Cruel
Twists of Fate
2017
Lori stood
in front of her bathroom mirror, holding up her shirt. Her once flat
abdomen had swelled with the life growing inside it. The firm curve of her
stomach had not yet extended far enough to be too noticable if she wore baggy
clothing, but it was certainly large enough for Lori. "Don't you
worry. Daddy will be home soon...I hope." The ring of the doorbell
startled her. "Coming!" She called as she dropped her shirt back
into place and smoothed it down as best she could.
"Deck!" Lori forced a
cheerful note to her voice as she threw her arms around her godfather.
"How long has it been?"
"Six
years." Lydecker pulled away from the hug with a startled
expression. "Apparently, that's much longer than I thought." He
stated with a curious glance towards her
stomach.
Lori blushed.
"Um...yeah. I'm five months
pregnant."
"That's wonderful
news. Congratulations!" He offered her another warm hug.
"Whose the lucky father?"
"My
husband. We...uh...didn't really do the whole wedding thing. It was
just the two us and a Justice of the Peace. Oh! I'm sorry. Nick is
away...on business. You'll have to drop by some other time if you want to
meet him." Lori explained
quickly.
"He left his pregnant wife
at home while he went on a business trip?" Lydecker asked with a
disapproving frown. "That seems
irresponsible."
"Don't, Deck.
I don't want to hear it." Lori retorted as she led him into the living
room. "There's a reason why I've been avoiding you for years. I
don't need a father or a godfather. I'm prefectly capable of taking care
of myself."
Lydecker didn't sit down
but moved around the room looking at pictures on the wall and mantle. "Is
this Nick?" He asked holding a picture
up.
Lori glanced at it and nodded
absently.
"I'm sorry, Lori. I
know you're a grown woman. Hell, here in another four months you'll have
your own child to take care of. I was just in Seattle and thought I'd
check in on you. That's all."
"Thank you." Lori still felt uneasy about his presence, but couldn't
pinpoint exactly why.
"How long will
Nick be gone?"
"I'm not sure.
Until his business is done I
suppose."
"Then you need someone to
help you out around here. A pregnant woman should not be completely
dependent upon herself. Please, Lori let me help you. I promised
your father I would." Lydecker turned to her with a look in his eyes that
seemed almost sincere.
"All
right." She agreed grudingly. "You can help out...but only until the
baby is born or Nick gets back. Whichever comes
first."
"Good....I think the first
thing we should do is get you on some prenatal vitamins. We want to make sure
you and that baby are healthy."