The Foster Girls #4: Willow

Chapter 10: Willow

The next morning on my shift at the Coffee Shop, Juliana looked at me closely and asked if I was feeling OK.

"I've just been feeling a little off for the past few days."

"Off?"

"Tired. A little nauseated. It's worse at night. I don't get sick but my stomach feels iffy."

"Sweetie," she said slowly, "when was your last period?"

I had to think. "Um, I'm not really regular. It's been...maybe eight weeks ago?"

She nodded. "And since then, have you had unprotected sex?"

That was Juliana. Straightforward, straight shooter.

Then it hit me like a hammer. "You think I'm pregnant?"

Pressing her lips together, she put her hand on my arm. "The nausea, feeling off, feeling tired...I could be wrong, but those are classic symptoms, especially if you didn't use protection."

"Oh, God," I said. "Oh, Juliana, oh God."

"Breathe, sweetie. Let's go sit down in back."

With an arm around me, she led me to the back of the shop where we had a break area set up. I sunk into one of the chairs. "What if I'm pregnant?" I whispered to her, trying to choke back the tears that threatened.

"Then you'll have a baby in about seven or eight months." Her words were calm, soothing, and she smiled softly at me. "It's going to be OK, Willow."

My breath hitched, and I felt myself losing the battle against the tears that were pushing forward.

"I'm going to call Harmony and have her go pick up a pregnancy test and bring it here, OK?"

I nodded, afraid to trust my voice.

This could not be happening. I could not be pregnant with Deck's baby – he didn't want me, much less a child.

Then I thought of Nurie helping to raise my child and I sprinted toward the bathroom in time to lose my breakfast.

Harmony and Juliana held my hands as we waited for the results.

It had to be negative.

It just had to be.

"It's time," Harmony said.

We looked.

It wasn't negative.

"I'm pregnant," I said softly, my hands going to my stomach.

Juliana pulled me into a hug, and then passed me to Harmony.

"Congratulations, Mommy," Juliana said. "I promise, it's going to be OK."

"Today, no thinking about anything other than the good news," Harmony said. "And, Will, it is good news. It's a new life. You can figure out all the rest tomorrow or the next day."

"I don't – can we just keep it between us for now? I'll tell the other girls later, but for now, I just want to keep it quiet."

"Sure, hon," Juliana said. "I won't tell anyone, not even Mac."

"My lips are sealed," Harmony promised.

"OK, I need to go out there and finish my shift."

For a minute, Juliana looked at me, then nodded. She knew I needed today to be as normal as possible, so she wasn't going to tell me to go home.

Before I walked through the door, I looked back at them. "Thank you both."

Then I went and finished my shift.

Then I went home and walked Bennett.

Then I worked eight hours, taking Bennett out a couple of times on my breaks.

Then I walked Bennett for a final time.

Then I went to bed and slept until it was time to get ready for my shift.

And somehow I managed to push my pregnancy and all it meant to the back of my thoughts.

On Saturday, half way into my shift, Decker walked into the Coffee Shop. And suddenly the pregnancy I'd somewhat successfully pushed to the back of my mind for the last few days came roaring forward.

"Hi, sweetheart," he said as he flashed me his smile that I'd always loved to see when he was trying to wife me.

"I told you not to call me that," I snapped.

His smile deepened. "Hello, Willow." I'd always loved when his voice got low and rumbly.

"What can I get you?"

He gave me his coffee order, then asked me if I'd come talk with him on my break.

"Why?" Geez, these pregnancy hormones were making me snappish.

"I have some news."

So did I.

"We can get divorced sooner? Because that's the only news that I'd like to hear now."

He couldn't quite cover the wince that flashed over his face. "Let's talk on your break. I'll be here." He tipped his head toward the leather chairs.

Twenty minutes later, I sat across from him, feeling the full force of Decker's attention focus on me with laser-like intensity.

"So, talk." I was blaming my bitchiness on pregnancy hormones.

"Are you sure you don't want to live in the cottage?" was his strange response.

"Positive. Why? Planning to use it as a weekend getaway with Nurie?"

"There is no Nurie," Deck said evenly, ignoring my bitchy tone. "But if you don't want to live there, then I'm going to move in."

That news shot me straight up in my chair. What?

"I'll be here full time, going back to the city only when absolutely necessary for business. The rest I'll be handling from here."

"Why?"

"I think I made things clear to you the other day, Willow. I'm coming after you and I'm not going to stop until I have you back."

My impersonation of a fish on land was probably stunning. My mouth opened and closed but nothing came out.

"You don't believe anything that comes out of my mouth. Fair enough. But I'm going to win your trust."

"That's just crazy," I informed him. "And pretty much impossible."

His eyes flashed at my challenge, the determination in them making me understand how he'd turned his company into a worldwide presence in a few short years. This man didn't see obstacles; he saw only minor inconveniences that he'd flatten on the way to his goal.