by Jacki Kelly
“Are you okay?” Asa and Dakota said in unison as they rushed through her hospital door, disrupting her thoughts. They stood on opposite sides of her bed, but the same expression of concern was evident on their faces as they peered down at her like she was an invalid.
“Calm down you two. I’m fine. How did you find out I was here so fast?”
“Darius called me,” Dakota said. “I called Asa, and here we are. What happened?”
“I’m going to have a baby.” She gathered the sheet around her, finding safety behind the stiff cotton.
Asa’s jaw dropped and she made a noise similar to a wounded animal. Dakota wrapped her arms around Melissa’s shoulders and pulled her close while rocking her back and forth. In the cloak of safety with her sisters, she managed to smile for the first time about the baby.
“But what happened? Why are you in the hospital? When can you go home?” Asa reached out and touched her hand.
“Did you know? How many months?” Dakota clasped her hands like she was getting ready to pray.
She told them what the doctor had said and the worry in their eyes lessened.
“You know, I don’t have any idea how many months I am. There’s so much going on the doctor doesn’t know yet. I guess I can almost figure it out.” She held up her fingers and ticked off the months. “I could be as many as six months or as little as four.”
Asa looked at her like she had a third eye in the middle of her forehead. “I’ll call my OB/GYN and see if he’ll take you as a patient.”
Melissa pulled back the sheet and lifted her gown. “Check out my stomach, Asa. You’ve had two babies. What do you think? How far along am I?”
Dakota laughed. “I’ve never had a baby and even I know it doesn’t work that way.”
“Oh, shut up, Dakota. I know it’s not scientific, but she might know when the stomach starts to protrude. See, mine is still flat.”
Asa plopped in the chair near the bed. Her eyes clouded. She was always the serious one. “Melissa, you filed for divorce. What are you and Darius going to do now? Raising a baby alone is hard. Honey, sometimes it’s hard raising a baby with a full-time nanny and a husband.”
Melissa’s breath caught in her throat. She didn’t want to think so far into the future. Whatever lay beyond the hospital bed for her and Darius was about as scary as a slasher movie. She squeezed her eyes shut, sending the vision away.
“Sorry I ruined our dinner plans. You guys will let me make it up to you, won’t you?”
“Don’t ignore me, Melissa. Now is the time to think about your marriage. Suppose you are four months pregnant. You don’t have much time to get ready. And believe me, no matter how much you prepare, you won’t be ready.”
“Stop upsetting her, Asa.” Dakota’s voice was stern. Her eyes softened when she directed her attention on Melissa. “No matter what happens, we’ll be there for you. We’ll help you. Between Asa and Simeon and me and Bishop, we’ve got a tribe to raise this baby.” Dakota beamed with happiness.
Melissa knew the smile she gave her sister was weak. She didn’t feel as confident about the future as Dakota did. Two paths were laid out in front of her and neither one seemed like an easy trip. She could try to raise the child alone or she could try to save her marriage. The hollow feeling ballooned and she fell against the flat pillow.
“Guys, I don’t know what to do. Forgiving Darius for just walking away seems impossible to me right now. And he hasn’t asked for forgiveness. He’s got so much stuff going on in his head, I don’t know if I want to stick around until he figures it out. He doesn’t trust me. He even asked me if the baby was his.”
Dakota gasped and placed her hand over her mouth. “You’re kidding, right?”
She shook her head. “If only.”
“You know you’ve always been too hard on Darius. Give the man a break. We’ve all made mistakes. Even you,” Dakota said.
Melissa lifted an eyebrow to her sister.
“Yeah, I said it. You are a long way from perfect. You should have been honest with him from the beginning. We all need to stop living in the past.” Dakota finished and folded her arms over her chest.
“Visiting hours are now over. All visitors must leave the building.” The announcement saved her from having to respond to her sister’s edict.
Asa stood up and pushed her purse onto her shoulder. “We’ll come back tomorrow to get you settled at home. Dakota’s right. Whatever you decide, you can count on us.”
Melissa watched her sisters leave the room. She released a long breath and rearranged the bedding to get comfortable. If she didn’t take control of her life, someone would step in and do it for her, and she wasn’t going to give control to someone else ever again. There wasn’t much time to figure out a plan, but she would. She had to.
****
Darius stared at the dark television across the room. He hadn’t turned it on, but he didn’t need to. The images in his head were vivid enough. He’d fucked up a lot of things in his life but never something so important. Since returning from the hospital, he’d ignored the constant ringing of his phone and Dan pounding on the door. How could so much have gone wrong between him and Melissa?
Living from city to city and totally ignoring the only person who meant so much to him was unforgivable. He’d treated Melissa like a fan. As if she’d always be waiting for him in the wings, ready to deal with his new line of bullshit. But the look in her eyes last night said this was different. There was no forgiveness hiding behind her relentless stare this time.
To win her back, to win her love, would take more than a trip, a pair of shoes, or a few well-written musical lines. He dragged his hand down his face and sighed.
Usually, he was the man with all the answers. This time, he had none. But, the constant ache residing in his chest had vanished when he saw her yesterday.
He peeled off the clothes he’d worn the day before and showered. Afterwards, he dressed in a pair of slacks and a button-down shirt before calling the car to take him to the hospital.
As he caught the elevator to her room, he rehearsed his speech in his head. They had to at least try to figure out what went wrong and try to correct it.
When the doors parted, he took long, quick strides down the hall and through the maze to her room.
She wasn’t in her bed. The rumpled sheets were the only indication she’d been there. Maybe something had happened or they were running tests. He spun around to return to the nurse’s station and nearly knocked over a nurse carrying a tray.
“Excuse me, can you tell me where Melissa Conroy is this morning? She was in room 2204-B.”
“Her doctor came by early this morning and she was released.” The nurse hurried away.
Released? But where to? He had no idea where she lived. His heart thumped with his stupidity. He extracted his phone from the clip and dialed her cell. The number he had was no longer in service.
“Shit,” he whispered before dialing her sister.
Without waiting for her to reply, he said, “Dakota, I’m here at the hospital and Melissa’s been released. Can you tell me where she is?”
There was a long pause and he could hear muffled voices. “Darius, she doesn’t want to see you right now. Give her a few days and she’ll call you.”
“Please, Dakota. I know I’ve screwed up. I just want to make it right with her. Please tell me where she is.”
“I really can’t. I have to be here for her right now.” Dakota lowered her voice. “I promise, as soon as I can, I’ll tell you where to find her.” She disconnected the call before he could respond.
He looked down the hall to where three nurses gathered around the desk. As soon as two grabbed clipboards and walked away, he approached the remaining nurse.
“Excuse me. I hope you can help me. My wife checked out this morning and she thinks she lost an expensive bracelet while here in the hospital. I’d like to verify the address with you just in case it shows up so you can return it to us.” H
e swallowed the panic in his voice.
“Name?”
“Melissa Conroy.”
He waited while she punched a few keys on the keyboard. “I’m sorry, she left explicit instructions not to release any information to anyone about her.” The nurse pushed one last key before standing up and leveling her gaze on him. “You’re the singer, aren’t you?”
“I’m her husband.”
“Doesn’t matter.” She shook her head. “I’m not losing my job over your squabble. But, would you sign an autograph for my daughter. She loves you.” She pushed a piece of paper across the desk to him.
“What’s your daughter’s name?”
“Juliette.” She covered her badge.
He scribbled a greeting and his signature on the paper before passing it back to her. “Enjoy your day, Juliette.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Melissa put her feet on the sofa and pulled the blanket over her legs. Turbo jumped up next to her and buried his head in her lap. Being back in her condo lifted her spirits even though most of the furniture hadn’t arrived yet.
She didn’t want to talk to anyone. Especially Darius. He had a way of drawing her into his web. Until she figured out her own path, she needed to stay away from him. Once, she would have dropped everything to follow his dream, but not again. The gamble was much too high. To do the same thing again could be her destruction.
“How long do you expect me to lie to that man?” Dakota dropped her phone on the table and glared at her. “He’s been calling every day.”
“Your alliance is to me, not Darius. So, I hope you’ll keep my confidence for as long as I need you to.” She rubbed the top of the dog’s head.
Dakota lifted a brow. “He just wants to talk to you. You’re carrying his child for God’s sake.”
Melissa sat up straighter and huffed. “I was in San Francisco for months waiting for him to call me so we could talk. I left him so many messages my fingers were dialing in my sleep. He doesn’t like situations he can’t control. He wants to march in and make all the decisions. But, I’m not the same person anymore.”
“But this is different, Melissa,” she begged.
“I know, Dakota. And I’m sure we’ll have everything all figured out before the baby gets here. I promise.”
“You know what the problem is? Both of you want to be the boss all the time. You need to learn the fine art of compromise.”
“We have some problems, but I don’t think they are caused by a lack of compromise.” She shook her head and aimed the remote at the television.
“Do you want to talk? I’m here,” Dakota offered.
“I don’t feel like talking right now. I need quiet time to figure out some stuff.”
“You’ve had a week.”
Melissa was happy to have her sister around, but Dakota’s marriage was perfect. What did she know about irreconcilable differences?
Dakota hopped up and started toward the kitchen. “I saw you roll your eyes at me. But, since you’re in the family way, I’m going to let it slide. Let me fix you some lunch.”
“Never mind, Dakota. Asa is bringing something later today when she comes back. I need more than hummus and crackers.” Melissa frowned.
“Very funny, but you need to eat several small meals—.”
The doorbell rang before Dakota could finish her sentence. Turbo bounded off the sofa and charged to the door. Another habit she’d have to break.
“I’m not expecting anyone. If it’s not Pam, send whoever it is away. I just want to be alone.” Melissa drew the blanket tighter.
The sound on the television was muted, but the picture was all she needed anyway. There was enough chatter in her head already. She watched Sunny Kincaid strut on stage, looking just as perky as the day before. Whose life would be on display today?
Dakota strolled back in the room with a dubious expression on her face. She was followed by Darius and Turbo. Instead of the hip-hop image he usually portrayed, he sported corporate executive attire. His shirt looked starched and stiff. The black onyx cufflinks matched his black slacks and shoes. Compared to her cutoff shorts and oversized T-shirt, they weren’t dressed for the same occasion.
“How did you get my address?” she demanded as she struggled to sit up with her feet entangled in the blanket. She gave Dakota the once-over.
“Don’t look at me. I didn’t give it to him.” Dakota hurried around the corner into the kitchen.
Darius parked his butt in the only chair in the room and crossed his ankle over his knee. The stormy expression on his face caused her shoulders to tense. He scratched the dog’s chin without taking his eyes off her.
“Okay, you found me. Now what?” she huffed.
“Was your little stunt, payback?” He sounded like he could have been talking about the weather.
“How did you find out where I live?” she asked again.
“It wasn’t hard. Several people know about the gallery, and Dan sometimes walks on the shady side of life. How long did you plan to hide from me?” His voice was even.
“I’m not hiding. I’ve been thinking.” She folded the blanket and placed it beside her on the sofa. “I’ve never been divorced before and I’ve never been pregnant before, so I’ve got a lot of stuff to figure out.”
“Since both involve me, shouldn’t we try to figure it out together?” He remained in the same position, and the level edge in his voice indicated he was trying to stay calm.
She glanced around for Dakota to rescue her.
“You can’t keep me away from the baby, Melissa.”
“Keeping you away from the baby wasn’t my intention.”
“And what about the divorce?”
“Nothing’s changed there. Just because we’re having a baby doesn’t mean we need to remain married.”
“You sound pretty flippant. Don’t you want what’s best for our child?”
The heat started at her feet and climbed up her legs. He’d only been here a few minutes and already he wanted to control the situation.
She cleared her throat as the heat consumed her whole body. “Since I found out I was pregnant, I have done nothing but think about this baby. I’m not out talking to a group of artists right now because the doctor wants me to take it easy for a few more days. Please don’t march in here and pretend you know or care about what’s best for me. You haven’t talked to me in over four months, so whatever you’ve got to say isn’t important to me.”
He leaned forward, and the menacing flecks in his eyes disappeared. “I’m not trying to upset you. I just want you to talk to me. I want to experience being an expectant father. I want to feel the baby kicking in your stomach. I don’t want to just show up at the hospital after you deliver or on weekends designated to me by a judge who doesn’t know me.”
Darius wasn’t the enemy or the bad guy. His request stroked her heart, erasing the bitterness surrounding it. “So, what do you suggest?”
“I’d planned to fly back to San Francisco and settle some stuff. But now…”
“Oh, since your tour is over, you were going to San Francisco because you just knew I’d be sitting there waiting on you.” She held her breath to control the roar building in her stomach.
He looked away for several moments. His back teeth clenched. “I was coming home to sign the divorce papers you drew up.”
She rocked from side to side. “I see.”
All the divorces she’d seen were ugly matters fueled by resentment. She didn’t want her and Darius to take those steps, but if he thought she would pick up her life and follow him back to San Francisco, then they just might become the next famous couple on the front pages of the tabloids.
“Spit it out, Darius. What’s on your mind?”
He pushed off the chair and strolled to the balcony doors. Whatever was on his mind made her palms sweat.
“I don’t want to be on the west coast and you, here on the east coast. It’s just too far. You’re going to think this is crazy, b
ut promise to give it some thought.”
“What?”
“How about I move in here until the baby is born? If I do, we’ll have time to make some plans and I can help set up the nursery and participate in the doctor visits.”
Her mouth flopped open. “Are you serious? We’re getting divorced, why would you want to live here? You could find a place of your own. A much bigger place.” She shook her head. “Not going to happen. I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
He moved to the edge of the chair. A sparkle danced in his eyes. “It’s a perfect solution, and it will only be for a few months. We can handle this split like two adults. I think we need to get all our old baggage behind us before the baby gets here. We don’t want to scar our child the way we’ve been scarred by the battles of our parents.”
She shook her head. “Nope. I can only see things going badly for me. Nope.” She continued to shake her head.
He returned to the chair in front of her. With his elbows on his knees, he clasped his hands and leveled his gaze on her. “Melissa, think about it.” His voice was soft, almost pleading.
“I’ve only got two bedrooms and two baths. Even though the rooms are large, we’d still be tripping over each other.” She paused to make sure she used the right words. “The last thing I want to do is to have our child face life and choosing paths based on the things we did or didn’t do. Just the thought makes me cringe.” She searched his face, hoping he’d understand. He made his plan sound so easy, but stuff like this only worked on sitcoms.
“What have we got to lose, Melissa? If it doesn’t work, I can always find another place. Besides, I don’t think we ever agreed on who gets custody of my dog.”
“Turbo is my dog now. You walked out on him, too.” She patted the sofa and Turbo jumped up beside her.
“I might be able to win him over. So, what do you say about my proposal?”
Uncertainty buzzed in her head like thousands of killer bees. “I can’t. We’re too broken.”