Haunted Nights, Chapter 34
“ Need to talk? Baby, you sound so serious!”
” Ok, Mom, shoot.”
TC and Whitney looked at Eve, waiting for her to say something.
” Sweetheart, what do you need to say to us?”
Eve opened her mouth and couldn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth.
“ I….I saw Simone today.”
TC dropped his fork.” WHAT?”
“ Mom, REALLY?”
” How is she, Eve? How? Where? What’s going on?”, TC asked.
” TC….I went to New York this morning.”
” NEW YORK?”
” Yes.”
” Why didn’t you tell me? I would have gone with you.”
” TC, she asked me to come alone.”
” Come alone? Why? Is she in some kind of trouble? Where’s our daughter,
Eve?”
” She wouldn’t tell me where she was living, TC.”, Eve lied. “ She just
wanted to talk to me. To tell me that she was ok.”
” And, is she? Is she fine? “
” Physically, Simone is fine, TC. She’s just still having some issues.”
” You mean with me, Mom.”, Whitney replied quietly.
” Whitney…”
” No. Simone won’t come back because of me.”
” Whitney, that was true, in the beginning, but she assures me, that isn’t
true now. She’s started a new life for herself now, and she wants time to
make that life work.”
” Away from her friends and family?”, TC asked.
” For now, TC. Just for now. She wanted me to see for herself that she was
doing fine, and that we didn’t need to worry.”
” Do you believe she’s fine, Eve?”
” I think she needs to be where she is right now, and I respect that. She
assures me that she’ll keep in touch.”
” Eve, I don’t know if I like not knowing where our baby girl is. I mean,
it’s suspicious that she won’t tell us where she is.”
” TC, this is the first independence Simone’s ever had. She really needs
for us to trust and respect her decisions. It’s hard for me too. Very hard.
But, if we mess this up..”
” Simone may never come back.”, TC replied bitterly. “ Fine.”
They ate the rest of their meal in silence.
“ So, do you like these colors?”, Kay asked, putting the swatches in front
of her.
“ Oh, I like this one. I think it would be a fabulous color for the nursery.
I can’t believe you’re moving in with Ethan.”
” You…you think it’s a bad idea, Gwen?”
” No..no….I think it will be good for all of you.”
” Would it help you if I told you that Ethan was miserable, and I think
he’s learned his lesson.”
Gwen shook her head violently. “ Oh no, Kay. No no no no no no. I
told you, I’ve been down this road a thousand times. And, a thousand times
it’s turned out the same way. The definition of insanity is doing the same
thing the same way and expecting different results. Ethan has to be out of
my life for me to HAVE a life. I’m glad you and your brother are getting
along so well. And, I honestly think having you and the baby around will
be wonderful for the both of you. But, my life with Ethan is over. “
“ Ok.”
” How was your appointment today? I’m sorry I had a last minute meeting
and had to change mine. I totally wanted to go with you.”
Kay’s face lights up. She digs into her purse, and pulls out some
snapshots. “ Look, here’s the baby?”
Gwen looks at the pictures from the sonogram. “ Oh, Kay. This is so wonderful.”
Gwen begins to cry, and so does Kay. They both begin to laugh.
” Hormones.”, they say at the same time.
“ You know, it really wasn’t real to me before. Now, it’s totally clear
– I have a baby growing inside of me. It’s scary, but wonderful. “
” I know. I was wondering if…”
” If Miguel was there? No. He wasn’t.”, Kay replied sadly. “ But, Fox was!”,
Kay said with a smile. “ And, afterwards, he took me to Shumer’s.”
” For a super deluxe hot fudge sundae?”, Gwen said, her mouth watering.
” Yep. And, afterwards, Fox had made me wear ‘sensible’ shoes, so we walked
the mile back to Crane Industries.”
” Smart man.”
“ Yes, he is. And, thank you for signing me up for the Pregnant Mommy Yoga.
“
” No problem. I told you, we have to stick together.”
” Yes, we do.”
” Have you told your Dad that you’re moving in with Ethan?”
” No, but I will. I think he’ll be ok with it.”
” I’m sure he will. While living next door might be a source of comfort
for him, the fact that it’s Ethan will help.”
” Yeah. So….aren’t ya gonna ask me?”, Kay said, pulling a paper out of her
briefcase.
” Spill it!”
” I got the top grade on the mid-term! Me!”
Gwen beamed. “ Kay, I knew you could.”
” You did? Because, I didn’t. I never thought I’d be able to do it. I’m
more than holding my own.”
” Of course, you are. You’re smart and have talent Kay. You just needed
a little guidance.”
” All those guys thought I would have dropped out by now.”
” You’re just getting started. And classes?”
” Doing great. I find it a little unsettling that the Crane Training Program
is harder than college.”
Gwen laughed. “ I guess. You feeling better about your life?”
Kay nodded. “ I am. I thought, after Simone left, that my life would fall
apart completely without her to lean on, and tell me those hard truths I never
wanted to hear.But, I’m doing a lot better than I thought.”
” Have you heard from Simone?”
” Not lately. And that worries me. She sent me this really cryptic email
last time.”
” Cryptic? How?”
” That she thought her life was about to change completely. What the hell
does THAT mean? It could be so many things, bad and good.”
” Well, think positive thoughts. When she wants you to know, she’ll tell
you.”
” I know. I just miss her.”
” Well, I know I’m being selfish, but I’m glad Simone is gone. If not, I
doubt we would have had the chance to form our friendship.”
Kay looked at Gwen, and tears began to form. Kay half-heartedly punched
Gwen in the arm. “ Damn these hormones, but I know what you mean. I feel
the same way.”
At the Book Café, Fox pretended that he was reading his magazine.
What he really was doing was watch Miguel fawn all over Charity. Fox was disgusted.
FOX had been the one to make it to Kay’s appointment with her. That look
on her face when HE walked in the door instead of Miguel. Kay talks a good
game, but he knew that it genuinely hurt her that she’s been to all these
appointments alone.
” What a creep.”, Fox said, as he paid his check and left.
Julian was waiting for Eve at their spot in the park. Eve ran into his arms.
” Oh Julian.”
” Eve, are you ok?”
Eve began to cry.
” It’s alright, Darling. It’s fine. Just tell me how it went.” Julian led
Eve to a bench.
” I…I didn’t tell them.”
” You didn’t? Why?”
” I couldn’t. I lost my nerve.”
” Oh.”
” I mean, I told TC and Whitney that I saw Simone, and that she’s fine,
but that was about it. Nothing as to the truth.”
” Eve, it’s obvious that you’re miserable. You can’t go on like this.”
” I know. And, I’m going to tell them, but I need to do something
else first.”
” What?”
” I need to go see my parents, Julian.”