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Craig hung up the phone and paced the room. What the hell was going on? Marcus was in jail and now a hang-up call! His mind raced, he couldn't understand it. He went over to the sliding glass door and looked out into the parking lot. What a view, he thought sarcastically. Perhaps, just maybe it was honestly a wrong number and the person was too shy to say something. He took a deep breath. He had hoped so. With Marcus in jail he couldn't fathom who the hell would be doing that and why. As he was standing there the phone rang again in his hand. He jumped and then answered it. It was Brett. He told Brett about his and Mandie's ordeal. He was incredulous. When he told Brett about Mandie being pregnant he responded with a "Holy shit! You're kidding?" They talked about being new dads and how very weird it really was to even consider that.
"I never, in a million years, imagined that one of us, let alone BOTH of us would be dads. I mean, it just seems so soon doesn't it?" Brett had said.
"No, Brett. You're thirty, I'm 34. When do you want to be a new dad, 60?" Brett chuckled on the other end.
"Sounds about right ..." They chatted a while longer and then after they hung up, Greg lay down on the couch and flipped on the TV. He fell asleep there.
Mandie was having fitfull dreams and awoke with a start and stared around the empty room. She heard the TV on in the living room and padded out to find Greg snoozing on the couch. She slowly knelt down next to him and kissed him on the lips. His eyes fluttered open to see Mandie two inches from his face.
"What are you doing Mrs. S?" He asked her. She smiled.
"I missed you. I ache for you. I need you." She said. He grinned and sat up. He pulled her up onto the couch next to him and put an arm around her. She pulled him to her with her hands on his shirt. "I really, really, need you Greg. Come to the bedroom with me, please." She pleaded. Well, far be it from him to disappoint the little lady .... He got up, she did too. He lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom where he set her down on the bed and then made love to her slowly and tenderly. Half way through she began to cry. He watched her face as he made love to her, kissing away her tears and telling her how much he loved her. Afterwards they lay together as the darkness fell. They talked about moving, Greg said not to worry about staying too close to Nashville because he would be on the road a lot of the time. Mandie said they did need to worry about staying close to Nashville because of her job.
"You're going to quit after he's born, aren't you?" Mandie noticed that Greg called the baby 'he' automatically.
"What if it's a girl?" Mandie asked him. He frowned at her, confused.
"What difference does it make whether or not it's a boy or girl and you going back to work." She laughed at him. He was a very smart man but confusion came easily to him sometimes!
"I was just mentioning how you said 'after HE'S born'!! And I hadn't planned on quitting Greg. I don't know that I could stay home full time and raise a child. I have to work." He was disappointed. It wasn't what he wanted for his child. If he couldn't be there full time, he had hoped Mandie would.
"It's just that ... well, I'll be on the road and not here a lot of the times and I don't want my son raised by some day care center."
"There you go again with that 'son' thing ..." She pointed out. He sighed.
"Mandie, darling! You are missing my point entirely." She put her hand over his mouth and suddenly got the shivers. She started to shake uncontrollably. Greg stared at her. "What is it? Mandie!" He put his arms around her and held her to him. She didn't know ...
"I don't know Greg! When I put my hand over your mouth it was like a sudden reaction. I, I think it's because Marcus did that to me ..." He stroked her hair and tried to take her mind off of it.
"So, we'll name him Greg then?" He asked her.
"How about Terrence?" She suggested, her lip quivering. She wasn't stopping shaking very easily even though he was holding her tightly.
"Where the hell did that come from?" She shrugged.
"I like that name for a boy." He thought a moment.
"Ok, how about Kelly?" She frowned.
"For a boy??" She asked him. He nodded.
"I like that name for a boy." He mocked. "No, really, I know a Kelly - a guy Kelly!" Her turn to think. She smiled.
"We could name him Brett!" He frowned at her.
"Why?" He asked.
"Because Brett is a girl's name!!" They both laughed at that. As suddenly as the shakes appeared they went away. He released her and she snuggled close to him. "I'm sorry this happened but look, I get to spend quality time with you in bed being held like a little girl. I couldn't ask for more ..." He kissed her head. A short time later Greg got up, brought Mandie her book, and went out to prepare some dinner. While she was reading she heard the phone ring and Greg answered it. She heard him say 'hello' and then nothing.
"Who was it?" She called out from the bedroom. He hesitated a moment before answering.
"No one." He said back. She felt panic sweep through her. More hang-up calls?? She had asked Marcus about it and he flatly denied that it was him! Well, if it wasn't, then who was it?!
"Greg!" Mandie called. He came quickly to the bedroom.
"What?" He asked.
"We should get that caller ID thing. You can see who's calling then, maybe we'll find out who that is." He nodded.
"First thing tomorrow, babe." He said and went back to the kitchen. She thought about Marcus again and felt a burning in the pit of her stomach. She never, in a hundred years, would have believed he was capable of doing what he did. She chastised herself, mentally, for ever having loved him. And she did at one time. It was a 'crush' kind of love. When he started to sleep around and get nasty violent she crashed to the ground quickly and ran away. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the pillows. The bad dreams she had earlier came flooding back. She had dreamt that Marcus was successful in raping her and that Greg stood by and watched. Then Marcus killed him right in front of her. She shook her head, hoping to shake away the visions of that dream as well. Greg stood in the doorway to their bedroom and watched her as she frowned and a tear slid out from under her closed eyelids. He slid up to her and kissed her cheek. Her eyes opened. He brushed her hair from her forehead.
"I love you, Mandie. I will never let anyone hurt you again, that is a promise!" She reached up and put her hand on his stomach. He placed his own warm hand over it and pressed it to himself. She sighed.
"I love you, too. I don't ever want to lose you." He leaned down, picked her up and carried her to the couch. He brought her pillow from the bedroom and threw a blanket over her.
"Now I can see you and you can see me." He said and when he was done cooking a tuna casserole, he served her and then brought a TV tray over to the couch and they sat and ate together while watching the tube.
