Baby 71: Part 3 of 3

The next morning I open my eyes and look blearily at the ceiling - confused.  Then I remember last night and the fact that I'm at Simon's house hits me hard.  He's not in the bed next to me so I pluck up the courage to get up and change.  I doubt I'll be going out of the house so I pick up my discarded dress and throw it on.  I find Simon in the kitchen making waffles.

"Hey."

"Hey beautiful."

I try to ignore that last part.

We eat in silence until my stomach acts up and I excuse myself to go to the bathroom.  That's when I find out I'm pregnant.

I go back to the table and finish my meal.  After clearing the dishes Simon prepares to go to work.

"Simon, I'm pregnant!"

He looks at me, surprised with an utterly exuberant look on his face as if he's just won the lottery.

"Oh my gosh, that's amazing, and... kind of shocking.  But I'm so happy for you!"

And with that, I give him a good-bye hug and he drops a kiss on my cheek, much to my dismay.  Last night was just a nighttime fling and NOTHING ELSE.  He seems to see it as a little bit more.

Despite my happy mood, I'm still confused as to what I'm doing here.  This whole Luke-cheating-let's-stay-at-Simon's-house thing is getting me all paranoid.  I decide to call my very good friend, Destiny Rose.  She has recently finished her challenge (that lucky duck) and is now living lavishly with her blond husband, Alex Webber, a rather handsome man I must say (but don't tell her that).

She agrees to come over in about an hour.  I give her directions to his house and then go into Simon's room and check my emails from the kids.  They ask what I'm doing and where I am.  I'm not sure if I'm ready to tell the the truth.  It pains me to keep secrets from them and miss their growth but... I'm rather confused right now.  I give them a cheery reply and tell them that I am pregnant with a new brother or sister for them.  The doorbell rings and I sign off.

"Oh my god, it's really you!  Congrats on finishing your challenge and you had the wedding of the century, girl.  How was your honeymoon?"

"Whoa, okay, thanks Cal, it's definitely a load of stress off of my back but I miss the little guys.  Oh my god, don't even mention the honeymoon.  Long story short, it was amazing!"  She sighs with a dreamy look on her face and then looks around the room.  "Wow, Simon's quite the singleton.  His house is... cute?"
"It is.  He's definitely a neat freak and quite organized."

"So, I forgot to ask, how've you been?"

"Well, besides the fact that Luke may or may not be cheating on me, I'm totally fine."

She laughs.

"Oh, Dessie, before I forget, I'm pregnant!"

"With Simon's baby?"  She asks.

"No, with a challenge father's baby."

She looks at me with a sigh of relief.

"I'm pregnant too."  She announces slowly.

"OH MY GOD!  Am I the first to know?  I'd better be the first."  I tease.

"Um... a few other people know."  We laugh together.

I offer her some beverages and then we sit down in the living room to "discuss."

"So Destiny... what should I do?  What would you do in my situation?"  I ask her after I've caught her up to date on all the things that have happened recently. "Luke or Simon.  I think I've made my decision but I wanna know what you think."

"Hmmm... personally, I'd go with Luke.  But I may be bias since I don't really know Simon as much as Luke."

"And, do you think Luke could be telling the truth?  He couldn't really be cheating on me, could he?"

She purses her lips and says, "I don't think so.  I've seen the way he looks at you and I do believe he's telling the truth.  He's an amazing man, Calista.  And I do believe he's not lying about not cheating."

We talk a bit more about other stuff but I can't help but get her words out of my mind.  A very small part of me wants Luke to be cheating on me so I can be with Simon but a huge part of me knows Luke would never lie to me.  Otherwise I wouldn't trust him with my kids.

I've finally made my decision.  I'm going to stay with Simon until the pregnancy is close to over and then say a final good-bye to him.  He already told me last night that he understood that I couldn't be with him so hopefully it won't end badly.  I just can't go back home right now because I still need some time before I go back to hear Luke's explanation of all these events that have taken place.  I need to rest a bit and Simon's house is, so far, the only place for that.  After much pondering, Destiny finally agrees with my plan.  We hear Simon's car door slam.

"Oh, I think it means it's time for me to go!"  Destiny announces.

"See you soon, old friend!"

Simon comes in as Destiny puts on her shoes to go.

"Hey Simon, this is my friends Destiny Rose.  Destiny, Simon Simmons."

"It's a pleasure to meet you."  Destiny smiles with her charming smile.  They shake hands and then Destiny leaves.

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SIMON'S POINT OF VIEW

Calista had been living at my house for quite some time now.  She had told me her plan to leave before the baby was born.  I was a bit confused but I thought I'd surprise her with my present to her anyway.

It was quite the expensive project and would require her to go out for a day or so in order to get it done.  I just needed to figure out a way to do that.  I found her in my bedroom, on the computer.

"Hey Calista."

"Hi Simon.  I think I need to go out for a doctor's visit today, just to check up on how the baby is doing."

"Um... okay."

She quits out of the browser window she has open and stands up to face me.

"What's wrong Simon, anything bad happen lately."  She surprises me by reaching for my hands.  She squeezes them lightly.

"What, no.  I'm fine.  I'm just not, erm, feeling well.  You think you could stop by the drug store and pick up some meds for me?  Oh, and I also created this huge list of errands if you want to do those.  But please, don't feel any pressure.  You don't have to do this if you don't want to."

She eyes me suspiciously but being Calista she agrees.  I feel bad about making a pregnant woman do that work but she didn't seem to mind.  It would all be worth it once I showed her my gift for her and the new baby.

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CALISTA'S POINT OF VIEW

I came home late from running all those weird errands for Simon, which I'm 100% sure were not the best thing for a pregnant lady to do.  They led me all around town.  I drove so much I had to stop for gas.

"Simon?  I'm home.  I ran all of your errands for you."

I spot him leaning against the door of his room.  Then, to my left, I notice a room that wasn't always there.

"Was that door there before I left?"

Silently, he grabs my hand, tells me to close my eyes, and then leads me into the room.

"Okay, you can open them."

I gasp.  "It's beautiful Simon."

My eyes run over the beautifully painted crib, the fluffy teddy bear, and the beautiful view.  It's the perfect room for... "A baby's room?"  I say dumbly.

"Yes, it's for the little one once he's born.  I thought you'd like a place to put him once he's here."

"Simon... you do know I'm leaving before the baby is born, right?"

"Yeah, I just thought that because he's mine he'd want to stay here some of the time...."

Oh my gosh, he thinks it's his baby.

"Um, Simon, I don't know how to break this to you but... it's not your baby."

His face drops and his lower lip tightens.  "What?  After you and I had... you know... you told me you were pregnant.  I just assumed you had gotten pregnant with my baby."

"Simon, I impregnated myself that night but not with your baby, with a challenge father's baby.  I guess the time I told you just happened to be the night after we, we...."

He continues, "I thought you had decided to stay with me...."

"Simon, I told you I was leaving before the baby was due.  Don't you remember telling me you knew I was going to leave?"

"Yeah, but I was hoping you were going to change you mind.  I just thought you were being modest."
Oh god, he really looks disappointed.  "Simon, I'm sorry---"

"I guess I really knew, deep inside, that you would never end up with me.  I'm okay with it though, I don't know what I was thinking.  Can I touch the little fellow?"

"Sure.... Simon, are you okay?"

"I'm good Calista, a bit shocked but I'll do."  His voice is strained and stiff.  He looks into my eyes and then grabs me ferociously and tightly with one hard kiss on the mouth.

I feel the same feeling I felt that first night... but this one feels different.  It's as though he's finally letting me go.  All of his feelings are powering through me.  It's as if he's releasing me and finally realizing, in his heart, that we'll never end up together.  I kiss him back, with equal force.  After a few minutes, we finally let go for air.

"Okay, I think that did it.  I'm officially okay.  If you left right now, I think I'd live," he assures me.

I smile and we walk to the door.  We lock into an embrace as we silently say good-bye.  Our eyes are telling each other everything our mouths are not.

"One last thing," he says.  He hands me a couple of beautiful white roses.

"Mmmm, they're beautiful Simon.  Absolutely gorgeous.  Thanks so much."  I compliment.

"Just promise me a few things before you go, okay?"  I nod silently, holding back my tears.  "Calista Katherine Smith.  Would you do me the honor of being my very best friend?  I am willing to let you go as a lover, but I don't think I could let you go as a friend.  Despite all of the terrible and wonderful things we have gone through, would you mind if I just stuck around a bit longer?  Perhaps if you need an instant babysitter, you can count on me."

I'm speechless as he continues.

"And, I would love to go to yours and Luke's wedding.  Would you mind inviting an old friend?"

"Yes, yes, and no!  Yes, I would love to be your friend, yes I would love if you stay around a bit longer, and no, I would not mind if you came to my wedding.  That is, if I have one."  I hug him.  "Thanks Simon," I breathe, "Thanks for everything you've done and everything you will do."

And before I cry into tears, I walk out to my car, and make my way for home.  I agree with his idea.  Instead of leaving him forever, it's awesome that we will now be very good friends.  Even though we can't love each other as eternal partners, we can still love each other as friends.  Good friends who stick with each other through thick and through thin.  My tears finally burst through, but not of sadness so much, but of happiness.

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SIMON'S POINT OF VIEW

After Calista leaves, I close the door and deadbolt it.  Quietly, I tuck the bear into the crib, turn off the lights, and close the door.  I eat some ice cream, wash my face, eat some more ice cream, and brush my teeth.  Then I go to bed.

I'd say my plan as being friends with Calista was really good and I'm looking forward to seeing her, not as a lover, but as a beautiful friend.  I know our friendship will grow as strong as our love did, if not more.  And hopefully, I can one day find someone who will refill the gap in my somewhat healing heart.  Someone who will capture my gaze as much as Calista did.

Perhaps my future isn't so grim after all.

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CALISTA'S POINT OF VIEW

It's nearly morning by the time I get home.  Before I even make it to the front steps, though, my water breaks and the labor starts immediately.  @$#%!!

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LUKE'S POINT OF VIEW

The little puppy, who has remained unnamed, is as playful as her sister, Skittles.  The kids absolutely adore her.  It's almost birthday time and the triplets constantly ask me when Calista will be back.

It's early morning when I walk to the kitchen to prepare breakfast before the chaos begins.  I'm am shocked to see Calista walking toward the front door with a baby in her arms.

Her eyes are red from crying (I'm assuming) but she smiles at me and, after setting the baby down, she come toward me and we embrace.  I can't help but smile back at her.  There are no angry words spoken because I am not mad at her and apparently she isn't either.  Although I'm aching to know where she was, I throw it back into my mind.  She's here now and that's what matters.

Silently, we hug and hold each other.  It's clear to see that she has missed me and I have missed her.  I can see it in her eyes and hopefully she can too.
After moments of silence, she speaks.

"I'm home and ready to listen."

I look down at our new baby 71, a boy named Toffee Molasses Smith, and slowly nod my head back at her.  

"Not yet though..." I respond.  She blushes with relief and we walk to the kitchen, hand in hand, to prepare breakfast together.  I can't wait to see the kids' faces when they see that their mother is home.

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FAMILY UPDATE

The z-triplets Zvon, Zenon, and Zuriel were babies 62-64.  Zvon decided not to get married but becamed the official "favorite uncle" of Zenon's and Zuriel's kids.  Zenon married Zaheera Zupfer.  She had pale greenish-blue skin, pale purple eyes, and soft pink hair.

They had son, Zarek, who didn't seem to mind having three younger siblings who were all girls.

After Zarek was born, Zenon and Zaheera tried for another baby and had Zari.  She had her father's hair.

The twins were born a few years after Zarek and Zari.  Twin girls named Zelena and Zerelda.  It seemed as Zelena was the only child to get her mother's pale skin tone.

Zuriel married Zadok Zamora.  He had bright red from head to toe, except for his eyes, which were a shocking neon pink.

They had their oldest daughters, twins named Zabrina and Zaila.  Their youngest child was Zafar who loved trailing behind his older sisters despite their giggles and whines about "cooties."

Rob and Liana  (babies 65 and 66) were doing exceptionally well.  Of course, Rob and Cassie got married and had the twins, Lance and Robert.

Liana's attitude and perspective on life definitely changed for the better.  She met a wonderful man in college named Seth Rune.  I was so proud to see my daughter so happy.  Throughout her childhood, I had been fearful that her demanding attitude and vanity would drive every boy away.

Another turn of events that surprised me even more was that Liana and Seth had SIX kids, despite the fact that Liana had always complained about how much she hated kids.  They had their first babies, the twins Crystal and Pyry.  Crystal was their only child to get Liana's amberish eyes.

Then they had the triplets, Flurry, Nevada, and Vanada.

As if having a set of twins and triplets wasn't enough, Liana and Seth tried for one more baby and had little Edur.