Chapter 13

Karen woke up and found herself face to face with Grace. In the night she must have turned over and now she watched as Grace slept.

Grace, upon sensing she was being watched in her early morning unalertness, opened her eyes and found Karen's gorgeous chocolate brown eyes staring at her. She smiled sleepily at her and brought her hand up to her face, lightly dragging a finger down her cheek.

"Hey, gorgeous." Grace whispered, still groggy.

"Morning, Gracie." Karen seemed happy, for some reason.

"You feeling better?" Grace asked, letting her hand drop to her side.

"Well, honey, it's amazing what a night's sleep can do." Karen sighed. "I just wish I didn't have to give it away. I know everyone thinks I'm going to be a horrible mother but..."

"No, Karen. That's where you're wrong. Do you have any idea how many times you've showed me how good of a mother you would be?" Karen shook her head 'no'. "Sweetie, the way you and Will care for Jack, the way you helped me when I had a nose bleed, just the little things you do for me, without so much a thought. Karen, you're going to be a great mother!"

"I'm not going to be given the chance to prove that, though. Gracie, he's taking my baby and it hurts. I wish I had aborted it when I had the chance."

"NO, don't you dare say that!" Grace snapped suddenly sitting up. "I would give anything just to bring a child into this world, even if I knew I'd never see it again. Kare, they're giving you the chance to see it. I'm sure Lyle isn't going to completely not let you see it. He looked so guilty, Karen. Something's going to change. Don't worry. Just hold on."

"I can't." Karen sunk into a greater depression that day, which basically carried on through the rest of her pregnancy. It was hard to get her to eat, or to talk. She only carried on true conversations with Grace, who had had a point that day. It seemed that Lyle could possibly break, but as matters stood, nothing had been done to break him. Everyone was worried about her and the baby's health. She was undergoing so much.

Lyle, on the other hand, sulked about in his own New York apartment, knowing the baby could come soon. Lorraine was coming home from her three-month stay on a small train of islands Lyle had bought years ago. He hadn't told her what he had done to Karen yet, and somehow he knew she wouldn't be very happy with him.

He heard the door being unlocked and in walked Lorraine. She set her suitcases down and noticed Lyle standing there. "Daddy!" She went to him and hugged him. But she noticed something about him. He seemed guilty about something he had done. She knew this look; she was used to it. He'd always seemed guilty long ago when he was cheating on her own mum. "What have you done?" She asked.

He sighed and turned his head, dragging her towards the couch and sitting her down. "Love, I found out Karen was pregnant."

"She is, that's wonderful." Lorraine was happy for her, but then realized something was wrong. "Daddy, what did you do?"

"Lo, I got full custody of the child." Lyle looked down, almost ashamed now.

"You, what? Daddy! That's horrible. Take it back." Lorraine snapped.

"I can't. I mean...I just...Lorraine." He looked at her with a pained expression.

"Daddy, I'm not helping you with this. I'll smuggle the baby back to her, I swear." Lorraine was mad. She got up. "Daddy, reverse it!"

"I need to think. All right. Can I have $500?" He stood up and held out his hand.

"For what?" Lorraine looked at him questionably.

"I told you I want to think." He thrust his hand out again. She rolled her eyes and handed him the money.
Karen lay on her bed, strictly prohibited from doing anything else by her doctor. Her stomach was bulging, her face was make-up-less and for once she could care less. She was in comfortable pajamas, nothing expensive, and her hair was loosely pulled into a ponytail. She had let it grow since she had found out she was pregnant. To sum up, she felt horrible.

Everyone was there. It seemed they always were and had practically been since her last court date. Grace was on her left, Jack on her right, Will next to Grace.

Nine months were up. It was coming at anytime on any day. Karen hardly talked anymore. She didn't want the baby to leave her because it could quite possibly be the closest she'd ever get to it. She was past crying though. She'd cried so much in the last three months that it seemed her eyes could no longer produce tears.

Grace was worried about her. She watched her out the corner of her eye. They had been watching a TV show, but no one was really paying attention, except maybe Jack, who had found the host quite attractive.

Anyway, Grace moved her hand over so it touched Karen's and took her hand in her own. She saw a faint smile appear on Karen's lips. That was good enough for Grace.

Suddenly Karen cried out and winced, squeezing Grace's hand.

"What's wrong?" Grace asked, sitting up. Jack and Will sat up too and looked at Karen.

"I think it's coming." Karen gritted her teeth.

TBC...