She sat on the examination bench in silent shock. As the doctor left the room, Beth entered, eager to hear the diagnosis.
Her voice cracked when she spoke.
"I... I'm pregnant."
Beth's sudden squeal of joy caught her by surprise, and Syl looked up just in time to find herself smothered in a hug.
She held her friend tight, as she started shaking. "This... this can't be happening. I'm not ready for this." She bit her lip to hold back a sob, but failed. As tears began to fill her eyes, she buried her face in Beth's shoulder. "I can't believe I was stupid enough to let this happen again," she whispered in a broken voice.
Wild Horses (Aniela)
-
Sighing, Aniela leaned into Goliath, resting her chin on her folded arms as
she lay them against the crest of his neck. His ears twitched as he
detected he...
14 years ago
Beth held Sylvia and smoothed her hair with her hand. ‘Shh…’ she soothed, her friend’s sudden tears took her by surprise, she didn’t realise that Sylvia was still carrying around the negative feelings of things that happened almost sixteen years ago.
ReplyDelete‘It’ll be okay…’ Beth said softly, ‘John’s a stand up bloke. I mean, c’mon, I know that more than anyone!’ She said, attempting to get a smile out Sylvia by her joke. ‘No, really… he is. He is a wonderful father, and he will stand by you 100%, because that’s the type of guy he is. And… you have NJ and I this time. We won’t let anything bad happen. Things are different now Syl… I promise…’ Beth gave Syl a comforting kiss on the cheek and slipped her arm around her, ‘C’mon let me take you home.’
Home. It was a new word for both of them. It was funny how Cowboy’s near-death had bought them to this one place and that his house had become their home.
Beth drove them home; firing up her Ashton Martini engine and grinned at how it purred like a kitten. It was a silent drive as Sylvia’s tear-stained face looked out the window, looking at the houses and passer-by’s. Beth grabbed Sylvia’s hand as she drove and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
When Beth parked in the garage, she rushed around to the passenger side and helped Sylvia out. It was like; Beth’s maternal instinct was still running in overdrive as she fussed over Sylvia as if she was one of her own children. Avoiding the kids and Cowboy down the other end of the house, Beth led Sylvia to her room. ‘Get some rest, I’ll be back with some tea and warm toast…’ She said giving her friend a smile and a pat on the shoulder.
Beth wandered out to the other end of the house, where she found Neil rolling around on the floor with the kids wrestling. Beth blinked for a moment, as she nodded her head to the kitchen, motioning for him to join her in the kitchen. She felt his presence beside her a few moments later as she fixed a tray of toast with melted butter and a weak tea for Sylvia. ‘Your sister will need to speak to you – but just give us half an hour or so before checking in on her…. she’s er… had a big day…’ Beth didn’t want to elaborate any further and betray her friend’s confidence. Neil saw the serious facial expression on Beth’s face and didn’t press her for any details. Beth kissed Neil gently on the cheek, as she turned around with the tray in her hand. ‘I’m just going to give her something to make her feel a bit better…’ She said softly, as she walked out of the kitchen.
She knocked on Sylvia’s door softly and after hearing a meek ‘Come in’, Beth opened the door, tray in hand. ‘This’ll make you feel a little bit more human…’ she said with a smile.
She lay on her bed, silently crying, her phone in hand. She should call him; she *needed* to call him, but she couldn't bring herself to dial his number.
ReplyDeleteBeth had reassured her that things would be different this time, but she still dreaded that everything will be the same.
Hearing a knock on the door, she sat up. "Come in," she replied quietly, clutching her phone to her chest. As Beth entered, she wiped her tears, trying her best to smile back, and thanked her as she placed the tray of tea and toast on the nearby nightstand.
Her friend sat beside her on the bed, as Syl reached over for a piece of toast with her free hand. When Beth gave an inquiring glance at the phone, Syl simply shook her head to indicate that she still hadn't told him. "I-- I know I need to tell him. I... I'm just scared, that's all."
She slowly took a bite of her toast and chewed contemplatively, trying to remind herself that Jon wasn't like her ex, and things would really be different this time.
But she hadn't expected her ex to cut ties with her and leave her to raise their daughter alone the first time either.
She sighed at the thought of her girl. "Faith will take the news well, right? I mean, she adores Max like he was her little brother. Now she's got a real little brother or sister on the way."
She allowed herself a smile. Maybe it really would be better this time around.
Beth thought for a moment when Syl asked her about Faith taking the news.
ReplyDelete‘Well… Mellie took the news a bit hard at first, but she got use too it. At the end of the day Syl, Faith can’t change what’s going to happen and she might hate at first, but once that baby is here, in this world, she’ll fall in love with the little one. I know it.’ Beth smiled and squeezed Syl’s hand reassuringly.
Beth remembered how scared she was when she fell pregnant with Zoey. It was such a crazy time and such a huge question mark fell over her relationship with John. But John stood by her and she knew John well enough over the course of their seven year relationship that he was a stand up bloke, that would do the right thing.
‘Syl, I am being 100% straight with you. John will do the right thing. This is completely different to last time. You have a great support network. And hell, even if your big brother gives you hell, I can handle him’ Beth joked giving Syl a wink. ‘And hey… if you need a refresher course, I am totally happy to lend you my little handful Max!’ Beth giggled, trying to make Syl smile.
‘And no matter whatever happens, I will be right here.’ Beth kissed Syl’s forehead.
Beth was serious with her words; she knew what it was like to be alone and to feel it. She wasn’t going to have her friend feel that way too.
She finished a piece of toast as she listened to her friend, allowing herself to smile a bit more.
ReplyDelete"I know my brother, Beth; he wouldn't give me hell over this," she said as she took a sip of her tea. "Neil would just make some smart-ass remark that would make me want to kick his ass."
She paused in thought. "Oh wait, you mean the hell he's going to give me with all his smart-ass remarks." She nodded, chuckling. "Yeah, I can see that happening. And I can see it getting harder to kick his ass later in the pregnancy."
Syl smiled a little more as Beth reassured her that everything really would be okay, her friend's optimism brightening some of her grey cynical outlook.
When she finished her toast and tea, she looked at the phone she had held in her hand the entire time. She still needed to tell him.
Beth nodded in understanding, and was about the get up from the bed to leave when Syl wrapped her arms around her for a tight hug. "Thank you. Thank you so much." Her voice was small, but her gratitude was heartfelt.
Once Beth had left with the empty tray, she sat on her bed staring at her phone. A part of her still expected the worst, despite her friend's reassurances.
Sighing, she lay back on the bed as she dialed his number and stared up at the ceiling as she listened to the phone ring, waiting for him to pick up. When she heard his cheerful voice answer the phone, she smiled. She missed him more than she was willing to admit.
They chatted for a bit. He spoke of the interview he had just finished for the local paper. Then when he asked how she was feeling, she froze. "Um... I'm feeling better, sort of," she paused before continuing, unsure of how to break the news to him. "I'll... uh, be better probably in... about 9 months?"
Laughing, he commented on how that was the longest cold he had ever heard of, completely missing the hint. She laughed along with him, in disbelief that he had missed something so obvious. When he inquired again about her health, she nervously took the blunt approach. "I'm... uh... the doctor said... He said I'm pregnant, Jon."
The seconds of silence that followed felt like hours.
"Could you repeat what you just said? I heard something really weird."
"Jon, I'm pregnant. You're going to be a father."
To describe his response as enthusiastic would have been an understatment.
She sat up as they talked more, his joy at the news lifting a heavy weight from her. Then his tone turned oddly serious as he nervously told her he loved her.
She was speechless. After a moment, she tried to speak, but only a sob escaped her lips as tears began to roll down her cheeks. "Jon, I..." she smiled despite the tears, "I... thank you... I..." Her voice trailed off.
When their conversation was over, she reluctantly flipped her phone closed and lay back down, burying happy tears in her pillow.
She only realized she had dozed off when she was awakened suddenly by a knock on the door. Rubbing sleep and dry tears from her eyes, she groggily responded, "Come in."
Neil stood at the door as it swung open, with a puzzled and confused expression on his face. "You've been crying, Beth is bouncing off walls and I just got back from buying a new pair of shoes." he laughs, walking in and circling around to the bed to the window. He pulls back the curtains, letting some more light into the room.
ReplyDelete"So, Beth already warned me to be nice or else, she wouldn't elaborate on the or else, so it can't be good." he shrugs, "So what's up Sis?"
Syl smiled as she sat up in bed and watched her brother pull back the curtains, revealing more of the ocean view outside her window.
ReplyDelete"Be glad you weren't at the doctor's office with us, Neil," she chuckled, as she hugged her knees. "Then you really would have seen the waterworks."
She caught the flash of worry in his eyes and quickly explained. "Don't worry, bro. I'm not dying or anything. It was just a surprise; we weren't planning this, so when the doc told me, I... well, it felt like the world was falling apart around me again."
She smirked as she continued. "Beth just wants you to be nice to me for 9 months, 'cuz you're gonna be an uncle again before the tour is over."
To ensure that he didn't miss the clue, like Jon did when she called him earlier, she just flat out said it.
"I'm pregnant."
He caught the hint and his eyes widened with surprise and he moves over to her and gives her a big hug.
ReplyDeleteHe grins, "So, I am hoping Jon's the father?" he laughed.
He sat down beside her, "So this is why Beth was buzzing." he has an amused look on his face, wondering how soon before Beth's hormones started kicking into overdrive now that Syl was pregnant.
"So, nine months of being nice eh? Not sure I can pull that off Sis, but if you need anything, anytime you know I'll be there." He gives her another hug and grins, "I better go see Beth, she is probably bouncing off the walls in the hallway waiting to see how I took the news."
He winks at Syl as he heads for the door and manages to put a pissed off looking face as he opens the door and yells. "Beth have you seen my stinking shot gun?" Yeah, he was gonna have a little fun with this.
She laughed and playfully punched her brother in the ribs as he hugged her. "Of course, Jon's the father, you dork! Look who's talking! I'm surprised there aren't more little Johnsons running around." She paused a moment. "Wait, that didn't sound right..." She trailed off, trying to figure out why her last words sounded so odd.
ReplyDelete"Anyway, thanks, bro. It really means a lot to me." She hugged him tight before letting go, then chuckled. "What? The big bad Cowboy doesn't think he's capable of being nice to his little sister?" she joked and stuck out her tongue at him.
She caught his wink and grabbed her pillow, grinning, ready to throw it at him for whatever mischief he was planning. When he opened the door and yelled to Beth for his shotgun, Syl heard frantic steps rush down the hall towards her room, and she buried her face in the pillow instead to muffle her laughter.
Hiding her amused smile, she wondered about that 'Or else' Beth was threatening her brother with and if it applied to the pranks he played.
As Neil emerged from the room with a smirk on his face, Beth lunged at him screaming 'Nooooooo!' All Syl could see from her room, through the open door was Beth flying through the air, into Neil and them both falling to the floor with a thud. 'Jon must live!!' Beth shrieked as her voice pierced through the house. Beth looked down at Neil, who was groaning and holding the back of his head. 'Oh my kobe! Are you okay?' She said looking down at him as he groaned a response.
ReplyDeleteBeth looked up and saw Syl watching the action. 'Well... I hid his guns...' she said, her cheeks reddening as she tried to get off Neil.