The One who got Away

Chrissy, who was a bit plump but certainly prettier than the average woman, hugged her friend again. “I’m not saying that I hope you are, Sherry,” she explained, “but before you go chugging down a bunch of medicine, I...I...I think you should really take a test just to be sure. That’s all.”

Sherry looked into Chris's eyes with so much uncertainty. Since that Darren guy from Chicago, she hadn’t even been with another guy. Before that, there were a couple “friends with benefits,” but nothing that was worth mentioning. She didn’t remember exactly when she stopped taking her birth control, but her sex life had slowed down so much it fell to the back of the line in terms of priorities.

“Okay, okay,” Sherry said. “I’ll do it, I’ll do it. Like you said, just so I can know and be relieved that it’s not being pregnant that’s causing me to feel like this.”

Chrissy reminded Sherry that she would always be there for her and that she loved her like a sister. Together, they took the test out of the bag and read over the directions before Sherry somberly headed toward the bathroom. She looked into Chrissy’s eyes one last time as she pushed the door shut, hoping to God and the heavens above that she would walk out of the bathroom with a smile on her face.

The next few minutes were agonizing. A level of suspense Sherry had never felt before in her life nearly caused her hands to tremble. Sure, she had her fun times in life. She was a bit of a party girl when she was younger and wound up dropping out of college, but she managed to support herself and was thinking about her next step in life. Having a baby would totally derail any ambitions. On top of that, she’d have to face her family – conservative people who by in large avoided having children out of wedlock, or having them while working a low-paying job.

Once Sherry realized that enough time had passed, she hesitantly reached over from the toilet, where she’d been sitting, and grabbed the test. Her heart seemed to stop for a second – her stomach sunk. The test result was positive, indicating that she was pregnant.

“Oh my God!” Sherry yelled. “I don’t believe this.”

“Sherry?” Chrissy yelled, getting closer to the door. “Sherry?” She knocked on the door. “You okay, Sherry? You okay? What does it say?”

With her eyes swelling with inevitable tears, she yanked the bathroom door open. She held the test out in front of her, motioning for Chrissy to grab it and have a look herself. She did, and looked at the results. With her mouth hanging open – an expression which only sent Sherry deeper into her confused state – she looked up at her best friend. Chrissy had not the faintest idea of what to say. “Sherry, I...”

Sherry’s blank stare was alarming. The world stopped spinning. Was this a bad dream? Had she gone to sleep when getting in from work and was now dreaming a terrible dream about something that would change her life forever?

Chrissy wrapped her arms around her best friend and hugged her tightly, telling her everything was going to be okay. Before Sherry could pull away from Chrissy’s embrace, her head dropped into her shoulder. She sobbed loudly as Chrissy gently guided her down the hall and back to the couch. There, the two friends sat next to one another while Chrissy tried to lift her spirits with positivity. It took a while for Sherry to stop crying, but once she finally did, she could start to come to grips with things. And Chrissy being there was turning out to probably be better than taking the test and going through all of these emotions alone.

***

It was now nearly 1 o’clock in the morning. This day seemed to be dragging on forever. Sherry said her goodbyes to Chrissy, walked her down to her car, and saw her off. She trudged back into the building, every step feeling heavier than the previous one. By the time she got back up to her apartment, her mind was so consumed with questions she could help but to close the door then lean against it for a moment. Processing the test results while Chrissy was here with her was one thing; however, now that she was alone in her apartment with her own thoughts, the feeling was something else. With a heavy heart, and a confused soul, Sherry headed for her bedroom, dragging her feet. She nearly collapsed into her bed a few moments later. For much of the night, until the sun nearly came up in the morning, Sherry stared into the dark and thought about how her life would change. She rubbed her stomach. Time was already ticking until she would have a little baby running around.

How could this have happened? How did this happen?

Chapter 3: Seven Months Later

“Yeah, man, stuff is going good here I gotta say,” Darren said. With the warm, June breeze whipping into the car, Darren rolled through downtown with his brother John. John, who was older than him by two years, had finally gotten around to coming to visit his brother and having a look at some of the investment properties. They’d been having a beer at a bar up on the north side when the manager of a construction company Darren contracted for remodeling called about meeting this afternoon. They hopped into Darren’s MKZ and headed toward the apartment complex. “Can’t lie, though, it’s a little strange getting used to being somewhere so small compared to Chicago, but I guess it’s okay…for the sake of making money. The conditions certainly are right here.”

“Yeah, I remember you telling me that,” John said. The line-backer-looking guy removed his sunglasses then ran his hands through his brown hair. “I don’t know if it’s for me, but Mom sure likes that you’re here.”

“Mom,” Darren said, shaking his head. “She’s still talking that marriage crap.”

“Now, now,” John said, his tone sarcastic. “I’m married, so don’t you forget.”

“Yeah, I know,” Darren said. “You know Mom keeps harping on it and stuff, but I don’t know. Just seems like it’s become too risky. I don’t even see the benefit to it. I mean, what’s it gonna bring to my life at this point? Looks like nothing but stress.”

John chuckled. “Yeah, it has its stressful moments, but you just have to find the right one.”

Darren’s eyes slanted over toward his brother. “Dude, you’re full of shit. Look what happened the first two times.” He referred to John’s first two marriages, one of which was while he was in college and only lasted for six months. The family wound up basically having the pay the woman to go away. Then John’s second marriage, which lasted for five years, ended with John having to split nearly half of his assets. And the woman didn’t even have children by him, and he wasn’t that young, so he didn’t necessarily lose as much as he would now that he was approaching 40.

John and Darren talked back and forth about marriage until they pulled into the parking lot of the Oak Terrace Apartments. The construction contractor was already waiting up by the door. John joined Darren while they and the contractor walked around the complex. John offered his input where necessary; Daren made sure to discuss the budget with the contractor. The both of them were glad they decided to dress somewhat down today as to not draw too much unwanted attention from the neighborhood people. This apartment complex wasn’t the sort of place either of them would hang out, but the profit expectations were so good Darren couldn’t resist buying it.

John looked back at the complex as they pulled off and headed back up the area’s main road. “Okay, looks like it might be a good investment.”

“Gee, thanks, John,” Darren said, sarcastically. “You know everything I do in life, I do for your approval.”

John playfully pushed Darren’s shoulder then Darren brought up the idea of them going to a winery to kill time. Twenty minutes later, they were sitting in the calm, sophisticated Luanne’s. Soft piano music played in the background. Their waitress happened to be a redhead with a bit of a southern accent. While Darren wasn’t necessarily the kind of guy who was wooed by accents, the woman was certainly attractive. John giggled as his younger brother flirted lightly with the waitress while she took their orders. He snickered when she zipped off to another table.

“What are you over there snickering about?” Darren asked.

“Dude, when are you gonna just settle down and get married?” John asked. He raised his hands, giving a surrender gesture. “I know, I know, I know. Marriage kinda scares you, and I don’t blame you. But what are you going to do, dude? Are you going to just keep playing the field until you’re like fifty or something?”

Darren blushed, shaking his head as he chuckled. “Well, I wouldn’t say that.”

“Come on, be honest with me,” John said. “You know I know you. You’ve been here in Fort Wayne how many months? Like seven or eight by now? How many chicks have you bedded since you got here? And look into my eyes while you tell me, Darren.”