September 2022
"I was a late bloomer," Dimitri told Rose. They were in his apartment, watching a movie on Amazon Prime. "I didn't have my first girlfriend until my senior year of high school."
"I was a late bloomer, too." Rose slipped her sandals off and sat cross-legged on the bed. "I didn't have my first boyfriend until the summer after I turned seventeen. His name was Greg. I met him at the skating rink. He had to move away a month later, and I never saw him again."
"We were together for our whole senior year, and then it ended." Dimitri picked up his remote control. "I never slept with her, though."
"I never slept with anybody until I met Grant." Rose used her hands to scoot back on the bed. "He was my first. He'd already been with three other girls before he met me, but I'd never been with anybody before him."
"I lost my virginity to Wendy Blair when I was nineteen," Dimitri told her. "I met her at the Rocky Horror Picture Show."
Rose rubbed her arms. She felt goose bumps. "Was that before or after we went out?"
"After."
Rose gulped. "So you were still a virgin when you took me out?"
Dimitri nodded. "I was hoping you'd be the girl to take my virginity, but I soon figured out that wasn't going to happen."
"It might have if you'd just given it time, like taken me out a few times instead of just once!"
"I know. That was my fault. I'm sorry."
"How long did you know Gina before you slept with her?"
"A week. I was her first."
"I've never even been with a virgin before," Rose moaned. "I wish I could have been your first instead of that Wendy girl."
Dimitri took her by both hands and looked deep into her eyes. "I'm glad things turned out the way they did. If they hadn't, I wouldn't have Jessica and Adam, and you wouldn't have Noah and Tyler."
And if Tyler had a different father, maybe he wouldn't be autistic, Rose thought to herself. Grant's younger brother was autistic, and Rose had always thought that might be the reason for Tyler's autism.
October 1996
"I want a divorce," Grant told Rose. They were alone in the living room. Rose had just gotten Tyler to sleep. "I've decided I just don't love you anymore."
Rose felt her heart plummet. "It's because of Tyler being autistic, isn't it?"
They'd learned of Tyler's autism the previous spring. His severe language delay, plus the fact that they hadn't been able to potty train him, had caused them to suspect that something was wrong. A visit to the pediatrician, followed by various appointments with pediatric psychologists and neurologists, had confirmed their fears.
Tyler had been enrolled in a special preschool program for autistic children in August.
"That has nothing to do with it," Grant said now. "I love Tyler just as he is. I've been spending a lot of time talking with Danielle, and she's convinced me that I was probably never even in love with you in the first place. It was probably just infatuation."
Danielle had been Grant's high school sweetheart. Although they'd parted ways after graduating, she'd always had a special place in Grant's heart, and Rose had always suspected he was secretly still in love with her.
"You only married me because you couldn't have her, didn't you?" Rose spat out.
"I think that's what happened," Grant admitted. "I was attracted to you, and Danielle was already married to Steve, so getting back together with her was out. But she and Steve are divorced now, so I think it just might work out for us this time."
"But what about me and the kids?"
"I'll pay child support, and I'm sure you'll find someone else soon."
September 2022
"You don't have any grandkids, do you?" asked Dimitri. He and Rose were sitting in a booth at Waffle House, enjoying breakfast.
"No." Rose blew on her coffee. "Noah's wife already had two kids and got her tubes tied before he met her, and of course Tyler will never have any."
Dimitri took a bite of his waffle. "What about Noah's wife's kids? Have you ever met them?"
Rose sighed. "They live eight hours away, and I only see them once a year. I barely know them, and I've never felt like their grandmother."
"That's too bad." Dimitri's eyes held sympathy. "There's something special about being a grandparent. Jessica has three kids, and my long-lost daughter Rosalyn has seven, so I have ten, all together."
"Wow," said Rose.
"Yep. I'll definitely never have to worry about my genes dying out."
"Must be nice." Rose struggled to keep the bitterness out of her voice.
"Oh, don't be sad." Dimitri smiled as he patted her hand. "I'll introduce my grandkids to you. I'm sure they'll love you."
June 2006
"Hmm." The ultrasound technician frowned as she moved the wand over Rose's slightly rounded abdomen. "I'm gonna have to ask Dr. Long about this."
Rose stiffened immediately. "What's wrong?"
"I can't seem to find the heartbeat, but as you know, I can't make a diagnosis. I'll have to see what the doctor has to say. There might be another way he can check."
Colin patted his wife's hand. "Don't despair, darling. You know the equipment isn't always reliable."
The wait for Dr. long's arrival felt like the longest in Rose's entire life. When he did finally appear, he repeated the examination, and his expression became grave.
"I'm very sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Hitchcock," he said. "Your baby has no heartbeat. There's nothing I can do. You'll probably miscarry naturally in a couple of days, and if not, we can do an induction."
Rose burst into tears. "But I wanted this baby so much!"
"Do you know what might have caused this?" Colin asked the doctor. "The baby was fine on our last exam."
Dr. Long shook his head. "My best guess is, there's some chromosomal abnormality which is incompatible with life. We see this quite often with older mothers. You are forty, I believe, Mrs. Hitchcock?"
Rose nodded, tears streaming down her face. "So is it too late to try again?"
Colin patted her hand again. "Perhaps we should just be happy with what we already have. I would hate to have to see you go through this again. You already have Noah and Tyler, and if you want a third child that badly, we can always adopt."
"But I wanted your baby!" Rose moaned. "Would this have happened if we'd tried four years ago, Dr. Long?"
Dr. Long shook his head. "That's impossible to say."
"I wish we hadn't waited!" Rose cried. "I wish I'd gotten pregnant as soon as we got together!"
"Now, darling, you know it wouldn't have been the right time. I had yet to get my green card and secure employment in the United States."
"But I was four years younger, so the baby might have lived!"