Take It Or Break It

ADRIENNE

After the way that meeting went with Eddie, I wanted nothing more than to go home, jump into a bath and bawl my eyes out while eating chocolate. But I couldn’t do that just yet. I still had things to care off and they couldn’t wait.

I texted Arlene asking her to meet me at the hospital in an hour. When Arlene saw me an hour later, she understood immediately from just the look on my face. Without saying anything to me, she pulled me into a hug that made me lost it all there and start crying.

“I’ve made up my mind, Arly.” I whispered as a tear rolled down my cheek. “I’m not going to keep the pregnancy.”

Arlene nodded and still said nothing, instead, her arms tightened around me and I could feel that she was crying as well. When we’d both cried to our satisfaction, she finally pulled away, looking into my eyes.

“I suppose I can’t change your mind?”

I shook my head. “No.”

She closed her eyes and sighed. “I was afraid you’ll say this, but it’s okay. You hear? If you want to terminate this pregnancy then I’m sure you’ve thought it though and decided this is the best option for both you and the child.”

Did I? Did I think it through? Wasn’t I just being selfish? I shook the thought away as Arlene began leading me to the ob-gyn ward. We entered and quietly opposite the doctor who appeared to be quite young.

“Miss Hanson… are you sure you want to terminate the pregnancy?” the doctor asked, regarding me with a slight crease in his brows. “From your stats here, there’s a very high tendency that you might not conceive again after this.”

I closed my eyes, thinking of everything Eddie put me through. How I even ‘conceived’ said pregnancy in the first place. What was I going to tell the child after I brought them to this world? Who was I going to say their father was? What reason was I going to give them for why he wasn’t in their lives?

“Yes,” I replied calmly. “Let’s terminate the pregnancy. I don’t want a child in such a situation. Plus, I plan on returning to my career. I have all that on front of me. I can’t …”

The doctor nodded in understanding, but Arlene still gave me that unsure and incredulous look. Like she was seeing me for the first time. We’d been friends for farm more than ten years, I was sure she was surprised I could make a decision like this.

Everyone had seen my love for Eddie. There was a time I was sure I could die for him and nobody would have questioned it. Three years ago, when we got together had been the happiest time of my life. I thought I’d gotten what I wanted. But now…

“Please, let me do this.” I said before she could start appealing to my conscience.

“Well, here’s what I advice.” The doctor said finally. “Wait a few days before the surgery to terminate the pregnancy.”

I frowned. “Why?”

“Many different reasons, and one of them is because of how rare your blood type is. We need time to prepare our backups in case something goes wrong. Plus, the complication of terminating twin pregnancy… and I also want you to make up your mind fully. Be sure that this is what you really want before we continue.”

I swallowed hard before nodding. Despite the smile I tried to force out, tears burned my eyes. I glanced down at my stomach, wincing when I felt a sharp pain in my abdomen. Did the babies know? Did they know I was trying to terminate them and were trying to fight it?

Pursing my lips, I pushed the thought aside. There was nothing like that. Arlene stood to her feet first, thanked the doctor and led us out of the office just as my phone pinged with a new notification.

It was an email to inform me that my application to take part in the culinary show was accepted. That put a smile on my face and I immediately texted Mr. Hubert to share the good news with him and ask if there was anyway we could meet.

While I was making that text, another email entered and it was another congratulatory message. I frowned because it wasn’t one I was expecting. Why was the one of the prestigious hospitals offering me a position in their hospital? I never applied and I never put it out there that I was available.

I glanced up just in time to see the look of satisfaction on Arlene’s face. “What do you have to do with this, Arly?” I questioned, as realization dawned on me.

Arlene shrugged. “I simply told our director that you might be available. Since you turned down his offer three years ago to lead the research project in his hospital three years ago, he hasn’t stopped asking about you.”

I sighed, shaking my head. “Arlene, they just offered me a position in their hospital. What am I supposed to do?”

Arlene gave me an incredulous look. “You accept it.” She said matter-of-factly. “Did you not just say you wanted to focus on your career? Well, this is your career. Accept the offer and schedule a meeting with the hospital board. I’m sure they’d all love to meet you. Adrienne, you were a brilliant neurosurgeon and one of the best in the field. Well, until you went AWOL.”

Arlene was right. Medicine had been my first love before cooking. I had taken after my mother, and when she was alive, I had the freedom and means to grow my gift. After her death, everything changed. My family pushed me into a relationship with Eddie Quinn because if what they stood to gain.

I’d been stupid before. I’d thought Eddie and I could have a future but now I knew the truth.

“So?” Arlene asked. “Are you accepting it?”

“We’ll see.” I said, returning the phone in my purse. I thought of my family again. Of my grandma and the man she wanted to match me with. What was he like? Would he be anything like Eddie? Would he make life miserable for me like Eddie did?

Did it matter?

I was no longer the woman I was three years ago. Now I had a secret weapon. I had a voice and I was going to use it to the fullest.

“I have one more place I need to be before I can go home.” I said, turning to Arlene. “Do you still have something to do around here? Or will you be leaving soon?”

Arlene shook her head. “We can leave now. I’ll drop you off where you’re going before I go home. Ah, and I also need to our grocery shopping.”

I nodded. We were walking towards the elevator when it opened up and Eddie stepped out with Lydia beside him. She looked small and weak and her face was quite pale, which made her seem even more fragile.

Eddie’s hands was wrapped around her waist and shoulders as he guided her forward gently and shielding her from the crowd that was beginning to gather.

“Don’t look.” Arlene said quickly, stepping in front of me protectively. “I can’t believe how shameless he can be. He’s there holding another woman so shamelessly not even caring about you.”

I looked away, sighing. “I have an appointment, Arly. Let’s leave.”

But that wasn’t going to happen, because just as we were about to leave, Lydia looked up and her eyes met mine.