Charlie entered the apartment, grinningfrom ear to ear. Madison was perched on his shoulders and both were sopping wet, after returning from the condo pool. He lifted the little girl off him and set her down on the floor still so brimming with excitment, she stood there, dripping, with a bright smile on her sweet face.
"Maddie, mommy put some dry clothes on your bed, baby. Can you go put them on, for me?" Connie forced a smile, as her little bounced and nodded.
"Okay, but I'll be right back." She giggled running into her room. "And then I'll tell you all about Daddy and the shark."
Charlie chuckled drying his hair, with the large, Roadrunner, beach towel he'd unwrapped from around his waist. "She gets cuter everyday, I swear. We're the luckiest people I know."
Connie frowned, and chewed on her bottom lip. Her dark eyes were cast downward, sadly. She studied her shoes, she had pretty shoes. She liked her shoes. "Charlie we need to talk."
"Right now, or can I change first?"
"No, now, before Madison comes back. It's important."
Her husband frowned and wrinkled his brow. Still slightly drippy he wondered over and joined her on the couch, taking her shaking hand in his cold, wet one. "Baby, what's the matter? You can tell me anything, Cons."
His wife bit her lip hard, the salty, metallic taste of her own blood, bitter as it trickled down onto her tongue. "I'm pregnant." She conceded, her voice scared and small. Barley above a whisper, but to Charlie's ears, it seemed as if she was screaming.
"Connie, what's going on? What did I need to get over here ASAPfor?" Charlie knelt beside his best friend as she shook with tears.
"Charlie, I'm pregnant. I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't want a baby! I wanna finish school, I wanna go to college." Connie sobbed.
The boy's body went cold as he pulled her into his arms. Pregnant? How could she be pregnant? In his mind she'd always been his The only girl he'd ever loved and wanted to be with and she was pregnant. Bound to Guy for the rest of their lives. He would never have her.
He held her tightly, rocking her gently. Tried to sooth her with comforting words and tender stroking of her hair. He wanted to kiss her tears away. But he knew he couldn't. She wasn't his, and there was no chance she ever would be. Still he kept her close, rubbing her back. Never letting her feel for one second, unprotected or unloved
"What am I going to do?" She whimpered against his shoulder. "I can't have this baby. I'll lose everything."
Charlie shook his head. "I dunno, Cons. Have you told, Guy?"
Connie nodded weakly. "I think, I think he wants to keep it. My whole future is over, everything will be over."
It killed him to see her that way. This wasn't the strong, proud girl he knew. This quivering mass of tears, couldn't be the same person. His Connie wouldn't let anything get in the way of what she set her mind to. She laughed in the face of diversity. She just wanted to prove that when they said she couldn't do it, not only that she could, but she'd go above and beyond. That was the girl he knew, and that was the girl that he loved.
"You're what?" He demanded, his tone harsher then he intended.
Connie flinched and instinctively she drew her hand protectively to her stomach. "I'm… going to have a baby, Charlie. We're going to have a baby."
"How did this happen?"
"I'm pretty sure you know how this works, Charlie."
"It's mine?"
"Excuse me?" His wife's eyes widened with anger. "You did not just ask what I think you just asked."
"Well I dunno Cons, I'm on the road a lot, we hardly see each other, let alone sleep together on a frequent basis.." Charlie to rationalize his way out of trouble.
She flinched as if she'd be struck in the face."Where do you get the right to talk to me that way? How dare you?"
"I didn't mean it, Cons, I'm sorry."
"Yes you did. I know you better then that." Connie clentched her eyes tightly, holding back the tears that threatened to spill for her eyes. She swallowed the lump in her throat. He should've just hit her, that would've hurt less. She loved her husband so much, she never even thought about having and affair. "I know you never say anything you don't mean, Charlie."
"Connie, you know I don't want about baby. Are you just trying to punish me for making you move?"
That was the last straw. The wrong thing to say, to a girlthat was hanging on by a very thin thread. Charlie regretted the words as soon as he spoke them, but it was too late. He couldn't take it back, she wouldn't give him the chance.
"Get out! Just get out of here." Not surewhether to burst into tears, orscream at the top of her lungs, the frustrated young woman didboth. "I don't even wanna look at you right now! Charlie, get out!"
"Connie, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that." He touched her shoulder gently, only to have her jerk sharply away from him.
"Don't touch me, just leave!"
As her shrieks gave way to tears, Charlie knew there'd be no reasoning with her tonight. With sad eyes he lifted himself from the couch and crossed to the room to the door. "I'll go, Cons. But I'll be back."
"Don't bother," She replied as he closed the door behind him. "I hate you, Charlie Conway!" then she punctuated that statement, by heaving the vase that once sat on the coffee table at the now closed door. It shattered on impact, so did Charlie's heart.