Part 3
Part Two
Kay leaned against the wall, lifted her legs and hugged them to her chest. This gown that the doctor had told her to wear was so thin that it caused her to shiver. She felt better when Fantasia entered.
�How�s everything?� she inquired.
�Don�t know yet. The doctor said it could be a while.�
�How long has it been already?�
�About ten minutes.�
She seated herself next to Kay. �Are you okay? You look like you�re trembling.�
�I�m scared.�
�Why for?�
�The doctor. He said he�s ruled out the illnesses he thought I had because he said whatever this was, it�s more extreme than he expected.�
�Oh Lord.� She squeezed her hand. �I hope everything�s okay. But what all did you tell him?�
�About how I�ve felt?�
�Yeah.�
�I told him that I�ve been throwing up every morning, getting very hungry and cravings, having some odd stomach pangs, I have mood swings, and I haven�t been cursed in nearly four months.�
�Four�months? Kay, you don�t think��
�Think what?� her face paled.
�You don�t think that you�ll never be able to have children, do you?�
�What do you mean by that?�
�I mean, we�re cursed to show that we can have kids. If you�ve gone so long without being cursed, it could mean��
Kay hid her face in her arms and bawled. Fantasia attempted to comfort her, but was having absolutely no luck. Kay sobbed for nearly fifteen minutes until the doctor came in with a clipboard in his hands. She dried her eyes and sat up straight for him.
�Doc, am I gonna be okay?� she stammered.
�Eventually, yes.� he replied. �But you�ll need to come in next week for some examinations.�
�Examinations?� Fantasia repeated. �Why?�
�Just to make sure everything�s safe.�
�What�s wrong with me, doc?� Kay pleaded. �Am I dying? Am I ever going to have children?�
The doctor laughed loudly, striking confusion into the hearts of both girls. What was so humorous?
�Doctor, what�s so funny?� Fantasia demanded.
�Just what she asked, if she�s ever going to have children.�
�Why�s that so funny?� Kay sniffled.
�Because you�re pregnant!�
Kay was ready to faint. Here she was, in a doctor�s office, freezing cold in this gown and shuddering at the news. She shut her eyes as her heart felt ready to burst. There was a baby growing in her womb. And she knew how and when this had happened, that night on the roof. That was the last time she and Pie Eater had ever made love to each other.
Then she remembered Fantasia. She panicked. Fantasia knew nothing of her marriage to Pie Eater, and she had told them that they had done nothing to be ashamed of! She hadn�t been lying, for there was no shame in their love making since they were married.
�How far along am I?� she choked.
�Well, I�m becoming an expert in these situations, so I can tell you that you�ve just started your second trimester. So you�re maybe a day or two over three months pregnant.�
�Doctor,� Fantasia voiced, �I need some time to talk with her. Could you excuse us?�
�Very well. I�ll be back in a few minutes.�
The moment the door shut, Kay took a seat on the table and Fantasia glared at her with her fists resting on her hips.
�You told me you had higher morals than that. And you lied to me!�
�I didn�t lie to you.� She replied lowly.
�Yes you did! You told me that you and Pie Eater weren�t having sex!�
�No I didn�t.�
�Yes you did.�
�No, I didn�t. I told you that we weren�t doing anything to be ashamed of.�
�How much shame is this gonna bring to you? You�re pregnant!�
�I�m also married!�
The angered look on Fantasia�s face melted. �You�re what?�
Kay bent her head down. �I�m married. Pie Eater and I, we�� she stifled a sob. �We got married five months and four days ago. I said we didn�t do anything to be ashamed of because we�d had sex before, but while we were married.�
�But�why didn�t you tell us?�
�Because Pie Eater is trying to get another job. He hasn�t had any luck yet, but he said he wants to get enough money to buy us a place of our own before we told the newsies that we got married. He also said that it could cause other newsies to get married too.�
�Oh, Kay.� She took her hand. �What�s going to happen now? If you haven�t told anyone now, then your pregnancy is gonna give it away!�
She began to sob again. Fantasia hugged her to calm her, but had no luck in doing so.
�Everything�s gonna be fine, Kay.� She promised.
�It�s not that.�
�Then what is it?�
�We weren�t supposed to have a baby. We both agreed we�d wait another five years before we tried having a baby.�
�Oh dear. You�ve gotta tell him, Kay!�
�I can�t tell him today.�
�Why not?�
�It�s Christmas Eve. I�ll spoil his Christmas.�
�Spoil? Kay, it�s not gonna spoil his holiday! I�m sure he�ll be thrilled about it!�
The doctor returned. He still had the clipboard in his hands, so Fantasia released Kay and back away for the doctor to examine her.
�Doctor, what�ll happen now?� Kay wondered.
�Nothing to be worried about. I�ll just need to do a few more tests on you before you leave.�
�Before you start, I need to ask you something.�
�Ask anything.�
�My parents, they both had a lot of miscarriages before and after I was born. And they told me that both of their parents had had a lot of miscarriages too. Is�is my baby in danger?�
�I don�t think so. You�ve entered your second trimester, which means your baby should be safe.�
�But?�
�I don�t think you have anything to worry about, Mrs. Kendric. There is still the possibility of a miscarriage, although it�s much lower than the risks of one happening during your first trimester.�
�When will I know when it�s safe?�
�When you�re about five months along. Now lie down, this�ll only take a few minutes.�
Kay clutched Fantasia�s hand as the doctor performed tests on her to find out how her pregnancy was advancing. Once he finished, he seemed rather pleased.
�You�re very healthy, Mrs. Kendric, and so is the baby. I know this may sound rather improper, but do you know when your baby was conceived?�
She shrugged. �September twentieth.�
�Is that the exact date?�
�Yes. It was our two month anniversary, and the last time we�well, you know.�
�I know. I�d say that your baby is due on June twentieth.�
�Oh.� She said dreamily. �That�s a month before our real anniversary.�
�I see. Well, you come in next week and I�ll do some more tests on you. For now, you may go home.�
She sat up and placed her hands on her stomach. Although she couldn�t feel the baby, she knew it was there. Her eyes shimmered in tears as she looked up at Fantasia.
�I�m gonna have a baby.� She said softly. �I�m gonna have a baby!�
Fantasia smiled. �I know. Let�s get your clothes on and go tell Pie Eater.�
�No, not yet. I need to wait till the day after Christmas. Then I�ll tell him.�
She changed clothes quickly, then she and Fantasia left the doctor�s office. Since it was growing late, the newsies would be gathering at Tibby�s for dinner. Once they arrived, Kay made Fantasia swear to secrecy about her condition. When she agreed, they entered.
Kay could feel the tears come to her eyes once she saw her husband wave to her. She held them back as best as she could, but failed. She seated herself next to him and her tears welled over.
�Kay, what�s wrong?� he asked as he pulled her close. �Are you okay?�
�The doctor said I�ll be fine.� she gazed at his face. �Tell me that you love me.�
He laughed a bit. �Alright. I love you.�
�Say it again.�
�I love you.�
�Say it so I know you mean it.�
He tipped her chin. �Okay. Listen, I love you now, I�ve loved you before, an� I�ll love you till th� day I die.�
Her tears flowed. �Kiss me.�
He did, and she could feel the weight of her secret stir in her belly. Oh, she wanted to tell him. She placed her hand over her womb, pressing on to wait another two days.
* * *
Christmas had always been a time of joy for Kay, although this Christmas, there was a combination of joy and fear. For Christmas, she had a baby that wasn�t supposed to be. It was just the result of a couple who only wanted to be with each other. How was Pie Eater going to react to this?
When morning came, the newsies exchanged gifts as a Christmas tradition, although some of the guys would present gifts to their girls as well. Kay was sure that she would not be receiving one from Pie Eater since he was saving money for a place of their own, but she proved wrong. He handed her a lightweight, newspaper wrapped box.
�I know I�m savin� my money for a place of our own,� he said, �but I couldn�t resist. Open it!�
She tore the newspaper away and opened the box. Inside was a slip of paper, and as she read it, her heart sank.
�It�s a bed �n� breakfast thing.� Pie Eater explained. �I got us a room reserved for Friday night. This was th� best time t� do it.�
She didn�t know what to do. She wanted to cry, but she knew that now was not the time for tears. She clung to him and murmured a muffled thank you as she buried her face in his chest and allowed a few tears to flow.
�Kay, what�s the matter?� he questioned.
�Nothing.� She gasped. �I�m just�so happy.�
The weight of this secret was weighing heavily on her shoulders. Another day would be so long for her. Could she handle it?
* * *
For thirty-six hours, Kay held her silence of the baby she was carrying. And now was the time for her to tell Pie Eater. She went downstairs and entered the boys� bunkroom, where she found him playing a round of poker with Race, Balla, Autumn, Snoddy, and Goosey and Itey, who were cuddled together while concealing their cards from one another. Kay grimaced at the queasiness from the smoke of Race�s cigar gave her.
�Hey Kay.� Pie Eater said. �Wanna join us?�
�No thanks.� She murmured. �I need to talk to you.�
He glanced at his cards. �Alright, I fold. I�ll see y�all later.�
They left the bunkroom and shut the door behind them. When Kay started down the stairs, Pie Eater followed, wondering why she was taking him here. Perhaps what she said was something she didn�t want overheard.
Once they reached the lobby, she approached Kloppman behind his desk and asked if she could talk to Pie Eater alone in the spare room. When he scowled, she told him that she needed to talk to him about a very important matter. He finally consented, but very warily.
She led Pie Eater into the spare room and locked the door behind them. Then she took a seat on the bed to rest.
�What�s this all about?� Pie Eater wondered. He lowered his voice. �Is it about us?�
�Yes, it is.�
She folded her hands together into her lap and kept her head lowered. Pie Eater sank to his knees and gripped her hands.
�You never told me about what happened at th� doctor�s.� he whispered. �Does it gotta do wit that?�
�Yes.� she choked.
�Is everythin� okay?�
�The doctor wants me to come back next week.�
He sighed heavily. �Are ya gonna be okay?�
�I don�t know.�
He saw the tears in her eyes and reached up to dry them. Then she began to cry softly. He seated himself next to her and wrapped his arms around her.
�Please, tell me what�s wrong.�
�But it�s so hard.�
�Then tell me th� truth. Is it bad?�
�I don�t know.�
He paused. �Are ya gonna die?�
�No.�
He sighed relief. �Listen Karen, as your husband, I got a right t� know �bout your health. I�m scared about ya, honey. Please, tell me what�s wrong.�
She covered her face with her hands. �I�m sorry this happened. I swear, I didn�t mean to, but it just happened.�
�What just happened?� he drew away, removed her hands from her face and stared into her eyes. �Please, tell me.�
She hiccupped, and pressed one hand to her stomach. She prayed for courage and confidence, then spoke.
�I�I�m pregnant.�
She couldn�t bring herself to look at him and turned her head. But he took her face gently and turned her so she could see his face. He was filled with confusion.
�You�re what?� he questioned, almost silently.
�I�m gonna have a baby.� She said in between choked sobs. �The doctor said I�ve just entered my second trimester.�
A million things crossed his mind as once. He had always wanted children, but�one on the way now? He felt fazed. He didn�t know what to do, what to say, or how to react. He just froze. In the meantime, Kay continued to cry for several minutes until her curiosity of his reaction overwhelmed her.
�Say something.� She said.
�I�I dunno what t� say.� He stammered.
�Are�are you angry with me?�
�No!� he embraced her again. �I�m not angry with you. I jus��I jus� don�t know how t� react about this.� He paused. �Listen, we�ll talk about this in the morning, okay? I need some time to sort things out.�
�Okay.� She whispered, barely audible.
To allay her fears, he kissed like he always did. Then they left the room and parted ways to their own rooms. Pie Eater went straight to his bunk and lay down, sorting out his reactions and emotions of this blessed, yet unexpected and accidental, event.
He was going to be a father. A father! His mind began to spin. They had both agreed that they wanted to have kids in about five years, and now, she was pregnant. She had mentioned that she hadn�t meant for it to happen.
�But it did happen.� He thought. �Just like pa always told me it would.�
He thought through this dilemma. How was this going to look once Kay began to show? It wouldn�t be much longer before her belly would begin to expand as the baby would grow. And what about when the baby came? It would need a cradle, diapers, clothes, bottles�having a baby took money. They would need a place of their own.
Another thought came to mind. What if the baby made Kay sick? Pa used to tell him that his ma was sick all throughout her pregnancy with him. What if the same happened to Kay? Kay was so fragile. He had always thought of her to be like a rose: beautiful and extremely delicate. She would cry at hurting herself, even if it was just a tiny cut to her finger. How would she handle childbirth?
There were so many problems and assumptions raging through his brain that his head began to throb. He shut his eyes and thought more of what to do. Then, he thought of Kay in general. How was she handling this situation?
He had seen the look on her face when she gave him the news. She was terrified. She had been completely in fear of what his reaction would be. Had she thought he would be angry? �I�m not angry at her.� he thought. �It�s clearly an accident! I could never be angry at or hate her for what happened! Is that what she thinks?�
Kloppman entered and told the newsies to ready for bed. As the few girls in the room went upstairs, their boys blew kisses to them so not to infuriate Kloppman by breaking his rules. When the girls were gone, the boys readied for bed.
Pie Eater did not want to sleep. He wanted to think about the baby. As he stripped off his clothing, he began to wonder if now was the time to tell the newsies that he and Kay were married. Then they wouldn�t jump to the wrong conclusion when Kay told them of the baby. He wanted to spare her from the humiliation.
After he pulled his nightwear on, he lay down on his bed and remained wide awake. He couldn�t sleep now, not when he had a wife upstairs who was probably deathly afraid that he didn�t want their baby.
�Do I want the baby?� he wondered as the lights went out. �I have always wanted kids, but�why I don�t I feel so enthusiastic about this one? Is it because it wasn�t supposed to happen, or because no one knows we�re married? I don�t know how I feel. How am I supposed to feel in this situation?�
He lay there for at least another hour before he sat up and rose to his feet. He needed to talk to Kay about this. He was careful not to awaken any of the newsies as he left the bunkroom and climbed the stairs to the girls� level. He knew that the girls would be sleeping, but didn�t care. He knocked on the door.
When there was no answer, he knocked louder. He knocked again. Finally, a very groggy Twilight answered the door, and didn�t seem too happy to have been awakened.
�Whaddaya want, Pie Eater?� she asked hoarsely.
�I need t� talk t� Kay.�
�She�s sound asleep. She came up here a while ago and fell asleep with the lights on and everything.�
�Listen, this�s important. So wake �er up, please? Tell �er I�m downstairs.�
Groaning, Twilight agreed. She shut the door, and he retreated to the lobby. He seated himself on the bench next to the woodstove. It was burning well, and warmed him instantly. Five minutes later, Kay appeared, rubbing her eyes. He smiled faintly at her when she reached the floor.
�Why�d you wake me up?� she wondered. �I�m so tired.�
He patted the bench. �C�mere. I gotta talk t� ya.�
She hesitated a minute, then complied. She cautiously sat down next to him, and tensed confusedly when he slipped an arm around her.
�I couln�t wait till t�morrah mornin�. I gotta talk t� ya now.�
�What�s to talk about?�
�The baby.�
Her head lowered. �I�m so sorry this happened. I didn�t mean-�
�I�m not sorry this happened.�
She raised her eyes to his. �What?�
�I said I ain�t sorry.�
As expected, she began to sob again. He pulled her up against him, held her close and rubbed her back while whispering soft words of comfort.
�I�m so scared.� She muffled.
�Scared �f what?�
�The baby. I know it�s there, but I don�t feel it. I don�t feel anything for it.�
�Ya mean ya don�t want it?� there was a touch of disappointment in his tone.
