Veiled Affection

Chapter Thirty

After a nights rest my decision hadn't changed. I got dressed and I had a smile on my face; I sat at the breakfast table and couldn't withhold to express my glee; I went out to my garden and closed my eyes, enjoying the morning sun that shone on my face.

I asked for Cate to come over that very morning, and she did. I didn't tell her on the phone that I had made up my mind, let alone did I say anything to her once she arrived. It was only when we were settled on the chairs outside that I showed the first signs of my delight: I took a deep breath, thereby catching her attention, and I smiled.

''You are awfully peppy.''

''Why shouldn't I be?'' I said and met her eyes. ''It is a fine morning.''

''It is a fine morning indeed,'' She laughed and stared at me narrow-eyed, ''Look at you, acting all Victorian. What is up with that?''

With a smile on my face I shrugged.

''How is the movie working out for you?'' I asked, ignoring her question.

She looked at me a moment more before she gave her answer.

''It is in the final edit. Give it another month or two.'' She said and I nodded. ''How is the book working out for you?''

''It is taking more time than expected,'' I said, and it was true. In between all of the turmoil of the past few weeks - months, even - there was also my novel that had yet to be published. It was during Cate's birthday party that I received the call from my publishing company, stating that the printed novels didn't come out right.

''What do you mean 'didn't come out right?''' I said annoyed. I was outside in Cate's backyard, handling the call. ''Go and fix it.''

Back in my garden, sitting there with her, I explained all this, and she, too, shared my frustration.

''They said an intern had its first go at handling some buttons.''

She sighed. ''Well what do you know...''

''Not a lot, clearly,'' I said and she smiled.

''Clearly.''

She looked at me until I looked away, shifting my eyes towards the sky. When I looked back at her, she was staring at my belly, smiling serenely at it like it was telling her the most gorgeous thing in the world.

''I thought I felt a kick this morning,'' I said and rested my hands on my stomach. ''I looked it up online and it probably shouldn't happen for another month or so, so I know I am delusional, but I swear I felt something.''

Now she looked at me, as if I was telling her the most gorgeous thing in the world. Maybe I was. In her eyes.

''My morning sickness gets progressively worse,'' I sighed. ''Even now, talking to you, I feel ill.'' I was silent, only for a second or two, before I continued. ''But what is a few months of pain opposed to a lifetime of happiness?''

She paused, her eyes boring through mine.

''Happiness for you?'' She asked sedately.

''Happiness for someone else.''

She looked at me for a moment, a smile spreading across her face. She knew then that I had made up my mind at last.

''My darling...'' She said, ''I love you.''
__________

To tell the father of your child that you choose to give the baby up for adoption wasn't arduous. It would be, if he hadn't deceived me in the way that he did, but he had, so any empathy I might have had for him had long gone. It might not be decent of me to say, but it is the truth.