As The Pages Burn

Chapter 21

Angela gaped at the doctor, not quite sure what to say. "What? That's... that's not possible, I don't understand. How did this happen?"

The doctor frowned. "Surely I don't need to explain the human reproductive system to you. You weren't on birth control, so I suppose you were either using condoms or withdrawal?"

Angela frowned, realizing that they hadn't been very careful as of late, not using condoms and Lucas pulling out when it was almost too late and her continuously forgetting to drink her morning after pills. "Yeah, I guess. Oh, no, what am I going to tell him? Oh, I'm dead." Angela sat with her head on her hands, trying to think of ways to tell Lucas.

"Well, maybe you should start by explaining to him how reproduction works. I'd tell him sooner rather than later, because he is going to notice it eventually. But I can see that you still have to get used to it too."

"But I'm still not sure how this happened. I got my period last month, and it was supposed to start again today."

"Which means you're at three weeks now. Look, there isn't much I can do to soothe your nerves right now, but I'm going to write you a doctor's note and then you can take a few days off work."

"Okay," Angela said, nodding. "Wait, just don't write that I'm pregnant on it, please, I don't want him to find out like that."

The doctor paused, glancing at her speculatively. "I see. You know, maybe you should have thought of precaution before starting a relationship with an older man; your boss, I presume."

"Older man? What?" Angela frowned, then shook her head. "No, we're the same age, sort of. He's my boyfriend or partner or whatever."

The doctor nodded, seemingly pleased with Angela's answer. "Good. I'm sorry if I seem judgmental, I just see so many young girls throwing their lives away for men they wouldn't have any future with."

Angela nodded. "I understand. So, where do I go from here?" Angela asked, already dreading the answer and the evening ahead.

Lucas stood nervously at Angela's door that evening, dressed in his best suit and wiping his somewhat damp palms on his handkerchief. He steeled himself and knocked on her door, excited and equally terrified of the night ahead. She answered the door only moments later, dressed in the most elegant pale lavender dress with sparkling rhinestone patterns that swirled from her breasts all the way down to the end of the skirt. She wore a delicately beautiful diamond necklace he'd given to her years before as a graduation present and earrings that matched her dress perfectly.

After a few dozen seconds of stunned silence, he finally composed himself and cleared his throat, holding out his hand. "Miss Wilkes, you look positively lovely tonight," he said, kissing her knuckles as she grinned at him.

"Why, thank you, Mr. Miller, so do you," she giggled as she stepped into the hallway and shut and locked the door behind her. "I saw this dress in a boutique today and I just couldn't resist. I'd hoped you would like it."

"And I definitely do," Lucas said as he put an arm around her waist and led her out the building to his car, opening her door as she got in before closing it again. He went around to his side, trying to keep his nerves in check before getting in next to her, smiling softly. As he turned the key in the ignition, the radio came to life, blasting music at an almost unbearable volume, startling him out of his nervousness. He turned down the volume and smiled sheepishly at Angela, who smiled back and raised an eyebrow at him. "Sorry about that, I guess I forgot to turn the volume down when I drove here. Well, of course I drove here, I wasn't just walking around town the whole day..." he clamped his mouth shut, realizing that he was nervously babbling and embarrassing himself even more.

Angela laughed. "What's going on with you today?"

Lucas shrugged as he backed out of the parking lot. "I don't know, you just look so beautiful. Your makeup and your hair and you..." he glanced at her and smiled.

"Thank you, I guess," Angela said, feeling nervous as well but at least being able to contain it better than Lucas had.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Lucas stopped the car outside a five star restaurant that made the other restaurants nearly look like seedy roadhouses in comparison. He'd been put on a wait-list for months and had finally been able to get a reservation. He got out of the car and handed his keys to the valet before going around to Angela's side and taking her hand and she elegantly climbed out of the car. "So, what do you think?" He asked as he led her to the door.

"Oh, Lucas, it's beautiful. But you really didn't have to, I'm sure this place asks a fortune for questionable portions."

Lucas laughed. "Well, I'm sure you're right, but most of the blogs say they are the best and it takes months to get a reservation here. And don't worry about money, honey. You never have to worry about that with me."

"Months? So how..."

Lucas smiled. "I made this reservation about four months ago. I had forgotten all about it until a couple days ago when I was looking through my day planner." He laughed. "And, yes, I do have a day planner, so don't even try to patronize me."

Angela giggled. "I wouldn't dream of it. Four months ago, wasn't that about the time we broke up?"

Lucas shrugged. "Yeah, a few days before it actually." He gave his name to the hostess and let her lead the way to their table.

"So, what if we'd never gotten back together again? What would you have done then?" Angela asked as soon as they were alone with their menus.

Lucas smiled. "I knew it was only a matter of time. Besides, you can't resist this hot body." He winked at her playfully.

Angela laughed. "Right, I'm sure."

Lucas glanced over the wine list, his finger tracing the words as his eyes scanned the names. "How about a nice bottle of champagne? We are celebrating, after all."

Angela gulped nervously and reluctantly met his eyes. "What, we are?"

Lucas shrugged. "Sure, we've been back together for two months now and haven't argued even once."

Angela laughed shakily. "Oh, right. Well, that is something worth celebrating."

"Well, in our defense, we haven't exactly had a lot of time to argue with all the canoodling..." Lucas trailed off, grinning wickedly.

Angela smiled weakly. "Yeah, of course," she said, redirecting her eyes back to the menu, scanning through all the items.

Lucas frowned and put his hand over hers. "Honey, is everything alright?"

Angela jumped slightly and looked at him. "Yeah, I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, you seem awfully jumpy tonight."

"What? Me, jumpy? No, not at all. I'm just so happy to be here with you," She said as she threaded her fingers through his and squeezed his hand softly.

Lucas sighed but smiled. "Alright, then, if you're sure."

Before Angela could reply, a waiter stopped at their table, taking their drink and starter orders, as well as their main course orders. After he left, Lucas smiled at Angela and took her hand once more. "I'm so happy to be sitting here with you tonight, like happier than I've ever been in my life. I just want you to know that you are it for me, you know. I'll never love anyone as much as I love you and I'm here to stay."

Angela smiled calmly and leaned forward in her seat. "I hope you know that I feel the same about you. I never even knew that happiness of this magnitude existed. I love you, Lucas, as I've never loved anyone else before."

Lucas smiled and kissed the back of her hand as their champagne and starters arrived. The waiter expertly poured the champagne into their glasses before walking away to one of the other tables. "To us," Lucas said, lifting his glass and clinking it against Angela's glass.

"To us," Angela repeated, smiling shyly as she took a long sip of the champagne and felt it soothe her nerves, while still leaving her feeling guilty about the life growing inside of her.