Chapter 7

Bobby Ray had inherited the Carmichael Plantation. Louise was staying with him there.

That night Louise was up in her room, when she heard the doorbell ring, wondering who it could possibly be a 11:30pm she went out to the landing and saw it was Darren, Cindi must have locked him out. Remembering what Melanie had said to her, Louise turned and went back to her room.

Around 2am Bobby Ray was in bed, Louise went down to the kitchen to get a glass of water. She went into the kitchen and was surprised to find Darren already in there, sitting on one of the countertops with a beer in his hand.

"That's not the answer," she said

"What isn't?" asked Darren smiling at her.

"Drinking yourself into oblivion"

"Yeah, I guess," laughed Darren, "although I've been drinking this one for the past two hours"

"Then you'll probably want a fresh one," said Louise taking two beers from the fridge and handing one to Darren.

"Thanks"

Louise opened the other beer and jumped up on the countertop next to him and took a drink.

"So, what are you doin up at this time?" she asked

"Thinkin'"

"I'm sorry, I hope I didn't get you in too much trouble with Cindi"

"S'ok"

They fell into an uncomfortable silence broken by Louise.

"So, how did you end up with a wife and son, and why wasn't I invited to the bachelor party?" she said.

"Uh, you're not a bachelor," he pointed out.

"So, I can still drink you under the table"

"True," admitted Darren, "Do you remember Jess' wedding?"

"The biggest mistake of her life, yeah I remember it"

"What makes you think it was the biggest mistake of her life?"

"She married a loser. Dave's a sleazy son of a bitch with a temper"

"She'll be okay"

"Yeah until he starts using her as a punch bag and he will."

"Anyway, do you remember what I… when I…"

"Slept with Cindi"

"Yeah, well I just thought of it as a drunken one night stand, but 6 weeks later she tells me, she's pregnant"

"And you being the gentleman you are, you married her"

"Yeah"

"And let me guess, she and your mother didn't want me to be invited"

"No actually, my mother wanted you there, she doesn't like Cindi much, was hoping you'd talk me out of it. It was me, I didn't want you there"

"Ah" 'He still hates me for what I did'

"It's not why you think. If you had been there I wouldn't have been able to do it and I had to for Jack"

"Oh," said Louise unable to think of anything else to say.

"Yeah, so… what about you? I thought you left to go to college and a few months later you're on the cover of every magazine in the country"

"I did go to college, graduated with an honors in Business and Economic. But a few weeks into my first year, a modeling scout offered to sign me up, I accepted it and the rest I'm sure you know"

"Yeah. What happened between you and that guy? Two weeks ago the tabloids were saying you were engaged"

"Well for once they weren't that far from the truth, he proposed I said no, we broke up"

"Why'd you say no?"

"What is this 20 questions?" said Louise.

"Just two old friends chatting? Didn't you love him, you were together 3 years"

"I didn't love him like I was supposed to, not the way he loved me, and I didn't love him nearly enough"

"Oh why?"

"Again with the questions. You'll laugh at me if I tell you"

"Probably. But if you can't tell me, who can you tell?"

"He wouldn't argue with me"

"Excuse me," spluttered Darren, "can you repeat that cause I thought you said that…"

"He wouldn't argue with me, yeah I did"

"Lou, do you have any idea how insane that sounds"

"Yeah, but it was so frustrating he would always tell me I was right when I was clearly wrong and being totally unreasonable. He'd always say that whatever I did or thought was perfect."

"And you complaining"

"Yeah, I need someone who'll tell me I'm wrong and shout back at me and tell me to go to hell"

"No'one is ever going to understand your screwed logic you know"

"Probably not"

They fell back into silence, broken once again by Louise.

"Jack, he is so cute. Still hard to believe that you have a son. You're a Daddy, wow you're such a grown up"

"Yep," laughed Darren, "I'm a Daddy"

"He looks just like you did"

"I know and even though he wasn't conceived the way I would have liked and the circumstances weren't right. I wouldn't change him for anything in the world"

"Aww that's so nice," said Louise deeply touched by the love in his voice when he talked about his son.

"It's all true"

"You really adore him"

"I do and doesn't he know it"

"Yeah, but everyone knows that you're a soft touch"

"Not everyone only certain people can get round me"

"Hmmm I s'pose"

"You don't need to worry, you always could get me to do anything and I suspect nothing has changed," said Darren then he paused, "Do you ever think about our baby?" he saw Louise stiffen at this and he immediately regretted asking.

"All the time" she finally whispered

"Me too, she would've been 4 by now"

"She?" asked Louise

"Yeah I always imagined, that it would've been a girl with your hair, my eyes, your intelligence, your smile and…" he stopped when Louise suddenly jumped off the counter, "I'm sorry, if I …" he said.

"I have something I want to show you"

"What is it?" asked Darren

"Come and find out"

Darren followed Louise into the hall and watched as she put on her shoes.

"Are you just gonna watch or are you gonna put on your shoes and come with me?"

Darren put his shoes on and followed Louise out of the house, they walked in silence, then they stopped outside Louise's old house, (Mel and Jake had moved to a bigger one). Louise walked onto the porch.

"Uh Lou, how are we supposed to get in, the place is locked up" said Darren.

Louise didn't answer, she just lifted up a loose plank on the porch floor and took out a key. She opened the door and went in, Darren followed her into her old bedroom. She took a chair into the closet and stood on it, she opened the trapdoor to the attic, her hand groped around until she found what she was looking for. She lifted a large brown envelope down and carried it to the desk where Darren was standing.

"This is what I wanted to show you," she said handing him the envelope.

"What is it?"

He knew even before he opened it what it was.

He opened it gently, tipped it and a sonogram picture fell out, underneath it was written,

Patient – Louise Pearl Perry

Date of Birth – 1/9/1983

Baby McKinley

Female

Date of Termination – 13/7/2000

"It was a girl," he said

Louise just nodded, "there's more"

Darren put his hand and pulled out a piece of paper that had been folded in half.

"I uh ordered this over the internet using pictures of us as kids"

Darren unfolded the piece of paper and gasped when he saw what was on it, it was a little girl aged about 3, exactly how he had imagined their child would have been.

"Oh my god, she's exactly how I…" he said in complete shock.

He looked at Louise who had an odd look on her face.

"I haven't looked that in 5 years" she said.

"Thank you," said Darren, "for showing me" he put the pictures back in the envelope and handed it back to Louise. She took it and put it back where it had been.

They locked the house and started to walk back to Bobby Ray's.

"It wasn't an easy decision I took lightly," said Louise as they went into Bobby Ray's the living room.

"I know"

"I had my reasons"

"I know and I can understand now. I was really hurt that you hadn't trusted me enough to tell me," said Darren, glad that they were finally having the conversation they should have had years ago.

"It had nothing to do with trust, of course I trusted you. I would trust you with anything"

"Then why?"

"I wanted to protect you," said Louise, with tears streaming down her face, "I couldn't put you through what I had…"

"Hey shhh it's okay, don't cry," said Darren sitting down next to her, wrapping his arms round her and pulling her close to him.

"I-I'm sorry, it's j-just brings b-back some b-bad memories"

"I know, it's okay I'm here, just let it all out"

Louise soon managed to pull herself together, but she still couldn't bring herself to pull away from Darren.

"Despite everything, I still think I made the right decision, we weren't ready," she said.

"I know, we'd probably end up in divorce courts by now"

"See, I knew there was a reason I why I love you"

Then she realized what she had said and pulled away from him.

"Love, present tense,"

"I-I'm sorry, I have to go," she stuttered and then ran out of the room.

Darren just sat staring after her, "I love you too sweetheart more than you'll ever know"