Regina opened the door to Sandra's smiling face.
"Surprise!" she said as she held up a bag filled with Tupperware.
"What are you doing here?" Regina asked genuinely excited for her visitor.
"I figured you would be exhausted after yesterday I know I was, so I wanted to bring you some comfort food." Sandra said as she walked into the house as Regina took a bag from her.
"Aww you didn't have to do that."
"I wanted to, plus we haven't had a chance to talk since the last time you were at the house." Sandra said as they walked into the kitchen and she started to unpack the containers.
"Is that roast beef?" Gina asked as she picked up the container and salivated over the savory smelling food.
"I know it's one of your favorites."
"Ms. Sandra you're the best." Gina said as she hugged her making Sandra smile.
"Let me warm these up for us just have a seat." Regina instructed as she pulled out a pan from the cabinet.
After warming up the food Regina and Sandra sat at the table to a plate of piping hot roast beef with gravy, jasmine rice and glazed baby carrots.
Regina hummed as she ate her food in silence.
"This is so good Ms. Sandra."
"Thank you honey, you know since your dad and I are getting married you can just call me Sandra."
"Would you hate it if I called you mom?" Regina asked surprising Sandra.
"You want to call me mom?" she asked as tears stung her eyes.
"If you don't mind, I mean you've been more of a mom to me in the past five years I've known you than my own mother. I've only met her three times."
"I would be honored if you called me mom; I already love you like you're my own."
"Really?" Regina beamed.
"Of course, I loved you from the moment you threatened me." She said with a laugh as Regina cringed.
"I would apologize about that but I'm not really sorry, I wanted to make sure you didn't hurt my daddy."
"I know," Sandra said patting Regina on the hand. The women sat in silence for a few moments relishing in their newfound relationship.
"How are things with you and Christian?" Sandra asked as she cleared the table.
"Not too good we got into a huge fight on Friday. I admit it was my fault but I don't know if we can stay together after this one."
"Why?"
"I did something-well in his mind I did it and I don't think he'll forgive me."
"I'm confused, what exactly does he think you did?"
Regina sighed as she debated whether she would tell Sandra what was really going on.
"I'm pregnant and I told him that I was thinking about getting an abortion because I never wanted children and can't be a mother."
"That's nonsense how could you say that?" Sandra said bluntly surprising Regina.
"Christian loves you more than anything, I have never seen a young man so in love. He contributed just as much as you to create the child you can't just abort the pregnancy and think that he doesn't have a say. Do you know how many women struggle to have children on a daily basis? I never had any children because I was selfish. I didn't want anything to ruin my career." Sandra said as she looked Regina right in the eyes. "I thought that I didn't have the time or qualifications to become a mother, that's how I ruined my first marriage. I regret to this day not having any children, but now that I have you and I see you going down the same road as me I want to stop you from making the biggest mistake of your life."
Sandra's words echoed in Regina's mind for the next two days as she deliberated on what to do. She was torn, she didn't want to lose Christian, but she didn't think that it was right for her to try to raise a child she would only mess up. Another part of her thought that she could actually be a wife and mother. She even thought about giving up the child to Christian and surrendering her parental rights before moving cross-country but then she would be no better than her mother. Regina thought about every option that did not include her in the equation.
After being up for two nights straight Regina was ready to pop a few sleeping pills, but she knew that knocking herself would not solve her problem. She pulled on a pair of sweatpants and grabbed her car keys. She sat in front of Christian's house for over a half an hour before she worked up the courage to ring the doorbell. She knew that Christian would be furious with her and he had every right to be. Elizabeth answered the door.
"Hi Elizabeth is Christian home?"
"No, he hasn't been home since Friday night. He packed a bag and walked out of the house without a word, he was upset about something." Elizabeth said letting Regina in.
Regina scrunched up her face as she tugged at a lock of hair.
"He's upset with me, probably livid. Do you have any idea where he may be?"
"No, I think Maxwell knows but he's not saying anything."
"Okay, thanks." She said turning to leave.
"Do you want anything before you go?"
"No thanks, I'm fine." She said walking out of the house as she scrolled through the contacts on her phone in search of Maxwell's number, she called Maxwell and agreed to meet him at the art gallery. When she arrived, Maxwell was waiting for her out front and the minute he saw her he wrapped her up in a hug.
"Are you okay, do you need anything to eat?" Maxwell said as he ushered her into the building and led her into the back office. Before she knew it, Regina had a glass of orange juice and a turkey sandwich in front of her.
"I guess it's safe to say that Christian told you."
"Yeah he told me everything, are you really going to get rid of my little niece?" he asked as he leaned back on the desk.
"I've thought about it but I can't do it, I should have never said what I did to Christian. I know I hurt him but I was just angry and confused... I still am." She confessed as she nursed her orange juice.
"I need to talk to him, where is he?" she asked giving him the saddest look she could muster up. Knowing how strong their brotherly bond was she didn't know if Maxwell would give up Christian's location.
"He told me not to tell anyone but you two need to talk and he's been gone almost a week he should have calmed down by now," Maxwell said as he ran his fingers through his dirty blond hair as he mauled over the decision to tell her or not.
"He's at the family ranch in Texas."
"He would run away to a place filled with dirt and manure," Regina grumbled as she thought about the last time she was at the ranch. Christian had gotten a week full of entertainment as he tortured Regina with the dirtiest and almost inhumane chores he could think of.
Regina rushed home to pack a bag and order a ticket for the next flight to Huston.
*****
Dousing a bottle of water over his head Christian welcomed the temporary relief that the cool water brought as it traveled down his overheated body. He had been out all day with the ranch hands repairing the fences that surrounded the one thousand-acre ranch as well as other maintenance jobs. It was late and his stomach grumbled letting him know that it wasn't happy being empty. Climbing into his truck, he started back on the thirty-minute journey back to the main house. The week away from city life had done his mind some good he was less angry at Regina but more hurt at the fact she despised the idea of having his child. It had been his dream to build a house on the ranch after he retired and lived there in peace with his wife. During the holidays and summer, the house would be filled with his kids and grandchildren. He always thought that it would be Regina sitting in the rocking chair next to him when he was old a gray. Shaking the thought from his mind, he put on the radio and focused on the road ahead of him.
Walking out of the garage Christian watched as a taxi pulled into the driveway and Regina climbed out of the car as the driver pulled her luggage from the trunk.
"What are you doing here Regina?" he said much harsher than he intended.
"I came to see you," she said as she tried to mask her disappointment with her reception. She wasn't expecting him to break out into a dance, but it would have been nice if he didn't look at her with such disdain.
"Why you and I clearly have nothing to talk about."
"We have a lot to talk about."
"Regina I'm tired I don't feel like playing games with you," he said before turning his attention onto the cab driver.
"I'll give you a hundred bucks to take her back wherever you picked her up from." He said to Regina's surprise.
"Christian I came all this way to see you, you can't just -"
"You're on my property I can do whatever I want!" He yelled, causing Regina and the cab driver to jump.
"Ma'am I don't know what's going on but he clearly doesn't want to see you maybe you should go back home, Ronald ain't ready to die just yet," Ronald said trying to defuse the situation.
"I'm not going anywhere I didn't do anything wrong. I didn't do it Christian...I couldn't."
"So what you want me to just forgive you because you chickened out?"
"No, I want you to forgive me because I am sorry."
"You really showed me your true colors Regina I don't know if I can just forgive you. You were willing to kill our child just to hurt me."
"Oh snap, you got an abortion then you really need to leave. Listen to Ronald he's trying to save your life." Ronald said standing in between Christian and Regina.
"I didn't have an abortion!" Regina yelled.
"Like I said I'm tired, just go home," Christian said turning his back on her and began to walk away when he felt something hard hit him in the back. Regina picked up another rock and tossed it at him this time missing him by a few centimeters. Christian turned around and glared at her his crystal blue eyes darkened with anger.
"I just spent a crapload of money to sit on a plane for four hours next to a woman who sounded like she was dying from tuberculosis. Then sit in a cab for almost two hours with this guy who smells like molded cheese and talks about himself in the third person."
"Hey!" Ronald exclaimed as he took a whiff of his shirt only to cringe. "I could use a shower," he confessed
Regina rolled her eyes at him before continuing her rant "My butt hurts, I'm hungry, tired, and pregnant against my will but I'm trying to show you how genuinely sorry I am. I will not just go home." Regina finished with a sniffle. Christian looked at her with a scowl he wasn't ready to forgive her but he knew that his conscience would eat him alive and if his mother ever found out about it she would bury him in the backyard. He couldn't just abandon the mother of his unborn child. Christian grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her into the house.
"Food is in the fridge, pick any room you want to sleep in, you leave first thing in the morning." He said dropping her hand and walked up the stairs, leaving a rejected and weeping Regina in the foyer.
The doorbell rang and Regina wiped her eyes before opening the door to the cab driver who had her luggage.
"Will you be okay here?" he asked as he placed the suitcase inside for her.
"Yeah, I'll be fine, thanks for all of your help," Regina said handing him a fifty-dollar tip.
"If you need any help while you're here give Ronald a call." He said handing Regina his business card and she laughed.
"Is your name really Ronald McDonald?"
"Sadly yes," he said with a sigh,
Regina said her final goodbyes to Ronald McDonald before closing the door. Her mind turned onto the brooding man upstairs. Regina had no idea how she was going to win him over even though she knew that she didn't deserve him, she needed him more now than ever before.