Chapter 5
August 3, 2001
"Mom! Mom!" he shouted as he raced up the stairs. "It's a girl! She's beautiful!" He dropped to his knees in front of her rocking chair and hugged her. Ann smiled down at him and smoothed his hair.
"I know, Kevin," she said smiling. "The hospital called while you were on the way home, and I asked. I hope you don't mind."
"No Mom, I don't mind," he grinned. Then he stopped. Why was she looking at him that way-with sympathy and concern in her eyes? "Why did the hospital call?" he asked apprehensively.
"Sweetheart, there's no way to make this easy," she said gently, taking his hands in hers. "Kristin's in trouble. They've taken her to ICU. You need to get back there as soon as you can." He started to pull away from her in panic and she tightened her grip on his hands. "But you have to stay calm, Kevin. You have to be strong for her."
"What's wrong with her? I just left her-she was fine!"
"Pre-eclampsia, honey. Her protein levels went through the roof-her heart." He was staring at her in disbelief "We just have to wait it out, Kevin. Wait and pray." He couldn't remember how he got back to the hospital, but he spent the next two days there, and finally Kristin had pulled through. The end result was that as much as he loved Jemma, it was Kristin who had become the focus of his emotional outpourings. He had nearly lost her. And the doctor said that this could happen again in future pregnancies.
No more, he vowed. No more children. They had fought about it. Constantly, it had seemed to him sometimes. It was their one point of contention.
And then he had come home from touring, to the house in LA in September of the next year, and Kristy had greeted him with a candlelight dinner and soft music-and the announcement that she was pregnant again. Surprise.
"Kev," she had laughed gently. "It'll be fine."
"But, Kristy," he said.
"Kev-honey," she pleaded. "I'm three months along and there's no sign of any problems. The new doctor says that if I'm real careful there shouldn't be anything to worry about."
"Does he know about the last time?" Kevin demanded.
"Yes." Kristin got up and sat in his lap. "Just between you and me, though he didn't say it, I got the impression that he wanted to tell me that it was probably my fault." She paused. "And it probably was."
Kevin's hands were on her stomach. "What are you talking about?" he asked softly.
"Well, think about it, honey. I mean, I looked like a house by the time I was seven months pregnant. I just got totally out of shape. Remember?" she grinned.
Kevin laughed a little. "Yeah, you did kinda resemble an igloo." She swatted him playfully. "But baby, are you sure…?"
"I'm positive," she smiled. "This time, I'm going to stay in shape and not try to eat for everyone in the Third World. You'll see-I'll be fine."
So he had allowed himself to be lulled into Kristy's excited anticipation of another child. And when the test results said that it was a boy, he had forgotten his apprehension and convinced himself that she was right-everything was okay. She was going to be fine.
But she hadn't been fine. And three days after Aaron was born, she was gone.
Kevin slowly came back to the present. Three years ago tomorrow, he thought in disbelief. He looked around the room and inhaled sharply as the tears started to blur his vision. He got up slowly and closing the door softly behind him, headed downstairs to the den-and the liquor cabinet.
Chapter 6
Coming Home
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