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Part Fifty Six

Jonathan's POV

Later that night, the party is over and Laura is putting the last of the dishes away. I sit in the living room, the box with the little jersey in it on my lap. My fingers trace the little letters on the back. T, O, E, W, S. That last name won't only be on my jersey. One day, there's going to be a little boy or girl with that name on the back of their jersey, snapping pucks into nets, skating across the ice, cheering at the United Center. It sends shivers up and down my spine to think of that and I shiver with excitement, grinning at the jersey as I hold it up. 

"Still think that jersey is a bit too small," Laura's teasing voice says and I peer around the jersey to see her standing in the doorway of the living room. I throw the jersey to the side and run over, picking her up and spinning her in a circle, my lips close against her. "You're perfect," I tell her and she blushes, her lips now matching her pink cheeks.

"So did you have a good birthday?" she asks and I hug her even closer, our eyes locked on one another. "There is nothing in this world that could have been better that what you told me." I take her hand and lead her over to the couch, where she sits on my lap on the couch. I pick up the ultrasound picture from the box and fix the jersey that I had strewn on the cushions.

Laura and I look at the picture, my hands shaking with excitement. "So how far are you?" I ask her, my eyes scanning the picture for a date. "One month," she tells me pointing to the corner where it gives all the information. I do the math in my head, adding the nine months until the baby is here. "A December baby," I say smiling. "Just like you." Her lips fall into a gentle smile as she leans against me. "Are you ready to be a dad?" she asks quietly, the two of us standing alone in the condo, and I wrap my arms around her. "I can't wait." 

Becca's POV

I'm meeting my husband to be today. The wedding ceremony is being prepared as I sit in the kitchen, watching the servants run back and forth with brightly colored flowers, jewels shining from trays being carried around. I twist the little bracelet around my wrist, the little star from Andrew lying against my skin. I thought he would come get me, rescue me from here. But I guess I was wrong. My fingers play with the chain, pulling it until finally it gives way, snapping and falling to the floor.

I stare at it for a second, my first instinct to go and reach for it, put it in my pocket, and wait for him to come and get me. But then I realize, I'm stuck here forever. Andrew isn't coming for me, not now or ever. Did I ever really even love him or did I just enjoy the idea of loving someone, having someone there to lean against, tell my problems to, someone other than my fake friends back in Chicago who liked me for my money, for what my dad gave me? 

My aunt walks in as I look up, a man following her into the room. His brown eyes meet mine as I look over at him and my heart beats a bit faster as he gives me a smile. "Rebecca," she says, "This is Mulkraj." He extends his hand. "Pleased to meet you," he says as I give him my hand, and he gives it a little kiss, causing me to blush. My aunt laughs as she watches him kiss my hand. "Mulkraj, you will have plenty of time to kiss her after tonight." She pushes him off to get ready for the ceremony tonight as my cousins surround me, pulling me upstairs to get my makeup and hair done for the ceremony. One of them holds the red dress that I will wear, another the red and gold veil that will decorate my hair along with the gold jewelry.

My eye catches the gold star bracelet on the kitchen ground as I head up the stairs and I watch as a young girl picks it up and looks at it, quickly pocketing it after looking around. My heart twists for a second, thinking of everything Andrew and I had together, how much I thought I loved him, but then I think about how I've been here and he hasn't come to get me and the openness in my heart closes. Bye Andrew. 

Patrick's POV

When I wake up the next morning, her hands are tucked into mine and I smile as I give her a little kiss. To think of everything that has happened this week makes my heart beat faster as I lean closer against her. The doctors had made a mistake the day I asked to see her. Another Goldberg had been in the hospital, spelled Goldburg. They had thought I had meant that patient, telling me that Kayla was dead when really it was a completely different person, in face a man, not even a woman. 

Kayla shifts in her sleep, flipping over and snuggling her face into my chest and I run my fingers gently down her cheek. Her eyes gently open and she smiles up at me. Her arm is in a cast as well as her leg, but the doctors cleared her to go home. She gently leans forward to kiss me and I meet her halfway, our lips connecting in the thousandth kiss ever since she got home. "What would I do without you sweet boy?" she whispers and I look back at her. "I don't even want to think of life without you baby. Don't leave me please." "Don't worry Patrick. I'll never leave you." 

Andrew's POV

I'm getting ready to go out and try to find Becca tonight. I take the ring I picked out from my bag, and slip it into my pants pocket, the little black box resting against my leg. I can hear music coming from the party at the next door neighbors estate. It seems like a wedding, with all the flowers and decorations that were being set up all day. I walk down the stairs of my hotel and wander around to the house, peering through the bushes at the ceremony.

It seems like the actual ceremony part is over and now it is just a big party, everyone talking and drinking and dancing to the music. The bride excuses herself from the conversation she is having and starts walking off alone, and I realize that she's headed in my direction. I know she can't see me but I still feel my heart beating a bit as she gets closer and closer, finally sitting down on the stone bench in front of me. 

When the light hits her face, I gasp in sight of what I see. Becca's face, her lips outlined in red, her eyelids painted with gold, black eyeliner drawing out her lashes. "Becca," I whisper and she jumps, startled. "Who's there?" she whispers in my direction and I walk slowly out of the bushes. "Andrew," she whispers, the shock written on her face. "I need to ask you something," I say. "I know you just got married, but please Becca, we can escape this, leave this all behind." I kneel down, taking the ring box from my pocket and opening it to her. "Marry me Becca, please. I'm crazy about you."

She stares at me, her eyes wide like I'm crazy. I probably am, but I don't care, and then she laughs, not because it's funny, but out of pity for me. "Oh Andrew, I'm not going anywhere," she says. "I'm here forever. You're looking at Mrs. Mulkraj Kapoor and there's no way to escape that." I thrust the ring box closer to her. "Please Becca, you don't understand. I love you. I thought you loved me too. We were making plans together, to be together."

She pushes it gently back at me, embarassment written on her face. "Andrew, we can't. It's not possible. Just-just give it up. We had something, but that something left when I left the United States. Go back find another girl to love you because I-I just can't right now." She picks up the skirts of her dress, quickly walking back to the party, not a single glance back at me. I get slowly up from the ground, closing the box and putting it back in my pocket. I trudge my way back to my hotel, slowly climbing the stairs until I get to my room.

When I get there, I smash the decorative vase next to the bed onto the ground, letting it shatter like all my feelings. The mirror on the wall shows my now tear-streaked face and I rip it down, smashing it against the ground like the vase. Who cares if it's seven years of bad luck. I have all the bad luck I could need right now. What a waste. A waste of love, a waste of coming here. To think that she might have loved me once. What a fool you are Andrew. What a stupid, love sick fool. 

~Bet you weren't expecting that, huh? Guess we'll just have to see where the next chapter leads us. See you later lovely readers!~