Echoes in the Bayou

by Dukes, Ursula

Sterling sat nervously on the bed waiting for Ava to come out of the bathroom. "I need more water," she yelled out.

  He only had to go to the hand carved dresser and take one of the five that she had carried up from the kitchen.

  "Here you go," he said and placed it in the hand that reached out the bathroom door.

  "Well?" He said anxiously.

  She gulped down half the water bottle before exiting the bathroom. Everything around her looked different; the furniture that she had picked out suddenly looked dangerous. A child could get hurt in this room, she told herself.

  "I'm guessing by the look on your face that the digital test produced the words p-r-e-g-n-a-n-t in big ole letters didn’t it?" He asked and led her over to the bed.

  "What am I going to do Sterling?"

  "You are going to do whatever you feel like doing, it's your body and your decision Ava."

  Deep down she knew that she was going to become a mother; the question was however, whether or not she would tell Magnus.

  She placed her hands on her stomach. "Looks like congratulations are in order." She couldn’t help but smile, had she gotten pregnant under different circumstances, perhaps after a one night stand, she would have probably freaked out but things didn’t happen that way. It was a mistake yes, but not all mistakes are bad, she told herself. She and Magnus were going to have a baby and whether or not he wanted to be involved she'd leave entirely up to him.

  "We've got to get you an appointment with an obstetrician and find out your due date then you and I are going to need to do some major shopping," Sterling beamed.

  "And did I mention that I've always wanted to be a fairy godfather/uncle?" He nudged her playfully on the arm before taking her into a warm embrace. He could see the worry on her face and told her, "Everything is going to be alright, he's a fool if he doesn’t drop what he's doing to come be with you."

  "It's official," she said. "My due date is May eighth." She was talking to Sterling; he had been kind enough to accompany her to the obgyn appointment and was waiting in the lobby.

  "So… how are we feeling about all of this?" He asked and wrapped his arm in hers.

  "We are feeling surprised, still in shock, over whelmed but mostly excited."

  "And when are you going to make the call Ava?"

  She knew that he was talking about calling Magnus; she had wanted to put it off until she knew for sure that she was pregnant and now that she had a due date, the thought of telling Magnus terrified her.

  "Don’t procrastinate sweetheart, he needs to know that he is going to be a father."

  "I know, I know and I'll call him tonight," she said with a heavy sigh. "I'm just nervous about telling him."

  "Well don’t be because I will be right by your side, if you want me to be," he said with genuine concern.

  She smiled broadly. "I'd like that very much Sterling."

  Staying true to her word, with Sterling by her side she made the call later on that night.

  Someone picked up after the first ring, but it wasn’t Magnus, It was Steve.

  "Hey there Ava, no he's out at the moment. I don’t know if he told you or not but he's headed to Europe."

  "No Steve, he didn’t tell me. Wow Europe, that's exciting." Her voice was dull sounding.

  "Well I've got plenty of book signings planned and several speaking engagements so he'll be pretty busy. Then I think he wants to take some time off after that."

  Her hopes began to rise. "Oh yeah? Well I'm sure by then he'll need some time away, maybe I can get him to come visit me here in Vermont."

  Steve let out a heavy breath. "You misunderstood Ava, what I meant to say was that he'll be taking some time off while in Europe, he wants to spend some time in the United Kingdom, tour some of the English country side and things like that. I think he's researching for another book."

  Steve had always liked Ava but she was still too fresh in his client Magnus's mind and that, he could not have. He needed Magnus to be on his A game and a distraction such as Ava, would be nothing but trouble so he lied to her; he made up the story about Magnus leaving the country, about him researching for his next book.

  All of it was a lie, a lie he told himself that was completely worth it. Magnus was rising to the top and he was going to take Steve right along with him.

  "Sorry Ava, he leaves in the morning and you probably won't be able to get in touch with him for almost a year or so." The tone of his voice made it sound as if he were telling her that Magnus would be away for a week.

  Ava plopped down in her chair, the look on her face told Sterling that things weren’t going well at all.

  "A Year? Steve listen, there's something really important that I need to speak to him about so I would appreciate it if you could please have him get in touch with me, he's got my cell, and email." She waited for him to respond.

  "Hello?"

  "Sorry about that Ava I was just writing everything down, now I've got to go but I promise I'll give him the message. I can't make any guarantees that he'll get back to you though, he's very busy and has a lot to do now he's not able to just drop what he's doing and call you. You guys aren’t on the plantation anymore; he's got a life now. I'm sure you can understand that take care Ava, bye." Before she could even respond, the line went dead.

  "Who were you talking to?" Magnus asked. He had just gotten out of the shower when he saw Steve holding his phone.

  "Oh Barnes and Noble was just confirming the book signing for tomorrow buddy, but listen I think we should go ahead and get you another cell, this one keeps cutting out and deleting calls. The new iPhone five is just what you need and a new number too. We don’t want any crazy fans stalking you," he joked.

  "That's fine but I need to make sure they sync all my contacts because I've got some important numbers in that cell."

  "Sure thing buddy, sure thing. I'll take care of it first thing in the morning."

  And that'll take care of Ava and her bothersome calls; he grinned and deleted the call.

  "Well isn’t that convenient," Sterling snarled. She had just finished telling him what Steve had said.

  Her eyes had begun to water and the tears that she had been holding in for so very long came flooding out of her. Sterling took her into his arms and held her tight as she cried on his shoulder. "You're going to be alright Ava, I promise sweetheart."

  "You're lucky," she said. "You've got Anthony, and me? Who do I have? No one," she sobbed.

  "I am lucky, but so are you Ava, because in nine months you're going to be blessed with a little baby and that is the most rewarding and fulfilling thing that any woman could hope for. And don’t ever let me hear you say that you have no one because that is so not true, you've got me, you've got Anthony, and you've got your friend Kelly so you my girl are loved," he said and wrapped his arms around her. "And let's not forget that you've only been here a few months and look how many of the people in this town have fallen for you."

  She smiled at him then, he was right. The people in the small town welcomed her with open arms and that had made her transition all the better.

  "What would I do without you Sterling? Thank you for being you," she said and kissed him on the cheek.

  Because she was depressed over Magnus's leaving the country for almost a year, Kelly had taken to calling her several times a day, she was worried about her. Even though they had only known each other for a short period of time, their phone calls were a means of getting to know each other a lot better. And it didn’t take long for Ava to tell Kelly her news. She was also painfully honest about how much she missed him and how lonely her days and nights were, especially the nights.

  "Did you think that Magnus was going to come to Vermont with you or maybe compromise in some other way?" Kelly asked.

  Ava stifled back more tears. "I did Kelly, I really did. You know, I wouldn’t be getting all hormonal and crazy if I weren’t pregnant with his child," she sniffled.

  "I know. It's very hard to let go of a man you lo
ve, so give yourself a break will ya?"

  "You're right, I'm going to get through this," Ava said. "Women do it every day; I'll get over it and take care of me and mine. Because apparently that's exactly what Magnus is doing."

  "That's the spirit Ava, and don’t forget, you're not alone. This time next week I'll be there and I might not leave." Ava could hear the desperation in her voice.

  "Kelly, all kidding aside, that's exactly what you need to do. You left the abusive son of a bitch so the worst part is over. Listen, I've got four bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms, pack your stuff, and move in with me."

  The sincerity and insistence brought them both back to tears.

  "Ava, are you serious right now?" Kelly asked.

  "Yes I am Kelly, I've got plenty of room and I'd be lying if I told you that I am only thinking of what's best for you. Because I want my best friend here with me, I can't go through this alone Kelly so what do you say?"

  "Just like that?"

  "Yes Kelly, just like that."

  "Well then I say, yes."

  Kelly arrived three days before Thanksgiving and as promised, Ava took her in. Soon she was working at the shop; Ava had put her and Sterling in charge of the online auctions. Now that she had two employees, each one could bid either online or over the telephone. She was excited about that because there was a set of English Majolica teapot's that she wanted for the shop. An older couple had come in last week and asked if she carried anything like that. "I haven’t acquired the Majolica yet but I will try my best to see what I can do," she told them. So when Sterling found a set of teapots going up for auction, she was more than happy to let him take control and do the bidding.

  "I told you that moving here was the best thing for you Kelly," Ava said. She was so excited to have her friend living with her. Not only did having her around lighten the heavy work load but it kept her mind off of Magnus, which was something that she so greatly needed.

  It was the week before Christmas and the store was busier than she could have imagined, but she loved it. She loved getting up every morning, and taking the short drive to work where she and Kelly would make fresh coffee and hot chocolate for their customers to sip on while they shopped.

  One could almost guarantee that Sterling would show up with a batch of freshly baked cookies that Ava would serve on an antique platter. Holiday music played softly in the back ground and each day at work felt more like a gathering of friends. All that was missing she told them was the snow. "Oh don’t worry honey, soon you'll be up to your ears in the stuff," he grinned.

  "Speaking of snow," Kelly said. "We've got to go shopping for some more winter clothes Ava; you're going to need to keep warm." She patted the small lump on her friend's belly.

  "Shopping? Now you're speaking my language girls, where and when?" Sterling asked and they all began to chuckle.

  The ring, ring of the bell above the door signified that their first customer of the day had arrived. But this customer hardly looked like he cared anything about antiques.

  "Well I was wondering when you'd decide to grace us with your presence," Sterling said to the man. Ava and Kelly exchanged looks as the handsome man shook hands with Sterling. "Please dear god don’t let him be gay," Kelly murmured to her.

  Ava had to hide her grin behind her hand so she wouldn’t embarrass herself or her customer by laughing.

  While Sterling talked to the stranger, Ava and Kelly sipped their hot chocolate and stared at the poor man as if he were a piece of meat. His dark brown hair was shaggy in a sexy bad boy way and he wore a heavy duty lumber jacket that stopped midway between his incredibly tight butt. He stood at least six feet tall and his eyes were the color of the hot cocoa they were drinking. "I want him," Kelly mumbled and again, Ava had to hide her grin.

  "Ava, Kelly, I'd like to introduce you to Adrian Wright."

  Yes you are, Ava thought to herself as she shook his hand. This guy is perfect for Kelly.

  Once the introductions were made, Adrian went on to explain the reason for his visit.

  "Well Miss Montgomery," he said. "It's Ava, please call me Ava," she grinned. She couldn’t stop grinning and neither could Kelly.

  "Okay Ava. I came by to see if you've hired anyone to take care of the snow removal for the season. I'm responsible for most of the snow removal in this area and I wondered if you would like to use my services."

  She, Kelly, and Sterling glanced at one another and Ava had to bite her tongue to stop herself from laughing.

  "Yes we'd like your services, very much so!" Kelly blurted out. She turned red the moment the words came out of her mouth and Adrian couldn’t help but smile.

  "Well there you have it Mr. Wright, we would be more than happy to use your services. And would that include my home as well? We only live down the street but the driveway is pretty long."

  Adrian nodded his head. "You moved into the Chamberlain's place right? The big Victorian?"

  She looked at him with curiosity. "Oh trust me honey, we knew you were moving here probably before you did!" Sterling said in jest.

  "Welcome to small town living," Adrian joked.

  Since Christmas was only a few days away, Ava decided to do some holiday match making. "So tell me Adrian, how does your wife feel about you being out all night plowing?"

  "I wouldn’t know, I don’t have one." He smiled and took the cup of coffee that Kelly had poured for him.

  "No?" Well I'm surprised to hear that, but how about a girlfriend?"

  He shook his head. "Nope, don’t have one of those either."

  "Well this just keeps getting better and better," she grinned at Kelly.

  "Damn woman, just get to the point will you? Adrian, Ava here is trying to set you up with Kelly, so once again Kelly this is Adrian, Adrian this is Kelly." The four of them burst out laughing at the crassness of Sterling's statement. "What?" He said when they all looked at him.

  "I was just saying what you all were thinking! Now you two get better acquainted while Ava and I get to work. Come on Miss Ava," he insisted as he and Ava walked towards the back.

  Ava looked at him with warmth in her eyes. "What'd I do?" He questioned her. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

  "Oh it's nothing; it's just that someone I used to know liked to call me Miss Ava that's all. When you said that just now it reminded me of her."

  "Well judging by the look on your face I'd say that you liked this woman very much and I have no doubt that she loved you."

  "How is it that you know just the right thing to say?" she playfully nudged him.

  He smiled. "I told you It's a gift." He winked.

  Chapter Twenty Three

  It was Christmas morning and Magnus was sitting on the sofa, he had spent the night at his parents place as was tradition and now he sat showered, dressed, and thinking about no one but Ava. Why hadn’t she tried to contact him? She hadn’t replied to any of his emails either. The last time he spoke to her was shortly after she'd arrived in Vermont. She told him that she had arrived safely and that the house was even more beautiful now that it belonged to her.

  She'd even said that she couldn’t wait for him to see it, but now there was nothing, no contact what so ever. Not even a call to wish me a Merry Christmas, he thought. "Well don’t let me stop you from living your life," he mumbled and stared out into the early morning.

  "Why so melancholy son? Are you missing your Ava?" His mother asked.

  He turned away from the window and faced her. "I am mom, but she hasn't been in contact with me and I'm afraid that I lost her."

  "Son, she needed some space is all so give it to her. Finish your book tour if you must and when you get all of this out of your system go to her."

  "Get what out of my system? Mom, what are you talking about?"

  "Magnus, I've seen this side of you before. You've got the same look in your eye that you used to get when you worked with your daddy. You're in this for the wrong reasons, you used to love to write son and you were humbl
e about your success."

  Magnus released a snicker. "Mom, I've gone on book tours before."

  "I know you have son but you've never been this calculated about it. Yes you've written another best seller but have you actually taken the time to ask some of your readers what the book has brought to their lives? Or what about it they like so much? I bet you haven’t even done that have you son? And you used to thank each and every fan when you signed their books. Now I bet you barely look up when a reader comes to you for an autograph."

  Magnus knew that she was right; he barely looked at his fans anymore, let alone ask them what part of the book they enjoyed the most. He missed that, he missed that personal interaction he had with his fans. "Things have gotten too commercial for you son, after this tour you need to reprioritize and figure out what you want out of life. Your father and I won't be around forever Magnus and you're our only son, we need some grandchildren to spoil. Call her," she said and kissed him on the cheek.

  Steve had told him that all of the information that was on his old phone had been synced into the new one so he found it odd that when he searched through his contacts for Ava's number, it was gone.

  "Merry Christmas to you too buddy, I hope you're getting some much needed rest. Remember we head back out in two days," Steve reminded him. As if he could forget. Steve had expanded his tour to the Southwest.

  "Yeah I got it Steve listen, I thought I asked you to sync all my contacts onto the new phone?"

  "I did."

  "Well if that's the case then how come I can't find Ava's number on my phone?"

  Steve sat on the other end of the line rolling his eyes. "Guess the tech at the phone store messed up sorry about that." He lied.

  "Well hey; I don’t suppose you could get in touch with Kelly could you? She knows Ava's number by heart I'm sure."

  "No can do buddy, Kelly and I are in the middle of a divorce, you know this. My lawyer wants me to have no contact with her what so ever."

  Magnus nodded his head. "Right, I forgot about that. Okay, so give me Kelly's number and I'll ask her myself."

  "Sorry, can't do that either. Magnus, she's no longer on my cell plan so I'm sure she's gone ahead and gotten a new number." Once again Steve lied. His wife was dropped from his cellular plan but even though she'd switched carriers, she'd been able to keep the same number.