guy,” Lisette whispered in her ear.
“He’s
scared of failing at being a dad.” Catalella laughed as Rich pushed Rhyne
around on her tricycle. The sound of his bellowing laughter and her tiny
shrieks filled her heart.
“Reno
doesn’t like me telling people this, but when I showed him my pregnancy test he
froze.” Lisette laughed. “He held on to it for like a lifetime. I went to bed
and the next morning he was still on the couch staring at the two bars. Later
that afternoon he bought the whole baby section in the book store, he started
constructing a baby’s room in a town house we didn’t own yet, and was shopping
for baby stuff. He seemed to be in a trance.”
“He was
getting ready.” Catalella stared at the giant with his son in his arms. Reno
was like a boy scout. He was always prepared.
“He was
afraid that he wouldn’t be a good dad. That’s Uncle Dennis’ fault—he abandoned
them. But by the time Rhyne came, he seemed to be convinced that he was a good
dad.”
“All I
want is for Rich to be there for both of us.” Catalella hugged her belly,
trying to dispel the fear of abandonment that had all of a sudden overwhelmed
her.
Catalella
had refrained from asking Rich what Harold meant when he said he was ‘working
on it’. Did that mean the old man was trying to convince Rich to marry her? She
had already seen the old man’s persuasive power. He had already convinced
Katherine and AJ to have a grander wedding, and that meant they were pushing it
back three months. Lisette and Catalella had protested, especially since they
would both be in their second trimester, but the old man had made his decision.
She hoped that Rich had more resolve to say no. She wasn’t getting married
again. Never again.
Rich
had bought an apartment for them in both their names. They had decided being
equal partners was what was best for them and their ‘relationship’. She was
moving in that weekend before they left for her parent’s home. She wanted to
talk about the marriage thing, to make sure that Rich understood, but she
didn’t want to ruin their already working friendship. She would just have to
wait until she saw the signs.
* * *
*
Catalella
leaned back in her office chair, glad that she’d decided to buy dresses. She
couldn’t stand how tight the skirts and trousers were around her waist. The
dresses were freer. She stood up and headed toward Dennis’ office. She hadn’t
told him that she knew about his friendship with Harold and Ethan senior—she
thought he would tell her himself but he hadn’t.
She
walked into the office and the old man watched her expectantly. “I need to tell
you something, Uncle Denny.”
“Uncle
Denny? This
isn’t going to be good news, is it?” Dennis chuckled as he led Catalella to the
sofa.
“I’m
going to come right out and say it.” Catalella took in a deep breath. “I’m
pregnant and Ethan McCrery is the father.”
Dennis
watched her in silent surprise for a while before he hugged her. “I’m happy for
you. But do you know your father’s history with the McCrery’s?”
“Yes,
he and Harold told us when we went down there last weekend,” she said.
“So
your father knows?”
“Yes.”
“How
does he feel about it?”
“He’s
excited and Harold has accepted AJ and Katherine’s marriage.” Catalella went on
to tell him what happened that weekend and laughed with him, relieved that the
old man found humor in the bizarre twist of fate.
“That’s
good. Finally we can go back to the way things used to be. I only wish Four were here.”
Four . Catalella sighed. That meant
Rich was Five and if they had a son, he would be Six. She smiled at how
comforting the familiarity made her feel. But her comfort was snatched away
when Dennis’ secretary ran into the room, panicked, and Rich and Harold entered
behind her.
“Are
you all right?” Rich reached for her and looked her over before crushing her to
his chest.
“I’m
fine…what’s
“He’s
scared of failing at being a dad.” Catalella laughed as Rich pushed Rhyne
around on her tricycle. The sound of his bellowing laughter and her tiny
shrieks filled her heart.
“Reno
doesn’t like me telling people this, but when I showed him my pregnancy test he
froze.” Lisette laughed. “He held on to it for like a lifetime. I went to bed
and the next morning he was still on the couch staring at the two bars. Later
that afternoon he bought the whole baby section in the book store, he started
constructing a baby’s room in a town house we didn’t own yet, and was shopping
for baby stuff. He seemed to be in a trance.”
“He was
getting ready.” Catalella stared at the giant with his son in his arms. Reno
was like a boy scout. He was always prepared.
“He was
afraid that he wouldn’t be a good dad. That’s Uncle Dennis’ fault—he abandoned
them. But by the time Rhyne came, he seemed to be convinced that he was a good
dad.”
“All I
want is for Rich to be there for both of us.” Catalella hugged her belly,
trying to dispel the fear of abandonment that had all of a sudden overwhelmed
her.
Catalella
had refrained from asking Rich what Harold meant when he said he was ‘working
on it’. Did that mean the old man was trying to convince Rich to marry her? She
had already seen the old man’s persuasive power. He had already convinced
Katherine and AJ to have a grander wedding, and that meant they were pushing it
back three months. Lisette and Catalella had protested, especially since they
would both be in their second trimester, but the old man had made his decision.
She hoped that Rich had more resolve to say no. She wasn’t getting married
again. Never again.
Rich
had bought an apartment for them in both their names. They had decided being
equal partners was what was best for them and their ‘relationship’. She was
moving in that weekend before they left for her parent’s home. She wanted to
talk about the marriage thing, to make sure that Rich understood, but she
didn’t want to ruin their already working friendship. She would just have to
wait until she saw the signs.
* * *
*
Catalella
leaned back in her office chair, glad that she’d decided to buy dresses. She
couldn’t stand how tight the skirts and trousers were around her waist. The
dresses were freer. She stood up and headed toward Dennis’ office. She hadn’t
told him that she knew about his friendship with Harold and Ethan senior—she
thought he would tell her himself but he hadn’t.
She
walked into the office and the old man watched her expectantly. “I need to tell
you something, Uncle Denny.”
“Uncle
Denny? This
isn’t going to be good news, is it?” Dennis chuckled as he led Catalella to the
sofa.
“I’m
going to come right out and say it.” Catalella took in a deep breath. “I’m
pregnant and Ethan McCrery is the father.”
Dennis
watched her in silent surprise for a while before he hugged her. “I’m happy for
you. But do you know your father’s history with the McCrery’s?”
“Yes,
he and Harold told us when we went down there last weekend,” she said.
“So
your father knows?”
“Yes.”
“How
does he feel about it?”
“He’s
excited and Harold has accepted AJ and Katherine’s marriage.” Catalella went on
to tell him what happened that weekend and laughed with him, relieved that the
old man found humor in the bizarre twist of fate.
“That’s
good. Finally we can go back to the way things used to be. I only wish Four were here.”
Four . Catalella sighed. That meant
Rich was Five and if they had a son, he would be Six. She smiled at how
comforting the familiarity made her feel. But her comfort was snatched away
when Dennis’ secretary ran into the room, panicked, and Rich and Harold entered
behind her.
“Are
you all right?” Rich reached for her and looked her over before crushing her to
his chest.
“I’m
fine…what’s
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