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“YES, IT’S TRUE,” TERRY said later that afternoon at her auntie’s home, her arms folded across her chest.
Terry had just gotten bail thanks to Ranny, the lawyer for the café that Dana had hired for her.
Terry was now staying at her Aunt’s house where she was ordered to remain for a while. She was not to go into work and interact with the public according to the bail conditions. The judge probably took Terry’s pregnancy into consideration.
“Terry, I...I don’t know what to say.”
“It’s okay. I’ll be fine.”
“So my guess is that you were not taking your medication when you found out about your...pregnancy.”
“That’s right. I’d been hallucinating anyway, and when I got sick, I thought it was a side effect, but then I remembered when Carlos and I...well, you know, we didn’t use protection one night and...well, I took one of those home pregnancy tests a couple weeks later.”
“Oh, no.”
“Oh, yes. When the test stick came up pregnant, I took another test just to be sure. So then I stopped taking the anti-depressant medication on my own.”
“That’s awful Terry. You know you should have gone to your therapist to let him wean you off it properly.”
Terry sighed deeply. “I know, but Carlos was causing me so much trouble. I told him I was pregnant even though I knew he’d cheated on me with Gigi. I thought that would make him want to come back to me. Instead, he told Gigi and she didn’t seem to care. She wanted to go through with their relationship. Next thing I know, she announces she’s engaged...to my boyfriend.”
Dana felt her heart plunge in her chest. “Terry that’s terrible. You really don’t deserve this.”
Dana felt that Terry would never kill the father of her unborn child, but then on the other hand, a jury might think she had a strong motive—a crime of passion, a woman scorned, betrayed.
“I know. My aunt wouldn’t agree with you though. She thinks I should have known Carlos was always going to be a player. He liked to flirt around. I’d known him since high school though. I just thought he’d grown up. That things would be different. But now I guess not. I just thought I could change him, that things would be okay if he found out I was pregnant.”
“Oh, no.” Dana thought about what Terry had said and what Bea had said earlier. It all made sense then. Steve had to be behind this...either Steve or Thomas. Judging by Thomas’s age, he was probably not a good candidate for Gigi and she wanted more than anything to have babies in a marriage. As soon as she found out that Carlos was fertile, unlike Steve, she dumped Steve like a hot baked potato.
“What is it?” Terry asked.
“Terry, just get plenty of rest and follow your doctor’s advice. Don’t worry about the café. Your job will be ready for you when this all blows over.”
“Thank you so much, Dana. Thank you for all you’ve done for me. I really appreciate it. How can I ever repay you?”
“No worries, Terry. When you’re part of the Cozy Cupcakes Café, you’re a part of our family and family looks out for each other.”
Terry gave Dana a warm hug. Dana felt glad she was able to help out. That’s just how Grandma Rae used to be.
And besides, Dana knew all too well, how heartbreaking it was when your fiancé or boyfriend ditched you suddenly for someone else.
It had happened to Dana, too, with her own ex-fiancé, Ramone.
Thank goodness, Dana wasn’t pregnant for her ex, too.