Page 38 of Forever His This Christmas

“So, you’re back together with Corey? Mom that’s great!” Abby said with a huge smile. “Wait…you want to move back to New York don’t you and you’re worried that I’ll be upset leaving here and Jazz.”

“Corey and I aren’t together yet. I haven’t seen him since that morning. We were going to spend Tuesdays together, but things have come up and I cancelled this week’s to think.”

“About what? I’ll deal if we move back to New York. As long as you’re happy, I don’t care. Jazz and I can talk and Skype. Corey makes you happy Mom, I know he does.”

“He does,” she agreed cupping Abby’s cheek with a light smile. “I cancelled this week because I was still processing the news, and I wasn’t sure what to do.”

“What news?”

“That I’m pregnant,” she admitted, and Abby’s eyes grew huge before she broke out with a smile.

“You’re pregnant? I’m going to have a brother or sister? That is so totally awesome!” she exclaimed hugging her. “What did Corey say when you told him?”

“I haven’t yet. I was trying to figure out what to do. I can’t keep it from him but if I tell him he’ll tell Mom and Dad.”

“And you can’t be with him and keep me from him, which means you can’t keep me from them…so where does that leave us?”

“Telling the truth finally,” she said squeezing Abby’s hand. “I miss Corey. When I saw the baby’s heartbeat on the ultrasound today, it was the same thing I felt when I saw you on yours. I will do anything to keep you safe but…”

“But to keep your heart safe you need Corey,” Abby guessed. “I will be careful Mom. I will do whatever you ask me to do. I just want you to be happy and with me. You said Corey had more money than he knew what to do with—don’t you think he’d use part of it to make sure we’re all safe? If he knows how much you love me—if he sees that it’s the same with the baby that you’re having…”

“I know,” she said as the tears came seeing how smart and strong her daughter was. “He would have done it six months ago I was just scared still.”

“But you’re not anymore?”

“No, I am—but I have to be stronger than that for you and this baby. I have to be strong enough to take a chance, to tell the truth and let people see who I really am.”

“They’ll love you even more. So, when are you going to tell them—Corey about the baby and me, and Grandma and Grandpa about everything else?”

“I don’t know yet. It’s going to be hard enough to do it once, let alone two to three times.”

“Then just do it once,” Abby suggested with a smile. “You told me you really love Christmas at the resort—in Colorado with the snow, so let’s go. Have Corey come and we’ll all go there together.”

“That will put us closer to…”

“The genetic marker? He can’t do anything to us without everyone knowing it’s him, right? Whether you tell them who or not, I don’t care. Come on Mom, stand up and fight. Let’s start the new year all together.”

“Do you have any idea how much I love you?” she asked Abby, giving her a huge hug as she kissed the top of her head.

“I know just how much you love me; I always have. I might have questioned it once or twice, but I always knew,” she replied going to change for bed giving her time to call Corey.

“Lisa, I was beginning to worry you’d changed your mind,” he said answering on the second ring as he thought about her and how to make her his again.

“I just needed some time to think. What are you doing for Christmas?”

“Nothing, I was looking at a week alone with a bottle of whiskey unless you have other ideas.”

“I do,” she stated working up to the Colorado bit.

“Let me guess a beach vacation?”

“No, one to Colorado might be nice though.”

“Colorado? You want to go home to see your family after avoiding them for months?”

“Yeah, I think it’s time to clear some things up and I really want you to be there.”

“I’ll get the first plane out to you that I can.”

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