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“Shopping was fun.” Mona stretched a long leg out of the bathwater, the frothy bubbles clung to her skin. “Dinner was amazing, thank you. Today was just what we needed Alex, don’t you agree?”
Alex sat at her vanity in the bathroom. She perused her new beauty products and kept Mona company while she indulged in a bubble bath. “It was very fun.” She glanced at her friend in the mirror and swiveled on the vanity chair to face her. “Your legs are so damn long, Mona.”
Mona lowered her leg into the water with a sigh. “Sometimes they’re a curse, but Chris has no complaints when they’re wrapped around his waist.” She sampled her wine with a wicked grin. “Or his neck.”
Alex tilted her head back and laughed, so very thankful for Mona’s presence tonight. “Thanks for that image.”
“Any time. Your bathtub is huge, Alex. Mine at my condo is nice, and the one at Chris’s is big, but this one is massive. I think I’ll have to convince Chris to upgrade to one like this, so I can stretch out my legs, especially if he wants me to live there permanently.”
“Yeah, what’s going on with that, by the way?”
Mona shrugged lightly. “We haven’t talked about it much lately. He told me at your wedding that we’re next, but it hasn’t been brought up recently.” She squeezed shower gel onto a loofah and lathered her legs. “He’s been preoccupied with the tour and I don’t want to push him.” Mona glanced at Alex, curious at her silence. “What’s up?”
Alex took a drink of her wine and frowned a little. “Does the wine taste funny to you?”
Mona took another taste. “Mine tastes fine. I’m having merlot. What is that, chardonnay?”
“Yeah.” Alex passed her wine to Mona to get her opinion. “I shared a glass of this with Slater in the tub last night-”
“Slut,” Mona interrupted with a snort.
“And,” Alex continued on a giggle. “It tasted slightly off, but I didn’t think about it much. It tastes odd to me though.”
Mona took a drink of Alex’s wine and passed it to her with a shrug of her shoulders. “Tastes fine to me.” She looked at the spread of makeup before Alex on her vanity and laughed. “God, look at all the makeup you bought today! You’re obsessed, Alex.”
“A little bit,” Alex admitted and turned to inspect her goodies. Defending herself, she gave Mona a look. “Did you really need another Chanel handbag?”
“Did you really need every color of Chanel lip gloss?” Mona countered.
“You love it too, and you know it.”
“I appreciate a good lip gloss as much as the next girl, but you take it to the extreme. How much did you drop on cosmetics today?”
“You don’t want to know,” Alex muttered. She opened a vanity drawer to sift through her makeup and create room for her new loot. “I think there should be a support group for it, kind of like AA, but for makeup.”
“Cosmetic rehab, huh?” Mona asked playfully.
“Something like that,” Alex said absently as she picked up her package of birth control pills and opened the lid to pop out the nights’ dosage when confusion crossed her features.
Mona saw the look on Alex’s face in the mirror. “What’s wrong, little sister?”
Alex’s eyes moved back and forth as she talked quietly to herself and counted off on her fingers. “What’s today?” she wondered aloud and looked up at Mona’s reflection in the mirror.
“The twelfth,” she said with a nod and another sip of merlot. She lowered her legs to rinse in the bathwater with an indulgent stretch.
“No, not the date.” Alex shook her head quickly. “The day.”
“Um,” Mona thought out loud. “We shopped today, tomorrow’s your last free day before you film on Monday. Today is Saturday.”
“Saturday?” Alex asked in shock. “How the hell did I...” She stopped talking and stared dumbfounded at her package of birth control.
“How the hell did you what?”
Realization dawned on Alex as she gasped loudly and covered her mouth with her hand. “Uh-oh,” she whispered.
“What did you do?” Mona sat up in the tub suddenly, feeling alarmed for Alex.
“I missed taking the pill.”
“Oh.” Mona waved the comment away and sank into the hot water. “So you skipped one pill, that’s not a big deal.”
“I didn’t skip one pill, Mona.” Alex turned quickly on the stool and held up the package of pills for Mona to see. “I skipped five!”
“Are you joking?” Mona asked, surprised. She stood up from the tub, the foamy water slid down her naked skin. Wrapping a towel around her, she grabbed her wine off the ledge of the tub and joined Alex at the vanity. “How did you skip that many?”
“I don’t know... I never do... I...” Alex stammered.
“Ok, calm down.” Mona reassured her with a pat on her shoulder. “When was the last time you and Slater...” She wiggled her eyebrows and smiled. “You know?”
Alex rolled her eyes and laughed. “Let’s see, an hour before he left today, twice last night.” She looked at the days labeled on the package. “And if memory serves right, every single day that I missed taking the pill.”
Mona nodded proudly. “Nice.”
“Yeah, it’s always nice, it’s more than nice but how the hell did I skip this?” Alex asked with a shake of her head. “I’m not ready yet.”
“You’ve had the baby talk, and you’re both ok with that, right?”
“Yes. We both want that, but we were going to wait at least a year before we even started trying.”
“Aw.” Mona smiled at her. “You two will make cute kids.”
“Oh, my God,” Alex breathed and continued to shake her head in wonder. “What the hell do I do now?”
“Well, for starters, I wouldn’t take the pill now, you’re not going to be doing it any time soon.”
“Thanks for the reminder,” Alex said dryly.
“Sadly, neither am I,” Mona sighed. “And, I would stay away from the wine until you know for sure.” Mona took Alex’s glass and drained it. “When are you due to start your period?”
Alex looked at the package. “Not for another two weeks.”
“Wait and see what happens. Until then, try to keep your mind occupied on work and don’t dwell on it. But...” She trailed off.
“But what?”
“But, with how many pills you’ve missed, and with how much you’ve been indulging in your whorish ways, I’d say there’s a pretty decent chance you got yourself good and knocked up.”
“Wow,” Alex exhaled deeply, at a loss for words.
“How do you feel about it?” Mona asked. She watched Alex smile softly and place a hand gently over her stomach as she thought about the possibility of being pregnant with Slater’s child. She smiled with her friend as Alex’s grin grew and her eyes filled with happy tears.
“My God, Mona,” she breathed. “I’m thrilled.”
––––––––
Alex did the only thing she knew how to do when she was missing Slater horribly. She focused on work and nothing but work. She threw herself into the long days of filming and was always willing to stay as long as needed. A trait of hers she developed over the years that directors loved. When most actors and extras started to whine at the end of a long day and complained about another take, Alex was always energetic for one more. She did it because she loved her job and at this point in her life because she needed to take her mind off of her loneliness. Throughout her whole career, directors loved working with her because of her ethics. Her dedication to this project was no different.
The movie was a romantic comedy, right up Alex’s alley and just what fans wanted from her. They loved to see her silly side onscreen paired with a lighthearted love story. Annette always encouraged her to try a dramatic role, and she did that occasionally, but love and comedy came to her so naturally. It never mattered if it was television or a movie, Alex felt at home in front of the camera. She fell in love with her co-stars, had fun with her leading man, and was thankful that even though he was a well-known name, he wasn’t a perverted jerk when the film wasn’t rolling, as so many of them were.
The time was going by quickly because if Alex wasn’t at work, she was asleep. She fell into bed at the end of every workday thoroughly exhausted.
Slater checked in with her daily, as promised. She looked forward to those phone calls and took as much comfort as she could at just the sound of his voice.
Every free moment was spent with Mona. The two of them lunched on her rare days off or shopped when Annette was able to arrange a private trip. The hype of Alex and Slater’s relationship hadn’t died down any, the public was even more intrigued now that the two of them were married. Alex stayed out of the public eye as much as possible and dealt with the paparazzi when she was spotted out with Mona. She was baffled every day as they continuously made headlines.
During filming, Alex shelved the possibility that she might be pregnant. Her body was completely out of whack. A fact she associated with stopping her birth control pills so abruptly. She concluded that her hormones were most likely playing tricks on her. She was irritable at times, always exhausted, had cramps and light spotting, and was prepared for the monthly irritation any time now. She wished it would hurry up and happen, so she could get back on track with her contraception and feel normal again. But for some strange reason, her body wouldn’t comply.
––––––––
“So, you started your period, or you didn’t start it?” Mona wondered.
“Yes.” Alex nodded. She paced in her bedroom while Mona sat on the bed and read the instructions on the pregnancy test box.
“Which one?” Mona asked, confused.
“Both! Three different times now!” Alex cried and ran her hands through her hair in frustration. “It starts, then it stops...” She snapped her fingers. “Just like that!”
“Ok,” Mona replied. She understood hormonal fluctuations. “How are you feeling?”
“Crampy. Cranky. I’m tired, I’m hungry,” she said as she shoved a handful of potato chips into her mouth from a nearby bag and spoke with her mouth full. “I’m always crying. I miss my husband.” Her voice hitched with tears. “Oh! Dammit! I shouldn’t have listened to you and stopped taking the pill so suddenly!”
“I’m not a doctor, Alex,” Mona reminded her as she watched her friend resume her pacing. “But, it makes sense to not have those extra hormones in your body until you know for sure. When are you going to know?”
Alex looked at her watch and noted the suggested amount of time had passed for her result. “Now,” she said and rushed into the bathroom with Mona close behind. Alex picked the test stick up off the counter and bit the inside of her cheek in thought. “Well, what do you think?” She passed the pregnancy test to Mona, both of them looked at it confused.
Mona glanced at the directions on the box she still held in her hands and looked at the stick again. “Are you sure you did it right?”
“How can you do it wrong? You pee on the damn thing!” Alex snapped. She took the test and the box from Mona. “It doesn’t look like either picture they’re showing on the box. I can’t tell if it’s negative or positive.” She shoved the box at Mona. “Look at that. In the picture, it’s a pure white background with either one solid pink line for negative or two solid pink lines for positive. The background of my test is purple with one solid red line and...” She shook her head at the fuzzy result. “And I don’t know. It looks like it could be something, but it also looks negative. What the hell?” She gritted her teeth and threw the test onto the counter in frustration.
Mona picked up the stick once more and compared it to the box. “It looks positive to me, but it’s barely visible.” She tilted her head and squinted her eyes, looking closer. “I say it’s positive, but I think it’s time to call the doctor. Have you said anything to Slater yet?”
“Not yet. I’m stressed out about it enough. I don’t want to worry him or make him anxious. Besides, what if it’s nothing?” Alex sighed as she picked up the phone and dialed her doctor. “Then I would have gotten him all worked up for no reason. I need to know for sure until I fill him in.”
Mona sat down on the bed and listened as Alex relayed her information to the doctor. She watched her face closely to determine whether it was good news she heard. She sat up straighter as she saw sadness flash across Alex’s face. “What’s wrong?”
Alex shrugged as she hung up. “Nothing. She wants me to come in tomorrow and get my bloodwork done for a clear result.”
“What did she say, Alex?” Mona asked with concern.
“She said it could be very early and that’s why it’s showing up so faintly, or...” Her voice broke and she cleared her throat on emotion.
“Or what?” Mona insisted, suddenly sharing Alex’s worry.
“Or I could be having a miscarriage,” Alex said, her eyes filled with tears. She put a hand to her stomach to calm the butterflies. “Oh, God, Mona, I don’t know how I’m going to handle that if that’s the case.”
Mona walked to her and hugged her, holding her close. “It’s going to be ok. I’m here for you. I hope that’s not the situation, either. But, if it is, we’ll deal with it.”
Alex nodded against her and swiped at her tears. She was sick of being so damn emotional lately. “I’m just happy the movie is almost finished and I get to see Slater in less than a week.”
“I understand, I’m anxious to see Chris.” She looked over her shoulder as her purse started to ring. “Speaking of which, there’s my man now.”
Alex knew if Chris was calling Mona, it would be a short time before she heard from Slater. They seemed to check in at the same time. She desperately wanted to hear his voice right now, but she wasn’t sure she would be able to keep the stress out of her voice. She swallowed over the lump in her throat at the thought of miscarrying their child. As if on cue, the phone she still held in her hand rang and jolted her back to reality. “Hi Slater!” she answered a little too brightly.
“What’s wrong, Allie?” he asked suspiciously.
You know me so well, she thought. “Nothing,” she replied and forced a light tone. “It’s been a long day, and I’m just so happy to hear your voice.” She rolled her eyes as her voice cracked.
“Don’t cry, honey,” Slater said, a smile in his voice. “We get to see each other in five days.”
“Less than a week,” Alex whispered.
“You don’t have it down to hours anymore?” he teased.
“No, that was making me miserable.” Alex relaxed as they caught up, the sound of his voice warmed her to the core, always made her feel like everything was going to be ok. They spoke for half an hour and reluctantly said goodbye. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him about her doctor appointment the next day but to talk about it would make her too emotional, and she didn’t want to worry him. She kept it to herself, professed her love for him, and said goodbye for the evening then wished him good luck for tonight’s performance. Mona opted to stay the night and go with her to the doctor in the morning. Alex was thankful she had the day off, and once again, more than thankful for Mona’s presence. She wasn’t sure how she would handle this if she was going through it alone.
––––––––
Four days since her doctor appointment and no word. Alex had no solid message from Mother Nature, either. She had horrible cramps and cried at the drop of a hat, especially when she said goodbye to cast and crew members. She was also completely exhausted, she napped any chance she got and was convinced the fatigue was what was making her so weepy. As she packed up her belongings, she decided that she was never going to spend this amount of time away from Slater again. Clearly, the absence of him made her very emotional. On top of the emotion, she also found herself in a constant state of arousal. If she didn’t have sex with her husband soon, she was going to take Mr. Intense out of retirement to satisfy her needs.
Her final scene had just wrapped up. It was a bittersweet feeling she had on any movie set. She would miss seeing the friendly faces every day but was ready to have this project over. She smiled to herself over the tearful goodbye she just had with a co-star, sat down at the vanity in her trailer, and took a little time before she left to look at her calendar and started to calculate the days from her last period. She hoped by doing so she could figure out what the hell was going on with her body.
At the soft knock on her door, Alex called out absently for whoever it was to come in and turned in her chair. Her smile of greeting froze on her face when Douglas walked in and closed the door behind him.
“Alexandra,” he greeted her formally.
“Hello Douglas,” she said cautiously.
“May I have a moment of your time?”
Alex reluctantly set her calendar aside with a nod. “Sure. What can I do for you?”
He sat on the arm of the small sofa across from the vanity. “I wanted to tell you what a great job you’ve done on this film. I’ve been watching the daily takes and you did some fantastic work in this role.”
“You doubted that?” Alex asked seriously.
“To be honest with you, yes. I know you wanted out of the projects, so I admit I had some anxiety over how you would handle things. But, you were a joy on the set from what I’ve heard, and you did a wonderful job.”
“Douglas, I know how to be professional. I wouldn’t sabotage my career out of spite.”
“I don’t think the name change will sabotage your career, either,” he grudgingly admitted.
Alex smiled at his comment at a loss for words. The silence was awkward while she waited for him to say something.
Douglas put his hands on his knees, bent slightly forward, and took a deep breath. “I owe you an apology.”
“Douglas,” Alex said with a shake of her head. She didn’t want to rehash their marriage and the way it ended.
“No.” He held up a hand to stop her. “You don’t have to accept it, but I owe you one. Alexandra, I handled things horribly. Right from the beginning,” he confessed. “I saw success and power and never took the time to see that you have so much love to give and that you need that kind of love in return. And the way I treated you when the scandal broke.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I’m ashamed of myself. It’s inexcusable. I said things to you, I did things to you...” He held up his hands in confusion and let them fall to his knees. “It was awful. All of it was awful.”
“Douglas,” Alex spoke up. “We-”
“Got married for all the wrong reasons,” he finished for her with a nod. “You said that to me more than once and I wouldn’t hear it, but you were right.” He held a hand to his chest, his voice was sincere. “I am truly sorry.”
Alex let his words sink in and thought about how she wanted to respond. She could let the conversation get nasty, or she could accept what he said at face value. She had too much love in her heart, in her life, right now to do anything but take the high road. “Thank you, Douglas. I accept your apology.”
“I’m honestly surprised you never pressed charges against me. I deserved it.”
“I’d be lying if I told you the thought never crossed my mind, but I didn’t want it getting out. Not to protect you, but to protect me. I was all over the media as it was.”
“You still are,” he said with a smile and gestured toward her left hand. “Congratulations, Alexandra.”
“Thank you.” She smiled as she played with her wedding rings.
“This is probably a really stupid question, but are you happy?”
“I am very happy.”
“I’m glad to hear that. He’s a lucky man.”
“Thank you,” she said again. Her attention was diverted when her phone rang. She held up a hand to stop him from speaking further as she looked at the caller ID. “Hang on. I have to take this.” She flipped her phone open. “Hi, Dr. Harding.”
Douglas nodded and stayed where he was on the arm of the couch when Alex stood up and paced while she listened to her doctor and answered questions. He cleared his throat softly to remind her he was in the room when she seemed to forget his presence and started to talk about birth control issues and late periods. Alex turned at his soft cough, pointed to her calendar on the vanity, and thanked him with a nod when he handed it to her. She didn’t give him a second thought when she rattled off dates to her doctor and what had been going on with her body.
“Yes, I can see you tomorrow morning, but it will have to be early. I have a flight at eight o’clock in the morning.” Alex paced while her doctor spoke. “You’re making me nervous that you want to see me, is there something wrong? If so, please just tell me right now-” She stopped speaking abruptly when her doctor interrupted her. She rubbed the base of her neck in worry. “Ok, can you at least tell me the test result?”
“Yes, your blood work looks perfectly healthy.” The doctor’s voice came clearly through the line. “Congratulations, Alexandra. You’re pregnant.”
Alex stopped pacing. She beamed as she heard those words and tears of joy sprung to her eyes. She confirmed her appointment and hung up the phone in a daze.
Douglas watched her from his spot on the couch and put the pieces of the puzzle together. A part of him wished he would have been able to make her smile like that, but as he just said to Alex, he wasn’t in the marriage for that kind of love. The thought of children never crossed his mind once. He walked to Alex, she jumped a little when he put his hands on her shoulders and placed a friendly kiss on the top of her head. “Congratulations once again, Alexandra.”
“Oh!” Alex snapped back to the moment, suddenly worried her news would get out before she could tell Slater. “Douglas, please.”
“Your secret is safe with me.” He took her hand and clasped it warmly between both of his hands. “I wish you nothing but happiness. You have my word, I won’t tell a soul.”
“Thank you,” Alex replied, and smiled as she wiped away happy tears.
“I’m guessing you won’t be able to come to dinner at my home with the cast tomorrow?”
“No. I’ll be flying to New York to see Slater.”
“Understandable. Good luck to you and thank you for a job well done on the film.”
“Thank you,” she said again as he smiled and left her trailer. She reached for her bag. The doctor’s voice rang through her ears and made her face break out in a huge smile. “I’m pregnant,” she whispered. “Oh, Slater. I can’t wait to see you tomorrow!” Once in her car, she grabbed her phone and dialed as she grinned from ear to ear. “Mona!”
“Hi!” Mona’s voice was full of excitement when she answered. “My bags just got picked up and I’m heading your way right now. Annette will be there within the hour to bug us both about business before we leave tomorrow. We get to see our men soon!” she sang happily.
“I had an interesting conversation with Douglas a few minutes ago.”
Mona’s voice sobered with worry. “Is everything ok?”
“Yeah, it was fine. I’ll fill you in when I see you, but I can’t wait until I see you to tell you I just heard from my doctor. She wants to see me first thing in the morning before we leave, so you’ll have to go with me, but she told me the blood test result.”
“And?” Mona held her breath, waiting for Alex’s response.
“And, I’m pregnant!”
“Oh, my God!” Mona yelled into the phone. “Oh, I’m so happy for you. Oh!” She jumped up and down, joyful tears flowed freely. “We’re having a baby!”
––––––––
“Kathleen, what are you doing?” Alex asked in confusion while Kathleen rifled through the garbage in the kitchen.
“I’m looking for my other earring.” She shook her head. Her face was sad and worried as she sifted through the trash.
“A little gold hoop?” Alex asked, and nodded toward the one hoop in Kathleen’s ear lobe. “You don’t need to go through the trash,” Alex assured her. “I’ll buy you a new pair.”
“That’s so kind of you, Alex,” Kathleen replied, though she didn’t look up. Her focus was intent while she continued to sift. “But they’re sentimental, my late husband gave them to me on our first anniversary. I need to find it.”
“That’s understandable.” Alex placed her hand on Kathleen’s shoulder. “Do you want me to help?”
“No.” She waved her away. “You have enough going on with leaving in the morning and Annette here to talk with you.” She tightened up the bag and set it on the floor, grabbed a smaller one, and said absently, “Maybe it fell out while I was gathering the trash from your bathroom?”
“Ok.” Annette sat at the table with Mona. She turned from talking with Mona about current and potential projects, then opened a file folder and looked at notes to discuss with Alex. “You have interview offers like crazy. Not only do people want to discuss your upcoming film, but they really want to discuss your marriage. You haven’t given them anything in months.” She glanced down the list of items. “There are small projects on here I want you to look at. Things you can do while you’re on the road because people will come to you. It keeps you busy and working. Any idea when you’ll return?”
“I don’t know yet,” Alex said with a shake of her head. “Slater and I will discuss that and as soon as I know, I’ll be in touch.”
“Alex,” Mona spoke up as she slid the file Annette had just given her into a tote bag. “Did you remember to pack that new leather jacket? The pretty blue one.”
“Oh!” Alex snapped her fingers at the reminder. “I totally forgot that. God,” she huffed at herself. “I seem to be forgetting things lately.”
“A little on your mind, perhaps?” Mona asked knowingly with a raised brow.
“Just a little,” Alex mumbled. As she left the room, she looked at Annette over her shoulder. “I’ll look at that on the plane tomorrow. Can you put the file in my bag that’s on the stool at the counter?”
“Don’t forget the shoes that match!” Mona called and ran after her.
“Nice,” Annette muttered as she walked toward the counter stool. “I’m trying to manage her career and all she can think about is a leather jacket.” She picked up Alex’s bag and set it on the counter just a hair shy of the corner. The bag tumbled to the floor, its contents spilled out. “Damn,” Annette exhaled with impatience and knelt to gather up the items.
“There it is, thank God!” Kathleen breathed with relief and inserted the gold hoop into her ear. In her fury to find her earring, she had ripped open the trash bag from Alex and Slater’s bathroom. Unable to reuse it, she dumped the rest of the garbage into the larger can and bent down to pick up an item that landed on the floor. She gasped at the pregnancy test box she held in her hands. “Oh, my God,” she whispered.
Annette scooped all the items into Alex’s bag, two books on top of the stack caught her eye. What to Expect When You’re Expecting and The Big Book of Baby Names shook as her hands trembled. Her mouth was open in shock. She flipped open the baby name book and her eyes widened at Mona’s inscription on the front flap.
––––––––
I took a peek at names. If it’s a girl, I think you should name her after me! I am so incredibly happy for you, Alex, and I can’t wait to be an aunt!
Love,
Mona
“Oh, my God,” Annette breathed. She turned to look at Kathleen.
The two women made eye contact and pointed at the objects in each other’s hands as they simultaneously cried out, “Oh, my God!” They turned at the sound of Alex’s voice.
“Shoes. Check! Jacket. Check!” Alex laughed as she chatted with Mona. “I need to stop peeking into my closet, or I’m going to bring everything-” She stopped abruptly, Mona bumped into her as she kept going.
“I dropped your bag on the floor,” Annette said as Alex noticed the books in her hands. “Alexandra?” she questioned and looked over at Kathleen and the pregnancy test box in her hands.
Speechless, Alex looked between the two women and glanced at Mona for help.
“Sorry, little sister,” Mona said with a grin. “Looks like the cat’s out of the bag.”
“Alex?” Kathleen asked with a hopeful smile.
Unable to contain herself, Alex’s face broke out into a huge grin, and she nodded her head excitedly. “Yes!”
“Honey.” Annette stepped toward her and gripped her hand, her eyes filled with tears. “Does Slater know yet?”
“No.” Alex teared up with Annette. “I’m telling him tomorrow. I want to tell him in person, not over the phone, so don’t say anything to Ben.” She turned to Kathleen. “It looks like we have a lot to talk about if you meant it when you told Slater you wanted to move in and be our nanny.”
“Alexandra!” Kathleen ran to her, grabbed her in a hug, and rocked her back and forth.
“I’m so happy for you!” Annette joined the hug, then made room for Mona when she tugged on her arm.
“Let me in! Let me in!” Mona cried happily.
The three women embraced Alex tightly. All of them jumped up and down with glee. They laughed and cried at the same time as Mona yelled out in celebration, “We’re having a baby!”