Page 40 of Imperfections Forbidden
“You lying bitch.You know I wouldn’t’t—”
The door opens, and my mother comes in and stands in front of us.Kate and I don’t look at her.We have never had this kind of animosity between us, though there have been times we disagreed.This is totally different; the things she’s saying, I didn’t know this is how she really feels about me.
“Girls, I can hear you down the hall.What’s going on?”
I know Kate’s going to tell her everything; there is no stopping her.I hope she can try to understand my side.I highly doubt that she will.I’m the one that’s going to ruin what she believes is the perfect match and appearance of families between Nick and Kate.I wish for once she could understand without judging me, stop holding me to her standards of what her daughter should be instead of who I am.
“You should ask your daughter who she spent the weekend with.”
My mom looks at me.“Chris told us you called him and said you were spending the weekend at your friend’s house.”
“I did,” I tell her in the calmest voice I can manage to get out.
“Tell her which friend’s house, Cat.Tell her you spent the weekend with my fiancé.”
I see the confused look on my mother’s face.Her head turns back to me.
“I think you’re mistaken, Kate.Nick and your sister are friends, but she would never do such a thing.Catherine, tell her she’s made a mistake.”
I shake my head and look at her, preparing myself for what’s to come.In a low shaky voice I tell her, “I can’t.I was with Nick.”
Total silence, and the look on her face says it all.She won’t understand.She’s already made up her mind and judged me.
“You don’t know this yet, Mother, I didn’t want to tell you, but I’m pregnant,” Kate announces to her joyfully, like she wasn’t ripping me apart a few seconds ago.
My mother turns to Kate.“You’re pregnant!”
“Yes, you’re going to be a grandmother.Nick and I saw the baby last week.”
I see the smile on Kate’s face.It’s like a knife cutting through my heart at the mention of her and Nick sitting together in a room, seeing what could be their baby for the first time.
“Oh, baby, you’re going to have a baby!”
I hear the excitement in my mother’s voice as she grabs Kate’s face and hugs her, the way a mother who is truly happy for her daughter does.Once again, I’m an outsider looking in on what is supposed to be a happy family moment between a mother and her daughter.
“When?”My mother looks at her up and down and places a hand over her stomach.
“April.”
“Oh, baby, I’m so happy for you.Your father is going to be so excited, another grandchild!This is wonderful news.”I watch her embrace Kate again wishing I could be a part of this happy occasion.
“Not everyone thinks it’s wonderful.”
My mother looks at her confused.Kate stares at me with her eyes filled with what I can only imagine to be a look of scorn.She’s right.I don’t think this is wonderful news.I don’t wish any harm to this baby but with everything in me I hope this child is not Nick’s.
My mother turns, following the line of Kate’s vision leading directly to me.And her smile falls away with one look at me and my reaction to Kate’s pregnancy.“Tell your sister you’re happy for her and Nick.Catherine, this is wonderful news for this family, a wedding and a new baby.”
“I’m not going to do that, Mother.”
“Why not?”She straightens her shoulders, holds her head high and walks over to me, waiting for my answer.I’m going to give her the truth, and I’m not going to sugarcoat it to make her happy.
“This baby she’s having might not even be Nick’s.He’s not in love with her.”
“Shut the hell up, Cat!This baby is Nick’s, and you know it—so does he.Mother, she’s a jealous little two-faced slut.She’s always been jealous of me.”
What the hell?I’m not jealous of her.I’ve never been a day in my life.“You’re delusional; you trapped a man who doesn’t even like you.This baby was an unexpected accident from a one-night stand.He doesn’t want you.”
“Catherine, stop it right now!”my mother demands.
