Smiling in excitement, Beth thanked the driver as he dropped her off at the front of the hotel.  She ducked her head to try to avoid recognition as she walked through the front doors and up to the elevator.  The driver had given her her husband’s room number and she was on her way up to surprise him.  He had been in New York for the past two weeks doing some promo work for his new album and she had been unable to get away to go with him. 

But now with their three-year wedding anniversary in two days, she decided to fly up to New York and give him the surprise of his life.  Pushing the 15th floor button on the elevator wall, she silently watched the numbers go by.  With a quiet ding, the doors slid open on his floor.  There was no one around as she passed by room after room to get to his suite. 

With a final glance in the hallway mirror, she checked her appearance.  She was wearing his favorite deep blue dress that he said brought out the color of her eyes.  Her hair was down around her shoulders, face it, if she had put it up on her head, he would have it down in about 2 seconds.  Her husband loved to feel the silky softness of her hair all over his body as they made love. 

Setting her suitcase up, she released the handle and knocked on the hotel room door, waiting impatiently for him to answer.  She knocked a little louder the second time, the driver had said he would be here having just dropped him off before picking up Beth. 

As she heard footsteps move closer to the door, Beth smiled, eagerly anticipating their reunion.  But when the door swung open, she was startled at who was on the other side. 

Leah, one of JC’s backup dancers, was standing there in just a bra and panties. 

“Um, can I help you?”  Leah asked, pretending not to recognize JC’s wife. 

“Where’s JC?”  Beth demanded.

“Why do you want to know?”

“Where – is – my – husband?”  She said through gritted teeth. 

“He’s in the shower – and you’re interrupting, what can I do for you?”

Beth was not about to believe this woman who was blocking the door to what she thought was her husband’s room, but as she opened her mouth to again demand to know where her husband was – she heard JC’s voice singing in the shower. 

A slow grin spread over Leah’s face at the shocked look Beth displayed. 

“Maybe you should leave.” 

Spinning on her heel, Beth stalked back toward the elevator, digging her cell phone out of her purse.  Angrily punching the button, she heard the distant click of the door shutting down the hallway.  Pressing a speed dial button on her phone, she lifted it to her ear as she listened to it ring. 

“Hello?”  Leah’s voice answered. 

In shock, Beth ended the call as quickly as possible and slumped back against the rear of the elevator.  Something wasn’t right about the whole situation and she needed to talk to JC.  Right now, she needed to think of a game plan. 

***

A knocking on the door the next morning woke JC from a sound sleep.  Groaning he rolled out of bed to answer it.  An intern stood outside with a clipboard, warning JC that he needed to be ready to go in half an hour for his next interview.  Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he closed the door and stumbled back to his bed.  Noting the time, he picked up his phone and started to dial a number from memory, then thought better of it. 

He’d call from the car, right now he needed to shower and dress for the day. 

Exactly twenty-nine minutes later as JC was stepping into his shoes, another knock sounded on his door.  Grabbing his wallet and phone, he placed them in pockets before stepping out to head to the waiting car. 

Greeting the people that awaited him, they headed en masse to the elevator.  JC was given a run down on how his day looked.  Horribly busy as always.  Only a couple of fans were waiting in the lobby and as always, JC stopped for a moment for pictures and autographs. 

Finally, he was rushed to the car waiting just outside.  Ducking into the backseat with his assistant, the driver sped off.  Before JC could get too comfortable, the driver posed a question that had JC sitting up. 

“Where’s your beautiful wife this morning?  I figured she would be with you.”  The driver looked into his rearview mirror at JC.

“Beth?  She’s probably at home sleeping in.  I was going to call her earlier but decided it was too early.”

Looking out the window, JC missed the look of confusion on the driver’s face.  “What do you mean?  I dropped her off at the hotel last night.  She flew in to surprise you.”

“What?!  What time was this?”

“Ummm…around 11 last night I would say.”

He lifted his hips to grab the phone from his rear pocket, dialing frantically, wondering what had happened to his wife. 

“Hello.”  Beth answered shortly. 

“I miss you, baby, where are you?  They said you were here.”  JC remarked tenderly. 

“Really?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Are you alone?”

“No, not right now, why?”

“Because I think this is a conversation you will need to have in private.”

JC moved the phone from his mouth as he asked the driver to pull over at the park they were driving past.  It looked deserted currently and the interview could wait for a few minutes. 

Jumping out, he called back he wouldn’t be long.  Jogging a few feet away, out of earshot, he told Beth he was now alone.

“What is going on?”

“Why don’t you tell me, JC?  How long has this been going on?”

“How long has what been going on?”

“Don’t play me JC, I can’t believe you.  Did you think I would never find out?”

JC was beginning to get angry now.  Why wouldn’t she tell him what this was about?  One thing they had in common was stubbornness.  Neither would willingly give in without a fight if they thought their way was best.  However, they were usually not fighting with each other. 

“Look, I can’t even address anything until you tell me what the hell’s going on!”  He screamed into the phone. 

“I flew in yesterday to surprise you for our anniversary and what did I find – YOU entertaining a dancer wearing just a bra and panties.  Care to explain that?”  Her voice was full of ice.

“I shouldn’t have to explain anything to you – you are my wife.  Why do we keep having this same argument?  So what if she was in my room in her underwear?  I’m sick and tired of you not trusting me!”

“Then stop giving me reasons not to!”  She screamed back.

“What do you want me to say?”

“The truth would be a good place to start.”  Her voice had lowered to a dangerous level. 

“Which truth would you like to hear?  The fact that she’s better than you have ever been?”  JC froze as words he never meant to say escaped his lips. 

Gasping on a sob, Beth hung up on his next words.  “Beth, no, I didn’t  - damn it.”  He threw his cell phone and it shattered as it hit a cement barrier. 

Running his hands through his hair, he headed back to the car, deciding to give her some time to calm down.  He was conveniently leaving out the areas that he was at fault. 

“She’ll come around, she trusts me, soon she’ll be calling me and begging me to come home.”  He pushed the matter aside as only he could and climbed back in, barking out orders to his assistant, demanding a new cell phone be purchased as soon as possible.  His assistant took it all in stride – it was far from the first time one had been destroyed in a fit of his temper.   

Trying desperately not to think of how badly he had handled the situation with his wife, JC threw himself into his work.  Thinking he would give her time to call down, he let days elapse and still heard nothing.  By this point, JC had convinced himself he was not at fault at all and she needed to come crawling back to beg his forgiveness.  The people around him noticed his temper was out of control and started to avoid him if possible.  This just made him angrier. 

But there were two people around JC that were elated at how his marriage was falling apart. 

Leah, one of JC’s dancers along with Susie, JC’s assistant, met for coffee one morning.  The two were close cousins.  Leah had helped Susie get the job of managing the day-to-day details of JC’s business life.  But Leah thought that Susie owed her for the plum job assignment and had started to collect. 

Nervously, Susie glanced around the small coffee shop as she entered.  Leah had already claimed a table for two near the front window.  Receiving her iced cappuccino, she took a sip as she made her way to Leah’s table. 

Exchanging a quick greeting, she plopped down into the chair, looking around for anyone who might recognize either of them. 

“Would you just relax?”  Leah commented harshly. 

“How can I, I shouldn’t have done it.” 

“But you did do it, right?”  Leah leaned forward in excitement.

 “This isn’t right, what you want done is not right!”  Susie’s voice lowered, but strained with tension.

Impatient now, Leah slapped a hand on the table.  “Did you do it?”

“Yes, it’s done.”  Susie admitted reluctantly.

Gleefully, Leah leaned back and took a sip of her coffee.  Her head nodded as she thought to herself.  Finally, he will be mine.

***

Beth waited for a phone call for days, hoping against hope that the hurtful words from JC’s mouth were said in anger, but as time passed, she became convinced that he had truly meant every word.  Otherwise, why wasn’t he apologizing either on the phone or in person.  She knew he had a busy schedule, but never before had he put their marriage anywhere other than first.  This man she was married to was a total stranger to her. 

Finally, after a couple of weeks of just going through the motions, Beth had a doctor’s appointment.  She had become so run down that she had contracted a cold and could not get rid of the cough.  She was fed up of being so stressed out, she decided to go out and become a part of the world again.  Hopefully, just being out in public would help her regain her focus. 

Checking in with the receptionist, she sat down in the waiting room to await her turn.  Mindlessly, she thumbed through an old magazine, sucking on a cough drop to try to tame the cough. 

Once she was called back and the nurse had dispensed with the normal questions, she had a sample of blood drawn for routine testing.  Time passed slowly as she waited and she had just finished her last cough drop when the doctor knocked and entered. 

“Good morning, Beth, how are you doing today?”  Dr. Smith asked. 

“Good other than this cough.”

“We can take care of that.”  The doctor paused for a long moment.  Beth started to get nervous.  “Beth, did you know that you were pregnant?”

In the middle of a cough, Beth’s eyes widened and suddenly she couldn’t get control of herself.  Coughing so hard, tears came to her eyes.  Dr. Smith quickly filled a small paper cup with water and pressed it into her hands.  Beth gulped it down as if she hadn’t had water for days. 

Struggling to get a hold of herself, she questioned the doctor.  “What did you say?”

A small smile came over the doctor’s face.  “Beth, you’re pregnant.”

The hand that wasn’t holding the cup came up to cover her mouth as she tried to absorb the words.  “Are you sure?”

“Yes, Beth, positive.” 

“When?”

“You’re around 10 weeks or so.  When you see the OB, they will be able to give you an exact due date, but that’s as close as I can get.”

Speechless, Beth couldn’t even think beyond the words, ‘you’re pregnant.’  The doctor quietly examined her patient, leaving her to her thoughts.  Writing out a prescription for prenatal vitamins and something safe to get rid of the cough, the paper was pressed into Beth’s hand.  Still in shock, Beth quickly checked out and made her way to the car. 

A huge smile broke over her face and she was halfway through dialing JC’s number before reality set back in.  He needed to be told, but she would do it in the privacy of home rather than sitting in a car in a public parking lot. 

Carefully driving to the nearest pharmacy, she began to make plans.  She was trying to figure out how she had gotten so far in her pregnancy without even realizing she was pregnant.  Dropping off the prescription, she picked up another few needed items since she hadn’t been to the store in a couple weeks.  She had existed on food left in the freezer and pantry, but she needed to stock back up now especially that she was eating for two. 

Figuring her prescription was ready, she headed to pick it up and placed her other items on the counter to be rung up.  After receiving her total, she slid a card through the machine.  An awkward look came over the cashier’s face. 

“I’m sorry; your card has been declined.” 

Confused, Beth slid another card through. 

“Nope, declined.” 

Embarrassed, Beth counted out enough cash to cover her bill and taking her items, rushed out of the store.  What was wrong with her cards?

Abandoning her plan to do a little baby shopping, Beth headed home.  Placing the bags on the counter after she rushed through door, she pulled out all of her cards. 

Dialing the first credit card company, she learned that the card had been cancelled.  The same story with the second and third.  Frantic now, she called the bank.  The joint account she had shared with JC had been cleared out and closed. 

In shock, she desperately tried to come up with an explanation.  Throwing files everywhere, she looked through the office and came up with an account that had been left in her name in case there was ever an emergency.  Digging through the file, she slid to the floor as she realized that there was only $1,000 in that account.  If she counted the cash she had left after paying for her prescription and other items, she had a total of $1,058 to her name. 

JC had cut her off at the knees.  Apparently, he couldn’t even give her a courtesy call to let her know what he was doing.  He had gone behind her back and betrayed her trust.  He didn’t want to fix this marriage, she was on her own. 

“What am I going to do?”  Beth cried as she lay on the floor of JC’s office, both hands over her stomach, holding her baby as best as she could.  “What am I going to do?” 

Deliberate now, Beth pushed aside everything but the baby.  After giving herself time to wallow in her misery, she stood up from the floor, shoved all the files back into the cabinet, and left the room behind.  Since JC no longer cared for her or even wanted to help, she decided to leave him out of her plans.  Momentary guilt had her rethinking that decision, but she ultimately decided that if her husband had any interest in their marriage he would have at least made an effort to get in touch with her.  No longer would she sit around waiting for him filled with self-pity. 

First things first, she needed a job.  Something that would pay enough to support her and the baby.  The thousand dollars in her name was going to go fast.  Taking a moment to look around the house, she immediately turned the thermostat up.  It was early fall, so obviously the house didn’t need to be so cold.  Windows could be opened to let in the fresh breeze.  Beth moved from room to room opening windows and shutting off the lights that she didn’t need.  Maybe she could close off the rooms that she wouldn’t be using and save heat and electricity that way. 

“It’s going to be alright, I’m going to take care of you.”  With a hand on her stomach, the words were meant mostly to reassure herself that she would see that this child had the best life she could offer, even if the father wasn’t around. 

***

Around 3 months later

The days crawled so slowly for Beth.  She had been unable to find a full time job that would give her time off when the baby came so she was working two part time jobs where she had to stand on her feet all day.  Exhausted every night, she came home, ate enough to sustain the baby, and fell into bed.  Her ankles were so swollen and her back hurt terribly.  Longing for someone to rub her back she collapsed in a chair in the kitchen, just for a moment while she kicked off her shoes and gave her feet some relief. 

Trying to gather enough energy to fix something to eat, she was surprised by a knock on the door she had just entered.  Since JC had emptied her accounts, no one stopped by to see how she was doing.  Her life before was full of friends, but if they could believe JC’s story then they were obviously no friends of hers.  No matter, she could do this on her own. 

Noticing she hadn’t bothered to lock it, she called for the person to open it and come in.  They must not have heard her, so she was halfway out of her chair when the door flew open.  Freezing, she didn’t know what to think or say. 

A happy greeting died on his lips, Chris was the same way.  His eyes traveled over her tired face and pale complexion, down her body, stopping on her stomach for a long while before taking in her swollen feet. 

“Well, I had planned to surprise you, but the surprise is all on me.”  Shutting the door behind him, Chris pushed aside his shock for the moment and moved into the kitchen, giving Beth a hug.  He was alarmed at how fragile she felt in his arms.  Up close he saw the deep circles under her eyes, how her body slumped with weariness, and the uniform shirt she wore. 

“Chris…what are you doing here?”

“I can’t stop to see one of my favorite people?”  Not for anything would he tell her that JC wasn’t willing to retrieve his own guitar and was having Chris pick it up for him. 

“So what does JC need of his that’s here?”  Her dry voice asked as she poured a glass of water for them both. 

Chris winced, he had forgotten how perceptive she had always been, apparently nothing had changed.  “Nah, I was in the area with the band and realized it had been so long since I had seen you so here I am…Why is it so cold in here?”  After shrugging off his jacket, he could feel the chill all the way to his bones. 

“I like it that way.”  She responded shortly, taking a drink of water. 

Not bothering to respond to that, Chris took a closer look around.  There were very few lights on, the house was freezing, and the fridge…was practically empty.  “Beth, what is going on here?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”  She avoided his eyes. 

“What are you eating?”  He demanded.

“Food!”

“Beth…I just want to help.  Tell me what you need.”  Chris pleaded with her.  He wasn’t sure what was going on, but wanted to get the picture. 

“I don’t need anything, we’re getting along just fine by ourselves.”  Her voice cracked on the last words as she caressed her belly automatically.

“Why didn’t JC tell me you were pregnant?  Why isn’t he here?” 

“He doesn’t know and you have to promise not to tell him.  Please Chris.”  Her tear filled eyes pleaded with him. 

“I promise, Beth, it’s going to be alright.”  He gathered her hands in his as she finally succumbed to the tears.

Waiting patiently for the storm to pass, he began to question his best friends wife.  “Beth, why is there no heat?”

“I can’t afford it!  After I caught JC in the hotel room with that…that woman, I came back here and hid for a while waiting for him to apologize.  He never did, then I went to the doctor for a cold and they told me I was pregnant.  I was going to tell JC, I really was when I got home, but I stopped at the pharmacy to get my prescription and they declined my credit cards.  I came home and discovered he had cancelled my cards and cleaned out our bank account.  I had $1000 to my name and a baby on the way.  What was I supposed to do, he doesn’t care anymore and I’m trying the best that I can.  I couldn’t find a full time job with benefits, so I’m working two part time jobs trying to save up enough money to pay for the hospital bills and a new baby.  I’m so tired.  But you have to promise me that you won’t tell JC.  He doesn’t want me any more and I don’t want him to take away my baby, please don’t tell JC!”  She pleaded once she finished her ramble.  It felt good, just to let someone know her side of the story. 

His blood boiling, he swallowed hard before he answered, trying to calm down.  “I promise, Beth, I won’t tell JC.”  What she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.  Once he got everything straightened out here, he was flying directly to JC to have a little chat.

“Have you had supper?” 

Sniffling, she shook her head no.

“Okay, then this is what we’re going to do.  You are going to go upstairs and soak in the tub to relax your muscles while I run out and grab us something for supper.  After that, you are going straight to bed.  Do you have to work tomorrow?” 

“No, it’s my day off from both.”

“Good,” Chris pulled Beth to her feet and sent her on her way as he left to pick up some supplies.  Once the door closed behind him, he clenched his fists and let the anger roll over him.  JC was supposed to be the responsible one.  What kind of man left his wife alone with no money.  Cracking his knuckles, Chris was almost excited at the little ‘chat’ he was going to have with his friend.

Chris ran out and bought a few groceries, he didn’t want to be gone long.  He stocked up on fruits, vegetables, and meat.  With those supplies, Beth could create many meals.  He also bought a deli chicken and the sides for their supper.  Rushing through check-out, he was back to her house shortly. 

After he carried the groceries into the house and put them away, he called up the stairs for Beth to come eat.  Before she came downstairs, Chris snuck over to the thermostat and increased the temperature so it would be more comfortable for the baby. 

The meal between them was a silent affair, Beth trying not to fall asleep at the table and Chris trying to figure out what to say to JC.  Finally, Beth pushed back from the table and instructed Chris to just leave everything, she would get it in the morning. 

She embraced Chris hard, “Thank you for being here.  You’re the first person to actually listen.  I’m sorry for rambling.  I know you’re really close with JC, but please, please keep this to yourself.”

Chris leaned back, “Beth, you take care of yourself.  Anything you need, I’m just a phone call away.  I’m sorry I can’t stay longer, but I’ve got to get back to the band.  You take care of my niece or nephew in there alright?  Now get to bed, I’ll lock up.”

Beth smiled and headed upstairs to bed.  Chris watched her climb the stairs before he started cleaning up the table.  After putting the kitchen to rights, he pulled out his wallet and took out all the cash he had on him.  Mentally chewing himself out for not getting more cash while he was out, he stuck the money into her purse that was sitting on the counter. 

Looking around to see if there was anything else he could do, Chris again felt a surge of anger at JC.  What kind of man would put the woman he vowed to love and take care of forever would do this?

He was about to find out.      

***

JC was standing in the kitchen leaning on the counter as he sipped the drink in his hand.  Joey was digging in the refrigerator for something to eat when the front door slammed against the wall as it opened.  Hurried footsteps rushed through the house to the kitchen as JC and Joey looked at each other.  Only someone with the security code could get in so it must be someone JC knew. 

Chris rounded the corner in a fury.  JC straightened and turned his body toward his friend expecting to be handed his guitar.  JC looked around for his guitar as Chris approached him. 

“Hey man, where’s the guitar, I –”  He never saw the left hook that had him doubling over or the right hook immediately after that met his jaw.  He crashed down, his glass shattering over the tile floor, his hand coming up to make sure his jaw was still attached. 

“What the hell was that?”  Joey demanded as JC tried to stop the world from spinning.  Joey made his way from the fridge to stand between the two men, not sure what was going on. 

“That was because he is the lowest form of scum on this earth.  He doesn’t deserve to call himself a man.  You disgust me.”  Chris spat the words in revulsion. 

Slowly JC clamored to his feet, ready to fight.  With arms spread toward each man, Joey physically separated the two. 

“Dude, what the...?”  Stammering, JC rubbed his jaw soothingly.  

“How could you?”  Chris demanded.  

“How could I what?”  JC was really becoming mad now.  

“How could you do that to your wife?  Someone you supposedly loved more than life itself, to someone who loves you?  I can’t believe I ever called you a friend and a brother.  The man you used to be would have stepped up to the plate instead of walking all over her.”  With both arms straining, Joey was trying to keep Chris away from JC during his rant.

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about the fact that you cleaned out the bank account you shared with her, you’re  forcing her to work two jobs just to afford heat and food, and...you walked out on her when she’s pregnant with your baby.”  Breathing hard now, Chris broke free from Joey as they both turned angry eyes on their stunned friend.

“What?”  Breathless now, he bent over to place his hands on his knees, the pain in his chest overtaking the pain that radiated through his jaw and stomach.  

“She’s never called...”  He tried to make excuses as he sucked in air.

“No, she wouldn’t, would she?  That’s not the kind of woman she is.  She made me promise not to tell you about it.  Afraid that you would only want the baby and not her.  She’s terrified that you will take the baby from her and leave since she has to work two jobs just to eat.  The only reason she’s eating is for the baby.  You are not the man I thought you were.  We’ve been telling you for months to call her or go see her, but you’re too stubborn, thinking she will come crawling back to you.  Well JC, it’s you who had better get on your hands and knees and go begging forgiveness before you lose the two best things that have ever happened to you.”

JC straightened as he pleaded, “How is she?  How far along is she?”

“How would you be in that situation?”  Chris took pity on him and answered shortly.  “Around six months.”

“Wait, you said I cleaned out the bank account.  I haven’t even touched that account.  There should be money deposited in there every month.”

“There’s not, she found out you closed it and cancelled her credit cards the day she found out she was pregnant with your baby – the day she was going to call you and tell you the news.  How can you not remember this?  You know what, I’m done.  I can’t stand to look at you anymore.”  Spinning on his heel, he left the same way he came.  

Joey simply shook his head, looking down at JC, before following Chris out silently, leaving JC all alone to deal with the problems he had created. 

Shifting in bed, Beth tried to find a comfortable spot.  The baby was doing its nightly acrobatics on her bladder.  “Sweetheart, would you please settle down, mommy is trying to sleep.”  Waiting patiently, she decided that since she was already awake, she might as well use the bathroom before trying to fall back asleep.  

Without turning on the bedroom light, she carefully made her way to the bathroom, flipping the light on as she entered.  After washing her hands, she headed back into the bedroom, turning the light off, but just as her hand flicked the switch, she caught something out of the corner of her eye.  

Turning the light back on, she screamed.  The figure that had been sitting in the chair in her bedroom stood and moved into the light cast from the bathroom.  Beth clutched her heart as she tried to calm down.

“What are you doing?  You can’t just come into someone’s bedroom like that in the middle of the night!”

“Not even if it’s my own bedroom?”  JC asked.

“Is it?  It hasn’t been for months now.”  She walked back to the bed and climbed under the covers, knowing she wasn’t going back to sleep right away after that fright.  “You made it faster than I thought you would.  What did Chris do, call you as soon as he left the house?”  Rubbing a hand over her distended belly, she tried to calm the baby down as well as herself.  

Chuckling uncomfortably, JC smoothed his hand over his tender jaw.  “Not exactly...Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Why should I?”  She tried to find the most comfortable spot as JC stood over her, wanting to reach out and touch, but afraid to.  Releasing a deep breath she said, “JC, I can’t do this tonight.  I’m so tired and need to sleep.”

“Oh, right, sure, no problem.  We’ll talk in the morning.”  With a hand on the back neck of his t-shirt, he pulled it over his head and reached for his belt buckle. 

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Pausing before he undid the button on his pants, “Getting ready for bed, why?”

“Not in here you’re not.”

“Beth,” he breathed out in a sigh.

“No, JC, you’ve been gone for too many months, I don’t know you any more.  I can’t do this right now.”

In the dark, JC caught a hint of tears in her voice and it broke his heart.  “Alright, I’ll sleep in the guest room, but I want you to know I’m so sorry for not being here and I’m not leaving you again.”  Bending, he lightly pressed a kiss to her forehead, not letting himself touch her anywhere else, even though his entire being demanded it.  “I love you, Beth.”  Without another word, he exited the bedroom and headed alone to sleep down the hall. 

Pressing the heels of her hands to her eyes hoping to prevent the fall of tears, she tried to stifle the sobs threatening to burst out.  Not being able to, she twisted so she could sob into her pillow, not wanting JC to overhear, but little did she know he had paused just outside the door that he hadn’t bothered to close. 

He had done this to her, it was his fault that she had been alone during what they should have celebrated together and planned for.  Hesitating he tried to decide whether it would be better for her and the baby to leave her alone or to comfort her. 

“Be a man, JC, step up and take care of your wife.  She deserves so much better than you.”  After giving himself a little pep talk under his breath, he quietly made his way back to their bed.  Her sobs were shaking the bed so hard she never realized he had crawled into bed with her until he pulled her into his chest.  Weakly she tried to resist, but he was much stronger and much more determined.  With her fists, she pounded against his chest, trying to get out all of her frustration.  He took the beating silently, knowing he deserved to be whipped and left for dead.  Finally, her fists curled into the wife beater he was wearing and he was able to pull her flush against him as much as the baby would allow.    

In amazement, he jumped when he became aware that his baby was kicking, protesting being held so tightly.  He took one hand from behind her back and caressed the bump that was kicking him.  What a fool he had been, all for the sake of his pride. 

Moving his hand once again to her back, he cradled her gently as he murmured.  “I am so very truly sorry.  This is all my fault.  I am an idiot.  I love you more than life itself and I can’t believe that I let my pride stand in the way of us.”  JC wasn’t sure she was taking any of this in.  Alarm began to spread as he realized her sobs were not abating.  “Sweetheart, you need to calm down.  For the baby.  Please.”  He pleaded, but his words penetrated and made an impression and she tried consciously to settle down. 

With a shuddering breath, she fell limp and JC pulled back in fear, but she had simply fallen asleep in exhaustion.  In a beam of moonlight, he could see the puffiness of her eyes and the deep dark circles underneath.  He face was fuller due to the pregnancy and there were a few more lines on her face, caused by him.  His gaze traveled from her face down her body to rest on her distended stomach.  In awe, he was able to take his time and study his wife and child.  Again, his hand traveled to lightly rest against her belly and hope for movement.  As he began to stroke his baby lovingly, he shot a look at his wife’s face hoping he hadn’t disturbed her sleep.  Assuring himself he had not, he grew bolder and lifted her shirt higher so there was no barrier. 

His hand roamed over where his child grew, astonished that he had helped create this little person and yet never knew it.  What all had he missed while he threw his tantrum?  It was a long while later until his child fell quiet and he rolled onto his back, bringing Beth to carefully rest against his chest.  Not being able to resist, he again brought his hand to her stomach, knowing he couldn’t get enough.  Then with a long sigh of relief, he fell asleep. 

***

Cold, JC forced himself awake to search for the covers.  He noticed Beth had rolled away from him and wrapped the covers tightly around her body.  Instead of trying to maneuver a blanket away from her, he decided to get up and fix breakfast.  Beth had always been an early riser and he didn’t think that would have changed.  It was close enough to morning anyway and he needed all the positive actions he could get. 

Careful not to jostle the bed too much, he glanced one more time at his wife before heading downstairs to where he left his luggage.  Flinging his suitcase on the dining room table, he threw it open and grabbed the first pair of pants and shirt he found.  He dressed before heading into the kitchen.  On his way down the hall, he walked by the thermostat.  No wonder it was so cold in here, she had it set on 58 degrees.  What had he done to his wife?  Nudging it up to a more comfortable level, he shook his head in anger at himself as he resumed his journey to the kitchen. 

Opening the cupboards in search of pancake mix, he saw there was not much in the first.  So he opened the second and third – nothing.  The pantry held only a few cans and a loaf of bread.  The fridge held a few veggies and things but not what should be the typical diet of a pregnant woman. 

JC rubbed a hand over his eyes, still not believing he had caused this.  Noting the time, he decided that he had enough time to run to the grocery store and stock up with food before Beth awoke.  Grabbing his keys, he jogged out the door and to his car parking in the driveway, hoping to make this a quick trip.

***

Seconds after the door closed behind JC, Beth’s alarm sounded.  Groaning, she slapped the off button and rubbed the sleepiness out of her eyes.  A thought suddenly occurred to her – JC had been there last night.  Looking around though there was no evidence that he had been there.  Maybe it had been a dream.  JC hadn’t been there, she had merely been dreaming. 

Getting ready for work, Beth pushed all thoughts of JC aside.  She needed to focus.  Dressed now, she wanted to grab some breakfast to eat on her way.  When she walked through the dining room entrance, she froze in her tracks.  The suitcase on the table meant he had actually been here. 

Where was he now?  The house was silent and there was no extra car in the driveway either.  What did it mean?  The clock chimed and startled her out of her trance.  Now she was running late.  Hopefully they wouldn’t hold it against her. 

***

JC winced as the door slammed against the wall.  His hands were full and he couldn’t stop it.  He paused for a moment to see if Beth was awake or if he had disturbed her.  It was all quiet. 

He quickly and quietly prepared breakfast.  While he was shopping, he pulled up a list of foods on his phone that would be the beneficial for both mom and baby so he had spent longer at the store than he had anticipated.  He was shocked that Beth wasn’t up yet.  He plated up breakfast and placed it on a tray that he had ready with roses he had just purchased. 

Taking the stairs two at a time, he peered into the dimly lit bedroom.  The bed was made and there was no sign of his wife.  The bathroom was dark as well.  Where was she? 

He rushed through the rest of the house – no Beth.  Could she have left him? 

Almost twelve hours later, the front door opened to admit Beth.  She put one foot in front of the other and made her way to the couch.  Almost falling into the soft cushions, she lifted her swollen feet up after kicking off her shoes and closed her eyes immediately. 

JC had been upstairs, trying to decide if he should call the police when he heard the door open.  He had paced all day from window to window, counting the minutes and seconds that she was gone.  Like a flash, he took the stairs in three bounds.  Skidding to a stop, he saw her hair lying over the arm of the couch. 

“I have been worried sick, where have you been?”  He said in a controlled voice. 

“Out partying and drinking all day – where do you think I’ve been?”  She never opened her eyes. 

“I was concerned – I am still concerned about you.”

Her eyes popped open to glare into his.  “Concerned, this is how you show concern?!  You sleep with another woman; don’t call me – your wife!  You cancel my credit cards, clear out our joint bank account, and leave me pregnant with only $1000 to my name.  This is how you show your concern?”  She yelled her frustration. 

Immediately he sank to his knees next to her head and reached out for her hand.  Before he could grasp it in his, she pulled it away and tightened it into a fist.  He sighed at the damage he had caused.

“Beth, I am so sorry.  I was completely in the wrong in this whole situation.  You know how stubborn I can be and I had convinced myself that you would come crawling back to me when you realized that I would never ever cheat on you especially not with that woman.  If I could go back and change that night I would, but I can’t.  I also didn’t cancel your credit cards or empty that back account.  I couldn’t believe it when Chris told me that so I did some checking…”  This time when he reached for her hand, she didn’t protest, but neither did she hold his back.  She let hers lie limp in his.  “Leah apparently decided she wanted me for herself so she planned it all out when her cousin, Susie, got the job as my assistant.  Somehow, she convinced Susie to cancel the cards and close the account.  I trusted her so I never looked at the accounts, believing that there was money being deposited every month.”

“You really expect me to believe that?”

“Look, I know that words probably don’t mean anything to you right now, but believe me when I say that I’m here to stay.”  He tried again.  “Where were you all day?”

“Working.”

“I know I don’t have any right to tell you this now, but I want you to quit.  You don’t need to work and I want you to rest for you and the baby.  Don’t do it for me, do it for our baby.  Please.”

“I can’t.  What if you change your mind and leave again, taking all the money.”

Standing suddenly, he left the room for a moment, but when he came back he was carrying his checkbook.  Sitting on the coffee table in front of her, he began writing a check.  Tearing it out, he handed it to her.  “This is everything that I have in the checkbook.  Take it and deposit wherever you want.  That money is yours and you don’t even have to tell me where you put it.  I don’t want access at all, that’s yours.  But you should also know…”  He started pulling out cards and bankbooks.  “Before I flew here, I fired both Leah and Susie, my lawyers are also in the process of prosecuting them.  But anyway, I took the opportunity to get your cards reinstated with the condition that you will be the only one to ever cancel them.  Here you have access again to our joint account.  This is what I want you to use for anything – don’t use the money that is just yours.”

Beth simply stared at the items in her hand.  She didn’t know what to think.  He had shattered several arguments that she had been building in her mind. 

JC decided to press onward while she was trying to take it all in.  Casually, he asked, “When’s your next doctor’s appointment?”

“What?  Oh, I don’t have one.”

JC tried to suppress his alarm.  “Do you want me to make you one?  I’d like to go with you next time.”

Mentally shaking herself, she finally looked at him, responding without thinking.  “Where I go you don’t need an appointment.”

Brow furrowed in confusion, JC tried to figure out where that would be.  “What kind of doctor’s office doesn’t take appointments?”

“You have to have health insurance to go to a doctor’s office, I use the free clinic.”  As the last words left her mouth, she froze, not planning on admitting that.  Immediately she dropped her gaze and struggled to sit up.  His hand on her arm didn’t even slow her down.  However, the spasm in her back did.  Her body was rebelling against her spending so much time on her feet. 

“You are using the free clinic?”  His voice was sharp. 

“What did you expect me to do?  I had to see a doctor to make sure the baby was okay.”  Her gaze was on the floor, not seeing the pain that crossed his face. 

Like an old man, he made it to his feet with great effort, looking down at Beth’s lowered head.  Anger overtook every pore in his body and he stalked away before he did or said something he would regret.  If Susie and Leah had cancelled Beth’s health insurance, this took the problem to a whole other level.  They were now playing with fire – affecting the health and well-being of his wife and child.  The front door slammed behind him as he dialed the phone number for his lawyer.  They would regret their actions for the rest of their lives. 

***

Jumping a little when the door slammed, Beth shook her head.  It hadn’t taken long to make him angry enough to leave.  Well at least she knew where she stood.  Beth knew she needed to eat, but her feet were so swollen that she decided to just grab something from the kitchen on her way upstairs to the shower and bed. 

After bring amazed at the amount of food that JC had purchased, she grabbed a couple of granola bars and a banana.  At least he had bought food before storming out of their lives again. 

The shower felt so wonderful she didn’t want to get out and spent longer under the hot water than she had planned.  Getting out she dried off and put on the last pair of pajama pants and shirt that fit over her stomach.  Not bothering to blow-dry her hair, she quickly twisted it in a braid and headed to bed before she collapsed. 

Upon exiting the bathroom, Beth stood in shock.  JC had come back and had pulled the covers back, inviting her to lie down.  He walked through the door, carrying a tray of food. 

“Good, you’re out of the shower just in time.  Come on, get comfortable in bed and you can eat something before you go to sleep.”  He set the tray down on the dresser, waiting to help her into bed. 

“What are you doing?”  She remarked dumbly. 

“Helping you get ready for bed, why?”

“I thought you left.”

JC turned a startled look her way.  “I’m never leaving you again.  I merely stepped out to call my lawyer.  I didn’t know you thought that I had left.  If I had known you were thinking that, I never would have left the room.  I just wanted to spare you my anger – you don’t need to deal with that right now.”

Beth didn’t know what to say so she simply made her way over to the bed in silence.  JC piled the pillows against the headboard so she could recline against them as she ate. 

“What are you hungry for?”  He started listing off the items on the tray and Beth answered absentmindedly, studying JC intently – looking for something she couldn’t define. 

JC noticed her blinking sleepily – it took her longer to open her eyes with every blink.  Hurriedly, he lifted the tray away and helped her slide down under the covers so she rested fully on her back.  She let out a sigh of relief as her muscles relaxed and closed her eyes. 

JC stood over her for a long while, listening as her breathing deepened.  Unwilling to even take the tray downstairs, he quickly undressed and climbed into bed behind her.  Last night had been the best night of sleep since this whole ordeal had started.  Why he had waited so long to see and touch his wife would be something he would spend the rest of his days trying to figure out. 

Pressure from JC forced Beth to make a decision about her two jobs.  Feeling there was no other option now that he was back in her life, she quit.  Stressed, Beth tried to avoid JC as much as possible, but her husband was making that impossible. 

Casually, one Saturday morning not long after JC had reappeared back in her life, he suggested a drive to get them out of the house.  He had a specific stop in mind, but he wouldn’t mention it until they were there.  Appealing to the new mother in her, he got her to agree to go shopping for baby items. 

JC had begun the battle to win his wife’s favor back.  He was sleeping next to her in their bed; Beth doing her best not to touch him in any way, but always in the middle of the night JC pulled her into his arms, where she settled in comfortably and relaxed. 

Quickly setting the security code behind them as they exited the house, JC rushed to open the car door for Beth.  Not looking at him, she slid in and buckled her seat belt as JC closed her door and rounded the front to get in the drivers side. 

He kept up a running commentary as he drove, not really expecting an answer.  Beth had her head leaning against the window as she tried not to fall asleep.  She was so tired and couldn’t get enough sleep it seemed. 

JC parked the car close to the door of the building, the rest of the parking lot was empty.  Before Beth knew what was happening, she was startled by his door closing and hers opening.  She looked up at him in puzzlement, this wasn’t the mall where he had said they were headed. 

When Beth didn’t move, JC leaned in over her and released her seat belt, before pulling her gently out of the car. 

“I thought we were going shopping.”  She commented in confusion. 

“We will after your doctor’s appointment.”  With a hand at the small of her back, he guided her towards the front door. 

“But it’s Saturday.” 

“I called in a favor, I’m worried about you and the little one in there.”  He placed a hand on her stomach and received a kick in response. 

Before Beth could respond, they were inside and being greeted by the doctor. 

“Good morning, how are you today?  Just come on back here and we can get started.”  The doctor rushed through her greeting and led them toward an examining room, talking all the while, not allowing Beth or JC to get a word in. 

Soon Beth had changed into a gown and was leaning back on the examining table, her mind going in many different directions.  Her tired brain was having a hard time processing the situation.  With just a few clicks, the computer the doctor was operating was showing a picture of their baby. 

In astonishment, Beth stared at the screen.  The free clinic she had been using didn’t have the ability to show her baby in such detail.  With one hand, Beth brought it up to cover her mouth and without thinking, reached the other hand toward JC.  JC exhaled a quick breath of relief, this was the first time that she had reached out to him since he had returned a few days ago. 

Little did the doctor know the reaction caused by her simple next statement, “Let me print out a couple of pictures for you to take home and then we can have you out of here in just a few minutes.” 

“I can – I can have a picture of my baby?”  Beth’s eyes filled with tears at the question.

“You sure can, a couple as a matter of fact.” 

At that, Beth let out a strangled sob as she sat up and reached for JC.  Quickly he stood and gathered her into his arms.  He tucked her head into his neck and rubbed her back soothingly, cradling her head with the other hand.  With a look at the doctor, he asked the doctor with his eyes if they could have some privacy. 

With a soft smile, the doctor left them alone, not understanding the significance of what was happening.  When JC’s manager had called and asked the doctor to do this favor, not many details had been shared. 

“They wouldn’t give me a picture of the baby at the clinic, they don’t do that there.  They can show you just a blob that they say is the baby but not it that much detail.  Look Jace, you can see the baby’s features, he has your nose.”  She reached past JC to grab a few tissues to wipe away her tears. 

JC chuckled in relief and happiness.  “Poor baby, he shouldn’t be stuck with my nose.  Wait, do you actually know the baby is a boy?”

“No, but I can’t stand it when people call the baby it so I’ve been calling him a boy.  Do you want to find out what the baby is?”

He searched her face closely, “Do you?”

She took a deep breath as she thought.  Then with a huge smile on her face, JC was reminded of how and why he had fallen in love with her as she nodded.  “Yeah, I think we should, that way we’ll know what kinds of things to buy for his or her room.”

For a little while, Beth forgot that they were fighting and how JC had treated her as they pointed out each other in the child they had created together.  They were so wrapped up that the doctor hated to interrupt them, but she had plans. 

A knock on the door had the parents look up at the doctor, both with smiles on their faces.  The doctor handed JC an envelope before quickly finishing Beth’s exam and letting her change back into her regular clothes.  Once changed, the three met in the doctors office.

“Now I understand you want to know the sex of your baby, is that right?”  The doctor glanced up from Beth’s chart to see both heads nodding.   “Well, it was pretty clear on the ultrasound that you will be having a beautiful daughter.  Congratulations!”  Beth clutched JC’s hand tighter in hers as they sat side by side across from the doctor’s desk. 

With a serious expression now showing on the doctor’s face, she began to address some of the issues she had noticed and previously discussed with JC while Beth had been changing. 

“Beth, I’m concerned about how tired you seem to be.  While you should be more tired than if you were not pregnant, the circles under your eyes tell me that you aren’t sleeping, is that right?”

Taking a moment to touch the deep circles under her eyes, Beth nodded.  “I just recently quit my job so I’ve been trying to sleep more, but I’m tired all the time and it’s like I can’t get enough sleep, even though that’s all I do.”

The doctor’s eyes flicked from husband to wife.  “That’s the best thing for you right now.  Let your husband do all the heavy work, that’s what he’s here for.  You are taking care of the baby, let him take care of you.”  Shadows appeared in Beth’s eyes that JC didn’t miss.  The doctor had just reminded Beth of how alone she had been and how he hadn’t been taking care of his wife over the past months.  Well, that was all changing now. 

With a few more instructions and again admonishing her patient to get more rest and sleep, the couple left the office and headed back to their car.  Once inside and buckled, JC reached over and tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear.  Beth had both arms holding the envelope of pictures to her chest, but when JC touched her she shifted her head to look at him. 

“Can we just go home?”  Beth asked quietly. 

Home was just where JC wanted to be.  Home was with Beth, it didn’t matter where they lived in the world as long as Beth was there, he knew he belonged there too. 

Beth dozed in the seat next to him as JC sang quietly along to the softened radio, but when he turned into their driveway and saw a familiar figure sitting on their front porch steps, he swore, bringing Beth awake to look towards the house.  Her eyes zoomed in on the person as well. 

Susie was sitting on the porch. 

Slamming the car into park, JC didn’t even bother to turn off the engine before throwing open his door and storming toward the porch.  “Get the hell off my property before I call the police and have you arrested for trespassing and breaking your restraining order.” 

He stopped on the sidewalk a few feet away and dug in his pocket for his cell phone.  This woman had already ruined his life enough, he wasn’t going to let her hurt them again.  JC looked up from dialing when he heard a shocked gasp.  Susie had stood as he approached, but now she collapsed back down with a pale face and huge eyes. 

Her gaze was locked over his shoulder at Beth who had turned the car off and was making her way towards the porch.  Susie started gasping for breath as she hyperventilated.  JC narrowed his eyes at her ploy, but Beth slid past him towards the shaken woman. 

His hand on her arm stopped her momentarily, “Look JC, I can’t stand her either, but unless we do something she’s going to pass out on our lawn.”  Reluctantly he released her but followed closely behind as she approached Susie and knelt down awkwardly next to the woman.  His finger was poised to press the send button if it became necessary.  Reaching out, Beth placed a hand on the back of Susie’s head, forcing it down toward her knees.    

JC and Beth couldn’t quite catch the words that Susie was mumbling under her breath against her knees.  Beth shot a questioning look at her husband who merely shrugged his shoulders in disgust. 

“Can you get a couple of bottles of water and a wet washcloth, please?”  Beth asked JC. 

He shook his head stubbornly.  “No way, I’m not leaving you alone with this – this person.” 

Beth rolled her eyes and tried to struggle to her feet.  “Fine, then I’ll do it.”  He quickly put a supporting hand under her elbow as she stood. 

JC followed her to the front door, arguing, “Beth, why are you doing this, with one phone call I can have her out of our lives forever and probably in jail.”

At that Susie jumped to her feet and turned toward the couple, “JAIL!!  I don’t want to go to jail!  I just wanted to come and apologize for the part that I played in this whole situation.”  Susie approached Beth with eyes on her swollen belly.  JC took a threatening step in front of his wife, staring at his former assistant with dangerous eyes.  Susie paused in her trek.  “I honestly had no idea you were pregnant.  If I had a clue, I would have never…”  She scrubbed a hand down her face. 

“I just have one question for you.”  Beth paused as Susie looked past JC at her.  “Why would you do such a thing?  What did we ever do to you that you would try and tear us apart like that?”  Beth charged forward, shaking off JC’s hand and ignoring his whispered plea to calm down, as she finally confronted the woman who had helped cause the rift between her and her husband. 

“Do you have any idea of the pain that you have caused?  What would possess you to clear out a bank account, cancel credit cards, and most importantly cancel someone’s health insurance?  I have had to work –“  Beth’s eyes widened as her hands went to her stomach. 

Fortunately, JC was there to catch her before she collapsed to the ground.  He swung her up into his arms quickly, yelling at Susie to open the car door.  Beth was mumbling the whole time about how something was wrong as she curled into a ball in his arms. 

“Hang on, baby, we’ll get you help, just hang on!”  He ran to his side of the car as he glared at Susie.  “Haven’t you caused enough problems, get out of here, I never want to see you again!”  With that he slammed the door and sped his wife toward the emergency room.

A couple of hours later, JC pulled the car up to the entrance of the hospital before jumping out to help Beth out of the wheelchair and into the passenger seat.  As soon as she settled into the seat, Beth leaned back and closed her eyes.  Shutting the car door, JC turned to the nurse who had pushed the wheelchair out to the car. 

“She will be alright.  All she needs is rest and less stress.”

“And the baby?”  JC threaded a hand through his hair, which was now standing on end. 

“You will be amazed at what a little sleep can do.  All the tests showed that the baby is doing just fine.  The medication your wife is on will help keep her blood pressure down.  If you have any concerns at all or even just a question, give us a call.  That’s what we are here for.”  The nurse watched as JC took a deep breath and nodded before he circled the vehicle. 

Just before he opened his door, he gave a tight smile and a thank you to the nurse.  Under her breath, the nurse sent a prayer heavenward.  She had worked around enough people that she recognized the signs of separation between the two.  She didn’t know what was going on in their marriage but hoped that they could work it out.  It seemed like the husband was going to do whatever it took to get back in his wife’s good graces and she wished them all the luck in the world. 

The whole drive home, every time JC looked at Beth, her eyes were closed and her dark lashes stood out against pale cheeks.  He was going to be with her every minute until he was assured that she and the baby would be alright. 

As he pulled into the driveway again, the same figure was sitting on the porch in the dusk.  JC’s hands tightened on the wheel; that was the only external show of emotion he displayed.  Everything else he kept bottled up inside, not wanting to cause any more harm to his wife and baby. 

JC slid his hand over Beth’s as he opened his door, “I’ll be right back, stay here, I’m just going to open the door and flip a couple of lights on.” 

Beth murmured her agreement, still half dozing. 

JC stalked toward the front door, not bothering to contain his fury now.  In a low rumble, he met the tear filled eyes of his ex-assistant.  “How much damage do you plan to cause to my family?”  He quickly unlocked the door and turned off the security settings, not even bothering to listen to the pleading coming from the front porch. 

“I get it, you’re sorry, I get that!  But what do I need to do or say to get you to leave us the hell alone.  You wanted to mess with me – fine!  Do your worst to me, but the second you decided to go after my wife and child, you made an enemy of the worst kind.  Cancelling her health insurance!  Who does that?  Yeah, I know there were problems between the two of us, but what person empties bank accounts?  If you ever, ever show up here again, I will have you locked away for so long you won’t remember what a blade of grass looks like.  Pass that on to your cousin as well.  Now you need to leave before I get Beth out of the car.  I don’t want anything else to happen to either of them.  They are my life.”  With one final piercing glare, JC headed back to his wife, checking to see that Susie left before lifting Beth into his arms are carrying her up to their bed. 

By the time, JC made it back downstairs to lock up for the night, there was no sign of Susie or her car.  Perhaps this time, she had gotten the message. 

***

JC kept checking the windows and doors over the next few hours, making sure the house was locked up tight against unwanted visitors.  In between his pacing, he sat in a chair in the bedroom keeping watch over his wife.  She slept hard and didn’t wake up all night.  The next morning she woke long enough to use the bathroom before she again fell back to sleep, waving JC off when he offered to fix her something to eat. 

JC called the doctor at one point to make sure it was alright for her to sleep so much.  The answer he received was to let her sleep, it must be greatly needed. 

Finally, almost 36 hours after she had originally fallen asleep, Beth sat up in bed and stretched like a contented cat. 

Noticing JC awake lying in bed next to her, she commented, “I feel so much better now.”

He propped himself up on his elbows.  “I was concerned about you both.”  Sitting up fully, he rubbed a gentle hand over his daughter.  “You slept an awfully long time.  I called the doctor to see if that was okay.”

She swung her feet to the floor and once standing, headed to the bathroom.  “I needed it badly, but I’m starving now.”

“What are you hungry for?”  He called out through the open door. 

“I know this will sound crazy, but I’m really hungry for pizza and ice cream.” 

“Alright, your wish is my command, do you want to come down or would you like to eat in bed?”  JC pulled on a t-shirt and scratched his stomach before he headed toward the hallway. 

Beth emerged from the bathroom with a toothbrush in her mouth, “I’ll come down, I want to eat in the breakfast nook and enjoy the sunshine.”  JC made a quick detour over to her and pressed his lips to her forehead.  He felt her tense, but at least she didn’t move away from him. 

“Come down when you’re ready,” he whispered, lips still pressed against her skin. 

“Okay,” she mumbled around her toothbrush. 

With one final look, he headed down to start cooking. 

Beth watched him walk out the door and released a shaky breath.  He had been so wonderful lately, it almost made her forget about the pain he had caused.  She would have to see if this was a permanent change or if he was simply biding his until someone better came along. 

***

Over the next few days, Beth became extremely frustrated with JC.  He hovered over her until she thought she would go mad.  Never letting her lift a finger, JC cooked and cleaned and watched over her every second of the day.  If Beth made a move to get a glass of water, JC had it filled and in her hand before she made it to the kitchen.     

“JC, I love you, but you are driving me crazy.  Go downstairs and work on something, anything and leave me alone for a while.  I can’t take this anymore.  I’m not going to break!”  Beth finally exclaimed in exasperation. 

A broad smile overtook his face as he hauled her into his arms.  “That’s the first time you’ve said that since I’ve been back.  Do you really mean it?”

Beth paused to consider her words a moment.  “I never stopped loving you, you are the other half of my heart.  I wasn’t sure we could mend the rift between us, but we’ve both changed since this happened.  I hope nothing like this ever happens again, but I’m ready to let it go and move forward with you.” 

“I don’t deserve you.  I never should have let my pride get in the way.  I wouldn’t blame you if you never forgave me, but I will gladly accept and spend the rest of my life showing just how important you are to me.  I love you so much!”

Their lips met tenderly and passionately, before their daughter made her displeasure at being squeezed between them known.  They broke apart laughing. 

“I don’t think she appreciates being squeezed like that.  You know, we’ve both been stuck in this house for so long, why don’t I take you out for a nice dinner and we can spend some time shopping for a crib and paint?”

“I accept, we do need to get moving on her room, she’ll be here before we know it.” 

“I can’t wait to meet her,”  JC pressed a kiss on the nape of her neck as he helped her into her coat.  Together they walked out the door, finally talking honestly and openly and arguing playfully over what color to paint their baby’s room.

Deep in sleep, JC lay on his side in their bed.  There was just enough room for Beth to carefully sit next to him.  Lightly shaking his shoulder, she called his name. 

“Huh?”  He grunted in response, eyes still closed. 

“JC, my water broke.”

“Ok, I’ll get you a glass.”  Eyes barely cracked open, he managed to slide past her and place his feet on the floor.

“Where are you going?”  Beth couldn’t keep the laughter out of her voice.

“To get you a glass of water.”  He managed to get to his feet. 

With one hand, Beth cupped his cheek in her hand, her thumb sliding over the roughness of his jaw.  “No, JC, honey, I don’t want a glass of water, my water broke.  I’m in labor.”  With her other hand, she grabbed one of his and placed it on her stomach. 

Bleary blue eyes looked into nervous and excited blue ones, trying to process what was going on.  Understanding jumped into his eyes finally.  Beth had to laugh as he rushed around gathering the bags they were taking to the hospital and frantically searching for the phone to call the doctor. 

JC tried to rush her to the car, but Beth stopped him.  “Jace, you might want to get dressed first, I like seeing you in boxers, but I don’t want the nurses to get jealous.  Ohhh…”  She paused and closed her eyes for a moment as a contraction overtook her. 

In the middle of slipping a leg into his pants, he hopped over on one leg and helped support her through the rest of the contraction. 

Inhaling deeply once the pain ended, Beth looked up in JC’s worried eyes.  “Let’s go have a baby.”

***

Beth panted as the contraction ended and she relaxed against the bed.  Resting her head back on the pillow behind her, she looked up at JC.  “I really hate you right now.” 

He brushed a few sweat-dampened strands of hair off her forehead.  “I know  - I’m so sorry.  I hate me right now too.”

Before he could say more, another contraction seized her.  The doctor made her way into the room to check on the progress Beth was making.  After examining Beth, the doctor patted her on the leg after she drew the sheet back over her legs.  “It’s not going to be much longer, Beth.  You’ll be holding your baby in your arms in the next hour or so.  I’ll be back in a few minutes and you can start pushing, okay?” 

Beth looked up at JC before the next contraction started with fear in her eyes.  “I’m scared, Josh.”  Beth only called him Josh in rare and extreme circumstances.  JC knew at that moment how scared she was.

Another pain gripped her as her hand tightened painfully on her husbands.  On a half sob, she collapsed against the mattress.  JC quickly spoke before the next pain came.  “Beth, you are amazing and you are doing wonderfully.  I can’t imagine how much this hurts, but think of our baby who you will get to hold in just minutes.” 

All of a sudden, Beth half rose from the bed and pulled her legs up.  JC panicked as she started to push.  “No, wait, Beth, just hold on a minute until the doctor gets here.”  He pressed the call button on the bed frantically and a nurse and the doctor came running in. 

Black spots started to dance before his eyes before he got control of himself.  He couldn’t pass out now; Beth needed him. 

The doctor and nurse quickly prepared Beth for delivery.  “Beth, stop pushing for just a minute, alright?  We’re almost ready, then you can push this baby out.” 

JC wasn’t sure the words were penetrating through the haze of pain Beth was experiencing, but her grip crushed his as she panted and made an effort to stop pushing.

Ready now, the doctor gave the okay to start pushing and Beth started bearing down.  Her face turned red from the effort she was expending.  JC was amazed at the strength she was presenting. 

He was barely aware of the nurse counting as Beth strained to push his baby out of her body.  Looking down, he saw his baby’s head full of dark hair begin to emerge. 

“Good job, Beth, just rest for a minute, your baby is almost here!”  The doctor suctioned out the baby’s mouth and nose as Beth and JC looked down in amazement.  Ecstatic at the imminent birth of his first-born, he pressed his lips quickly to Beth’s forehead before once again straightening to watch his baby enter the world. 

“And one more big push, Beth.”  The doctor called encouragement as with one last hard push, Beth delivered their baby into the doctor’s waiting arms. 

Beth lay there gasping for breath as the nurse began to clean her baby and JC took the opportunity to cut the cord that bonded mother and child.  He felt a little lightheaded as they placed his baby girl on Beth’s stomach, crying. 

Tears fell freely down their cheeks as they looked at this new life they had created together.  Counting their baby’s fingers and toes, they were barely aware of the activity that was going on around them until a nurse came to clean and weigh the newborn. 

Weakly tugging on JC’s shirt to get his attention, he bent down to hear her whispered words.  “Go with her please, make sure she’s okay.”

He pressed light kisses on her cheeks and mouth, “I love you , you did beautifully, I don’t know how to ever thank you for going through that.”

Beth’s eyes left his to follow the baby’s bassinet that a nurse was wheeling away.  “Go with her.”

“Are you sure?”  JC felt torn, not wanting to leave his wife after she had just given birth, but also not wanting to let his newborn out of his sight. 

At her nod and with one last kiss, he almost floated out of the room, not feeling the tile beneath his feet as he followed the small bundle that had already captured his heart. 

*** 

JC slowly became aware that someone was staring at him.  Lifting his eyes off his sleeping baby, he looked up at his wife.  Beth was watching the two of them with a smile on her tired face. 

Immediately he stood and came over to the bed, placing their daughter in her arms.  There was just enough room on the bed for him to perch on the edge.  Beth ran her fingertips lightly over Kelsey Marie’s face, caressing the soft skin.  She unwrapped the blankets from around her daughter to view the tiny body and to again count fingers and toes. 

“She’s perfect.  Thank you so much!”  Beth looked up just in time to receive JC’s tender kiss on her lips. 

“She is perfect, isn’t she?”  Beth agreed with a smile as Kelsey grabbed her finger with her tiny hand.  “She’s so tiny.  Can you believe we are now responsible for this little person for the rest of our lives?”  Both parents were speaking softly as to not awaken their newborn. 

JC turned serious for a moment and with one hand on Kelsey’s head, softly caressing the fine dark hair, he placed the other on Beth’s cheek, tucking her hair behind her ear and gaining her attention.  “You know Kelsey is only hours old, but I would die for her.”  He paused for a second and Beth’s eyes met his.  “If any man ever treated her like I’ve treated you, I would kill him without a second thought.  How can you ever forgive me for what I’ve put you through?”

Carefully, Beth shifted Kelsey in her arms so she had a free hand.  Reaching out for JC’s hand, she gripped it tightly in hers.  “Josh, it’s in the past now.  We have this new bundle in our lives forever.  What happened was a huge misunderstanding that we can now put behind us.”

“I don’t deserve you.”  His thumb rubbed gentle circles on the back of her hand. 

Smirking, Beth responded, “Not after what I just went through you don’t!” 

At JC’s chuckle, Kelsey began to fuss before settling back down.  Their attention went back to the baby as she quieted.  Just above a whisper, JC said, “I’m not usually at a loss for words, but what you did, I – I am amazed, grateful, excited, I can never thank you enough.” 

“Well, I think you may have had something to do with creating this child – a small part.”    

“Hmmmm…”  JC agreed then a huge grin overtook his face.  “You know I can’t wait until we do it again.  We make beautiful babies together.” 

Beth groaned and leaned back against the pillow.  “Let’s at least get this little one older than a couple of hours before we start planning the next one.  Unless you want to go through labor and delivery?”  Her brow raised in question. 

JC paled.  “I almost passed out just from watching, I can’t imagine going through that.  Although, it may be easier to experience it then to watch someone you love knowing that you caused all that pain.”

“I love you, JC, my Josh.  You know I didn’t mean it when I said I hated you right?”

“I hated me at that moment.  I thought I had prepared myself for that, but never in a million years did I even come close.” 

A knock on the door brought the tender moment between the couple to a close, “Come in,” JC called out softly. 

The door cracked open and a familiar head peeked inside.  “Where’s my niece, I want to see my niece!” 

Chris rushed over to the bed to look down at the bundle held closely in Beth’s arms. 

“Oh, she is so beautiful, awww…the poor thing has JC’s nose.” 

JC made his way over to stand beside Chris and laughingly gave him a punch in the arm.  This was the first time they had actually been in the same room since Chris had flattened JC. 

“You have a perfect family here, man.”  Turning to face the new father, Chris looked into JC’s eyes for the first time. 

“I have you to thank for making me see the light.  I don’t know how to ever make it up to you.”  The two brothers hugged tightly, pounding each other on the back. 

Beth watched with tears in her eyes as they finally broke apart.  JC carefully lifted his daughter into his arms before turning and placing her in Chris’ arms.

Beth slid over in her bed to make room for JC to sit next to her.  He wrapped one arm behind her back and pulled her into his chest as they watched Chris pace around with their daughter held securely in his arms. 

Their love could overcome anything.