"But the rose leaves herself upon the brier, For winds to kiss and grateful bees to feed. -
John Keats
Katrina stared at the red folder that was now in her hands with a look of disbelief in her eyes. When she had given it to him,she had not expected that he would sign them, not this fast anyway. She had expected him to at least give her fight and that alone had given her the confidence and a comfort that he was somehow still hers. Warped as it was that was just but the only relationship that she had ever known with Ryan. He may have been a friend before and to some point he was now somehow chummy, but she knew how his mind worked. Causing her grief was just about the only thing that he actually lived for. Now that he had given her freedom, she did not know how to feel or even what to think about it and as she stared down at it, with tears welling up in her eyes,threatening spill out, Katrina mourned this chapter that had just been closed in her sad life.
What would she do now? She looked around the busy workshop that was full of hands and tools crafting the finest of baby furniture and bedroom pieces. Custom made works that suited everyone from every walk of life and meaningful as it had once seemed, it suddenly felt drab.
Did it also mean that she would now lose his friendship? While drafting the agreement Katrina had not thought about things that far. Of what would happen to the cordial relationship that they had developed after the revelation of her pregnancy. Of the camaraderie and it made her wonder if he would he even care to come to her appointments now that his time with this child was finally guaranteed.
She would soon find out. She knew that.
Katrina left the workshop and retreated into the main house. She stored away the folder in her handbag and moved to prepare for the return journey to the capital. Her new company truck was full and her driver was waiting in the van with all the beddings and the new tapestries that her seamstresses had made. After leaving the new plans in the care of the workshop manager, Katrina climbed in to the passenger seat of the van and signaled for the truck driver to leave. Behind them she followed with her personal driver in the van.
"And he had it sent all the way here?" Katrina muttered to herself, so quietly that the driver did not catch it. "He must have wanted me to have them so bad that he traced my location and mailed them here where I was. Or may be..." She quickly stopped her train of thought, keeping herself from further hypothesising. Something that would do her nothing good. She would only stress herself and despite having just began her second trimester, stress was not still not good for the baby or her health in general. No, there was no point to stressing herself out. The ifs and the when's of what he had done would just have to wait until her next appointment for ironing out which was also great as it happened to be the very next day.
***
Despite telling himself not to worry, Ryan was quite nervous even as he waited for Katrina to show up. Would she even come? The thought reared its head. After the courier had comeback with papers he had had them mailed to the country side. Just yesterday he had received the report that they had been delivered and it made him wonder what she really thought about it. What would she think that he had given up on her? He had only wanted to give her peace. To close that chapter of their sad past. Maybe now they could start all over again. Afresh now that there were no threats or compulsions forcing them together and if he managed to convince her, maybe he would get the chance to propose in a proper way as they renewed their relationship. Ryan continued to think up to the point when the subject of his thoughts showed up, stepping into the clinic in a white body con dressed that revealed the slight bulge of her burgeoning stomach. He stood up and went over to greet her.
"You are here?" She asked him. She must have expected that he would walk away now that he had signed the papers . After all that was what he had done with his other child. However, in his defence, the circumstances in that situation with Malisha was totally different from this one. She was now a married woman and his child did not even know him. Maybe in another life time, probably in some years to come, he would try again and if he was lucky his son would come to him seeking a relationship. Until then he would work hard to be a man that deserved the honour of being called his father.
"Hi Katrina." He managed to smile despite the wayward emotions that were tearing at his heart. "And yes I am here. From the beginning, I expressed my intentions clearly, didn't I?"
"Yes you did." she agreed. A tight smile now gracing her features. He hoped that he had not made her feel uncomfortable and moved to quickly rectify that.
"Though I would totally understand if you have your reservations and are not comfortable with having me in the same room as you now that we are no longer married. I deserve it, I know. After all I was the one who deserted you in our matrimonial home."
What on earth was wrong with him? Katrina frowned. He had signed the papers and yet he was still acting so considerate? What did he even have to gain by it? All this kindness was going against everything that she knew about him.
"I gave my word, so..." She said as she moved to walk towards the receptionist's desk. She was still thinking about it and it puzzled her to no end that she could not figure out his end game.
"Thank you." She had him whisper behind her before also moving to join her at the receptionist's desk.
"Good afternoon Mrs Thorpe, Mr Thorpe." The receptionist beamed. "The doctor is waiting." She said as she walked over to open the corridor door.
"Thank you Lillian." Ryan smiled as she ushered Katrina in before walking in after her.