- Caleb's pov-
In some way I do understand why Four got so upset. I figure out that to rumors about his fathers abusive nature were true, Four wouldn't have acted like he did if they were just rumors. And then I remember how Beatrice hated Marcus, showed in every way you can imagine. It had showed in how she had looked to him and how she had avoided him, had spoked to him only if it had been necessary and had used short sentences. She had known the truth, of course he had told to her. For a short moment I pity over Four, his childhood had been rough as well as his teenage and early adulthood. He would have deserved something better, something better than this. How he had survived after so much pain, loosing so much?
He is talking something about DNA-testing. I cannot promise anything, I have to talk with Cara first. Of course if there is reliable data stating that he surely is the biological father then I cannot deny the testing. When he falls in silence I apologize for what I said earlier and make a promise that he might get that DNA-test, if there is enough evidence that it needs to be done. We agree on that, shake hands and finish our lunches. When we walk back to government buildings he suddenly asks when he gets to see Beata. I wasn't expecting that question, even it's logical that he wants to see her. I promise that when we are back in Chicago he could come to see us. In my mind I just think that I have to speak with Cara first and if we could get to talk wit Matthew and see those Bureaus documents first.
We get to do those last interviews, then the photo shoot. I have never been a huge fan of standing in front of camera but I'm getting used to it. Four teases me being a stiff, not wanting to put myself on the pedestal but he has the same backgrounds and he seems to be okay with this photo shoot. He's getting some advantage from being Johanna's right hand all these years, he is more used to this too. He handles publicity better, seems more relaxed. I still think that Cara would do this better but it's not her that is candidate for government. When we get from the photo shoot I check what time it is and get little shocked, I need to hurry up. Luckily I get a taxi and get to hotel in decent time. I try to call to Cara on my way to hotel just to ask if she is feeling well and is she going to that dinner event with me. Phone just rings and rings, there is no answer. At first I think that she is just putting makeup and changing clothes but when she doesn't answer to third call I'm getting little nervous. I just hope everything is fine with her!
I'm not prepared what I'm seeing when I get to hotel room. Cara is there, sitting on sofa, in full makeup and wearing a evening dress, ready to go to dinner. On armchair, next to sofa is a man sitting. They both look up when I get in there and Cara smiles soothingly. "Hello darling! This man here is James Matthew's and James, this man that just rushed in is my husband, Caleb Prior." She introduces us, even it's not needed. I know very well James Matthews, just wonder what on earth is he doing here, in our hotel room, talking with my wife. Shouldn't he be at his hotel room or his apartment or where ever he is staying and getting ready for the dinner? James stands up and we shake hands. "I just had few things I wanted to hear from your lovely wife but now I'm not going to take any more off your time, aren't you going to dinner tonight?" I look from James to Cara and back. Cara smiles and seems relaxed, everything seems to be just fine, nothing to worry in here. I nod "Yes, we are going, I just change my clothes and we must be leaving in fifteen minutes or so. Aren't you coming to dinner?" James shakes his head regretfully. "I was hoping that I could join to your company but unfortunately I have some matters that needs my immediate attention so I have excused myself and I really must leave you now. Hopefully I will see you tomorrow evening and we get a chance to chat more then?". I smile politely to him "If you are coming to dinner tomorrow then we will.". James turns to Cara, embraces her and kisses her cheeks and says "It's always a pleasure to talk with you, and you do look prettier every time I see you. You do look just like your mother when she was at your age. Please, say to Dara my best regards when you talk with her.". Then he turns to me and nods "Mr Prior". I nod back "Mr Matthews" and he leaves.
When the door shuts I just look to Cara who looks to me questioning. "Don't you need to hurry up?" she asks finally and I just try to get words out of my mouth. "What did James Matthews want from you?" I manage to ask finally and she just smiles. "He just checked some details from me, he is going to scold Matthew this evening and he needed some facts before that. You know, James is one of biggest financiers behind the Bureaus research. And that is a secret, he don't want to be open about his participation on Bureaus work but it seems that he is considering to take over the Bureau, displace Matthew from his CEO seat because of his actions. I have a feeling that my mother has called to James and complained... They have an emergency meeting in Chicago at tomorrow morning and James is headed to there and then back to here, his daughter is the favorite to win the Marathon on Saturday so he must be back to see that and to be in finishing line to congratulate her when she wins, his perfect daughter." There is some odd bitterness in her voice in the end and I bite my lip. There is something in this puzzle that doesn't fit in right places.
"And from where you mother knows James Matthews?" I must ask and Cara looks surprised. "Oh, haven't I told? He is about the same age than my father was and they went to school together, were best buddies or something like that. And when my father met my mother he was introduced to her too. So he has been my mothers friend for years and she has worked for him, well, before he moved to Milwaukee. And I know that they have kept in touch after that too, there was a time when I was thinking that they had an affair but it wasn't so, or so I think, I have never dared to ask from mother, it's not my business anyways." I just stare to her, there are puzzle pieces falling together, peaces that had been missing even I haven't noted it before.
Dara has never told that she knew James Matthews and apparently his sister, his late wife, his children. It makes sense, they were Erudite's, they must have known each other. Nor has Cara told. She too must have known Eric and Erica. At least she is same age than Eric was, they had went to school together, that's sure, so she must have known his little sister too. That explains some of her reactions that she had when she saw Erica as my apprentice. She knows something about Erica that I didn't know, something had happened in their past that explained why Cara hated Erica, or so it had seemed. There had happened something between those two and she still carried some hatred towards Erica. I knew that Cara could be really unforgiving in some matters. What could it be? I had never asked, I have never even thought about it that of course they had known each others. There seems to be a lot of things that I haven't thought before.
I go to toilet to shave and Cara comes to stand in the doorway so we can talk. "I saw Four today" I say. She smiles a bit "I know, you had some interviews with him, didn't you?". I look to her from the mirror "Yes and a photo shoot. But that wasn't the point. The point is that we had a lunch together." Cara looks to me, questioning "That doesn't explain much." She says when I concentrate shaving my chin. I rinse the razor, take a towel and pat my face dry, then turn to her. "He wants Beata." I say and Cara nods. "I was waiting for that, waiting when he wants to claim his rights over her. What did you say to him?". I little astonished, she had thought about that but never spoken to me about this. "I said that he can come to us, to see Beata and when we get the documents from the Bureau, get the confirmation about what DNA they had used, then, if he is the biological father, then he can have the DNA tests and after those..." I look away and feel a lump in my throat. I sigh. "After those I think there is nothing we can do if he wants her to himself. And I bet that he will." Cara nods and turns away. I can see how her shoulders shudder and I go to her, embrace her from behind, place my hands over her stomach, kiss her neck. Her voice breaks when she whispers "I just hope, for Allen's sake, that she won't be completely lost. After all, she is at least his cousin and they... Allen loves his sister so much and she loves, adores Allen. This will break their hearts."
"Shh, Cara, this will break my heart too and I know it hurts you more. You are more than an aunt for her, you have carried her in your womb, you have given birth to her, without you she wouldn't be alive, she would be just an frozen embryo in some deep freeze tank. I'm sure that we can get some agreement, Four can be reasonable, he has too much to loose in this too." It takes a while before she nods. "Shouldn't we be going?" She asks and I change my clothes in hurry. Lucky for us we get a taxi immediately when we step out from the hotel and the museum isn't far away. We get seated in time and we weren't the last ones to arrive. I see when Four comes with Zeke and they are seated to table next to us, Tobias next to Juliet. That might get interesting! Then the show begins and I hide my yawn. Yes, this is a design school and they design clothes as well as many other things too and of course they are using this event to advertise their work and their school and how good their students are but really I'm not so interested in fashion. I applause when others do so, I look to Cara's reactions and just think about today's conversations. There is so much going on, election is in minor role between everything else. So much is going on in our lives now, all happening at same time.
When the fashion show ends we finally get the dinner. Food is tasty, prepared with care and I really enjoy it. We have some small talk in our table and from time to time I look around. Four is having a conversation with Juliet and I feel sorry for her. She too is going to loose her child to him, sooner or later and she is such a sweet lady, doesn't deserve being treated in that way. When the dinner ends they want us to go around, see their premises before the dancing begins but Cara is yawning so this is a good time for us to leave, I think that there is nothing for us. We get a taxi and back to hotel in no time. Cara doesn't hesitate to change her clothes to nightwear and going to toilet. She comes back with clean face, looking younger without makeup. Little dark circles under her eyes, haven't she slept enough? I take a quick shower and change to PJ's, then get to bed with Cara, placing an alarm to my phone for next morning. We are having that doctor appointment early in the morning. Cara looks what I'm doing and yawns. "I just hope that we will get good news on tomorrow mornings ultrasound. I really hope that there is at least that one heartbeat still going on, two would be little too much, I think." I give her a little kiss and answer "Would there be one or two I think we can handle it and we will get any help that you want, you don't have to do everything by yourself. I will help you with everything that I can and Allen sure is older and has experience about being a big brother, so he will help. Besides, he will start at preschool soon and so you don't have to take care of him on daytime."
Cara snuggles little closer and turns her back to me. "Just hold me, please. It helps me to sleep, feeling that you are here. In some way it takes the nausea away too, your hand over my stomach I mean." I do as she wishes, smelling her hair, feeling her warmth, her steady heartbeat, slowing breathing. I have too much in my mind to fall asleep immediately, it takes time. I wonder what will happen in next months, in next weeks. There is so much that I haven't thought, connections between the people that I haven't known but that are just logical. I wonder how well I really do know my wife, apparently there is much in her past that I don't know. Finally I fall asleep but morning comes too early.
Cara is feeling really sick in morning, she doesn't want any breakfast so I go alone to get something to eat. I also get something for Cara, an apple, a croissant and a bottle of water. She looks really pale and bit green when we head to hospital and first thing is going to blood samples. She gets in laboratory almost immediately and after few minutes comes out. "Ouch. Lucky for me that I didn't eat anything for breakfast, I just threw up to trashcan. Did you have that water?" I hand the bottle to her and she sips little bit cautiously and then sighs. "I just hope that there is someone still alive in my womb or else this nausea is useless. I could handle this much better if I knew that there is a baby coming." I smile a bit, not sure what she wants me to say and we head to maternity ward. There is more some hustle going on, lots of pregnant women waiting and nurses going with speed. One man stands up and offers a seat to Cara. "Just, please, sit down, they are about a half hour late already and the day have just started."
Cara sits down and then I note the looks. Apparently some of others have read the papers and they seem to know us, some of other patients couldn't care less. I give the apple to Cara, then the croissant. It's over 50 minutes pass our scheduled time when the nurse calls Cara's name. I assume that we are going to see the doctor now but it's just nurses check. She weights Cara, measures the blood pressure and gives a cup and asks if she could leave an urine sample. Then she dismisses us back to waiting room, says that doctor will see us as soon as possible. How long will that take, no one knows. There is now few seats more available so we get seated down. Cara rests her head against to my shoulder and even it starts to feel little uncomfortable after time I don't complain. It seem to take ages before Cara gets called to doctors room.
"At first I apologize that we are late in our schedule. But how have you been mrs Prior?" Doctor says and points Cara to be seated to examination tables edge. "I have been sleepy and the nausea is coming back I think. And I'm scared in what we will see in the ultrasound." Doctor smiles soothingly. "Well, let's not wait then, lay down and lift your shirt please." Cara doesn't hesitate. "Has there been any bleeding?" Doctor asks when he readies his equipment and Cara shakes her head "Just little on Wednesday evening and nothing yesterday.". Doctor nods "That's good. Now let's see... there were last time one embryo that had a heartbeat, right?" Cara is looking to monitor so intently that she doesn't answer. "Yes, one with a heartbeat and other one that didn't have." I answer. "But your hormone levels have doubled as they should do in 36 hours and they are way too high for just one embryo so I think that we might be having good news" Doctor says and Cara turns to look me for a brief time, then looks back to monitor. "There is the first one, I think that this is the one that had a heartbeat on Wednesday and this one seems to have grown and as you can see, steady heartbeat still going on. And where was the other one..."