Mr. And Mrs. Wrong

Her eyes lit up. “With a long dress and a church ceremony and everything?”

“If that would make you happy. Invitations. Reception. Flowers. The works.”

“Oh, Jack!”

“So what do you say?”

Her delight suddenly turned to obvious distress. Her whole body seemed to sag. “But we can’t. Oh, God, it would’ve been perfect, but we can’t do it. It’s too late.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Yes, it is!” Pain leaped into her eyes. “Why couldn’t you have come up with this idea four months ago, instead of moving out and starting all your stupid games? Ooh, I could just kill you!”

“What the hell…” Why was she suddenly furious at him?

“We can’t have a courtship now!”

“Why not?”

“Because, Mr. ‘I forgot my basketball,’ I’m going to have a baby!”

THE WORD FLOORED suddenly made sense to Lucky as she watched Jack sway and his knees buckle. “Oh, no!” She grabbed him, but he was too heavy for her to keep upright. Muscle and bone seemed to melt and slide downward. All she could do was hold on around his middle and guide him as he sat down hard on the carpet.

He prided himself on being tough, but at the moment he looked more like a vulnerable little boy who’d gotten the shock of his life. Her anger fizzled, or maybe her love for him was stronger than her anger. She was equally responsible for this little problem, and it hadn’t been fair to put all the blame on him. And, too, this was supposed to be one of the happiest moments in a couple’s life, and she had spoiled it for him, for both of them. She’d never forgive herself for that.

“I’m so sorry.” She knelt and tried to help him regain his equilibrium. “I didn’t plan to tell you like this. I was heartless to blurt it out in anger. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, it’s just… I didn’t expect… How did this happen? The pill’s supposed to be nearly one-hundred percent effective.”

“Nearly being the problem. My doctor said that in clinical trials, the type I was taking works ninety-nine point nine percent of the time, but in the real world, the failure rate is more like five to eight percent. Even missing one pill, or varying the time you take them each day, can cause disaster.”

“Did you skip one by mistake?”

“No, I’m positive I didn’t, but apparently certain other medications can also reduce their effectiveness.”

“Sinus infection,” he said, figuring it out.

“Uh-huh. I had that bad one in the spring. I received a shot and a prescription for antibiotics. If I’d known…”

“Hey, it doesn’t matter. Whatever the cause, I’m glad. Hell, I’m thrilled.” He grinned stupidly. “I’m going to be a father!”

“I’ve been trying to tell you for a while, but the right moment never came up.” This definitely wasn’t it, either. From the first day of their marriage he’d talked about having children. This news had to mean everything to him, and she’d hurled it at him like a stew pot.

“How long?” he asked. “I mean, when will it be here?”

“Early January. I’m a little over two months pregnant.”

“Is the baby okay? Are you okay?”

“We’re both fine. My blood pressure’s a tad high, but the doctor says it’s nothing to worry about as long as I try and stay relaxed. She actually wants me to gain a minimum of thirty pounds during the pregnancy because I’m too thin.”

“Damn, Lucky, you scared me. For a minute I thought you were going to tell me you wanted to call our marriage quits.”

“I can’t pretend that I haven’t seriously thought about it.”

He stared at her, even more dumbstruck than before. “You’re joking.”

“No, I’m not. I love you. Don’t ever doubt that. But we’ve had major problems from the beginning because we’re so different. Now with a baby coming, those problems will only get worse.”

“No, they won’t.”

“Yes, they will. You know they will.”

He seemed to catch his breath, and was able to stand. Pulling her close, he slid his arms around her. “Sweetheart…” He rubbed her back with soothing motions. “This is exactly what we need. We’ll be a family now. I can’t think of anything better….”

“And I can’t think of anything worse. Babies don’t repair bad marriages. They kill them.”

He pulled his head back so he could look at her, but still kept his hands loosely on her waist. “We don’t have a bad marriage, only a temporary bad spell. There’s a big difference.”

“I hope you’re right, and not only for the baby’s sake but for ours. I refuse to allow this child to grow up listening to us constantly quarrel. I’d rather separate permanently than have that happen.”

“That sounds like Leigh talking, not you.”

“Leigh has nothing to do with this.”

“Then why are you wanting to divorce me?”

“I don’t want to divorce you. I’m only trying to be realistic about our problems and do what’s best for our child.”

“Well, divorce sure as hell isn’t the answer.”

“Then tell me what is.”

“Being together.” He rubbed his fingers lightly against her belly. “That little baby in there needs us to be a family, Lucky. I need it, too.”

Her heart went out to him. “Oh, Jack…”

“Don’t give up on us.”

“I don’t want to, but…” She sighed, feeling so uncertain, so confused. They fought over the same issues again and again, and emotionally she simply couldn’t take it anymore. “I wish…we really could start over, like you suggested. Wiping the slate clean might have given us the second chance we needed.”

“We can still do it.”

She shook her head sadly. “It’s a little late for romance, don’t you think?”

“No, it’s a great time. Perfect.”

“Oh, sure. In a few months my belly button will stick out like it’s deformed, and I probably won’t be able to find my feet. You won’t want to even look at me, much less touch me. Stretch marks and romance aren’t a very good combination.”