Page 30 of Loving Jake

Carly wrinkled her finely carved eyebrows in confusion. “Then, what’s the problem?”

“The problem is not what I have. It’s what I am.”

“‘What I am? Stop playing games, Kimberly, and tell me what’s wrong.”

“Okay. Here it goes, and brace yourself sis, because you’re going to need it. I’m pregnant.” Kimberly watched her sister’s expression go from annoyance to stunned silence. Carly Urbane was finally shocked speechless. If the whole situation weren’t so serious, Kim would be tempted to laugh. “And don’t you dare ask, Carly, because it’s Jake’s. There’s been no one else. I swear.” It was the truth. There had been no one in the two years prior toJake and no one in the nearly ten weeks since he’d left. As incredulous as it seemed, Jake was the father of the tiny baby growing inside of her.

“Oh, wow,” Carly choked out from her spot on the kitchen chair. “Oh, double wow,” she repeated, bringing her hand to cover her mouth. “Kimberly, how?”

Kimberly folded her arms in front of her and tilted her head in a way that told Carly she certainly wasn’t going to explain that part. Kimberly blushed just thinking of the times she had made love with Jake. The incredible night they had spent together and then the fast and furiously passionate lovemaking the following morning flashed before her eyes, and she had to shake herself out of the memory.

“That’s not what I mean, Kimberly. Jake told you about his, ah, problem, didn’t he?”

“Yes.” She sighed. “I don’t know how either. I asked the doctor the same question.”

“And—"

“And he says it has to do with chemistry or something like that. I don’t know.”

“What?”

“I told the doctor about Jake’s case of the mumps, and he said that’s more of a wive’s tale than anything else. Sterility does happen in some very rare cases, but it’s highly unlikely. As for Jake and his ex-wife’s problems, the doctor explained that sometimes it’s a matter of chemistry, combined with a whole lot of stress. He said he hears of cases all the time where people divorce because they can’t have children. Then, they marry someone else, and within a couple of years they find themselves with a whole house full of children.”

“I can’t believe it,” Carly stated incredulously. “Jake’s going to be thrilled.”

“No, he’s not, Carly, because I’m not telling him.”

“What?” Carly gasped. “Of course you’re going to tell him. He’s the baby’s father. He has the right to know.”

“He gave up his rights when he left me?—"

“He didn’t know. Give him the benefit of the doubt,” Carly interrupted.

“No. You don’t understand, Carly. You weren’t there. You didn’t have your heart shredded to pieces when Jake told me he didn’t love me. He said he liked me, but he didn’t love me. And...and that he no longer wanted the family thing.”

Tears streamed down her cheeks, and Carly stared back at her as if she wasn’t making any sense, which she wasn’t.

“You mean Jake suspected you were pregnant before he left?”

“Of course not.” Kimberly exhaled an exaggerated breath. “He spoke in general terms. Carly, I begged him to stay. Literally begged him. Do you know how humiliating that is? Especially when he throws it back in your face with something as unemotional and detached as ‘we can always be friends’? No. No way, Carly. I am not contacting him. I know he would sacrifice his happiness for the sake of the baby, and we would both be miserable that way.”

“And how do you plan to keep Jake from finding out?”

“I thought about that on the way home from the clinic. First of all, Jake is out of the country, so there won’t be a chance of us running into each other. Secondly, Jake would never suspect the child was his because he thinks he can’t have children.” And, she added to herself, I can’t tell him, because I’m terrified of his rejection. Once was enough for one lifetime.

“Don’t you think people are going to question who the father of your baby is? Not many people know that Jake can’t have children, Kimberly. Or thought he couldn’t, I guess is more accurate now.” She twisted her hands together in her lap as she looked over at her sister.

“Not many people knew he lived here. I doubt Jake will ever be a consideration among the gossip mongers,” she responded more harshly than she intended. She had enough problems at the moment without having to worry about a bunch of busybodies. Even though she could hardly consider her parents as busybodies, there was no doubt that they would question her repeatedly about the father of her baby when they returned from their year living abroad with her Dad’s sister in Ireland. Ask? she mentally repeated. No, her parents would not respect her privacy enough to simply ask her. It was more likely that they would demand.

“Kimberly, what are you going to do?”

“I don’t know yet.” She stared back at her sister and told her, “and you are not to breathe a word to anyone, do you hear me Carly? No one. Thank God Mom and Dad are in Ireland right now staying with Aunt May. At least I won’t have to deal with them for another two or three months,” Kimberly muttered. How she would avoid her brother George was another thing. She cringed at the thought of her overprotective brother learning that his unmarried sister was pregnant and by one of his closest friends. She was grateful Carly hadn’t thought of George’s reaction either, or they would spend the afternoon in debate over it.

Carly glanced at her watch. “Look, Kimberly, I’ve got to go and get the girls. Why don’t you lay down for a while and take it easy? I’ll call you later tonight.”

“Sure.” Kimberly followed Carly to the front of the house and hugged her tightly before she left. After closing the door, Kimberly turned around and pressed her back against the door frame. “What am I going to do?” She repeated the question over and over on her way up the stairs to her bedroom.

Exhausted, both mentally and physically, she flounced down on top of her bed. She stared up at the ceiling, hereyes open but not seeing anything in particular. She sighed longingly and placed her hand on her still flat stomach. What was she going to do? That was a very good question. She could always move and leave California. That way she would be able to avoid questions about the baby’s father. She gave the idea only a few moments of thought. That would be running away from my problems, not solving them. Besides, she didn’t want to give up her house or move from her family. No, moving was definitely out of the question.

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