Max sat back into his chair, trying to absorb what Christy just told him.
The panic and fear was beginning to grow within his mind. Christy sat
quietly not saying a word, waiting for Max to speak first.
"Maybe ... there is some mistake ...," Max said, as the desperation grew in his voice.
"There is no mistake," Christy said quietly.
Beads of sweat formed on Max's forehead. "Ok, so even if you are pregnant, how do I know it's mine?"
"I am pregnant, and it is YOUR child, Max."
Max slammed his fist on the table, "NO!!"
Max's sudden anger shocked Christy. She knew Max wasn't thinking straight to bring on such behavior. The patrons at the bar turned to look at his sudden outburst.
Max's voice got quieter as he leaned forward, "No, I'm not going to believe it without proof. How do I know you didn't get yourself knocked up by some other guy after you left?"
Christy shot daggers at Max for saying such a thing to her. She reached out, slapping Max across the cheek. Max sat stunned by her reaction. Now the whole bar focused their attention to the confrontation.
Max rubbed his cheek, then composed himself. "Let's go up to your room. I don't need the whole world getting involved in this."
Christy led the way as Max followed.
Once inside the room, Max began pacing the floor. Christy sat on the couch looking very upset and scared. Max turned and faced her.
"Are you sure?" Max felt in his heart that she wouldn't lie about a thing like this, but had to ask just the same.
Christy nodded.
Max turned his back, then swung around again.
"What do you expect me to do?" Max asked painfully. "I'm married, for Christ's sake, and my wife ..." Max struggled to finish, "is also ... pregnant."
She looked up at him as if he had deeply wounded her, and he winced slightly at the pain in her eyes. Christy was now close to tears as her worst fears had just surfaced. She hoped there might be a slight chance that he still cared for her, but now hearing that 99 was also expecting, she knew he was really over her. Max could see by the look on her face that she still loved him, which made it more difficult to deal with.
"Did you expect me to leave 99 when you told me you were pregnant? To give up my marriage? My family? Well, I won't. It will never happen. I'm sorry, I don't know what else to say."
Christy took a huge breath, "I think you just said it all, Max."
He turned his face away from her, eyes closed and breathing heavy. He opened his eyes, still avoiding her. They were deep and intense, almost ghostly. Max had to think, but his mind was clouded by the thought of how 99 would react to finding out.
Max tried to reason with her, "There are alternatives ..."
Christy dropped her eyes. "What, abortion? That's not even an option," she muttered to the floor.
"Then ... put up the baby for adoption," Max suggested.
Christy placed her head in her hands and shook her head.
"Damn it, Christy, you're putting me in a very difficult situation," Max exclaimed.
The tears started to flow from Christy's eyes.
"Why should you care?" she sobbed.
"Because it's my child," Max said sternly.
Christy looked up at him, "No, it's my child, and if I have to, I'll raise it alone."
Max was at his wit's end trying to reason with her, "Christy, I can never be with you. Why do you want this baby?"
"I love you, Max ..." Her voice was almost desperate, as if she had to make him understand. "And because ...," she hesitated, "Because it's the only part of you I can hold on to."
Max stood stunned, and shook his head at her heart-felt statement.
"I should have never come. I should have never told you about this baby. I wish you would just go," Christy pleaded.
Max walked over and sat down next to her. He placed his hand on top of hers, "It's not going to be that easy."
"Of course it is. You just walk out that door, and don't look back. I won't make any trouble. No responsibilities. You're free and clear."
Max didn't argue or try to come up with any more alternatives. He was given an out and, for him and the sake of his marriage, he took it. Slowly, he got up and sadly walked to the door. He had to ask one more question.
"Will I ever see my child?" Max inquired.
Christy stared straight ahead and did not turn to him,
"I don't know, Max. I don't know."
"Are you going back to Europe?"
"Yes, tomorrow night."
"I wish I could change what happened. I'm so sorry."
"So am I. I think you should leave now." As he walked out the door, he felt like he was abandoning her and the baby. A million thoughts rushed through his mind. It was going to be a hard road ahead for him, knowing he has another child he may never see, dealing with 99 and how she was going to react to this whole mess. Max needed to take a long drive. He knew 99 would be worried about him, not being home at the regular time, so he decided to call her.
"Max?" 99 rushed to say on the phone.
"Yes, 99. I'm ... having some car trouble. Sorry I didn't call earlier."
"Larrabee told me you left hours ago. Then I called your shoe phone and you didn't pick up. I was starting to get worried."
"I'm ok. I'll be home in a little while. I want you to wait up for me, if you wouldn't mind."
99 could sense strangeness in his voice, and wondered what it was all about. Without asking, she replied, "Of course I'll wait up for you. Hurry home, ok?"
"Soon as I can," he said with a solemn voice.
Max hung up and started to drive. After about an hour, he ended up in the hills overlooking the city. He pulled up to the edge and parked. It was a beautiful view of the entire city. He sat alone in the quiet. Never in his entire life had Max felt so confused and frightened. He worried about 99's reaction, once he tells her. Would she believe him about that night? Would she leave him and ask for a divorce? And his children being dragged through this. And what about Christy, having his baby, all by herself. Just walking away like he did made him feel like a coward. Would he ever see this child? It was more than he could bear. His mind was going every which way, as he shut his eyes tightly and tried to block everything out.
"I can't handle this!" Max yelled to himself.
In a desperate act, he reached into his coat and quickly pulled out his gun. Holding it tightly in his hand, he began to shake and sweat as he brought it up to his temple. He closed his eyes and cocked the hammer back, knowing the next thing he did would bring him peace.
To be continued ...
Previous
"Maybe ... there is some mistake ...," Max said, as the desperation grew in his voice.
"There is no mistake," Christy said quietly.
Beads of sweat formed on Max's forehead. "Ok, so even if you are pregnant, how do I know it's mine?"
"I am pregnant, and it is YOUR child, Max."
Max slammed his fist on the table, "NO!!"
Max's sudden anger shocked Christy. She knew Max wasn't thinking straight to bring on such behavior. The patrons at the bar turned to look at his sudden outburst.
Max's voice got quieter as he leaned forward, "No, I'm not going to believe it without proof. How do I know you didn't get yourself knocked up by some other guy after you left?"
Christy shot daggers at Max for saying such a thing to her. She reached out, slapping Max across the cheek. Max sat stunned by her reaction. Now the whole bar focused their attention to the confrontation.
Max rubbed his cheek, then composed himself. "Let's go up to your room. I don't need the whole world getting involved in this."
Christy led the way as Max followed.
Once inside the room, Max began pacing the floor. Christy sat on the couch looking very upset and scared. Max turned and faced her.
"Are you sure?" Max felt in his heart that she wouldn't lie about a thing like this, but had to ask just the same.
Christy nodded.
Max turned his back, then swung around again.
"What do you expect me to do?" Max asked painfully. "I'm married, for Christ's sake, and my wife ..." Max struggled to finish, "is also ... pregnant."
She looked up at him as if he had deeply wounded her, and he winced slightly at the pain in her eyes. Christy was now close to tears as her worst fears had just surfaced. She hoped there might be a slight chance that he still cared for her, but now hearing that 99 was also expecting, she knew he was really over her. Max could see by the look on her face that she still loved him, which made it more difficult to deal with.
"Did you expect me to leave 99 when you told me you were pregnant? To give up my marriage? My family? Well, I won't. It will never happen. I'm sorry, I don't know what else to say."
Christy took a huge breath, "I think you just said it all, Max."
He turned his face away from her, eyes closed and breathing heavy. He opened his eyes, still avoiding her. They were deep and intense, almost ghostly. Max had to think, but his mind was clouded by the thought of how 99 would react to finding out.
Max tried to reason with her, "There are alternatives ..."
Christy dropped her eyes. "What, abortion? That's not even an option," she muttered to the floor.
"Then ... put up the baby for adoption," Max suggested.
Christy placed her head in her hands and shook her head.
"Damn it, Christy, you're putting me in a very difficult situation," Max exclaimed.
The tears started to flow from Christy's eyes.
"Why should you care?" she sobbed.
"Because it's my child," Max said sternly.
Christy looked up at him, "No, it's my child, and if I have to, I'll raise it alone."
Max was at his wit's end trying to reason with her, "Christy, I can never be with you. Why do you want this baby?"
"I love you, Max ..." Her voice was almost desperate, as if she had to make him understand. "And because ...," she hesitated, "Because it's the only part of you I can hold on to."
Max stood stunned, and shook his head at her heart-felt statement.
"I should have never come. I should have never told you about this baby. I wish you would just go," Christy pleaded.
Max walked over and sat down next to her. He placed his hand on top of hers, "It's not going to be that easy."
"Of course it is. You just walk out that door, and don't look back. I won't make any trouble. No responsibilities. You're free and clear."
Max didn't argue or try to come up with any more alternatives. He was given an out and, for him and the sake of his marriage, he took it. Slowly, he got up and sadly walked to the door. He had to ask one more question.
"Will I ever see my child?" Max inquired.
Christy stared straight ahead and did not turn to him,
"I don't know, Max. I don't know."
"Are you going back to Europe?"
"Yes, tomorrow night."
"I wish I could change what happened. I'm so sorry."
"So am I. I think you should leave now." As he walked out the door, he felt like he was abandoning her and the baby. A million thoughts rushed through his mind. It was going to be a hard road ahead for him, knowing he has another child he may never see, dealing with 99 and how she was going to react to this whole mess. Max needed to take a long drive. He knew 99 would be worried about him, not being home at the regular time, so he decided to call her.
"Max?" 99 rushed to say on the phone.
"Yes, 99. I'm ... having some car trouble. Sorry I didn't call earlier."
"Larrabee told me you left hours ago. Then I called your shoe phone and you didn't pick up. I was starting to get worried."
"I'm ok. I'll be home in a little while. I want you to wait up for me, if you wouldn't mind."
99 could sense strangeness in his voice, and wondered what it was all about. Without asking, she replied, "Of course I'll wait up for you. Hurry home, ok?"
"Soon as I can," he said with a solemn voice.
Max hung up and started to drive. After about an hour, he ended up in the hills overlooking the city. He pulled up to the edge and parked. It was a beautiful view of the entire city. He sat alone in the quiet. Never in his entire life had Max felt so confused and frightened. He worried about 99's reaction, once he tells her. Would she believe him about that night? Would she leave him and ask for a divorce? And his children being dragged through this. And what about Christy, having his baby, all by herself. Just walking away like he did made him feel like a coward. Would he ever see this child? It was more than he could bear. His mind was going every which way, as he shut his eyes tightly and tried to block everything out.
"I can't handle this!" Max yelled to himself.
In a desperate act, he reached into his coat and quickly pulled out his gun. Holding it tightly in his hand, he began to shake and sweat as he brought it up to his temple. He closed his eyes and cocked the hammer back, knowing the next thing he did would bring him peace.
To be continued ...
Previous