Chapter 25

It was early in the morning as Lou rushed along the long, straight street towards the bank. As soon as she had woken up, she had realized she had forgotten to get this week's income into the family's bank account, and today the electricity bill will have to be paid. So she had a quick shower, got dressed, and dashed out of her house in the direction of the supermarket as if the devil was after her.

The bank finally appeared in sight and Louise reached it breathlessly. While she pushed the big glass door, she mentally went through everything she had to do today. She also needed to go to the supermarket but that could wait for later. Before going to work, she'd drop by her usual store, and purchase the food for this week. Tompkins' store was very close to her place, but it was very small, with a limited selection of food brands, and a bit more expensive, which due to her family's economy was the most important reason to consider.

As Louise stepped into the spotless room, she did not see anybody. That was good because it meant that she would finish all this more quickly, and she would not have to wait in line. Louise approached the only opened cashier, and noticed Kathleen behind the glass. Their eyes met, and Lou felt unable to ignore her friend. Since Kathleen's flit on Friday, Louise had not seen or heard from the girl, and even though she was still a bit sore at both Kathleen and Emily, Lou could not help but feel concerned. "How are you, Kath?"

The blonde girl lowered her eyes as she answered, "I'm fine, thanks."

"Have… have you decided what you're going to do now?"

Kathleen nodded. "I followed your advice, and talked to my father and Buck. It wasn't easy… at all."

"I can imagine so."

"In any case, I've reached a decision… the correct decision. I'm going to have this baby and… and… Buck and I are getting married in a couple of weeks."

Lou was unable to hide the astonishment after hearing her friend. Her eyes were as big as saucers, and she opened her mouth to talk but for a few seconds she could not form a coherent thought. "But… getting married?" she finally croaked. "Getting married? You were ready to terminate your pregnancy and now… you want to get married?"

Kathleen lifted her chin proudly. "Well, that's what I want to do now. I love Buck, and we'll be happy."

"Kathleen, you've gone from one extreme to the other like on a crazy, dangerous rollercoaster," Lou insisted. If Kathleen wanted to have the baby and even get married, it was perfectly all right, but Lou feared that Kathleen was going along this new plan just to please her father or … even her boyfriend. It made no sense, and what was worse, this wasn't a game and a baby's welfare was at stake. "Kath, are you really sure of what you're gonna do? Are you sure you've thought everything through? There are other options and …"

"And what are those options, you insolent?" a loud voice resounded behind Lou, and, as she turned round, surprised, she found Mr. Devlin, his face red with anger, looking at her as if she was going to eat her alive.

"Good morning, sir," Lou whispered hesitatingly. It was obvious that the bank director had something against her, and she wondered what.

"Stop playing the role of a good child, and erase that stupid expression from your face," Devlin barked. "I know your kind very well, and I don't want you near me or my daughter."

"I… I don't understand," Lou stammered clumsily.

"Please Dad!" Kathleen tried to appease her father, but it was an impossible task since he would not hear her.

"Oh don't you? Are you stupid or what?" Devlin continued. Lou's eyes darted to Kathleen, but she looked away. "I know everything you did," the man carried on. "My daughter explained how you convinced her to go to that butcher… to have her baby killed! Who the hell do you think you are to make decisions for my daughter?"

"I didn't…"

"My daughter is a very naïve girl, who is easily influenced," Devlin continued, not letting Lou get a word in edgeways. "She was naturally confused and distraught… and you… you manipulated her."

"That's not true!" Lou managed to say.

"I have known people like you all my life… envious and sinister characters that enjoy harming and meddling into good people's lives just to see us miserable! Kathleen is shattered because of what you almost talked her into doing. She's a very sensitive girl, but, thankfully, she got back to her senses in time, and saw your true colors."

Lou looked at Kathleen again, but the blonde girl was purposefully ignoring her. "You've got it all wrong, Mr. Devlin," Lou whispered so low that the bank manager almost did not hear her.

"I never liked you. I knew you were trouble from the first moment I saw you," Devlin insisted. "And now hear me out. I don't want you near my daughter, and, if you come to my bank again, I'll kick you out, understood?"

Before Louise could answer to his threat, Devlin grabbed her by the arm, trying to forcefully steer her to the door. "Don't touch me, you oaf!" Lou exclaimed at the top of her lungs, disengaging herself from his hold.

"Hey, hey, one moment! What is happening here?" a female voice resounded in the place, and it was then that they saw Emma appear among the other end of the bank. The woman had quietly been withdrawing some money from the ATM in the hall when Mr. Devlin's loud voice had surprised her. Moved by curiosity, she had dared to take a peek, and when she had seen who the butt of the man's anger was, she could not remain indifferent. It didn't take a genius to understand that the bank director was referring to the event that had caused an awkward misunderstanding between her and her son. It seemed that the friend Lou had gone to the clinic with was Kathleen Devlin.

Emma did not know what had happened between Kathleen and Louise, but it was not fair of Devlin to blame Lou for the matter. It was not that Louise had forced Kathleen to go to that clinic at gunpoint, and at the end of the day it was Kathleen's decision, not Lou's.

Devlin looked visibly uncomfortable when he realized that one of his customers and neighbors had heard him. "Emma, with all my respects, stay out of this. It's not your problem."

"It is when a big man abuses a young girl verbally," Emma replied, which gained her a genuinely surprised frown from Lou.

"I wasn't abusing anybody!" Devlin retorted. "This is a private matter, and I have every right to feel terribly outraged. If you knew what this… this girl did, you'd understand me."

"I more or less get the gist of what happened," Emma replied. Devlin stared at her with a surprised expression, wondering how on earth she knew, but Emma did not bother to explain herself, and said instead, "I'm really sorry about what your daughter is going through, but she's the only one to blame for going to a quack! We can't go blaming others for our own mistakes."

Kathleen shifted on her chair uncomfortable, trying to make herself as small as possible, because she knew Emma was right. However, her father was not so easy to defeat. "I'm surprised at you, Emma. You've known my daughter all your life… since she was a baby. You know what she's like, and you're ready to defend this stranger against her just because she's your son's girlfriend."

"That doesn't have anything to do with this," Emma protested energetically. "I just know that what's fair is fair."

"You can have the opinion you want, Emma," Devlin replied scornfully, "but this is the place I direct, and I don't want that troublemaker around, and that's final."

"But Jack …"

"It's all right, Mrs. Cain," Lou spoke up for the first time, interrupting her. "Thank you for standing up for me." She turned to the man, and added, "Mr. Devlin, you don't need to worry. I wouldn't set foot in this branch even if it were the only one in the whole world. Good day."

Louise turned round, and without looking at any of the three people she ran to the exit. Devlin gave Emma a glare, and, still grunting among gritted teeth, he stalked back into his office. When Emma also walked away to resume what she had been doing, even though she didn't feel in the mood for it, Kathleen rose from her chair, and, crossing to the door, she looked up and down the street. When she spotted Lou, she called her name urgently.

Louise looked behind her, and stopped her brisk walking when she noticed Kathleen. The blonde girl approached her, noticing the anger in Lou's face and her pose. "Lou… I… I'm sorry," she apologized with downcast eyes when she reached her friend.

"You told your father a bunch of downright lies! I've never felt so humiliated in my whole life," Louise retorted with clear annoyance.

"I… I know, but I couldn't do anything else," Kathleen said awkwardly, aware that there was no excuse for her behavior. "The police have closed down that clinic, and found my name and details in their appointment book. They called my father. He was absolutely livid. I had to tell him it was your idea… Emily is my best friend and I couldn't get her into trouble."

Lou stared at the blonde girl coldly. "But you had no remorse whatsoever lying and putting me in a bad light… Kid's mom was in there… I have the feeling she doesn't like me very much, and, now thanks to you and your father, she thinks it was my idea that you put yourself in the hands of that quack! She's going to believe the worst about me!"

"Louise, I think you're exaggerating. She was defending you against my father. Please you have to understand my situation."

Louise folded her arms, and her stiff expression showed that Kathleen's words were not doing much to appease her. "Yes, I understand you very well. I just understand you're nothing but a selfish, self-centered brat that doesn't mind trampling over anybody just to save your backside."

"Lou, I'm sorry. I'm just a coward when it comes to deal with my father."

Louise kept the same glacial expression while she said, "I really thought you were my friend, but with friends like you who needs enemies?" Kathleen stared at her with a hurt expression, but felt unable to say anything else. "You better go back inside, and stop talking to me. You don't want to anger your father, do you? You know he might punish you by stopping your weekly allowance, and God forbid that!" Lou said sarcastically, and before Kathleen could answer to her sarcasm, she turned round, and walked away with quick steps.

Kathleen stared at her friend's fleeing figure, fighting the urge to run after her and try to reason with her. Yet, she remained rooted on the spot, feeling too guilty to do anything. Suddenly, a voice talked behind her, which almost startled her. "She's really angry."

Kathleen swirled around, and found herself looking into the dark eyes of her handsome boyfriend. "And what about you? Are you angry too?" she asked. She and Buck had had a big fight that weekend when he had learned about her secret pregnancy and how she planned not to say a word to him about it. Devlin had called Buck and his guardian, and the two adults had decided that the couple should get married and give that baby a real family home.

"I still don't understand why you didn't talk to me."

"I know I was a fool," Kathleen replied. "I was scared… I … I don't really have an excuse… I'm sorry."

Buck took a step closer, and intertwined his fingers between hers. "I also need to apologize. I flew off the handle on Saturday, and I should have been more understanding. I can't really put myself in your shoes… it's your body… your life. I can understand why you freaked out, but I wish you had shared your fears with me."

Kathleen smiled, and closed the short distance between them. She rested her head on his shoulder and whispered. "I love you, Buck. I'm very lucky to have you, and I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."

They remained silent, holding onto each other for a few minutes, and relishing the warm feelings each other's company offered. As a couple, they had naturally squabbled about petty things, but this was their first serious fight and the first important situation they had to face.

"Yesterday," Buck started after a while, "I had time to reflect upon all this. And… I don't really like the way things were dealt with."

Kathleen lifted her head from his shoulder. "What do you mean?"

"Your father and R.B practically decided for us," Buck said. "I was too upset to say a word, and you seemed too scared. Kath, it's our life… ours alone, and we should be the ones to make a decision, nobody else."

"You mean you don't want to marry me?" Kathleen asked, feeling hurt for what seemed a clear refusal from his part.

"No… it's not that!" Buck exclaimed. "I just want you to be sure about it… I want to be sure. We don't have to do anything just because your father or my brother say so." He paused, and then added, "Kathleen, you intended to abort our child… and I can't help but wonder."

Kathleen nodded. That was exactly what Lou had told her, and she had to admit that both her friend and Buck were right about that sudden change of opinion. "I also had time to think. It's hard to reach a decision and… scary. But when I thought of being married to you and being with you forever… I… I didn't feel scared… just happy."

Buck liked her answer and smiled. "And the baby?"

Kathleen lowered her eyes. "That's more frightening," she whispered. "But maybe you're right, and if all this is happening, it must be for a reason."

"I'm also scared," Buck admitted softly. "But, Kath, we're in this together, and I believe we can make it work." Jenny nodded, and he added, "So if we agree on this, then there's just one thing left to do."

Kathleen frowned. "What?"

To her surprise, Buck took her hand, and lowered himself down onto one knee. The customers going into the bank sent amused and curious looks in their direction, but the couple did not notice anything as they only had eyes for each other. Buck took a deep, nervous breath, and finally said, "Kathleen Devlin, will you be my wife?"

Kathleen smiled brightly, and, crouching before him, she kissed him full on the lips, answering his question and taking a gigantic step which would change both their lives forever.