"We need to talk."
Karen scoffed at her husband. "You bet your sorry ass we do." Her strong and powerful front was now resumed. The scared and vulnerable Karen had gone and had now been replace with a woman who now knew what she wanted and wasn't prepared to take any shit from anyone who tried to stop her.
Stan tried again, "Can we talk in private?"
At these words he glanced at Grace who, until this point, had not said a word. However, she didn't move. She knew that Karen wanted her there and was determined to support her. She had now realised that Karen did need a friend, and she found herself willing to be it.
"No." she said simply. "Anything you want to say to me, you can say in front of Grace."
He sighed. "Ok. Look, Karen, it's not that I'm totally against the idea of us having kids. I wanted them with you at some stage, just not…"
"Now?" she asked him. "Well, what's wrong with now? I mean, what's holding us back? When would be the perfect time?"
"I don't know, I don't know." He sighed again. Clearly, he didn't know what he wanted, Grace thought. He needed to make up his mind soon though. "I didn't think you wanted kids. You never spend time with Olivia and Mason. What makes you think you'll care anymore about your own kid?"
Grace gasped; she couldn't believe what she had just heard. She glanced over at Karen who was shaking with rage.
"How dare you!" Karen shouted, her eyes brimming with tears that she wouldn't let fall. "How DARE you! Just because I don't spend time with your 2 spoilt brats, you think I wouldn't care for my own? How am I supposed to care for those 2? They aren't mine! I've no connection with them."
"Have you tried?"
"What? Of course I've tried!"
"Oh, really?"
Grace was astonished by the scene before her. What had started off as a simple talk, had suddenly turned into a screaming session with each participant getting louder as they went along.
Stan continued, "When was the last time you spent time with them?"
"Me? When was the last time YOU spent time with them?" she laughed harshly. "And they're YOUR kids!"
This blew the wind out of Stan. He stopped and paused, realising she was right. It took him a few minutes before he continued.
"I mean, come on, Karen. How are you going to stay off the drink for 9 months? I haven't seen you without a drink for 9 days before! The baby's as good as dead."
He'd gone too far.
"You bastard." she replied in a low voice. The tears she had fought so hard to contain were now freely flowing down her cheeks. This made Stan hesitate; he had never seen his wife cry before. It unnerved him; he knew she must be truly upset to allow him to see her cry.
"Karen…I…I'm sorry…"
"Just get out."
"No, wait…"
"I said GET OUT!" She yelled across the room. Grace got up and put an arm around her friend. "I think you'd better leave, Stan."
He sighed and started to leave.
"I'm keeping the baby, Stan." Karen said as he opened the door. "And if you can't accept that, then don't come back."
He didn't reply but continued to leave, slamming the door behind him.
"Well." Karen said, wiping her eyes and face. "That's that then. Looks like it's going to be just me and the baby."
"No, no, it won't be, Karen. You've got me. I'll be crazy Auntie Grace! And then there's Jack and Will. Although I can't imagine Jack changing nappies, they'll both be brilliant with the baby. They can be Uncle Jack and Uncle Will. Just think how lucky this baby will be with all the people that love him or her. You're going to be fine, Karen. Just fine."
She looked up at Grace with shiny eyes and smiled.
"Thank you, Grace."
I know it's dragging a bit slowly but it'll speed up soon! Unless, of course,this pace is good in which case I'll make it like this! Review please:-)