Their Miracle Baby

He hadn’t seen her around the hospital the last few days, which now that he thought about it wasn’t a good thing. What if she’d quit the clinic and moved away, he might never see her again. That thought brought a fresh wave of pain slicing through him.

Jumping to his feet, he raced back to his bedroom. He’d throw on some clothes and go see Venetia. The mirror in the bathroom held the reflection of someone he hardly recognized. He hadn’t shaven or showered in days, his pajamas were covered in spilled food, there were dark circles under his eyes, and his skin was pale.

Shocked that his appearance had deteriorated to such a point, he was hunting for some clean clothes, which appeared not to exist, when the doorbell rang. Annoyed at the interruption, he pulled open the door without even looking to see who was on the other side. He was surprised to find his sister standing on his door step.

“Hello, brother dear. I haven’t heard from you since the benefit. I was hoping that you’d made up with Venetia, but from what I’m seeing now, that hasn’t happened. Are you ready to talk about it because it looks like you desperately need some advice?” she said, pushing past him into the house.

Handing Lewis one of the cups of coffee she’d brought, she followed him back to the living room, pushed a pile of papers off a chair, and sat down. He stood and looked at her for a second before shrugging his shoulders and collapsing on the couch.

“There’s not much to tell,” he said, not meeting her eyes. He’d already figured out that he’d behaved badly and that most of what had happened had been his fault, but he really didn’t want to hear someone else say it. Especially not his sister, the only person in his family he still cared about.

She’d always been there for him, saved him from poverty when he’d split with their parents, but she also knew him better than anyone else in the world. When he’d taken her to the benefit a few weeks ago, he’d refused to talk about the breakup, knowing that she’d only take Venetia’s side. He hadn’t been ready then to hear how selfishly he’d been behaving.

But sitting there in his living room, his sister waiting expectantly for some explanation, the full enormity of what he’d done hit home. “Mary Joe, I think I’ve screwed up royally,” he said, finally meeting her eyes.

“Well, that much was clear to me. What have you done?”

Lewis thought about what he had done. “I suggested that we should have a baby,” he said, hoping that she’d see what a good idea it had been. “I mean I love her, and I thought she loved me. It just sounded so perfect, our own little family.”

Mary Joe, sat stunned for a second. “You what?” she said, her shock clear in her voice.

“I suggested we have a baby,” he said, knowing that he was in trouble now.

“So, first you turned her life upside down, demanded that she change for you. Then, without even the slightest hint of marriage, you suggested she have a baby.”

“Not a baby, our baby. I offered her as much help as she needed. She’d still be able to work,” Lewis said, trying to defend himself, but even to him the argument sounded empty.

“Have you lost your mind? How did you think she’d react to that suggestion?”

“I guess I wasn’t thinking. When she said no, I was so disappointed,” he said, hanging his head.

His sister shook her head, knowing all too well how he’d probably reacted. “Let me guess, she said no and you acted like a spoiled brat. As much as I love you, brother, I know only all too well how you behave when you don’t get your way. I’d thought that by now you would have learned, but evidently not.”

“Mary Joe, what am I going to do? I really do love her and I’m miserable without her. But I was angry when she moved out. She left me a note to call her or come by her apartment so we could talk, but I did neither.”

“You just ignored her?” his sister said, incredulous.

“Well…” He couldn’t bring himself to admit that he had again.

“Now you’re a double idiot,” she said, then fell silent.

“I have to do something, I can’t go on like this,” he said, hoping she’d tell him what to do.

“What do you think you should do?” Mary Joe wasn’t about to let him off the hook.

Lewis was hoping that she’d say that she’d go talk to Venetia, smooth the waters for him. She’d done it in the past, helping him through difficult situations he’d gotten himself into, but evidently he was on his own this time.

“I better go see her, try to explain. But what if she doesn’t listen or, even worse, what if she met someone else?”

“You probably should have thought of that before you drove her away,” Mary Joe said, getting up. “I’m leaving. If you’re going to go see Venetia, a shower might be a good idea.”

Lewis was in the shower before the door shut behind his sister. He had to fix this; he and Venetia were meant to be together, but he’d rushed things. How stupid he’d been to ask her to have a baby. He’d been so wrapped up in his little fantasy that he’d ignored reality. Worse, he hadn’t wanted to listen or understand her side of things.

Now he was desperate to see her, suddenly worried that she was gone, out of his reach forever. He managed to find some clean clothes in the back of his closet and was out of the house in record time, only stopping long enough to pick up a huge bouquet of flowers on the way. This time of the day, he knew that she’d be at the clinic seeing patients, but he’d wait as long as it took for her to be free.