That night Darren was nervously waiting for Cindi, it was almost 8, Jack went to bed at 7pm. He knew she was just making him stew because he was talking to Louise last night. It was well known that Cindi loathed and detested Louise. It wasn't going to be easy ending their marriage and he knew things would get messy.
All he could do was hope, that in the end everything would be okay. He wouldn't lose Jack or Louise, they were all that mattered to him. Cindi could take half the business, the house, clear out his bank accounts, he didn't care he just wanted the people he loved with him. Just then Louise and Katie came into the bar.
"I thought he was meeting Cindi when Jack goes to bed?" said Katie looking over to where Darren stood with Gordon, John and Dave.
"He is," said Louise.
"Jack went to bed an hour ago"
"Oh. He can't have done it already"
"No, she's probably just making him stew"
"Hmmmm"
"Hmmm what?"
"Nothing it just… do you think I'm doing the right thing I mean they're married should I just leave them to it?"
"Do you love him?"
"Yeah"
"Does he love you? In fact I know he does. So yes you're doing the right thing. Although if you two had talked properly years ago this wouldn't be an issue," said Katie, then sensing how guilty Louise was really feeling she added, "You two belong together everyone knows that,"
"Yeah I guess we do"
"And just think you'll end up with a fabulous sister in law"
Louise just laughed.
"Should we go over?" asked Katie
"Um no I think the further I am away from it all the better," said Louise.
Ten minutes later Cindi walked into the bar and headed over to Darren. They sat down at one of the tables in the corner, Darren went and got her a drink. Before he could sit down to talk to Cindi, she stood.
"Listen up everyone, we have an announcement to make," she shouted and the bar went quiet, "We're having another baby"
Suddenly the bar was in uproar, everyone was rushing to congratulate the happy couple, and so nobody noticed Louise slipping out. She hadn't been outside for more than a minute before Darren ran out after her.
"Lou, Lou where are you?" he shouted frantically.
Then he heard someone throw up round the corner. He went round, it was Louise.
"Lou, I…"
"It's alright," she said wiping her face with a wipe she pulled from her bag.
"It's not, I didn't know she didn't give me a chance. I didn't know she was…"
"I know you didn't. I was watching and it's fine really"
"Shit I arghhh this wasn't supposed to happen," he shouted out in frustration, "We could still…."
"No we couldn't. You couldn't do it, it would kill you knowing that you were missing out on parts of your baby's life. The birth, the first time it kicked and all the important stuff while she's pregnant. I deprived you of one baby and I'm not going to do the same again."
"But…"
"No buts, go back to your wife and kids. We should just accept that this is yet another sign that we shouldn't be together"
"No we do belong together, I believe that. I thought you did too"
"I did, but now and once I dunno maybe we were but not now. It's just not meant to be. You know I'm right"
"I hate this"
"I know I do too. We tried, that's all we could do,"
"I'm sorry"
"Sorry for what?"
"All this everytime it's fault"
"If it wasn't for me, we wouldn't have broken up in the first place,"
"Lou come on you know all that abortion stuff is in the past. But I keep screwing up now"
"Darren listen to me. You don't have anything to apologise for at least not to me. So go back in there and be the doting dad"
"Lou I'm sorry, hurting you was the last thing I wanted to do"
"Don't worry about me. You're going to be a daddy again"
"I know I just thought that you'd be the mother of…"
"Don't think like that okay. We tried it didn't work now we have to move on"
"You're leaving again, aren't you?"
"Yeah, I'm going to see if I can get a flight out tomorrow morning. I just don't want to…"
"I know"
"I guess this is it, at least for a while"
"I guess," said Darren, then he took Louise by surprise and pulled her into a tight hug, "I'll miss you so much. I loved today, even if I could only have you for a few hours,"
"Don't," said Louise who could feel tears welling up.
"It's true," said Darren kissing the top of her head and then letting her go.
He stood and watched as she walked away until she was out of sight. Then he wiped the tears from his face and prepared himself to go back inside.