Sacha
I turned over in bed and picked up my phone from the nightstand to check the time. It was a few minutes after one. I couldn't sleep, and reading hadn't helped. My legs were jittery, my mind restless. It didn't help that my boss had texted me about meeting first thing in the morning, but that wasn't the source of my insomnia. I was anxious about it but not enough to keep me from sleep. I had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I would soon be moving to Alabama, unless a miracle occurred.
My mind kept going back to Gib. I thoroughly enjoyed our lovemaking-he was a skilled, generous lover. But his intensity scared me. It was flattering the way he insisted on caring for me, but I wasn't used to it. When Kevin and I were married, we each had our own interests. We gave each other space. We were together, but separate.
Maybe that wasn't so great, after all.
We had drifted apart and lost interest in each other. I knew now, in my heart, that my ex wasn't the only one guilty of neglecting their partner. I had become obsessed about having a child in order to fill the void left by a disintegrating relationship, instead of working with my partner to build a family.
The irony of my situation now was not lost on me. My dream had come true-a baby was on the way. But now I had a partner who insisted on being part of my family, whether I wanted him or not. I hadn't called Gib when I got home as I had promised, but texted instead. He'd simply replied, "great."
The sudden buzz of my cell phone interrupted my thoughts. My heart lurched at the sound, and I switched on a lamp. I saw Gib's number and my heart leapt. Why is he calling me now?
"Hello?"
"Sacha. It's me. Gib."
His over pronunciation of the words told me he was hammered. Speak of the devil…
"What is it? Are you okay?"
Silence filled the line for an awkward pause, and I worried he might be hurt. Then he cleared his throat, speaking so softly I almost didn't hear him.
"Yeah. But Marvil died today."
"Who?"
"You know, my landlord. The guy that lived in the cabin below me."
I was fully awake now, the last vestiges of fatigue clearing from my mind. I sat up in bed, rearranging my pillows while I spoke. "Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that."
"Thanks. It was a shock, even though he was old."
There was another long pause as I searched for something else to say. I wanted to be of comfort. I felt guilty for being irritated at him for being drunk and assuming the worst. He probably just needed to talk about it. "So, what happened?"
"Heart attack. His home health aide found him. When I came back after dropping you off, the medics were already there."
"Wow. That's horrible."
"I'm sorry to wake you, but I had to talk to someone."
That struck me as odd. He'd called me first. Not friends or family? I was happy to comfort him in his time of need, but it made me wonder once again why he had latched onto me. I sensed it was more than just the fact of the pregnancy.
"That's okay. I was awake anyway."
"Well, I won't keep you. I'm sure you have to work in the morning."
His voice had sobered a bit. Maybe it had been more suppressed emotion than booze. I couldn't really blame him for either, under the circumstances. Perhaps the high and mighty attitude he sometimes had was a cover for how deeply he really felt. Caring for his elderly neighbor the way he had, showed he did have a heart.
"I do." I paused as an idea hit me. "Hey, Gib… I have a doctor appointment next Friday. Would you like to go with me? That way you can meet my ob-gyn, and you'll know we're in good hands."
"Of course. I'll be there."
"Great. I'll text you the address."
We hung up. I turned over and hugged my pillow. I had a sense of resolution. I still wasn't one hundred percent certain about Gibson Colebank, but at least I didn't have to go through this pregnancy alone. Maybe he could be a friend as well as a co-parent.
~*~