Consequences

Part 51

Doug paced. Seeing Isabelle again had unsettled his recently found equanimity. For seeing her again reminded him about how close he'd come to falling in love. Falling? He glowered. He was not going to revisit those emotions. It was over. He'd been conned. Simple as that.

"Charlie you don't know what you are talking about!"

Charlie was undaunted by his comment. "Actually I do! The only secret she's kept from you is that she and her sister set up a centre, a refuge for women and street kids. The centre helps the women re-skill, finds them work. They don't ask if the women are hookers. They just try to help. And if they are staying on the streets, it gives their kids somewhere to go." Jared and Caitlin looked at each other in surprise. They'd read the article in the paper, it said nothing about a centre for women and street children." You are an idiot if you think she is a hooker! She works with women, some of them might be prostitutes, but all she has done is try to help them to find a better life."

Doug heard the sincerity in Charlie's voice, but he wasn't buying the story Isabelle had probably sold her. "I suppose she told you that. No doubt the establishment swung into action to make her look like an angel on the streets, instead of a woman earning an income by selling herself on the streets. I bet that society closed ranks around her and have fabricated this scenario to help her extricate herself."

"Doug!" Charlie snapped in exasperation seeing he was determined not to accept the truth, or take what she said at face value. "I asked the girls on the street!"

"You what?" Demanded Ryan and his tone and sudden bellow of sound made his son screw up his eyes and cry.

"Look what you've done." Charlie crooned to the baby Ryan handed her when she reached out with outstretched arms.

"When did you talk to them?" Ryan wasn't side tracked, but he did moderate his voice and tone.

"Today." Charlie rocked her son gently and slowly until he stopped crying.

"Today?"

Now that the baby was settled again, Charlie looked up at her husband and confirmed, "Yes, I went down to the docks and..."

"Charlotte. In your.."

She smiled at him. "I just walked and asked questions."

"Which is probably why our son made his appearance days early."

"So he's impatient like his mother." Charlie brushed a finger gently on the soft cheek. He had fallen asleep. Her eyes filled with love as she studied the little baby. She was so lucky. So lucky.

"Do you want me to put him in the basinet ..."

Charlie shook her head. She was content to just cuddle her new son. "Not yet." She smiled up at her husband. Then she looked toward Doug and said softly, "You really hurt her, Doug."

"She told you that?" Doug swallowed the lump in his throat. It was the tone in Charlie's voice that had him reflecting on his actions and words.

"She didn't have to." Charlie replied sadly.

"It doesn't matter." Doug turned and paced toward the window again. He knew that to remain standing by the bed would give those present a clear insight into his thoughts and feelings right now. Caitlin and Jared frowned as they looked at each other. It was obvious that Isabelle wasn't the only one hurt by recent events. Though, until now both Caitlin and Jared thought it was only Doug's pride that had been hurt. After all, he'd only known Isabelle a very short time. But given his responses now, now they were starting to wonder whether the hurt went much deeper.

"Of course it matters." Charlie corrected gently for she like Caitlin, Jared and Ryan had also reached the same conclusion; Doug was hurt by the recent events. "If you didn't feel something for her this wouldn't be upsetting you so much."

"I'm not upset." He kept his back to them. They saw his shoulders tense some more.

"Not much." Ryan threw in quietly.

"It's over." Doug finally said. He closed his eyes and tried to remember that he had no intention of letting this situation get to him. He was over it. Over her.

"Talk to her." Charlie advised quietly. "You need to talk to Isabelle."

"Doug where's the harm in talking to her." Caitlin added her support and flashed her husband a silent message to prompt him into speaking up.

"Give her a call." Jared told his friend. "Better still, go see her." Given Doug's reaction Jared was pretty sure that if Doug actually met up with Isabelle things might proceed down a different pathway.

Doug spun around. "When I want advice on my love life I'll ask ok, but don't hold your breath." Doug told them and made sure he looked at each one as he spoke.

The door opened and a nurse entered. "These came for you." She had several bouquets of flowers. The conversation switched to reading the cards that came with the flowers.