For Keeps

35. Scarlett

She came to me last night, completely worried. Tears streaming down her beautiful face.
"It's going to be okay." I say as I hug my best friend.
"What if it's not? What if it's bad, Scar?"
I shake my head, "Kare, you can't think like that."
When Karianne was 18, they found multiple cysts on one of her ovaries. It was so bad that she lost the whole thing, and while they seemed hopefully that they were all gone, they told her that her chances of having a baby were slim at best. Also, that there was a good chance that more cysts would come back and that ovarian cancer was high. Now she has been having some pain and is terrified she has cancer.
"Tomorrow we are going to get you into a doctor, okay?"
"What do I tell Brett?"
"We will tell him that we are having a girls day. He and Luke can bond." I smile at her.
"Okay." She nods.
"It'll be okay." I say and hug her tightly.

We have been sitting in a little white room for well over an hour. They are running some tests and I can't stop pacing the room.
Dr. Banks, a tall woman in her early forties, with long black hair, re enters the room. Her dark brown eyes look tired, but I know she is an amazing doctor.
I sit back next to Karianne and she grabs my hand.
"It's bad isn't it?" She says as fresh tears spring to her blue eyes.
"Karianne, Scarlett, I have some results." She turns towards Kare and grabs her other hand. "Karianne, your remaining ovary is okay. There are no signs of cysts or tumors." She smiles warmly.
"But there is something wrong, I'm not crazy."
"No, you're not crazy. There is something..."
Karianne looks at me and then back to Dr. Banks.
"Karianne, you're pregnant. Congratulations!"
"What!" We say in unison.
"Yes. I would say six weeks or so. We need to schedule a more thorough ultrasound."
"I'm pregnant?" She whispers.
"Yes, sweetie."
"I'm going to be an aunt!" I say excitedly.
"I can't believe this." She cries onto my shoulder.
"Believe it, because it's happening." I hug her tightly.
"I'm going to be a mom!" She says happily. "Oh my goodness! I'm going to be a mom!"
I feel tears pour over as I hug her tightly.
We leave the doctors office and head straight to Target. We buy little white baby shoes, a shirt for Hope that says "worlds best big sister", and put them into a bag.
"Can I be there when he opens them?" I ask as we drive back to the apartments.
"Of course! I can't do this alone!" She giggles.
"I'm so happy for you!" I say.
"Me, too. I never thought this would happen." She smiles.

We tell the guys to meet us at Brett and Karianne's place when they are done. We put Hope in her shirt and I hold her close as they get home. The little yellow bag rests on the kitchen island.
"How was your girl day?" Brett asks us.
"Great!" We both say and smile at each other.
"Uh oh." Luke says. "Troublemakers."
I stick out my tongue.
"That's yours." She says and nods to the bag on the island.
"A present? Really?" He says and goes to the bag.
"I hope you like it!" She says.
Luke looks at me and I smile big.
Brett opens the bag and I turn Hope around. He pulls out the shoes and looks at Karianne, back at the shoes, then to Hope.
"Really?" He says and runs to Kare.
"Really!" She laughs as happy tears spill from her eyes.
Brett starts crying, too, and I can't help but brush away a few tears myself. "Go hug Mommy and Daddy." I tell Hope and set her down.
"Mommy has a baby in her belly!" Brett tells Hope as he picks her up.
"I'm gonna be a big sister!" She says excitedly and claps her hands.
Luke and I hug them both and then say our goodbyes for the night.
We walk back to our apartment hand in hand.
"I can't wait." He whispers as we enter into the kitchen.
"Me either." I say and hug him close.
"I've always wanted kids." He smiles.
"Me, too." I say and think about Asher. I wipe a few more tears away.
"One day? Promise?" He says looking me in the eyes.
"I promise." I smile then pull my shirt off. "Until then, maybe we should practice." I pull my jeans down slowly over my hips revealing my pink thong.
"So we don't get rusty." He smirks and pulls off his shirt. I unclasp my bra and shimmy to the bedroom.
The next two hours are spent "practicing" together. I swear I could never tire of this man.
As he sleeps peacefully next to me, I crawl out of bed. I am too restless to sleep right now so I pace the living room before sitting on the couch with a glass of water. My mind is racing thinking about my future with Luke. Can I really have it all with him? I picture a curly haired, green eyed little girl and a brown eyed little boy toddling around an open field while Luke and I chase after them, laughing as they run as fast as their chubby little legs can go. We are running through sunflowers as the sun shines down on us; my family.
Then; like a flash of lightning, Cooper is there. The sky darkens as clouds cover the sun.
"You have to come home." He says.
"This is my home." I say and back away.
"I'll never let you go." He says and grabs my wrist.
"You have to! I love Luke!" I say and look back at Luke. Our children are now gone, and replaced next to him is Mandy.
My eyes dart to his hands around her waist.
"She's my future." Luke says before kissing her.
"What? How could you do this to me?" I ask as I fall to the floor and sob.
"Only I love you, baby." Cooper says and he picks me up off the ground and carries me away. I watch as the sunflowers wilt away and Luke becomes a tiny speck in the distance as storm clouds swirl violently in the dark sky.
"No." I sob. "Please!"

"Scarlett! Babe!" I hear as my shoulders shake. I open my eyes and look at a panicked Luke hovering over me on the couch. "You were crying. I didn't know you left the bed." He pulls me into his arms and carries me back to our bed. "Are you okay?" He asks as he sets me down and sits next to me. "You're sweating." He feels my forehead. "It doesn't feel like you have a fever."
"I had a nightmare." I shake my head. "You were there, with our kids." He smiles. "But then Cooper found me and Mandy came to be with you." A tear runs down my cheek. "You told me she was your future." I sob into his chest.
"Scarlett, I don't want her. That will never happen."
"It felt so real, Luke."
"It was a bad dream. Come here." He pulls me so I'm laying on his chest. "I won't lose you." He says as he strokes my hair.
"I love you." I say.
"And I love you. Try and sleep, babe. I've got you."
I try and sleep, but before I drift off, I know what I have to do.
I have to stop running; I have to end things with Cooper once and for all.
And that means one thing; coming face to face with the monster himself.