Chapter 23: In The Family Way

Josie Maxwell sat down on the toilet seat with more care than usual. She needed to pee badly, but she controlled herself. Once more, she read the instructions and peeled off the plastic wrapper from the little white stick. Then she let go and held the stick into the flow of her morning urine. After a minute the flow subsided, but Josie remained seated watching the small hand on her wristwatch, not daring to look at the stick before the prescribed five minutes were up.

With an effort, she made herself look at the test stick. The rush of feelings that washed over her made her dizzy for a few moments. The little ball had turned blue. She was pregnant! From Henry! They would have a child together. Carefully, Josie placed the stick on the sink and wiped herself dry. A long shower helped her regain her mental balance, but she was still waltzing on air when left her apartment building and started the short walk to her office. From the corner of her eye, she saw that her shadows were there as usual. There were three of them, two unobtrusive men and one woman. Just your run-off-the-mill office workers from their outward appearance, holding paper cups with coffee as they drifted along the street and keeping pace with Josie. Ever since she had moved from the gated community, three bodyguards watched her on her way to and from work and Josie felt safe with them. When she had dinner in a restaurant, she saw to it that her guards had a table nearby and she always picked up their tab. The three guard dogs rarely talked to her, but she knew that they liked their assignment.

Josie noticed that someone stood in her way and she swerved to the left trying to avoid a collision. She looked up annoyed and froze. It was James Elrin who was blocking her path. That was one reason why she had those bodyguards. People like James and a few others she'd had to fire over the last years. She lifted her briefcase shortly, the arranged signal for an unwanted encounter.

"Get out of my way, James! I have nothing to say to you," she hissed, her prior elation gone.

"I hear you're getting married. Shouldn't I have a talk with your fiancé? Tell him what a sloppy bitch you are when you're drunk?"

"I had to be drunk. Sober I couldn't have stomached a lousy lay like you," she answered bitingly. "Get out of my way, James. I mean it!"

He made a move to grab her armand a second later, he was lying face down on the pavement, the knee of one the bodyguards in his back whilst his wrists were being tied with a cable binder.

"I distinctly heard Mrs. Maxwell tell you to leave her alone, Mister," the man spoke persuasively. "Are you going to listen? Will you leave her alone?"

"You're hurting me!"

"Will you leave her alone, Mister?"

"Yes, yes, I will," James yelped. He wasn't tough, not physically. When the bodyguard pulled him up, Josie had to stifle a laugh. James was trembling. She shook her head. What had she ever seen in this sorry excuse for a man?

"I will have a judge issue a restraining order against you, James. Do you understand? The next time you approach me, you will be arrested. You're on parole, James. You don't want to go to prison, do you?"

He shook his head.

"Good, now go home to your mother!"

The last sentence had been pure malice, but Josie felt nothing but contempt for the man she had once thought of as a partner for life. James stumbled away with people staring at his ruffled appearance.

"You all right, Mrs. Maxwell?" the bodyguard asked.

"Yes, fine. Thank you, Mr. Connor!"

"Glad I could be of use to justify our fees, Ma'am," he grinned. "I have to say good bye, Ma'am, and thanks for a pleasant job."

The other two guards had not interfered. Josie realised that now that Mr. Connor had outed himself as her bodyguard in public, the agency would replace him with a new face.

"Why don't you come to my office at one, and I'll at least treat you to a farewell lunch?"

"Sorry Ma'am, that's against company policy. But I appreciate it. Have a good day!"

She shook his hand and turned to continue her walk. Elisa was there already, and Josie reminded herself that it was a good day.

"Elisa, could you schedule an appointment with Dr. Holmquist in the next few days?"

"I'll see to it, Mrs. Maxwell. Do you want your coffee right away?"

"Yes, please. And can you put me through to Mrs. Winthorp?"

Josie had barely sat behind her desk when the phone blinked and Ellen was on.

"Hello and good morning, Darling!" she greeted her friend.

"It's afternoon," Ellen grumped. "And not everybody is on cloud nine."

"Oh, I'm sorry, are you all right?"

"Could be better. I must've caught a stomach flu, a persistent one. I throw up every morning."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Darling. You should see a doctor. God knows what this can be."

"I guess I should. And you? You sound chipper."

"Ellen, I don't know for sure yet, but I'm almost certain that I'm pregnant!"

"Oh my God! Does Harry know?"

"No, I won't tell him before I'm sure. I had one of these test sticks and it turned blue when I peed on it. I mean I've been missing my period for two months and I thought I might be pregnant, but I've had no morning sickness like when I was pregnant with Pat and Megan and..."

She stopped in mid-sentence. The thought she had was outrageous. Could it be? She heard Ellen gasp from the other side on the Atlantic.

"Oh my God," Ellen whimpered. "It can't be, can it?"

"What, Ellen?"

"I've missed my monthlies twice and I throw up every morning. Do you think..."

Josie felt weak for a moment. Could it be? If yes, why didn't it happen earlier? Why now? And hadn't she told Josie that she could not conceive?

"Didn't you tell me you are unable to conceive?"

"That's what the doctor told me then," Ellen answered. "Josie, I need to drive to the pharmacy. I'll call you."

"Please do, Darling. And Ellen, don't panic! We'll find a way, don't worry. You're not alone in this."

She heard Ellen take a deep breath. "I know I can count on you and Henry. Just don't tell him yet."

For the next hour, Josie sat on hot coals. Twice her phone rang, but it was job-related and she ended those calls as fast as she could without offending the callers. When the phone rang the third time, it was Ellen.

"Omigod, omigod, Josie, it's blue! It's blue, it's bloody positive!"

That didn't sound like desperation, Josie thought.

"Isn't that wonderful, Ellen?" she tested the waters.

"Wonderful? It's the fucking greatest thing that has happened to me in my whole bloody life!"

Josie had not known that Ellen was even capable of swearing. She laughed, relieved over Ellen's elation. Then the thought hit her.

"Ellen, we probably conceived together! Our kids will be siblings. Do you realise what that means? We'll raise them together."

"I know," Ellen sniffled, her mood swinging wildly. "I know. God, this is so unbelievable! I have to cry, I'm so happy, Josie."

Josie heard her sobbing, but she thought it would be good for her to vent those emotions. When the sobbing stopped, Ellen sounded worried.

"Oh dear, I need to make arrangements for the horses! I mustn't ride them. What if something happens? I couldn't stand to lose the child."

The pendulum had swung and now Ellen was scared. Josie thought quickly.

"Listen, Ellen, can you drop everything and come here? Sandy can stay with Henry. Just hop on a plane and come here. I'll get you an appointment with my own ob/gyn and I'll help you through the next weeks. Let's do this together, like sisters."

"Josie, would you? I'd feel a lot more comfortable going to a doctor with you. Does your doctor know about ... your ... you know ... your husband and what he did?"

Ellen had almost whispered those last words.

"Of course, she does. That's another point. She is discreet and caring."

"Listen, Josie, I'd love to come and see you, but isn't that complicated? I mean, I would have to book a flight, and..."

"No, you don't!" Josie laughed. "Let my secretary handle it. You'll get the flight information and that's it. No tickets, just show up at the check in. Let me call you in an hour. In the meantime get Harry or Rose to take in Sandy. And pack. Not too much though. Atlanta is a good place to shop and we have to get you out of your dowdy outfits."

"But, can I fly, I mean in my condition?"

"Of course, Silly! Do you think I'll miss my own wedding? How am I supposed to come over? In the Queen Elisabeth?"

"You're right, of course, but..."

"Ellen, have you ever flown on a plane?"

"Yes. With Henry. To Glasgow. We even flew in a helicopter."

"Good, now have you ever been to another country?"

"Yes, I have. We did a pre-graduation trip to West Berlin with our class."

"West Berlin? You know they got rid of that Wall back in 1990, don't you?"

"Well, it was West-Berlin then. And we took a bus. Ferry boat to Calais and then to Berlin by bus. I even learned some German. 'Ick mockte ein Snitzl!'. See, I still know stuff!"

"And since then? I mean, you're 35 and that was almost eighteen years ago!"

"There never was a chance. First, the thing with Harry happened, and then with Ted, I mean, get real! And when he was gone, I pretty much holed up."

"Ellen, go pack! Borrow a suitcase from Pat or Megan. Get Chris to help you or Henry. You'll have the flight information tomorrow morning; prepare to leave tomorrow afternoon. You need some fun and excitement in your life and I'll see to that."

Later that day, Josie called Henry over her computer. She liked doing that. The webcam they both had allowed her to see his face and his reactions to what she said. She had decided to tell him the truth, at least as far as she was concerned. After the preliminary exchange of trivial information, Josie dropped the bomb.

"Darling, I'll have an appointment with my doctor day after tomorrow. I can't be sure yet, but you should know. I had a home pregnancy test and it was positive. I feel like it too. Darling, we're going to have a child."

She watched his face as it underwent the transition from worry after her first words to smile to something that looked awfully close to tearing up.

"Damn it, Josie, and I can't be with you! Right now, I want to hold you in my arms and all I can do is say those silly words over the net. I love you and we'll have a wonderful child."

"I'll be with you in a few weeks, Darling. I won't be alone. I asked Ellen and she will come to Atlanta to mother me for a few days. Be a darling and help her to the airport. She can hold my hands when the doctor tells me. I'll let you know right away, so don't you worry."

She had thought about this legend for Ellen's visit. It explained everything.

"You're asking a lot of Ellen. I think she hasn't even left the country in her life. Wait, they did this bus trip to Berlin when she was in school, but that was all."

"I thought you Europeans were more adventurous," Josie smiled.

"Well, I am, and look at my knee!"

"Silly! Will you help her, please? She's going to need a proper suitcase or trolley. She'll have that ticket tomorrow morning and her plane leaves Heathrow at 3:30. You'll have to take in Sandy for a week. That's not a problem, is it?"

"Of course not," Henry answered. "You guys aren't up to something?"

Josie's bright laugh made him smile.

"Silly! We're not like that. Without you we're just friends. It's you who gives us those naughty thoughts."

"Speaking of which, I can't see what you're wearing."

"A pant suit. I'm in my office. So don't get silly ideas. I won't show you anything, you naughty man!"

A week ago, connecting with Henry from her computer at home, she had stripped in front of the webcam and showed herself to for him. It had turned her on a lot.

"Come on, flash me!" he egged her on.

Josie blushed. "Not in my office, I won't! Will you be up in three hours?"

"Only if you promise to touch yourself for me!"

"I promise. God, you corrupt me."

"I want to see your belly every day now," he answered. "I want to see it grow."

Josie squirmed on her chair.

"I miss you so much, Henry! I've got work to do. I'll be home in three hours. Wait up for me, Darling. And please get Ellen on that plane."

When they had broken the connection, Josie breezed through the documents in her in-tray. She was inspired with her mood soaring to unbelievable heights, but she was able to focus on the work. Two hours later, she dropped the finished documents on Elisa's desk and left. Once out on the street, she saw two of her watchers fall in with her and that was the first time since the morning that she wasted a fleeting thought on James Elrin.

The Delta flight had been only a few minutes late and Josie was waiting outside customs for Ellen to emerge. One of her watch dogs was with her, as was her driver, Gilles. The other guards were outside. They were armed and that was a no-no in the Arrivals lounge. Of course Ellen was one of the last people to make it through immigration and customs. She was not alone though when she emerged. A tall man with aquiline features walked with her and almost chewed her ears off. Ellen was visibly flustered. Josie stood and walked over.

"Hello, Ellen!"

Ellen and the man looked up at the same time, Ellen with relief and the man with irritation. Josie was unfazed. This was Atlanta, her home turf, where she carried weight. She hugged Ellen and began to lead her away when they were stopped by the man's aggressive growl.

"Hey, Blondie, you still owe me your phone number."

Ellen looked at her pleadingly and Josie turned giving the man a cold stare.

"Mister, she doesn't owe you one single thing. Now if you'll excuse us, we're leaving."

She stared at the man until he dropped his gaze and retreated. Grinning to herself, she steered Ellen towards the exit and the waiting car. Gilles loaded Ellen's suitcase into the trunk of the limo and they drove off.