Author's Note: This chapter is dedicated to my very amazing reviewers! Enjoy everyone!!
True North
By Jaclyn Parker
"Surprise is the greatest gift which life can grant us."
-Boris Pasternak
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Warm breath against her neck was Carly's peronal wake up call Tuesday morning and opening her eyes she smiled down at her sleeping daughter. Carly stretched under the covers and Sage frowned in her sleep, making a disgruntled noise as she wiggled closer to her mom. Laughing silently, Carly buried her face into Sage's soft hair and breathed in the scent of her youngest child. It was no surprise that Sage was exhausted since it had been a very late night.
Dinner had been a fun affair with Abby and her boyfriend Brayden joining them all at a recommended asian restuarant near the hotel. Even Molly and Lee had called an apparent truce, even though Carly was still confused as to what started their feud. Dinner had spilled over into going bowling and then when everyone had said goodnight, including the kids and Lee, Molly had stayed late, sipping a glass of white wine and catching up with Carly in the hotel bar. They had stayed until the bartender had kindly told them they were closing with Carly insiting that Molly stay because of the late hour. After some very light resistance, Molly had accepted and crashed on the other side of Carly's large bed.
However, even though Sage had soaked up the fact that she was allowed to stay up as late as everyone else at the time, all the excitement of the past few days caught up with her and a strong bout of homesickness hit the young girl around 2AM. She had come over to Carly in tears and begged to sleep with her, something she hadn't done in years. With a small indulgent smile, but truly only half conscious, Molly had somehow made it to the other king bed that Sage shared with Mattie before promptly falling asleep again. This allowed Sage to take Molly's place in Carly's bed and the girl wasted no time before snuggling into her mother's comforting embrace.
Now, in the morning light, Carly blinked slowly as she looked at the clock and noticed with satisfaction that it was exactly eight thirty, a much more acceptable time to Carly's inner clock. That satisfaction quickly slid into something else as Carly felt her stomach roll. Swiftly untangling herself from her daughter's long limbs she made it to the bathroom just in time to lose all contents of her stomach.
Trying to keep the retching that followed down to a minimum, Carly continued to be sick until she knew there was nothing else left to bring up. She immediately flushed the toilet and settled onto the cool tiles of the bathroom floor. A shadow fell over her and she glanced up to see Molly making herself comfortable in a cross legged position in front of her.
"Next time you suggest I try sushi for dinner…I'm going to serve you up with wasabi." Carly muttered and placed her forehead in her hand. "Seriously, who eats raw fish and likes it?"
Molly frowned and reached out a hand, placing the back of it against Carly's cheek.
"You're warm, Cuz. I don't think it was the sushi." Molly said leaning back against the nearby bathtub and producing a bottle of water and a can of ginger ale that she had grabbed from the mini bar. Holding them out to Carly, she wasn't surprised when the blonde woman chose the soda.
"I cannot be sick. If I get the flu on this vacation the kids will kill me." Carly said, rolling her eyes with a half joking smile on her face. Molly just sat there a moment and then sighed.
"I don't think it's the flu either." Molly said softly. Carly's eyes shot to Molly's face who just shrugged and opened the bottle of water, taking a sip before she started to speak again. "I'm just saying."
Carly glared at her and shook her head. "Okay genius, then what the hell do you think…"
Carly trailed off and Molly watched her connect the mental dots.
"You think I'm…" Carly started and then the hand that had been on her forehead found itself landing gently on her lower stomach. "Oh my God."
"I told you there was something different about you that I couldn't place. Well, I think this morning…you placed it for me."
As Molly stared at Carly's stunned face, part of her was ecstatic for her cousin but the other part braced itself for the inevitable emotional backlash if her guess was true.
"I can't be pregnant, Molly. I can't." Carly said, shaking her head. "How did this happen?"
"Um, do I need to have the sex talk with you again? I did it once when we were younger and that was uncomfortable enough." Molly said trying to coax a smile onto her face. At the frown Carly gave her instead, she let out a small sigh. "Is it Lee's?"
"No! Lee and I haven't…we're not…I told you a hundred times over the phone…just…no!" Carly said, rambling on and giving her a look. Molly couldn't quite understand the tiny shimmer of relief that tingled in the back of her mind, but she accepted it then pushed it away to focus on Carly.
"I was just making sure I still had my facts straight." Molly said, then rested her chin on her now drawn up knees. "So if it's not Lee, then there is only one possibility left and we both know who it is. Question is, what do you want to do next?"
Carly didn't have a chance to say anything else as a knock on the bathroom door came and Sage's voice followed.
"Mommy, I have to go." Sage whined slightly and Carly's panicked eyes met Molly's.
"We'll be right out, sweetie." Molly said, helping Carly to her feet and motioning for her to brush her teeth.
"Molly? What are you doing in there?" Sage asked confusion lacing her voice. Carly finished and Molly opened the door to see the girl bouncing lightly in front of the door.
"Your mom and I wanted to talk and we didn't want to wake you or Mattie." Molly said, glancing at Carly who was still in a state of semi-shock. Sage looked at her mom and frowned.
"Mommy, you okay?" Sage asked and Molly quickly shooed her into the bathroom.
"She's fine kiddo. Just some bad sushi. Now go to the bathroom before you pee on the carpet."
"Ew, gross." Sage said, but giggled as she shut the door behind her.
Molly noticed that Mattie's side of the bed was now empty too and quickly deduced that she was across the hall. Knowing her time was limited, Molly knocked on the bathroom door.
"Hey Sage, why don't you take your shower while you're in there? Your mom and I will order breakfast."
"Okay. I want pancakes! With strawberries! And whipped cream!" Sage called back and moments later, the toilet flushed and the shower started.
Calling over to the boys' room, she told them the same thing she told Sage and took down their orders along with Mattie's too. After subtly making sure that Mattie was going to hang out over there until it was her turn to shower, Molly turned to face Carly.
"So, I repeat, what do you want to do next?" She asked and Carly looked at her from her spot where she was curled up in a protective ball in the large armchair by the window.
"I don't know. I guess, first, I have to make sure that I'm…that it's true… right?" Carly said and Molly nodded, pulling out her cell phone even as Carly spoke. "What are you doing?"
Molly held up a finger for silence and then smiled as the other person picked up the phone.
"Hey Nancy, it's me. Yeah, I know, I know. I promise, I'll do it very soon." Molly said and then laughed at something, as she shook her head at the same time. "You are horrible."
Molly was silent as she listened for a moment and then laughed again. "Okay, deal. Hey, listen, Nance. I need a huge favor. Do you think you could fit my cousin in today? I know, but trust me I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important."
Molly paused and then sent Carly a smile and a thumbs up sign. "Great. We'll see you at 11:45. Thanks, Nancy. What? Yes, yes, I'll bring them! Bye!"
Molly laughed again as she hung up the phone and looked at Carly. "Okay, we have an appointment to see my friend Nancy Myers. She's an amazing ob-gyn and thankfully she can fit you in at…"
"11:45." Carly finished for her, nodding. "Thanks, Moll. I appreciate it."
Molly looked at Carly for a long moment, but she just smiled shakily back before looking out into the Los Angeles morning sky.
Carly really did appreciate the fact that Molly was helping her since she couldn't seem to get her mind to start again to function properly. But now that the idea had been awakened and Carly thought back over the signs, she was certain she didn't need any test to tell her what she already knew deep down in her soul.
She was pregnant with Jack's child.
The only question that remained was the one Molly had been asking all morning. What did she do next?