Chapter 27

PAULA'S LIPS TUGGED UP into a full grin.  "Kidding" she mused. "You're pregnant Dawn, three days and four weeks pregnant"

Dawn looked up at her. "Please Paula, now is not the time for your jokes"

Paula shrugged. "Here, see for your self"

When she handed over the report file, Dawn sighed skeptically and brushed through it, squinting her eyes to read every little letter and when it zeroed down to the last paragraph, her eyes widened and mouth dropped.

"How can this be?" at this point, she could feel her heart banging against her ribcage.

Paula sat beside her. "Do you need me to explain what happens when a man and woman have sex all the time?"

"But—" she choked, at a loss for words as she sat there, staring down at the shaking paper.

"You're gonna be a mother Dawn and a very good one at that," Paula assured comfortingly.

She placed a hand on her sister's shoulder but Dawn was too gobsmacked to make light of her complement. She was fidgeting, her mind in shambles.

"How… how am I going to tell David?"

"Simple. Just tell him"

She turned, eyes twinkling with worry and reticence. "I c-cant"

She moved away, her head shaking to the side as she tried to picture even the slightest glimpse of his reaction — she couldn't.  She just couldn't.

"What if he isn't ready, what if he gets angry and-and does something irrational, what if he doesn't want it. I can't raise a child on my own, he'll hate me I can-"

"Dawn!" Paula exclaimed and she immediately pressed her lips together, trying not to cry even if the tears already gathered at the side of her eyes.

"You are pregnant for heaven's sake, this is something you've always wanted, do not murder your child with doubts and negativity,"

Her hand reached for Dawns' and she gently squeezed.

"Who gives a crap about what David says. You've been married for a year and more, I think it's about the right time to have a child"

She raised her chin to meet her gaze and Dawn let a few beads of tears roll down her cheeks. She hated herself, she wanted to feel better, wanted all smiles and optimism but she just couldn't manage it.

"If you're not gonna tell him, I will, and if he does anything to you or that baby, I'll lock his stupid ass up for life and I don't give two shits if he's a billionaire"

"Paula... I don't know..." She was mixed with feelings she didn't understand.

Paula snuggled in, "Come here you laquita" At that moment her arms squeezed a fraction tighter and Dawn breathed more slowly, her body melting into her sisters as every muscle lost its tension to the spring air. "I think mum will be happy to know that her miel is with child, forget about David and let's go tell her okay"

Dawn nodded her head and continued to bask in the warmth of her sister's embrace.

***

TEETERING ON HIS STOOL AT THE BAR, David peered through the fog of cigarette smoke at the loud, manic, overdressed crowd.

He chugged down his fifth glass and fondled with the photo in his hand.

"She was pregnant for you David, it was your child, your son and now he is dying and I need your help "

He dropped the glass and held his head, unable to get her words out of his mind. Stacey was dead and he had a son. It was still so hard to believe that he had purposefully pinched himself a few times but his reality remained unchanged.

He groaned, about resting his head on the table when Tanner walked in and slid into one of the barstools next to him.

"What's so bad that you had to call me out at this time?" He asked, ordering a few shots of tequila and salvaging what was left of the lime.

David released a heartfelt sigh and loosened his tie.

"Don't tell me you fought with Dawn again because I had to leave between a lady's leg to come here so it better be worth the lost orgasm"

"No man, It's just..." He downed his glass, feeling something awful and acidic climb down his throat."I just really fucked up big time"

"Cheated?"

He shook his head. "Worse"

"What's worse than cheating?"

"Finding out that you have a son" he let out softly and watched as Tanner slowly withdrew his drink from his lips.

He cleared his throat. "I didn't know Dawn was, uh, pregnant..."

"She's not"

"Then how the fuck do you have a son David?"

"Apparently, I and Stacey had a child together"

"The hell!" He exclaimed and David rubbed his face.

"I fucking blew it" he sighed wearily, running a hand through his already ruffled hair.

"Stacey — how did this happen David, I thought you guys didn't talk anymore, is she back in town?"

"No she's not" he replied and Tanner looked at him uncomprehendingly.

"Then how the hell did she get pregnant and have a child"

"She was already pregnant before I left for Czech"

"I thought you guys claimed you weren't into each other. When did you guys even — I need something stronger than this" he tapped the counter and ordered a cranberry vodka cocktail.

"It was one time, just one time I was drunk and it fucking happened"

"That sneaky vixen, you know, I never liked her guts and I knew she always liked you but I didn't thi—"

"She's dead"

There was a deathly silent pause between them.

Tanner's eyes lit up. "What do you mean she's dead?"

"She's dead" he repeated, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the counter "died in childbirth"

"Jeez man," he breathed down and allowed a moment of silence pass between them. "What about Dawn, does she know about the child?"

He stared guiltily at my empty shot glass. "I can't bring my self to tell her"

Tanner gave him an exasperated look.

"This is a lot to take in David, you shouldn't go through this on your own"

He shook his head lightly and gripped his glass. "I fucked up and Dawn is going to hate me, I feel like I just lost everything Tanner, I can't go to my wife and share my pain, I have no one"

"I know it's hard but you can't chicken out now, you've gotta set things straight and let Dawn know before anything else. She is your wife and deserves to be told"

"Things were only just starting to fit in right and now this"

"You just gotta hang in there man" Tanned urged, looking truly distressed."I got you, everything's gonna be fine"

It didn't matter if everything was going to be fine or not. Either way, he was going to have to deal with his reality and the choices he made.

***

DAWN STOOD BY THE BATHROOM mirror and looked at her reflection, still unable to believe the possibility of something growing inside her. As much as it was thrilling, it also made her apprehensive.

What would David think?

She had to tell him. It had to be now, or she would never be able to and she couldn't hide this from him forever. He had a right to know. It was his child, after all.

She took a long breath to ease her frantic nerves and reached for the doorknob. When she walked into the bedroom, she saw David taking off his clothing and tossing them into the laundry hamper.

"H-hey," she said, cursing herself for stuttering because, though his eyes were not on her, she could tell he lifted an eyebrow.

He turned, "What's wrong, Dawn? You sound nervous."

"Nothing's wrong," she answered a little too quickly and cleared her throat. "How did work go?" She asked, changing the course of their conversation.

David sighed, wondering if this was the best moment to tell her.  When he stepped in, his first instinct had been to fall on his knees and come clean to the love of his life but how could he. How could he hurt her with a piece of news that disheartening?

She'd hate him and most of all, she'd hate herself. He couldn't. Not now, not yet.

"It was stressful" he answered and approached her, and for a moment, the room came unglued, spinning a nauseous quarter-turn before swinging back into place. He was going to be sick. Not now, not right away, but sometime before the night was over, and there was nothing I could do about it.

Unfortunately, a few minutes at the bar had turned into hours without him even realizing it. He needed to clear his head but sadly the harshness of his tequila did nothing to cure his uneasiness. He had a child, a son, no amount of shots was going to take away that truth and the inevitability of it depressed him.

He threw all his will into focussing on Dawn and how disturbed she looked. He could tell something was bothering her, nonetheless, he decided it best to leave it be and just hug her instead, taking in how warm and light she felt in my arms. He held her gingerly, the same way one would hold a fluted wineglass filled with expensive wine.

Dawn rested her head on his shoulders and exhaled heavily. "David?" she then called suddenly.

"Hm?" he hummed softly, tilting his head so it rested on hers.

"I… I have something i-important to tell you."

David looked down at her. "Alright…" he said slowly, "what has you so worked up?"

Dawn disentangled herself from him and looked away from those curious eyes. She bit her lip, her heart pounding hard against her chest.

"Dawn?" He furrowed his brows. Her fidgeting beginning to worry him.

"Um…" She trailed off to swallow the massive lump in her throat. "I… I'm not quite sure… how to tell you this…"

David held her shoulder."You know you can tell me anything, Dawn. I'll listen, I promise"

"David I know we both agreed to... I'm just…" She trailed off again, causing his face to morph into a frown.

"Dawn, you're making me nervous," he said uneasily.

"I'm sorry," she muttered softly and lowered her head.

"Honey" he tilted her face up and smiled weakly. "Whatever it is you have to tell me. It's not going to make me love you less. Come on just say it. One word at a time"

Dawn took in a large whiff of air and tightened her palms together. "David...I'm pre—"

His phone suddenly rang and startled both of them. When David quickly reached for his phone, it was a call from the doctor in charge of his son's case.

"Just give me a few minutes and I'll be done, I promise" he assured, rushing out without waiting for her to respond.

Dawn simply pressed her lips together and sighed heavily.

She had just lost her only shot.