Chapter Twelve


A/N: Not the last chapter, don't worry!


Jean lay in bed, waiting for her husband to join her, but she had a sinking suspicion that he would not be joining her any time soon. She knew that the baby was Teddy's – the last time she had made love to Gordon was seven months ago, and she was only five months pregnant.

She could not wait any longer for him to come upstairs, so she slipped into her dressing gown and went downstairs to find him.

"Teddy?" she called. There was no answer. She looked for him everywhere, but he was not there. Returning to their bedroom, she collapsed on the bed, sobbing.

How could he believe that she was carrying Gordon's child? How could he believe that she would lie to him about that? Didn't he trust her?


Teddy had fled to his studio, wanting to get away from his wife so that he could think. Unfortunately, his studio was littered with paintings of her – he turned them all to the wall so that he could not see her face – the face which he had loved so much, but now he was so confused.

"No matter what happens, my darling," he had said to her earlier that evening, "I will always love you. Never forget that."

Was it true now? Yes, it was still true, but could he bear to be around her any longer when he did not know if the child was his or Gordon's?

He pulled a bottle of red wine out of the pantry, and filled a large glass. He sat at his table and rested his head in his hands. How could she have done this to him? The glass of wine quickly disappeared, and he poured another, and another, and yet another, before stumbling to the bed that he kept in the studio. He collapsed on top of the bed sheets and fell into a deep, drunken sleep. He was so drunk that he forgot to lock the door, and he did not hear Sandy come in. She undressed him, and then undressed herself, before crawling into bed with him. She knew that Jean would be around first thing in the morning to look for Teddy, and she wanted Jean to see her husband as a philandering, uncaring man.


At seven o'clock the next morning, Jean woke up after a restless night's sleep. She had been too tired the night before to go to the studio, but she knew that he would be there. Getting dressed, she walked the three blocks to the studio.

She mounted the stairs slowly and was forced to stop at every landing. She finally reached his studio and unlocked the door, stepping inside. She stopped dead when she saw her husband in bed with Sandy Stranger, both of them absolutely naked.

She screamed, causing them both to wake up.

"Jean?" Teddy asked her, wincing, his voice still slurred from last night's alcohol binge. He suddenly noticed the naked girl in bed beside him. "Wha' 'r you doin' here?" he asked her.

Jean stumbled backwards out of the studio, fleeing the building. Teddy lurched out of bed, trying to follow her.

"Jean!" he cried. She did not turn around, but stumbled out of the building as quickly as she could. Teddy collapsed at the top of the stairs.

"Wha' 've I done?" he asked himself, collapsing in sobs just inside of his studio. Unnoticed by him, Sandy slipped in to her clothes and left as quietly as she had came, closing the door behind her.


Jean did not know where to go – she had no friends, no family, and no place to call home. So she went back to the house she had shared with Teddy and collapsed in their bed, sobbing.

She could not believe that Teddy would cheat on her – especially with Sandy, the girl who had started it all. The memory of it kept playing back in her head, and she frowned – something wasn't right. "Wha' 'r you doin' here?" he had asked Sandy. Teddy never forgot things when he got drunk – and she would not put it past Sandy to try to break up their marriage, just as she had ruined her teaching career.

Slowly but surely, her sobs abated, and she rubbed her stomach soothingly. Their baby had been kicking frenetically – Jean should not have allowed herself to get so worked up – she might hurt the baby. She was a bit old to be having her first child, at any rate – she was already thirty-five – and she did not want to miscarry.

Jean went into the bathroom to take a hot bath, which helped to soothe her. After her bath she made herself breakfast and then went back to bed, even though it was only nine o'clock in the morning, and fell deeply asleep.


Several hours later, Teddy stumbled home. He was not still drunk, but he had the most awful hangover. Making his way upstairs, he stopped at their bedroom door. What would he say to her? What if she didn't believe him? He felt so guilty, even though he knew that he had not slept with Sandy. He pushed open the door, and stopped at the foot of their bed, his heart contracting with guilt as he looked upon his wife's sleeping form, tearstains marring her porcelain skin.

He knelt at the side of the bed and placed a gentle hand on her cheek. "Jean," he called her name softly. She stirred, opening her eyes.

"Teddy?" she whispered.

"Jean, I am so sorry – " he began.

"Teddy, it's not Gordon's child – " she said at the same time.

They stopped talking. "You first, Jean," he said.

"It's not Gordon's child," she repeated. "The last time I slept with Gordon was seven months ago. It's your child, Teddy," she said, rubbing her stomach. Tentatively, he rested his hand on top of hers, looking into her eyes.

"I did not sleep with Sandy, Jean," he said quietly.

"I know you did not," she replied gently, stroking his hair. He looked up at her. "She's trying to ruin our marriage, just as she ruined my teaching career."

"Jean, I am so sorry that I didn't believe you," he said. "I am so, so sorry."

"I know, my darling," she said, continuing to stroke his hair.

"I love you, Jean," he said. "I love you with all my heart."

"And I love you, Teddy," she replied. She yawned, her eyes fluttering closed for a moment. "Why don't you join me?" she suggested, crawling back under the covers. He kicked off his shoes and joined her in bed, wrapping his arms around her.

"I do love you, Jean," he said, kissing her.

"And I love you, Teddy," she replied, kissing him back. "I do." She yawned again, snuggling up against him. He rested a hand on her stomach, feeling their child kick inside of her.

He kissed her again and fell asleep.