The phone was ringing. Catherine Willows reached for her cell phone. BUt the ringing continued. "Oh, land line," she muttered to herself. Let it ring. But some inner drive couldn't do that. She just had to pick it up, "Hello?"
"May I speak to Catherine Flynn...I mean, Willows, please?"
Catherine frowned. "Who?"
"Catherine Willows.."
"Speaking..."
"Ah, welll...my name is Gillian Riley. Um...you met me once, about nineteen years ago...when I was born. Ah, I'm the baby you gave away."
Catherine sat, her ear frozen to the receiver. Her heart was beating rapidly and so hard that she could hear it in her ears. Oh my gosh...
"Ms. Willows? Are you there?"
"Ah...y...yes...I'm here."
"I realize this must be a shock. And I really had not intended to find you, but I need a bit of medical history. And so I traced you. Please, I really don't want to intrude on your life. I just need some information. If I flew to Vegas, would you meet with me?"
"Medical information...I really don't know what I can offer..." Catherine had never been so stunned in her life.
"Please, it is very important. I promise, no one needs to know I'm there...or who I am or anything. I just need to talk with you a few minutes."
Catherine was beginning to recover her mind. Curiousity was seeping into her thoughts."Okay, I suppose that would be fine. Ah...do you need a place to stay?"
"Oh...no, I'll find a motel or something. I really do not want to intrude on your family."
"Hmmmm, look, plan on staying at the Monacco. I'll arrange a room for you. Do you have your ticket yet?"
"Actually, yes. I arrive tomorrow afternoon at 1:45. "
"Okay. Well, take a cab to the Monacco and tell the clerk who you are...I'm sorry, your name again?"
"Gillian Riley."
"Okay Gillian, I'll have it all arranged. I'll give you a chance to settle in and come meet you about 4:00. Will that be okay?"
"Thank you, yes. I...really didn't know what to expect...you're being very kind. Thank you."
"Okay, well, I'll see you tomorrow then."
"Yes...tomorrow."
Catherine hung up the phone and sat staring at it. Her baby from so long ago. Her baby with him...their baby. She thought back to the night the baby was concieved. It had to have been that night; it was the only night they had ever spent together...well, in that way. He had been so loving, so wonderful. She wasn't new to sex but she had been knew to his kind of sex...because it wasn't just sex. It was the meeting of two souls. He had been so careful with her; much more careful than anyone before or since. And reverent; he had worshipped her as he had melded with her. Yes, it had been wonderful sex; but it had been so many things on so many levels of her being. No one had touched her in that way, ever. And she was sure no one ever would again. Her life since that night had been a constant search for something that even came close...or someone. But no one, and no experience, had equaled it. And now, the product of that one perfect night was coming to town. Catherine wasn't quite sure how she felt about that. And how should she treat this child? No, not a child, a young woman. And should she tell him?
Catherine went to bed, very uneasy. Sleep evaded her for most ot the night. Questions ran through her mind. More disturbing were the memories...why had it been only one night? How many nights had she lain awake wondering that?
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Okay...input...I need input!
