ChapterSeventeen
HANNAH
So much had happened in the last several months. They had a baby on the way. They purchased a new house. It would be a perfect place for them to raise their family. If their child would just decide to vacate the womb. The baby was three days overdue. The doctor was of no help. He’d told her earlier to be patient. Relax. Hannah had barely resisted the urge to punch him in the nose.
Hannah had been hunting for guidance to get this show on the road. She had already tried castor oil and spicy food. For the last few days, Samuel had been making her the Korean dish, Tteokbokki. It was extra spicy and still the baby made no move to greet the world. This morning, she had read on the internet that a nice long walk might get the little one on the move. Samuel didn’t want her to go out walking in the neighbourhood by herself. So, she had to wait for him to finish up the hospital outreach. It was an unseasonably warm day, so she was waiting on the porch for him. Hannah meant business. The moment he got home. They were going on the walk. Her hand was on her belly. Her little lodger was very active. Which should be a good sign. Right? “Come on honey, come out so I can meet you.” A few rapid kicks were sent her way in response to her sweet, soothing request. “Fine, I’ll sing to you then.” Hannah closed her eyes and hummed a melody. The sound of an approaching vehicle drew her attention. She opened her eyes to see a late model, small sedan stopping in front of her house. She didn’t recognise it. However, when the driver exited the car, she couldn’t believe he had the audacity to show up at her house.
Hannah didn’t bother to get up. She was comfy. Honestly, he wasn’t worth her moving. Instead, she called, “Get back in your car, Jeremiah.”
“Please, I need to speak to you.” He pleaded. It didn’t go without notice that he kept walking up her driveway. The man had no respect. “I promise it won’t be long.”
Hannah considered sending him on his way without hearing him out, but she didn’t like the odds of him showing back up. She didn’t want to chance him returning and running into Samuel. Jeremiah had no idea how dangerous it was.
“Fine, you have five minutes.” Jeremiah had just reached the first step.
“You can stay right there,” Hannah instructed. There was no doubt if she hadn’t stopped him, he would have taken a seat on her porch.No sir!She wasn’t having it.
Jeremiah stood there staring at her. “Hello?” Hannah snapped her fingers. He really needed to hurry and say what he came to say.
He shook his head. “Um, sorry. The sight of you pregnant threw me for a loop.” Hannah could just tell he was gearing up to say something stupid. “It makes me wonder…” Jeremiah made himself comfortable by leaning against the column on the porch. “…all those years we spent together, and nothing. You are with K-pop boy for a minute and boom, you’re pregnant. Makes me wonder if you wanted to have my baby, if maybe you didn’t do something to prevent it from happening.”
No, he didn’t!The implication was just plain stupid. How many times had she cried over the arrival of her period? Or the tears shed when her period had been late or skipped a month and she allowed hope to grow. All the pressure she had put on herself had made life hellish. So no, his implication didn’t raise her hackles. It was the way he dismissed Samuel. Who was quadruple the man Jeremiah was.
“I don’t know how you didn’t get me pregnant ‘mister, come in five seconds and roll over’. I suppose that will remain one of the great mysteries of the world.” He looked so affronted by her comment.Good!“Is this what you came to say?”
“No. I came to address something else with you.” Jeremiah held up his hand as if waving a white flag. “I’ve run into some rough times. Um, this is hard for me. All my money is gone. The money from the settlement, my savings, all of it. My wife left and took it all. She left our son behind, though. I don’t know how she expects me to take care of him when she took everything. I get she was pissed at me. After I found out you were in the family way, I didn’t know what to think. It kept bothering me, so finally I asked her to take a paternity test. He’s mine, by the way. But she was mad that I questioned her.” It was a lot of information to cycle through. It wasn’t like Hannah to rejoice over someone’s else downfall, but it couldn’t have happened to a nicer person. For the life of her, she couldn’t figure out why he thought she needed this little update.
“Jeremiah. Are you experiencing some kind of head injury? How did you have the nerve to come to my house and tell me your sob story?”
“What?” The man looked perplexed. What was he expecting from her once he told her his tale of woe? “I’m trying to figure out why you are here telling the shocking story of how the woman you cheated with once again showed she has no character.”
“I need some help.” Nah, she was certain she didn’t hear him correctly. “Somehow, I’ll find a way to pay you back.”
“Pay me back?” If she wasn’t as big as a house, she would have jumped up. “I’m not giving you a dime. Your lawyers negotiated more than a fair amount for you in the settlement. It is none of my concern what you did with those funds.”
“I have a son that I need to take care of,” Jeremiah pleaded.
“Good for you! What does this have to do with me?” Hannah didn’t need this stress, and she told him so. “You know what? Don’t try to answer it.”
“I can’t believe you are being so heartless right now.”
“And I can’t believe how full of baloney you are.” Looking upwards, she asked, “Who does this?” Yeah, this conversation was disturbing her peace, and she was over it. She struggled to her feet.
“You said what you came to say. Now go.”
“The woman I knew wouldn’t be so heartless.” Was he for real? She was heartless? What about how he had publicly humiliated her? Then, to add insult to injury, he had gone after her inheritance. Now that it was stolen from under his nose, he honestly thought he could come to her and get more money. No! He’d put her through enough. She would have marched over to him, but all she could manage was a determined wobble. “I said it is time for you to go!” She pointed in his face.
“Hannah—” She didn’t want him to say her name or anything else. Jeremiah wasn’t expecting the shove or the force of it. He stumbled back, twisted his ankle, then fell on his butt.
“Don’t make me come down there. Get up and take your tail to your car and leave.” Jeremiah got up, but just stood there looking at her slacked jaw. Hannah was good and done with him. She looked around her porch. Glimpsing the pot of cactus that was outside for some sun, she picked it up and threw it in his direction. It really was a shame that Lisabeth had gotten the good arm. The pot missed him, but it spurred him into action. “You’re crazy!” he called as he hobble sprinted to his car.
Samuel pulled into the driveway then, as Jeremiah had just made it into the car. He glanced in the man’s direction, eyebrow arched and headed straight to his wife. “What’s the cactus pot doing on the lawn?”
“I was encouraging Jeremiah to go on his way.”
Samuel walked over to her and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Alright, my little fighter. I see you handled your business. Let me try to rescue the cactus and we can go for that walk if you still feel up for it.” He was already moving towards where the plant lay. Picking it up, he smiled. “How did you manage to throw it so far? This thing isn’t exactly light. Please take it easy. You’re pregnant.” Like she needed to be reminded with the beach ball sized belly she had been carrying around.
Wait, what’s that?
