Page 39 of A New Dawn

“Thank you!” I squeeze out through a tight chest.

“You’re really worried about Tiero, aren’t you?”

“How could I not be?” And then I take a deep breath and tell her, “Rhi, I’m pregnant.”

There’s only silence from her end.

Rhia lets out a long breath. “Shit, Ella. I was hoping you got away with it.”

“Yeah, that makes two of us. I was yelling at the stupid pregnancy test.”

Rhia laughs. “You would. Holy cow. You’re going to be a mother. And I’m going to be an aunty.”

There’s awe in her voice, and I can’t help it, I rub my tummy gently. Is there a switch inside a woman that gets flicked when she finds out she’s expecting so she can’t stop touching her stomach?

“I’ll be a single mother on the run from the mob,” I huff.“Tiero must never find out about this baby,Rhia. I will not expose this child to Tiero’s world. If it’s a boy, he’ll be expected to take over as Don one day. And if it’s a girl, she’ll be a highly prized kidnapping target for all of her life. I can’t let that happen.”

“Fuck, I hadn’t thought of that.”

“How could you? But I had nearly two weeks to contemplate this. If Tiero ever finds out, he’ll be so furious… he’ll probably kill me.”

“Fuck,” Rhia says again. “Then we need to make sure he never finds you.”

“It’s only a matter of time before he will,” I whisper. “Tiero will never give up his search for me. Especially if he thinks I might be carrying his child.”

“Have you seen a doctor for a checkup?”

“Rhia, it’s one o’clock in the morning, and I only just arrived in Atlanta.”

“Right, sorry. I’m a bit flustered by this news. You need to find yourself an obstetrician, a discreet one.”

“Aren’t they all meant to be discreet?”

“Yeah, but you know what I mean. Oh, I’m gonna have so much fun buying baby clothes.” I can hear the smile in her voice now. “And you’ll need a cot and a change table, and…” There she is, my always super organized bestie, making a list of things to do. It didn’t take her long!

“Rhia, before you go planning this pregnancy, remember, I might not have a place to live soon. I have to tell Gary about this baby, which in a few months’ time will make it impossible for me to work with large dogs. I might be out of a job I haven’t even started and have nowhere to live. I can’t access the money my parents left me. I might be on the streets.”

“As if I would let that happen. You know I’m always there for you, right?”

“Yeah, I do. But I don’t want to become a burden. You have your own life to live.”

“El, I’m making plenty of money. So does Lex. If I have to support you and this baby, so be it. You’re family, and family looks after each other. We will work this out, okay? I don’t want you to stress about anything… it’s not good for the baby.”

Tears prick my eyes. What have I done to deserve a friend like her? When she loves, she loves unconditionally. I’m so lucky.

“Besides, Gary wouldn’t kick you out. He’s not like that,” Rhia continues. “Lex has the highest respect for him, and he’s a great judge of character.”

“Time will tell. Gary doesn’t know me from a bar of soap. He has no reason to help me.”

“Other than he owes Lex. And these are men of their word. Please don’t worry. We can deal with anything. We always have, haven’t we?”

“I love you, Rhi. I’m just so glad we can talk again. I miss you so much. There were so many times on the ship I wanted to pick up the emergency phone and call you.”

“Gosh, El. I was thinking about you constantly. It was driving me crazy, not knowing what was going on. How was the trip to America?”

I fill her in on my long hours in the kitchen, and how I hate cooking even more now. And, of course, I tell her about Claudette and our unlikely friendship, and how she helped me accept this pregnancy.

“I have to tell Gary. I’m nervous about meeting him as it is without adding this pregnancy news into the mix…Hello nice to meet you. And by the way, I’m pregnant.That’s gonna go down real well,” I sigh.

---