A couple days later D and Dawn were getting ready to be released from the hospital. They couldn’t wait to get home, they were sick of hospital beds and hospital food.
Dawn hadn’t talked to AJ since the phone call about Arianna. She missed him like crazy but she knew she had to separate herself from him right now. She was still hurt and confused. She needed more time to think.
"Knock knock," Noah said, tapping on the door, smiling.
"Come in," Dawn told him.
She wasn’t ready to see him yet. She still didn’t know what her feelings were toward him and what place he had in her life.
"So, are you ready to get out of here?"
"Yes! I’m sick of this hospital bed. I just want to go home."
"Are you going back to your place?" He asked gently.
"No, I’m staying with D. I need some time away from Alex to think."
"What’s there to think about? He cheated on you. You aren’t seriously considering taking him back are you?" He asked, getting upset at the thought.
"I don’t know, Noah. Things are so complicated right now…" she said quietly.
"What about Arianna?"
"Arianna is staying with me. AJ wasn’t real happy about it but he understands that I need to spend this time with her. I feel like I’ve neglected her for the last few months."
"Nonsense. You were off doing your job. She came to visit and you called her…you haven’t neglected her."
"I know, it’s just been so hard being away from her," she said sadly.
"I know but you’ll have plenty of time to make it up to her."
"You’re right."
"That reminds me, we need to talk about what happens next with your career."
"Oh, I haven’t thought much about it lately."
"Well, you won’t be going on that tour we talked about in the States now that you’ve been in the accident. That’s okay. We are can reschedule it until you’re able to get back up on stage."
"That’s not going to be for a while. The doctor said it would take a lot of work to be able to dance again."
"We’ll do everything we can to get you back up there. We’ll wait as long as it takes."
"There’s something else we need to talk about, Noah."
"What’s that?"
She took a deep breath.
"I’m pregnant."
He looked at her shocked.
"Wow. That’s wonderful."
He noticed the sad look on her face.
"Aren’t you happy about it?"
"I am, it’s just that it’s such a bad time. Things are so fucked up with Alex."
"How does he feel about this?"
"He’s so happy. We’ve been wanting this for a long time."
They were both silent.
"Noah…I have to ask you something and I want you to be honest with me."
"Okay."
"That day that I got the letter…I remember us kissing, but I can’t remember if anything else happened. Did anything else happen? That day or any other time?"
Noah looked into her eyes and wanted so badly to tell her exactly how he felt about her, that he loved her, that he wanted her to be with him, not AJ. He would take care of her, Arianna and the baby.
"Well, there was one night when we got very, very drunk. You stayed in my room. I honestly don’t remember if we slept together or not. I do remember the two of us waking up in a compromising position."
"Compromising position? What kind of compromising position???" Dawn started to get worried.
"Well, when I woke up you had your head on my chest and you were in your underwear."
"Oh my God," she groaned, closing her eyes.
"I don’t remember anything else. I’m sorry."
"You don’t remember? What do you mean you don’t remember??" Dawn started to yell.
"Well, we were really drunk that night…you don’t remember, either."
Dawn covered her face with her hands. She couldn’t believe this was happening. She couldn’t have slept with Noah, she just couldn’t have. She didn’t care how drunk she was, she would never cheat on AJ.
"I’m sorry, Princess. I wish I could remember," Noah said quietly.
"What am I supposed to do now? I’m angry at Alex for cheating on me and I could have done the same thing to him. How could I do something like that?? How could I have cheated on him??"
"Maybe you don’t belong with him. Maybe this happening was a way of telling you that you and AJ aren’t meant to be."
Noah regretted what he said the minute he saw the look of shock on Dawn’s face. Why did he say that?
Because he meant it.
He didn’t think they belonged together. She belonged with him. Maybe this would make her think and finally realize it.
Dawn couldn’t believe what Noah had just said. Was he right? Was this a sign? Were she and AJ not meant to be together? Yes, of course they were. Weren’t they?
"I’m sorry, Princess. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that."
Dawn just looked at him. He could see the tears in her eyes.
"I’ll go and leave you alone. I’ll see you on the plane, okay?"
He kissed her forehead and left the room. As soon as the door clicked shut Dawn buried her face in her hands and cried.
A little while later, Dawn was attempting to fold up her clothes when Arianna burst through the door.
"Mommy!!" She ran over to the bed and tried to crawl up on it.
"Jellybean, I told you to be careful. Here, let me help you," Denise said as she helped Arianna into Dawn’s arms.
"I’m sorry, sweetie, she’s just excited," she said as she kissed Dawn on the forehead.
"I know, it’s okay," she smiled.
She turned to Arianna, sitting next to her.
"Hi baby! Are you being a good girl?"
"Um, yeah, Daddy said I a bery good girl!" She beamed.
"I know you are," she kissed her daughter’s head. "Mommy’s missed you."
"Daddy tell me Mommy love me and miss me," she stated, matter-of-factly.
"Yeah? Daddy tells you that?"
"Yep!" She paused as she looked inquisitively at Dawn. "Mommy, you got boo boos? You okay?" she frowned, examining Dawn’s cuts and bruises.
"Yes, I’m okay, sweetie. Mommy won’t be able to walk for awhile, though."
"But, why?" She asked, confused.
"Mommy hurt herself and can’t walk."
"I sorry, Mommy. I take care of you," the little girl hugged her.
"It’s not your fault, honey. You can help Mommy though, okay?"
"Okay!" Her face lit up. "Daddy help, too!"
Dawn looked over at Denise who had a sad look on her face. Neither of them knew what they should tell the little girl. She was so young, too young to understand.
"Honey, listen to Mommy, okay?" She looked her daughter in the eye. "You’re gonna come live with Mommy for a little while. We’re going to stay with Auntie D. Daddy is going to stay at home."
She looked at her, confused.
"I no see Daddy?" She frowned.
She looked like she was about to cry.
"Of course you’ll see Daddy. He’s loves you very much and will come visit all the time."
She pulled her into her arms. She didn’t know how else to explain it. She knew she didn’t understand.
"Okay, I bring my bear Daddy buy me."
"You can bring whatever you want, honey."
The little girl smiled at her and jumped down off the bed.
"I play with my dolly."
She sat on the floor and turned her attention to her doll.
"So, you’ve talked to Alex?" Denise asked.
Dawn sighed. "Yeah, I talked to him. He sure didn’t make things easy."
"He loves you, Dawn. You and Arianna are his whole life. I know he messed up, he doesn’t deny that, but you two have a baby on the way. You’ve wanted this baby for such a long time….."
"You’re not making this any easier on me, either."
"I’m sorry, I just see how miserable he is. I know he’s going to be lost without Arianna around now. I’m just trying to help. You two belong together."
"You know, I always thought that, but so much has happened. I just need time to think."
"I understand that you need time to think. So does Alex. Don't let his past mistakes ruin what the two of you have. Remember that you love each other and that you're a family."
Dawn looked at her sadly. She wanted to tell her she made mistakes too. She was guilty too.
"I hear what you're saying. Things are so complicated right now. I don't even know which end is up anymore."
"You will get things all straightened out once you get home."
"Yeah, I can't wait to get out of here and back home. I'll be able to spend some time with my little girl. I've missed her so much."
She looked down at her daughter playing with her dolly and smiled. This was going to be hard on her. She was used to being with her daddy all the time. Even though AJ was going to visit her, it was still going to be rough...on everyone.