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“A simple pee test told you what’s wrong with me?” I ask, and as the words spill out of my mouth, I hear my own question and drop like a stone into the chair with her reply.
thirty
DOMINIC
Her text is cryptic, and I’m a little worried. I bail on Bodhi a couple hours early. I’m not far from her apartment, having driven my own car to the work site today. I send her a quick return text explaining I’m on my way.
My pulse is racing. She’s been so sick, and I can’t for the life of me figure out what it might be. Oh, shit, what if the doctor found something terrible? My mind is playing tricks on me. She’s been so stressed at work. Surely that’s what this is.
I park in the lot across the street and walk onto her floor within ten minutes. I use the code she’s given me, and when I walk past the entrance I trip over something. On further inspection, it’s my overnight bag. I stopped packing each night and just brought enough for several days. I open it up and rifle through, and all my stuff is neatly packed in there.
What the fuck? I turn the corner from the awkward wall separating the door from the kitchen.
Sandra isn’t on the couch, but I hear Otis whining from behind her bedroom door. I cross the living room with my longstrides. Twisting the doorknob, I walk into it, not realizing it’s locked.
“Sandra, what the hell is going on? My stuff is packed, and you’ve locked yourself in your room. You’re scaring me. What did the doctor say?”
“I think you know what the doctor said! It was your plan all along.” She’s quick in her answer, all while Otis is scratching at the door to get to me. “Let me ask you, Dom. Did you use needles to poke holes through the condoms? I can’t find any in my bathroom or drawer. Maybe you ripped it. Fuck if I know.”
I’m lost, fucking lost, and scared and pissed off all at the same time.
“You lied! You asshole. What a plan! Get me knocked up and then I’d have no choice.”
What is she talking about? “Sandra, can you let me in? I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
But, the words are on a constant repeat in my mind.Knocked up. Knocked up. Knocked up.
“Sandra, are you pregnant?” It all falls into place, and fuck, she thinks I purposely deceived her.
“You knew that already, didn’t you?”
I drop my head against the small piece of wood separating us. “I’d never do that to you.Never.I respect you too much.”
She’d been nauseous, and certain smells affected her differently than others. Oh, shit, she’s really pregnant.
“And what would you do if I decide to get an abortion?”
Oh, fuck. Would she? “Sandra, can I please see you? Please let me in.”
“Answer the fucking question, asshole. What would you do if I decide to get an abortion?”
There’s only one answer. “I won’t lie to you, Rosso. You carrying my child inside of you is fucking awesome.” But, there’s more to say. “You pregnant with my child does things to me. Butat the end of the day, your body is your body, and if you decide you can’t raise this child, then I’ll go with you, I’ll hold your hand, I’ll cry with you. Heck, I’ll even let you call me names. And afterward, if you want to stop by McDonald’s for their salty fries, it’s what we’ll do, and it’s my promise to you.”
I don’t move my head and keep it against the door to be closer to her. “Sandra, baby, you gotta believe I’d never do that to you.Please.If these past several months mean anything to you, believe me.”
I wait a minute, or maybe ten minutes, I don’t know. The knob to the door turns, and she opens it up, and I fall into her room. Her red curls are pulled back into a messy bun on her head, she has her reading glasses on, and her face is swollen with tears falling from her eyes.
And she’s never been more beautiful.
“I don’t believe you, Dom. You’d hate me. This is different. I’m actually carrying your baby inside of me.”
I fall to my knees, holding her hand. “It’s a discussion we’ll have, Rosso, but please tell me you know I’d never do something as underhanded and heinous as purposely trying to get you pregnant. I love you, so fucking much.” She’d started back on the pill, but I was still using condoms for the first couple of weeks.
She falls to her knees before me; she lays her head on my chest. “I’m sorry, Dom. I’m so very sorry. I’ve just been so careful, and now…”
“Rosso, baby. It’s okay.” I begin rubbing her back, and her sobs become stronger. “This is the way I see it. I don’t want you to hate me for something you feel forced into. I have always believed the woman has ownership of her body.”
She lifts her eyes to mine. “I’m so fucking scared, Dom. After a certain age, I thought I’d be an awful mom. I don’t have the energy I once had, and after a weekend with my nieces, I can’t wait to get home to my peace and quiet.” She looks behind her.“And even when I decided on a dog, I got one of the laziest animals.” She points to Otis now asleep on the bed, probably over the drama. He thinks he’s the only one worthy of drama, I’ve discovered.
