Chapter 9
Cat
“Are you sure you don’t want to come with me?”
“Nick…it’s like a hundred degrees outside. My feet are swollen, and I feel horribly unattractive. No matter how much you say otherwise.” All I want to do is lie on this bed.
“Your problem is you don’t know how cute you are pregnant with my baby. Best thing I ever did.”
“Proud of yourself, aren’t you?” I narrow my eyes at his smugness.
“Of course. I have the most beautiful, smart, sexy girl in the world, and she’s going to give me an equally as smart and cute baby, a little over a month and a half from now. Of course I’m proud, I have it all.”
“I love you. Smugness and all.”
“I’m never going to get tired of hearing you say that. Say it again.”
“I love you.”
“I love you more.”
“Now I feel bad for not going with you to lunch to schmooze your client and his much younger companion.”
“Don’t worry about it. Your health is more important than my client’s gal pal having someone to talk with so she’s not bored. You’re not to get off this bed for any reason until I come back.”
“What if I have to use the bathroom? Or I get hungry, oh great master?”
“Then go to the bathroom, wise-ass.”
I laugh and bat his hand away from my hair.
“Those are the only two reasons you should leave this bed. I’ll try to make this lunch meeting quick.”
“No, you don’t have to rush back, do your thing. Don’t worry about me.”
“I’m always going to worry about you. When I come back, we’re going to take a nice long relaxing bath in the whirlpool.
I’m going to give you a massage, rub your back, and wait on you hand and foot.
I’m going to pamper you like you’ve never been before.
Your feet won’t touch the floor, and you won’t have to lift a finger to do a thing. I’ll be at your service.”
“What are you still doing here? Leave already so you can get back here!” I order.
He laughs and kisses me, moaning into my mouth. I smile and wipe my lip gloss off his lips when he pulls back reluctantly. It’s nice to know that at almost eight months pregnant, a kiss from me can still turn him on.
“I love you. I’ll be back in about two hours—this is going to be the quickest business lunch ever.”
“Love you. Bye.”
An hour later, I haven’t listened to a word he said.
I’m too restless to lie in the bed. I have to be extremely tired to get any rest. It sounds ridiculous, but it’s the truth.
I’m finally too tired to move around, and I lie back down.
My phone rings, and I lean on my elbow to get it. Am I seeing right? What does she want?
“Hello.”
“Hello, Catherine. It’s me—Mom.”
“I know. I saw your name.”
“How are you?”
“Why are you calling me? You said all you needed to say to me.” I hear her sigh through the phone.
“I got the invitation to the baby shower. It’s a beautiful invitation, cream and gold.”
“I can’t take credit for it, it’s all Ava’s doing.”
“I didn’t think you would invite me.”
“I didn’t, Ava did. I know how you feel, you’ve made yourself perfectly clear.” It hurts to know how she feels about her own grandchild and me.
“Cat, can we talk?”
“We’re talking now.”
“No, I mean face to face. What I need to say should be said face to face.”
“Look, if you’re not happy about the invitation, rip it up and throw it out. I’m sorry if it bothered you or upset you—”
“Cat, no, you don’t understand.”
“Understand what?” My eyes feel the beginnings of tears coming on by talking to her.
“Cat, don’t get upset, please. I only wanted to say…I’m glad you invited me. I have a lot of things I want to say to you. I know I said some things I shouldn’t. I overstepped, I’ve been looking at this invitation for three weeks, thinking about you and the baby.”
“So what?”
“Would you please come and see me? You’re my daughter and I want to be a part…I want to try and make things better. Can you come over?”
“I don’t know about that.”
“I won’t keep you long. These are things I need to say to you face to face. I want to see you. I miss you. I promise it won’t be like before.”
“Nick’s not here. I’m not sure when he’ll be back, and he won’t like it.”
“Nick needs to get over himself. I’m your mother, he should respect that.”
“He’s the father of my child, you need to respect that. When everyone else in my family deserted me, he was there for me, and he hasn’t left my side. Trashing him is not the way to talk to me.”
“I apologize. Please, it won’t take long—call a cab and I’ll pay for it to wait for you.”
“I can pay for my own cab. Nick takes care of me. Isn’t that what you wanted, a man to take care of me?” I won’t be using Nick’s money. All I want her to know is he takes care of me in every way.
“I’ll see you when you get here?”
I end the call and sit up on the bed. Nick will go through the roof if he finds out I went over there.
I want to hear what she has to say. Isn’t this what I wanted?
Her to accept me and the baby? I don’t want to get my hopes up too much and be disappointed again.
But I wouldn’t consider going if I didn’t think she was sincere, and things could be somewhat the way I want them to be in my mind.
One thing to do, call Nick so as to stay one step ahead of him.
“Hey, babe, how’s the meeting going?” I say nonchalantly.
“Good. Are you all right?”
“Yeah, I missed you.” It’s not a lie, I do. “When do you think you’re going to be finished?”
“Unfortunately I think it will be about two and a half hours, then I need to make a stop by the office. He’s a slow eater and his companion is ordering half the menu. I better get back before she orders the other half.”
I giggle. “All right, see you when you get home.” I end the all and put my shoes on.
Phew. I can make it to Brooklyn and back before he gets home if I leave now, God willing and traffic is on my side.
If I don’t make it back before him there’ll be big trouble.
I’ll have to take cover if the shit hits the fan.
I’m taking a huge risk, but it’s a chance I’m willing to take to bring my two families together.
I’m so tired I fall asleep in the cab. When I open my eyes, we’re pulling up in front of my parents’ house. I walk up the steps and the door opens before I knock. Then I remember, shit. Is Kate there?
“Hi, Mom.”
She does something she hasn’t done in months. She hugs me and gives me a genuine smile. I’m still a bit skeptical, but I’m giving her the benefit of the doubt. I look past her when she steps aside to let me in.
“What’s the matter, aren’t you going to come in?”
“Is Kate here?” She has to know by now about me and Nick. I haven’t asked and no one has said anything. That means she didn’t take it well.
“No, she won’t be back for some time. If she comes by at all.”
I follow her upstairs to my father’s office. “I’m not sitting, I can’t stay long.”
“Okay. You look good. Pregnancy suits you.”
“Thanks.” Whoa! A compliment. I can’t remember the last time I got one from her. “Where’s Dad?”
“He’s not here. I wanted to talk to you alone first. I’m glad you came.” She looks at my stomach and her eyes come back to my face. “Boy or girl?”
“We don’t know yet. We decided to wait and be surprised. That’s the theme of our relationship. We figured we might as well keep the surprises coming. Why stop now?”
“I missed you and your sarcasm.”
“Did you really? Thought that was one more thing I did wrong, like falling in love.”
“Falling in love is not the problem. I think choosing the wrong man is.”
“Mother, he’s right for me. I don’t want a yes man, if I wanted that I would have gladly had you pick one for me.
He gives me what I need. If I yell there’s a chance he might yell back, if I give him shit he’s going to call me on my bullshit.
But I know he loves me unconditionally, with all my faults, and I love him the same.
I’m not apologizing anymore for what I’ve found, love—real love.
Not the way you want it to be, not exactly the way I want it to be.
The way it’s supposed to be. What it’s supposed to do, make me happy. ”
“Cat—” She touches her throat clearly uncomfortable and the doorbell rings.
“Go get it,” I say quickly. “If it’s my cab, tell him I’ll be out in twenty minutes or less, depending on what you have to say.” She looks at me and my stomach. I run my hand over it and she opens the door. I close my eyes and blow out a breath.
She’s been down there for a while, and it’s almost time for me to leave if I want to get back to Manhattan before Nick gets home.
My legs are starting to cramp from standing, and I know my feet are swelling, I don’t even have to look.
I might as well go into my old room, where I left my panther necklace that Nick gave me.
That’s the other reason I came here. I can’t seem to get the thing whenever I come here.
I grab it fast because I don’t want to think of the last time I was in there.
That was horrible. My time is up, I have to leave.
She’s going to have to talk to me over the phone.
I need to get back before Nick does. I reach the hallway, and my feet touch the first step when I hear her voice behind me, cold and hard as winter. I freeze.
“What the hell are you doing here, you lying, cheating bitch?”
This is not happening. I turn with my back to the railing and hold on with my heart in my throat. I try to step up on the landing, but she walks up so close to me I can’t.
“I didn’t know you were here, Kate.”
“I bet you didn’t. Good thing Dad asked me to drop something off for him. You thought you were going to come in here and slink back out unscathed? I have a lot of things I want to say to you, little sister.”
“You’re hurt and angry. I didn’t get to say it before, I’m sorry.”
“Shut your filthy, lying mouth. You’re not sorry! You’ve taken everything away from me. Look at you. From the moment you came back, everything changed, it all shifted. I can’t stand the sight of you. My baby is supposed to be here now with me.”