***
Two hours later they sat at the dinner table after Kara had nuked their food. Farron had chosen the lasagna and dug into it hungrily. She watched him devour his food while she merely played with hers, pushing it around her plate. Each tiny bite she took turned her stomach sour; she had absolutely no desire to eat. Obviously her nerves were getting to her. Tomorrow couldn't get there fast enough to suit her. Tomorrow meant a phone call from Doctor Berger and hopefully, the reason for her odd ailments.
"Shel...did you hear me?" Farron questioned, noting the faraway look in her eyes.
Kara looked up and offered him a slight smile. "Uh...sorry. Was daydreaming."
He winked playfully. "I hope it was enjoyable."
She laughed softly and pushed her plate away. "It was, baby. What were you saying?"
He placed his elbows on the table and leaned forward a bit. "A request came through from the Texas DEA today. They want me to fly down there for a few days. I would have to leave tomorrow, tomorrow night at the latest." He tenderly took her hand in his while he waited for her reaction.
Tomorrow. The day Doctor Berger would call. She wanted him to be around when she received the news, but there was the overwhelming dread that something was seriously wrong with her and she wasn't ready to face that fear with him. It was more that she didn't want to be the cause of any kind of unhappiness in his life than not wanting to share the problem with him. If she was becoming ill, if something terrible was coming their way, she was reluctant to face it with or without him.
"Shel? Where do you keep running off to?" he asked curiously. Her actions were beginning to worry him. She was normally very attentive, alert, and a great conversationalist, but tonight it seemed as if her mind was somewhere else rather than with him.
"Damn, Farron. I'm so sorry, but I'm just feeling a bit out of sorts." She offered him a weak smile and then began clearing the table. She carried her plate to the kitchen sink and scraped her entire meal into the garbage disposal. "I can't explain why, but I wish you weren't leaving town right now."
He came up behind her, rinsing off the only thing that remained on his plate, the sauce. "There has to be a reason, baby. What's bothering you lately? You've been so easily distracted."
Kara shook her head slightly and leaned back against him when his arms circled her from behind. "I don't know, really. Maybe I'm just a little restless." She dried her hands on a dishtowel and turned within his embrace. She rested against the firmness of his chest, allowing his strength to envelope her. "I'm sure that's all it is; I haven't been working much since we returned from Italy."
He pressed a tender kiss to her forehead while he stroked her long silky blonde tresses. "Baby, don't hold back from what you want to do on my account. I want you to be happy, whatever it takes."
She sighed heavily when his embrace tightened and he rested his cheek on her head. She felt lower than a snake's belly by allowing him to believe the things that were bothering her were work related. She lifted her head and pulled back slightly to see his face. "Baby, I've stayed at home because it's been what I want, but I would like to ease back into work again. Not the gallery so much as my studio. Painting is a great release." By the wicked grin that formed on Farron's luscious mouth, she knew what he was thinking. "Not as great as that kind of release, dear heart," she admonished with a playful slap to his shoulder. "Now, go and start packing. I'll help you after I've cleaned up the kitchen."
"You don't mind, then?" he asked, tilting her chin up with his forefinger. He gazed deep into the softening color of her blue eyes.
"No, I don't. Not really." She smiled softly and stood on tiptoes to drop a quick kiss onto his lips. "Go pack, before I change my mind."
He nodded and kissed her cheek lightly before heading off to their bedroom. She turned her attention back to the dishes and while she washed them, her thoughts drifted again toward her troubled health. As she finished with the last dish, placing it in the drainer to dry, she decided she might like to take a trip to Texas after she heard from the doctor. She just prayed it was good news.
***
Farron had awakened early in order to get to the airport and make his flight. He had taken great pains to move quietly while he showered and dressed. He fought the intense urge to 'serenade the world', as Kara called it, while he showered and grinned sappily as he gazed down upon his sleeping wife. While he watched her sleep, he felt as if his heart was filling beyond its capacity to hold the feelings it contained. If anyone had told him, even a year ago, he would find a love so consuming, so pure, and so fulfilling, he would have laughed in their face. Yet, there lay the proof. A woman no one would ever dream would want him, especially knowing his checkered past. That she loved him, in spite of all the horrible things he had been a party to, said a lot to him. In fact, it spoke volumes. He often thought that without her love, he might have easily slipped back into the sleazy life he once found so attractive. Now that he had a taste of the life he knew that was meant for him, he never dreamed of traveling the road to hell again.
She murmured softly in her sleep and rolled onto her side, startling him from his thoughts. He glanced down at his watch and realized more time had slipped by than he intended while he watched his lovely bride sleeping. He reached out and smoothed away the stray lock of hair that fell across her cheek. He wanted to kiss her goodbye, but didn't want to risk waking her. Instead, he placed the short note he had written her just moments before on his pillow and silently left the apartment.
--
Kara awakened several hours after Farron's departure. Until she spied the note he had left for her, she had been extremely disappointed that he had gone without waking her. After reading it, she realized he had done so to allow her to rest. He had written that he was still very concerned about her and when he returned, they would have a long discussion. She was touched by his need to see to her happiness and that he had noticed something was awry. He ended the note "Love you and miss you already". "I miss you, too," she whispered and slid from the bed, wrapping her soft, terrycloth robe around her.
When her feet hit the ground, the nausea took hold. Mornings were the worst and although the feeling lessened throughout the day, it never completely left her. She knelt in front of the toilet for a time, but just as each morning before this one, she did not become physically sick. She stood slowly and steadied herself, hugging her robe more tightly to herself. This feeling wouldn't last forever, would it? She decided against a shower, not wanting to take a chance of passing out in there again. Instead, she ran a tepid bath and washed quickly, not wanting to linger in the lukewarm water. She carelessly pulled on a blue sweater and a pair of blue jeans, the simpler the better.
She glanced at the clock when she entered the living room. 11:30 am. Had she slept that late? She rolled her eyes in exasperation. If the doctor didn't call soon, she was calling him. There was nothing quite as fun or frustrating than waiting on someone else, and her patience was wearing thin. Deciding to wait no longer, she reached for the phone and nearly jumped out of her skin when it suddenly released its annoying little ring. Expecting it to be the doctor, she took a deep breath before answering. "Hello?"
"Kara. Jesus, I'm glad I caught you."
"Loralei?" Kara tried not to show her disappointment. "Are you okay?"
"Yes...and no. Would you...could you come up to the house later? I really need someone to talk to."
"Of course. Is...everything all right?" Kara asked concernedly. Her whole world was heaved upside down. Wouldn't it be ironic if it was, indeed, the whole world that was off kilter?
"There's just a lot of shit going down here at the college..."
Kara nodded at the phone as if Loralei could see her. She had heard about the murders, but in her distorted sense of reality, nothing outside her own problems seemed to be sinking into her brain. "I did hear...God, Loralei. I'll be over later, promise."
"Thanks, Kara. You have no idea how much."
Kara hung up the phone and stared at it as if it were alien. She reached for it again and dialed the doctor's office. The receptionist told her that Doctor Berger had been called to the hospital on an emergency and had canceled or rescheduled his appointments for that day. She was also informed after asking, that the doctor had left no messages for her. Disappointed, she asked the receptionist to have him call her as soon as he possibly could.
--
She wasn't sure how long she had sat with Loralei and listened while her sister-in-law poured out her heart. She was so distraught over what was happening at the college, Kara wasn't sure how she was holding herself together. Frank having to leave the house while he went undercover only added to Loralei's anxiety. Kara listened and offered what comfort she could, knowing it was not nearly enough. It was only after Loralei had calmed down enough to grow tired, that Kara suggest she go on to bed. Loralei reluctantly agreed after Kara insisted she would stay that night and help with the babies.
After Loralei had gone to sleep and Kara checked on the sleeping children, she settled down on the bed in the guestroom. She had gone another day, barely able to eat a bite, and it was wearing her down. Her stomach rumbled hungrily, but she knew the moment she put anything into her mouth, she would be assaulted by wave after wave of nausea.
She gasped, half frightened by the sudden noise but also excited that it most likely was her husband whom she had not heard from since he left for Texas. She flipped open the cell phone hurriedly. "Hello?"
"Kara, this is Doctor Berger."
Her eyes widened in shock, not expecting to hear from him at such a late hour. "Doc? It's kind of...late, don't you think?" She heard his soft chuckle before he answered.
"I promised I would call, I'm just sorry it took so long to do it. Pretty crazy day."
"So your receptionist alluded to. Am...I...is there something wrong?" She asked hesitantly.
"No, Kara. Absolutely not. Little girl, you are pregnant. Very much so."
"I...I am?" Joy, elation, happiness, and a sense of wonder immediately filled her hearing the doctor's words. "I'm...going to...have a baby?"
Doctor Berger chuckled again. "Yes. I wanted to make sure you stop taking those birth control pills."
She nodded absently. "I should have mentioned that when I saw you, but I stopped taking them when I started feeling ill about a month ago."
"Good. Now, I want to have a look at that baby, so I've scheduled you for a sonogram. Unfortunately, they're very busy and the appointment isn't until Monday. You be at my office bright and early that morning. 8am."
Again, Kara nodded, hearing and yet not hearing. She splayed her hand over her lower abdomen. In just a matter of a few days, she would get a look at the life that she and Farron had created; the tiny life that was now growing inside her. "I will, Doc. Promise."
"Goodnight, dear. And Kara?"
"Yes, Doc?"
"Congratulations to both you and your husband."
She smiled softly. "Thank you. I can't wait to tell him the news." When she clicked off the phone and set it on the nightstand, she wished more than ever that Farron had not gone to Texas. Besides the turmoil in his brother's home, she wanted to tell him the news of their baby in person, not over the phone. As if sensing she was thinking about him, her phone rang again and the display indicated it was Farron. In that instant, she decided she would hold back her news until she could tell him face-to-face. Announcing that he was soon to be a father over a cell phone seemed ridiculous. Of course, it all depended on whether or not she could keep the secret.
--
Farron tossed in the overly large hotel bed. He found himself waking nearly every hour, reaching for his wife. Wife. That still seemed so strange a word to use in his vocabulary, and yet she was the most important part of his life now. He never used to have trouble sleeping alone; he had actually never enjoyed sharing his bed for the purpose of sleeping. If he had not been engaged in sexual activity with the woman, he really could have given a shit if she spent the night or not. Once he had his fill, he was actually glad to be rid of his partner. Not so with Kara. He craved her. It had been awhile since the two of them had spent any time separated, and he was not handling it well. He missed spooning in behind her and holding her while he slept. He felt empty without her.
Talking to her on the phone had been a bit of a comfort to him, but it far from satisfied his need to be with her. She still seemed to be a little distant, as she had been at dinner the previous night. He had been surprised to find she was spending the night at his brother's place. Apparently Loralei was experiencing a bad case of anxiety with Frank and his team handling the case on the Mord campus murders. He could well understand her apprehension. After he had said goodbye to Kara, he logged onto the Internet and checked the latest news on the situation. Four murders to date with absolutely no suspects to whom had committed them. He wasn't surprised that Frank had gone undercover to work the case. If it were his wife working at that college, he would want to make sure of her safety himself.
He punched at his pillow more in aggravation than hoping to fluff it. He hoped he could do this job quickly and get back home. He had a meeting with the Texas DEA and Border Patrol first thing in the morning. If all went well, he should be on a plane back home in two days. He closed his eyes and buried his face in his pillow. Two days.
***
Two days stretched into five and Farron grew more irritated with each passing moment. He talked to Kara nightly and he received updates on Loralei since Kara was spending most of her evenings at his brother's place. That frightened him, unnerved him. If the person committing the campus murders was after the instructors, then his sister-in-law was a target. That meant his wife was in danger from sheer proximity. Kara insisted he worried needlessly, but he couldn't help himself. He was leaving tomorrow, whether the Texas authorities thought things were handled to their satisfaction for not.
--
"Kara, this is Doctor O'Neil. She'll be doing the sonogram," Doctor Berger said, introducing the young woman who entered the exam room with him.
Kara stared up at them from her prone position on the exam table. She smiled timidly at the short, redheaded doctor. "Is this going to hurt?"
"Honey, where's your husband?" Dr. O'Neil asked upon noticing Mrs. Donovan had no company in the room with her. She moved around the table to set up the monitor, positioning it so that the new mother could see her baby. "And no, this is not going to hurt at all."
"He's in Texas at the moment," she sighed as the woman moved her hospital gown to the side and exposed her belly.
"This will be a little cold," Dr. O'Neil said apologetically while she spread gel onto Kara's lower abdomen.
"Okay." Kara glanced at the ceiling for a brief moment before turning her attention to Dr. Berger. "Thank you for coming to the exam with me. I'm rather nervous."
Dr. Berger smiled. "I've known you most of your life, Kara. Your parents were two of my closest friends." He placed a fatherly hand on her forehead. "Now, watch the monitor and you'll see your baby."
"Just a little pressure," Dr. O'Neil stated as she pressed the Ultrasound wand down firmly and moved it into position.
Kara watched in awe as a shadowed image appeared on the screen. She listened intently while the doctor pointed out the small little blurb that was her child. It was so tiny and delicate; she felt her throat closing from the emotions that overtook her. A baby. She was really going to have Farron's child.
"I put Kara at thirteen weeks," Dr. Berger commented, watching the screen.
"There's a foot, see? Hands, arms, legs...everything as it should be," Dr. O'Neil pointed out, watching as Mrs. Donovan nodded. She loved watching new mother's reactions. Mrs. Donovan's eyes were large and beginning to fill with tears. Happy tears. "I was going to say fourteen."
"Thirteen? Fourteen..." Kara's voice trailed off. She was pregnant before the honeymoon. Oh, dear God! "Have...is the baby okay? I was taking the pill..."
Doctor O'Neill smiled at Dr. Berger before looking down at her. "Your baby looks perfect, Mrs. Donovan. Would you like to hear the heartbeat?"
At Kara's wide-eyed, excited expression and furious nod, Dr. O'Neil switched on the sound. "Hear that 'swoosh-swoosh' sound?" Kara nodded. "That's your baby's heartbeat."
"Ohmigawd," Kara cried, her hand flying to cover her mouth. She didn't think she had ever heard anything as beautiful in her life. The only thing that compared to it was her husband's voice and the first time he had ever told her he loved her. "I'm having a baby," she whispered, awed.
Dr. Berger tilted his head as if listening to something he had never heard before. He locked eyes with Dr. O'Neil who nodded at him. "I hear it, too, Dr. Berger," she admitted. Repositioning the ultra sound wand, she pressed even firmer on Kara's abdomen and viewed the baby at a different angle. "Sure enough. Two heartbeats."
"What? Two heartbeats?" Kara questioned, propping herself up on her elbows. "Is something wrong?"
"See here," Dr. O'Neil said as she circled a portion of the image. "Two heads. You're having twins, Mrs. Donovan."
"Ta-twins?" Kara gasped and plopped back onto the table. "Twins?" She looked over at the man she had trusted with her health her entire life. "Twins?"
Dr. Berger nodded, smiling. "Congratulations, my dear."
"Ohmigawd...twins!" At first she had felt stunned by the news, but as the moments crept along, the stunned feeling turned into elation. As soon as she could get a hold of Farron, she was going to ask him to come home. He had already been gone far longer than he had first thought, and she needed him home. His family needed him and she did not want to go another day without sharing the wonderful news that they would soon be parents.
***
to be continued...