Redeeming (9 page)

“Yeah,” she replied. “I’ll need something to eat later if I feel better.”

Her mother nodded a few minutes later as she returned with her food.

“Here you go, sweetie…” she said as she handed it to her. She hugged Daniella and said, “I hope you feel better.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

Tricia grabbed their stuff and headed for the front door. Daniella turned to follow her out.

“Call or text me later and let me know how you are feeling.” Marilyn said.

“Okay, I will.” Daniella replied.

***

“Where is Jett?” Tricia asked as the women walked into Daniella’s apartment.

“Oh, he’s at his parents’ place for the night.” Daniella began. “Thanks for driving me home. I’m feeling much better.”

“Good,” Tricia said as she tossed her purse on the couch. “You had me worried there for a little bit.”

Daniella plopped down on a barstool next to her kitchen. The nausea might have abated for a few minutes but it exhaustion took its place.

“I am so tired.” She moaned. “I feel like I could fall asleep just sitting here.”

Tricia patted her on the back on the way to the kitchen. With the leftovers in one hand, she opened the fridge and slid them inside. “Do you want me to fix you something to eat besides your Mom’s lasagna?”

Daniella rested her head on the kitchen counter but didn
’t respond.

Tricia started to name off the contents as she leaned against the refrigerator door.
“Let’s see… yogurt, leftover fruit salad, peanut butter, two fig bars… Sheesh, when’s the last time you went to the store…?”

As Tricia spoke, Daniella got up from the barstool and wandered over to the couch for a bit more comfort.
After she sat, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes. “I don’t want anything. I’m fine. Really.”

Daniella heard the door
to the refrigerator close. A few seconds later, Tricia stood next to her. She felt the sudden jolt of a cold jar against her shoulder. Her head shot up and her eyes flipped open.

“Hey!” Daniella exclaimed. “That’s freezing!”

Tricia raised one eyebrow as she looked down at her friend with a smirk on her face. “What about one of these?”

“A pickle?” Daniella replied. “No, I don’t want any pickles right now, thank you.”

“You, um, sure about that?”

“Yes,” Daniella began. “What is wrong with you? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“What do you mean?”

“The way you’re smiling at me. What’s gotten into you?”

Tricia nodded her head and placed the jar of pickles down on the coffee table. “That’s the wrong question. The question is what’s gotten
into
you?”

“What?” Daniella said. “You aren’t making any sense.”

Tricia rounded the table and took a seat next to Daniella on the couch. She crossed her legs together at the knee. “It’s simple really. Has it occurred to you that you aren’t sick at all?”

“Tricia I am so tired.” Daniella exhaled
. “I am not following you in the slightest. What are you insinuating? That I’m pregnant or something?”

Wordl
ess, Tricia raised her eyebrows again.

Daniella broke into hysterical laughter.
“Oh come on, Tricia. That is totally ridiculous.”

“Is it?” Tricia interjected. “The smell of food makes you queasy, you are throwing up without having a fever,
and you are exhausted… Do you need me to go on?”

“No…” Daniella began. “That’s… it’s… there’s no way.”

“Well, there’s one way to find out for sure.”

“Like what?” Daniella scoffed. “What do you mean? A pregnancy test?”

Tricia nodded.

For a moment, Daniella considered it but then dismissed the notion as preposterous. With a wave of her hand she said,
“Why am I even listening to you? I’m not pregnant, Tricia.”

But no sooner did those words escape her lips then another rush of nausea hit her.

“Oh…” Daniella moaned. “Oh I feel sick again.”

She scrambled to the bathroom and reemerged into the living room about ten minutes later. Tricia stood in the doorway with her purse slung over her shoulder and her car keys in her hand.

“Feeling better?” She asked.

“A little, yeah…” Daniella began. “Are you leaving?”

“Yes.” Tricia replied. “Get your things, you are coming with me.”

“What?”

“Come on, we’re going to settle this once and for all.”

“No.” Daniella said as she placed her hands on her hips. “I’m not going to buy a test so just drop it.”

“What’s the difference, Daniella?” Tricia said. “You think you aren’t pregnant, right?”

“Yeah.” She said. “So what’s your point?”

My point is that you should just confirm it.” Tricia replied. “Do it and I won’t bother you about it anymore.”

“Oh my God…” Daniel
la groaned as she looked towards the ceiling for a moment. “Seriously?”

The expression
on Tricia’s face told Daniella everything she needed to know. There was no way she would drop it. Tricia raised her right hand and pointed to an imaginary wristwatch.

“Fifteen minutes to the drug store.” She said. “We’re in, out and back here. In less than a couple of hours, you’ll know.”

Daniella shook her head in frustration. She hesitated for several seconds in the hopes a brilliant counter-argument might pop into her head. Nothing materialized. Drained and uninterested in debate, she at last relented.

“Ugh, alright…” Daniella replied. “Let me grab my purse.”

***

At almost fifteen minutes to the second, the women pulled into the parking lot of the drug store. They got out of the car and started to head inside.

“Okay,” Tricia said. “While you are getting the test, I’m going to pick up a few things.”

“Alright
, but don’t take forever.” Daniella began. “I want to get this thing and get out of here as fast as I can.”

“I won’t.” Tricia said with a reassuring smile. “I’ll meet you up front by the exit.”

Daniella agreed and they entered the store. Tricia headed towards the household section while Daniella tracked down the nearest store employee. A middle-aged man in a red smock walked past her.

“Excuse me, sir?” Daniella said. “Where can I find the pregnancy tests?”

The man looked past her right shoulder and nodded. “Aisle eight, ma’am.”

“Thanks.”

“My pleasure. Do you need any assistance?”

“No, I’ll be fine. Thank you though.”

He smiled, nodded, and continued on his way.

Daniella turned and headed towards the area he
pointed out. As she rounded the corner of the aisle, she noticed a section of them at the far end. Once she neared, Daniella saw four shelves full of tests. Unfortunately, they locked them under a panel of plexiglass.

“Damn… Seriously?” S
he muttered as she tugged on a handle attached to the plastic doors. “Do people really steal these or something?”

As she peered through the clear plastic to get a look, another employee passed by in her peripheral vision.

“Hello?” Daniella whispered. “Can I get someone to help me with these pregnancy tests?”

The woman nodded.
“Yes, of course. One second.”

She walked a few feet away from Daniella and picked up the receiver from a phone on the wall. The store intercom screeched to life.

“Good evening shoppers…” the woman began. “Attention associates… Guest needs assistance in aisle eight. Pregnancy test key is required. Thank you.”

Daniella lowered her head.
“Oh man…” she muttered.

The woman hung up the phone and with a pleasant smile on her face she said,
“Someone will be right with you.”

“Um, okay…” Daniella replied. “Thank you.”

Even though only less than thirty seconds ticked by, it felt like forever. While she waited for someone to come and pry open the fortification around the tests, she clutched at her bag with a nervous, tense grip. She wanted to get this over with and the sooner, the better.

“Daniella?” A
voice said from behind her. It was familiar in a vague way but not one she recognized at first. That is, until she turned around. It her mother’s bridge partner, Babs. The same woman whose son she’d blown off twice in the past couple of weeks.

“Oh, hi… Babs.” Daniella stammered.

Babs Simpson was about the same age as her mom. In fact, in many ways, they were alike. Babs was a bit taller than her mom was but otherwise, they had nearly identical hairstyles and taste in clothes. Daniella saw her on a handful of occasions since she and her mom became friend. Their conversations were short and pleasant but not much more.

“I haven’t seen you for a while,” Babs began. “Marilyn tells me you are working in Pine Hill now. Do you like it there?”

Daniella nodded and tugged a lose strand of hair behind her ear. “Yes, um, it’s nice so far.”

As Babs listened, she smiled at Daniella and readjusted her purse strap over her left arm. It was a matter of time before the subject of Harold came up. Daniella was all but certain of it. So instead of waiting for Babs to say something, Daniella decided to do it herself.

“Babs… Look, I need to apologize to you about the situation with Harold.”

Babs raised her right hand.
“No need, Daniella. Besides, if you want to apologize to anyone, it should be Harold.”

“You’re right,” Daniella replied. “As soon as I get a chance, I will call him and straighten things out.”

“Why wait?” Babs said. “He’s here with me right now.”

“Harold… is here?” Daniella said. She cast a nervous glance in every direction.

“Yes, we came to pick up his allergy medicine. He should be here any moment.” Babs replied. She gestured towards the opposite end of the store and said, “We’ve got to get a few things so I was going to pick them up while he waited and…”

Babs remained quiet for a moment and looked around either side of Daniella. It was obvious she was curious about why Daniella stood where she did. Daniella
’s face began to flush. Panic started to creep into her awareness. There was little doubt Babs would be on the phone to her mother in no time unless she played it off somehow. She needed to find Tricia and get out of there as fast as she could.

“Well,” Daniella said with an awkward clearing of her throat. “I, um, really do need to run.” She started to walk and as she did, Babs stepped in her way, partially blocking her path.

“I thought you were going to wait here for Harold?” Babs said.

The woman
’s sudden maneuver caught Daniella by surprise. “Yes, well, I forgot I have something I need to take care of. I’m sorry about that.”

“I understand.” Babs replied. “I’m sure you two will work things out before too long. At least, I hope so.”

“Definitely,” Daniella began. “Well, I really should get going.”

Daniella hesitated for a moment. She wasn
’t certain if she tried to get around Babs a second time that the woman would let her do it. At the last second, Daniella spun on her heels and without another word started in the other direction. However, as she turned to leave, a heavy set man who looked to be about ten years older than her appeared from nowhere.

“Oh, excuse me.” Daniella said as she narrowly missed a collision with him. She was on the verge of continuing past him when Babs stopped her in her tracks.

“Harold!” Babs exclaimed. “Just in time.”

Oh no.

Before Daniella stood her middle aged, motorcycle riding, man-boobed, fix up, Harold the Accountant. Daniella staggered backwards. It couldn’t be.

“It’s about time you two kids met.” Babs said with a wide smile on her face.

“Son,” she began. “This is Marilyn’s daughter… Daniella.”

Harold smiled and extended his hand to shake hers. His complexion was a strange, off white color. It wasn
’t pale; it was more like the shade of newspaper print. There was no way this could get any worse, or weirder.

“Hi, Daniella it’s a pleathure to meet you.” He said.

A lisp. Of course. Well, that did it…

Daniella cursed her mother inwardly for a moment and summoned what calmness remained. She extended her hand to meet his and as she did, a store employee appeared carrying a heavy
carabiner
keychain. Daniella
’s hand fell to her side as the horror of the moment ratcheted up yet again.

For a split second, the four of them stood in silence. The employee stopped in his tracks and looked at each of them. After a pause, he seemed confident Babs was beyond the need to check for a child so he turned his attention to Daniella.

“Which pregnancy test did you want to see, ma’am?”

Daniella
’s eyes widened. “Uh, oh, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She choked. “You… you must have me confused with someone else.”