One Night in New York

Chapter Twelve

Do people ever feel the need to deceive those they care about in order to protect them from what they believe will destroy them? I'm not referring to adultery or anything else heinous. What I'm referring to is concealing something as significant as a pregnancy. Stupid question, but that's how I felt. I felt compelled to deceive Liam until I could plan a suitable time to tell him. I hated lying to him, but I was more afraid of his reaction. No, I didn't intend to keep it hidden until my water broke. I was just waiting for the right moment. When would the appropriate time be? I had no idea, but I knew I had to figure it out quickly.

The rest of the week flew by, and before you knew it, it was December 4th, the day of the Rockefeller Center tree lighting ceremony. I spent the week bouncing between mine and Liam's apartments, not wanting to spend all of my time with Liam, which caused me to stress about my secret. Time passed without incident, and we all began to feel as if we were recovering from the accident. Liam still had five weeks with his cast, but he seemed to be getting used to it, and I was trying to figure out the best time to tell him.

Finally, the day had arrived for us to attend the 87th Tree Lighting Ceremony on the Plaza. A 77-foot-tall Norway spruce would soon be illuminated for everyone to see. Those who were unable to attend could watch it on television, as it is done every year. The fifty thousand LED lights and horn-blowing angels that led the way up to the tree were breathtaking. Hundreds of thousands of onlookers would be astounded as the rest of us as the holiday season began in New York. For a brief moment, the thought of the magical day and evening put my mind at ease. I refused to let what I was holding tightly ruin our time together.

When it came time to leave, Angie and Marcus stepped out of their cab, completing the group. The eight of us rode in our usual limo, enjoying the view of all the holiday decorations as we arrived. I looked out the window of the limo at shops decorated with holiday scenes and trees strung with lights throughout the city. That time of year was my favorite in New York because it felt like the entire city was celebrating. We appeared to be celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa all at the same time.

We arrived at the Rockefeller Center around 2:00 p.m., one of the best places to visit in New York at that time of year. It was a blustery 37 degrees outside, but the nostalgia of that day was enough to make anyone forget about the cold. The sun would periodically peek through the clouds, providing us with temporary warmth on an otherwise chilly day while we were bundled up in coats, jackets, and boots to keep our feet warm.

Angie was the most excited to try out ice skating at the Rockefeller Center's open ice rink, but I'd pass. "Hey, Nat, let's go skating," she said as I tried to shake my head, "Oh, that's right, you shouldn't because your pr.... probably still sore from the accident."

"Real smooth Angie, real smooth," I thought to myself. She caught herself before blurting out the truth, and I was definitely thinking about how easy her recovery was as I returned her smirk.

Just then, everyone looked over at me, causing me to nervously smile, "She's right; I should probably sit this out," I quickly added.

"Are you sure?" Liam asked, "I have a broken arm, and I was going to skate, come on Nat, you'll be fine," he added, implying I should not baby myself and get on the ice with him.

"Um, no, I think I'll sit this out. You know how clumsy I can be. I would probably fall the entire time. Don't need more bruises all over my body," I jokingly told Liam.

"OK, I'll sit out with you then."

"No, Liam, don't sit out on my accord, go have fun. I'll just walk around with your parents. There are plenty of things to do and see here. Go with them. I'll be fine." I wanted to tell him, and I could feel myself getting close, but I wasn't sure how close.

"Well, I'll just go for a short while, I won't be long, and I will come and find you, after" Liam responded.

He enjoyed ice skating. I learned that when Liam moved to New York in the winter of 2012, that was one of the first things he tried, and it stuck. I wasn't about to stop him from doing what he enjoyed.

Liam was greeted by adoring women from the moment he stepped onto the ice, despite his best efforts to ignore their advances. I was irritated at first, but his reaction soothed me. He'd point to me as if to say, "I'm with her."

With my mind at ease, I went on to enjoy the sights with Connie and Thomas while the others skated around. I was envious, but I knew the real reason I couldn't join them. We stopped at food vendors, where I satisfied my pregnancy cravings for hot dogs and pretzels, as well as doing a little shopping. We'd been gone for a little over an hour when we decided to reunite with everyone.

It was only around 4:00 p.m. when we returned, giving us a few more hours before the tree would be lit. We took to the streets, admiring the beautiful scenery and listening to the sounds of the season. The crowd sang Christmas carols in unison as tubists of all ages lined up under the tree, playing our favorite holiday songs. The day was filled with amazing shows and a sea of people, so there was plenty to do and see. We ran into some familiar faces as well as some new ones. I wasn't privy to or prepared for the life of a wealthy and well-known person, so it would take some getting used to. I had intended to stand in the background while Liam spoke to people, press, adoring women, you name it, but he quickly introduced me as his. I was on cloud nine as he let all of the city's adoring women know he was taken. Now the entire state of New York, and possibly further afield, knew that I was Liam's, and he was mine.

The fun night proceeded as we continued to have a good time, but it was soon time to light the magnificent tree in front of us. As we stood in front of the towering symbol of the New York Holiday Season, we had a breathtaking view. I stood in awe, as I had done every year, but a sense of a new beginning washed over me as I nestled next to Liam, holding his hand.

As I closed my eyes, listening to the music as if it was urging me to reveal what I knew he needed to know, I felt an overwhelming desire to tell Liam the news. I decided that now was as good a time as any to reveal the big surprise. Why then and there? Maybe it was all the nostalgia. The tree, the horn-playing angels, and the ambiance of that evening gripped me and compelled me to tell him. I couldn't say, but all I knew was that it had to happen, and nothing was going to stop it.

As the countdown began, and the tree lit beautifully before us, with hundreds of thousands of cheers, feeling as if they were cheering me on, I told him. I grabbed Liam by his arm and turned him toward me as I shouted, "I'm pregnant!"

A look of confusion settled on his face as he strained to hear me and could apparently not read my lips. "What?" he screamed back at me.

Just then, it felt as if the crowd fell silent, and we were the only ones in attendance. I pulled Liam's face to mine, calmly saying, "I'm pregnant."

I saw his jaw drop from the news and he seemed to have heard me at the time. He hesitated at first, but I noticed a sudden shift to happiness, or so I hoped. He hugged me closer, squeezing me as tightly as he could.

"Liam, I can't breathe," I jokingly told him as he proceeded to kiss me.

It was like a slow-motion movie, the happy ending I had hoped for, only it wouldn't all end well.