As Lucy stared at the newspaper, she felt someone in the room with her. "What do you want Andrela?"
"Not a damned thing. Just wanted to see your face."
"Why? To see how I messed up my life, betrayed you for a man? Who cares, I don't need you."
"Got that shit right, I wish you and your baby all the best, don't call me for anything." Andre shrugged and left.
Lucy flung herself on her bed and cried for the rest of the day. She heard a knock through her daze and went to answer the door. The moment she opened it, she felt a hard slap across the face. She stepped back a few feet and put her hand to her cheek. Looking at the woman in the doorway, she understood.
"Leave me alone with my misery Porella, I have nothing to say to you." "Ben has AIDS, did you know that?"
Lucy gasped. No she did not.
"I don't have it, do you want to know why?" "No point but tell me anyway."
"He loved me, he didn't want to infect me. I was sick before he got it and we hadn't touched each other in over a year."
Lucy quickly calculated when he started sleeping with her. Less than a year ago.
"Ahh now she gets it. Poor little Lucy, she thought she had Ben in the palm of her hands, little did she know she was just a warm spot for him to pass on his diseases. Do you know what his Will states? In the event of my death, whether it be murder, suicide, disease or natural causes, I bequeath EVERYTHING, to my wife and only love, Kim Porella Johnson."
"What? He said he would leave something for me and the baby!" Lucy cried.
"Foolish girl. Men don't care who they hurt! Ben was my first, the only man who has ever touched me and yet he cheated on me, what makes you think you were special? The positions you let him put you in? The places he had sex with you in public after a meeting or while at a party? You were nothing to him." Porella turned to leave.
"Wait." Lucy said. "What?"
"Can you give me something for the baby at least, please?"
Porella's heart hurt, she wasn't a cruel woman but thinking of Ben and this woman while she stayed at home and played housewife made her want to throw up. She turned again to face Lucy who was quietly crying.
"Ben was worth at least fourty-five million, I will give you five million but you have to relinquish all rights to his child. The child will grow up as a Johnson and you will never try to find them." It was a sincere threat but Porella just wanted to get a response.
"Fine."
"I will find you when I am ready."
"I would say I'm sorry but I thought he loved me and you were a horrible person to him. I listened to everything, did everything he asked."
"Lucy, look at me." Porella said softly. Lucy looked at her.
"I sincerely hope you don't have any diseases left by Ben. I will still take the child but if you want to turn your life around and be a good person, your own person. I will help you."
Lucy opened her mouth wide and nodded vigorously. Porella's heart had softened. She understood Ben had brainwashed the girl in order to foster her misplaced loyalty but that in itself was a betrayal. Much to Porella's surprise, Lucy ran towards he and hugged her tightly. Porella sighed and held her for a short while.
"Oh Lucy, the things we women have to go through. Get some rest child, you look like shit and that is exactly how I feel." Porella let her go and left. Lucy smiled and knew that with Porella's help, she would live a good life and be a stronger woman... like Andre. Andre, her only sibling, the only family member she had left. She had betrayed her and she needed to make it right.
"Maddy, where is Philip?" Maddy was breathing heavily; her water broke while she was in a meeting.
She grabbed Andre's hand and squeezed it. "He's picking up my brother at the airport."
"Okay, deep breaths, I'm taking you to the hospital I will call when we get there." Just then a voice was heard.
"ANDRE! Are you here?" It was Lucy. Andre grimaced; she did not have time for this. "Come on Maddy." Andre ignored her sister.
"She's in labor? I will go with you." Lucy said, genuinely worried about Maddy.
"If you are going to cause trouble stay away." Andre kept walking Maddy towards the elevators.
"I won't, this is your job, I know how much the Kilians mean to you."
Maddy groaned and she got into the elevator and it lurched. Andre pulled out her cell quickly and called Philip.
"Andre." "Maddy is in labor, taking her to the hospital." "I have her brother; we will meet you there."
At the Hospital
Maddy screamed as the contractions wracked her body.
"Almost there baby, I'm here, we can do this." Philip held on to her hand as she pushed hard.
"The head is out Philip, wanna see?" Philip peeped over and saw a tiny head, he grinned and looked back at Maddy, who was panting but smiling.
"Take a deep breath Maddy and give me one last big push." The doctor said. Maddy clenched her teeth, closed her eyes and pushed as hard as she could, she felt the baby move and slowly come out of her. Then she wanted to see. Something was wrong everyone was quiet. The doctor was rubbing the baby up and down, the nurse cleared his mouth, and the doctor smacked him on the butt. The baby coughed and did not cry.
"Doctor, is something wrong?" Maddy asked fearfully and grabbed Philip's hand. "Not a damned thing, the child can't be bothered with us. Nurse get him cleaned up and back to his mama for feeding. Good job Maddy, you did great, one last push and we will get you sorted out as well. Philip, a word with you outside when I'm done."
"Sam, what's wrong?" Philip asked as he and the doctor met outside.
"Not sure yet but the child was… well I thought he was stillborn, he may be unable to speak, hence the lack of crying."
"Oh." Philip glanced at Maddy through a crack in the door. "I'm sorry Philip."
"Is this my fault? Did I pass on a disability to my child somehow?"
"I can't say that unless I look into your family history and Maddy's as well, look, let's not get ahead of ourselves. We will keep him here for a week and see how he shapes up okay?" "Okay."
Philip went back to see his wife and the nurse was just about to put the baby in her arms. Maddy was crying when she took him. She reached out one hand to Philip and only when she realized he did not take it, she looked up at him. What? She was looking up at her husband. Up. No no, why was he so tall? "Philip?" Maddy stared up at him, totally confused.
"Hey baby." Philip grinned. He had been hiding this from her for months now and he needed to be strong when he took the final step, she had no clue. "You can, you… how, when, Philip!"
"A few months now, but I needed to be stronger, so I worked hard. Are you happy?" "Are you?"
"I'm married to the best woman in the world, she just gave me the perfect son and my legs work. Yeah, this is what happy looks like."
"I love you Philip, see your son. She turned the baby to see his father but he was more interested in the smell coming from his mother. He turned his head towards her breast and opened his mouth. Maddy laughed and shifted the gown to feed him. She sighed with content as his sucking relaxed her.
She looked up again, Philip was so tall, she always knew this but God he was sexy. Ooooh now that he could stand up, they could… Maddy blushed. "Woman, if you don't want me to get you pregnant right this minute wipe those thoughts from your mind." Philip groaned.
"I was just thinking of all the positions we can try now oh husband of mine." She turned to face him and her nipple pulled from the baby's mouth and much to the happiness of his parents he let out a loud wail. Guess the doctor was right about waiting. "Welcome to the world Philip Elliot Kilian." Philip said proudly.
Lucy and Andre stood outside watching the happy family. Lucy sighed. "So, what do you want?" Andre asked in a nonchalant tone.
"Can we go somewhere and talk, please?" "Let's head to the food pavilion, I'm hungry anyway."
They made their way and found seats. Andre turned away to place an order. "Do you want anything?" She asked her sister.
"Just a cup of coffee and four pancake bakes."
The cashier nodded that she heard and waited for Andre. "I will have lemon tea and two coconut bakes." "That will be $15.93, you can select your tea from the caddy."
The girl handed Andre a tray with a saucer and a teacup, she motioned for Lucy and handed her the same. They got sorted out and went back to their seats.
"You have fifteen minutes Lucy, use them wisely, I don't have the time to babysit you anymore. You need to grow up."
"I'm sorry Andre, for everything. You are the only family I have left, this baby wasn't planned, especially with someone like Ben. I didn't know he was such a horrible man, when he spoke to me he was kind and gentle. I never thought someone like him would even look at someone like me."
"Someone like you? Lucy are you stupid? You are young and beautiful; you get the highest scores in whatever studies you take on. You don't need validation from anyone."
Lucy opened her eyes wide. She never knew her sister felt this way about her.
"Why do you look so surprised?" Andre asked. "I thought you looked down on me."
"Lucy, who sent you to school? Paid for your education, made sure you ate? Who beat up guys if they even glanced at you? You were mine to protect and I did it because I love you. I warned you about Ben and you told him everything I said. How do you think that makes me feel? I don't owe you anything, I will help you out with the baby for the first year and then you are on your own."
"Don't leave me Andrela. I'm nothing without you." Lucy cried. Andre sighed in frustration and sipped her tea.
"What do you want out of life Lucy. I got you the job you have, since Ben is dead, they will reshuffle. If you want to work for the next Director I can put in a good word."
"I want to start a business; Porella has committed to helping me."
"Now that is a woman, against all odds she is helping her husband's outside child and lover."
"Ben lied to me about her, anyway that is water under the bridge. I want to open a Custodian school and use the contacts I have made over the last few years to get clients."
"That is a great idea, I will do what I can to help. Time's up I have to go. You know how to find me."
"I love you Andre, do you still love me." Lucy looked up.
"Oh Lucy, don't you know? You are my baby sister, who else am I going to love?" Andre said as she put the tray and plate on the garbage counter.