One Simple Step (Journey #3)

I grunted in response, not really wanting to go there. I had already received a lecture from both of my parents over the whole situation. Yes, they had been almost the only set of parents out of all of my friends who were actually together, and yes, it was good to be raised by two parents, but it was also good for them to actually like each other, they explained. Kara and I had been in love before, maybe we could get back to that point somehow, or at least to one where I was actually able to stand being around her.

Once they realized I wasn’t changing my mind, I think they decided they better get used to the idea of Kara being around. “Yeah, they went shopping for baby stuff. C’mon, help me get some of these boxes into the garage. I guess that’s where they’ll have to go for now.”

We spent the rest of the afternoon getting things put away before my mom and Kara showed up. All I wanted to do was crawl into bed, but they just showed up with more stuff. My muscles were aching, my back hurt, and I felt like an old man. The nursery was slowly starting to fill up though, and I was at least happy about that. We had a crib, endless amounts of clothes, a changing table, and I’m pretty sure they had bought out the store’s wipes and diaper supply.

I decided that I might as well start getting some of the stuff put together, so I went to work on the crib first. That had to be one of the most important things.

“I’m going to head to bed, Nick.” I looked over to see Kara standing in the doorway, one hand resting on her stomach, and the other on her lower back. “Are you coming?”

“Um...” I looked at the parts that I had spread out over the floor, and then back to her, shaking my head. I hadn’t even thought about what this whole living together thing actually meant. I couldn’t even think about sharing a bed with Kara because in the morning, I would want to wake up with someone else next to me, not her. “I’ll be in in a little while, I want to get this stuff together.”

“Okay,” she responded quietly, giving me a sleepy smile before heading down the hallway.

I ended up putting everything together, just so I could avoid going into my bedroom. What if us sleeping together, and living together, instantly made her think that we were together? Would she want sex? I mean her stomach was huge, could women even have sex when they were that far along? No, just the thought made me sick to my stomach. Not the whole having sex with a pregnant woman thing. No, just the fact that she simply wasn’t Ally.

I couldn’t touch her.

I eyed the couch as I stepped into the dark living room, and I had a feeling that is where I would end up sleeping, at least until I figured some things out. Yeah, Kara was here, we were living together, and about ready to have a baby together, I just couldn’t help but think about the what-if’s though as I collapsed onto the couch and my eyes fell shut.

The usual guilt that started to roll in whenever I tried to sleep, started up quickly. How was Ally? Was she upset? Was she pissed? Was she depressed? Was she back with that asshole? God, I hoped she wasn’t. While it would kill me to see her ending up with anyone, I just wanted her to be happy, and I knew Teddy couldn’t do that for her. He didn’t even deserve the chance.

Somehow, I must’ve finally fallen asleep because the next time my eyes opened it was at the sound of my phone’s alarm coming from my pocket. I jumped when I sat up and saw Kara sitting in the chair across from the couch, staring at me.

“Oh good, you’re finally awake,” she said in a sweet voice, giving me a fake smile. Just what I wanted to wake up to every morning.

“Don’t you need to be at work or something?” I asked as I sat up, craning my neck back and forth. If the couch was my new bed, I needed to get a much more comfortable one.

“Nope,” she answered with a pop. “The doctor wrote me a note for early maternity leave because my blood pressure’s been a little high. He says it has to do with so much stress in my life,” she said, nonchalantly. And she was the cause of most of it, I wanted to add.

“Listen, Nick, I know this whole situation didn’t exactly play out how you wanted. I know you were happy with that girlfriend of yours.” She paused, rolling her eyes, and it made me want to slam my fist through the wall. “But we need to figure out a way to make things work. I’m not saying you need to instantly fall in love with me again or anything, but we do need to get along. Do you really want our daughter growing up with parents that hate each other, living under the same roof? It wouldn’t be very healthy.”

I hated to agree with Kara, but what she said had made sense, mostly.

“If we can’t work things out, maybe I’ll go live with my mom in California. She offered us a place to stay, so after the baby’s born, we could move out there. You could have visitations at like holidays or something.”

C.A. Williams's books