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Nick’s hand finds my knee under the table, squeezing in support. There’s a tremble in the touch. Caldwell opens his own envelope and nods professionally, showing no emotion.
“Very well, we will be in touch with the next steps.” He folds it and slips it into the manila folder in front of me, then stands, signaling the end of the meeting.
“The hell you will! I demand an apology, among other things.”
“Miss Crane, what exactly do you demand an apology for?” Caldwell continues to gather his files.
“He humiliated me. For fuck’s sake, Ren, aren’t you going to speak?”
The only solace I find in this whole situation is her growing irritation. It’s worth it to remain quiet to aggravate her more.
“Miss Crane, the point of this meeting was to establish paternity. All tests indicate Crenshaw Bennett is the father of your unborn child. We can now move on to establishing protocols for the remainder of your pregnancy and prepare for what happens after the baby is born.”
“You son of a—”
“Sasha.” Her lawyer lays a hand on hers, and she snaps her head to him.
“What?!?”
“Perhaps we should cover our own demands in private.”
“That would be appreciated,” Caldwell agrees.
“This is ridiculous! We’re right here.”
I sit up, taking the folder from Caldwell, and thumb through until I find what I’m looking for. Then I nod to Caldwell, giving him the signal I’m ready to speak.
“Sasha, according to the original schedule you handed us, you have another appointment in three weeks. Is that still correct?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll meet you there.”
“I thought so.” Satisfaction spreads across her face.
“Also, how is your insurance? Do you have full maternity coverage?”
“Yes, Ren.
I have excellent coverage.”
“I’ll speak to the office billing specialist and make sure she has my credit card on file in case there are any copays or incidentals that arise.”
She starts to look confused, but I keep going, further sealing the point I’m interested in only the baby.
“Do you have any other financial needs right now pertaining to the baby? Anything at all?”
“Not at the time.”
“If you do, have your lawyer contact Caldwell. It will be taken care of immediately.”
“What the hell is going on here?”
“Mr. Bennett is inquiring about needs for the child,” Caldwell explains.
“This is not the way it’s going to be, Ren. This baby and I are a package deal. We need to make some decisions here. I can’t keep this hidden much longer. It’s time we tell my family.”
“Sasha, any decisions having to do with our child are now priority. Make a list of things we need to discuss, and I also will have a list of questions for your OB-GYN at the appointment. As for telling your family, that’s not my responsibility. I have my own family to deal with.”
