THE BIGGEST HEARTACHE IN TOWN

*by meloira

Part 10

(it’ll end soon, I promise)

Since that morning outside the hospital, Rachel had spent her time laying low. Paulina was the only person who knew she was in town and she had been sworn to secrecy.

In the intervening time, Rachel had had more than ample opportunity to think things through. She’d finally decided her daughter and ex-husband deserved the benefit of the doubt. There simply had to be an explanation. She prayed there was an explanation.

The need to ease her mind had brought her to Amanda’s door at an ungodly hour. Raising her hand to knock, Rachel noticed the door standing slightly ajar. Leave it to Amanda to be so careless. Bay City might not be the crime capitol of the Midwest, but such flagrant disregard for safety still wasn’t wise.

"Amanda?"

Rachel pushed the door open. The room was empty and quiet. Maybe Amanda wasn’t home after all.

()()()

The two redheads sat on the edge of the bed. One held a stick, the other a small pamphlet.

"Are you sure?" asked the one with tear-stained cheeks.

"I’m sure. I’ve read the directions a hundred times already Lorna. That stick matches this illustration." Amanda grabbed the tiny piece of evidence and held it against the pamphlet. "You, my friend, are pregnant."

Lorna emitted a low moan and fell backwards on the bed. "I can’t be pregnant, not now. Morgan doesn’t even want children."

"It’s Morgan’s? Are you sure?" A pillow slammed against the back of Amanda’s head. "Ow!"

"Don’t act so stupid Amanda. Of course Morgan’s the father. He’s the first man I’ve cared about since Gabe." Lorna sat up. "Why now, after he’s left? What am I going to do?"

"Have the baby, love and raise it."

"I can’t do it alone. Dear God, I don’t even know what to do with one. I’ve only had experience with the used model."

"Lorna, if Morgan refuses to acknowledge this baby, you’ll have to do it alone. You’re not really alone anyway. You have Carl and your mother."

"I have to tell Felicia?"

"It’s not the end of the world Lorna, Felicia will understand. Hopefully."

"Amanda," she sniffed, "I know you mean well, but you’re not the best motivational speaker in the world. Get Carl."

Amanda sighed and stood. "Okay, okay, I’m going."

"Carl," she called once she was outside Lorna’s room, "you are not going to believe this!"

()()()

Rachel was about to leave when she finally heard Amanda’s voice.

"Carl, you are not going to believe this!" Amanda came into view, but failed to see her standing there. "Hey sleepyhead, get out of my bed!"

"What darling?"

Rachel’s face blanched at the sound of Carl’s voice. What was he doing in her daughter’s home? In her daughter’s bedroom? Rachel caught sight of the object in her daughter’s hand and felt dizzy.

"Guess what Carl? We’re going to be hearing the pitter-patter of tiny really soon."

Rachel nearly fainted.

()()()

A sharp gasp brought Amanda spinning around. There, standing in her living room, face white as a sheet, was her mother.

"Mom?" Amanda looked from her mother’s face to the pregnancy test in her hand. What Rachel must think.

"Mom."

Without a word, Rachel fled the room.

"Mom, wait!" Amanda stood rooted to the spot.

"What’s wrong?" Carl asked, finally coming into the room.

Amanda turned to him. His bedclothes were rumpled, his shoulder-length hair was mussed and his cheeks were beginning to darken with the shadow of a beard. After last night, he looked a mess. Yet he was one of the best looking men she’d ever seen.

"We have a problem. Actually, we have several problems."

"Trouble is old hat my dear. You can even tell me before coffee."

"Here’s the first one." She held the stick out to him. "According to this, Lorna’s pregnant."

"Well, I’ll be damned."

"Probably. Especially after you hear the next bit of trouble."

"And that would be?"

"Mom was just here. She was here when I walked in, holding that. I’m not sure what she overheard, but since she wasn’t jumping for joy, I’m assuming the worst"

"Rachel? Rachel was here?"

"Yeah, and since I said the words ‘Carl, ‘pitter-patter’ and ‘tiny feet’ without once mentioning Lorna, Mom probably thinks…"

"You’re preggers."

"Uh-huh. She looked pretty shaken."

"Perhaps she didn’t hear everything."

"Carl, she heard, trust me. The question is, what are you going to do now?"

"Me?"

"Yes, you. You’re the one who suddenly remembered how much he loved Rachel last night. You should go after her Carl."

"Right now I doubt she wants to see either of us."

"We have to do something."

Before Carl could answer, the phone rang. Amanda listened wordlessly before replacing the receiver.

"Looks like we’re off the hook for the moment. That was Jake. Vicky’s awake and she’s asking for you."

()()()

She’d nearly made it home before she’d finally been forced to pull off the road. Now sat alone and shivering in her car. What had convinced her everything would be fine? She was obviously too late, the damage had been done.

Drying her eyes Rachel slipped the car into gear. The last place she wanted to be at the moment was her tomb of a house. But what options did she have? Since she could never have Carl, there was no going home again.