Here it is. It's not how I really wanted to break the parts up, but it was the best I could do.
I've included the last of part 29 as a reminder of what happened.
My plan is to have the next part be weeks ahead of the current time in the story. It's time to move on!! It's just been hard to do with no easy break-off point. [sigh]
Take care.
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
[starts w/ the last of part 29...a reminder]
(Two days later)
[riiiing!] [riiiing!]
“Hello.”
“Hello, is this the Grey residence?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Great. You must be Celise. I’m Rick Hunter…Dee Dee’s friend.”
Celise gasped with surprise. “Oh, yes. I’ve heard so much about you. Dee Dee speaks so highly of you.”
“She does?” Rick felt himself blush. “I’m glad to hear she hasn’t told you all the bad things about me.” He laughed.
“Oh, far from it.” Celise laughed, too.
“Is she there? I’d like to speak with her.”
“Yes, she is. Hold for a moment.”
Rick waited excitedly and nervously. He was anxious to hear her voice again, but didn’t want Dee Dee to feel pressured by his phone call.
Celise stepped into the den where Dee Dee was reading a book.
“You have a phone call.” Celise held her hand over the phone’s receiver.
Dee Dee looked up with surprise. “Really?” She knew who it was. No one else knew she was staying with the Grey’s. “It’s Rick, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
Dee Dee sighed nervously. “I wonder what he wants.”
“You can ask him. That is, if you want to talk to him.” She extended to phone to Dee Dee.
“I’ll talk to him.”
“Good.” Celise smiled. “I’ll be in the living room.”
“Hello.” Dee Dee answered.
“Hey, Dee Dee. How are you?”
“I’m okay. How are you doing?”
“Fine, thanks.” Rick took a seat on his sofa. “I hope I’m not bothering you.”
“No, you’re never a bother. I was just sitting here reading.”
“Well, I know you said you were dealing with things fairly well, and didn’t want to talk much about it. I’m not calling to pressure you. I wanted you to know that whenever you decide to come back, let me know, and I’ll send money for your travel expenses; whether you have it at the time or not. It’s my treat. That is, if I can’t come and bring you back personally.”
Dee Dee’s eyes began to water at the kindness from Rick.
“And I also wanted you to know that if you ever feel you need me; if things get too tough, all you ever have to do is to tell me.” Rick desperately wanted her to reach out to him. “Just say …you need me. I’ll drop everything and come to you immediately. Do you understand?”
Dee Dee’s heart ached for Rick. She truly did want to be with him, but she just wasn’t ready to face him. “Yes, I understand. Thank you. And I’m sorry if I’ve made you feel you were shut out.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m just glad you told me as much as you did. The rest will come when you’re ready.”
“And when that time comes, there are going to be moments when I’ll want to call you in the middle of the night to talk.”
“Anytime is fine with me. You know that.”
Dee Dee sighed with contentment. “Yes. And I love you for that….your kindheartedness.”
Rick felt his heart skip a beat with Dee Dee’s words. “Thank you. And I’m glad you feel that way.” He wasn’t sure of where the conversation would lead next, and being unsure of Dee Dee’s emotional state, he thought it best to give her a break. “I don’t want to wear out my phone welcome, so I’ll let you go. I just wanted you to know that I’m here for you.”
“Thank you for calling. I promise we’ll talk again soon, and regularly.”
“I look forward to it. Goodbye, Dee Dee.”
“Goodbye, Rick.”
After hanging up; unaware of what each was doing, both Rick and Dee Dee lay into comfortable positions on their sofas. Rick couldn’t get Dee Dee off his mind. He wondered and worried about how she was really handling things. He wanted so badly to rush to her side, but he swore to keep his promise and only go if she asked. It was tearing him up inside, but had to fight the temptation, including that of making a visit to Alex. He made up his mind to look into getting a passport right away. He wanted to be ready if Dee Dee called him.
Dee Dee thought of nothing but Rick for the rest of the evening and into the night. She tried to picture herself with him; telling him about their children and for the most part, her daydreaming proved Rick to be ecstatic about the twins. But the opposite reaction; utter and complete anger could also prove to be real. After she went to bed, she tried her best to focus on the fact that Rick would be happy about the babies, even if he and she couldn’t work things out as a couple. Although she wanted to build a family with him, she would happily accept that he’d help raise their children even while living in separate homes in LA. The second part of her daydreaming, was telling him the entire truth about Alex. She hated to imagine his reaction when she told him that she lost her will and stayed with Alex out of fear, how Alex was both verbally and physically abusive, was a coke addict, and that his beatings could have harmed the babies. And the way she knows Rick, he’d surely go after Alex for putting the babies in danger.
If Rick would truly want to be a father, how would he take the news of his children being in harms way because of her weakness? What would he do and say to her? It would most likely cause him to walk away from her for good. He may even want full custody of the children after proving that she was keeping them in possible danger. The thoughts terrified her.
She couldn’t stand losing custody of her babies, not even to Rick.
========
(Part 30)
Dee Dee couldn’t think of anything other than Rick fighting her for custody of their children. Would he actually do it? Was she getting too far ahead of the game? If so, when would the game begin?
With such disturbing thoughts running through her head, she found it very difficult to fall asleep. Just as she picked up a book for a distraction, she heard a light knocking at the door.
“Dee Dee?” Celise called from the other side of the door. “May I come in?”
“Sure.”
Celise stepped inside. “How are you doing?”
“I’m okay, I guess.” Dee Dee sat up straighter and put down her book. “I just can’t sleep. I thought I’d try reading, but I can’t concentrate on the story.”
“I could get some warm milk for you. That might help relax you.”
“No thanks.” A slight frown came across Dee Dee’s face. “I’m not a big fan of it. I tried it once at a kid and that was enough.”
“Okay. Mind if I sit down.”
“Go ahead.”
Celise sat at the end of the bed. “I don’t mean to pry; details aren’t needed, but you didn’t say anything about your phone call with Rick. I just wanted to see if you’re okay.”
“Oh, thanks.” Dee Dee smile softly. “The call went well. He wanted to let me know that he’d send for me if I decide to go back to the states.”
“That’s very sweet of him.” Celise smiled.
“Yes, it is. I just wish I knew what to do.”
“Take your time to get yourself in order. He’ll be there for you whenever you’re ready to go back.”
“I guess.” Dee Dee’s worries started to build again. “But will he be there to accept me as the mother of his children?”
Celise wasn’t sure of how to answer and hesitated with her reply. “If he loved you as much as he said, and if he thought he’d like children in a few years…then, I say yes. He’ll accept you, but it may not be easy for either of you from the start. You can work through it, I’m sure.”
“I suppose that’s possible.” Dee Dee sighed. “And I know he did love me. I know that with all my heart. But, time has gone by and changed us both.”
“But the changes could be for the best. Maybe you’ll both be stronger together.”
Dee Dee sighed heavier than before. “Maybe.”
“You’re still in love with him, aren’t you?”
“Yes.” Dee Dee replied softly at the thought of the love she’d lost. “I’m still completely in love with him. But I screwed everything up.”
“Maybe you made a huge mistake by marrying Alex, but it doesn’t mean that all is lost forever with Rick. There may still be a chance for you two.”
“I wonder. I really do wonder.” Dee Dee also wondered about the ideas she had before Celise entered the room. “There’s something else that’s bothering me; something that scares me.”
“What is it?” Celise asked with concern.
“I’m worried that Rick will want to take the babies away from me.”
“Why on Earth would he do that?”
“Because…I didn’t leave Alex as soon as found out I was pregnant. He could have hurt the babies while he abused me. Rick could use that against me in court and win.”
Celise felt compassion for her friend. “Oh, I don’t think he’d do that. You were in a situation that you had no control over.”
“Maybe I did have control, and just didn’t use it.”
“No. I don’t believe that. I believe that if you were really in control, you would have left the first time Alex hit you. For whatever reason, you lost yourself, and you couldn’t help being as afraid as you were. You said yourself; your instinct kicked in the first time Alex slapped you, and you were about to hit him back. When he stopped you and told you the price you’d pay, he really terrified you. He caused you to change into someone weaker, Dee Dee. It was his fault, not yours.”
“But I still can’t help but wonder…”
“Don’t wonder, and don’t worry. It’ll be alright. Rick wouldn’t take the babies because he’d be hurting you, too. He just wouldn’t do it.”
Dee Dee sighed with minimal relief. “Maybe, but…”
“Enough.” Celise said quietly. “He won’t do it. I know it.”
“Alright.” Dee Dee let out a deeper sigh. “He wouldn’t do that.”
“Keep that positive thought.” Celise smiled.
“Thanks. I will.” Dee Dee gave Celise a grateful hug, and when the two parted, she informed her friend of a recent decision she’d made.
“I’m going to call my parents tonight. They’re still off traveling, but I felt it best to leave a message on their answering machines to let them know how to reach me.”
“Are you going to tell them everything when they call you?”
“No. I’ll tell them that the marriage was an awful mistake. I know my mother will bring up the fact that she thought I was rushing into the marriage in the first place. But it’s just something I’ll have to deal with.”
“Well, I hope it’ll go smoother than you think. When are they due back?”
“Maybe in another week.”
“Hopefully by then, you’ll have been able to prepare for the conversation.”
“I hope so.”
“It’s getting really late. Celise looked at the table clock. “I’ll let you get some rest. You know I’m just a few steps away if you need me.”
After Celise left, Dee Dee called the homes of each of her parents and left a message. She was glad to have step number one taken care of. She knew that it was now a waiting game until they returned her call, and she’d have to deal with whatever questions and guilt trips they may bring before her. She picked up her book once more, and began to read where she’d left off. Her concentration wasn’t any better, so she gave up, turned off the light and turned on the radio.
Although it took the better part of an hour; with the aid of several light Jazz tunes from the radio, she finally fell asleep.
----
On Monday afternoon, Dee Dee sat in the community center library going over some of the children’s worksheets from Thursday.
“Hi, Dee Dee.” Ryan Jacobs walked in. “How are you feeling?”
She smiled as she looked up. “Much better, thanks.”
“Good.” Ryan joined her at the table. “When Laura said you called in sick on Friday, I was hoping it wasn’t serious.”
The horrific last moments with Alex flashed before Dee Dee. “The first part of the weekend was a little rough, but I’m okay.”
“I’m glad to hear you’re better. Are you ready to take on the gang today?”
“Yeah, I think so. I feel the need to get glitter and glue on my clothes again.” Dee Dee and Ryan laughed.
“If you don’t mind the company, I’ll sit here and go over some of my papers, too.”
“I don’t mind at all.” Dee Dee smiled.
“I wanted to get these done over the weekend, but I never got around to it.” Ryan began to pull papers from his briefcase. “We had company for most of Saturday, and I was just too tired yesterday. Oh, and Tanya said to tell you ‘hello’.
“Tell her the same for me.”
“She asks about you often. She feels bad for not ever calling, after saying you two should go out sometime when you met at the Doe’s party months ago.”
“Oh, I understand.”
“She’s always working, and we rarely have time to be together.”
Dee Dee noted the disappointed look on Ryan’s face. “I’m sure things will slow down for her sometime soon, and you two will have more time together.”
“I hope you’re right.”
After about forty-five minutes the pair had finished up their work and was ready for the kids to come in from school.
When Dee Dee stood up to collect books to read to the children, her blouse clung tightly to her stomach for a second and then fell loosely, but not before Ryan’s curiosity was piqued. For the remainder of the day he wondered if his suspicion was true. Before she left for home, Ryan had built up his nerve to ask Dee Dee the question which remained in his thoughts all day.
He found her back in the library, this time putting her books away.
“Dee Dee, may I ask a personal question?” He stood beside her.
“Sure. But depending on what it is, you might not get an answer.” She said playfully.
“That’s fair enough.” Ryan smiled, and asked Dee Dee to join him at the table. “I know that some women don’t like it when someone even suggests they may have added an ounce of weight to their frame, and…well, I noticed that um…”
Knowing the upcoming question, Dee Dee tried to keep a straight face during Ryan’s struggle.
“Well…I don’t mean offense with…mentioning …um…weight, but if I’m correct with my suspicion, then…uh… hopefully you won’t be offended.” He was about to lose his nerve within his tangled words, but pressed on after quickly clearing his throat. “When you stood up, your blouse was clinging to you. And you look to have…gained some weight…most obviously in your stomach. So, the personal question is – Are you pregnant?”
=======