Page 32

Jessikah

Five Weeks Later…

“Are you serious right now? You are holding up this deal because of something that has been explained to you by me and by my assistant. So I am going to hang up with you and I will contact Carlos. It’s because of you this deal has had to be pushed back not once, but twice.

” I hang up the phone and bring my hands to my temples.

This is one of the stupidest things I have ever dealt with.

“Tina, can you get Carlos Striker from Trustopolis on the phone. This deal will be flipped to complete today!” I shout. Tina sits on the other side of the door. But the frustration of this deal is starting to get to me.

“Carlos is on line one,” she states, placing a glass in front of me and nods at it. “Take a sip and then answer his call.” She spins on her heels and makes her way to the back door where Moose is barking.

Lifting the glass to my lips and taking a sip leaves my eyes watering and the urge to spit, high.

What the fuck did she put in this drink?

I pick up the phone and begin my speech about having inept underwriters is a huge flaw in the system.

I explained the situation, and he informed me that he will get back to me by the end of the day.

Standing up from my desk, I head to the kitchen to get some lunch. When I walk into the kitchen, Tina is standing at the back door with her hands hanging limply by her side.

“Tina are you okay?” I ask, placing my hand on her shoulder. I look over her shoulder to Moose playing in the backyard.

“What am I doing?” she whispers. Her body starts to shake as she begins to cry.

“Talk to me. What’s going on?” I grab her hand and pull her to the chair at the island. Then head to the door to let Moose back into the house.

“Am I moving too quickly? Should I even be looking at moving on? Should I leave this city? Should I become a recluse and just stay in the house away from everyone,” she asks, as I place a drink in front of her.

“Tina what happened to you, to us, isn’t our fault. We were in the wrong place at the wrong time. We were all living our life to the best of our ability when my ex-husband decided to let his psycho loose,” I state, pulling the stuff for a sandwich out of the fridge.

“I know it wasn’t our fault. But this time last year I was madly in love with my husband.

I was ready to have a baby and move forward making plans.

But here I am, with a man who lives in a clubhouse, or at least I think he lives in the clubhouse.

Wondering where I am going to raise our baby,” she finishes, her head hanging low as she picks at her nail beds.

“Tina, you’re pregnant?” I ask, the sandwich I was making left as I walk over to my best friend and wrap my arms around her. Her tears are soaking through my blouse, and my friend lets it all loose.

“I am about six weeks pregnant. I haven’t told anyone yet, not even Brownie. I’m afraid to. How are people going to look me?” she asks, rubbing her face on my shirt.

“Fuck what they think. This is a miracle. This baby will be loved, even if it’s just you and I that love it. I am here for you, and we will make sure this baby is loved everyday of its life,” I state.

“But what will Jackson think?” she asks, her eyes coming to mine.

“How he reacts will tell me everything I need to know about him. No matter what he thinks you will always be my family. This baby is our family, and we will prove to the world that we survived.” I wrap my arms around her and squeeze her as she breaks down.

“Life throws so many wrenches at you, and no matter how much you want to give up you just have to keep dodging. Because all it will take is one time the wrench is thrown and hits someone else, taking you off the path and onto one we are meant for,” I state, the sandwich and lunch left on the counter as we comfort each other.

***

“Thank you, Carlos. I appreciate all your help in closing this file.” I hang up the phone and close for the night. I promised Tina we would snuggle on the couch and watch cop shows.

My phone buzzes on my desk. I grab it and leave the office, locking the door behind me.

Walking to the living room to find Tina already in her pajamas.

“Give me about thirty minutes, then we can order out and watch hot cops on TV.” She smiles at me over her book and drops her eyes back to the pages.

She has been reading this series around a club of bikers who are placed all over the world.

Each series is written by a different author and the only thing in common is the clubs’ names.

Walking up to my room and directly into my bathroom, I turn on the shower and slowly start to take off my clothes.

Catching a glimpse in the mirror, I notice a change in my body.

Throwing caution to the wind, I decide to take a test that I have had in my cabinet since everything happened with my ex.

I was so afraid I was going to get pregnant from getting raped.

I find an old cup I was supposed to use during a routine blood draw. I couldn’t pee and they gave me a cup to take home. I fill the cup up, place it on the vanity, and dip the end of the stick into the urine. I count to ten, put the cap back on the stick, and jump in the shower.

I quickly move through my routine. Shampoo, conditioner, soap, and face wash.

Then I shut off the shower and reach out to grab the towel on the rack.

Wrapping it around my body before reaching for the other towel and putting my hair up in it.

Glancing down at the stick that’s resting on my countertop, the giant blue plus sign slaps me in the face.

Leaning against the vanity and wiping the steam from my mirror, I stare. Having been told I would never have a baby, and now here I am staring at a fork in the path I was supposed to be on.

“Well, Tina. It looks like our paths have crossed and we are going to be two women raising our babies,” I whisper to the mirror before walking out and getting dressed in my comfortable clothing.