The Baby Plan

Chapter 4

Megan takes me to the apartment she's been renting for the past six months. As soon as Zara called with the news of the engagement Megan, like the devoted friend she is, came to town and rented a place. She's a professional photographer that got a lucky break when she took several award winning photographs of the aftermath of a forest fire, and from then she has built a spectacular career. She makes a decent yearly salary and had a nice sum saved up, so she decided to only take jobs closer to home until the wedding. After, she will decide where she'll go to next.

As I get out the car I see Zara standing just inside the entrance to the building. When she sees us she runs out and tackles me.

"Lisa, I missed you!" we hadn't see each other in a year.

"Oomph" She lets me go so suddenly I nearly fall. As I right myself I see her tackle Erick in hug that leaves him red. I smile widely, how I've missed my family.

"So Lisa, why didn't you tell us you were reaching today?" She has a fake disapproving look on her face. I know she loves that she'll get to see me and Erick more.

"Because I wanted to surprise you." I say, giving her my most innocent grin. It's only partly true.

"Really, Lisa? I know you too well. "

"Okay, I just didn't want to interfere with whatever plans you all had today."

"Lisa " She sounds exasperated. I change the subject.

"Anyway, where's your future wife?"

"She told me she was going to see something about her dress I think?" she shrugs seeming a bit dazed. I think she's walking in a dream, it's so good to see her happy.

She turns to my son and asks him what he's been drawing lately.

"Mostly landscapes, it's really beautiful here." I guess school was teaching him well.

"Well I'm glad because I want you to draw the garden before the wedding okay?"

He's smiling broadly now, he looks more like my father right now than ever. I feel a tear rolling down my cheek and I wipe away before he notices.

"Mom, can I go?"

"Of course love"

I turn to Zara with a more serious expression.

"Zar, I want to talk to you about something."

She must know what I want to talk to her about because she stops smiling and gives Megan a nervous glance.

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When we get into the apartment I leave the suitcase in the guest bedroom without unpacking and all of us go to the cafe across the street.

I let Erick go to the corner table by himself because he likes quiet when he draws and nobody else is here. I can keep an eye on him from here.

"Okay Lisa, I know you want to discuss why we didn't tell you earlier that Daniel was invited to the wedding."

I don't say anything and she continues.

"Daniel was in town, for what reason I don't know, but he and Alex saw each other at a bar and where catching up and the wedding came up and Alex was embarrassed we hadn't invited anyone from the Henry family so he told Daniel to come and bring a plus one if he wanted." Zar says without stopping.

"Did anybody give him that authority?" It wasn't my wedding, but that wasn't something Alex should have done without his sister's and Zara's permission.

"He didn't think it would be much of a problem, plus Christina and Daniel knew each other in high school. We scolded Alex, but we can't uninvite Daniel."

"Okay, I undertand that, now, why hide it from me."

"We didn't tell you because I was afraid you wouldn't come, and I need you here Lisa, so I convinced Christina and Megan not to mention it to you." I felt a little guilty for being angry, because I would feel the same if I were her, but that still did not give her the right to keep something like that from me.

"My wedding without you won't be the perfect day." her eyes were pleading.

" If you'd told me earlier I would have tried to make some kind of arrangement to leave Erick somewhere where I knew he will be taken care of for the time I was here, your happiness is very important to me, Zar, I'll do all that is my power to be there for you. "

"Ugh, I know we went at it all wrong, but can you please forgive me, Christina and Megan and still come to my wedding?"

"You know I will, Zar, but we have to do everything possible to keep Daniel and Erick from meeting and if they do then keep them apart."

 I was pretty sure if people saw them together too many questions would arise. They can put two and two together and figure out I was pregnant when I left and add the resemblance to the twins, the truth would not be so hard to figure out.

Not everybody would pay attention, but there are enough people in town that just like to be in other people's business and would do all that math just to spread some new gossip.

"Lisa, I know you don't like talk about it, but, don't you think your son deserves to now his father?" Her voice was a mere whisper. Erick could overhear us talking. He only ever asked me once where his father was and I told him the truth, I didn't know. He never asked after that and I don't know why.

I have thought about it, but I'm such a coward that I never knew what Cameron did after graduation, and the girls knew never to bring it up.

"He deserves it yes, but to be honest with you I don't actually know what happened to Cameron."

They looked at me surprised. They probably thought I'd searched him up and decided he was not worthy of my son, but the truth was much simpler, I just hadn't looked.

"So you're telling me you don't know what happened to the father of your child? " She was looking at me with disbelief. I knew it was wrong but I just wanted things to be easy.

"Yeah, I only know about Daniel because he's famous."

"Oh my Goodness Lisa, what if something had happened to him?" I never really thought about that. I'm a terrible person, a terrible mother.

"I just wanted it to be easy okay, I'm a coward."

"Oh Alyssa you need to fix this, your son needs a father, and his father should get to know him." I know Zara's right. I'm not 19 with a baby anymore, I have to face my past, for my son.

"Alright, I'll fix it, but after the wedding, so I have my head on it."

"I'm so glad you're doing this, we will be here for you for whatever comes after." we had a long group hug.

I know they will. Now I have to figure out how to tell Cameron Henry he has a son.

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