A Womb With A View by Kakie

Chapter 5

Larry called a ten-minute break and his meeting disassembled. He reached into his drawer and pulled out a photo of him and Ally taken at the bar long ago. He traced his finger over her face. It had been two months since she told him to leave. Two whole months without a word. Not from her or anyone in Boston. He tried several times but no one would talk to him. Not even Elaine, the office gossip. They had all been issued a gag order. He didn't know if Ally was still pregnant or anything. He nearly called the airlines many times for flights to Boston but always stopped. There would be no more pushing from his end.

He ran his hand through his hair. She had been right about everything. He had pushed her. He hadn't meant to but he had. He also didn't consider her feelings. He just assumed they would fall into place. He knew what he was doing and that was all there was to it.

And now she was six months along. Thanksgiving was tomorrow and he couldn't think of a single thing to be thankful for. Except for Sam, of course. Jamie had invited him to celebrate with her and Sam but he declined. He wanted to be alone.

A knock at the door brought him back. His secretary popped her head in the door. "Everyone is back to finish the meeting. I have to run to the supply room and you had a phone call earlier."

"Who was it?"

"It was your Miss McBeal."

Larry nearly fell on the floor. "Ally called? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you said 'no calls' and I took that to mean from everyone."

"What did she say?"

"She said that she was coming to Detroit to see you and would be at your place at six or so."

Larry looked at his watch. "Okay, I'm going to rush this meeting and get everyone out by four. I should be home by almost five. I need to have dinner waiting when she gets there." He looked up at her. "Becky, you have three kids, what do pregnant women eat at six months?"

Becky hid a grin. "From my personal experience, anything they can get."

He grinned back. "Right. Could you have the Chinese place on Appleton Street deliver some food?"

"How much and what kind?"

"I have no idea. A variety of food. I'll leave it in your hands. And there's an extra ten in it if they have it delivered by seven."

"I'll get right on it."

Larry rushed home after the meeting ended. His pattern for the last couple of months had been work, work, and more work. No one had seen him this excited to leave in a long time. He was always the first one at the office and the last one to leave. He tossed his coat in the closet and surveyed the apartment. Everything looked good. The food was due within the hour, and Ally was due at any time. He had wanted more time to collect his thoughts before she arrived but he had forgotten what traffic was like the day before Thanksgiving.

Six came and went. Same for six fifteen. By six forty-five, he was near panic. When the doorbell rang at seven, he nearly pulled it off its hinges.

"You're late," he said.

"And you," she said as she handed him three bags of food, "owe me $38.50 not including tip." She walked past him and took a look around. "It's nice. Homey even."

He put the food on the table. "Your message said six. I was getting worried."

"I don't get around as fast as I use to." She removed her coat. "Besides, the airport was a nightmare. You'd think it was a holiday or something."

She turned and caught him staring at her. "Yes?"

"I was just looking at you. You are really beautiful."

She laughed. "You may be a tad biased but thanks."

He continued to stare at her.

"Larry, please stop staring. And get some plates. I'm starving."

"Sure." He went into the kitchen and pulled two plates out of the cabinet. "What are you drinking these days?"

"Water. It's the only thing that doesn't give me indigestion."

He carried the plates out and set them on the table. She opened a box of fried rice.

"You might want to be forewarned, everything gives me indigestion. I'm not a pleasant person to be around during meal time. Kelsey and I have been asked to leave a restaurant more than once recently."

Larry frowned. "Who's Kelsey?"

Ally chuckled. "Didn't I mention it? This is Kelsey," she said as she rubbed her belly.

Larry was dumbfounded. "You mean we're having a girl?"

"Yup." She opened a box of lo-mein noodles and began to transfer them to her plate. She caught Larry staring at her again. "Will you stop doing that? It's kind of creepy."

"We're having a girl? How long have you known?"

Ally pulled out an egg roll. "All questions will be answered after dinner. If you don't eat with me, then I'm going to end up eating it all and between the heartburn and Kelsey's constant movement, I'll be up all night."

Larry began to fix his plate, all the while his mind is racing. "She moves?"

"Quite a bit. I'm not sure I can survive another three months of this. I don't think she'll last until mid February. I wouldn't be surprised if she arrives a few weeks early."

"What does the doctor say?"

"He tells me that there is no reason for Kelsey to come early but what does he know? How many times has he been pregnant?"

Larry shook his head and pinched his arm under the table to make sure he wasn't dreaming. Was this really happening?

She looked over at him and smiled. "You're not imagining things, Larry. I'm really here. After we eat, I'll tell you all about it."

After the dinner dishes were done, Larry joined Ally on the couch.

"Are you comfortable?"

"Ha. I haven't been comfortable in weeks. And I hear the best is yet to come." She put her feet in his lap. "Would you mind rubbing my feet? They hurt all the time and I can't get to them."

"Sure, only if you start talking." He picked up the left foot and started at the toes.

"Okay, here goes. Two months ago after you left."

"A little clarification here. I did not leave. You threw me out."

"Okay, fine. Anyway, after you left, I returned to work and was really a pain in the butt. Think Nelle on a bad day and then add Ling to the mix."

"That sounds pretty bad."

"It was. No one wanted to be around me. Even my best friend John would avoid me. Finally after I made three secretaries cry, John demanded that I see a shrink at once or else. So on the advice of a friend, I made an appointment with Dr. Paula Wyatt."

"Another shrink?"

"Yes but she was amazing. She got right to what was important. And that was you and me and this baby. She made me realize that I overreacted before."

"No you didn't."

"Yes I did. What I didn't realize at the time was that I was trying to push you away before you would leave on your own again. The small details, your plan, the trip to Mexico, hiring Mrs. Thompson, they were just excuses to get you to go. I also realized that what you had done was because you loved me."

"They were, Ally. They were never meant to manipulate you or hurt you in any way."

"I know that now. But at the time, I was so confused and emotional that I was doing all the wrong things. My sessions with Dr. Wyatt became about you and me and our future. I had a lot of baggage, Larry. I had to deal with what happened in May, this pregnancy, you returning and wanting to start over. Dr. Wyatt and I met several times a week. Then about three weeks ago, two things happened. On my regular doctor visit, I found out Kelsey was a girl. I was so excited. Then a couple days later my parents announced that they were getting a divorce after nearly forty years of marriage."

Larry's face softened. "Oh, Ally. I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter if you're eight, fifteen or in your thirties, when parents divorce, it hurts. My relationship with my mother was strained at best. But my relationship with my dad was my rock. He was my rock. I wanted Kelsey to have a better relationship with her mother. But I also wanted her to have the kind of strong bond with her dad that I had with mine. That would be you."

He grinned. "I remember."

"Well, I took all this to Dr. Wyatt and we laid it out on the table. For Kelsey to have that kind of relationship with you, I had to either give in or get out. But either way, I had to stop waffling and make a decision. She asked me if I still loved you. Of course, she always asked that question."

"What did you say?"

"The same as I always did. Yes, I still loved you but I couldn't trust you. Except this time, she asked me another question. Did I love you enough to try and repair our relationship? At first I thought she was asking if I could take you back but I was wrong. She was asking if I was willing to try. Did I love you enough to try? And then I realized I did."

Larry was speechless. "So, Dr. Wyatt suggested I come to you and see if there was anything left between us. For all I know, you might have gotten involved with someone else or you're feelings for me had changed."

"No," he said, finding his voice. "There isn't anyone else and my feelings are exactly the same."

"That answers that. Anyway, I knew Thanksgiving was coming up and I decided to spend it with you. It would give us time to talk and it would be our first family holiday, you, me and Kelsey. By the way, how do you feel about the name? It's not carved in stone but it feels right."

He smiled and placed his hand on her bulging tummy. "It feels incredibly right. Kelsey Paul. It's a great name."

"Yes, it is." She yawned. "I'm sleepy. I have a hard time staying awake these days. I made a reservation at a hotel in case things went differently."

"Cancel them. You'll stay in my bed and I'll sleep in Sam's."

"I'm not going to kick you out of your bed."

He held out his hand to help her up. "My apartment, my bed, my rules. By the way, how long are you staying?"

"My ticket says Saturday unless you get tired of having a cranky, indigested, pregnant woman hanging around and you throw me out."

"That will never happen." He grabbed her suitcase and walked her to the bedroom door. He kissed her lightly on the lips. "Good night, Ally."

"Good night, Larry." She closed the door behind her.

Larry touched the door and smiled. Suddenly, he had a lot to be thankful for.