Chapter 10

Adam pulled his Mustang into the drive at the stone house. He saw a car with a county seal on the door and a man carrying a clipboard walking toward it. Adam headed toward him.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning,” the man replied. “Are you the owner?”

“Yes. Adam Gowan.”

“I’m the building inspector. I was just about to leave...”

“I’m sorry I’m a little late. Your office was a bit vague as when to expect you. I’ll open it up for you.”

Adam unlocked the front door and led the inspector to the basement. “I have permits here for electrical and plumbing...” He shone a flashlight on the electrical panel. “Wow -- that’s a big panel for a small house.”

“It’s for the ductless HVAC.”

“Right...” The inspector regarded the panel cover propped against the foundation. “All the breakers labeled clearly ... Whoever wired this panel did a fine job. Everything’s grounded right...” He looked around the basement. “Two pressure tanks?”

“One is for cistern water. It only feeds the sill cock outside -- for watering the lawn.”

“You should make a sign warning that the water isn’t potable.”

“Electric hot water...”

“Electric everything,” Adam remarked.

The inspector headed upstairs and regarded one of the air conditioner wall units. “This is the first installation of these I’ve seen. Everything looks kosher.” They headed into the kitchen. “New electrical here, I see.” He removed a tester from his pocket and plugged it into one of the kitchen receptacles and regarded the lights on the tester. He pressed a button and they went out. “GFCI is working. Where’s the reset?”

“Over here,” Adam said and pointed to one of the outlets. The inspector pressed the reset button and his tester lit up.

They headed up to the second floor. “New bathroom...” He looked over the plumbing rough-ins. “Is there access to the attic?”

“Right here.” Adam pulled down the extendable stairs and the inspector climbed them.

He returned shortly. “Your insulation is a little thin. You might want to do something about that. Let’s look outside.”

Adam followed him to the wellhead. “Have someone tighten this cover down. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to use tamper-resistant screws. You don’t want some kids opening it up and throwing stuff down there.”

“Right.”

“Overall, looks good.” The inspector jotted on his clipboard and handed a copy of his report to Adam. “I’ll be on my way. Have a good day.”

“Thanks.” Adam watched the car back out to the road and head into the distance. He pulled out his phone and placed a call. “Kara -- it’s me. The inspector just left and he passed the place!”

“That’s good news,” she replied. “I’ll get word to the drywallers and let you know when they can close it up.”

“Okay.”

“Adam -- I need to see you tonight.”

“Sure.”

“Can you stop by after dinner? Say, seven?”

“Yeah. Kara -- what’s this about? You sound ... distressed.”

“I can’t talk about it here. We’ll discuss it tonight.”

“All right. See you then. I love you.”

“Love you, too.”

Adam sat in his Mustang parked down the street from Kara’s ranch house. He glanced at the dashboard clock. It read six forty-five. Anxiety over why she wanted to see him was beginning to take over and his stomach was in a knot. I know she said seven, he thought. Would she mind if I’m a few minutes early?

He waited out an agonizingly long five minutes. Then, he started the engine, drove down the street to her place and parked in her drive. Adam went to her front door and rang the bell.

Kara answered the door barefoot and wearing jeans and a tee shirt. “Hi,” she said.

“I’m a little early...”

“Come in.” she closed the door behind her and he followed her to her living room. “Have a seat.”

Adam sat on her sofa and she sat beside him. “Kara -- what’s this about? You seem disturbed.”

“Adam -- I’m late.”

“Late? Late for what?”

“2AM. My period is late. It hasn’t shown up yet.”

“You’ve been busy and under a lot of stress...”

She shook her head. “No, Adam. I never miss a period.”

“You’re sure? Never?”

“Never. You’re not a woman, Adam -- you don’t understand how tightly this is tied to my life. I’m never late. I mean, you can’t set a clock by it, but I’m never this late.”

“How ... how late are you?”

“Two weeks. Adam -- I think I’m pregnant.” She opened a drawer and removed a home pregnancy test kit. “I was going to use this tonight. I wanted you to be here.”

“I ... I want to be here.”

Kara opened the box and removed and examined an instruction sheet. She handed it to him. “Read this over. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” She picked up the test wand, headed up the stairs and into the bathroom.

Adam leaned back and looked up at the ceiling. “I can’t believe this is happening,” he muttered to himself.

Kara returned. She handed the device to him. “You watch it,” she said. “I can’t.” She lowered her head and buried her face in her hands.

His heart pounding, Adam watched the device’s indicator window. He put his hand on her knee. “Well?” she asked.

“Look.” He showed it to her.

“I’m pregnant!”

“Well ... we don’t know for sure. These can have false positives.”

“Adam -- I know my body. I know something’s different. I’m pregnant. Oh, God!” He reached for her but she pushed him away. “Adam -- I trusted you. I trusted that you knew what you were doing with the condoms.”

“I do know what I’m doing with them. I’ve used them my entire adult life and never had a problem.”

“Well, we have a problem, now. Adam -- I can’t take time out to have a baby!”

“I know, I know ... It’s not a good time for me, either. Together we can figure this out. It seems to me we have three choices. You can carry the child and give it up for adoption...”

“I can’t do that, Adam. I can’t do it and I won’t do it.”

“Then, we’re down to two choices: Carry the child and keep it or terminate the pregnancy.”

“I don’t know what to do, Adam. I’m in an awful stew about it.”

“I don’t blame you. Whatever your choice is, I’ll support you one hundred percent.”

“Oh, you don’t get to wash your hands of this decision. You got me into this, Adam.”

“Hold on ... Who didn’t want to be a thirty-year-old virgin? Who didn’t think of protection? Who enjoys fucking like a mink?” Kara raised her hand to slap him and he grasped her wrist. “It takes two to tango, Kara. I love you and I want the best outcome for you. We’re in this together.”

“Then why did you say what you said? Why is it my decision and mine alone?”

“Because I firmly believe that a woman is the absolute sovereign over her own body. Whatever you choose to do, I hold no veto power over it.”

She drew in a breath. “Of course, you’re right. It is my decision and I am equally culpable. Adam -- in order to make my decision I need to know your opinion. It’s my body but you have a vested interest.”

“All right -- I’ll tell you my opinion. Like I said, you’re in charge of your body. No one, and especially not the State, has any legitimate right to interfere with how you manage your body. I also believe that abortion must be legal, available, safe and rare. Kara -- I don’t know what went wrong. I always checked the condoms afterward for leaking so if we needed to get Plan B, we could. I do believe protecting my woman is my responsibility and I let you down. I feel awful.”

“You didn’t answer my question. What’s your opinion about this ... my ... our pregnancy?”

“You want my honest opinion?”

“I asked for it. I want it and I need it.”

“Okay ... Assuming you’re pregnant ... When was your last period?”

“You know when it was -- it was when we first made love.”

“Right, and that was a week before I closed on the house.” Adam rolled his eyes in thought. “So, you’d be at week six.”

“That’s what I said -- I’m two weeks late.”

“At this stage what’s in your womb is not a child. It’s tissue that I wouldn’t even call a fetus at this point. It’s an embryo ... it’s potential, just like every egg in your ovaries is potential. We made a good faith effort at avoiding fertilization. For whatever reason that effort failed. I have no moral or personal objection to terminating a pregnancy at this point. I don’t consider it any different than Plan B.” He looked at her and saw her eyes filling. “You wanted my honest opinion and I gave it to you. I’m sorry if it sounds harsh and I’m sorry if it upsets you, but that’s how I feel.”

Kara shook her head. “It doesn’t upset me. I feel exactly the same way.”

“A month from now my opinion might be different,” he added.

“Yeah, I understand. I’d feel different, too.”

“So, are you deciding to...”

She nodded. “Terminate it.”

Adam drew in a breath and released it as a sigh of relief. “I think that’s the right decision. I mean, if our relationship continues on course, maybe we will find ourselves in a position to start a family. I’m still getting established after a divorce. You have a career that’s taking off -- you’re so busy I’m in awe at your ability to keep jobs straight. It’s not fair to us and it’s not fair to the child to be brought into that environment.”

“I agree.”

“Feeling better?” He stood and coaxed her off her sofa. They embraced and kissed. “We can get through this together.” He kissed her again. “You have your gyno appointment in two weeks. Maybe they can take care of it.”

She shook her head. “No. Doctor Wolski does not perform abortions.”

“Why not?”

“She admits at Saint Joseph’s. Does the word saint mean anything to you?”

“It’s a Church hospital.”

“They don’t permit abortions at Saint Joseph’s -- for any reason.”

“What about finding a clinic?”

“With the new laws and regulations in this state, most of those have been shut down.”

“Yeah, I’ve read the news about that. For women’s health, they say. It’s bullshit. What they’re really doing is pandering to a fundamentalist religious base by making abortions difficult to obtain. It’s actually worse for women’s health. Maybe your doctor can give you a referral.”

“Adam -- I wouldn’t want her to know. You don’t understand the relationship between a woman and her gynecologist. If I can’t get this resolved and resolved soon, I’ll need to reschedule for after it IS resolved.”

“Tell you what I’ll do -- I’ll start cold-calling OB-GYN offices. I’ll say I’m calling on behalf of my girlfriend. I won’t name names, I’ll just see what they can do.”

“Okay. Thanks, Adam. Look online for a pregnancy hotline. Maybe one of those can help.”

“I will do that.” He embraced her again and kissed her lips. “Try to relax. We’ll get this solved so we can get on with life.”

Kara nodded and more tears filled her eyes. “I’m sorry I popped off at you. I know it’s not your fault.”

“I want us to get past this and for you to get birth control that will ensure we’ll never have to face this again.”

“That’s what I want, too.”

“Do you want me to stay with you tonight?”

“I have to be up early and I won’t be in the mood for romance.”

“Me, neither. Well -- relax, calm down and try to get some sleep. How about I come over tomorrow, same time, same place and we can discuss what I learn?”

“I’d like that. Good night, Adam.”

“Good night and I love you.”

Adam parked in Kara’s drive. He picked up a flat box, carried it to her door and rang her bell. She answered it in a knee-length denim skirt and a calico blouse. “Hi,” she said, “come in.”

“I brought some eclairs.”

“Adam, I really don’t have much of an appetite...” He flipped open the box. “But, I do love eclairs. I can make some coffee.”

He sat at her kitchen table as she poured coffee into two mugs. She set them on the table and he placed an eclair on each of two plates. Kara took a bite from hers. “This is really good. I’m glad you brought these.” She took another eclair from the box. “So -- what did you learn?”

“I’m afraid the news isn’t very good. Half the doctors I called said they’re not taking new patients. I think some of them suspected I was from one of those right-wing activist groups trying to scam them into agreeing to something unsavory. The others would take new patients, but their openings were way out.”

“I figured it would be like that.”