The Rich Man's Sorrow, part 4, "The Beginning of Hell"
"Take a seat", Carter said before sitting down on the bed. "How are you doing?"
The woman took a deep breath before she answered. "The best as expected, I guess. I'm still in shock but. . . Who isn't? How's the baby?"
Carter smiled. "She's. . she's beautiful. In spite of the circumstances everything was okay. She was lucky".
"Thank God. When are you going home?"
"In about an hour. Why do you ask, Mrs. Knight?"
"Are you able to take care of a baby in your condition?"
"Of..of course". The question was unexpected and Carter was wondering about what Lucy's mother wanted. "I can walk, and as long as I can take care of myself, I'm sure I can take care of my daughter too. Besides, a friend of mine said I only needed to call her and she'll help me".
"But can she take care of a newborn baby? That's what's matter".
"She gave birth to twins in November. She's great with kids, and she also understands me".
"Oh really?" Barbara Knight said sarcastically.
"Sort of", Carter said, defending his friend. "Her boyfriend left her a month before she discovered that she was pregnant, and she's a single mother. But that's not the point, the point is that little Lucy and I will be fine, especially with Carol's help".
"Little Lucy?"
"I named her after Lucy, but her middle name is Melina, as we decided together". He looked at the woman. She has probably got something to complain about that too, he thought.
"Well, anyway. I still think it's best if I take her".
"No! No, I'm not letting you have her. She's my daughter!"
"But I'm her grandmother, dr. Carter! If you can't face the fact that you aren't able to take care of her all by yourself, then I have to take it to court. There's no way you're taking care of my granddaughter. She's living with me!" She rose, put the chair back to its place and headed to the door.
"Why are you doing this to me?"
"For little Lucy's best. I've already lost my daughter, and I don't' want to lose my grandchild too".
"But…She living with me, her father, won't keep her away from you".
"Don't make promises you can't keep, dr. Carter. Goodbye".
Barbara Knight left the room leaving Carter alone crying. He couldn't believe what was happening. First he'd lost his love, and then he'd probably lose his own daughter because winning against Mrs. Knight seemed almost impossible.
An hour later Millicent Carter came and helped little Lucy and Carter home. When they arrived at the apartment Carter's blood froze. Only a week ago he and Lucy had lived there together. They had done the last preparations for the baby and the nursery was finished. Just looking at the wallpaper made his heart ache. He remembered how they tried to decide between bunnies and lambs, and how they both got their way.
-----------------------Flashback-----------------------
"Lambs are cute", Lucy said.
Carter smiled at his girlfriend. She looked so beautiful and fat. "And bunnies aren't?"
"No, I'm not saying they aren't. It's just that babies and lambs fit more".
"So do bunnies", Carter grinned.
Lucy laughed. "I give up. You're impossible. "She held her hands on her back. Carter could see she obviously was tired.
"Come here", he said. "Let me give you a backrub". He took her to the couch.
"Thank you, John. Do you think we'll be good parents?"
"The best", Carter began and decided to joke a little. "If we choose bunnies".
Lucy slapped him. "Lambs", she said.
"Bunnies".
"Lambs".
-----------------------End Flashback--------------------
They had continued discussing the whole evening before they realised that it was probably just much easier to get wallpaper with both lambs and bunnies.
"She's asleep", Millicent said but Carter didn't pay attention. "John?"
"Uh?"
"I put the baby in her crib. She fell asleep right away. Are you all right, John?" She looked at her grandson. There were a lot of pain and sorrow he hadn't let out yet.
"I'm okay, Gamma. It's just…It's a little tough to come here again without Lucy. It wasn't suppose to be like this".
"I know. If you need anything, just call us".
"I will". When he looked at his grandmother he knew he couldn't talk to her about Mrs. Knight's visit. It was only one person he could tell it to.
"Hallo, this is Carol Hathaway".
"Hi, it's John".
"Hey, how are you? Have you and little Lucy settled in?"
Carter nodded, although he knew Carol couldn't see him. "Yeah, my grandmother helped us. She just left".
Suddenly there was a silence between them. Carol could feel it was something that didn't seem right. "Is everything all right?"
"Well, yeah…I mean.. I just…I need to talk to you. It's very important".
"Sure. I'll just drop Kate and Tess at my Mum's".
"You can bring them if you want".
"It's no problem. My mother loves to have them, and besides you seem very worried about something, almost scared, and with Lucy, Tess and Kate together I can guarantee you that it would be impossible to talk".
"Thanks, Carol. You're the only one I can talk to about this, and I hope I'm not disturbing you or something. I don't to be the little grieving man who runs to you every time something is wrong".
Carol could feel tears in her eyes. Poor John, she thought. When Doug left her, she was devastated but at least he was alive while Lucy was gone forever. "Don't worry about it. You can tell me everything whenever you need and want to. You have been through a lot the last week and it would only be natural to be scared and sad".
"Thank you, Carol. I don't know what I'd done without you. Somehow you really help me".
She smiled. "That's what friends are for", Carol said. "See you later".
They hung up. Carter made himself some coffee while he was waiting for Carol. He took a slurp and looked around in the living room. It was so quiet, not that Lucy had made a lot of noise, but he wouldn't hear her sing along with songs that were played on the radio like she used to anymore, and he remembered how much he loved it. She would never smile her beautiful smile or laugh with her cute and contagious laughter anymore. Even though he still had their daughter he'd never felt so alone. He let his fingers go through his hair and sighed while he walked toward little Lucy's crib. When he looked at the baby, two crystal blue eyes met him. Lucy was watching him while waving her arms. Carter took her tiny hand in his and he could feel tears coming down his face.
"Hey, sweetie. You are so beautiful. Just like your mother was. Yeah, I know…I miss her too but we have to be strong, ok?" He smiled at the little girl and picked her up. In spite his terrible pain in his back he managed to stay standing. "Daddy has got a bad back. You have to come with me to the bathroom, I need some painkillers".
"Take a seat", Carter said before sitting down on the bed. "How are you doing?"
The woman took a deep breath before she answered. "The best as expected, I guess. I'm still in shock but. . . Who isn't? How's the baby?"
Carter smiled. "She's. . she's beautiful. In spite of the circumstances everything was okay. She was lucky".
"Thank God. When are you going home?"
"In about an hour. Why do you ask, Mrs. Knight?"
"Are you able to take care of a baby in your condition?"
"Of..of course". The question was unexpected and Carter was wondering about what Lucy's mother wanted. "I can walk, and as long as I can take care of myself, I'm sure I can take care of my daughter too. Besides, a friend of mine said I only needed to call her and she'll help me".
"But can she take care of a newborn baby? That's what's matter".
"She gave birth to twins in November. She's great with kids, and she also understands me".
"Oh really?" Barbara Knight said sarcastically.
"Sort of", Carter said, defending his friend. "Her boyfriend left her a month before she discovered that she was pregnant, and she's a single mother. But that's not the point, the point is that little Lucy and I will be fine, especially with Carol's help".
"Little Lucy?"
"I named her after Lucy, but her middle name is Melina, as we decided together". He looked at the woman. She has probably got something to complain about that too, he thought.
"Well, anyway. I still think it's best if I take her".
"No! No, I'm not letting you have her. She's my daughter!"
"But I'm her grandmother, dr. Carter! If you can't face the fact that you aren't able to take care of her all by yourself, then I have to take it to court. There's no way you're taking care of my granddaughter. She's living with me!" She rose, put the chair back to its place and headed to the door.
"Why are you doing this to me?"
"For little Lucy's best. I've already lost my daughter, and I don't' want to lose my grandchild too".
"But…She living with me, her father, won't keep her away from you".
"Don't make promises you can't keep, dr. Carter. Goodbye".
Barbara Knight left the room leaving Carter alone crying. He couldn't believe what was happening. First he'd lost his love, and then he'd probably lose his own daughter because winning against Mrs. Knight seemed almost impossible.
An hour later Millicent Carter came and helped little Lucy and Carter home. When they arrived at the apartment Carter's blood froze. Only a week ago he and Lucy had lived there together. They had done the last preparations for the baby and the nursery was finished. Just looking at the wallpaper made his heart ache. He remembered how they tried to decide between bunnies and lambs, and how they both got their way.
-----------------------Flashback-----------------------
"Lambs are cute", Lucy said.
Carter smiled at his girlfriend. She looked so beautiful and fat. "And bunnies aren't?"
"No, I'm not saying they aren't. It's just that babies and lambs fit more".
"So do bunnies", Carter grinned.
Lucy laughed. "I give up. You're impossible. "She held her hands on her back. Carter could see she obviously was tired.
"Come here", he said. "Let me give you a backrub". He took her to the couch.
"Thank you, John. Do you think we'll be good parents?"
"The best", Carter began and decided to joke a little. "If we choose bunnies".
Lucy slapped him. "Lambs", she said.
"Bunnies".
"Lambs".
-----------------------End Flashback--------------------
They had continued discussing the whole evening before they realised that it was probably just much easier to get wallpaper with both lambs and bunnies.
"She's asleep", Millicent said but Carter didn't pay attention. "John?"
"Uh?"
"I put the baby in her crib. She fell asleep right away. Are you all right, John?" She looked at her grandson. There were a lot of pain and sorrow he hadn't let out yet.
"I'm okay, Gamma. It's just…It's a little tough to come here again without Lucy. It wasn't suppose to be like this".
"I know. If you need anything, just call us".
"I will". When he looked at his grandmother he knew he couldn't talk to her about Mrs. Knight's visit. It was only one person he could tell it to.
"Hallo, this is Carol Hathaway".
"Hi, it's John".
"Hey, how are you? Have you and little Lucy settled in?"
Carter nodded, although he knew Carol couldn't see him. "Yeah, my grandmother helped us. She just left".
Suddenly there was a silence between them. Carol could feel it was something that didn't seem right. "Is everything all right?"
"Well, yeah…I mean.. I just…I need to talk to you. It's very important".
"Sure. I'll just drop Kate and Tess at my Mum's".
"You can bring them if you want".
"It's no problem. My mother loves to have them, and besides you seem very worried about something, almost scared, and with Lucy, Tess and Kate together I can guarantee you that it would be impossible to talk".
"Thanks, Carol. You're the only one I can talk to about this, and I hope I'm not disturbing you or something. I don't to be the little grieving man who runs to you every time something is wrong".
Carol could feel tears in her eyes. Poor John, she thought. When Doug left her, she was devastated but at least he was alive while Lucy was gone forever. "Don't worry about it. You can tell me everything whenever you need and want to. You have been through a lot the last week and it would only be natural to be scared and sad".
"Thank you, Carol. I don't know what I'd done without you. Somehow you really help me".
She smiled. "That's what friends are for", Carol said. "See you later".
They hung up. Carter made himself some coffee while he was waiting for Carol. He took a slurp and looked around in the living room. It was so quiet, not that Lucy had made a lot of noise, but he wouldn't hear her sing along with songs that were played on the radio like she used to anymore, and he remembered how much he loved it. She would never smile her beautiful smile or laugh with her cute and contagious laughter anymore. Even though he still had their daughter he'd never felt so alone. He let his fingers go through his hair and sighed while he walked toward little Lucy's crib. When he looked at the baby, two crystal blue eyes met him. Lucy was watching him while waving her arms. Carter took her tiny hand in his and he could feel tears coming down his face.
"Hey, sweetie. You are so beautiful. Just like your mother was. Yeah, I know…I miss her too but we have to be strong, ok?" He smiled at the little girl and picked her up. In spite his terrible pain in his back he managed to stay standing. "Daddy has got a bad back. You have to come with me to the bathroom, I need some painkillers".