The Perfect Solution-A Suspense of Choices (9 page)

"If that is the way you see it, then this will be your choice. Just remember that you are the one making this decision for us."

"How can you say that?" Catrine's rage erupted. "I am not making the decision to get rid of you. I want you and you have your own reasons for your decisions. They just don't happen to flow with mine. I will not sit here and continue to pretend that things can work between the two of us when I know in my heart that you don't care for me. So, take your damn little duffel bag," Catrine picked up the small red bag that he always used when he stayed overnight and threw it towards him. "And get the hell out of my house."

Catching the bag in mid-air, Austin crossed in front of her and walked to the door.

"All right, I will go with pleasure. I had already tired of your little cling-on attitude and had wanted to call it quits. Just remember, it is not me that's ruining what we had, it is you. You just have the hots for some other guy and can't be honest about it. I have always believed that you have the potential to be one terrific bitch and now I know that I am right."

"If I do, it's you who have taught me. I learned from the master slut."

"You just can't wait to drop me. Don't call me when things start to fall on your head."

"I will never call you for anything. This is the last time you will ever hear from me." She promised before slamming the door on his retreating back.

For nearly four years, minus that first week when she had called his home constantly without getting a response, she had kept that promise. She had not called him after she had gone to the gynecologist for her six months check up and received the devastating news that she was pregnant. She had not called him after the child's birth and if it had still been up to her, Austin would continue to know nothing about Brhin's existence.

Catrine sat up and dragged her fingers through her hair in the hopes of shaking the memories from her mind.

"God, Give me strength."

Sliding from her seat, she turned and fell to her knees folding her hands and pressing her head to the cushions, she began to pray. She called on all the prayers she had learned as a child and every scripture that she could remember since becoming a born again Christian.

"God, Give me strength," she repeated. "Please don't punish my baby for the things I have done wrong in life. Forget I said that. I know that you are not a God of punishment. Help me to have faith and patience in you. I truly believe that I will have Brhin here before the night is over. Just give me the strength to hold on."

Standing, she paced the room checking the time on her watch as she did so.

"7:00? God, has it only been an hour? Has it really been an hour since I found out my joy in life may be over?” She closed her eyes in pain of the thought. “Come on, Phae. Where are you? What’s taking you so long?"

As if in answer to her questions, the doorbell rang. Believing she would be facing her sister, Catrine rushed across the foyer and flung open the door. The tall, broadly built, extremely muscled body of Austin Sanchez stood squarely in the middle of the doorway. The look that was frozen on his face made him seem as if he were made from stone.

Her breath stuck in her throat and the urge to faint almost consumed her. She stared at the man blocking the entrance. Time flew backwards so quickly that she almost rushed into his arms, as had been her habit years before when opening the door and finding him standing behind it.

"Austin?" She whispered.

Catrine took a quick step backwards in surprise as he pushed his way into the tiny foyer. Her aching weariness was momentarily forgotten.

"Yeah it’s Austin." He took note of her hurried steps backwards before shutting the door and putting his hands in his pockets. The act obviously showed his control over his anger. "Yeah, you had better back up. If you had any sense," he advanced as she retreated, "you would run and hide because right now, I could really do you some damage."

He stopped advancing when she defiantly put her hands on her hips and stopped retreating.

"I'm not afraid of you, Austin. I'm repulsed."

Acknowledging her bravery with a mocking smile, he continued talking.

"Be as repulsed as you want to be. I have just finished spending a mind blowing hour explaining to a little pit bull of a detective, that I was never informed that I had a son, let alone kidnapped him." Pulling his hands from his pockets with an enraged jerk, he grasped her by the upper arms and lifted her to his eye level within one quick movement.

"Austin, put me down." She demanded through clinched teeth, kicking her feet in agitation.

"How could you have my child and not have let me know?" he asked loudly.

"Austin, there's no need to yell. Put me down and we can talk about this calmly."

"What do you mean act calmly?" He shook her body back and forward. "How the hell can you stand here and talk about being calm?"

"If I were 'standing', I would be able to do it quite well."

"Don't try to be smart with me, Catrine. The time to talk calmly was when you found out you were carrying my child."

"I…"

"Don't interrupt." He shook her roughly. "You took it upon yourself to make all kinds of decisions for me. How dare you. How do you get off feeling that you have the right to do such a thing? I thought we meant something to each other. Had you lost your mind? What in heaven's name were you thinking? You know I would have wanted to be part of his life."

"How in God's name could you say such a thing, Austin?" Catrine tried to lower her voice hoping it would keep her calm. "You no more wanted a child than I did. Obviously you have conveniently forgotten that you were the one who walked out on me." She tried to push at his arms for release. "Do you honestly think that I would have run behind you after the horrible things you said? You must be crazy. And put me down, damn you." She twisted and turned her body in vain.

"Why the hell should I do that?" He shook her angrily. "I could kill you and think nothing of it. There is no way I'm going to let you put your selfishness on my shoulders. You never told me that you even suspected that you were pregnant. We should have been able to sit down and discuss it the minute that you realized that you were."

"Ooh you make me so angry." She tried to swing her arms to hit him. "The idea of buying pizza together freaked you out. We never even discussed children or anything 'permanent' for that matter. Austin, put me down." she screeched when he put added pressure on her shoulders.

Putting her down just enough so her feet touched the floor, Austin moved with her until she felt the wall on her back.

“What have you been thinking the last few years? Did you even have a thought about how I would feel if I found out I had a child? Did you even care? What happened to make you believe you could just close me out of everything?”

Catrine looked into Austin’s eyes and couldn’t think of a thing to say. She could see the hurt, but knew there just wasn’t anyway she could come up with any words that would right the things she had done.

“Austin, listen to me. I didn’t have the baby with the intention of never letting you be a part of his life. Time just passed so quickly and before I knew it a year had gone by and I didn’t know how to call and bring up the topic. I just didn’t know what to say.”

“You could have picked up the phone, dialed my number and said, Austin I have had your child. You could have called me this evening and told me you the child was missing. I just don’t understand what I did so wrong to make you believe I didn’t deserve to be a father.”

“Austin, I….”

Freezing at the knock on the door she let her gaze rest for just a moment on Austin’s face. "My sister is at the door for Christ's sake."

"You're damned lucky that she is. Things I would like to do to you should have no witnesses."

Giving her a look that promised more to come, he lowered her to the floor and released his grip, giving her shoulder a little push as he stepped around her with a scornful glance. Without saying a word, Austin walked into the living room.

Rubbing her shoulders, Catrine worried that her sister may have heard the conversation through the door. Taking a deep breath she pulled it open and threw herself into the arms of her sister. It seemed to Catrine as if Phae could take on the weight of the world. Phalene, standing at five-three, seemed to always be in complete control of the situation. Directing she and Catrine back through the door; Phae guided their steps from the foyer and into the living room, before pushing Catrine into the chair.

"I am sorry it took so long. There was an accident on the highway. Has something else happened?" Phalene pushed a tissue into Catrine's hands. "Did you talk to the police? Are they going to put out an Amber Alert?"

"Yes, yes I spoke to them. Yes, they are. It’s something they automatically do in cases like these." She wiped her nose. "Nothing else has happened. It's just that the officer I spoke with knew so many awful things about The P. S. Center."

"And he told you these 'things' tonight of all nights?"

"I asked. I wish I had known some of the things he told me before hand. The P. S. Center is bogus. I should have kept my baby at home."

"What did Mrs. Wall say?"

“Before I answer, there is someone here you should meet.”

Catrine pointed to the silent figure of Austin sitting on the corner of the desk behind Phae. Turning quickly Phalene looked from Austin back to Catrine with a questioning look.

“So, you called him?”

Austin pushed himself from the desk and sat on the chair facing the sofa on which Phalene was sitting. Resting an elbow on his knees and unbuttoning his suit jacket, Austin leaned forward and introduced himself.

"Hello, I am Austin Sanchez." He extended his hand across the space between them and Phalene shook it in response. "You were away when Catrine and I were seeing each other. Sorry it’s taken so long for us to be introduced. Your sister seems to get a kick out of keeping things to herself. Has there been any news from the kidnappers? And why aren't the police here? I thought that they would have been standing around, tapping the line, staking out the place like they have been doing mine. Or…." he paused for emphasis. "Did they figure I was the only person that they needed to question? Did you tell them to suspect me?" He stared at Catrine through squinted eyes.

"No, as infatuated as you are with yourself, I know you would see that as a good thing. But I didn't. I didn't want them to call you at all. They could have left you completely out of the picture."

"You should thank God that they didn't. I cannot believe that I have to go through something like this just to find out I’m a parent. How do you think I feel? I could have spent the last few years getting to know my son and now, only God knows if I will even get the chance."

Catrine massaged her temples and pointedly ignored him. She walked towards the sofa and stood behind Phalene's left shoulder.

"Forget it, Catrine." Austin's glare seemed to touch her across the small space. "You don't have to answer. All I want to know is have you heard anything from the kidnappers? Any ransom demands...anything?"

Phalene looked from Austin to Catrine before answering.

"Nothing from the kidnapper, but Catrine did call the Director of Brhin’s daycare center."

Throwing an accusing glare at Catrine, Austin questioned her harshly.

"Brian? That was my father's name. My son is named after my father?"

"I can't tell you what your son's name is, but my son's name is Brhin. Pronounced like 'fine'."

"Listen, Catrine I am hard put as it is to sit here and keep my hands off of you." he sat forward angrily. "Don't start anything and I won't finish it."

"Listen, Austin. You can go to hell. Don't come here making threats. I am in no more of the mood than you are. Just remember that I didn't ask you to come here."

Phae, shocked by the uncharacteristic way in which Catrine was acting and stunned by the anger and venom in the couple’s voices, did her best to change the subject.

“Let’s get back to the director. What did she say, Catrine?”

"She's worried about the reputation of her center and had asked me not to call the police."

"Is she an idiot or what?” Austin paced the room in quick irritated steps before perching back on the desk. “Are we supposed to care about that stupid place? Did she say she would do anything to help us find him?"

"We’re to meet her and her workers at the center." Catrine got up and paced the room. "Do I look as crazy as I feel?" Stopping in front of the mirror, she wiped her nose and the tears that were sliding down her face.

Phalene stared at her younger sister. Catrine, normally a very thin delicate built person and even thinner since becoming ill, was wearing purple leggings that clung to legs that seemed to have lost quite a bit of weight and a rugby styled oversized green sweater. She looked as if she were about to collapse from the strain of living with the very real possibility of losing her only child.

"You look fine. Get your coat and hat so that we can leave."

"Okay." Catrine took her coat from the closet and put it on.

"Button it up, for Christ's sake," Phalene snapped. "Do you want this cold of yours to turn into pneumonia?” Catrine ignored the briskness in Phae's voice as she automatically followed her orders. She had been snapped at by Phae all of her life. At least, from the time she made twelve and after the death of their mother. Since there had been no father around, eighteen-year old Phalene became both mother and father.