Page 51 of Night and Day
A woman coming in the opposite direction stared and arched her eyebrows.
“Woohoo! That’s my girl,” Anton said.
Grinning hard, Tamika couldn’t be happier at his response. His support had been invaluable, and he was not in the least bit threatened by her pending success. On the contrary, he was constantly encouraging and supportive.
An unexpected pain whipped across Tamika’s abdomen, causing her to draw a sharp breath and come to a sudden stop in the middle of the sidewalk. The man behind her bumped into her back.
“Sorry,” he mumbled as he walked around her.
“What’s wrong?” Anton asked.
Moving more slowly, Tamika massaged the underside of her belly where the pain had come from.
“I don’t know. I had a sharp pain in my stomach from out of nowhere.”
“You okay?” He was immediately on the alert.
Not wanting to worry him, she replied, “No, I’m fine. The pain is gone, actually. I don’t know what could have caused it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, absolutely. I’m on my way to get myself some ice cream.” Breathing easier, she picked up the pace to her destination.
“I’m going to knock off early tonight so I can take you to a nice dinner. We need to celebrate.”
“Ooh, I like that idea. Can I pick the place or are you going to surprise me?”
“You can pick the place. Where do you want to eat?”
“I’ve always wanted to eat at the Sun Dial. Can we do that?”
The Sun Dial was an upscale restaurant on top of The Westin Peachtree Plaza. It slowly turned, giving a 360-degree view of the Atlanta skyline.
“As long as I’ve lived here, I’ve never eaten there either. Dinner at the Sun Dial will be something we can experience together for the first time.”
Tamika stopped in front of the ice cream shop. “I like experiencing new things with you,” she whispered.
“Me, too,” Anton said, and by the sound of his voice she could tell he was smiling.
“I’ll see you later. Go back to work. I called to let you know how the document signing went because I knew you’d be wondering. I’m calling my father next.”
“Thanks. See you later.”
“Love you.” Tamika blew him a kiss.
“Love you, too.”
Tamika moved to open the door of the shop, but her steps were cut short by another severe cramp in her abdomen. This time the pain was harsher and sliced into her lower back at the same time it cut across her belly. She let out a small cry and fell against the store’s window, tears springing to her eyes as the pain cut a relentless path under her skin.
“Ma’am, are you okay?” a dark-haired young woman asked. Her brow furrowed as she and the man with her came closer.
“I-I’m not sure,” Tamika gasped.
Then the shock of moisture in her underwear. Something wet and sticky, which filled her with dread.
The baby.
“Can I help you sit down somewhere?” the young woman asked.
