"
"What the hell for?" Jack almost spit at Howie.
Howie shrugged. "How about for possible future disturbance of peace?"
Laena laughed again. "If you arrest me as well, I'll make sure my one phone call is to the local paper. I'm sure they'd like to get a picture of a former high-ranking US official sitting in the local pokey."
Jack glared at Laena. "You, shut up!" He turned to frown at Howie. "You! Give me two minutes, and I'll move the car. You owe me that much for the time I covered for you with Bernadette."
Laena noticed the flush rapidly moving up the sheriff's neck.
"All right, Jack," Howie replied quickly. "Two minutes, and don't you ever bring that up again!" He turned towards his car, but stopped to look back a second later. He pointed at Laena. "And please, don't be joking about that alien stuff. I've got enough headaches." He got into his car, squealing the tires as he moved around Jack's car, and down the road, but not out of sight.
She saw Jack close his eyes for a moment. No doubt, he was getting ready to apologize and plead for her forgiveness. Without saying anything, she crossed her arms, waiting. As she continued standing there, idly tapping one foot, Jack l
ooked at her a few moments longer. She could almost feel the emotions coming from him in waves.
"Before I met you, unprotected sex was never an issue." Jack flushed, looking embarrassed. "And when I'm with you, I don't think very efficiently. At least in the beginning it was that way, and then..." he paused, reaching up to rub at his temple on the left side. "I do know that after I stashed the condoms everywhere, I should have told you that I didn't need them, because of the vasectomy. I knew I was healthy and I had no doubt you were. I guess I was as reticent as you to discuss it.
"If one of boys acted like I have...well, thank God, they don't. I really do think I was more than half afraid you would decide you could do better than an old guy like me, who came with baggage." He paused, thinking. "There were a few times I guess...well, I should have brought up the subject. I know a few times I nearly asked if you were on the pill."
After running his hands through his hair, he pushed them into the back pockets of his jeans. "I've been too busy to keep up on the modern-day woman, sex and cities and all, but from what I'd heard a lot of women take the pill all the time, or get a long-lasting shot. The only other woman I'd shared any kind of safe-sex talk was with Celia, after we'd been married. She brought it up-the vasectomy as birth control."
Laena had to acknowledge the truth of his words. "It isn't your entire fault, Jack. And maybe, subconsciously, this is what I wanted. Otherwise, I would have been doing something to prevent it, or at least I would have chosen a backup method like Michael mentioned." She looked at Jack, holding his gaze for a moment. She walked around him and climbed into the car, sliding across the driver's seat.
Jack followed her quickly, slamming the door shut behind him. He put the car into gear and started back to the park. He stopped out of sight though, so no one in his family could see the car. After a few seconds, he turned on the seat, propping his right arm along the back of the seat.
Laena turned and looked at Jack. She wasn't sure what she expected to see in his eyes, but she hurriedly looked away. She knew she should face this head-on and deal with it, but it was all so new!
Looking down, her gaze seemed to settle on her tummy. For the first time, she noticed that instead of her arms being folded or just resting at her sides, both of her arms curved inwards and her hands protected her slightly rounded belly. Instinctively, she was already acting like a mother. Being a mother was something she had begun to doubt occurring in her life, unless a miracle happened. Slowly she realized that a miracle had happened. She'd met Jack! The baby was her second miracle.
"You wanted me to get you pregnant?" Jack's voice cracked as he repeated what had been echoing in his brain since she had said it a few minutes earlier. Damn! He could interpret her words several ways. But foremost was the overwhelming feeling of warmth as he considered that her desire to be pregnant could mean she was in love with him, and wanted to be bound to him in an undeniable and unbreakable bond. He was hesitant, though, to acknowledge how good this made him feel.
Laena looked at Jack and then away, back out the front window.
He heard her take a deep breath, and he wondered what she thought right now.
"Maybe I was jealous of Arlene," she murmured softly, continuing to stare out the glass.
A shock of pain went through him at her words. He didn't like the idea that she might have gotten pregnant out of jealousy over her ex-husband's new wife. Damn! Jack sure as hell didn't like the idea that she might have been pretending he was Jeff all along, just to get pregnant.
Laena spoke softly, staring off into the distance. "Arlene has everything that should have been mine."
Jack felt as if Laena's words were sharp knives, cutting into his flesh without any regard. He hadn't realized how intense his feelings for Laena were, until now. He had been happy just letting things drift along. Sure, it was a stupid thing to do, but he had been happy not dealing with questions about the future. Reaching over, he lightly touched her hair. Words were piling up inside of him, needing to be spoken.
"Hey!"
Jack and Laena turned and saw Daniel standing at the hood of the car, watching them. "Come on, you two. You are missing all the fun."
Daniel came around to Laena's side and pulled open her door. She climbed out, smiling at the young man. He offered her his arm and started walking her back to where the family was gathered.
Jack followed more slowly, pondering whether he should have demanded Laena stay and they talk it out now. He knew he was caught up in jealousy over Laena's words. He didn't like the idea that she wanted what Arlene had. That would mean she was still in love with her ex-husband.
He stopped a short distance from the family. Sitting at a deserted picnic table, he watched his family going about their holiday.
Children were running all over the place. David and his girlfriend had been glued together since her family had dropped her off about an hour after he'd arrived. It surprised him that he had not gotten to know this girl that would most likely become his daughter-in-law before too much longer.
Damn! He'd hoped he had ten more years before either of his sons would be considering a wife and children. The way life was going, he had a good chance to be a grandfather before he turned fifty. Watching the way the two kids were hanging on each other, they might end up presenting him with a grandchild before there was time for a wedding.
His thoughts and emotions weren't making much sense at the moment. Logically, he should be more concerned about learning that he was about to be a new dad at the age of forty-eight...wait. He'd be forty-nine before they got here. He had been so damned sure that possibility didn't exist. The only babies in his life would be grandchildren, and he had been very happy with that plan. He wasn't sure that he wanted to start all over. He could very easily remember how difficult life had been when the twins had been young. Sleepless nights were fine for a young man of twenty-eight, but, hell, he had nearly reached the point that when he missed sleep it showed! And he felt the lack for days.
Still, Laena had desperately wanted to have a baby. In the beginning, a part of his brain had told him to keep quiet about the vasectomy. While he wasn't sure what would happen, he sure as hell had known that he didn't want to blow any chance he might have. Many times he heard it from his sisters say that when a woman reached a certain age and she wanted children, any man that didn't would not get past her front door. And God knew that he had wanted to get way past the entryway!
"Penny for your thoughts?"
Jack turned in surprise to see his mother had managed to approach him, and he had been unaware of her presence until she spoke. "Inflation, Mom. They must be worth at least a quarter."
Ruth laughed and smiled at her eldest. He had always been the steadiest of all her children. She had never had to worry about Jack. Even as a teen, he had been levelheaded. But right now, it appeared her levelheaded, high-powered son had been knocked for a loop by fate. She considered pretending ignorance, but decided honesty was best. "I spoke with Michael, Jack."
Jack glanced over towards his brother, glaring. "Does patient confidentiality mean nothing these days?"
Ruth laughed, then reached over and patted her son's arm. "Don't blame Michael. You know he could never keep a secret from me. Whenever you kids were hiding something, it was always Michael who would cave under his mother's interrogation."
Jack laughed. "Yeah, though I'm not sure if it was Michael who couldn't keep a secret, or whether you missed your calling and should have been working for the government."
Ruth laughed, nodding. "Either way, I hope you worked it out with Laena. I'd enjoy having a baby in the house."
A startled look crossed his face.
Ruth grinned up at her tall son. "I love children, Jack. And I know Laena does, too. I think it's wonderful, even if it is a surprise."
"Michael should have his license revoked." Jack half jested.
"What's done is done, Jack. Forget about that and worry about making a home for your child. One good thing is you won
't lack for babysitters." Ruth turned to look across to where Laena was playing with his nieces and nephews. "Laena is very popular with all my grandchildren." Ruth pointed to where Laena was with Jenny and Melissa, both fifteen, chatting as if she were their peer. "At their age, all they want to do is rebel against their parents, especially mothers, for the girls anyway. But they listen to Laena. She's more hip...if that's the right word."
Ruth paused, watching as her son let his gaze move to Laena, and down her body. She could just imagine what he must be thinking. "I never would have guessed that she was pregnant yet. But then I guess that is where Michael's trained eye comes in. We'll need to find a good obstetrician." She paused, waiting for Jack to turn towards her once more and give her his full attention. She didn't have to wait more than a few seconds. She smiled before continuing. "After all, she certainly can't see Jeff for her prenatal care."
Ruth stopped to let that thought sink into what she had started to think was her son's thick head.
* * * * *
Embarrassed, Jack realized he had stared at Laena's nearly flat stomach for more than a minute. He tried to imagine her belly swollen with child. He was well acquainted with pregnant women, what with his sisters and sisters-in-law. But this was something new and unusual. It felt different from when he had learned Celia was pregnant, followed by the news that it was twins. Just the idea of watching as Laena progressed through pregnancy appealed to him.
He had listened to his brothers and friends over the years all complaining about their wives' bodies as they got bigger. He wasn't turned off in the least by the thought of her body slowly changing. If anything, it excited him to imagine the changes her body would soon begin to experience over the next months. He wasn't ready to reveal his insecurities though.
Quickly Jack decided to change the subject. "I'll probably need to talk to my sisters and get them to come around and warm up to Laena."
Ruth shook her head. "Surprisingly, you won't have too. I had a talk with Cindy and she told me about a chat she had with Laena. She reassured me that Janet and your sisters-in-laws are in agreement. I will be arranging a baby shower soon. We just need to decide whether to include the men or not."
