Chapter Two
1588 Words
Chapter Two
When Pamela said she wanted to come over to help make dinner, Kristie should have known that meant her mom was going to do everything. She refused Kristie’s help, saying that she was too ill to help in the kitchen. While Kristie hadn’t felt a hundred percent in the last few months, she wasn’t an invalid.
But Kristie let her mother take control over the kitchen. Why make an awkward dinner any more awkward? At least her mom and Lionel were here to see Megan. She wanted Megan to see Kass’s parents as often as possible, but it was important that Megan know her grandparents on this side as well. She wanted it to happen – she only wished her mother wasn’t so upset with how Kristie’s life had unfolded.
Megan fell fast asleep in her room. Kristie almost wished she would wake up, emitting her loud squalls for the entire apartment to hear. At least it would be something everyone could talk about. But she was silent, almost as if she knew Kristie wanted her to wake up.
Instead, Kristie sat at the dining room table, watching her mom cook. She would consider the dinner a success if her mom didn’t bring up the shootings again, of either herself or Rick and Kass. Kristie had resumed her therapy recently, although not as much as she would have liked due to her compromised condition. She was bedridden most of the day, taking care of Megan throughout it.
“Are you sure you don’t need any help?” Kristie asked, fiddling with a napkin.
“No, no, Kristie, you need to rest.”
Her mom was making chicken and pasta. Kristie couldn’t make out the sauce, but the scent was making her faintly sick. Almost all food made her sick, making it hard to keep on weight during the pregnancy. I finally get pregnant, of course it wasn’t going to be an easy pregnancy. Kristie rested a hand on her belly.
“Won’t be long now until the baby.”
“Yeah. About two months.”
“I hope you’re prepared.”
Kristie frowned. “I think I know what I’m getting into.”
“True, I suppose. I just meant giving birth isn’t exactly a picnic.” Her mom’s back was to Kristie, and she couldn’t read her expression.
“Yeah. I’ve been reading birthing books, but I don’t think I’m strong enough to do an all-natural pregnancy. Like no medication and in a pool of water sort of thing. I’d probably cry for meds at the first sign of pain.”
“Is Gray going to be allowed in the delivery room?”
“Seeing as he is the father, yes.”
“You shouldn’t have too many people in there.”
Kristie stiffened. “He’s the father of the baby, Mom. He’s going to be in the delivery room. End of discussion.”
Her mom dropped it, but Kristie felt worked up. She was hoping her mother wasn’t going to bring up anything to do with Gray. She was even hoping, for Megan and her future son’s sake, that she would put that aside and start over. But it seemed as if that wasn’t going to happen. Her stomach rolled and she stood up suddenly, excusing herself.
Kristie managed to get to the bathroom before she threw up. Even though she had been vomiting what felt like non-stop lately, she hadn’t gotten used to it. It made her skin break out in a sweat and she always felt disgusting afterwards. She hoped Gray was having better luck than she was.
>>
“I can give you more hours, if you want.”
Gray looked up in surprise. Working at Lionel’s workshop offered a steady income the family needed. The income from the bar had been nice, but Gray had given up on opening a new one after Rick’s death. It seemed too dangerous and would cost too much to rebuild. The Infernos won that one. The g**g had soured toward Gray for not rebuilding it, but he didn’t care. They would only take it down again.
“Extra hours would be great. But I’d still need some time off after the baby is born. Kristie can’t do all of that alone.”
“Of course not, I understand. If you want the extra hours, I can give them to you. Talk to Kristie first. I know she’s ill.”
Gray nodded, amazed at how well the conversation was going. Pamela came out just then, telling everyone dinner was ready. Gray peeked in on Megan to see that she was still sleeping and then sat down at the dinner table. Kristie trailed out of the bathroom, big as a balloon, looking tense. Her gaze flicked toward her mother and Gray understood. While his conversation with Lionel was going well, the same could not be said for Kristie and her mother.
Gray thanked Pamela for making dinner.
“You’re welcome,” Pamela said tersely in reply as she put down a plate of pasta and chicken in front of him. It looked delicious, but it took only one glance at Kristie to see it didn’t agree with her sensitive stomach.
“Kristie and I were just discussing the delivery room,” Pamela said, and Kristie looked up in alarm. “She was saying she wouldn’t be able to do a natural birth.”
Gray snorted. “I wouldn’t be able to do that either. Anyone who does is a saint.”
“There’s nothing shameful about needing medication,” Pamela replied, although her gaze had softened. “I’ll be there every step of the way.”
“Thanks, Mom. With you and Gray there, it’ll be perfect.”
Something flickered across Pamela’s face. He was out of the loop, but it didn’t take a genius to know that Pamela must not want him in the delivery room. The conversation swung to birthing techniques. Lionel remained silent. Gray knew talking about this was probably dredging up memories of his own mom and when she gave birth to him. Gray wondered what Lionel knew of it as Gray took a bite of the chicken. Whatever happened back then in the distant past, Lionel never spoke to him about it.
Kristie barely ate her dinner. Afterward, she offered to help clean up, but Gray shooed her off. He didn’t want her up and moving around too much. Luckily, that was when Megan decided to cry her earth-shattering squall, and Kristie tottered off to go tend to her.
While it was good that Gray managed to get Kristie away from her mom and any stressful conversations, it now meant that he was alone with Pamela. She was silent as she began to clean the dishes. Gray brought more over and hesitated. He felt weird just leaving her to do the dishes in his apartment.
“I can do that, Pamela,” he offered.
“I have it, Gray, thank you.”
Okay, time to try again. He cleared his throat. “Dinner was delicious. Thank you.”
“Kristie didn’t seem to enjoy it.”
“Oh. No, her stomach is just off right now. She usually eats dry food.”
Pamela huffed. “I wish someone would have told me that before I made it.”
“Sorry, I thought you—”
Wrong thing to say. s**t.
Pamela turned to face him, her eyes blazing, even though she had both hands stuck in a sink full of bubbles.
“No, I didn’t know, Gray. I don’t know what Kristie is thinking anymore. I don’t know how she is dealing with the pregnancy. Or Megan. Or Kass and Rick being murdered. Or being shot at by her ex-boyfriend. But I can guess that it isn’t good.”
He took a deep breath, counting to ten. Back in the old days, this would have resulted in him telling her off and storming out of the apartment. But that was before he had actual responsibilities. Plus, he understood why Pamela didn’t like him. Everything she listed had put Kristie in danger and almost all of it was his fault.
“Pamela, with the baby due so soon and with Megan...I mean, I want us to get along. Can’t we work toward that?”
But she was already shaking her head. “We’d get along if you left Kristie alone. I can help her with the children. That’s the only way we’d get along.”
With that, she turned back to the kitchen sink. Even though it was his apartment, he felt like a scolded child and slunk out of the kitchen.
>>
Megan giggled and looked up at Kristie, who poked her again. Another adorable giggle emitted from the green-eyed girl. Kristie’s heart melted.
“If you were an ice cream flavor, you’d be chocolate chip mint,” she whispered to her.
“No way, she’d be coffee,” Gray said, walking into the living room.
Kristie frowned. “Coffee? How can that be your favorite ice cream flavor?”
Her mom had left after dinner, promising to come over again soon. Great... still sour after the conversation she had with her. Not wanting Gray in the delivery room was ridiculous. He was the father of the child. He would be there. There was no debating it.
Gray handed her some toast which was all her stressed-out stomach could handle today. “Because it is delicious.”
Kristie rolled her eyes and handed Megan off to Gray. He sat down on the couch with her as she nibbled on her toast.
“Look at your adorable big cheeks,” Gray said to Megan.
Through a mouthful of toast, Kristie replied, “She got that from Kass. She had these big fat baby cheeks up until puberty.”
Thoughts of Kass were still enough to make her sad. She tried to banish them. She looked forward to the day when thinking of Kass brought only happy memories instead of sad feelings.
“Your mom noticed you didn’t eat dinner.”
“She knows my stomach is all messed up.”
Gray looked up at her. “She doesn’t like me, Kristie. I get it. But it isn’t going to make things any easier in the future.”
Kristie sighed, remembering her own conversation with her mom. “I know.”
- Writer
