Richonne (Short Love Stories) Out of Order (Chapter 28)
A/N: Special thanks to Carolina-bleus for her awesome input with this story.
Michonne splashes water on her face, trying to wake up and prepare for work. Monday morning seems to arrive faster and faster these days. She sighs heavily as she pat dries her face and looks in the mirror. Her eyes are still red from the crying session she had the night before.
Saturday marked the fourth baby shower she had attended in only a matter of weeks. Everyone around her is married and having children while she is divorced and childless. It never bothered her before, but it's bothering her now. The plan for her life hit an extreme snag two and a half years ago when she found out Mike was cheating on her. She can tolerate a lot of things, but infidelity isn't one of them.
She'll be 35 in two weeks and according to her previous plan, she should have a one year old right now and planning for the next addition. She normally doesn't let it upset her, but lately she can't help wondering about the direction her life is taking. She doesn't want to die alone and childless. She quickly gives herself a shake, trying to dispel the dark thoughts.
Her cell phone chimes, alerting her that she has an incoming text message. She walks into her bedroom and retrieves the phone from its charging dock and reads the message.
Morning beautiful. We still on for breakfast? Meet me at 9?
She smiles to herself and responds with an affirmative. Rick has been a close friend of hers for the last two years. They met in a support group for divorcees and later realized they had mutual friends and common interests. She hasn't shared any of her feelings about children with him but surmises that he may be able to offer some advice since he is a parent himself.
Later that day, she is relaying her conversation with Rick to another good friend and her business partner, Andrea. She actually followed Andrea to King's County once she made up her mind to divorce. She didn't want to live in the city anymore and Andrea was starting a new practice and needed the help. It was a great decision as their law practice has been successful and she has met some kind people in King's County. Unfortunately, no one she wants to be in a relationship with so therein lies the problem of parenthood.
"Wow! I never knew you felt so strongly about kids. You seemed to take an instant liking to Carl, but I haven't seen you interact with any other children. Are you sure about this?" Andrea asks.
Michonne nods. "It's been a desire of mine since before I got married. Mike and I always had plans for kids. We were just waiting for the right time. Now, I'm ready but no husband, no boyfriend. What am I going to do?"
"You're just going to have to find a boyfriend. I'd prefer a husband, though," Andrea suggests.
Michonne nods. "I really don't want to go through all the trouble of dating again and getting to know someone. I want to skip all that and have a baby."
Andrea frowns. "Michonne, that's usually not how things work. There's a code of order, you know. Girl meets guy, girl marries guy, girl and guy have babies. How are you going to get to the babies without the other stuff?"
"Well, I haven't researched it yet, but what do you think about artificial insemination?" Michonne asks.
"Are you serious? You'd have a baby by a random donor and never know who the father is?"
"You make it sound so cold and mechanical," Michonne inputs.
"Because it is. Having a baby is supposed to be a special time in your life and shared with someone special, namely someone you're in love with and married to." Andrea looks pointedly at her friend.
"So now that you're engaged, you want everyone else to get married? It just doesn't work out for everyone all the time, Andrea," Michonne returns sadly.
"Ok, ok, I get it. I'll support you no matter what you decide. Just give it some thought before you make up your mind. This is going to be life changing for you." Andrea gives her a quick squeeze to the hand. "I really think you should know the father as well. Just saying. You know, there's adoption, too."
"I thought about adoption, but I really want the whole pregnancy experience. Is that wrong?" Michonne asks.
"Of course not. This is your decision to make, so you need to do what works for you."
Hearing Andrea's thoughts about the situation only confirms that she probably shouldn't share the idea of artificial insemination with Rick. She basically just told him of her desire to have kids and of course he thought it was a great idea and teasingly inquired about who she was dating and hoping to marry.
There was at least one drawback of living in the south. Most people still held onto the traditional ways of doing things. It is unheard of for a single young woman to knowingly plan to have a child on her own.
Friday night arrives much to Michonne's relief as she looks forward to getting together with friends. They try to plan something at least twice a month. Tonight, she is hosting Andrea, Shane, and Rick. She invited a couple of other friends, but they declined at the last minute.
She arrives home around 5:45 pm and starts to prepare the patio for her get-together. The weather is pleasant, not too warm and not too cool, so she thinks dinner by the pool will be welcomed.
She has just emerged from the shower when the doorbell chimes. Rick. He is always early. She smiles as she grabs a silk robe and races down the stairs to let him in. She opens the door, inviting him inside and gasps with surprise as he hands her a bouquet of yellow roses.
"Thank you. These are beautiful." She takes in their scent as he closes the door and follows her to the kitchen. She is putting water in a vase as he takes a seat at the bar.
"So how was your week?" She asks curiously.
"The usual. It's always quiet around here, but I'm not complaining." He frowns as he notices the front of her robe is slightly damp and the shape of her chest is perfectly outlined. He clears his throat and looks away. "Yours?"
"It was interesting. Andrea and I have started delving into real estate law. You wouldn't believe the number of family squabbles over land and we're just getting started," she relays.
"So, you're really settling in and liking it here?" Rick inquires.
"What's not to like? Everybody's friendly and welcoming….well, except for Mr. Dale. I don't know why he doesn't like me but he stops by the office like clockwork every month. He could take care of his payment by phone if he hates coming into town so much." Michonne laughs.
"Dale hates everybody….I think. He hasn't been the same since his wife died," Rick informs her.
"I heard about that. I guess I shouldn't be so rough on him, huh?" She places the roses in the vase. "I'm going upstairs to get dressed. I'll be right back."
Rick nods as she walks towards the stairs and disappears. He removes his jacket, draping it on the back of the barstool and moves into the kitchen to start setting up for dinner.
Ten minutes later, Michonne joins him again. "Aren't you the sweetest and I didn't even have to ask?"
Rick smiles. "Just trying to be a gracious guest."
"Well, thank you gracious guest. I was thinking we could eat out by the pool tonight. Is that ok with you?" She asks.
"Sounds great to me," he returns as he prepares to start taking the food outside.
The doorbell chimes and Michonne moves off to answer the door. Shane and Andrea have arrived and dinner can commence. They all exchange greetings as Michonne takes the wine Shane brought and walks back to the kitchen to prepare drinks for everyone.
Thirty minutes later, they are well into the Mexican feast Michonne prepared and the wine Shane brought, laughing and talking as usual.
"So I heard all about your exciting news, Michonne," Shane smiles at her, knowingly.
"What exciting news?" She inquires.
"The um….artificial insemination," Shane informs.
Michonne almost spews the wine from her mouth as she throws a piercing look at Andrea.
Rick is just as shocked. "The what?!"
"Yeah, man. Your buddy here is so desperate to have a baby she's considering doing the whole donor thang," Shane says.
Michonne looks to Rick to explain. For some reason, she feels a need to. "That is not entirely true. I haven't even researched it yet."
"Researched it? So, you are considering it?" Rick proffers.
"I don't know. Maybe," she answers.
"Believe me. I told her it was a horrible idea. Who wants to have a baby and can't tell the child who his father is?" Andrea inputs.
"You don't have to make it sound so….Maury Povich," Michonne retorts.
They all laugh at her comment.
"I can't believe you're serious about this. You're a beautiful, big hearted woman, Michonne. You'll meet the right person and get married again. Just be patient," Rick inserts.
Michonne sighs. "I'll be 35 soon. My clock is kind of ticking pretty loudly right now. I don't have time to fall in love and get married. Besides, it's been two years. If I was going to meet someone, wouldn't he have made an appearance by now?"
"Well, first of all, you need to be open to meeting Mr. Right. You haven't exactly been trying to meet new people," Andrea reminds her.
"Why do I need to be in love and married to have a child? I can raise a baby by myself," Michonne announces.
"It just sounds wrong. The kid not knowing who his dad is. You, at least, need to know the guy. Someone you're compatible with. I mean, you don't have to get married or anything. Some dudes may be ok with just donating their little swimmers," Shane laughs.
Michonne wishes they would move on to something else. They're making her feel really self-conscious about this.
"Honestly, maybe you could treat it like a business arrangement or something. Draw up a contract with the do's and don'ts," Andrea suggests.
"This is not a joke, Andrea," Michonne returns.
"I know. I'm being serious."
"Let's just put it all on the table. You want a guy around your age, no attachments I assume. He should want a kid too although I guess you'll have to work out how much involvement you want him to have. He should be healthy, handsome…you want the kid to be good looking. Gainfully employed….damn baby who did I just describe?" Shane looks to Andrea.
She laughs. "Oh my goodness. Are you game, Rick?"
Rick starts coughing as the wine he just sipped went down the wrong pipe. He quickly recovers and clears his throat. "Huh? What?"
"Yeah, man. You always said you wanted another kid. This would be the perfect opportunity." Shane smiles at his best friend.
Rick and Michonne look at each other then back to Andrea and Shane, both at a loss for words.
"It would be perfect when I think about it. You two have been friends for a while now, so you're familiar with each other, you're both divorced, around the same age, you both want kids….this would be great." Andrea smiles. "You know I did a little research after we talked and there are ways to get this done without actually having sex. You ever heard of the turkey baster method?"
"This is too much." Michonne jumps up from the table and moves into the house to grab another bottle of wine.
Thankfully, they were able to move on to other topics of discussion, giving Michonne a much needed break. She bids them all a good night around 11:00 pm, saving the clean-up for Saturday morning.
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Another week has passed and Michonne is out celebrating her birthday with friends. They are at her favorite restaurant, having dinner and drinks. Andrea, Shane, Rick, Sasha, Daryl, Tyreese, Karen, Maggie, and Glenn are all in attendance to help her celebrate her 35th birthday. She always has the best time with her friends and she is more than thankful for all the love they give her.
Hours later, they are going their separate ways, ending the night. Rick asks Michonne if he can meet her at her place for another drink and to talk with her about something. She agrees readily, letting him know she'd see him in 20 minutes.
They are now seated in her living room area, sharing another drink. She kicks off her heels and lounges on the couch, getting comfortable.
"Thank you for coming out tonight. I thought I was going to be all depressed turning older, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be," Michonne admits.
"Well, you don't look 35 if that makes you feel any better," Rick observes.
"That makes me feel a whole lot better. What would you give me? 30?" She asks with a smile.
"How about 25?"
"Really Rick? Oh, you really are my best friend." She rests her hands on her stomach as she smiles at him. "So, what did you want to talk about?"
"I just wanted to give you another birthday gift." He places a long, square decorated box on the table in front of her.
She sits up. "Oh, you didn't have to do that. This birthday has been so special." She lifts the box, untying the ribbon around it and removing the top. She pushes the tissue wrap to the side to reveal a turkey baster. Her face grows extremely warm as she cautiously lifts her eyes to his.
Rick swallows visibly as he meets her gaze. "If you're still sure about having a baby, I'll be your donor….if you'll have me." This is going against everything he was raised to believe in. He always thought people should be married if they're going to have children together, but the world is changing and for some reason he really wants Michonne to be happy.
She covers her mouth and closes her eyes as she feels the sting of tears. "I….I don't know what to say. Can I ask this of you?"
"You don't have to ask. I'm offering. Happy Birthday."
For the next week, they both do research, individually and together, on the best way to handle the procedure. Michonne can't believe how helpful Rick is being and she is so thankful to have a friend like him.
Sharing this with Michonne has made Rick realize that there is not a lot he wouldn't do for her. He cares about her just that much and can't imagine not having her in his life. Becoming parents together is going to connect them in a way he never envisioned.
Over the next three months, they increasingly spend more and more time together, sometimes including Carl on their outings. They have taken several pregnancy tests all to no avail. Neither of them is sure what the problem could be as they are both doing what they are supposed to do in order for the procedure to work.
Michonne plans to take another pregnancy test tonight. She has invited Rick over for dinner in hopes they will have something to celebrate.
He arrives right before 7 o'clock, bearing wine and her favorite chocolate candy.
She accepts the gifts and gives him a light kiss on the cheek. "You are always so thoughtful. You make me feel like I'm taking advantage of you."
Rick laughs, trying to remain indifferent about the kiss. "Hey, you feed me on a regular basis so you take good care of me. If I need to talk about something, you drop whatever you're doing to hear me out. That means a lot, so these are just little thank yous."
"Well, they always make me feel special. I appreciate you thinking of me," she returns.
"So, are you nervous?" He asks.
She looks up at him. "Maybe a little. I just thought we'd be pregnant by now."
"Let's go ahead and find out," he suggests.
"Right now?"
"Right now." He smiles as she takes off for the bathroom.
Ten minutes later, he is holding her in his arms as she cries. Her disappointment is palpable as the test revealed that she is not pregnant.
They managed to get through dinner and are now sitting on the couch, sharing more wine.
"I never considered that I couldn't get pregnant. Maybe I should schedule an appointment with my gynecologist. What do you think?" She watches Rick as she awaits his answer.
"I guess it wouldn't hurt. Maybe I should see my doctor as well. I could be the one with the problem," he states.
"But you have Carl. I know you're fine," Michonne offers.
"Well, it never hurts to be sure."
She nods, taking a deep breath, relieved that he hasn't decided to give up on this endeavor.
"Are you ok?" Rick is concerned as she seemed extremely hurt about not being pregnant.
"Now that we have another game plan, I'm fine." She smiles and instinctively reaches out and gives him a hug.
He returns her hug affectionately and watches as she pulls back and looks into his eyes. They search each other's faces for just a moment before she looks away and asks if he'd like to watch a movie. He agrees and has to laugh as she chooses a horror flick.
"Horror? So you can have nightmares tonight? You know how you get," he reminds her.
"I know, but you're here so this is the only time I can watch a movie like this. I know if anything comes charging through that door, you'll shoot it dead in the head," she confirms.
All Rick can do is shake his head at her summations.
Thirty minutes into the movie, he makes a mental note to watch movies like this more often as Michonne is curled up and practically glued to his side. She buries her face against his shoulder and only peeps through her fingers at the suspenseful scenes.
Hours later, Rick is awakened by a slight movement. He lifts his head and looks around slowly, realizing that he is still on Michonne's couch. He looks down to see her head resting in his lap, her hand cradled between her cheek and his thigh. He gently takes his hand and moves her hair away from her face, admiring how she looks even younger while sleeping.
She starts to wake up, blinking slowly as she turns her head, brown eyes connecting with blue. "Hey." She smiles as she moves to sit up, wondering how she possibly fell asleep on his lap. "Did we even finish the movie?"
"I think we did." He rubs his face and tries to suppress a yawn. "It's late. I guess I should get going."
"Well, you're welcome to one of the bedrooms here. I'll even get up and fix you a huge breakfast in the morning," she offers.
"Sounds like someone is still remembering what happened in that movie." He eyes her with fake suspicion.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she says innocently.
He laughs at her expression. "Ok, I'll stay."
Her smile is wide and so genuine that Rick feels like his heart stopped for just a moment.
"Thank you. You can have any room you want."
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Both of them have successful doctor's visits and are now back to square one as what they should do to get pregnant. Michonne is at work, talking to Andrea about the situation.
"I guess we could go to a fertility clinic and maybe let them handle the extractions and the inseminations," Michonne ponders.
"Yeah, but that's going to be pretty expensive. Both of you were checked by a doctor, you're both healthy so I don't understand why it hasn't happened yet." Andrea's puzzled look mirrors her friend's.
"Me either. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be," Michonne adds. "I really hate that because I was looking forward to having a baby and now I don't want just anyone to be the father."
"Aww….is Rick growing on you?" Andrea teases.
"He's been really great, Andrea. I should thank you and Shane for making the suggestion even if it was a joke."
Andrea smiles. She knows Michonne wasn't quite as happy as she should've been months ago and the look on her face is telling a very different tale right now. She wonders if Rick has anything to do with that. "Well, there is the good old fashioned method."
"Old fashioned? What method is that?" Michonne is curious.
Andrea gives her friend a pointed look. "Do I really need to spell it out for you?"
Michonne gasps and bites down on her lower lip. "I….that wasn't part of the deal. He probably wouldn't be open to that."
"But you are? Oh my goodness, Michonne! Are you falling for Rick?" Andrea exclaims.
"Of course not. I was just making an observation."
"Well, I think you should discuss it with him. You never know. He just might be open to the idea." Andrea takes a deep breath, wondering if Michonne realizes that she just might be falling for Rick.
The next morning, she meets Rick for coffee to discuss Andrea's idea with him. A part of her can't believe she is going through with this conversation, but the other part is desperate to be pregnant and wins out.
They greet each other as usual and place their orders.
"So, what's your new idea?" Rick asks with anticipation.
Michonne swallows nervously. "Well, it was actually Andrea's idea and it's something we haven't tried and this method has worked for others before, so…." She trails off, losing her courage as she stares into Rick's deep blue eyes.
"Well, spit it out. What is it?"
"It's the old fashioned method." She clearly chickens out by using Andrea's description.
"Old fashioned? What does that entail?"
He's going to make me say it. Damn. "It entails…..you….me…..and a bed." She cringes as she watches his facial expressions morph from confusion to contemplation to full understanding.
He nods slowly. "Oh…..oh…..well, um…..I can see how that might work."
"I'm sorry. I know it's a lot to ask and you really don't have to do this if you don't want to. I just…."
"It's fine, Michonne. We can try….the old fashioned method," Rick agrees.
"Really?" She pauses as the waitress arrives with their order. "You're ok with it?"
"As long as you're ok with it." His slight nervousness drives him to sip his coffee too fast and he burns his tongue. He replaces the cup on its saucer and gives her a slight smile.
"Are you sure, Rick? I don't want you to feel obligated in any way," Michonne offers.
"I'm sure, Michonne, but I do have a question," he tells her.
"Ok."
"If I said no, would you recruit some other guy?" He asks.
Michonne finds it odd that he would ask her that, but she brushes it off. "No, of course I wouldn't." She looks at him shyly. "I….I want you to be the father."
Rick smiles as he nods. "So, is tomorrow night good for you?"
A/N: This was supposed to be a one-shot but that's not going to work. I'll be working on Part II tonight. Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.