Unexpected Gift

by Lively, R. S.

  “Oh, will you not be dining with us?” The hostess bats her spider leg lashes at me.

  I shrug the blazer on, and a chill seeps into my skin from how damp it is. “No, I’m sorry. It seems the person I’m supposed to meet didn’t show. I’m heading out. Thank you.”

  “Is this person a woman, by any chance?”

  I pause and turn my head to look over my shoulder. “Yes. Why?”

  “Did she have a baby?”

  “How do you know that?”

  She loses her flirtatious expression and swallows. “She came here. She looked around but she said the person she was meeting wasn’t here. She said she was going to call and be right back. I figured when she didn’t come back in that she had left. I assumed the plans got cancelled. Sir, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”

  Shit. She saw me talking to Victoria. I’ll bet anything that is why she left. “It isn’t your fault at all. I don’t blame you. Thank you for telling me.” I don’t spare the woman another glance as I bolt out the door and to my car.

  The tires spin as I reverse. I slam the car in drive and bolt forward, racing down the highway to get to the house, hoping she is there. I replay everything in my head and think if I did anything wrong with Victoria. I didn’t. She did put her arm on me, but I leaned back, trying to get away from her touch. I didn’t want it. I don’t want her.

  “Damn it, Molly. Don’t think the worst of me,” I say out loud, jerking the wheel to the right to speed past a car. Five minutes later I pull into the driveway and run up the steps. When I open the door, all the lights are out, and I see her silhouette illuminated by the lightning strikes crackling in the sky every so often.

  I flip on the light and see her sitting at the table, drinking a glass of wine. “Hey. Why didn’t you answer any of my calls? Or texts? I was worried about you.” I lean in to give her a kiss, but she pulls away.

  “What’s going on, Molly?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Don’t pull that on me. What is going on? I know you were at the grill. The hostess told me. Did you leave because of Victoria? That’s just some woman I work with. She means nothing.”

  “It didn’t look like nothing.”

  “Well, maybe if you would have stayed, you would have heard me say I have a girlfriend meeting me, but you did what you always do and ran off when you saw something you didn’t like.”

  She snorts and takes a sip of wine, mumbling something under her breath that I don’t hear. “What? If you want to say something, then say it, Molly. I don’t want to do the same old song and dance with you. I want us to get past that.”

  She slams her wine glass down on the table, her chest rising and falling the angrier she gets. “I said that’s funny because you are not one to talk. I got home and checked the messages.”

  “So? What? Did your parents call or something?” I stride into the kitchen to pour my own glass of wine.

  “Nope. Dr. Rawlings called, though.”

  The bottle slips from my hand and crashes onto the floor, sending red wine and glass pieces everywhere. “Shit,” I curse, snapping the dish towel off the oven.

  “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

  “That’s why I asked you to lunch. I want to talk to you about the promotion.”

  “A promotion? How much higher can you get? You’re a neurosurgeon, for goodness sake.”

  One minute I’m standing in front of spilled wine, and the next, I’m beside her, holding her hand. “I can be Chief of Neuro.”

  I see the despair on her face. “In San Diego?”

  “I know. It’s far, but I think it can be good for us. We can all go. It’s a big raise. Posie will never have to worry about a thing.”

  “She doesn’t have to worry about a thing now, Caden. You can’t really be serious. You would uproot her? Change her life again? She just lost her parents. She finally doesn’t cry all the time. Her grandparents are here. Brandon and Amelia are here. And you want to take that from her?”

  I sigh, throwing the dishrag on the table. “Of course, I don’t. But it is a good opportunity for us.”

  “You mean for you, Caden. It is a good opportunity for you. It’s your dream job. You should go.”

  I take a step back like she slapped me. “What? No. I don’t want to make this decision without you. You are a part of it.” I reach of her again, and she yanks her hand away, laying it in her lap.

  “Let’s not fool ourselves anymore, Caden. You and I both know that this isn’t the life you imagined for yourself. That job is your dream. I don’t want to be the one that you look at and despise because you never fulfilled that dream. Go. Live your life. You aren’t bound here.”

  “What the hell are you talking about, Molly? Of course, I am. I made a promise to Brandon—”

  “Brandon is dead! You aren’t bound to do anything!” she screams, punching the kitchen table with her hand. “He is dead. You don’t have to live by his wishes.”

  “You’re just saying that to push me away.”

  “No. I’m not, Caden. If you are worried about us, don’t be. You can still see Posie whenever. I’ll get a house that I can afford. Let’s just stop kidding ourselves. This will never work. We are too different. We gave into some lust. That’s it. We can write it off as a one-night stand. You should be used to that, right?” She finishes her wine in one swallow.

  She goes to walk away, but I grab her, pulling her to me until her breasts are pushed against my chest. “You know that isn’t true. You know what we had was more. It’s always been more.”

  A tear rolls down her cheek, and her next words break me. “It’s never been more. We’ve never been more. Just go.”

  “I don’t want to leave you.”

  “I want you to leave me! Your work is so important to you? Then fucking go, Caden. Nothing is stopping you. Your dreams have always been first. I refuse to be the person that ruins that for you.”

  “So that’s it? You won’t even consider going with me?”

  “No. Posie’s life is here. I won’t take her from her grandparents. She needs them.”

  “What about you? What do you need, Molly?”

  She doesn’t answer. The wine glass makes a harmonic noise as she runs her fingers over the rim. “I need you to go live your dream.”

  My blood starts to boil. No matter what I say to prove to her that I want them with me while I strive for my dream, she shoots me down. “You want me to go? Fine. And don’t worry about the house. Consider it on me.”

  “I don’t need your charity.”

  “Just take the damn house. I can afford it.” I run up the stairs and slam the door behind me. Posie’s cry rips through the night, breaking my heart. Am I really going to do this? Am I going to leave my best friend’s daughter?

  “Look what you did. Do you know how long it took to get her down?”

  I groan in frustration. I don’t need Molly’s attitude. I’m done fighting. I want to be done for the rest of my life. I ignore her and grab the suitcases from my closet. I toss them on the bed. The zipper is loud as I open the suitcase and start throwing all my clothes in there. They aren’t folded, and whenever I get to where I am going, all of them will be wrinkled. Once the suitcases are packed, I open the door and pound down the steps.

  “Wow, that was fast. You’re in such a hurry,” she says in a maniacal tone.

  “Yeah, well, you want me out? I’m out. Plus, they need to know by the end of the week anyway.”

  “Tomorrow. That’s what the message was about.”

  “Perfect. Then I guess I’m right on time,” I sneer, hiding the hurt throbbing under my skin.

  “I guess so,” she whispers, staring off into the distant mountains.

  “This is how we are going to leave things? This is it?”

  She rocks Posie, bouncing her in her arms. I bet she will tell a story of Brandon. She always does when she won’t sleep. “I guess so,” she repeats.

  “Can I say bye to Posie at least?” I hol
d out my arms.

  She sets her in my hands. “Sure. You are the one leaving her.”

  “You’re the one pushing me out.” I kiss Posie on the cheek. “I’ll see you soon, okay? I’m going to miss you.” I hand her back over to Molly. I wait to see if Molly gives me any sign that she wants a kiss or anything of that nature, but she won’t look at me. I open the front door and step out of the home I should have known would never last.

  “I hope your career tucks you in at night,” she whispers.

  I go to slam the door again but think better of it because of Posie. That’s so like Molly to say that. She is always the one to get the last word in, but this time I won the fight because I’m not battling with words.

  I’m battling with distance, and there is no way she can beat that.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Molly

  Ten days have gone by. Ten days of me crying on the couch nonstop. The only person who knows what is going on with me is Kenna and she is on her way to help with Posie. I feel a little sick from crying so much. I haven’t heard a word from Caden, and I can’t help but wonder if he has settled into his job okay.

  I hated to push him away like that, but I had to. I wanted him to live his dream. I didn’t want him to be stuck here with me and Posie because of something my brother wanted. I want Caden to be able to live his life without being tied down. He deserves that.

  So here I am, hating myself for what I said and how I treated him. He will never forgive me, and in time, I’ll be okay with that, but right now, my heart feels like it is barely beating, and everyday life is going by slower and slower.

  I close my eyes to take a nap and relieve myself from some of the depression I find myself in, but right as I do, a knock comes from the door. I sigh and peak my head over the top of the couch to see Kenna’s bright pink hair through the window. Looks like she changed it again.

  I get up, slumping my shoulders and sliding my feet along the floor. I unlock the door but don’t open it, turning back around to lay down on the couch.

  The door creaks open, and Kenna scolds me. “You look like shit.”

  “Thanks. Love you, too.”

  “You brought this upon yourself.”

  “I know.”

  “You could have asked him to stay, Molly.”

  “I know.”

  “You could have—”

  “I know what I could have done! You don’t need to remind me!” I shout.

  She raises her brows at me and puts her hands on her hips. I throw a hand over my mouth as a sob rips from my chest. “I’m sorry, Kenna. I just miss him so much.”

  Kenna runs to me and pulls me into a hug. “I know you do. It doesn’t have to be over. Just call him. Call him and tell him you want him back. He will come. He loves you and Posie. He only left to one-up you, Molly.”

  “No, he really wanted this. He wanted this job. He has always wanted this. I can’t be the person to take that from him.”

  “I understand.”

  My stomach turns suddenly like it did yesterday. I cover my mouth and run to the bathroom, barely able to get the toilet seat up as I throw up. I haven’t eaten anything, so I dry heave. The acid burns when it comes up my throat. Kenna holds my hair and rubs my back. “How long has this been going on?”

  I groan, leaning my head against the wall. “I don’t know. Five days? I can’t really remember.”

  “Yeah, for my peace of mind, I’m going to need you to take this.” She whips out a pregnancy test from her back pocket, waiting for me to grab it.

  I stare at it like it’s going to bite me, but then I start to laugh. “You can’t be serious. Why do you have that?”

  “Because you have been acting weird for the past few days, so on the way here, I stopped and bought a pack. Every time I talk to you, you’re sick, and it isn’t depression. I’ve seen you depressed, Molly.”

  “So, I’ve cried myself into sickness, and you think I’m pregnant? That’s impossible.”

  “Is it?”

  “Yeah, I mean we had a mishap, but I did the math and it wasn’t the right time of the month for that to happen.”

  She places the test in my hand. “Babe, you can never be one-hundred-percent positive when having sex without protection. Just take this test, and if it comes out negative, then fine. I’m wrong, and we can breathe a little easier.”

  I start thinking about the last time we had sex and a memory niggles the back of my mind. We didn’t wear protection…again. “Oh, shit.”

  “I know that look.” She shakes her head and helps me up.

  I hurry, sliding my shorts off until I’m sitting on the toilet and unwrap the test with shaky hands. I don’t care if Kenna sees me pee, we are way past that milestone in our friendship. I shove the stick between my legs, waiting for my bladder to work. “Come on, come on,” I try to persuade my own body to work.

  Kenna turns on the sink and shrugs when I give her the evil eye. But a second later, a stream starts to hit the stick. “What if it’s positive?”

  “Then you tell Caden.”

  “But he will come back here.”

  “Who cares, Molly! That is his baby. He deserves to know. He deserves to make that decision. Don’t take that away from him too. Don’t push him away. You’re really fucking good at that.”

  I put the cap back on the test and set it on the counter. “I know,” I say in defeat. I pull my pants up and wash my hands, waiting to see what the test will say.

  “It’s okay if it is positive, you know.”

  “I know.” It doesn’t take away the nerves, though. I check the test, but nothing has appeared yet. “How long do these take?”

  She grabs the box and flips it over to read the back. “Three minutes.”

  “Three minutes? Come on. Out of all the advances in medicine, they should have a quicker test,” I bitch.

  “It’s three minutes, not three years. You’ll be fine.”

  I grip the counter with two hands and hang my head, wondering when the hell I became so irresponsible. I’m a grown woman. I know to be safe. I just didn’t want to be safe with Caden. I wanted to feel as connected to him as possible. I wanted to experience every sense of what being close really meant. In the moment, lust and need took over my body, like an addiction. Every cognitive thought went out the window when Caden was anywhere near my body.

  And being blinded by lust has led to this moment. My best friend and I are in the bathroom, with a test my best friend bought because she knows me better than I know myself. I’m knocked up by a man that doesn’t want me anymore.

  Perfect.

  “Okay, it’s been three minutes.” Kenna’s words shake my core.

  I swallow audibly and drag my gaze to the test. And there, in perfect sight, are two pink lines. I pick it up with shaky hands, staring at it with disbelief.

  “I’m assuming that look on your face means you are pregnant.”

  “I’m pregnant.”

  “With Caden’s baby.”

  “With his baby.”

  Kenna steps toward me and places her hands on my shoulders. “It’s going to be okay. If he is that big of a dick and doesn’t want his kid, then you have me. I’m not going anywhere. I won’t even smoke around the little peanut.” She takes her fists and knocks on my stomach like the baby will answer. “You hear that? I’m not smoking around you, so don’t be surprised if I’m a little bitchy.”

  “Kenna!”

  “What? It can’t understand me yet.”

  “It? This isn’t a dinosaur. It’s a baby.”

  “It might as well be a dinosaur with how much it will roar at night to keep you up.” She shivers. “I never want kids. I have enough through you.”

  “Jeez, thanks.” I toss the test in the sink. “What am I going to do, Kenna? I never thought this would be possible.”

  “I know, and I know you. You’re going to want to wait until the last minute to tell him, but telling him is the first thing you need to do, okay? He migh
t be one of those men that wants to experience everything with you, like the doctor’s appointments.”

  I know she is right, but when? “When do I do it? Can I wait a couple of days?”

  “I don’t recommend that. Sooner the better, in my opinion.” Kenna leaves the bathroom and takes the cigarettes out of her pocket, leaving me alone to process the information.

  “Crap,” I whisper. “Crap, crap, double crap.” I lay my hand against my flat stomach and glance down. It’s hard to believe I’m pregnant when it isn’t showing. “I know the situation is complicated right now, but it will get better. I love your father, and your father loves you. I promise not to take that away from you.”

  “Uh, Molly! You need to get out here, and come see this,” Kenna shouts from the living room.

  I run out of the bathroom, almost tripping over my own feet thinking something happened to Posie. When I stand next to Kenna, she is staring out of the front door with an unlit cigarette hanging from her mouth. “What is it? What’s wrong?” I run to the playpen, but Posie is sound asleep, not making a peep.

  “Look,” she points to the door.

  I push my hair out of my face and look up, gasping as my world starts tilting. I see who is on the other side. “Caden? Is that Caden?” I ask with excitement and shock. He looks a little rough, and he is pacing the porch, talking to himself. His hair has gotten longer, and his scruff is now a trimmed beard. He waves his hands in front of him, talking with them like he always does. He stops, shakes his head, and repeats everything he just did.

  “Well, he isn’t here to talk to me. Go.” Kenna points her head to the door.

  But I don’t move. My body is frozen.

  “Go!” she hisses, pushing me forward. I reach for the handle and open it, wondering how in the world he has such perfect timing.

  He stops pacing when he hears the door and turns his head to me. When he sees me, his eyes light up, and he is in front of me in two quick strides, pulling me into his arms. I’m in shock for a second and then return the hold. “I fucking missed you, Molly. I missed you so much.” His hand holds the back of my head, keeping me close to him.

  “I missed you, too. I was just about to call you. What are you doing here?” I ask, and he sets me down, cupping my face.