Chapter 15

Roger, Darren and Sara arrived at the hospital about an hour later. As soon as they came in, Roger spotted Dr. Bryson and went to talk to her.

"How's Mimi?" he asked.

"Well, we got her test results back and she really is pregnant. Her white blood cell count should be going back up soon, and as long as she takes her medicine she should be fine. She's very weak though so we're going to keep her overnight." the doctor explained.

"Thanks for all your help Dr. Bryson." Roger said. Then he went back to his friends and told them what the doctor had said.

"Mimi's really pregnant?" Darren asked in disbelief. "So I'm going to be a father."

Roger clapped him on the back. "Welcome to my world." he said. "It's pretty great. We should go see if Mimi's awake."

Darren nodded and the three of them went down the hall to Mimi's room. She was awake, sitting on the bed watching television. She looked up as they came into her room.

"Hey you guys what's up?" she greeted them. Sara and Roger moved aside to reveal Darren and Mimi's eyes widened. "Wow, you're here with Darren. That's surprising."

"Yeah well, we had a nice long talk and now that we understand each other better we have become like friends." Roger said. Then he pushed Darren forward. "And now you two need to have a talk yourself."

He and Sara left the two alone. Mimi lowered her eyes. "Darren," she said softly. "I have to tell you something."

He went over and sat on the bed beside her. "No I have something to tell you and it can't wait."

Mimi nodded. "Okay you go first then."

Darren took her hand. "Mimi, I'm sorry. I realize now that I have been taking all my issues and problems out on you and your friends and that's just not right. I told Roger and Sara about my AIDS and how I got it." He stopped as Mimi let out a gasp of surprise, then continued. "I feel so bad for all the horrible things I said about Roger and Mark and I fully intend to make up for them." He took a deep breath. "I also realize how stupid I was not to want to have children with you Mimi. I know you're pregnant now and I want to keep the baby. Even if our child came out with HIV, we would love it and that's all that matters."

Mimi looked at him with tears in her eyes. "Darren." she said. "What are you saying?"

He got down on one knee and Mimi giggled. "I know I've already done this once, but things didn't go as well as they should have. So I say we start over. Maria Rosario Carrera Marquez will marry me? If you say yes I promise that I will help you make all the babies you want and I will love you forever."

Mimi gazed down at him. She saw the sincerity in his eyes and felt the love swell in her heart. There was still that little part of it that would always belong to Roger, but she realized that she had to let that go because Mark had him. So she took a deep breath and decided to take the plunge.

"I believe that we can make this work, and I do love you. So yes Darren Mathews I will marry you." she said pulling him to his feet. They shared a deep kiss as Roger and Sara came back in.

"Do we need to go back out and give you two some more time?" Sara asked.

Mimi giggled and released Darren. "No we're done for now."

"So all's well then?" Roger wanted to know. Darren and Mimi nodded and smiled at each other. "That's good." he continued, "So Mark and everyone else will be here soon, and I spared you having to tell them all that stuff Darren."

Puzzled, Darren asked. "What do you mean?"

"I just told them that you and I had had a long discussion and that we saw eye to eye now. Also that you had reasons why you were so unfriendly at first and that we needed to give you a second chance." Roger explained.

"And they bought that?" Mimi exclaimed.

"Yes, coming from me they did. They all knew that I was the one who hated Darren the most, so if I said he was okay then they knew he had to be. So now they in support of whatever decision you make Mimi."

She smiled at her fiancé. "I've decided to marry Darren as planned." she said. "And we're going to have our baby."

"Oh Meems that's wonderful!" Sara said going to give Mimi a hug. "I'm so happy for you guys."

Mimi returned the hug and then turned to look at Roger. "Are you happy for us too?" she inquired.

Roger was silent for a moment then he smiled at his one time girlfriend. "Yes Meemo. I am very happy for you two. You know Mark, Ana and I will be there for you if you need us."

"Yes we will." Mark said as he entered the room flanked by Ana and Maureen.

Roger turned, "Hey baby. Hey Maureen." he greeted as he hugged Ana. "Where's everyone else?"

"The doctors said that only six people were allowed to visit at a time. So we went first and everyone else is out in the waiting room." Mark answered. Then he went over to Mimi.

"How are you feeling Meems?" he asked her.

"I'm fine Mark." she assured him. "It turns out that I am really pregnant and I am still getting married."

Mark turned to Darren. "I heard you had something to say to me." he said coolly.

"I do." Darren said. "I wanted to apologize for the way I acted towards you and Roger. It was wrong and I hope you can forgive me and that we can maybe be friends."

Mark just looked at him for a minute, then he held out his hand and Darren shook it. "I'd like it if we could be friends." he said finally.

Next Maureen stepped forward. "Darren you weren't directly rude to me, but I didn't like you very much. But if these guys can befriend you, then I can too." Darren shook her hand too.

Then to everyone's surprise Ana stepped forward. "I don't know you Mr. Darren," she said. "But Mark and Roger didn't like you and they are my parents now, so I didn't like you either. I take that back now and offer you my friendship too." she said smoothly.

Everyone laughed and Darren shook her hand as well. "It's nice to know you like me Ana Davis." he said. Then he sighed. "I guess I had better go out there and make amends with the rest of your friends." So he left the room.

Then Mark turned to Roger. "Honey, before this day gets any more bizarre you need to go out there as well."

"Why?" Roger asked, confused.

"Because Lanna's out there and she has a proposal for you." Mark replied with a small smile.

"Wait, when did you talk to Lanna and how did she get here?" Roger wanted to know.

Mark shrugged and grinned at Roger's look of confusion. "She stopped by the house while you were gone today and we had a nice little talk and I told her to stop by here. You should go and talk to her, like now." he told him.

"Alright." Roger said still in a state of confusion. He headed out the door and into the waiting room where Lanna was sitting in a chair watching Darren apologize to everyone. "Hey Lanna." he greeted her. "What's going on?"

"Hi Roger." she said back. "Did Mark fill you in?"

"Not really. He just said that you were out here and that you had a proposition for me."

"I do." Lanna confirmed. "Laurel Ducky wants you to be the songwriter for her other artists."

"How exactly would that work?" Roger wanted to know. "I can't go to Europe right now. I have Ana and Mimi might need me or something."

Lanna nodded. "I understand that and I told Ducky. She says all you have to do is write the songs and give them to me. I will be the one who goes to Europe on your behalf. You will get full credit for your songs and you get paid for the songs themselves, and whenever one of them is used in the media. Plus you get money from your own music career."

"That's really generous of Ms. Ducky." Roger said "I'll have to discuss it with my family and then I'll get back to you Lanna. But I really like the idea of still writing my songs and getting paid for it."

"I thought you would." Lanna said with a smile. "Just let me know. Oh and I hope Mimi feels better." then she left. Roger went back into Mimi's room.

"Mark we need to talk." he said.

Mark looked up from where he was talking to Mimi and nodded. "What's up?" he asked coming over to Roger.

"Lanna told you about the job?" Roger wanted to know.

"Yeah. What did you think about it?" Mark replied.

"I think it's great, but I wanted to talk to you before I accepted it."

Mark smiled and kissed Roger on the cheek. "Take the job baby." he said. "You know you want to, and I want you to."

"Okay I'll do it." Roger said with a grin. Then he kissed Mark on the lips. "Thank you for being such a supportive wife."

Mark stuck his tongue out at Roger and they went back over to Mimi.