Mending the Soul (30 page)

"So, why is this a problem all of a sudden?"  Jenna repeated.

"Nathan asked me to move in with him."  Vanessa told her.

"Well, that's great.  I still don't see the problem."  Jenna said.

"Yeah, right.  Remember a few weeks ago when you freaked out because Nicholas wanted to move in with you?  Don't give me that line of shit that it's not a big deal.  Add to it the fact that Nathan has never committed to anyone, along with the problem that I have always been so independent and I don't want to lose that.  Then, we have a big problem."  Vanessa pointed out.

"Ok, so it's a big deal to move in with someone.  I'll agree with that, but I was freaked out for way different reasons that you are.  I mean, let's face it…you've already lost some of your independence, and it's basically like you and Nathan already live together…you're with each other 24/7 now.  So it really won't be that different."  Jenna reasoned.

"But what if he freaks out after we move in together and he decided that he wants to see other people, or that he can't handle commitment?"  Vanessa asked.

"So, this is about him more than you?  Honey, I don't know the answer to that.  I'm sorry, but that's something that you and him are going to have to figure out on your own.  I can't tell you what he feels about that.  But as for you, are you ready to say goodbye to all your one-night stands?"

"Yeah, I already have.  I feel so much more secure having Nathan around all the time, and I really like being with him."  Vanessa said.

"Then Nessa, talk to him about your concerns and work things out.  Don't do it unless it's something you both want."  Jenna said with a smile.

Vanessa dried her tears.  "I know, you're right.  I guess I just needed a little kick in the ass to put me in the right direction.  And, just think, not too long ago I had to do the same exact thing for you."  She smiled.  "So, tell me how you're feeling?  You must be loving it that you get to work from home part time now."

"I feel ok.  I'm tired all the time, and I get sick every morning, but that'll be over in a couple of weeks.  I am so thankful that I don't have to be in the office the whole week though, I'd never make it!"  Jenna told her.

"So, are you feeling better about the whole pregnancy thing though?"

"Yeah, Nicholas and I are both feeling a lot better about it now.  I'm getting used to the idea of having a little one around again.  You should see Nicholas, he is so cute about it.  He talks to my belly, and rubs it and stuff.  I think he is the most excited about it."  Jenna smiled thinking about how good Nicholas has been to her since they found out about the pregnancy.

"So, which room will be the baby's?  Now that Emma and Colby have the only two other bedrooms besides yours."  Vanessa asked.

"Well, we haven't really talked about it, but I will most likely move my office to the basement and we'll put the baby's room there.  It's a little small to be a bedroom, but it will do for the first couple of years or so."  Jenna said.  Her and Nicholas hadn't gone that far when they discussed the baby yet.

Not long after, Nicholas returned with Emma and Colby, and a couple bags of Chinese food.  "Hey Vanessa!  Care to join us for lunch?  We have plenty!"

Vanessa looked to her best friend to see what she thought.  Jenna begged her with her eyes, and Vanessa told Nicholas that she'd love to join them.  She hadn't spent much time with Jenna lately, and both girls were missing their bonding time.

As Vanessa watched Jenna and Nicholas through lunch, she saw exactly what she wanted with Nathan.  She realized that her time as a play-girl was over, and that it was time for her to settle down a little bit.  Granted, she wasn't ready for the marriage and kids, but she was definitely ready for a commitment of some sort.  She couldn't wait to get home to tell Nathan!

The next month passed rather uneventful.  Vanessa and Nathan had made up and were slowly discussing their future together.  They hadn't agreed to move in together yet, but Jenna knew it was only a matter of time before they did.

Nicholas's house was still empty.  They hadn't found anyone who was suitable enough to live there, without them having to worry about the house getting trashed or the rent being late.  There was one young couple that was really interested, but they had wanted to buy the house, and Jenna and Nicholas weren't sure if they were ready to let it go yet or not.

Jenna was finally starting to feel better.  She was now in her second trimester, and her bouts of morning sickness were slowly becoming a thing of the past.  The pregnancy was progressing along normally, and each day brought more and more excitement from the expecting parents about the little one growing inside Jenna.

The kids had been told about their new brother or sister, and at first they weren't too happy about it, but the more Jenna and Nicholas planted the seed of excitement into their heads, the better they got about the situation.  Emma was the first to be happy about having a new brother or sister, and slowly Colby came around too.

Though the kids had finally accepted the fact that there would be a baby coming soon, Jenna knew that the kids had some reservations and didn't fully support the pregnancy.  After overhearing the kids talking one night, Jenna understood why.  Both kids thought that once the new baby came, Jenna and Nicholas wouldn't pay attention to them anymore.  It made her heart break to hear the kids talk to each other about something that they had such a deep fear of, and that they felt they couldn't talk to either Jenna or Nicholas about it.

Jenna called Nicholas to Emma's room, where both kids were having their secret discussion.  After both parents were there, Jenna explained what she had overheard.  The kids admitted to feeling that way, and Jenna and Nicholas spent a lot of time reassuring the kids that they were never going to be forgotten.  Nicholas told them that if anything, they were going to be idolized, being the older brother and sister to the baby.  After he told them that, both kids were relieved, and finally loved the idea of the baby coming.

A week into her second trimester, Jenna had her first ultrasound.  Nicholas sat by her side as they saw their beautiful baby, comfortably floating in the womb.  The doctor told her that everything was progressing nicely, and wished them well as they set off for the day.

Nicholas took the rest of the day off work to spend it with Jenna, hoping to finish the day in the most perfect way.  It was so special for him and Jenna to be able to see their baby on the ultrasound screen, and to be able to hold the very first picture of their baby in their hands.  He just wanted the rest of the day to be as wonderful as it had been seeing their baby for the first time.

Nicholas drove Jenna home and made her a nice lunch, pampering her and trying to show her how much he loved her.  Somewhere along the line, something went horribly wrong, and Jenna's hormones kicked in.

As they sat down to eat, Nicholas's cell phone rang.  He got up to answer it, leaving Jenna to sit at the table waiting for him.  Jenna didn't want to eat without Nicholas, especially since he had gone to so much trouble to make the nice meal.

After waiting for ten minutes for him to return, Jenna went to see what was going on.  Nicholas was in the office on his cell phone when Jenna walked into the room.  He mouthed "Work.  Five more minutes," to Jenna, and with a nod of her head, she walked out of the office and back to the table.  She was a little annoyed because he promised that he was going to take the afternoon off to spend with her.

Five more minutes passed, then ten, then twenty.  He had been gone for half an hour at that point, and Jenna was starting to get heated.  Her stomach growled as she looked at the food sitting in front of her.  She decided to forget about waiting for him and dug her fork into the food.  As she put it in her mouth, she was met with cold mush.  She spat the food back out onto the plate, then got up and scraped her plate into the trash.

Angrily, Jenna took out some bread and made herself a sandwich, slapping the ingredients on as she muttered to herself about how rude Nicholas was being.  She ripped into her sandwich, eating it savagely, as only a hungry, angry, pregnant woman could.  When it was all gone, she cleaned up the mess that she had made, and walked back up to the office.  Nicholas had been on the phone for 45 minutes, and he was never on the phone for business that long.

Nearing the room, Jenna heard Nicholas laughing.  She heard him whisper a few things, not clearly making out what he was saying, then laughed some more.  Jenna's anger had reached new heights when she walked into his office and saw the surprise on his face at seeing her.  She could feel the redness and heat rising up her body, from the tip of her toes, to the top of her head.  She felt as though her blood was boiling.  The only logical explanation to what was happening, was that Nicholas was cheating on her.  That's what the phone call was about, the laughing and the whispering.  He was cheating on her, when she was 13 weeks pregnant with his baby.  She knew that as soon as she started to gain weight, he was out of there.

Nicholas quickly told the person at the other end of the line that he had to go and hung up the phone in a flash.  He knew that he'd have to do damage control, wondering how much of the phone call she had heard.  As he began to speak, Jenna held up her hand, motioning for him to stop.

"I don't even want to hear it right now."  Jenna said, her voice full of disgust.  She turned from the room and ran downstairs.  On her way out the door, Jenna grabbed her purse and the keys to her Isuzu Axiom.  She slammed the door when she left, and squealed the tires of her SUV as she took off.  Nicholas knew she was mad.

He picked up his cell phone and dialed the number to his office.  "Hey Zoey.  That was a close call.  I hope she didn't hear any of the plans for her baby shower.  I want to really surprise her."

"Is she still there?"  Zoey asked.

"No, she got mad that I was taking too long on the phone, and she left.  I'm sure she's just got her hormones all worked up, and she'll be back in a few minutes when she calms down.  Now, what kind of games were you talking about?  The one with the dirty diaper kills me!  You melt chocolate and put it in the diaper?"  Nicholas asked and started laughing again.

*****

Four hours later, Jenna still hadn't returned.  He was starting to get nervous.  Nicholas had tried calling her cell phone numerous times, never getting an answer.  He had a horrible feeling at the pit of his stomach, worried that something was wrong.  Not knowing what else to do, he called Vanessa to see if she had heard from Jenna.  Vanessa said no, but on hearing the worry in Nicholas's voice, she told him that her and Nathan would be right over.

When Vanessa and Nathan walked into the house, Nicholas looked scared.  "I can't explain it, I just feel like something is wrong."  He told them.  Almost as if on cue, the phone rang.  Nicholas slowly picked up the phone, afraid of what he'd hear at the other end.

"Could I please speak with Nicholas Tiller?"  The voice asked.

"This is Nicholas."  He said, his heart thumping.

"Mr. Tiller, this is Dr. Miner calling from the hospital.  Do you know a Jenna Chase?"  He asked.

Nicholas's mouth went dry.  All of the liquid in his body went to his eyes as they filled with tears.  "Yes, I do."  He choked out.  "Is she ok?"

"Ms. Chase was in a car accident today.  I think you better get over here, and contact any family that she has."  The doctor told him.

Nicholas tightened his grasp on the phone as he dropped to his knees.  He brought the phone to his chest as his face blanched and tears poured from his eyes.  "NO!"  Nicholas belted out in a heart-wrenching scream.

Vanessa and Nathan ran over to where Nicholas was slumped on the ground.  "Nicholas, what is it?  What happened?"  Nathan asked, then looked into the worried eyes of his girlfriend.

"Jenna…she-she was in an-an accident."  Nicholas stammered.  "Oh my god. I can't lose her.  I can't lose her the way I lost Leslie.  I need her in my life!"  He said, looking up to Nathan like a lost little boy, grabbing the sleeve of his shirt.

Nathan put his arm around his best friend and looked up to Vanessa, who was now crying tears of her own.  "Where is she?  What did they say?"

"She's at the hospital.  All they said was that I'd better get over there and to contact her family."  Nicholas said, sobbing.

"Where are the kids?"  Nathan asked.

"At my mom's."  He relied.

"Ok, come on.  We need to get to the hospital."  Nathan said, pulling Nicholas off the floor.  He put one arm around Nicholas to keep him steady, then his other arm went around Vanessa.

Somehow, Nicholas made it into the passenger seat of his Xterra, with Nathan driving and Vanessa sitting in the back seat.  They couldn't take Nathan's truck, because it was too uncomfortable to fit 3 adults in there.  He drove to the hospital at break-neck speed as Nicholas looked out the window, remembering the night he lost Leslie.  'Please god, don't take Jenna from me.  I need her in my life.  Colby and Emma need her.  Our baby needs her!'  Nicholas prayed, then as if a thought struck him, he whispered, "Our baby!"  His heart felt as if someone was squeezing it.  "Oh god, what about our baby?"  He cried as he put his head in his hands.

Nathan reached over and put his hand on Nicholas's shoulder reassuringly.  He had never seen Nicholas in this much anguish, not even after Leslie died.  Sure, he was upset during that time, but now he seemed like a shell of a man.