Chapter 9 #2
“I’m sorry you lost the baby, Kate, I wanted to talk to you, but you were so angry. I didn’t want to upset you more. I didn’t want any of this to happen.”
“You wanted him and you took him. You took the life that was supposed to be mine.”
“That’s not what I wanted. You’re talking like you won’t find love again or have kids, you will.”
“That was my second chance. I was pregnant before for Michael, but he didn’t want to have kids.
He said he wasn’t ready, and we would have more kids one day.
Funny how that worked out—he has a baby on the way next month.
December must have been a good month for everyone except for me.
Nick and my baby were my second chance. I didn’t plan it, if that’s what you’re thinking.
You want me to be the bad person, I’m not. ”
Her voice is getting louder and louder the more she talks. I believe the mere sight of me is driving her mad. Months upon months of pent-up anger toward me is spewing out of her mouth rapidly.
“I didn’t say you were. I’m not accusing you of anything, Kate.”
“It was all ripped away from me—right out of me—for everyone to see. I was left empty, with nothing. You took what should be mine, you have it. You’re living with him, you have the baby that should be mine, is he going to marry you next? Where is it, Cat? Where’s the damn ring?”
She makes a move for my fingers. I move my hand away out of her reach and have to grab ahold of the banister again to steady myself on the steps.
“Kate, I need you to back up, please! You’re scaring me.
” I look down quickly to the side, my back firmly pressed against the railing.
If I make the wrong move, I could go flying down the stairs head first, and worse, injuring the baby.
Oh my God, I can’t believe this is happening.
She’s upset, so I have to try to stay calm and not rile her up, igniting her fury more than it already is, or this isn’t going to end well.
I hear my mother scream her name at the bottom of the staircase.
“Kate! What are you doing? Stop this right now.”
“It’s all her fault, Mother, all of it! I hate her, she’s going to get what she deserves.”
“Kate, move back and let her come down,” My mother says in a calm, albeit strained, voice. She sounds almost fearful. She sounds the way I feel, but I’m more fearful for my baby than myself. I don’t want anything to happen to my baby.
She’s blocking me at the top of the stairs, and I’m afraid to make any sudden moves to go down the steps with her so close. I look down at my mother and I can see she’s worried.
“They were always so concerned about you. Poor little Cat, what’s she doing, who’s she with, where’s she at.
Poor Cat, forget about me, who gives a shit, right?
That is until they saw the real you: a lying, manipulating bitch with her legs spread far and wide.
You finally showed them you are more than capable of taking care of yourself. ”
“Kate, honey, you need to calm yourself and let her come down,” My mother says, her fear clearly evident at this point.
“She took what was supposed to be mine!”
“I didn’t take him from you; he wasn’t yours to take. He wasn’t even mine. He chose to be with me, we chose to be together. If he was yours, I wouldn’t have been able to take him.”
“I hate you!” She screams down at me, grabbing my left arm off the banister, and I scream the same time I hear my mother screaming at her to let me go, her footsteps coming toward me.
It’s all happening so fast my heart is frantically beating out of my chest. My other hand loses its grip.
I see the wild, uncontrollable fury in Kate’s eyes—she’s angry and out of control.
“Kate! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, please. Please let me go, the baby please!” I cry, screaming at her frantically. “Don’t do this please!”
I hear it before I feel it. My mother’s screams, total chaos crashing down around me.
Three separate screams that would stop the bravest man dead in his tracks and put the fear of God into the bravest of hearts.
I’m weightless, light as air, free falling when my foot leaves the step and Kate releases my hand.
No time to think about anything: not life, not love, not getting back home in time to see Nick, not the precious child I’m carrying.
Nothing but blood-curdling fear gripping my insides. Not thinking, because I’m screaming for it all. Screaming for everything I might lose because of the love of keeping my family together and fixing what’s broken. The imperfect flaws.
Darkness washes over me. All I hear is voices all around me. People talking, yelling, and shouting. Voices I don’t recognize and words I don’t understand. I don’t know what’s going on.
“Please! Save my sister! Please, I didn’t mean it! Cat, wake up please! Open your eyes!”
“Ma’am, please, you have to calm down and let us help her.”
“She’s my daughter.”
“How many months is she?”
“I’m not sure, I...think she might be eight, seven months.”
That’s my mother and Kate, they’re crying. My head. I feel like I’m being pulled back. I’m so weak…please…God…
Nothing. Silent darkness.