BOOK THREE: CHAPTER TWO
WISH UPON A STAR
Six weeks later:
Cooper comes home from work and Charlotte is nervously pacing the floor.
He kisses his wife hello but she doesn't return it, she's wringing her hands together pacing.
"What's wrong Cricket?" He wants to know.
"It came today." She takes a breath and points to an envelope on the shelf.
He picks up the envelope. "The paternity test. You didn't open it yet?" He looks at her.
"I can't." She's still pacing. "You do it."
Cooper rips the envelope open. Charlotte's heart is pounding. She feels like she might have a heart attack. Cooper studies it for a moment then shouts out. "He's me! Ninety –nine point nine percent Cooper Freedman is the child's biological father. YES!" He looks up at the ceiling and shouts. "I knew he was mine, I had a feeling all along." He hands Charlotte the envelope. "It says Todd Turi has been ruled out as a relative! Yes!"
Charlotte studies the letter. She hugs Cooper and cries tears of joy. "My wish came true. I sat outside every night with Bryce this week and we made wishes on our special star."
Cooper chuckles. "I'm glad your wish came true. Now we can forget about Todd."
"I should call him and let him know."
"You want me to do it? It'd be my pleasure." Cooper grins like a Cheshire cat.
"No I'll do it." Charlotte takes the phone into the other room.
She places the call- "It's Charlotte. I got the test results today."
"So did I," Todd answers. "They sent me a copy. I'm listed as the doctor that ordered the test."
"So you already know?" Charlotte asks.
"I already know." He answers.
"I'm sorry things happened this way Todd. Ypu were a good friend."
"I know. We were good friends until you decided to hide the fact I might have a child from me."
"I'm sorry." She means it and he can tell she's sincere.
"I'm sorry too. "
"So you don't hate me?" She asks.
"I don't hate you. We're okay. Tell ya what?" He asks.
"What?" She's curious.
"I'll even put you on my Christmas card list and I'll call on your birthday."
She laughs. "And you can stop in and say 'hi' the next time you visit Sam."
"I definitely will. And for the record Charlotte, I'm happy things worked out this way and it's Cooper's kid. I didn't want to have a custody fight with you but if he was mine, well... I wanted him…but I'm glad he's not. I'm not ready to be a dad yet."
"I'm glad things worked out this way too. Take care of yourself Todd."
"Touché, my lady" He hangs up.
Charlotte sits on the couch in the living room next to Cooper. Cooper's holding his youngest son. "So how did he take it?"
"He's relieved Akron's not his." She watches him hold the baby.
"I thought he wanted Akron to be his?" Cooper looks at her. Akron has his fist wrapped around Cooper's finger.
"He didn't want Akron to be his but ...if Akron was his he wanted to be in his life."
"I get it." Cooper answers. "I'm glad things turned out okay." He breathes a sigh of relief. "Why do you look so down?"
"I'm happy you're the father but I just feel horrible about Todd, I lost a friend."
"Why? What did he say to you?" Cooper asks.
"Nothing. I don't think things will ever be the same between us"
"You slept with him." Cooper reminds her.
"I don't mean that. I mean before that, he was someone I could talk to and confide in. I don't have any other friends like that."
"Here" Cooper hands her a pamphlet that came in the mail. "It's a social group for working mothers. It says right here 'Make friends with people in the same situation: night classes offered.' ''You should go Charlotte. Make some friends."
She takes the pamphlet from him and looks it over, "Maybe I will."
Cooper puts his arm around Charlotte and pulls her in tight. She looks at baby Akron in his arms. "You know what I thought of?" He asks.
"What?" She asks staring at the baby.
"Bryce looks like me, Savannah is a mix of us and now we have Akron who looks just like you." He tells her.
"So?" She wonders what he's trying to point out.
"I think our family is complete."
"I'd be okay with that." She tells him. "I wouldn't mind one more to make an even four but I'd also be okay with it if we were done." She stares at Akron and is thankful he turned out to be Coopers son.
"I'm content Charlotte. We have the perfect family. We're living the dream. Now we just need the dog to make it complete."
She laughs, "A dog? I've already got three children under the age of four and you want me to keep after a dog too? She smacks his arm hard.
"There we go, that's the mean bossy Charlotte King I fell in love with." He laughs at her.
"Cooper if you weren't holding the baby you'd be sorry you said that." She teases him.
"Yeah? What are you going to do to me Miss Bossy?" He laughs.
"Put the baby down and I'll show you!" She commands.
"Yes ma'am." Cooper puts the baby in his infant swing.
Charlotte pushes Cooper down on the couch and sits on him straddling style. "Oh I'm really scared now." Cooper teases her.
"Shut up and kiss me." She orders him and he obeys.
Six week old Akron swings back and forth and watches the show.
Next chapter- Look out for a twist and more drama!
TBC... Reviews make me smile!