Chapter 152: Anna’s Pregnant (with Twins)

Saturday, June 19, 1971

They were still lying there, talking softly as they held one another, when I made my way to the front porch to wait and maybe worry. I didn’t scan them, respecting their privacy. A little while later, smelling freshly showered, they emerged from the cabin, hand in hand, to join me on the porch. We still had several things to discuss.

“Are you okay?” I asked Nicky. There was an anxious note in my voice.

“Of course!” Nicky replied.

“You’re sure? I was afraid that ... I mean, I hadn’t intended for things to get so...” I stammered.

“Michael. Stop that!” Catherine said. “Nicky and I are just fine. Quit worrying.”

I remained silent as I studied them both. Finally, I told them, “She will be every bit as lovely as her mother and her niece,” I told them. It only took Nicky an instant to figure out that her grandmother’s baby would actually become her father’s sister, so therefore, her aunt. They both looked at me, and then at each other before Nicky jumped up to hug her grandmother.

“Oh, goody! I’m going to have a new little aunt!” Nicky cried happily.

“Or a new niece, depending on how you look at it,” I said.

When Nicky finally settled down a little, I reminded both of them that we still had a few important items to discuss, and it would soon be time for lunch.

“I also have some things to discuss with you, but why don’t you go first,” Catherine told us as the three of us relaxed on the front porch of the last cabin. They now occupied the porch swing while I sat on the top step. Catherine sounded normal again, her eyes were shining and she had a healthy glow about her.

“Okay. I’m afraid I let it slip to Nicky this morning, about Adriana owning the other two and a half shares of Wagner Industries. She thinks I should tell Adriana and I suggested we discuss it with you first,” I explained.

Catherine thought for a moment before answering.

“I wondered when this was going to come out,” she mused, as if to herself. Then she asked Nicky, “How did you find out?”

“Michael was explaining how money wasn’t a problem and how our shares would soon be worth more. He mentioned Adriana’s shares along with mine, Debbie, and Sarah’s,” Nicky told her.

“Did he tell you about the letter?” Catherine asked Nicky.

“Oh, yeah. He replayed it for me,” Nicky replied. “I was more worried about you, to be honest. I never realized that Grandfather had an affair with Adriana’s mother.”

“Is that all you told her?” she asked me.

“I figured that you would tell her what you wanted her to know,” I replied somewhat cryptically.

“What?” Nicky cried. “Tell me what?”

“Nicky, dear,” Catherine told her. “It’s a very long and very sad story, and it happened a long time ago. I feel much too happy right now to go into it. But, I promise you that I will talk to you about it later. Please, don’t make me feel sad right now. Okay?”

“Okay,” Nicky said resignedly. “You’re right. This is a time to celebrate. After all, I’m going to be an aunt. I’ll be Aunt Nicky!”

“Yes, you will, Sweetheart,” Catherine said soothingly. “Now, what’s this about telling Adriana?”

“I think that because Michael has asked Adriana to marry him, she should be told BEFORE she decides,” Nicky stated.

“But I thought she had already decided,” Catherine replied.

“She has, but she hasn’t told Michael, yet,” Nicky said.

“Why not? I told her I wanted to marry her, and that I would always take care of her,” I asked.

“And that’s just it! She doesn’t know she has a choice. What if she’s marrying him because she feels like she has to? To be taken care of?” Nicky asked adamantly.

Catherine looked at me. “She DOES have a point, Michael. Just when did you think you would tell her?”

“I don’t really know,” I said as I shrugged. “I guess I was waiting until I received the stuff from the lawyer next week.”

“I see,” Catherine replied as she mulled it over. Finally, she asked me, “Well, you’ve had time to think on it. What are you going to do?”

“I think I agree with Nicky. If you can’t see anything wrong, I’d like to go ahead and tell her now,” I said. “However, I’d like both of you to be with me when I do.”

“Of course,” Catherine replied.

“Sure,” Nicky also replied, but a little less confidently now.

“Adriana?” I thought. She was at the Lodge with Vickie and some of the others.

“Yes, Michael?” Adriana thought back.

“If you’re not too busy, Catherine, Nicky, and I would like to talk with you. We’re at the last cabin on the trail around the lake,” I told her.

“Is something wrong, Michael?” she asked nervously.

“Quite the contrary, Adriana,” Catherine chimed in. “It’s good news.”

“Okay, I’ll be right there. Is it okay if Vickie comes too?” she asked. “I’m not sure I know the way.”

“Certainly, Dear,” said Catherine before I could reply.

“Okay. We’ll be right there,” Adriana told us.

“Now, if it’s true that I’m pregnant, then, by my count, that’s six children you’ve fathered since you arrived, Michael. Have you made any plans for them?” Catherine asked.

“Well, that brings us to the next item on the agenda,” I replied.

Catherine cocked her head at me, waiting for me to explain.

“Vickie told me that Anna is worried that she’s pregnant also,” I said calmly.

“REALLY!” squealed Nicky. “I can’t believe it. Anna’s going to be a momma!”

“Wait a minute,” I told her. “Vickie said that Anna is worried that she MIGHT be pregnant. I wanted to ask Catherine, I mean both of you, if I should say anything to her?”

“Normally, I would tell any other man just to wait and let her come to you,” Catherine told me. “But with your special gifts, well, that changes things. Not to mention this whole set of ... ah, unusual relationships.”

“Have you checked her out, yet?” Nicky asked.

I was surprised. I had been so busy, first with Catherine and Nicky, and then with Adriana, that I hadn’t thought of that. I quickly scanned for Anna. She was at the office in the Reception Building, talking with Jaye and Sandy. I focused my energies and began to look at Anna’s womb.

“Michael?” Anna said, startled. “Is that you? What are you doing?”

“I’m checking to see if you’re pregnant,” I thought back.

“How...” Anna started, then said, “Never mind. I should have known I couldn’t keep anything from you.”

There was a long moment of silence, as Anna grew more and more anxious. Finally, she couldn’t stand it.

“Well?” she asked. “Am I?”

“Would you like to see?” I asked. Then added, “Momma.”

“I ... I ... Oh shit! Let me see, Michael!” she stammered.

I showed her what I had already shown Catherine and Nicky, a small embryonic sac on her uterine wall. As all three of them ooh’ed and ah’ed, I became aware of not one, but two tiny souls. I searched all around and finally decided they were coming from the same embryonic sac.

“What is it, Michael?” Catherine asked. She had apparently sensed my surprise.

“I’m not sure,” I told her. I heard Anna’s sudden intake of breath, and a feeling of dread permeated our connection.

“I mean there’s one embryonic sac, but there are definitely two souls in there,” I said, slightly confused.

“Twins!” screamed Nicky gleefully. “She’s going to have identical twins!”

“You’d better NOT be shitting me, Michael!” Anna said anxiously. “Where are you? Right now!”

“We’re at the last cabin,” I told her.

“STAY THERE!” she cried.

“I stand corrected. Make that eight,” Catherine said smugly. “Unless there are more items like that on your agenda to discuss?”

I looked at them with a pained expression on my face.

“I guess it’s a good thing Jessica hasn’t finalized the plans for the house, yet!” Nicky quipped.

“Did I hear my name being mentioned?” Jessica asked as a gaggle of girls arrived at the porch.

“When I asked Vickie to come, they all decided to come with us,” Adriana explained. “I hope you don’t mind.”

I smiled. “I don’t,” I replied, looking to Catherine. She just smiled at me.

“None of us had ever been here, except Ileana and Grace. We wanted to see it,” Julie said.

“Well, go on in,” I told them. “We have something to discuss with Adriana, but it should only take a few minutes.” The rest of the girls went giggling into the small cabin. I couldn’t figure out how it could hold them all. But soon, it was just Adriana, Nicky, Catherine, and me on the front porch.

“I’ll come to the point,” I told Adriana as she settled beside me on the steps. “When we were in New York, I found out about my grandfather and your mother. I know we discussed it a little, but there was something I didn’t tell you. I didn’t tell you because I wasn’t sure how accurate it was. I was waiting until next week, when I get the stuff from Grandfather’s attorneys. But I happened to accidentally mention it to Nicky this morning, and after talking it over with Catherine, I decided I should go ahead and tell you.”

Adriana was quiet as she patiently waited for me to get to the point.

“I’m going to replay it for you,” I told her. “Just remember, I assumed it was true, and it didn’t change the way I feel for you. But you may ... here it is.”

Then I replayed my conversation with Nicky from this morning, including the letter, and Nicky’s conclusion. Then I sat silently as she digested what I had just shown her.

“I’m ... I’m ... rich?” she asked. “How rich?”

“IF the documents the lawyers are currently holding, verifies it as true, then you’re easily worth several million dollars,” Catherine told her. “And right now, we have no reason to doubt it. I have the letter. It’s back on the train. I’ll show it to you, if you’d like.”

Then Adriana, looking at Catherine, suddenly broke into tears.

“You must really hate me!” she cried.

Catherine left the swing and came to sit beside Adriana and me on the steps. Then placing her arms around her, she held her, telling her not to cry.

“But ... but, it’s really yours, I can’t take it!” she thought to Catherine.

“No, that’s not true,” Catherine explained. “Technically, those shares would have gone to Michael. And you already know how he feels about you. He’s told you he wants to marry you. So, we’re going to assume the letter is accurate, and the shares are yours. We wanted you to know everything before you decide. This money gives you other options. You don’t have to marry Michael just to be financially secure for the rest of your life.”

“But I love him!” she cried. “I don’t want the money, I want him!”

“Adriana! Listen to me!” Catherine said sharply, trying to break through the crying. “You can have both! We just wanted you to know everything, so that you don’t marry Michael for the wrong reasons.”

Adriana’s tears subsided as she considered what Catherine told her.

“Then you don’t hate me? For what your husband did?” she asked.

“Why don’t we talk about Greg another time,” Catherine suggested. “It looks like I’m going to be discussing it with Nicky, anyway.”

“Yeah,” Nicky chimed in. “What’s one more? Besides, she’s going to be family too!”

“But I don’t want to talk about it now. I have too much to be happy about right now to worry about the past. And so do you!” Catherine told Adriana.