Cathy stormed out. Great, so she didn't want to be with me. The kissing was great; it was just like old times. Then the fighting, well, that was like old times too. God, why couldn't I get anything right? First I mess up Cathy, then Elise and now Cathy again. I can't get anything straight. I can't focus.

Seeing her made the difference. She brightened my day, even though all she did was walk by. I needed her presence just to think clearly. Yet in her presence, I made the most mistakes of my life. No, that's not true. In Kelsey's presence, I lied, cheated, and hurt so many people. I told her I wasn't married, though Kelsey did find out. That didn't stop her. All I had to do was merely cheat on my wife, and then she knew her place would be set. And it was. She secured her place and ruined mine.

I kept typing and writing what I knew was good, but also very personal, very confidential. It wasn't that nobody knew, it was just that nobody needed to know. I was still typing away when Cathy walked back in. She looked as if she had been crying. Her eyes were red and puffy, her nose was as well. She was still sniffling as she walked in and hung up her coat. "Cathy, what's wrong?" I asked, wanting to hold her and make her feel better. I wanted all the bad things in her life to go away. But if all the bad things in her life went away...so would I.

"You bastard." Cathy said. She walked into her room and slammed the door. What could I do? I knocked on the door, I begged her to let me come in and know what was the matter. She just kept screaming 'You bastard!' at me. I didn't know what I did, but obviously I hurt her somehow. How could I have hurt her? I didn't even know. I decided on taking a walk, trying to clear my head.

I walked down the street, and then I would walk back up again. I didn't know where I was going. I went into a diner and ordered a cup of coffee that I didn't drink. I walked up and down the streets again. Finally, I knew where I had to go. I had to go back to my temporary home. Running away from this problem would solve nothing. I went back home. I took a deep breath and knocked three times on Cathy's bedroom door.

"Go away," Cathy said. It sounded as if she had been crying. I didn't want her to cry. I used to lie and that would make her cry. Now I had to do it to make her stop.

"I found an apartment. I'm going now. I'm getting out of your way," I said, not wanting to leave. I never wanted to leave again. I would just have to go back and live with Elise. How else could I make Cathy happy? I hated to do it, but I had to. I packed up what little things I had and walked out of the apartment. I was walking on the sidewalk when I heard someone calling my name.

"Jamie!" Cathy was calling, leaning out of a window. "Don't go." I smiled and went back up to the apartment. I knocked on the door and there was Cathy. "I don't want you to go, Jamie," she said and gave me a great big hug. I would have prefers a kiss, but I was just glad to be back.

"I have to tell you something." I said. "I didn't find an apartment."

"Then why did you say you did? Do you want to leave?" Cathy asked in confusion. She crinkled her forehead and squinted her eyes, looking at me like I was crazy. I loved that look.

"I thought you wanted me to leave." I said. "You were crying. I didn't want you to cry, just because of me. I want you to be happy. If me being here made you cry, then me not being here would make you happy. So, I lied and said I found an apartment."

"Where would you have stayed, though? I mean, it's getting colder out now." Cathy said.

"I figured I would stay with Elise again." I said.

"You should probably call Elise." Cathy said quietly.

"Why?" I asked.

"Just- just call her, okay?" Cathy said.

"Is there something you know that I don't about Elise? Is she okay?" I asked. Even though I didn't love Elise, spending 3 months (not counting the affair) with a person made you care about them.

"I can't tell you, just call her, okay, Jamie?" Cathy said a little more forcefully now. "If it were me, I would want a call." What could I do? I called.

"Hello?" Elise said.

"Hey, it's uh, it's me." I said.

"Oh...did-did she tell you to call?" Elise asked. 'She' was obviously Cathy.

"Well, yes. Yes she did." I said. I wasn't sure if it was the right or wrong thing to say, but I didn't really care anymore.

"You have to know something..." Elise said carefully, as of she needed to think of how to say each exact word.

"What is it, Elise?" I asked. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I think..." Elise said, never really finishing any of her sentences.

"What's wrong?" I asked. What could be so horrible that she couldn't tell me?

"I suspected it last week, but now.... now I know." Elise said.

"What happened last week?" I asked, getting frustrated. I took a deep breath and tried to get calm.

"I missed it." Elise said.

"Missed what?" I asked. Oh no. Not this.

"My period." Elise said. "I missed it last week."

"So...what does this mean?" I asked, hoping it was not what I thought it was.

"I'm pregnant, Jamie." Elise said. "I took the test, it came out positive."

"I'm the father?" I asked.

"Jesus Christ, Jamie, yes you're the father." Elise said. "How rude can you get?"

"Try throwing the clothes of the person you supposedly love out the window," I muttered.

"Try having lunch with your ex-wife and not telling your pregnant girlfriend!" Elise said.

"I didn't know you were pregnant!" I said in my defense.

"Like that makes a difference." Elise said.

"Can we please not fight?" I asked.

"Can we please not talk?" Elise said mocking me, and then she hung up. She hung up on me!

"That didn't go well." Cathy said.

"No, really?" I snapped at Cathy. Cathy just looked at me for a moment, shook her head and walked away.

Why can't I get anything right?