Page 48 of The Baby Twist
As I walked out of the building, I couldn’t help but stare at the pictures of my baby. Her facial features and her little body were perfectly clear. I could already tell she had Lucas’s nose and my lips.
I’d done a lot of thinking the past week, and I decided to take a trip back home for the weekend to try and make amends with my parents. I wasn’t sure how they would feel about the baby, but I would soon find out. My visit would go one of two ways: delightful or disastrous.
Lucas
I’d rented a lake house from a nice older couple about an hour outside of Portland, Maine. It was beautiful, peaceful, and exactly what I needed. The view of the lake was relaxing and visible from all sides of the house. I’d spent the last week doing absolutely nothing, and I didn’t feel one ounce of guilt for it.I’d done some fishing and canoeing and hiked the trails near the house. But most importantly, I’d done a lot of thinking—thinking about my father, my life, Jenna, and the baby. As much as I hated to admit it, she was right. I lived my entire life trying to get my father’s approval. To make him see that he’d made the right decision in keeping me and that I was worthy. I was a thirty-year-old man still seeking the same approval and worth from him, and the cycle needed to stop. I had one more week at the lake house, and I would use it to my full advantage before I had to return to life's reality. A life I wasn’t so sure of anymore.
One Week Later
Jenna
I stood in front of the mirror and stared at my naked, expanding body. Now, it was more than obvious that I was pregnant. It amazed me how fast the baby grew in the past two weeks. I had four months left to figure out what I would do and where I would go once the baby was born. I still hadn’t heard a word from Lucas, and I didn’t know when he was coming back. My visit with my parents went a little better than I expected. It was neither delightful nor disastrous. It was just fine, but it would take a lot of time if we were ever going to have a normal family relationship.
I was sitting at my desk working on an important project when I heard a light knock on the door.
“Come in,” I said, staring at my computer.
“Hello, Jenna.”
Looking towards the door, I saw Lucas standing there.
“Hey. You’re back.”
“I am.” He stepped inside and closed the door.
Damn, did he look sexy.
Getting up from my desk, he noticed my belly, and a look of shock splayed across his face.
“Wow. You really got bigger over the past couple of weeks.”
“Yeah. It’s real now.” I grinned as I placed my hand on my belly. “How was your trip?”
“It was good and very relaxing. I’m hoping you’ll have dinner with me tonight. We need to talk.”
“Sure. How about you come over, and I’ll cook? That way, we’ll have more privacy,” I said.
“You don’t have to cook. I can bring something over. Is there anything you have a taste for?”
I stood there and thought about it for a moment.
“Mediterranean sounds good.”
“Sounds good to me, too.” A light smile crossed his lips. “I’ll stop at the place on the corner from our building, and I’ll be over around seven. I have a lot of work to catch up on. Just text me what you want.”
“I will.”
He opened the door and stopped when I called his name.
“Lucas?”
“Yeah?” He looked at me.
“It’s good to have you back.”
“It’s good to be back.” He gave me a wink as he walked out of my office.
He seemed different. Calmer and relaxed. The pressures of life didn’t show on his face as they had. I pulled up the online menu for the Mediterranean place, and everything sounded so good. I finally narrowed it down and texted Lucas my order.
