Chapter Eight: Complications
I woke up about a week later feeling sick to my stomach. I bolted out of bed and raced to the bathroom just in time to throw up in the toilet. I brushed my teeth and went downstairs. Anthony was already at his shop in town. Tourist season was starting up again. Roberta made me some eggs. "Where's Tyler?" I asked her. "Outside of course," she said smiling. It was Saturday so he didn't have school. I should have known he'd be outside with his skateboard. I got dressed and went outside to watch him. He was practicing a trick called an impossible. It is where you jump off something and spin the board 180 degrees vertically. I had seen the professionals on TV do it and a lot of them didn't land it. Tyler was jumping off the porch. I watched him fall a few times then called to him. I didn't want him to hurt himself again. "Are you sure you should be doing that?" I asked worriedly. He actually rolled his eyes at me. I laughed. Tyler seemed a lot lighter hearted. He used to mope around all the time or have a scowl on his face. Now he was actually smiling at me. "I'll be fine Skye," he said. Just then a blue truck came up the driveway. I girl with small girl with curly blond hair jumped out carrying a skateboard. So this was why Tyler was so happy. She ran over to use with a huge grin on her face. "Hey Ty," she said. "Hey Keely," he said a little shyly. He glanced at me, "Skye this is Keely, we met when I went skateboarding at the park in town last week," he said, "Hello Keely," I said smiling. I was so happy Tyler had finally found a friend. And she was a skateboarder too! "Nice to meet you," she said. "I guess I'll go in now," I said winking at them. Tyler's face turned bright red and Keely only laughed. I watched them from the front window skating together. Tyler was a little more experienced than Keely I could see but I could also see he didn't mind helping her learn the tricks he had perfected like a pop shuvit, which is when you spin the board horizontally under your feet and a heelflip, the trick he had been doing when he broke his wrist. He had perfected the heelflip now and rarely fell while doing this trick. I was so proud of Tyler as I watched him outside. Eventually I left him alone with Keely. I didn't want to spy on them all day. I spent the day reading in the den. I didn't feel normal all day. I had a weird feeling in my stomach and I threw up a few more times. I thought I must have been getting the flu. Tyler came into the den a few minutes before dinner and sat down. He was wearing a pair of baggy jeans and a T-shirt that read, "Skateboarding is not a crime," "Keely seems nice," I said. "Yep," he said, "she's cool," I smiled at him and stood up, "I guess we can go for dinner now," I said. To my surprise Anthony and Erin were both in the dining room when we got in there. I hadn't expected Anthony to be home for dinner and I hadn't seen Erin all day. Anthony had a grim look on his face that made me uneasy. Erin was grinning ear to ear. I sat down in my usually seat across from Anthony. Roberta brought us our salad and I took a bite. I was used to silence at the dinner table. "I have something to say," Erin said. I looked up at her. Tyler was looking at her expectantly also. Only Anthony had his eyes fixed on his salad. "I'm pregnant," she said. My heart stopped. No, no this couldn't be happening. Calm down, my rational side soothed, it might not be Anthony's. "With Anthony's child," she added. I looked down at my hands. So much for rationality, I thought. Well, didn't this just complicate everything perfectly. Anthony wasn't saying anything. "Well?" I prompted, "What do you have to say for yourself?" He looked up at me, "Skye, I-I don't know what to say," he said. "I thought the cheating was over," I said to him. "I didn't cheat on you again," he protested. I looked at Erin, "How far along are you?" I asked. "Three months," she said. So he hadn't cheated on me since we decided we would save our marriage. That made me feel a little better. She still had that smug smile on her face. I had forgotten Tyler was there until he spoke up, "Why are you such a whore?" he asked Erin angrily. "Tyler!" I cried in surprise. "They were nice enough to let us live here and look what you do," he yelled at her. Erin's smile evaporated quickly. She stared at her brother in surprise. "Tyler, I-" "I don't care," he interrupted. He got up, knocking the chair over in the process and stalked out on the dining room. The three of us sat there in silence. No one knew what to do or say. Tyler had never exploded like that at anyone like that before. I didn't know if I was more surprised about Tyler's outburst or the fact the Anthony was going to be a father. I stood up slowly, "Anthony, you can sleep in the guest room tonight," I told him and left the room. I went straight to my room and got in the shower. I couldn't believe this was happening. Hadn't I been through enough? I had no hope that my marriage with Anthony was going to last. I didn't want a divorce but I couldn't stay married to him. I just couldn't. I cried myself to sleep again. I had been doing that a lot lately.
I was sick again in the morning. I wondered if Erin was getting morning sickness. And then it hit me. Was I pregnant? I sat down on the toilet seat in shock. It was possible; my period was a week late. I hadn't thought anything of it before; my period had always been irregular. I couldn't deal with this right now. I was in no state to be taking care of a baby. And Anthony and I would be getting a divorce if I had my way. "Derek," I whispered to myself. This baby could be Derek's! I jumped up and bolted out of the room. This was going to complicate matters even more. This was not good, not good at all. I drove like a maniac to the drugstore and bought three pregnancy tests. I was pregnant. Every test said so. All I could do was sick in the bathroom holding the three tests in shock. I didn't know if I was happy or not. I hadn't seen Anthony yet today and I had no real desire to. There was a knock at the door, "Skye?" it was Anthony. I stashed the tests under the sink and opened the door. He looked distraught. "Yes?" I said trying to sound in control even though I was screaming inside. "We should talk," he said. I sat down on the armchair and he sat on the bed. "I think we can convince Erin to let us raise her baby as our own," he said. "What?" I asked in disbelief. Did he actually think I would want Erin's child? A constant reminder of how my husband betrayed me? I wanted my own child. My hand went instinctively to my stomach. You have your own, I thought to myself, Do what is right for your unborn baby. But I don't know who the father is, I argued back. You know who it is, the voice said. The voice was right; I did know who it was. "No Anthony," I said quietly at first. "What?" he asked. "No, I have something to tell you," I said louder this time, "I am pregnant with Derek's child," I blurted out. His face contorted in rage, "That bastard!" he bellowed. "Anthony! You can take Erin tonight and find your own home, I want a divorce," I yelled at him. His face softened. He dropped to his knees and clawed at the hem of my skirt, "No Skye, I want you! Please, I'm sorry," he blubbered. "Get away from me," I said, calmly pulling my skirt from his hands. I walked to the large doors that led out to the balcony and turned around, "Oh and, leave Tyler here," I pushed open the doors and sat outside for the rest of the day. I tuned out all sounds of Anthony packing his things. I was vaguely aware of him standing at the doors for a minute before he left the house. As the sun was going down I heard a small voice behind me, "Skye?" it said meekly. "Tyler, honey," I opened my arms and he ran to me and I embraced him. We sat like that for a long while. Everything would be ok. I was strong enough to get what I wanted. And what I wanted was a simple life. With Derek.
I woke up about a week later feeling sick to my stomach. I bolted out of bed and raced to the bathroom just in time to throw up in the toilet. I brushed my teeth and went downstairs. Anthony was already at his shop in town. Tourist season was starting up again. Roberta made me some eggs. "Where's Tyler?" I asked her. "Outside of course," she said smiling. It was Saturday so he didn't have school. I should have known he'd be outside with his skateboard. I got dressed and went outside to watch him. He was practicing a trick called an impossible. It is where you jump off something and spin the board 180 degrees vertically. I had seen the professionals on TV do it and a lot of them didn't land it. Tyler was jumping off the porch. I watched him fall a few times then called to him. I didn't want him to hurt himself again. "Are you sure you should be doing that?" I asked worriedly. He actually rolled his eyes at me. I laughed. Tyler seemed a lot lighter hearted. He used to mope around all the time or have a scowl on his face. Now he was actually smiling at me. "I'll be fine Skye," he said. Just then a blue truck came up the driveway. I girl with small girl with curly blond hair jumped out carrying a skateboard. So this was why Tyler was so happy. She ran over to use with a huge grin on her face. "Hey Ty," she said. "Hey Keely," he said a little shyly. He glanced at me, "Skye this is Keely, we met when I went skateboarding at the park in town last week," he said, "Hello Keely," I said smiling. I was so happy Tyler had finally found a friend. And she was a skateboarder too! "Nice to meet you," she said. "I guess I'll go in now," I said winking at them. Tyler's face turned bright red and Keely only laughed. I watched them from the front window skating together. Tyler was a little more experienced than Keely I could see but I could also see he didn't mind helping her learn the tricks he had perfected like a pop shuvit, which is when you spin the board horizontally under your feet and a heelflip, the trick he had been doing when he broke his wrist. He had perfected the heelflip now and rarely fell while doing this trick. I was so proud of Tyler as I watched him outside. Eventually I left him alone with Keely. I didn't want to spy on them all day. I spent the day reading in the den. I didn't feel normal all day. I had a weird feeling in my stomach and I threw up a few more times. I thought I must have been getting the flu. Tyler came into the den a few minutes before dinner and sat down. He was wearing a pair of baggy jeans and a T-shirt that read, "Skateboarding is not a crime," "Keely seems nice," I said. "Yep," he said, "she's cool," I smiled at him and stood up, "I guess we can go for dinner now," I said. To my surprise Anthony and Erin were both in the dining room when we got in there. I hadn't expected Anthony to be home for dinner and I hadn't seen Erin all day. Anthony had a grim look on his face that made me uneasy. Erin was grinning ear to ear. I sat down in my usually seat across from Anthony. Roberta brought us our salad and I took a bite. I was used to silence at the dinner table. "I have something to say," Erin said. I looked up at her. Tyler was looking at her expectantly also. Only Anthony had his eyes fixed on his salad. "I'm pregnant," she said. My heart stopped. No, no this couldn't be happening. Calm down, my rational side soothed, it might not be Anthony's. "With Anthony's child," she added. I looked down at my hands. So much for rationality, I thought. Well, didn't this just complicate everything perfectly. Anthony wasn't saying anything. "Well?" I prompted, "What do you have to say for yourself?" He looked up at me, "Skye, I-I don't know what to say," he said. "I thought the cheating was over," I said to him. "I didn't cheat on you again," he protested. I looked at Erin, "How far along are you?" I asked. "Three months," she said. So he hadn't cheated on me since we decided we would save our marriage. That made me feel a little better. She still had that smug smile on her face. I had forgotten Tyler was there until he spoke up, "Why are you such a whore?" he asked Erin angrily. "Tyler!" I cried in surprise. "They were nice enough to let us live here and look what you do," he yelled at her. Erin's smile evaporated quickly. She stared at her brother in surprise. "Tyler, I-" "I don't care," he interrupted. He got up, knocking the chair over in the process and stalked out on the dining room. The three of us sat there in silence. No one knew what to do or say. Tyler had never exploded like that at anyone like that before. I didn't know if I was more surprised about Tyler's outburst or the fact the Anthony was going to be a father. I stood up slowly, "Anthony, you can sleep in the guest room tonight," I told him and left the room. I went straight to my room and got in the shower. I couldn't believe this was happening. Hadn't I been through enough? I had no hope that my marriage with Anthony was going to last. I didn't want a divorce but I couldn't stay married to him. I just couldn't. I cried myself to sleep again. I had been doing that a lot lately.
I was sick again in the morning. I wondered if Erin was getting morning sickness. And then it hit me. Was I pregnant? I sat down on the toilet seat in shock. It was possible; my period was a week late. I hadn't thought anything of it before; my period had always been irregular. I couldn't deal with this right now. I was in no state to be taking care of a baby. And Anthony and I would be getting a divorce if I had my way. "Derek," I whispered to myself. This baby could be Derek's! I jumped up and bolted out of the room. This was going to complicate matters even more. This was not good, not good at all. I drove like a maniac to the drugstore and bought three pregnancy tests. I was pregnant. Every test said so. All I could do was sick in the bathroom holding the three tests in shock. I didn't know if I was happy or not. I hadn't seen Anthony yet today and I had no real desire to. There was a knock at the door, "Skye?" it was Anthony. I stashed the tests under the sink and opened the door. He looked distraught. "Yes?" I said trying to sound in control even though I was screaming inside. "We should talk," he said. I sat down on the armchair and he sat on the bed. "I think we can convince Erin to let us raise her baby as our own," he said. "What?" I asked in disbelief. Did he actually think I would want Erin's child? A constant reminder of how my husband betrayed me? I wanted my own child. My hand went instinctively to my stomach. You have your own, I thought to myself, Do what is right for your unborn baby. But I don't know who the father is, I argued back. You know who it is, the voice said. The voice was right; I did know who it was. "No Anthony," I said quietly at first. "What?" he asked. "No, I have something to tell you," I said louder this time, "I am pregnant with Derek's child," I blurted out. His face contorted in rage, "That bastard!" he bellowed. "Anthony! You can take Erin tonight and find your own home, I want a divorce," I yelled at him. His face softened. He dropped to his knees and clawed at the hem of my skirt, "No Skye, I want you! Please, I'm sorry," he blubbered. "Get away from me," I said, calmly pulling my skirt from his hands. I walked to the large doors that led out to the balcony and turned around, "Oh and, leave Tyler here," I pushed open the doors and sat outside for the rest of the day. I tuned out all sounds of Anthony packing his things. I was vaguely aware of him standing at the doors for a minute before he left the house. As the sun was going down I heard a small voice behind me, "Skye?" it said meekly. "Tyler, honey," I opened my arms and he ran to me and I embraced him. We sat like that for a long while. Everything would be ok. I was strong enough to get what I wanted. And what I wanted was a simple life. With Derek.
