Page 39 of Dream Cum True
“What’s your name?” she asked in her raspy morning voice.
“Mr. Elias. I’m your mommy’s friend.”
“I’m Chloe. That’s Caira.” She pointed to her big sister.
“It’s nice to meet you both.”
Chloe yawned, and her head fell back onto my shoulder. Within a few seconds, she was asleep again.
“Chloe rarely lets anything interfere with her sleep. Caira, why don’t you sit over there, and I’ll find something for you to watch. Mommy needs to talk to Mr. Elias.”
“Okay.”
Caira sat in the chair closest to the television, and Karla flipped through the channels until Caira asked her to stop. While still holding a sleeping Chloe, I sat in the chair nearest the bed.
“Thank you,” was the first thing Karla said to me.
She spoke in a low voice, so I matched her tone.
“You know I gotchu. How do you feel?”
“Physically, much better. Mentally, I’m still processing some things.”
“Did they tell you what was causing the pain?”
“Yeah. It was my IUD.”
“Your birth control?” She nodded. “I’m no dummy, but I’m not well-versed in birth control. Is it supposed to cause you that much pain and bleeding?”
“No. I’m not sure when or how it happened, but my IUD shifted, causing the cramping and bleeding.”
“Oh. Is that common?”
“Not really, but it happens. Sometimes the IUD isn’t inserted correctly, and it can shift. I got mine replaced not long before you arrived in Chicago. I’ve been having some mild cramping on and off since then, but nothing nearly as bad as this, so I didn’t think much of it.”
“Did they fix it?”
She shook her head and looked down at her hands.
“They removed it because . . . I’m pregnant.” She said the last part barely above a whisper.
“You’re—”
“Shh. I don’t want the girls to overhear.”
I looked at Caira, and she was engrossed in the show she was watching, and Chloe was still sound asleep in my arms.
“Baby, you can’t tell me something like that and end the conversation. I have questions.”
“I’ll answer any questions you have, but not in front of the girls. I called my mother before the doctor brought you back. She should be here soon to pick them up.”
As if on cue, there was a knock on the door, and an older version of Karla, freckles included, entered the room.
“Grandma,” Caira sang as she hopped from the chair to greet her grandmother.
“Hey, pumpkin.” She hugged Caira before kissing her forehead. “How are you, Karla? You didn’t give me much information on the phone.”
“I’m good, Ma. Thanks for coming so early and so quickly. Caira, you're missing your show.”
