A Pact For Life (26 page)

“She hasn't changed one bit. Still a world class bitch. I wish someone would put her in her place” She didn't want to explicitly tell Cale to offend the Branctons, but hoped he would pick up on the hint.

Cale had plenty of material that he could have used, but he thought Diana wanted him to be mature about this. To take the high road so to speak. “They'll probably be gone by the time we get downstairs.”

“I hope not, I want to stuff that fat face of hers with so many cookies that she becomes diabetic.”

“Do you want me to say something?”

“No.” The look in Cale's eyes reminded her of the look Ron gave Patty. It was one of pure servitude. What was happening to him?

Cale asked, “So what do you think about this place? It's everything we're looking for. Did you see the housewide speaker system? Our daughter is gonna be a musical genius with everything I'll be playing.”

“I'll admit, I was iffy on this place until I saw that office. I've been using my living room as an office for the past eight years. Do you have any idea how nice it would be to finally have my own room for work?”

“So is this a yes?”

“Slow down, we still have plenty of others to look at. We shouldn't automatically say yes to the first house. Let's go get some information from that realtor and then stop by my parents'. I want to see what Daddy thinks about this.”

To Diana's disappointment, the Branctons were still in the kitchen talking to the realtor. As heard by their screams through the glass doors, their children were either outside playing or fighting, probably both.

“So what did you think of the house? Any questions I can answer?”

Cale responded, “We loved it. It's exactly what we're looking for.”

Diana couldn't believe he was that open with the realtor. He might as well have given her a blank check. She knew the ebbs and flows of negotiating were a mystery to him. Cale had never bought a car, his warehouse studio and sculpting tools were donated from The John's Star Foundation, and everything else in his life were minor purchases.

To make matters worse, Cale asked Ron Brancton, “What did you guys think?”

“Well...we...”

Patty interrupted. “It was alright. Kind of small for our needs. We host church study groups, meetings for girl scouts, boy scouts, and little league. I'm just concerned people might be cramped.”

The realtor tried to reassure her. “With the right furniture, you could fit around twenty to thirty in the family room. Plus the backyard is gigantic for Spring, Summer, and Fall parties.”

Patty responded, “Twenty to thirty people is on the small side for us.”

“Wow, those must be some parties.” Cale said. He was trying to show Diana that he could be the bigger man around her enemies.

Diana clenched her fists and said to Cale, “We should get going, my parents are waiting.”

“Oh Diana, before you go.” Patty dug through her purse and pulled out a business card. “This is for my OB. I think you should go see her. For being twenty weeks along, your stomach shouldn't be that developed. It will be for the good of the baby.”

“Thanks,” Diana responded as she put the card in her coat pocket and crushed it into a ball. “I'll check it out.” The comment about her stomach being overdeveloped concerned her. It had now been five days since the baby last kicked. What was wrong? The realtor shook both of their hands, and gave her card as well as a paper containing more information on the house. When they got outside, Diana looked at the Brancton's dented and dirty minivan and grinned. She knew there was no way they could afford that house.

They got inside her Mercedes, but before they pulled away, the Brancton family came out of the house. It was too cold outside to drive in the open air, but Diana still rolled down all of the windows to let them know who was inside while Cale smiled and waved sincerely. He had nothing against them.

Diana put the car in drive just as they got in their minivan. As they passed each other, Diana and Patricia both quietly said, “Fucking bitch.”

The war of smiles had finally ended. Both sides believed they had won.

In a mall bridal shop, Terri, Caitlyn, and Diana were shopping for a dress for Caitlyn's upcoming wedding which was only three months away. This was her third wedding, and despite already having bought two dresses from that particular store, they refused to give her a frequent shopper discount. In an industry where there are not a lot of repeat customers, you would think a career divorcee
³⁰
 would get a deal.

While Caitlyn was in the dressing room, Diana was forced to share a couch with her mother. If dictionaries ever decide to include pictures in their definitions, this image would go under, 'arduous'.

“Diana, you have no idea how excited I am for you and Cale to move close by!”

“Really, Mom? You think I have no idea how excited you are? This is like the fifth time you've brought it up since Caitlyn went into the dressing room. I think I might have somewhat of an idea how excited you are.”

“Oh, hush, you know what I mean.”

“And we haven't gotten the house yet. It was just a bid.” Diana said as she imagined her fully furnished office.

“Oh, I'm sure you'll get it. Cale's famous. Famous people get what they want.”

Diana drew a breath and cycled through what to correct her mom on first, but a tingling sensation on her torso made her stop. This tingling caused Diana to go from relieved to disappointed in record time. She thought it was the baby kicking, but instead it was her cell phone vibrating in her coat pocket.

“What is it honey? You just turned flush?”

“It's nothing,” Diana defensively said as her inherent fear answered for her. She refused, REFUSED, to let herself become an overprotective, worrisome mother. Her baby was fine, she was fine, everything was fucking fine.

A wedding-dressed Caitlyn turned a corner, and appeared in front of Terri and Diana. Twirling around, she asked, “So what do you guys think?”

Terri jumped up and ran over to get a closer look. Within ten seconds of inspection, she shouted, “I love it!”

With a lot less enthusiasm than her mother, Diana remained on the couch and asked, “Isn't that the same dress you had for your first wedding?”

“Don't be stupid, Diana. That was a Oleg Cassini. This is a Galina Signature. They're nothing alike.”

Diana stood up and walked over to the tight, white, sleeveless dress, and was unable to tell the difference between it and the tight, white, sleeveless dress from Caitlyn's first wedding. She reached for the tag hanging off Caitlyn's waist and exclaimed, “Caitlyn, this dress is $1,250. You can't afford this.”

“I'll just charge it, silly. Pay for it over time.”

“Caitlyn...” Diana sighed as she realized there was no bother to try and explain debt, interest, or credit ratings to her sister. There was no use explaining anything of responsibility to Caitlyn, it would barely be heard and soon after would be forgotten. Caitlyn was helpless, and Diana knew what she would have to do. “I'll buy the dress for you.”

“What? What do you mean?”

Mocking her earlier insult, Diana said, “Don't be stupid, Caitlyn. How much clearer can I say that I'll buy you the dress?”

“Why would you buy this for me?”

“Because I don't want to see you get in over your head with credit card payments. Let's just call this your wedding gift, and never speak of it again.”

It was an odd sight to see big lipped, big boobed, and big haired Caitlyn reach out and hug her big stomached sister. Caitlyn cried out, “Thank you,” which made Diana feel she did the right thing.

It wasn't an act of over-protection, but simply protection. She cared for her sister and didn't want to see her get hurt. The wheels in her head came into motion and Diana began to cycle. If she could help Caitlyn with an issue she knew nothing about, maybe Caitlyn and her mom could help with something she was clueless about – the baby's kicks.

While the clerk processed Diana's credit card, she turned around and somberly told her mom and sister, “Listen, I need to tell you guys something.”

This brought Terri to a panic, “Oh dear God, please, please, please don't tell me you and Cale broke up again. I wish you both would just get married.”

Diana let out a loud exhale and said, “It has nothing to do with Cale, it's about the baby. She kicked last Monday and I haven't felt anything since. I've been trying not to worry over it, but I'm really starting to get scared.”

They went straight from the store to the car. Every step through the mall had either Terri and Caitlyn telling Diana that everything was fine. When they got to the black Mercedes, Terri asked to drive and Diana, suspiciously, gave in.

“Now honey, you cannot panic over this because it will only make things worse. We need to take you to the hospital, and have them do an ultrasound. I'm sure it's nothing, but this is just to make sure.”

This comment made Diana feel something in her stomach, but it wasn't a kick. It was a punch straight to the gut that left her gasping for breath and unable to talk. All she could manage to do was cry, all Caitlyn could do was wrap her arms around her, and all Terri could do is drive as fast as she could toward the nearest hospital.

At the hospital, Diana filled out all the necessary paperwork and waited with her family for her name to be called. Terri said something encouraging every so often, but it didn't make Diana feel any better. The room was spinning out of control, and each second doubled her desperation in getting to a machine. No longer could Diana criticize or mock those frantic mothers. She was one of them.

Finally, Diana's name was called and the three women went back to the room with the ultrasound machine. From the application of the gel on her stomach to getting the machine ready, everything felt like it took forever.

As the doctor slid the transducer over her stomach, Diana leaned back, closed her eyes, and prayed for any news but bad. “Well...” The doctor started without a second word following it.

Diana finally regained the ability to speak, but was in too much distress to be civil with the doctor. “What is it!? What do you see!?”

“Everything looks fine in there. The baby is healthy. How far along did you say you were?”

“Twenty weeks.”

“So the last kick you felt was in week nineteen?”

“Yes.”

“Well that's a bit early for you to feel kicking. Frankly, I'm surprised you were even able to feel the first kick. It's probably because you're so slim.”

With the ultrasound finished, Diana wiped the gel off her stomach, stood up, and told the doctor, “Thanks.”

“It's no problem. Remember, it's important not to panic or get stressed if something like this happens in the future. Almost every time, worrying will do more damage than whatever you might think might be wrong with the baby.”

Diana nodded that she understood and walked out with her family behind her. The whole ordeal left her legs wobbly and her mind fatigued. As evidenced from the occasional jitter and twitch, her body still suffered from aftershocks of the original trauma.

The three women walked out of the hospital in much better spirits than they arrived. As they returned to the black Mercedes, Diana turned and hugged her mom and sister with little intention of letting go. She truly was thankful for their protection.

THE THIRD LAW OF MOTION. i.e.
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 EQUAL AND OPPOSITE REACTIONS

The Diana Young Pregnancy Update 

Estimated weeks till delivery: 15 

Shape of stomach: Two large watermelons on top of each other. 

Food Craving: Popcorn topped with garlic butter.

Mood: Meh.

Diana was spread out across the couch - her head on one end, her legs over Cale’s lap on the other. It was Thursday TV night, an event barely indistinguishable from Friday movie night, Saturday movie night, and Sunday TV night. In the span of only a few months, their night-lives had devolved from work and partying to a couch and TV.