Cruel
Twists of Fate
2017
Lori hung up the phone
slowly. She was still in complete shock over the news that had just been
delivered to her. She lowered herself into a chair and stared at her
hands. "I don't believe it. I just...I don't believe it." She
whispered over and over to herself. Finally, the hint of a smile played at
her lips. "This is...this is...this is wonderful!" She picked up a
cushion and squeezed it tightly.
"Lori?" Nick followed the sound of his wife's voice to the living
room. "Honey, who was that on the
phone?"
"Hmm..." Loren looked
up at him. She was still lost in her own thoughts and not completely
comprehending what he'd asked.
"Honey, who was that on the phone?" Nick repeated
patiently.
"Oh...Oh! It's
just...Oh, Nick, I have fantastic news!"
Nick took at a seat across from
her, his face grim. "Then, maybe you should let me go first and get the
bad news out of the way."
"Bad
news?" Lori's face fell. "What bad
news?"
"Lori...Darling, I love you
more than anything, more than life itself. You know that don't you?"
Lori nodded. She didn't trust herself to speak. "Lori, it's been
seven years since the X5s escaped from Manticore. I don't expect you to
understand, but I need to find them. I need to know they're all
right."
Lori stared at him
blankly. "I understand. You're leaving. You're going to go
risk your life and your freedom to find people you've never actually met.
I understand, Nick." She responded
bitterly.
"Lori, please don't be
like this. I know it sounds stupid, but they *are* still my family.
If I'm ever going to be able to settle down here with you, I have to know that
they all turned out okay."
"And
Manticore? What happens if they find you? What happens if they catch
you...kill you?"
"They won't."
Nick assured her as he rubbed her knee tenderly. "There isn't a force on
this earth that could keep me away from you. Listen, I won't go if you
don't want me to."
Lori shook her
head quickly. "No! I'm not going to be the one to make a decision
like that. I'm not going to live the next fifty years with you and know
that I'm the reason you never had peace of mind. You're going. I
just pray you come back in one piece....When are you
leaving?"
"As soon as
possible." They sat in silence for several seconds. "What's
the good news, Sweetheart?"
"I..." Lori bit into her lower lip. "Why don't we let that wait
until you come home?"
"If that's
what you want." Nick stood up from his chair and left the room to
pack.
Lori squeezed the cushion
against her. "Nick...you're going to be a father." She whispered
into the emptiness of the room as her tears of joy became tears
sorrow.