me at the moment, so I'm trying to be quiet."
"That's
good. She wasn't a bitch like you thought."
"She's
scared. As am I." He took a deep breath. "You have to keep
this to yourself, one-hundred percent."
"All
right, all right. I won't even tell Steven. Okay, I'll probably tell
him."
"I'm
serious. She's pregnant."
Camille
squealed. "Yours, I assume or we wouldn't be talking about it."
"Yeah.
I'll tell you the whole story another time. It's been one hell of a
day."
"Sounds
like it. Are you sure it's yours?"
That
pissed him off. "Yes, of course." He looked at Tonya,
innocent and fearless in sleep. "Yes. Damn it." He was sure
right? Lesser women would pin it on someone else. But this was his
Tonya. He hoped he wasn't letting his feelings for her cloud his
judgement.
"All
right, I know you love this girl. I worry about you. I know you've
had your share of women, but you are innocent when it comes to actual
relationships, Chris."
"I
can hold my own. I can see a fake and a user. Tony is not that."
He stroked her hair, wishing he could carry her to bed and wake her
with kisses. She'd give in so easy. He couldn't do that to her. He
wanted her to come to him.
"So
what are you thinking?"
"I
don't know yet. I think I have her persuaded to move in with me here.
To try to see if we can make something work." Something out of
nothing, except his feelings. She obviously didn't feel as strongly
as he did. If he had some time, maybe he could make her feel the
same. Or maybe, his feelings could be enough.
"Be
careful," she said.
"I
called for a reason. Other than this. I kissed her earlier and her
stomach suddenly got all tight."
"Just
once?"
"I
think so. She fell asleep after that." He wound his hand down to
her belly, it felt soft and only vaguely distended. He would have to
start reading about pregnancy. He had no idea the logistics of the
whole process. He'd been around when Camille had had her kids. But
he'd been a teen boy. The details eluded him except the growing belly
which somehow turned into a baby.
"Was
there pain?"
"I
don't think so."
"Sounds
like Braxton-Hicks contractions."
"Contractions?
Like giving birth contractions?"
"No,
no. These are practice ones. They happen all the time, most women
don't noticed until later. I guess it was probably the stress of the
situation that made them more intense. If she has them regularly, get
her to lay down and see if they stop. If they don't stop or they hurt
like hell, go right to the hospital."
"Okay."
He felt cold with fear at the idea of Tonya in pain, or her losing
the baby. "I should go before she wakes. Not a word to anyone.
I'll tell the parentals and everyone else soon, once I know what's
going on."
"Okay,
please keep me informed. I'm going to worry about you. And as soon as
you say I can, I'm coming out to meet his woman myself."
He
smiled down at Tonya. "You'll like her Camille. Give me a chance
to get her used to the idea of me. Never mind an entirely army of
people."
"Just
me. And probably Mom."
"I'll
talk to you in a few days. Think happy thoughts." She used to
tell him that when he was sad about their parents.
"You
think happy thoughts, too."
He
ended the call and put his phone on the sofa beside him.
He
eased his hands under her body and picked her up. Nothing to her. He
thought she might have even lost weight over the summer. Maybe she
felt a little more for him than he thought, if she was having trouble
eating. He'd have to see if he could talk to Nicole about the summer
months.
Nicole
was the only person he trusted to be straight with him about Tonya.
She wanted Tonya's happiness. But unlike Corey, she would be a little
sympathetic toward Chris.
He
turned the television on, but kept the volume low. He stroked her
hair and arms, unable to keep from touching her.
His
legs were nearly falling asleep when she stirred. She looked up at
him with a smile. He searched her eyes. She sat up, scooting her ass
on his lap. She wrapped her arms around him.
"That's
good. She wasn't a bitch like you thought."
"She's
scared. As am I." He took a deep breath. "You have to keep
this to yourself, one-hundred percent."
"All
right, all right. I won't even tell Steven. Okay, I'll probably tell
him."
"I'm
serious. She's pregnant."
Camille
squealed. "Yours, I assume or we wouldn't be talking about it."
"Yeah.
I'll tell you the whole story another time. It's been one hell of a
day."
"Sounds
like it. Are you sure it's yours?"
That
pissed him off. "Yes, of course." He looked at Tonya,
innocent and fearless in sleep. "Yes. Damn it." He was sure
right? Lesser women would pin it on someone else. But this was his
Tonya. He hoped he wasn't letting his feelings for her cloud his
judgement.
"All
right, I know you love this girl. I worry about you. I know you've
had your share of women, but you are innocent when it comes to actual
relationships, Chris."
"I
can hold my own. I can see a fake and a user. Tony is not that."
He stroked her hair, wishing he could carry her to bed and wake her
with kisses. She'd give in so easy. He couldn't do that to her. He
wanted her to come to him.
"So
what are you thinking?"
"I
don't know yet. I think I have her persuaded to move in with me here.
To try to see if we can make something work." Something out of
nothing, except his feelings. She obviously didn't feel as strongly
as he did. If he had some time, maybe he could make her feel the
same. Or maybe, his feelings could be enough.
"Be
careful," she said.
"I
called for a reason. Other than this. I kissed her earlier and her
stomach suddenly got all tight."
"Just
once?"
"I
think so. She fell asleep after that." He wound his hand down to
her belly, it felt soft and only vaguely distended. He would have to
start reading about pregnancy. He had no idea the logistics of the
whole process. He'd been around when Camille had had her kids. But
he'd been a teen boy. The details eluded him except the growing belly
which somehow turned into a baby.
"Was
there pain?"
"I
don't think so."
"Sounds
like Braxton-Hicks contractions."
"Contractions?
Like giving birth contractions?"
"No,
no. These are practice ones. They happen all the time, most women
don't noticed until later. I guess it was probably the stress of the
situation that made them more intense. If she has them regularly, get
her to lay down and see if they stop. If they don't stop or they hurt
like hell, go right to the hospital."
"Okay."
He felt cold with fear at the idea of Tonya in pain, or her losing
the baby. "I should go before she wakes. Not a word to anyone.
I'll tell the parentals and everyone else soon, once I know what's
going on."
"Okay,
please keep me informed. I'm going to worry about you. And as soon as
you say I can, I'm coming out to meet his woman myself."
He
smiled down at Tonya. "You'll like her Camille. Give me a chance
to get her used to the idea of me. Never mind an entirely army of
people."
"Just
me. And probably Mom."
"I'll
talk to you in a few days. Think happy thoughts." She used to
tell him that when he was sad about their parents.
"You
think happy thoughts, too."
He
ended the call and put his phone on the sofa beside him.
He
eased his hands under her body and picked her up. Nothing to her. He
thought she might have even lost weight over the summer. Maybe she
felt a little more for him than he thought, if she was having trouble
eating. He'd have to see if he could talk to Nicole about the summer
months.
Nicole
was the only person he trusted to be straight with him about Tonya.
She wanted Tonya's happiness. But unlike Corey, she would be a little
sympathetic toward Chris.
He
turned the television on, but kept the volume low. He stroked her
hair and arms, unable to keep from touching her.
His
legs were nearly falling asleep when she stirred. She looked up at
him with a smile. He searched her eyes. She sat up, scooting her ass
on his lap. She wrapped her arms around him.
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