Baby. Today is all about your baby, not your sexy neighbor…grumpy neighbor. I assemble Creed’s sandwich and check my hair before grabbing my purse.
The car should be here to pick me up any minute now.
I’m going to see my baby today and find out if he’s healthy and growing well. Worry floods my mind. Everything has to be fine.
Everything will be fine.
I should have called Winnie or Cordelia…they would have come to hold my hand through this.
No, I’m about to be a single mother. I need to be able to stand on my own, especially for the easy things like this. The birth…I’ll think about that later…much later.
Maybe never.
I step out the door and draw in the wonderful scent of fresh air. It’s going to be odd walking back into the stink of the city again.
“Hey, Greer.” Creed smiles as he walks over. “You look nice this morning.”
Not ready for the pitying glances I’m sure to get, I deflect a bit. “I have plans in the city today.” Those include lunch with my mother. Why I agreed to that I have no idea.
“Oh fun.” He looks around. “Are you driving?”
In the city? “No. I ordered a car.” More like my mother sent one to assure I showed up. Hopefully, she didn’t send one of the limos. Mother doesn’t mind making a statement on occasion.
“Makes sense.”
“Be careful when you eat this. It might be messy. Did your father tell you what it is?” Or that he lost his mind this morning?
“Yeah. He said you made eggs Benedict. He loves eggs Benedict, so I’m really looking forward to it.”
Did he not tell Creed to refuse my food? Or is Creed a bit of a rebel? I really shouldn’t ask, but curiosity is killing me.
Just as I’m about to, a car that can only be for me turns onto my road, slowly pulling to a stop in front of my home. The driver comes around to open the door.
Mother wouldn’t have—She totally would have just to embarrass me. Or to try to convince me to come back to the city. Whatever struck her brain when she remembered that I existed this month.
It’s no longer legal to have an abortion, so she isn’t here to convince me to get rid of the baby, even though she tried that before.
Why would she come to Silent Valley?
Out steps a man’s leg… “Rothswyler,” I whisper to myself.
“Why is your lawyer here?”
That’s a good question. “No idea.”
“Miss Greer.” Rothswyler walks over with a smile on his face and not a single crease in his suit after that long drive.
“Mr. Rothswyler. It’s so nice to see you. Have you met my neighbor, Creed?”
Rothswyler glances over at the boy. “I can’t say I have. My research only mentioned that an upstanding father and son lived next door. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” He offers the boy a hand to shake.
Creed doesn’t even blink, returning the shake.
Rothswyler smiles. The kid clearly impressed him. “Are you ready to go, Miss Greer? Traffic is quite challenging at this time of day.”
“I am. Have a nice day at school, Creed.”
He waves, sandwich in hand. “You too.”
