Come Back to Me
Chapter Six
Sydney was showing. She had just started to wear maternity clothing. She put her hand over her abdomen and considered what she was going to do with this baby. How she was going to make it through without Andrew. Francie came in the kitchen and saw Sydney like that, and suddenly as if a lightbulb flickered on inside her head, she knew. "Sydney?"
"Hmm?" She wasn't really in the mood to talk. She was going through one of her quiet moods.
"Are you pregnant?"
Sydney turned around. She knew it would only be a matter of time until Francie figured it out. "Yeah."
That was all she said. She hoped that would get her by, but Francie had a whole bunch of questions she wanted answered.
"I didn't even know you had a boyfriend. Who is he?"
"Him."
"Where did he go?"
"He went away."
"Away?"
"Yes."
"The jerk left you after he found out you were pregnant."
"NO! He isn't a jerk and if he could have taken care of us, he would have."
"Why on earth would you think that? He left you, Sydney. He got you pregnant and disappeared. That definitely puts him into the jerk category."
Sydney's eyes welled up.
"He would have stayed if he could."
She wouldn't tell anybody that he was dead. That would raise suspicions in Francie's mind.
"What world are you living in, Sydney?"
Sydney flinched. Why was Francie being so mean? She was probably angry that Sydney hadn't told her about the baby. Will came into the kitchen and noticed Sydney had tears in her eyes. "Syd?"
"He couldn't stay. He couldn't stay. He couldn't stay. He couldn't stay."
"Francie, what did you say to her?"
"You knew?"
"Yes. I heard her talking to her father. I found out a month ago."
"And you didn't tell me."
"Sydney wasn't ready to tell you. Now what did you say?"
He asked this all over Sydney's, "He coudn't stay," mutterings.
"I called him a jerk and started criticizing him."
"No. You don't criticize the guy. No one knows who he is, but when anyone says anything against him, she gets defensive and she starts to shut down. She's doing it now."
Will hugged Sydney. "He couldn't stay, Will."
"I know. I know. He would have taken care of you both, right?"
"Yes. You believe me, don't you?"
"Of course, I do, Sweetheart."
Sydney jerked away from him.
"I need some air."
"Sydney?"
"I...can't."
Sydney hurried away from her two friends. Will was giving Francie a glare, but Francie didn't know what to say. Sydney hopped into her SUV and headed to the cemetary.
She found his gravestone with much ease. She visited him at least twice a week. Sometimes she would tell him about the baby or the doctor's appointment. Sometimes she would cry for him. Sometimes she would yell at him for leaving her. But she always felt better after she got done. "Hey, Andrew...Francie found out today. She was being mean about it, though. I have to defend you so many times to everyone. I swear, you'd be surprised to hear how often I say it's not his fault. I used to be the one to blame you for everything wrong in my life. It was easier then, wasn't it? I miss you a lot. I really do. I wish you would come to doctor's appointments and birthing classes. Actually, I start one up in a couple of weeks. I get to do the whole breathing thing. People say it hurts to give birth. I wonder what it's like compared to torture. Listen to me. How sick is that? I actually have some kinds of excrutiating pains to compare it to. Will's going to be my coach. I think I would have asked Vaughn if I thought it was safe. You liked Vaughn better than Will anyways. I could tell. But I don't even want to talk to Vaughn anymore. He wouldn't understand this, you know? I mean, I love you, but if I told him that, he wouldn't get it. He would be disgusted and try to tell me all the reasons why I shouldn't love you and why you and I shouldn't have been together. But he didn't know. He didn't know you. He doesn't really even know me anymore. I guess I won't let him. I'm afraid I'll ruin his life like I ruined yours, and Danny's, Marshall's and Will's. Vaughn's life hasn't been specifically tainted by me, yet. I know you probably think I'm crazy. You'd tell me that this is not my fault and that I shouldn't blame myself. Either that or laugh at me. But I'm afraid. Will's doing his best to be there for me. I'm surrounded by people who care about me. Dixon, Marshall, my dad, Will, Vaughn, get this, Irina...but I feel so alone. Like I can be with everyone and it's like none of them really know how to help me. Okay, I should probably get back. Will's going to start worrying and Francie is probably starting to feel guilty. I'll come back later. I love you." Sydney kissed her fingers and pressed them against the cold marble stone engraved with Mr. Sark on it. She smiled nostalgically as she exited the graveyard to go home.
Francie was waiting for her when she got home. Will had left to get Sydney some more ice cream, hoping it would comfort her to a degree. "Syd. I'm glad you're back. I'm sorry."
"Yeah. It's okay. I know you're just mad that I didn't tell you yet."
"Well, I guess I am. I mean, you told Will before you told me."
"I didn't tell Will. I was talking to my dad when Will came in. He found out that way. I probably woudn't have told either of you about it yet. Until someone figured it out. I didn't really want to answer a bunch of questions. I already got enough of those at work and from my dad."
"You told the people at your work."
"So I could stop going on so many business trips."
"I should have noticed that."
"It's not a big deal, Fran."
"How long have you been pregnant?"
"Four months. Almost five."
"And I didn't notice until now?"
"Well, I've been busy and you've been busy. It's not that surprising."
Francie hugged her best friend.
"You know Will and I still love you, don't you?"
"Yeah. I know."
"And we'll love the baby, too."
"Of course you will. Who doesn't love babies?"
Francie smiled.
"Is it a girl?"
"I don't want to find out."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Okay. So should we be planning a nursery?"
"Probably." Sydney tried to smile.
Francie acted like she didn't notice her sadness. Will came in with ice cream.
"I come bearing gifts. Is it safe?"
"Depends on what the gift is." Sydney called back to him.
"Ice cream. Rocky road."
"Definitely safe!" Will smiled, glad to see Sydney a little bit happier again. He brought in the carton and three spoons, along with a couple of movies. He passed the spoons around and the three friends settled in for a movie night.
Chapter Six
Sydney was showing. She had just started to wear maternity clothing. She put her hand over her abdomen and considered what she was going to do with this baby. How she was going to make it through without Andrew. Francie came in the kitchen and saw Sydney like that, and suddenly as if a lightbulb flickered on inside her head, she knew. "Sydney?"
"Hmm?" She wasn't really in the mood to talk. She was going through one of her quiet moods.
"Are you pregnant?"
Sydney turned around. She knew it would only be a matter of time until Francie figured it out. "Yeah."
That was all she said. She hoped that would get her by, but Francie had a whole bunch of questions she wanted answered.
"I didn't even know you had a boyfriend. Who is he?"
"Him."
"Where did he go?"
"He went away."
"Away?"
"Yes."
"The jerk left you after he found out you were pregnant."
"NO! He isn't a jerk and if he could have taken care of us, he would have."
"Why on earth would you think that? He left you, Sydney. He got you pregnant and disappeared. That definitely puts him into the jerk category."
Sydney's eyes welled up.
"He would have stayed if he could."
She wouldn't tell anybody that he was dead. That would raise suspicions in Francie's mind.
"What world are you living in, Sydney?"
Sydney flinched. Why was Francie being so mean? She was probably angry that Sydney hadn't told her about the baby. Will came into the kitchen and noticed Sydney had tears in her eyes. "Syd?"
"He couldn't stay. He couldn't stay. He couldn't stay. He couldn't stay."
"Francie, what did you say to her?"
"You knew?"
"Yes. I heard her talking to her father. I found out a month ago."
"And you didn't tell me."
"Sydney wasn't ready to tell you. Now what did you say?"
He asked this all over Sydney's, "He coudn't stay," mutterings.
"I called him a jerk and started criticizing him."
"No. You don't criticize the guy. No one knows who he is, but when anyone says anything against him, she gets defensive and she starts to shut down. She's doing it now."
Will hugged Sydney. "He couldn't stay, Will."
"I know. I know. He would have taken care of you both, right?"
"Yes. You believe me, don't you?"
"Of course, I do, Sweetheart."
Sydney jerked away from him.
"I need some air."
"Sydney?"
"I...can't."
Sydney hurried away from her two friends. Will was giving Francie a glare, but Francie didn't know what to say. Sydney hopped into her SUV and headed to the cemetary.
She found his gravestone with much ease. She visited him at least twice a week. Sometimes she would tell him about the baby or the doctor's appointment. Sometimes she would cry for him. Sometimes she would yell at him for leaving her. But she always felt better after she got done. "Hey, Andrew...Francie found out today. She was being mean about it, though. I have to defend you so many times to everyone. I swear, you'd be surprised to hear how often I say it's not his fault. I used to be the one to blame you for everything wrong in my life. It was easier then, wasn't it? I miss you a lot. I really do. I wish you would come to doctor's appointments and birthing classes. Actually, I start one up in a couple of weeks. I get to do the whole breathing thing. People say it hurts to give birth. I wonder what it's like compared to torture. Listen to me. How sick is that? I actually have some kinds of excrutiating pains to compare it to. Will's going to be my coach. I think I would have asked Vaughn if I thought it was safe. You liked Vaughn better than Will anyways. I could tell. But I don't even want to talk to Vaughn anymore. He wouldn't understand this, you know? I mean, I love you, but if I told him that, he wouldn't get it. He would be disgusted and try to tell me all the reasons why I shouldn't love you and why you and I shouldn't have been together. But he didn't know. He didn't know you. He doesn't really even know me anymore. I guess I won't let him. I'm afraid I'll ruin his life like I ruined yours, and Danny's, Marshall's and Will's. Vaughn's life hasn't been specifically tainted by me, yet. I know you probably think I'm crazy. You'd tell me that this is not my fault and that I shouldn't blame myself. Either that or laugh at me. But I'm afraid. Will's doing his best to be there for me. I'm surrounded by people who care about me. Dixon, Marshall, my dad, Will, Vaughn, get this, Irina...but I feel so alone. Like I can be with everyone and it's like none of them really know how to help me. Okay, I should probably get back. Will's going to start worrying and Francie is probably starting to feel guilty. I'll come back later. I love you." Sydney kissed her fingers and pressed them against the cold marble stone engraved with Mr. Sark on it. She smiled nostalgically as she exited the graveyard to go home.
Francie was waiting for her when she got home. Will had left to get Sydney some more ice cream, hoping it would comfort her to a degree. "Syd. I'm glad you're back. I'm sorry."
"Yeah. It's okay. I know you're just mad that I didn't tell you yet."
"Well, I guess I am. I mean, you told Will before you told me."
"I didn't tell Will. I was talking to my dad when Will came in. He found out that way. I probably woudn't have told either of you about it yet. Until someone figured it out. I didn't really want to answer a bunch of questions. I already got enough of those at work and from my dad."
"You told the people at your work."
"So I could stop going on so many business trips."
"I should have noticed that."
"It's not a big deal, Fran."
"How long have you been pregnant?"
"Four months. Almost five."
"And I didn't notice until now?"
"Well, I've been busy and you've been busy. It's not that surprising."
Francie hugged her best friend.
"You know Will and I still love you, don't you?"
"Yeah. I know."
"And we'll love the baby, too."
"Of course you will. Who doesn't love babies?"
Francie smiled.
"Is it a girl?"
"I don't want to find out."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Okay. So should we be planning a nursery?"
"Probably." Sydney tried to smile.
Francie acted like she didn't notice her sadness. Will came in with ice cream.
"I come bearing gifts. Is it safe?"
"Depends on what the gift is." Sydney called back to him.
"Ice cream. Rocky road."
"Definitely safe!" Will smiled, glad to see Sydney a little bit happier again. He brought in the carton and three spoons, along with a couple of movies. He passed the spoons around and the three friends settled in for a movie night.