Healing a broken heart

Tell me the truth

Chapter 20

LCPOV

Ring ring...

"Hello.

"Hi, Lauren."

"Oh hi, Norman. What you doing calling me."

"Ah not much Mingus hit me with a weird idea and it won't go away."

"What's that babe?"

"Is Ella pregnant? He thinks she is she was talking about twenty-five and twenty-six aren't that far apart and that it should be okay. He thinks that she's talking about weeks. Is she? Ah, Lauren you there."

Oh, fuck what do I do? I can't tell him I can't even point him in the right direction. Thanks, Ella.

"Yeah, I'm here. I'm sure she'll tell you what's happening babe. You're seeing her soon right?"

"Yeah, two days. I've been like a cat on a hot tin roof. All this waiting has got to go."

"It'll be over soon enough. But you mister you need to be nice, no screaming at Ella, no stressing her out she's already in a heightened state if yesterday was any indication. Her doctor told her she need peace and calm. Or the stress could hurt......"

"Could hurt what babe? Are you trying to tell me something? Is she pregnant? She is, isn't she? She didn't tell me. You didn't tell me. Why Lauren you're my friend."

"Fuck Norman I gotta go."

Ring ring...

Oh, pick up Ella pick up.

"Oh hi, Lauren."

"He knows."

"What?"

"Norman knows about the baby."

"You told him. You promised me you wouldn't."

"I kept that promise. I haven't. He was talking to me and I could hear him putting the pieces together. You gave it away not me. You said twenty-five or twenty-six to him Ming said it might mean weeks and he put it together. He needed to know."

"Oh god. What am I going to do?"

"Hey, at least he knows. I'll call him back and try to calm him do you trust me."

"Yeah, I trust you."

"You missy are not to stress I'll be over later to check on you. Go bake something I know you find that relaxing."

"Yeah, you want something?"

"Whatever is easy baby. Don't stress he's going to love this baby so much Ella he's going to love Stella so much he won't care. Okay, I promise he's a good guy."

"Ok bye."

Fuck me here I go again. Note to self don't get involved with other people's lives.

Ring ring...

"What do you want Lauren? I thought you were my friend. Now she's not answering her phone."

"I told her not to. I told her to put it on silent and leave it in her room and walk away."

"Why do I need to talk to her? Find out why she didn't tell me."

"I can tell you what you need to know."

"Okay hit me."

"She's due the 18th of April. So she's nearly six months. She conceived on or around the 23rd of July. Does that day mean anything to you Norman?"

"Oh god, the day she got raped."

"Yeah she doesn't know who the father was she was scared it wasn't you that you would hate her, hate the baby if it wasn't yours."

"I wouldn't have done that."

"As I said before she had a breakdown she's getting better now. She knows it's your baby Norman, Stella Maryanne's a great baby and very active."

"Stella Maryanne? She's having a girl?"

"She thinks it's a girl but she doesn't know for sure."

"How does she know it's mine."

"She thinks the cravings are an indicator that it's yours. The baby loves chocolate and hates peanut butter."

"That's my kid. Yep sounds like me."

"She doesn't know for sure it's yours but the fact at she's willing to take a chance that it's yours is good Norman. She saw the baby as punishment for the rape that him making her pregnant as if it was the luck she deserved that she didn't deserve any more good luck as she had had you."

"So do you know how this happened?"

"Well Norman when a man and woman get hot or love each other a lot they have sex and if they are silly they forget to wear a condom and bam girl falls pregnant."

"I know that I usually try to avoid the baby factory I don't know why I didn't with her I think because I thought it wasn't a possibility but I'm so happy over this. I just want to hug the crap out of her. I want to hold her and kiss her and make her feel safe. I don't care if I'm not the father I'll be its dad regardless I want to marry her Lauren. If she'll have me."

"Oh, Norman I think I'm going to cry over here."

"I'm hoping to see her tonight give her space babe. She might call you don't call her I know you want to and I know it's hard but please you need to do this for her, for me."

"You think she can travel?"

"Yeah, she's still good for a few weeks. I think it's 32 if I'm not mistaken."

"Cool. You think she'd want to go to Japan?"

"Maybe what you got planned?"

"Nothing."

"Oh, you're going to propose to her. Aren't you?"

"I always wanted to I still do. I want her in my life, Lauren. She's the only girl for me."

"Okay now remember give her space you get that, no harassment."

"I promise I won't. A baby that's so cool me a dad. Wow."

"Hey, mister."

"Yeah."

"Get that shit-eating grin off your face or Mingus'll know right away."

"How do you know what I look like?"

"I know you. Goodbye Norman."

"Bye Lauren."

Wow me a dad. That's very cool.