Chapter 4

Two months later.

Jarod picked up his gorgeous 4 months old daughter out of the play pen and set her on the blanket on the kitchen floor.

"There, how's that? You can help daddy cook, that sound good?" the baby gurgled in reply

"Sounds like a plan Stan" Jarod said and chuckled to himself.

"How does macaroni sound?" the baby whimpered "No? Mashed potatoes?" Her response was a toothless grin "Mashed potatoes it is my princess." He kissed her bald head and went back to the stove.

"Jarod!" Angel (Parker) yelled from the bathroom in utter distress. Jarod dropped the pan on the counter and ran to the bedroom.

"What! What is it?" He asked frantically.

She turned to him teary eyes and held up a plastic stick

"What?"

"Jarod, Im pregnant." His face fell and his eyes glossed over with unshed tears

"all…all right, I…I don't know what to say." He stammered.

"what to say Jarod? YOU don't know what to say?"

"You told me you hadn't slept with anyone Parker, not since Matt. How could you lie to me?" He questioned

"I DIDN'T!" She yelled tears flying from her face.

"How could you not have? Whos baby is it then Parker? We havent…"

"Damn it Jarod, look at me! I didn't lie, I haven't had sex in two years….and Im pregnant"
She burst into a fresh wave of tears and shrank to the floor. As she did Catherine began to cry in the kitchen

"I'll get her" Jarod said

"No, No Ive got her." Angel wiped her eyes, lifted herself from the floor and went to retrieve her daughter. Jarod dropped onto the bed and put his hands in his face. He waited 15 minutes and Parker returned

"She's down for a nap."

"Babies don't come from nowhere Parker, they just don't… Im… Im sorry I got so upset, but when you told me… I just…I just wanted for us to… to start over. I wanted the next child we had to really, and truly be ours. I don't mean that Catherine… What im trying to say is…"

"I know Jarod, I know what your trying to say. But…but Catherine did come from somewhere, and so did this baby, and I think I have to say this…god I don't want to but…what if they came from the…the same place… what if…"

"The Centere." He gritted and massaged his face with his left hand. Tear were in both their eyes when Jarod stood and pulled her fiercely into his arms.

"Im so sorry." He whispered.

"Its all right.

"No. No it isn't. I just cant believe…that your…"

"Daddy was a very bad man Jarod, but its behind us now. We thought wed get out with only memories of that place. We should have known that it wouldn't be that easy. No clean break. Jarod I cant hate this baby. No matter how it was conceived, no matter how evil the mean for its conception. It apart of me… and I hope… that is a part of you too." He sniffed.

"Even if it isn't Parker, You have to know that Im going to be here. I'll love them, No differently than I do Catherine. He wont ever know that he's not ours."

"Oh, Jarod how could they do this?"

"I don't know baby, I don't know." He kissed her head

"if you want we can do a paternity test at the clinic."

"No. This is your baby Jarod. No matter who fathered it, its your baby." He smiled

"Our baby. Our babies."

"Yea. Our babies. Jarod you have to promise me something"

"Anything" He swore

"Next time, we do this the right way." She said putting a hand on her still flat tummy

"Next time? How many children do you intend to have Parker?"

"A dozen, at least." He gulped and buried his head in her shoulder moaning.

"Or maybe two" she joked. He nipped her neck and pulled back enough to look into her eyes.

"I love you Parker, Nothing will ever change that… but no more than 8" She laughed at the last part

"Make it ten and you've got a deal"

"Fine ten" He conceded

"good. Then I love you too"

"Oh? And if Id said no?"

"mmmm Id have to think about it" she smirked and then smiled brightly

he groaned "Your gonna get it woman" He warned her and kissed her passionately.

"I like getting it." She said

"You know that once we start this, that our darling daughter is going to cry" He said sucking on her lower lip

"She always does." Parker admitted "But quitters never win"

"Well when you put it that way" he laid her back on the bed and began kissing his way down her shirt line… When the baby woke and began to exercise her over sized lungs. They both groaned and went to check on their daughter.