The door opened and Dr. Meyers walked in. After they exchanged greetings, the checkup began. First up were the breasts, and then her blood pressure. When Dr. Meyers double-checked the latter, Holly became somewhat concerned.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yes, yes. Don’t worry.” She smiled at Holly kindly. “I think Gus’ pregnancy shake is working.”
“Then, it’s all good?”
“It’s more than good. It’s amazing, Holly. This is a huge breakthrough, no doubt about it, especially for women who suffer from all these ugly symptoms that lead to so many complications, both for mothers and their fetuses. I feel so sorry for you poor things when you have difficult pregnancies. This is really big.”
“Thank goodness. That makes me happy.”
“Me, too. I was so worried when he asked me to take you on, but he promised that he would assist.”
“Well, I’m glad you took me on.” She frowned. “I feel like a puppy.”
Dr. Meyers laughed and walked back to her office door, opening it. “You guys ready?”
Jake walked in first, followed by an over-excited Amelia, who stood at the end of the bed and then leaned on her elbows to see the screen.
Jake took his normal spot at the edge of the bed. The order of things was the same; first the gel, and then the device. The heartbeat was just as quick as when she’d last heard it. It still looked the same as last time, nevertheless Amelia shrieked softly; she hadn’t seen it yet.
When Holly smiled and looked at her, she too, had tears in her eyes. Turning, she hugged her brother from behind as she wiped her tears.
“Miracles can happen, Amelia.”
“Don’t make me obsess about it again,” she said to Dr. Meyers. “I just found a reason to let it go.”
Dr. Meyers laughed as Jake stroked his sister’s arm.
“So I take it you told your mother, Jake?”
“Yes, although she still wants to sit down and talk about everything, but at least she knows.”
Holly huffed, shook her head and took a deep breath. She felt like crying. Even though she’d known that Mara was going to have a fit, she’d still hoped that the woman would see it their way and be happy.
She concentrated on the lines Dr. Meyers was drawing on the screen again. Her eyes flicked to the due date. It was still end of March.
Dr. Meyers told them how big the baby had grown, and confirmed what Holly had seen in regards to the birth date. What sex the baby was, she didn’t say.
Gus didn’t make appearance this time around.
When Dr. Meyers was done with Holly, the girls said goodbye to Jake at the exact time his beeper went off.
“Don’t worry about my mother, please,” he whispered in Holly’s ear, while wrapping his arms around her.
“It’s not easy to just forget about it, Jake.”
“She’ll understand when we tell her about our plans, and how we’ll get through all of this,” he persisted.
“Okay, fine. Whatever.”
He kissed her on the top of her head and left.
Amelia hooked her arm with Holly’s after she got another tin of formula from Dr. Meyers, and they walked to her car, which she’d parked just outside of P&E’s entrance.
“My brother has a point,” she said on the way.
“Still. I don’t like it when she’s like the only one not excited about it.”
“It doesn’t matter, Holls.”
“It matters to me, Amelia.”
“He hasn’t told me much, but I know she’s not ecstatic over the idea.”
“She chased him out of the house and hasn’t spoken to him since. No, ecstatic is an understatement.”
“Okay fine. I would’ve been worried if she didn’t act like that.”
That was exactly what Jake had said.
“Believe me, she’ll come around. You have nothing to be worried about.”
“Okay. But I worry, anyway.”
“I know you worry. But seriously, let it go. You’re going to have a baby!” she cried excitedly.
Holly’s smile was beautiful.
Amelia decided to take her to the nearest mall, where she dragged Holly to every baby shop she could find.
Holly was grateful for the time Marabella gave her off when she needed to go for her checkup. She really couldn’t have asked for a better boss.
As expected, she was exhausted when Amelia finally dropped her off at Bernie’s around five.
“Take care, mommy-to-be.”
“I will, aunty-to-be.”
Amelia chuckled, honked twice and drove away, all the while waving out the window.
When she entered the house, she immediately went to prepare her shake. She was hungry—even though Amelia had fed her like three times—tired and dizzy, all at the same time. Holly made quick work of opening the new tin and measuring four spoons of powder into a glass, she added the milk and stirred.
“Where have you been?” Bernie’s voice filled the kitchen.
Holly jumped. “Give me a fright, why don’t you? Amelia took me shopping. I swear she is more excited than I am.”
“Of course she is. So where is the pic? Let me see.”
Holly got the picture of the ultrasound and handed it to her.
Bernie’s entire expression melted when she saw it. “I can’t believe you are going to have a baby. I miss having a baby in my arms. I can’t wait to find out what it’s going to be so I can buy tiny little onesies, and little baby dresses if it’s a girl. I hope it’s a little girl.”
Holly started to laugh. “It didn’t stop Amelia. Tell you what. You can go with her next time, you guys will have a blast. I don’t have the energy to go shopping.”
“It’s normal, you’re pregnant,” Bernie said, clucking her tongue.
Holly rubbed her face and leaned forward on the counter with her head in her hand. “She’s not ecstatic about the idea.”
“Who are we talking about now?” Bernie asked.
“Mara. She wants to speak to both of us soon.”
“So? Just tell her how you feel, and that both of you want this, Holly, and that you are not sixteen anymore. I’m sure she is human. I haven’t seen fangs yet, even though I’m sure she owns a pair that come out when she smells female hormones near her son.”
Both girls started to laugh.
“He is a grown man for crying out loud.”
“I bet you she wants to kill me.”
“I don’t think she’s that psycho.”
Holly gave a tired chuckle. “I’m going to have a bath, and then I’m going straight to sleep. My throat is killing me.”
“Just your glands, it’s normal.”
“Ugh! How long is this going to last?”
“About a week or two.”
“Yay, me.”
Over the next two weeks, Holly became overly emotional and cried over the dumbest things. Sometimes, it would be over a movie, and then it would turn into her missing Jake terribly. Mara being a class A bitch, came next.
Dealing with Jake having to work the night shift didn’t help in the slightest. She had to make do with speaking to him over the phone during the day, which couldn’t have been good for his cell phone charges. And on top of all that, missing his late night calls made her feel sad and somewhat depressed. Because she was so tired of late, she’d pass out quite early. Jake had even mentioned that they should get a place together.
The times she did manage to see Jake, always turned into him trying to elevate her fears by telling her he was going to speak to his mother. That Mara was ignoring him seemed to be affecting Jake. At least that’s what she hoped it was and not him being worried about the baby. One good thing Holly had going for her was that the shake was working.
On the Wednesday, Holly received a message from Jake.
Meet me at my mom’s place at 9:00. Sorry for the late notice, but it’s important.
Apparently, Mara did want to see them both. Holly phoned Marabella to ask i
f she could go in at around twelve, and then lied when asked why, saying she wasn’t feeling at all well that morning. To her surprise, Marabella gave her the entire day off.
At exactly nine, Holly pulled her Beetle into Mara’s driveway. The feeling inside her gut made her want to throw up. She knew it wasn’t the baby because she’d had her shake before leaving home. Glancing out the window, she searched for Jake’s BMW. It was nowhere to be seen. Reaching for her cell phone, she dialed his number; no answer.
She suddenly jumped as Mara tapped on her window. Deep breaths, Holly, you can do this, she told herself, switching her car off and getting out.
“Hi, Mara. Is Jake here?”
“No. He had to leave on an emergency, but I promise you, you are safe.” She smiled.
Holly giggled nervously and gave Mara a hug. “I’m so sorry about all of this.”
Mara nodded. “Let’s go inside. I thought it best to have some iced tea on the patio. And then we can talk.”
Holly decided to keep her mouth shut and instead followed Mara. Her Yorkies barked like mad, jumping up against Holly’s leg until she picked one up and carried it along. The rest followed and when Mara yelled for them to go to their beds, all three dogs scrambled. Holly quickly placed the fourth one on the floor. It was quite comical how it, too, made a mad dash to its bed.
“Please, sit,” Mara said, gesturing to one of the chairs.
Once Holly was sitting, Mara took the seat opposite to hers. She then filled two glasses with iced tea and handed one over.
Holly couldn’t help but think that somehow it was poisoned, so waited for Mara to take a sip before she put the glass to her lips.
“How do you feel?” Mara asked.
“Good, Gus’ shake is working.”
“Good. I’m glad. Look, I’m must be honest about something.”
Holly frowned. “What, exactly?”
“Jake didn’t have an emergency. He left a couple of minutes ago because he wasn’t quite sure how to tell you.”
Her heart began to beat slightly faster and a heavy feeling pressed down on her chest. She took a deep breath. “Tell me what, Mara?”
“He doesn’t want the baby anymore, Holly.”
Holly gasped and shook her head. To say she was stunned was putting it mildly. “I’m sorry, Mara, but I don’t believe that.”
“I don’t care what you believe!” Mara’s demeanor changed in a flash. “I’m just telling you how it is, Holly. He made a mistake and came to me for guidance. He wanted to know what his choices were.”
His choices?
As far as Holly was concerned, that didn’t sound remotely like the Jake she knew. He would’ve spoken to her about any insecurities he was having. However, when Holly began to contemplate things, the last couple of times they’d been together he’d seemed distant. The fact that Mara hadn’t really spoken to him ever since he’d told her, had worked.
Oh, shit! What if I’ve misread the signs? What if it had nothing to do with his mother, but everything to do with not wanting our baby?
She shook her head again.
“Holly, you know this is true. He’s seemed distant lately, am I right?”
Holly nodded. “I thought it was because you were not happy about it.”
“I promise you, it’s not. We’ve been discussing this situation for the past couple of days now. We had a family meeting late last night, where he voiced his concerns.”
“Amelia—”
Mara cut her off. “She’s his sister. She didn’t like what he had to say, but blood is thicker than water, Holly.”
“No.” Holly continued to shake her head as images of tears filling Jake’s eyes every time he saw the sonar jumped into her mind. He was happy, he’d told her he wanted this, wanted their baby. “I don’t believe a thing you’re saying and to be frank, I don’t give a damn what you say.”
“He doesn’t want you or the baby anymore, Holly. I told you to go on the pill. I know my son and he changes his mind on a monthly basis.”
“He wants the baby!” Holly yelled.
“Maybe he did, but I assure you, he doesn’t want it anymore.”
“No!” Holly refused to believe this. “Bernie was right, you are a psycho when it comes to Jake.”
“I’m not a psycho! If you don’t believe me, give him a call.” She held her phone out to Holly.
All Holly was capable of doing was stare at the phone in Mara’s hand, like it was a foreign object she’d never before seen. She hadn’t bargained on Mara’s challenge, and doubt filled her gut again. But the minute tears began to fill her eyes, her mind filled with visions of Jake whenever he’d looked at their unborn child, and her doubt disappeared.
“Oh, believe me, I will.” She got up, glaring angrily at Mara. She was disgusted with whatever it was Mara was trying to pull. Looking at her phone, she touched the 1 for speed dial, which had been programmed to Jake’s number. It rang, and rang, and rang until it went dead.
No, this isn’t happening. Jake wants me and our baby. I know it!
She dialed his number again, with the same result. Panic was beginning to set in. Tears welled in her eyes as she dialed him again. This time, though, he picked up. She heard a sigh.
“Talk to me, Jake, what’s going on?” Holly asked.
“It is what it is, Holly. I’ve got to go.”
She was left with a dead tone. The air left her lungs, as if she’d been sucker punched. The tears dislodged and rolled down her cheeks. She felt Mara’s hands gently take hold of her arms, guiding her back to the chair. Holly dropped onto it with a thud. There was nothing she could say.
“I know it’s not easy,” Mara began, “but you need to make a choice, Holly, and the best one is to get rid of the baby.”
Holly’s head snapped up. “What did you just say?”
“I know it is a horrible thing to say”—Mara put her hands up—“but Jake has a choice in this pregnancy, too, and he wants you to terminate it. Without Gus’ shake and our support, you could lose your life. Hypertension is not a good thing, and even if you get to thirty weeks, it could worsen the minute you contract eclampsia.”
Mara shook her head. “It’s not something you want for yourself. Without Gus’ shake, it’s not going to be an easy pregnancy, Holly, not by any means. Google it if you don’t believe me.”
Holly shook her own head as more tears welled up in her eyes. “You people are unbelievable. Let me guess… this is the part Amelia didn’t agree with, but she stands by her brother, right?”
“Blood is thicker than water.”
Holly stood up. “Yes, you’ve made that perfectly clear.” She picked up her handbag, wiped at her tears, and left.
How could Jake do something like that? But worst of all, allow his mother to tell her that he didn’t want the baby anymore.
“Get rid of it!” Mara yelled at her retreating back.
The hell I will, Holly thought as she ran to her Beetle.
She had never, not in a million years, expected that her wish of wanting to run away would ever become a reality, but for the sake of her unborn child and how events had turned for the worst, she had no choice.
WHEN HOLLY ARRIVED AT BERNIE’S, SHE WAS GLAD her friend wasn’t home. She had no idea what she would do now, but she couldn’t stay there anymore. If she did, it was inevitable that Jake would visit that evening and beg her to abort the baby. And she would, she knew it, which meant she would hate herself for the rest of her life and would end up hating him more than she already did.
To hate Jake like that… no, she would never be able to live in a world if that was what she would feel like for the rest of her life. She knew she shouldn’t feel any love for him at all, but she did love him; she would die for him, that much she knew. The best thing she could do was leave, never to see or speak to him again.
She slid down her closet door and cried. How could he have been so heartless, telling her that it was what it was, and that he’d had to go? It hadn�
�t even been a conversation. After everything they’d shared, Holly was devastated that he hadn’t had the guts to tell her to her face.
She pinched herself for the umpteenth time; none of it felt real, but the resulting pain of that action told her she was definitely awake, and the gut-wrenching feeling inside of her confirmed that it had happened.
She packed her bags—two of them—all the while crying, knowing that it wasn’t just Jake she would leave behind, but her best friend as well. She had no choice. Leo was Jake’s best friend, and that just wouldn’t work.
She left the phone he’d bought for her as there was no way she was going to keep it. For all she knew, there was some sort of tracking device on it. Not that he would search for her, although he might, just to make sure she had gotten rid of her baby.
Still, whatever he would’ve tried to do, she wasn’t going to give him that chance. She placed the phone on the table.
When her suitcases were full to the brim, she hauled them out to her Beetle. Looking at her watch, she realized it was almost twelve. After locking up, she placed her key under the rock and said goodbye to what had become her home.
Once she’d settled herself in the car, she thought about the phone again. Bernie would definitely want to know if she was safe. Holly would have to let her know some way or another that she was okay.
Bernie would eventually understand why she’d run away, because Holly wasn’t planning on getting rid of her baby, not in her lifetime, and her only course of action was to do what was best for them both.
As she turned the engine on, she wiped away another tear, and then drove to the nearest bus station where she bought a ticket to Atlanta figuring that once she arrived there, she would decide where it was she would end up.
The only solution she could come up with was in regards to the one person she’d never thought she’d ever again see, but he was only person who could get her through this, the only person who had the means and money to help her; Charles Scallanger.
Holly cried the entire bus drive to Atlanta, and continuously tried to figure out how the hell she could have misread the signs.
Imperfect Love Page 27
