Hold Me Now
Couldn't stand to be kept away Hold me now Hold me now
Just for the day
From your body
Wouldn't wanna be swept away
Far away, from the one that I love
It's hard for me to say I'm sorry
I just want you to know
I really want to tell you I'm sorry
I could never let you go
After all that we've been through
I will make it up to you
I promise to
And after all that's been said and done
You're just the part of me I can't let go
-Chicago
"Hi, Ralph," Kate said standing.
"Nick's not going to be home until later," Ralph announced. "He wanted me to tell you."
"Oh, okay."
"He's meeting with that Redman fellow," Ralph explained, seeing her expression. "Did you two have a fight?"
"Huh?" her expression was bewildered. "Why would you think that?"
"For starters Nick was distracted and moody all day, and here you stand looking like someone kicked your puppy." She had to smile at that comparison. "So what happened?"
"Well, we didn't have a fight," she hedged.
"If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to; I just figured it might make you feel better."
"Thanks," Kate said. "Will you look after Logan for a while? I'd like to go for a walk, clear my head."
"Sure," Ralph said, "take as long as you want."
"Thank you." She walked for what felt like hours. She stopped and talked to several people, all of whom asked how Nick was doing. She told them that he was fine, although she wasn't sure if that was the truth herself. She ran into Harold Lauder as she was about to turn for home.
"Kate isn't it?" he asked with a smile.
"Yeah, and you're Harold," Kate said smiling back, a trifle uneasy.
"What are you doing out here?"
"Thinking," she said, "a lot of thinking. Are there any good bookstores around here?"
"Yeah," Harold led her to one around the corner.
"Thanks."
"Looking for anything in particular?" Harold asked as she searched through the stacks.
"Not really. I was going to pick up some Jane Austin for myself and maybe some kid's books to read to Logan." She didn't add that the main reason that she had decided to go to a book store was to pick up a copy of Winnie The Pooh. It was a comfort book and one she could share with Logan. Maybe she could find some of the books Nick had mentioned as well. Harold watched her covertly, picking up a copy of Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince. She filled a plastic bag with books and straightened. "Well, thanks for your help."
"Oh, um you're welcome. Would you like some help with that?"
"No, thanks though." He fell in step with her in her way out.
"I wanted to talk to Ralph about the power plant," he explained.
"Okay." They idly on the long walk back. It was dark by the time that they arrived. Nick was sitting perched on the banister when they arrived. He hopped off the porch looking annoyed.
"Where were you?" he signed.
"Out, walking," she said.
"You left three hours ago."
"I'm well aware of that. Is there something wrong with wanting a little time to clear my head?"
"I'll just go," Harold said stepping away.
"Go ahead inside," Kate said, "Ralph should be there."
"Okay, thanks." He left.
"I was going to come looking for you but realized that I had absolutely no idea of where you might be," Nick signed. "And what were you doing with him?"
"We were heading in the same direction so we walked together." She walked away going into the house through their private entrance. "And why does it matter who I talk with?"
"I don't like him."
"We were walking in the same direction not having tea together or something. Besides, since when do you get to say what I do and who I do it with?"
Nick took a deep breath realizing that she was now deliberately pushing him. "I'm sorry. I was just worried."
"Oh, like I haven't been all damn day!" A look of confusion crossed his face. "I tell you that there's a chance that I may be pregnant and you disappear for the entire day. What was I supposed to think? And when I do finally see you your first reaction is to be angry with me! Ralph told me to take my time so I did. I needed to think. Especially since the man I love apparently doesn't value my feelings enough to come home and tell me himself that he has to do something after what happened. No, I hear it from Ralph!" He couldn't hear that she was shouting but it made her feel better.
"Are you done?"
"I don't know," she said honestly, sniffling a little.
"I'm sorry, I was thoughtless. It's not like I've been in a lot of relationships to gage what I'm supposed to do, and I've certainly never gotten another girl pregnant."
"Me either."
"I'd hope not."
"I meant the relationship thing," she said and gave a small smile. "For future reference, when your significant other thinks she's pregnant and doesn't know how you feel about it, leaving her alone all day is a very bad idea."
"I'm an ass."
"Yes." He smiled as she laughed a little.
"Sit with me, and we can talk about this." They sat down on their bed. "I'm not upset and even if I were I was here for the baby's conception as well. Plus, I'm older than you and more experienced. I should have thought about protection. But I'm not upset, I'm just a bit surprised."
She laughed. "Me too."
"So when do we find out?"
"I don't know. My period has been regular pretty much since I got it and I'm late." He hugged her, she leaned against him breathing in his scent.
"Have you eaten?"
"Not yet." He stood and they walked back up to the kitchen.
"Finally, emerge?" Ralph asked.
"Everything okay?" Elise asked.
"Just fine," Kate smiled. "What did Harold want?"
"Just had a couple questions. They were too technical for me so I sent him to Brad's." The four sat down to dinner. One great thing about Elise, the woman was a fabulous cook. She managed to make canned food taste really good.
"So you two talked?" Ralph asked.
"Yelled is more like it," Elise smiled. "But everything is okay now?"
"Yeah, we talked," Kate said.
"Good," Elise said. They sat up for hours talking before Logan started getting fussy.
"I think someone's ready for bed," Kate said standing. She carried Logan down the stairs. She sat down with him getting out Winnie the Pooh. "Chapter One: ... In Which We Are Introduced to Winnie-the-Pooh and Some Bees, and the Stories begin..." By the time she got through the first chapter Logan was asleep.
She looked up, startled to see Nick standing there watching her. She put Logan to bed and tucked him in, giving him a kiss goodnight. "Ready?" he signed with a grin. She nodded following him into their bedroom.