CHAPTER 15—THE CHASE ENDS

After speaking with her sister, Remy was more confused and indecisive than when she first walked through the door.  Her choices seemed simple enough.  Go back to Donovan, accept his marriage proposal, marry him, have the baby, and live happily ever after.  However, her life was far from a fairy tale.  She wasn't exactly sure anymore why she had refused to marry him.  She had given him a reason, but was that really why she had said no?  Deep down inside, could she say that and not lie to herself?  Could sheIt's all happening too fast, she thought.  Further, she had made her choice, Donovan had apparently made his, and nothing could be changed.

She found her mother and sister in the kitchen.  She had been in hiding from reality and today marked the first day she had dragged herself out of bed before noon.  However, if the nausea hadn't been so bad, she knew she wouldn't have gotten up today.  Renata and Rachel were at the kitchen table, chattering about a ski trip Renata was trying to finance with her part-time job.  Her younger sister wasn't aware, but her mother had told her that she and Joe were going to give her the money for the trip as an early birthday present.  Renata jabbered continuously as she was stirring what appeared to be cake batter.  They didn't immediately notice her as she stood lurking in the doorway. 

The thought of food didn't sit well with Remy, but she entered the kitchen and went straight for the refrigerator.  There was juice, and she grabbed the pitcher and carried it with her to the counter.  She reached up to a cabinet, got a glass, and poured herself some OJ.  She noticed a loaf of bread to her left, and she stood contemplating whether or not she wanted toast.  Could she handle it?  Her stomach lurched at the thought, but she needed to eat.  She hadn't done much of that lately.  She turned around with the loaf of bread in her hand and noticed that her mother and sister were studying her curiously.

"You're up," Renata said, surprised.

"Yeah," she said as she dug a slice of bread out of the bag.  Damn it, no heels, she thought, irritated.  Renata had stolen them before she could.  "I can't stay in bed forever."  You are so pathetic.  The only reason you are up at all is because of morning sickness.  Putting on a brave front was her one of her best defense mechanisms, second only to running away.  She moved toward the toaster and her nostrils caught a whiff of something baking in the oven.  Another strong wave of nausea assaulted her.  Perhaps the toast could wait.  "What in the hell are you cooking in there," she asked clutching at her stomach.

"Somebody's got morning sickness," Renata teased in a singsong voice.  "Your favorite, Remy, Mom's special 'everything but the sink' lasagna."  

"Ugh," she moaned.  She didn't think she'd ever eat lasagna again.  She had to get away from the aroma, and get away from it soon.  She took her juice and carried it over to the kitchen table.  She hoped she was far enough away from the oven.  It wouldn't take much to set off another wave of nausea.  "I don't know if I'll be able to eat it, Mom."

Rachel smiled and then nodded as she busily greased a cake pan.  "You don't have to tell me, I've been pregnant before, you know."  She took the bowl from Renata's hands and poured the dark batter into it.  "You'll recover before you know it."  After she had scraped the last of the cake batter out of the bowl, she fixed her eyes on Remy's face.  "So, are you going to continue to hide out here or are you going to call this Frank character?  You can only hide six or seven more months before this baby is born, and I'm sure you know he won't stay away."

Remy sighed and took a tentative sip of juice.  She was surprised that her stomach allowed it access.  She hated getting lectured more than she hated throwing up.  Right now, both were happening to her at once.  "Mother, I intend to talk to Frank, but not just this second.  I couldn't speak to him now anyway, even if I wanted.  He is out saving the world."

"Saving the world," Renata said as she placed her chin on her hand.  "Wow.  What does this guy do?"

She sighed again and forced herself to take another sip of juice.  Why did they not understand that she didn't want to talk about Donovan?  What would it take, hammers to the head?  "A little of everything.  Look, I know you're all concerned, but I'd rather not rehash this.  I'll call him, I'll talk to him, but not now."

*  *  *

Donovan made his way in early.  He had to tie up a few loose ends before he left town.  He had had to fight to get the time off, but he only needed a couple of days.  However, he would stay as long as it took.  He wasn't coming back home without her.  Although he wasn't sure, he figured that Remy had gone home to her family.  She had nobody else.  He was distracted and oblivious to his surroundings.  He had no clear idea he was being watched until he turned and saw two curious faces watching him closely.

"Don't you have something better to do downstairs," Donovan asked as he faced Jake and Monica.

"Not really," Jake said.  "This is much more interesting."

Donovan shook his head and crossed his arms in front of his chest.  Patiently, he waited for them to leave, but it was obvious they weren't going anywhere.  They knew something was going on, and he wondered if today would be a good time to tell them.  Of course, it appeared that they weren't going to allow him to leave the room until he unlocked his heart and set it free.  He sighed heavily and leaned against the edge of his desk.  He had two choices.  He could either sit here all day, staring at them, fighting his way through the two of them, or he could tell them.  One way or another, he had to leave.

"I'm leaving town for only a few days, I hope," he began.

"Remy?"

He nodded, acknowledging Monica.  "You all know what a good runner she is," he said, almost bitterly.  The hurt nearly radiated off his words.  "She took off again.  We're having a baby, and I wanted to marry her, but she believes I was motivated to ask only due to her pregnancy.  I need to get to her, to see her, to end this irrational fear of hers once and for all."

Jake and Monica exchanged a surprised look.  He had actually willingly given them personal information.  They couldn't believe it.

"So," he said sighing heavily.  "Do you think you can hold down the fort until I return?"

Jake nodded.  "Sure, Boss."

"Tell the others, would you?"

*  *  *

Remy hated it when her mother was right.  By the time the lasagna was laid out before her on the dining room table, her mouth was watering for it.  Her appetite came back full force and she helped herself to two servings.  Her parents and sister sat back and watched with a little smile.  She ignored their 'I told you so' looks and attacked the lasagna with gusto.  She hadn't been able to eat all day, and suddenly, she was starving.  She felt lots better, and hadn't given Frank Donovan a stray thought in over two hours.

After dinner, Renata and Rachel insisted that they could clean up without Remy's help.  She went out to the back deck and sat down.  Her eyes stared straight ahead out into the darkened back yard.  Even though Rachel and Joe's children were adults now, the playground equipment they had set up for them had not been taken down.  She never understood why they left it up.  It stood unmoving in the darkness, only a rusting hulking shadow.  She was desperately trying to keep her mind off Frank Donovan.  Of course, when she was alone, that was when thoughts of him tended to come to the surface.  She wanted what her parents had, wanted to grow old with someone.  Yet, she was so afraid to take the plunge, so afraid of screwing it up.  She didn't hear the doorbell from her vantage point on the deck.

"I'll get it," Renata yelled back toward the kitchen as she trotted toward the front door.  She swung open the door and stood face to face with a tall man draped in black.  His handsome face was calm and etched with strong, chiseled features.  He gazed at her with the loveliest eyes she had ever seen.  They were dark and intense.  "You have got to be Frank," she spat when she found her voice.

Donovan gazed down at a young woman so like Remy, it hurt.  Remy had obviously told her family about him, had said something, because this woman knew instantly who he was.  He nodded.  "Yes, I'm Frank.  Is Remy here?"

A smile touched her lips.  "She's here, hiding in the back yard.  She's not expecting you, of course, but I think she'll be happy to see you all the same.  Oh, by the way, I'm Renata, the soon-to-be baby's aunt, and probably Remy's maid of honor."

Remy picked up her glass of juice [she couldn't get enough of the stuff] and sipped at tentatively, almost thoughtfully.  Tomorrow, she would call Donovan and tell him where she was.  Tomorrow would be her 'start over' day.  She began clicking off her list of things she had to do, two of which included getting a new job and finding her own place.  She wanted to stay close to her family, close to their unconditional love and support.  She would eventually have to face Donovan, but she had no idea how soon she would.  Her mind continued to work through her muddled thoughts.  She was preoccupied, and didn't hear the back door open or close.  She heard footsteps on the wooden deck.  They were too heavy to be her mother or her sister.  She didn't move.  It was probably her father checking up on her.  She was on the low end of her twenties and he still thought of her as his little girl.  Fathers were weird like that.

"What did you think you were doing, Remy?"

Shocked to hear Donovan's voice, she slowly stood up and turned to face him.  He had fixed a steady gaze on her and looked as pissed off as he sounded.  She didn't know how to feel, what to do, where to go, or how to react.  Her feet seemed planted permanently on the wooden deck.  She swallowed a lump in her throat and heard an audible click.  She wanted to flee, but there was nowhere to run.  After he had failed to leave a message for her, she thought he didn't care.  She hadn't expected him to show up, not like this.  What have I done?

"How did you find me," she asked.  Realizing how stupid her question was, she shook her head.  "Forget that, Frank, I don't want to know."

"How many times are you going to run from me?  How many times have you run thinking you could lose me?  Out of those times, how often have I found you?  Has any attempt been successful?  I think not.  Once and for all, stop running.  You'll never escape me, and if you do, I'll find you regardless of where you go."

She could sense he wanted to approach her, but he was hesitant.  "Frank, I think you're the one who should give up," she said softly.  "I'm not coming back with you and I'm not marrying you.  Nothing will change my mind.  We're two people who want different things out of life, and it just won't work."  She was a dreadful, terrible liar.

"Are we?  Are we really?  That's not what I hear in your voice, and it's certainly not what I see in your eyes."  He closed the distance between them in two swift steps.  He didn't touch her, but stood close enough to reach out in case she decided to make a run for it.  "I don't want to marry you because you're pregnant, I want to marry you because I love you," he repeated for what seemed like the billionth time.  "If I didn't genuinely love you, if I didn't want to marry you as a result of that love, would I keep chasing you?  Would I even want to marry you?  Would I come here and beg you to come back?  Would I?  Before you say a word, I want you to think about what I just said."

She said nothing; she could only gaze at him helplessly.  He took hold of her left hand and slowly sank down to one knee, not taking his eyes off her.  She looked away from him for a moment and briefly covered her face with her right hand.  He couldn't do this to her, couldn't show her his tender, often romantic, side.  She could never resist it, and he knew this. 

"Frank-"

"Don't speak.  Just think and listen," he said softly.  "You know I love you, and I know you love me.  For the last time, Remy, will you marry me?"

She shook her head.  "I'm sorry, Frank, but the answer is…yes."  She smiled a little as he slowly brought himself to his feet. 

"You had me worried, Remy," he said with a grin as he drew her to him.

"I was always a sucker for surprise endings," she said with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

*  *  *

Right around seven months later, Remy and Frank Donovan welcomed a daughter into their small family.