CHAPTER TWENTY

A few weeks later, Darbi was having a bad reaction to the previous night’s dinner. Early Saturday morning, she bent over Cherish’s toilet throwing up. After her stomach finally settled, she brushed her teeth. Mistake. She stood over the toilet again.

“Darbi?” Cherish called to her friend. “Are you okay?” She opened the door. Darbi sat on the edge of the bathtub, panting. Cherish, dressed in her silk bathrobe, stood in the doorway watching Darbi.

“I didn’t mean to wake you, Cherish,” Darbi apologized. “Must have been something I ate last night.” Darbi closed her eyes; her stomach had begun turning flips again. “Never brush your teeth after throwing up. Big mistake,” she joked.

Cherish grinned, but concern was etched on her face. “If you don’t feel up to going to the outlet mall, that’s okay. Hillsboro would probably be a long ride for you since you’re not feeling well.”

Darbi smiled feebly at her friend. “No, I want to. Besides, in two weeks I’ll be studying for finals.” Darbi took a deep breath. “I don’t know what’s been wrong with me lately. The other night Curry and I were messing around in bed and I threw up all over him.”

“That’s odd.” Cherish’s lips formed a thin line of confusion.

“I think I’m just stressed about finals. I did so well my first semester. Dad and Darius were so proud, I don’t want to disappoint them.” Darbi put her hand against her stomach, silently willing it to calm down.

“How are your grades?”

“I’m holding steady at a B average, but Curry’s birthday is right in the middle of finals. I don’t know if he’s willing to celebrate after the fact. He already says that I’m neglecting him.”

“I’m sure he only wants your happiness,” Cherish said. “Just remind him about finals and how important this is to you. What are you going to do this summer?”

“I’m not taking any classes. My boss asked me if I wanted to work full-time this summer. I told her I would.” Darbi stood and attempted to brush her teeth again without throwing up. She was successful.

Cherish watched her friend, silently moving closer until she stood next to Darbi. “When was the last time you were intimate with Curry?”

“Right before I threw up on him. Before that a week ago. Why?” Darbi stared at her, not wanting to say her fear out loud.

“No reason. How do you feel now?”

“Better,” she lied.

“Good. Why don’t we eat breakfast, then go to the mall?”

The room shifted again, and Darbi had to sit down. She tried to focus on Cherish’s face, but she wouldn’t stand still. Now Darbi’s stomach was fighting for control of her mouth.

Cherish sat by Darbi, putting her arm around her. She spoke in a quiet voice, which alarmed Darbi instantly. “Darbi, have you noticed any changes in your body lately? You know, like your breasts being tender, being tired?”

Darbi nodded. “Now that you mention it, this last week I’ve been taking naps after work. My appetite has suddenly gone finicky in the morning. I used to stop at the school cafeteria for breakfast, but the smells have started to make me sick. Last Saturday, after aerobics, I did notice my breast being especially sensitive. I thought it was because I was breaking in a new sports bra. Why?” Oh no. Darbi finally connected the dots and it wasn’t the picture she wanted to see.

Cherish inhaled and exhaled deeply. “Darbi, I think you’re pregnant. Why don’t we go buy a pregnancy test later, just to be sure? I have a friend who’s an OB/GYN. We could call her and maybe she could see you,” Cherish said in her most reassuring voice.

Teardrops fell from Darbi’s eyes. “Cherish, I can’t be pregnant! We use protection!” Almost every time, she thought.

“Honey, it doesn’t work all the time.”

“Not now! Not Curry’s! Darius will kill me! Dad will be so disappointed in me! I just can not be pregnant.” Darbi cried uncontrollably.

“Darbi, we don’t know for sure yet. Calm down. Let’s just wait and see if you actually are first. Then we’ll talk to my friend Shelby.”

Darbi dried her eyes. “Okay, I’ll wait to freak out. Don’t mention this to Darius or Curry, please.”

“I won’t. If you are, though, you’ll have to tell them both.”

“I know. I’m going to take a nap. Oh, no, another symptom.” Darbi left the bathroom and went back to bed.

* * *

“I feel better now,” Darbi announced, walking into the living room where Cherish was sitting and reading the paper.

Cherish smiled, instantly relaxing Darbi. “Good. I called Shelby while you were napping and she said if we do the test today, she could see you Monday at five-thirty.”

Darbi nodded. If she was pregnant, life as she knew it was over. Curry would definitely blame her. Amos always had anytime something in his life went wrong. So would Darius.

Cherish continued talking in that soft comforting voice. “She won’t charge you as a favor to me. That’s why your appointment is so late.” Cherish tried to make her friend feel better.

Darbi nodded, her mind already on the evening ahead. “Well, we might as well get this over with. Let’s go buy that test.”

As Cherish and Darbi searched the drug aisle in the store, they were faced with a dilemma. There were all kinds of tests, from the easy to not so easy. Some required a pharmacist to interpret the instructions. Others used a variety of methods: a circle, a plus sign, a minus sign, and different colors. The women studied the boxes. Finally they found one they could actually do themselves.

“I have a college degree and I still don’t get some of these instructions.” Cherish watched Darbi’s nervous face. “My treat. Don’t worry, all things happen for a reason.” She patted Darbi’s shaky hand.

“All reasons aren’t good, Cherish!”

After they purchased the test, they returned to Cherish’s. The women went into the large bathroom to prepare for the test. Cherish watched Darbi’s shaky hand as she attempted to open the box. After several failed attempts, Cherish finally opened the box for her and placed it on the marble counter. She walked toward the bathroom door. “This will be hard enough without an audience. I’ll be outside the door.” Cherish closed the door behind her. She stood outside the door for what felt like an hour, but it was just a few minutes before Darbi called her name.

Cherish walked back in the bathroom, watching Darbi’s face for a reaction. Darbi sat on the edge of the bathtub concentrating on the test as it sat on the counter, willing the blue circle not to appear. Cherish sat by her and held her hand. Darbi exhaled. Just as she began to relax, Cherish screamed, “Look Darbi!”

Darbi watched in horror as the blue circle appeared and her dreams disappeared. “Oh, no! I can’t believe this. Amos and I tried for years and nothing. I meet Curry Fitzgerald and a few months later, I’m pregnant!”

“I can’t understand why you didn’t get pregnant before.”

Darbi lowered her head. “Amos said it was my fault.” A teardrop splattered on her hands. “Why did I listen to that man?”

Cherish wiped away her tears. “Apparently he was the one with the problem.” She took a deep breath. “Who are you going to tell first?”

“For one brief second, I thought about an abortion. But even if this is the most monumental mistake I ever made next to marrying Amos, I couldn’t do that. I’ll wait until the doctor confirms it before I tell anyone. I guess I should discuss it with Curry first. I’ll have to pick the time to tell Darius and Dad. I know Darius isn’t going to be pleased at all. Please don’t mention this to anyone yet.”

“What about tomorrow? You’ll have to face both of them for Sunday dinner,” Cherish reminded her friend.

“I know. I’ll just wait until Monday.”

“I’ll go with you on Monday. I’ll meet you at Shelby’s office. It’s attached to Briarwood hospital in Arlington.” Cherish hugged her friend. “Hey, let’s go out to eat. A pseudo-celebration.”

* * *

Monday afternoon, Darbi sat in Dr. Shelby Allen’s waiting room, anxiously awaiting Cherish’s arrival. She nervously looked around the room, hoping she didn’t spot a familiar face. After she relaxed, she noticed the couple sitting across from her.

The man rubbed his pregnant wife’s stomach as she tried to read an article in a magazine. She slapped her husband’s hand away. As she did, Darbi noticed her very large diamond wedding ring. The gold band mocked Darbi as she watched the couple.

“Daniel, stop it. You’re breaking my concentration.”

“You break mine all the time.” He kissed his wife’s forehead.

A slender woman in a white lab coat approached the couple and interrupted their conversation. “Daniel, Keandra. Why don’t we go to my office? I have the results of yesterday’s sonogram.”

Darbi noticed her nametag. So that was Shelby. Darbi watched as Daniel helped his wife to stand. His wife was beautiful and very tall. Darbi watched the muscular man put his arms around his wife as they followed Shelby. No one even gave the couple a second glance, she noted. She smiled. Daniel was white and his wife was not.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Darbi heard her name. She felt a surge of relief as Cherish sat down beside her and began gently rubbing Darbi’s shoulder. The rest of the day would only get tougher. Somehow Cherish had a calming effect on Darbi’s out of control emotions. Otherwise she would be huddled somewhere in a corner crying her eyes out. After a few minutes of welcome silence, Cherish spoke.

“How are you doing?”

“Better. I just saw a couple go in a while ago. They looked so happy together. So it is possible.” Just not with Curry Fitzgerald, the carefree, single man.

“Anything is possible if your heart is in the right place. Darius called. That’s why I’m so late. He thinks you were acting strange yesterday. So does Curry.”

“I know. I shouldn’t have cried when he told me he didn’t have any cheesecake!” Darbi laughed as she remembered both Darius and Curry offering to go get her some, just so she would stop crying.

“Yes. Good thing they’re men or they would have figured it out!”

“Darbi Crawford, Dr. Allen will see you now,” a monotone voice announced minutes later.

Both Darbi and Cherish stood and walked down the hallway to Shelby’s office. As they entered the doctor’s waiting area, Darbi saw the couple from the waiting room leaving, holding hands. The man now had a manila folder in his free hand. They both had enormous smiles plastered on their faces.

“I can’t wait to tell Mom and Dad. Let’s call them from the car,” he told his wife as he kissed her.

Darbi watched them as they exited the doors. “I want a love like that. This time around I’m not settling for anything less than true love. I know Curry isn’t ready.” Darbi took a deep breath and walked into the doctor’s office.

Dr. Shelby Allen greeted them as they entered the examination room. The doctor wasn’t dressed like any doctor Darbi had ever seen in her limited experience. She wore a short lavender dress and matching lavender stilettos. The only familiar thing she had on was the lab jacket covering most of the dress.

“Hi, Cherish. It’s great to see you! Darbi, just relax. The first thing I need for you to do is change into this gown.” The doctor pointed to a screen in the corner of the examination room. “You can change in here, or there’s an adjoining changing room. Which one makes you more comfortable?”

Darbi needed the mindless chatter of the two childhood friends to take her mind off her impending doom. “I’ll change in here.” She headed to the corner.

Shelby smiled at her. “Most women like to hear noises, it helps take their mind off the situation.” Shelby and Cherish began chatting about other things in an attempt to ease Darbi’s nerves.

Darbi emerged from the corner and sat on the edge of the examination table.

Shelby watched her. “Darbi, you’re going to need to relax or we’ll be here all night. Go into the bathroom. I need a sample. There’s a cup on the sink.”

Darbi nodded and did as she was told. Soon she returned and sat on the table again. Shelby went to conduct the official test. Darbi inhaled deeply. Maybe she’d done the test wrong. She hoped. Shelby returned twenty minutes later with a piece of paper in her hand.

“Yes, Darbi, you were correct. Usually those tests are wrong, but you are pregnant. Last cycle?”

“What?”

“When was your last cycle? Not specific, just ballpark.”

Darbi shrugged her shoulders. “I think about three weeks, maybe four.” She didn’t want to admit that she didn’t remember having one the previous month.

“Since you aren’t certain, I’d like to run a sonogram to be sure.”

Darbi nodded.

“Lie back on the table. I’m going to lift the top part of your gown and rub some gel on your stomach. It will be cold.”

Darbi nodded.

Cherish focused a worried gaze on Shelby. “Is she all right?”

“Yes. I’m trying to pinpoint the date, that’s all. If I can see the size of the embryo, I can tell how far along she is.” She looked at Darbi as she rubbed the gel on her stomach. Shelby smiled as if she hadn’t just changed Darbi’s life forever, or at least for the next eighteen years. “I’ll tell you if anything is wrong. I’m very straightforward.” She looked back down at Darbi’s stomach. “When did this happen?”

Darbi knew exactly what she meant. “My late husband stabbed me five years ago. I went to the county hospital and they stitched me up and sent me home.”

“It looks like that’s exactly what they did. This closure was shabbily done. Do you remember how many stitches?”

“I think it was about ten.”

“There should have been at least thirty stitches, top and bottom.” Shelby gently caressed the scar. “That will cause a problem later.”

“What do you mean, a problem?” Darbi raised up to get a better look at Shelby’s face.

Shelby continued moving the wand over Darbi’s flat stomach. “It really depends on how you carry your baby. Since this is your first pregnancy and you’re almost forty, we’ll have to wait and see.”

Darbi nodded. First problem.

Cherish stood next to Darbi to get a better look on the screen. “Look, Darbi! I see a little spot!”

Darbi turned her head to look toward the screen. “That tiny dot on the screen is my baby? Where’s the body? The head?”

Shelby pointed to the screen. “At first it looks like a little pea. Then it will grow and look like a baby. You’ll see. Why don’t you get dressed, Darbi? There a few things I need to discuss with you. I’ll be right back.” Shelby left the room.

Cherish helped Darbi off the table. “Well, what are you going to do?”

Darbi walked behind the screen, and began changing her clothes. “I’ll guess I’ll tell Curry this Friday night. Then I’ll have to tell Darius and Dad soon.”

“Will you marry Curry?”

“Cherish, he’s not ready for a third marriage. I don’t think he could handle a wife and a child.”

“I won’t tell Darius. It’ll be hard not to. But I will respect your wish.”

“Thanks, Cherish.”

Shelby re-entered the room. “Okay, Darbi, there are a few ground rules for this pregnancy. To put your mind at ease, I only handle high-risk pregnancies. I haven’t had a fatality in over five years.”

Darbi nodded. “Cherish said you were good. I’ll do whatever you tell me.” Darbi patted the new life in her tummy.

Shelby smiled. “Good, I love an obedient patient. The first thing is you’re about four weeks along. I want to see you every week for the next few weeks to get a handle on your pregnancy. You’ll probably need a C-section when you do give birth, because of that wound. So far it looks good, Darbi. You will need to take some vitamins and take it easy.”

“Thank you, Shelby.” Darbi and Cherish readied to leave.

Shelby looked over her appointment roster. “I can fit you in on Mondays about this time. Is that okay?”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

“Your due date is January 20, but in all likelihood you will probably deliver around Christmas, depending on that wound. If you notice any bleeding from that wound, please call me at once. Then come immediately to the hospital.”

“Okay.”

“Well, that’s it. I’ll see you next Monday.” Shelby extended her slender hand to Darbi.

Darbi shook her hand. “Thank you, Shelby.” As she walked out of the examination room, she wondered how disappointed her family would be in her this time.

* * *

Friday night, Darbi sat across from Curry at the restaurant. As he told her about his latest project, she felt she was drowning in his hazel eyes. He made her feel like she was the only woman in the restaurant.

She inhaled the aroma of the food and hoped dinner would stay down this time. Instead of her nausea coming just in the mornings, it sometimes came in the evening. It hadn’t decided on a pattern yet, and she hadn’t been sick at all that day.

“This account is worth about ten mill—Darbi, is everything okay? You’ve seemed somewhere else all evening.”

“I’m fine, Curry.” Darbi had tried to tell him several times about the pregnancy over the past few days, but each time, she’d lost her nerve. Would he jump for joy or blame her? Amos blamed her for any and everything. “I’m just stressed about finals and stuff.”

“Oh.” Curry studied her as he drank some wine. “You can tell me what’s wrong, Darbi. I won’t judge you, you know that.”

Darbi leaned across the table and watched him as she asked, “Curry, what about your first wife?”

“Julie? What about her?” Curry watched her fidget in her chair.

“I know about Ava. Why did you and your first wife divorce?”

Curry finished his wine before he spoke. “Julie and I got married fairly young. I had just graduated from college. We were married six months.”

“Why did you marry her?” Darbi didn’t think she would like his answer, but she had to start somewhere.

“She trapped me,” he said simply. “The night before our college graduation, she told me she was pregnant. Since we were both Catholic, I did my duty.” He scowled at those memories. “After we got married, a few weeks later, we got a apartment in Seattle. About two months later, she miscarried and told me that she didn’t love me anyway. That was fine with me; the feeling was mutual. We quickly divorced a month or so later. I haven’t seen her in years.”

Darbi knew at that moment she couldn’t tell him. She’d wait until she had to tell him, like when she was being wheeled in for delivery. She didn’t want to be referred to the way he was referring to Julie. She was doomed.

“Why did you want to know about Julie?”

“Just curious. You never spoke of her.” Darbi sipped her tea.

“Are you sure you wouldn’t like a glass of wine? You always have some with dinner. You said it relaxes you.”

“No, the tea is fine.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” He persisted.

“Yes, Curry.” Darbi felt her stomach muscles clench and took a deep breath to relax.

Curry rose out of his seat. “We’d better leave. You look beat. We can go to bed early. How about racquetball in the morning?” He walked over to her chair to help her up.

“No, Curry. I need to study for finals. I have one on Monday. Why don’t you take me home? I probably wouldn’t be good company anyway.”

“I have a presentation due next week, so I have something to work on as well.”

Darbi nodded as they headed to the parking lot. She hoped her fragile stomach would not give away her secret.

* * *

Cherish sat patiently by the phone waiting for Darbi’s call. She wasn’t very good at keeping family secrets. Especially when the family wasn’t hers.

Darbi was supposed to tell Curry that she was pregnant. Cherish could almost imagine the look of shock on Curry’s face. But since she’d had a week to get used to it, she was happy for her friend.

Darius would be furious of course. The one thing he’d feared had actually happened and now there would be hell to pay. She could easily understand Darbi’s hesitation about telling her family.

Finally her phone rang. “Darbi?”

“Yes, Cherish. I’m at Curry’s. He’s in the bathroom,” Darbi said in a quiet voice.

From the tone of her voice, Cherish knew Darbi hadn’t discussed the pregnancy yet. “You didn’t tell him, did you?”

Darbi sniffed. “I wanted to, but I just couldn’t.” She paused and muttered something under her breath. “He’s coming. Talk to you later.” She ended the call.

Cherish replaced the phone in the cradle. Drat! She was really in the soup now.

* * *

After her history final the following Monday, Darbi went home to take a much-needed nap. The phone woke her a few hours later. She smiled, recognizing the caller.

“How’d your test go?”

“Fine. I have an A in that class. Where are you?” Darbi struggled to look at her bedside clock. It was five p.m.

“I was thinking about coming over to your place and taking a certain college student out to dinner.”

“Oh, no, Curry, not tonight. I have an appointment and if I don’t leave right now, I’m going to be late. I’ll talk to you later. Bye.” Darbi slammed down the phone and headed out of her condo. She was going to be late for her appointment with Shelby.

As Darbi sat in Shelby’s office, she chatted with Cherish on her cell phone, telling her friend of her decision.

“I’m not going to tell Curry. He’ll think I tried to trap him.” Darbi didn’t think she could recover from that kind of hurt. Certainly she didn’t want to expose an innocent child to that kind of hatred. “He’ll be one more person mad at me for getting pregnant. You know, it’s always the woman’s fault.”

“Darbi, what will you tell your family?”

“I don’t know. But I don’t want to be with someone who doesn’t want to be with me. I’ve done that, and it was horrible. Curry would just grow to hate the baby and me later. I don’t want that. I don’t think I could take it if he resented me.”

“Okay, Darbi, I understand. I’m here for you,” Cherish said. “If you want to hide out at my house to study for your finals, I don’t mind. Darius is swamped at work, so I won’t see him until Friday.”

“Oh great! I may come over Wednesday night. My hardest exam is Thursday. My English test. I really need some quiet and Curry-free time.” Curry called her every night asking her what was wrong. “I’ll talk to you later.” The friends ended their call.

Darbi watched a pregnant African-American woman waddle into the waiting room area and sit down. She was alone. Darbi breathed a sigh of relief. At least I’m not the only unwed mother in town.

“Peri!” A little voice called.

A blue-eyed, brown-haired little girl ran over to the pregnant woman and leaned close to the pregnant woman’s expanded stomach to listen to the baby. She giggled.

“Hey, Chel. Where’s your dad?” Peri ran her fingers through the little girl’s curly mane and hugged her as best she could.

“He’s talking to Dr. Allen.” The little girl sat next to Peri.

As Peri rubbed her stomach, Darbi noticed her left hand. A large, sparkling diamond adorned her hand. Perhaps Darbi was the only unwed mother in town. It’ll be fine, Darbi. Don’t settle, she reminded herself.

A white man sat beside Peri and kissed her softly. As he spoke to his wife, Darbi noticed his sexy Irish accent.

“Why were you so late? We’ve been here thirty minutes. I was about to call the police to find you.” He casually rubbed his wife’s stomach. “How’s my son doing in there?”

“Brendan, there was a wreck on the freeway and I forgot my cell phone. I’m glad you took the day off and could get Chel from school. I’m tired.” She leaned against her husband.

“How about a massage later?” He kissed her again.

Darbi watched the couple and the little girl with jealousy. Was she doing the right thing? Was she denying Curry the chance to be a good parent and/or husband? Remember, no more settling. She knew she had made the right decision.

When she returned from her daydreaming, the family was gone. Soon she heard her name and walked down the hall to the examination room.

This visit was not as earth shattering as the first one. Darbi relaxed as she lay on the table and watched the computer screen.

Shelby looked at Darbi’s flat stomach and ran her slim fingers across the scar. “Have you been having any problems?”

“Just throwing up,” Darbi reported.

“That’s just the beginning, I’m afraid. Has the scar been giving you any problems? It feels different.”

“No. Other than throwing up, I’ve been fine.” Except she too afraid to tell her family that she had failed at life once again, and this time an innocent child would be the victim.

“Okay, you can get dressed. I’m going to give you a prescription for some iron pills and some vitamins. Remember to stay away from greasy foods. Your appetite will start to increase, so don’t be alarmed if you want to eat more than usual. But in moderation.”

“Can I still go to aerobics?”

“No. I’m concerned about that scar. I can probably clean it up so that you are able to carry the baby closer to term, but I need to do a little research on that.”

“What do you mean, Shelby?”

“As your stomach grows in size, the skin around that wound will stretch. But it can only stretch so far before snapping. Imagine a rubber band being stretched. There’s a procedure to make the wound stronger, so that you can carry the baby, but I haven’t done it in years, so I need to check on a few things. Also, start drinking at least two glasses of milk a day. Before you say no, it will be good for the baby.”

Darbi nodded. Although the life growing inside her was an accident, Darbi wanted only the best. So if a little cow juice would help, no sacrifice would be too great. She only wanted the best for her baby.