Chapter Six

Don was wearing a pale shirt and a pair of jeans when he opened the door. He welcomed her in and led her to the room with the fireplace. She noticed the book on the small table next to the chairs, one of her favorites.

"Why did you need to talk to me so soon?" he asked, sitting in one of the chairs.

Dina had called him this morning asking if he was going to be home alone. At first he thought she was just looking for another f*ck, but when he noticed the urgency in her voice, he agreed to have her that hour. Cassandra was out working and Mortimer was still sleeping in his bedroom on the second floor. Don was sure he wasn't going to wake up before ten a.m.

She sat on the other one, avoiding his eyes.

How hard could it be? She knew sooner or later it was going to happen and it was going to be difficult to handle, but why did it seem so much worse now that she was sitting in front of him, ready to give him the news that would change his life forever?

Dina closed her eyes for a moment, gathering all her courage to pronounce those words.

"I… I'm pregnant, Don."

Don's expression was of horror and certain disgust for her. She felt like an animal from a different planet which anybody wanted to be around and everybody thought it was completely repulsive. Dina wanted to disappear into the fireplace and never come back.

"You're kidding me, Dina" he said, almost yelling. If Mortimer wasn't sleeping upstairs, she was sure he would've been shouting out loud at her. "You got pregnant with somebody else and you're blaming me. You want to destroy my life."

"I'm not happy about it either, Don" she cried, "but it turns out you're the only one I've slept with by the time I got pregnant. It's yours, Don. You like it or not."

He sat back and covered his face with his hands. So stupid. He had always been careful, always watching out so that something like wouldn't happen to him, but one small mistake and he had sank into hell and there was no way back.

"You can't have this baby."

"I'm not having an abortion" she replied immediately. She had discussed that with herself; there was no way she was gonna do something like that.

"You can't have the baby, Dina" Don repeated. He had stood up and was walking around the room, impatiently, while she stayed sat down.

"Is it so bad? Why can't you leave her and come live with me? You don't even love her…"

"Shut up!" he didn't yell it, but he meant to.

His hand crossed her face leaving a red mark on her right cheek. Don hit her.

Dina started to cry, holding her face in her hands.

Don kneeled beside her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Dina, I'm sorry… I didn't mean to."

She didn't say anything. She couldn't, with all the tears washing her face and the constant sobs.

"Listen to me. I've got a plan."