Chapter Twelve:
"How was the flight?" Patrick asked his mom as they waited for her bags.
"Fine. We took off and we landed. I can't think of a more successful flight."
He laughed and she could see the fatigue on his face.
He grabbed her bag and looked at her.
"How long did you expect on staying?"
She batted his arm.
"I used to change your diapers. Don't comment on my packing."
"Mom, there are only so many times you can use that excuse."
"Oh, is that right? Okay, I pushed you out of my vagina. Can I use that one?"
He blushed and she looked at him.
"We can play this game, but I will always win."
"Point taken," he smiled. "Come on, the car is waiting."
They got into the car and Patrick gave the driver the address.
"Where are we going? The hotel?"
"Yes. We need to drop your bag off and then we are going to go somewhere else."
"Where?"
Patrick looked at his mom.
"Robin's house."
Robin woke up to the sound of her alarm. She had taken a nap after Maxie left and wanted to be sure she was up and dressed before Patrick got there with his mom.
Was it weird to have them over?
She got dressed and brushed her hair, wondering how her life suddenly took such a huge turn.
Maxie was right, but she wasn't looking at this with her heart, only her mind.
Robin couldn't help but look at it with her heart.
Her heart helped make this miracle.
She put her hand on her stomach and sighed.
Would she be a good mom?
Could she afford a baby? She could barely afford rent each month.
There were so many questions and the biggest was unanswerable.
Would she live through this pregnancy?
Her phone rang and she answered.
"Hi mom," she said. "When is your flight?"
"I'm not going. I'm on my way to your place."
"What? Why?"
"How could you not tell me? How come I had to hear from Maxie that you're pregnant? Who is the father? What were you thinking? She said if you carry this baby, you could die."
Robin felt her heart racing.
How could Maxie do this?
"Mom, we can talk another time. I am having company over and I can't do this right now. We can talk tomorrow."
"No, we're talking now. I'm not going to allow you to kill yourself for a baby you weren't planning."
"Excuse me? Since when have you allowed me to do anything? You were never here, mom. Go on your trip. I'm not talking to you tonight. Good bye."
Robin hung up the phone and felt her tears come.
No. She was not letting this upset her.
Damn Maxie.
XXXX
"We are going to Robin's? You found her? Does she know I'm here? Tell me everything," Maddie said as they sat in her hotel room.
Patrick decided to tell her everything before they went to Robin's. He didn't want Robin to have to do it.
"I found her by accident," he said. "She was a patient I saw during my visit to the hospital. She was in very bad shape."
"Oh Patrick, I'm so sorry. It must have been a shock to see her like that."
"Yeah. I was so happy to find her, and at the same time, it was so sad. She lost so much weight and she was so upset. When she saw me, she was furious."
"I can imagine."
"What do you mean?"
"Well she slept with you and then thought you were engaged. I'd be pissed."
"Mom, I never said we slept together."
Maddie patted his hand.
"Changed your diapers, remember?"
He shook his head.
"Gross. Anyway, I explained myself and she understood."
"Good. Now how is she? If we are going to her house, then she must not be in the hospital anymore."
"She was released this morning."
"So she's better?"
"Mom, there's more."
"Okay, I'm listening."
"She has a serious heart condition. Her MS has made her immune system extra weak and a side effect of the medication that almost killed her is an infection in the lining of her heart."
"Oh God. How could they make such a bad medicine? How could this have happened?"
"I don't know. The lawsuits will be coming, but in the meantime, she has to deal with this."
"Can they treat the infection?"
"Yes, but they need to use heavy antibiotics and she doesn't want to take them."
"Why not?"
Patrick sighed.
"Because she's pregnant."
Maddie stared at him.
"She's pregnant? Is it yours?"
He nodded.
"And taking the meds will hurt the baby?"
"Yeah. She has decided not to take anything."
"But this could kill her," Maddie said.
"Yeah," Patrick said. "I told you things are a mess."
Maddie stood up.
"You are going to be a father?"
He nodded.
"And I might have a grandbaby?"
"You might."
She hugged him tightly.
"I love you. Let's go see Robin."
He exhaled.
"Okay."
XXXX
Robin took the cupcakes out of the oven and tried to focus on staying calm.
She was so angry with Maxie for calling her mother.
Patrick and his mom would be here soon and she just wanted to be sure everything was okay for them.
So she baked some cupcakes.
She just needed something to be easy.
Not that meeting the stranger who fathered her baby and his mom was easy.
She smiled as she sat down.
This was a mess.
Her bell rang and she went to let them in.
Only it wasn't Patrick.
"Mom? I told you I wanted to talk tomorrow."
Anna walked in.
"We need to talk now. I'm worried about you. I need to know exactly what the doctor said."
"I have a heart condition and I need to take strong meds to fix it. The meds will most likely cause the pregnancy to terminate, so I decided to wait. That's it."
"Can you wait?"
"I can wait."
"Just like that? The infection won't get worse?"
"It might. It's not recommended that I wait, but my case is kind of out there. I was given a choice and I chose to give this baby a chance."
"And what does Jason have to say? Did he help you with this decision?"
"Jason? What the hell would he have to do with this?"
Anna raised his eyebrows.
"I assumed he was the father. He isn't?"
"Why would you assume that? Jason hurt me, mom. He found out about my MS and he walked away. I was crushed and you might have known that if you bothered to ever come by. You haven't been a part of any of this. You weren't there for my tests or my doctor's visits. You didn't ask any questions or help me make any decisions. You don't get to come into my apartment now and tell me what to do."
"I am your mother and I love you. I may not always make the best decisions, but I have always loved you."
Robin nodded.
"Okay. Now you know everything and now you can go on your trip."
"Don't be like that. I want to be here. I want to help."
"I don't need your help. I need to get ready for my company. I'd like for you to leave."
"Who is coming over? Who is the father?"
"Mom, please! I can't do this!" Robin yelled and felt her heart race. She got dizzy and sat down on the couch, her head in her hands.
"What's wrong? Are you okay?"
The bell rang and Robin felt tears come to her eyes.
None of this was okay.
"Should I get the door?" Anna asked.
Robin was concentrating on her breathing. She simply nodded.
Anna went to the door and opened it.
She recognized the handsome young man from the hospital.
The woman she didn't know.
"Hi, you're Anna, right? Robin's mother? I'm Patrick and this is my mom, Maddie."
Anna smiled.
"Are you a doctor? Something is wrong with my daughter."
"What?" Patrick asked and rushed in. He saw Robin sitting with her head in her hands.
"Robin? What is it? What's wrong?" he asked as he sat next to her.
She looked at him and her eyes were filled with tears.
"I'm okay. I just got dizzy. I'm better now. I just need my mom to leave."
Patrick took her hand in his and kissed her fingers.
"Okay."
He walked over to his mom who was standing with Anna.
"I think she needs rest. I work for the hospital and I am recommending she take it easy tonight and sleep. Can she pick this up with you tomorrow?"
Anna sighed.
"I'm going out of town, but I'll call her."
Patrick wanted to scream.
How could she go out of town?
"Okay, thank you."
Anna walked out and Patrick closed the door. He turned to his mom but she had moved to sit next to Robin.
He watched as Robin looked at Maddie who smiled and said something before pulling her into her arms and hugging her.
