Take Two
Chapter 55
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Whitney pulled Derek's Red Sox sweatshirt closer to her body as she sat on the back steps. After spending the week back on the day shift, she was excited to have a night by herself to relax.
Derek had been on the road since Tuesday morning, so Piper kept her occupied after work. It was at dinner the night before, as the two vegged out on fried food and milkshakes that Piper asked when they would be finding out the gender of Baby Morgan.
After a look at her calendar, Whitney noticed they were just over nine weeks away from that appointment. With the excitement of their pregnancy, Whitney had totally forgotten about the upcoming holidays. How it was already the second weekend of September, she wasn't sure, but every day was one day closer to April.
The two women put together a plan for their gender reveal. Whitney should be moved in to Derek's completely by then, so she had sent a text to him about hosting a Friends-giving before Thanksgiving. He was quick to jump on the idea, especially when she mentioned that Piper was going to set up their reveal for that day.
She placed a hand to her stomach and sighed contently. As she entered her eleventh week, she noted that the pregnancy was quick and smooth so far. Sometimes she thought that they may just be too smooth.
Mason was expected in town over the weekend. She had hoped that Derek would make it back from their case in time. JJ explained that Derek was spending most of the night in interrogation, and pending the outcome of that, they were hoping to be home by midday tomorrow.
Whitney was startled by her cell phone ringing next to her. The shrill ring broke up the tranquility in the backyard. "Hello?" she answered softly after reading the caller ID.
She paused and pulled her lip in between her teeth. The silence from the other end was deafening. She held the phone away from her ear to confirm the call was still connected.
"Dubs," she heard softly from the other end.
Her lips curled in to a smile. "Garrett," she sighed his name. "Hey."
"I didn't catch you at a bad time, did I?" She smiled at the voice. Garrett had a strong exterior, but she always joked that he was a softy when it came to his sisters.
She shook her head. "I'm just relaxing after a long week," she admitted softly.
"How's that new hospital treating you?" Whitney could tell by the tone in his voice that her mother had spoken with him. The siblings had not spoken since the video chat almost a week prior.
She reached for the bottle of water on the step next to her. "It's good. We're really busy," she added. "Not as busy as LA, but I like it here."
Whitney could hear a soft grunt coming from her brother on the other end. "Listen," he started, and sighed before continuing, "I'm sorry for how I treated you the other day."
"Okay," she stated sharply. She was happy to hear him admit it, but she could not shake the look on her face when she told her family about Derek and the baby.
He sighed once more; she was always so damn stubborn. "I mean it, Dubs. I've thought about this a lot over the week and I wanted to just let you know that I really am sorry for my reaction."
"I get it," she answered. "I go MIA for months, and then when I do finally get in touch – like actively calling and checking in – I have this new life. I get why you'd be upset."
She licked her lips at the silence on the other end of the line. Garrett was tough to get to open up. They always had a great relationship, but ultimately, she was his younger sister. They'd only talk so much until he would shut down. "I just don't want to see you get hurt again."
"Physically or emotionally?" she asked with a roll of her eyes. Whitney pinched the bridge of her nose to keep her emotions in check. It wasn't Garrett's fault, and she should not be treating him like it was.
"Dubs," he warned quietly from the other end. "I wish you had told me what was going on."
She shrugged her shoulders and exhaled a deep breath. "I was embarrassed," she admitted. "I still am. I should have never let my marriage get out of control like that."
"You couldn't control what Mason was doing," he bartered. The sigh on the other end of the phone caused Whitney to bow her head. "You could have told me. I would have taken care of him."
Whitney pursed her lips as she listened to her brother go on. "You have a wife and two kids to think about," she reminded him. "I got myself in to that mess, and I got myself out."
She tapped her short nails against the water bottle and sighed. "Are you sure you're out of it?"
The blonde paused to consider his words. She knew she wasn't in the clear yet – after all, her name was still on the marriage certificate in California. "Mason is on his way to Virginia," she blurted the words out faster than she could acknowledge.
"Why?" The anger brimming in her brother's voice made her grip the bottle of water. "Are you crazy, Whitney?"
"He's been out here twice since I moved," she admitted. "He showed up out of the blue at my apartment."
The phone rattled as she could hear Garrett forcing deep breaths in and out of his mouth. "And that's why you started staying at Derek's?"
She nodded then shrugged as she readjusted her cell phone against her ear. "Sort of," she answered meekly. Whitney laughed in spite of herself. "I don't really know when I started staying here more than my own place."
"Are you there now?" her brother asked.
Whitney nodded. "I am," she replied. "He's on the road for work, and his house is closer to the hospital than my apartment." She tried to explain it, but no explanation made sense in her head. She just preferred the serenity of his house over the bustle outside of her apartment.
"He's a good guy, right?" Garrett was skeptical of this new man in his sister's life, and it was evident that he was not going anywhere. She was even pregnant with his baby after just a few months of knowing each other. "He treats you good?"
Whitney's lips split in to a smile. "He's great, Garrett," she tried to calm his worries. "You'll really like him when you meet him."
The grunt on the other end made a laugh escape her lips. "You said that about –"
"I know," she muttered. "I like to think that I'm wiser than I was ten years ago." She fumbled to uncover the bottle of water with one hand, but finally opened it and took a long swig from the bottle. "And I'm not just saying that because we're having a baby."
"You've got a good head on your shoulders, Dubs," he complimented. "After everything you've been through, I can only hope you've found a good guy for yourself." Whitney rested her head back against the slats on the railing. "So back to the piece of shit," he said regarding Mason. "Why is he coming to town tomorrow?"
Whitney released a deep breath. "I'm basically telling him to grant me the divorce, or I will take him to court for it."
"Do you think it'll be that easy?" The hesitation in his voice caused Whitney to sigh.
"Probably not," she admitted. "But I'm going to be up front about everything. I have proof of everything he did to me. And I'll let him know that I'm pregnant."
The sharp intake of breath from her brother was frightening for her. He was always reserved when it came to speaking his mind, but hesitation was not something Garrett dealt with. "Will Derek be there?"
She shrugged and licked her lips. "I hope so," she responded. "He's out of town for work right now."
"I'll fly down tonight," Garrett interjected. "I'll book a flight right now, Dubs."
Her lips slowly curled in to a smile. Even after thirty-four, her oldest brother was still her number one protector. "I have Ryan on stand-by," she explained, mentioning Piper's new husband. "I'll be fine, Gare."
"Call me as soon as he leaves, okay?" She could hear the fear in his voice and she wanted nothing more than to be back in Boston telling him that everything was over with. "I need to know that my baby sister and my niece or nephew are okay."
A tear slipped from Whitney's eyes at his words. It seemed he had come around to the idea of her having a baby. "Definitely," she responded, noting that she was at a loss of words.
"Are you happy?"
She nodded, even though the man she was speaking to was miles away and could not see her through the phone. "I am," she answered simply. "I don't remember ever being this happy in my entire life."
"Good," he answered. "I'm going to let you go. Gracie should be home from cheerleading soon and I promised to help her with her homework."
Whitney smiled at the mention of her niece. "Give Gracie and Evan my love, please. And a big hug for Eliza."
"I will," he promised. "Did you want Ma telling everyone that you're pregnant?" he asked warily.
"I sort of figured she would," Whitney said with a sigh. "There's no going back now – I hit eleven weeks today."
"Already?" Garrett asked. She could tell he was shaking his head next to the phone and heard his shaggy hair rustle against the speaker. "I will definitely be down there to visit before this baby is born."
She smirked. "You better," she warned jokingly. "Although I can't go out and paint the town with you. I'm sure Derek would take my place though."
"Ah," he could read between the lines. "He's a whiskey drinker too?"
Whitney chuckled. "We've put back a few bottles together – before I found out I was pregnant, of course."
"Be good, kiddo," Garrett said firmly. She could hear the commotion in the background of the call. "Gracie's home. I'll catch up with you later, little sis."
"Love ya," Whitney added before disconnecting the call.
She cast one last glance in to the backyard and grinned. It was so good to be in contact with her family again, but even better to have Garrett's approval. Even through a nine year age difference, they were always close. Garrett stepped up when their dad stepped out.
With one last sip from her bottle of water, she pushed herself to a standing position on the staircase. She knew she was going to have a hard time sleeping tonight with the realization that she was meeting with Mason tomorrow.
She could only hope it went smoother in person than it had in her mind all week.
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