A/N: Morning, guys! Hope everyone is doing well. Here is our next chapter. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! :)
April 21, 2005
Angel Grove, CA
"Trevor, I need you to bring on the lights on the right side of the stage." I said into the mouthpiece of my headset. Looking up, I saw the light bulbs grow brighter and casted a shadow on me.
"How's that, Kim?" His voice asked in my ear piece. I gave him a thumbs up.
"Terrific. Let's test out the spotlight now." The other lights dimmed and I heard a click that was usually followed by the direct and sharp light from the spot light but there was nothing. "Trevor?"
"Think the bulb's blown. I'll have to get up there and replace it." He replied.
"Well, you better make it quick. Curtain goes up in twenty minutes." I said.
"I'm right on it." Turning, I looked at the rest of the stage under the house lights. I was amazed at how well the art department and the art club from the high school had been able to make the stage look like Downtown Manhattan. Buildings had been painted on the backdrops, showing the NYC skyline. Billy even had the know how to put lightbulbs in the canvas to make it look like lights in the windows of the buildings that towered above the streets. Plaster moldings had also been crafted to look like brick walls. These would help us with the interior shots of the musical when they were in the loft of Roger and Mark. RENT was sure to be our best performance yet, even without the added pressure of selling out in just one day for all three nights. This was shaping up to be the most successful show the theater has ever put on and I was confident that there would be no issues tonight when we opened.
"Kimberly, the wardrobe is all set. Makeup is done. All we need is your cue." Rosey said in my ear, calling from backstage. I could hear the bustling from everyone getting ready.
"We have an issue with the spotlight but once that's set, we will be good to go. I need you up here to get the last touches to the loft done."
"I'll be right there."
It's amazing what four months of hard work can do. After the trial, I sunk all of my time and effort into this production. I even had the help of all of my friends, making sure that I had everything I needed. There was a great deal of tension off of everyone once Nick had been sentenced. He received an additional 4 years for his behavior during the trial and his attempted attack on me in the courtroom. It was safe to say he was never going to see the sun outside of a jail house in his lifetime. I was also happy to report that my divorce finalized in the beginning of March. Nick had refused to sign the papers from prison but it didn't matter. I was officially back to being Miss Kimberly Ann Hart. I never realized just how happy I would be to be back to my maiden name but it made me feel like a different person. To me, it was back to being that strong girl who fought to save others. Now, I was out to make sure that I made a better life not only for myself but also for the growing baby girl in my tummy.
Reaching down, I put my hands on my extended stomach. I was due in just three weeks, the growing anxiety of not only delivering her but also getting to meet her seemed to hit me each morning I woke up. Everything was set up for her to be here. My mom had moved back in March, making it just in time for Easter. She was all set up in her own condo by the high school, enjoying life back here in Angel Grove. She was over the top excited about the fact my due date was approaching, telling everyone about her plans of being a grandma. I was glad she was here to stay and that she had agreed to come back to help me. I was terrified about having the baby and having to care for a baby following the birth but was more relieved to have her here if I needed her to be.
Marci was getting more excited with each passing day as well. She's had plenty of practice with a baby, spending nearly every day at Aisha and Rocky's house with baby Matteo. Matteo, or Matty as we've been calling him, was growing like a weed with each passing day. It was heartwarming to see him with Aisha and especially Rocky, who had taken to fatherhood much better than he thought he would. Matty was the perfect blend of Rocky and Aisha's traits, his chubby cheeks being my favorite part. Aisha was released from the hospital the following day after his birth and was greeted to all of us getting to see him. He clearly won the hearts of everyone, especially Marci who was smitten from day one.
As the new year moved forward, other things began to move forward as well. Tommy was still living with me but they've begun building his dojo. It's slated to be completed towards the end of May, something he was thrilled about. He had taken to teaching his classes here at the theater, the park not working out so well for him. He was able to use our stage though when we weren't here and he says it helps him out. I was happy to give him that, letting him do the work he's worked so hard to do without having the distractions he was battling. He's designed the new dojo from top to bottom, putting in an apartment above it for him to live in. I didn't want to think about when the time comes for him to move out of my house. I rather enjoyed having him stay with Marci and I. Our little family wasn't typical but it was ours and I loved our time together. It was great coming home to him and Marci, eating dinner together and talking about our days. We still weren't back together but we've been working on getting to know each other again.
Tommy was excited about our little baby to come as well. He still didn't know he was the father, however. After the trial and the birth of Matteo, I thought about telling him. I knew it was the right thing to do and that I had promised Marci that I would. When it came to actually doing it though, I couldn't bring myself to do it. We were finally in a great place and I knew if I told him, that great place would be ruined. I promised myself that I would do it next week. But then the next week came and I didn't. So, I promised myself again that I would tell him the next week. Weeks turned into months and now, we're still in the same place we were then. He has no clue that he's been helping me prepare for his biological child and the selfish bitch that I am can't seem to get over the fact he needs to know. I know I have to tell him and I'm going to tell him but the timing just never seems right. Marci and I have almost daily arguments about it since she has a better moral compass than I do but she's kept her word of not telling him or anyone else. It makes me sick to think that I've dragged her into this shit storm I've created myself.
"Kim, I've got the bulb in. I'm going to test it." Trevor said in my ear. I faced the lighting bey again, waiting for the click. I heard it and was temporarily blinded by a bright light. He turned it off once it was working.
"Looks great, Trevor!" I said, giving him a thumbs up. "Guys, pull the curtains and we can open up the doors."
"Yes, ma'am!" I heard in my ear. I stepped back into the middle of the stage and the large curtains came in from the sides until I could no longer see the seats in front of me. Turning back to the stage, I saw that Rosey was fixing up the table that was in the loft to get it ready for the first scene. I grabbed a stack of newspapers from the box at my feet and set them on the table for her.
"You shouldn't be bending like that." She chided, giving me a look.
"I shouldn't be doing a lot of things but here we are." I replied, smirking at her. "I'm fine. I just can't wait until we can get this show on the road."
"How do you think tonight is going to go?" She asked, adjusting some chairs.
"Good! Dress rehearsal went terrific and I don't have a worry about anything going wrong, honestly. We've been preparing for so long and I have faith in all the cast and crew. We are going to nail this." I replied. She smiled, nodding.
"For once, I think you're right. I think we picked some good eggs to help us out this time around. I think this will be the best show yet."
"Kim," a stage hand said in my ear. "You have some visitors."
"Thanks. I'm center stage." I replied. Soon, I heard footsteps and my mother, Marci, and Trini appeared through the right side of the stage. I walked over, giving each of them a hug.
"This looks wonderful, honey!" Mom said, letting me go. "You really outdid yourself. I can't wait to see how it goes."
"Thanks. Thank you guys for coming. I'm hoping you enjoy it." I replied.
"Of course we will! I've been looking forward to this since you announced it." Trini said, smiling widely. RENT was one of her favorite musicals. She had been lucky enough to see it on Broadway with her parents when we were younger. The joys of having rich parents, I suppose.
"Where's the boys?" I asked.
"Parking the trucks." Marci replied. "The parking lot is full so they had to go way up the road." Excitement fluttered in me.
"We're completely sold out. You guys have reserved seats in the front row, right in the center."
"Pays to have some connections." Mom smiled, nudging me. As she did, Tommy and Jason appeared behind them.
"Yeah. That connection could give parking passes to her friends." Jason said, grinning at me. "We had to park basically in Stone Canyon. I'll need a shuttle to get to my truck."
"Stop your bitching." Trini said, swatting his arm. He wrapped it around her shoulders and pulled her in close.
"Are you nervous?" Tommy asked, leaning in and giving me a hug. I nodded as he pulled away.
"Yeah. I'm feeling pretty confident though." I replied.
"Well, we're all going out to eat to celebrate after this." Jason said. "And hopefully, it will go a lot more smoothly than last time."
"Must you remind me of that night?" Tommy asked, glaring at his friend.
"What? They are building your new dojo now. We're supposed to be able to joke about things after some time, right?" Jason said, shrugging his shoulders.
"It's still a touchy subject." Marci said, looking back at the two boys. "Sometimes, I can hear him cry about it from his room."
"Maybe you should go live with Aisha and Rocky, brat." Tommy said, playfully glaring at Marci who shrugged her shoulders.
"More baby time for me." She replied.
"I think we're going to stop wasting your time and find out seats." Mom said, hugging me again. "Break a leg, okay?"
"Thank you." I said, smiling at her. I gave each of them a hug before they turned to leave. Tommy lingered, watching them walk off stage. I looked up at him as he gazed down at me.
"You're going to do terrific tonight." He said.
"Thank you, Tommy. Thanks for coming. I'm glad you're here."
"Where else would I be?" Leaning in, he gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you after the show."
"Bye." With a wave, he walked off stage. I felt someone walk up beside me and saw it was Rosey.
"That boy is so in love with you. When are you finally going to make it official?" She asked. I snorted.
"When I have some free time in my life." I replied.
"So, never?" She questioned. I laughed, walking back to center stage to give the scene a final look. Everything was in place and looked like the sketches we had planned out.
"Alright. Places, everyone!" I called out. People started coming into the side stage areas, Zack and our other lead, Eric, coming onto the stage since they were our Mark and Roger. They took their marks, Rosey giving them a quick once over.
"We're on in five minutes." Trevor said in my ear.
"Thanks, Trev." I said. At my feet, I felt something brush against my foot. Glancing down, I saw that it was a stray ornament from the Charlie Brown tree that was set up in the corner of the stage. Bending over, I grabbed it. As I went to stand up, I felt a sharp pain shoot through my abdomen. I winced and gasped loudly, not moving. The ornament fell from m y hand and I instinctively put my hands on my belly.
"Kim? Are you alright?" Rosey asked, hearing me gasp which caused her to turn away from Zack towards me.
"Yeah." I said, the pain ebbing away. "I think it was just Braxton Hicks. I'm alright." I stood up straight and let out a deep breath, smiling. The pain hit me again though and I let out a loud groan. It was followed by a very warm and wet sensation between my legs. I could hear what sounds like water dripping as I squeezed my eyes shut. The pain went away again and when I dared to look, I saw a puddle around my feet. I swore.
"Umm, Kimberly." Rosey said, walking towards me.
"Dammit. I have a change of clothes in my office. I'll get someone to mop this up quick. I can't believe I just pissed myself. Fucking pregnancy." I said, shaking my head.
"Dear, you didn't have an accident." Rosey said, putting a hand on my shoulder. Another pain hit me, not as harsh as the other ones but still enough to make me wince. "Your water just broke."
"What?" Zack and I both asked at the same time. He rushed over to me, alarm on his face.
"No. That's not right. I've had accidents before. And these are just false labor pains." I said, shaking my head.
"I've had four kids. I know what this looks like, Kim." She said, giving me a reassuring smile. "We have to get you to the hospital."
"I can't go now! The show is about to start. I still have plenty of time. Aisha didn't have Matty until like six hours after her water broke. I'll go after the show." I reasoned.
"Kim, I don't think this is something that works like that." Zack said, worry on his face. He turned to Eric who was watching us. "Eric, can you go to the reserved section and grab the dude with the long hair? Just tell him to come back here quickly."
"Sure." Eric ran off stage and I shook my head.
"He needs to get back here and you need to get to your mark. The show is about to start." I said, another contraction coming on. I let out a groan and Zack took my hand, letting me squeeze. I did just that, riding through the pain that was gripping the lower part of my stomach.
"Yeah. It'll be the Miracle of Birth if we don't get you out of here." He replied.
"Kim, are we ready to pull the curtain?" Trevor asked in the headset.
"No, Trevor. She's a little busy!" Rosey replied into hers. She pulled mine off my head and set it on the table next to us.
"Kimberly!" Tommy's worried voice said as Eric returned with him. Zack moved to the side, allowing him to stand next to me. "What's happening?"
"It's time." Rosey said. I shook my head.
"No, it's not." Another contraction hit me and I swore loudly.
"Her contractions are about three minutes apart. She needs to get to the hospital now or else she's going to have this baby right here." Rosey said. Tommy nodded.
"What's going on?" Mom's voice said as her and Marci appeared on stage next. Another contraction hit me and I cried out in pain.
"She's in labor." Zack replied.
"Oh my god!" Mom said, covering her mouth with her hands. She turned to Marci. "Run and tell Jason to bring his truck to the back of the building." Marci nodded, taking off like a bat out of hell from the side of the stage.
"We gotta get you to the hospital. Come on. We can meet Jason in the parking lot." Tommy pulled on my arm but I refused to move.
"This isn't happening. It's not time yet! Tommy, I still have another three weeks. It's too early. I don't even have my hospital bag or the baby's things with me. We can't go now." I pleaded, tears coming to my eyes. "There's something wrong, isn't there?"
"Hey." He said, softly. He gently put his hands on my arms and bent his knees so we were eye level. "Everything is going to be alright. We're going to get to the hospital and have you checked out. I think it's time, Beautiful. I think you're going to become a Mommy today."
