Chapter 6

Catherine sat on the edge of the bathtub, her eyes red and burning from all the tears she had shed. She stared blankly out of the bathroom and into her bedroom at the clock on the wall…thirty more minutes. She became more lightheaded as she watched the second hand tick around the clock. It seemed to taunt her, moving slower and slower, timing seeming to stand still. Much like the times when she had been alone with Gil. They could be in a room full of people or all alone in the comfort of their house, it didn't matter, time always seemed to stand still. She sat there a lump forming in her throat, a sharp pain starting between her eyes. She let a small smile form on her lips as she remembered when they'd bought these tests…

"Catherine, honey uh…people are looking at me," she laughed as she heard his voice on the other end of the phone. She'd been sure that this was the time. She'd sent Gil out to get a test but almost as soon as he'd gotten to the gas station by their house he'd called her, his voice shaky, like a teenager by a pregnancy test for his girlfriend, nervous he might see her dad at any minute.

"Gil, settle down, nobody's looking at you. You're allowed to by a pregnancy test for your sick wife. Just get one and come home."

"Alright, alright…I'm going to pay right now. I'll be home in a few minutes," she smiled as she heard him sigh loudly.

"Catherine?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"I love you too honey."

…Tears burned the back off her throat. That hadn't been the time. She didn't know what to do since Gil had been gone. Everything seemed so empty, so wrong. Their bed was always so cold, his clothes and towels were losing his scent and she hated it. She wanted that memory, she wanted to remember how he smelled At night she'd put on one of his old shirts and lay on his side of the bed and imagine him beside her. Remember the way he used to crawl in bed behind her and put his arms around her, gently laying his hand on her stomach and whispering in her ear about how it will happen…how they will have a baby. They'd lay in bed into the early hours of the morning talking about their future child. Gil had said that he hoped the baby her hair and smile and she had hoped the baby would have his big, blue, loving eyes She teased him about the way his tongue always stuck out of his mouth when he was concentrating.

"I do not," he laughed and nudged her playfully.

"Do to," she turned on her side to face him and laughed when he turned toward her.

"Gil, you're doing it again."

"Am I?"

"Yeah…" she laughed. "What are you concentrating on?"

"The most beautiful woman in the world," they both giggled and fell into each other yet again.

…She looked at the clock again, it was time. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before looking at the pregnancy test in her hand. She brought her hand to her mouth and lets the sobs wrack her body.

This isn't possible…it's not….

2 days later…

Catherine sat on the hospital bed and waited for the doctor to come back. It taken 2 days for her to gather up the courage to see the doctor. She still cried herself to sleep every night. One thing she hadn't been able to do was to disconnect Gil's cell phone. They had found it, still working, in the wreckage and had given it to Catherine. She kept it near her at all times and would call it every day, just to hear his voice on the answering machine. It was all she had left of him; the only way she could hear him. She sighed when the doctor walked back in.

"Looks like we have a date."

"Can I guess?

The doctor nodded and Catherine closed her eyes.

"April 15th." The day Gil had left.

"Seems so." The doctor offered a friendly smile and put a hand on Catherine's shoulder before exiting the room.

Catherine had miscalculated. I guess it was possible.

She got her cell phone out and dialed Gil's number. Her eyes began to water as she heard the rings turn to the answering machine.

"Hey, it's Gil, I'm not here right now but leave your name and number and I'll return your call. Love you Cath."

Catherine wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled slightly. She laughed the first time she'd heard that. But he insisted that anyone who called him should know where his heart belonged.

"Gil, honey, we did it. We're gonna have a baby. You're gonna be a daddy."

She let the tears run again as she hung up the phone and began to get dressed.