It's just after midnight, and she's wide awake in her bed. She climbs out of bed, and goes downstairs. She grabs the car keys, and drives to familiar location. She pulls the door open, and the smell of stale beer hits her nostrils. She enters the bar, and heads for the counter. She finds Kevin standing behind the counter.
"Jackie, what are you doing here in the middle of the night? Where are the girls?"
"They're at home in bed, asleep."
"You're not," he points out.
"Zoey is at home."
"What are you doing here? Don't you have work in the morning?"
"Yeah."
"Jackie you're in your pajamas."
"I know."
"What's going on?"
"Can we talk?"
"We're talking."
"In private?"
"Yeah," he nods leading her past the bar into the storeroom. It's much quieter in the store room. She closes the door, to block out the rest of the noise.
"What gives? Why are you at my bar this late? You should be at home."
"I couldn't sleep."
"So you came here, to talk to me?"
"I need to tell you something."
"It couldn't wait?"
"No," she shakes her head, "because I want to tell the girls in the morning."
"Tell them what?"
"I thought that I should talk to you first, so that you wouldn't be blindsided."
"About what?"
"Kevin I was seeing someone for a brief period of time."
He shakes his head, "Jackie I don't want to hear this."
"Yes, you do."
"I don't want to hear about whatever fling you may, or may not have had, with the pharmacist, or whoever."
"Kevin, I'm pregnant," she just spits it out.
His eyes widen. He stares at her, in disbelief, "You're what?"
"I'm pregnant."
"Are you being serious, right now?"
"Yes."
"Since when?"
"A while."
"How long?"
She shrugs, "Six months."
"You're shitting me right now."
"I wish."
"You're serious?"
"As a heart attack."
"I don't believe you."
She reaches for his hand. He doesn't resist. She places it against her stomach. He stands, frozen, just looking at her. After a moment he pulls his hand away.
"Do you believe me now?"
He nods, "I felt it. How did that happen?"
She shakes her head, "I keep asking myself that same question, and I can't come up with a good answer."
"Why didn't you tell me, sooner?"
"I didn't tell anyone, except Zoey."
"And the guy?"
"He is not important."
"What are you going to tell the girls?"
"I'm not sure yet."
"Maybe you shouldn't tell them."
"I should just ambush them one day, with a baby? Kevin it's not like they're little anymore. I can't just pull the wool over their eyes."
"Sometimes I wish that they were."
"I know, but we can't change the past."
"How are you going to do it, on your own?"
She shrugs, "I don't know. I'll figure it out."
"You'll figure it out? Jackie it's a kid, not a goldfish."
"I have to be completely honest, I was completely blindsided when I found out. I am still in shock. I still have to convince myself that it is really happening."
"What are you going to tell the girls?"
She shrugs, "The truth, I guess."
"The truth? Which is what? You screwed some guy, and wound up pregnant? You're a great role model."
"Don't do this. Don't be a douche."
"I'm sorry. I just don't understand how you can even consider bringing another child into this world as much as you fucked up the first two."
"I wouldn't have. I never would have wanted another child."
"But you're having one," he points out.
"Yeah."
"Are you keeping it?"
She looks him in the eye, "Yeah."
"Really?"
"Why do you sound so surprised?"
"Because you were the one who didn't want another kid. You were the one who said that..."
She cuts him off, "Kevin I know what I said. I meant it. I didn't want another kid."
"Why are you keeping it, with so many other options out there?"
"Because I want to."
"Jackie you're being selfish. You can't really expect to be a single mother to a kid, from day one, when you work sixty or more hours a week, with no father figure around, and not have it end up completely screwed up."
"I know that I have made a lot of mistakes. More than I even want to think about."
Suddenly it clicks for him, "This isn't about the kid at all, is it? It's about you. You want redemption. You want to prove to yourself, and the rest of the world that you can do it. It's not about wanting the kid. It's about wanting to have a do over."
"Part of me wants a second chance."
"And the other part of you?"
"Is scared to death that I am going to complete ruin another innocent child's life."
"Then don't. Give it up for adoption."
"I can't."
"Why not?"
"Because I don't want to."