[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story Microsoft Word Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
****THREE MONTHS LATER****

Ivy sat on the couch watching television. Howie had decided that he was going Christmas shopping and she had to stay home. Ivy didn’t argue with him at all. As much as she loved to shop, she was all shopped out. She has gone the day before yesterday and she still had not fully recovered. She chuckled to herself, I don’t think I’ve ever shopped like that before. Looking at her watch, she sighed. I hope Howie gets home soon.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kevin watched as his daughter crawled around on the floor in front of him. She has gotten big in the last few months and Kevin knew it wouldn’t be long before she was walking and talking and getting into everything. All the fun stuff, he felt himself smile.

“Baby, what do you think about these invitations?” Brianna asked, handing him the book full of wedding invitations.

They had both wanted a winter wedding around Christmas, but with the tour and everything that had happened, they didn’t have the chance to start planning before now. They both agreed that since they couldn’t have the Christmas wedding, a Valentine’s wedding was the next best thing.

Brianna sat down on the floor next to Kyra while Kevin looked through all the different invitations. “I like these,” he pointed to an elaborate invitation.

“Those are pretty,” Brianna replied with a smile. “We have so much to do before February.”

“But we’ll get it done darlin’, don’t worry,” Kevin smiled and leaned down to give her a kiss. “As long as we get married it doesn’t matter. It will be perfect no matter what.”

Brianna’s face broke into a big grin. “I love you.” Jokingly she added, “But you know it does matter!”


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brian and Nick sat watching a basketball game on television. For some reason, Nick couldn’t get into the game, but since it was Duke vs. Kentucky, Brian was glued to the screen.

“You’re not interested in the game?” Brian asked when a commercial came on.

“Not really. I don’t know why…it’s just kinda boring.”

“I know what it is…” Brian said with a knowing grin. “That cute redhead you met a couple weeks ago.”

Nick smiled but shook his head. “Sorry to disappoint you; the game is just boring to me.”

“Yeah, okay, well, if that’s it you won’t mind me takin’ a look at this,” Brian replied and quickly snatched Nick’s cell phone off the coffee table in front of them.

“Hey!” Nick protested, going after Brian. He stopped when Brian walked over to the aquarium. “What are you doing?”

“Don’t mess with me and the phone is safe,” Brian told him as he began to scroll through all of the calls Nick had made and received. “Well, well, well…who is Hayley Aldworth? Hmmm…if I remember correctly, that cute redhead’s name was Hayley…and you have called her or she has called you quite a few times…” Brian teased. When Nick sat back down and angrily crossed his arms over his chest, Brian walked back to the sofa and sat down. “Man, I’m sorry. I was only joking. What is it?”

“Hayley is just a friend—“

“So? So what if she were more than a friend? What’s the matter with that?” Brian asked. When Nick just looked at him, he sighed. “Look, Nick, I know Bianca is still in your heart and you still love her, but she left. And you shouldn’t NOT have fun. I think it’s great that you met someone and even if you two are just friends, you may evolve into more than that. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that and just so you know, ‘m glad you met that feisty lil redhead,” she said making a growling noise.

Nick laughed. “Her name is Hayley, remember?”

“Yeah, but it’s more fun calling her a redhead…okay, quiet, the game is on.”


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bianca pinched the bridge of her nose and shut her eyes tightly. Expelling a long, tired sigh, she got out of her car and headed for the large building. She shuddered at the thought of having to live in confinement every single day.

“Can I help you?” a large, uniformed woman asked from behind a desk.

“Umm, I’m here to see Eric Donnelly.”

“Name,” the woman said coldly.

“Bianca Parker.”

A few minutes later, Bianca was seated in the large cafeteria. The tables were bare and the room looked very cold and unwelcoming. Looking around, she saw many women with smaller children. She suddenly felt very unhappy. I couldn’t imagine having to raise my children by myself and only seeing my husband on the weekend. She was pulled from her thoughts when Eric came and sat down across from her. She immediately straightened up and placed her hands in her lap, trying to avoid eye contact.

“So, what are you doing here? I know it’s not because you miss me,” Eric said hatefully.

“My therapist thought it would be a good idea for me to visit you…to confront what happened and get everything behind me.”

“You have a therapist? You’re that fucked up?” he laughed.

Bianca looked up, her eyes flashing angrily. “And who do you think fucked me up? Huh?”

“Well, then, I guess I deserve a pat on the back,” he smirked. “Why are you here?”

“I just thought you might like to know that you would’ve been a father, but I lost the baby a few months ago,” she said, her eyes filling with pain.

“How nice…too bad I’m not the father.”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, did I stutter? You heard me,” he said forcefully.

“Yeah, I heard you, but how do you figure that?”

“Maybe because I can’t have kids.”

As soon as the words left Eric’s mouth, Bianca’s head began to spin. The baby was Nick’s…it wasn’t Eric’s….Nick’s baby. She abruptly shoved herself away from the table, sending her chair to the floor with a loud bang. She suddenly felt very sick. What have I done? she thought and ran hurriedly out of the room.

Somewhere in the background she could hear Eric’s taunting. “Aww…leaving already? But you just got here.”

The only thing running through Bianca’s mind was Nick.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hey baby,” Howie called as he came into the house. “Ivy?”

“Yeah?” she came around the corner, smiling. “What did ya get me?”

“Oh, right, like I would tell you,” he rolled his eyes. “You’ll find out soon enough. What did you do while I was gone?”

“I just watched a little TV. There was nothing on though.”

“I’m gonna go put these down, baby.”

As Ivy started back into the living room, the doorbell rang. I didn’t know we were expecting company. When she opened the door, she was surprised to find a police officer on the other side. “Hi. Can I help you?”

“Maria DeMora?”

“Yes…”

“Baby, who’s at the door?” Howie asked, coming to see. He stopped when he saw the officer.

The man pulled out a paper and nodded to Ivy saying something neither of them ever expected. “Mrs. DeMora, you’re under arrest,” he said, pulling his handcuffs from his belt.

“Under arrest?” she cried in a shrill voice as her eyes filled with tears.

“Why?” Howie yelled.

“For the murder of your husband,” he stated before reading Ivy her rights.

Before either of them knew what was happening, Ivy was in the police car and Howie, dumbfounded, was still standing in the doorway unable to move. The murder of her husband? This had to be a mistake.