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Read the First 3 Chapters Below!!
He said all the right things... Then left her alone. Troianne Shelden is your everyday, intelligent student. With a love for history and stunning figure, she's a catch for any guy. But after a night of passion with a handsome stranger, introduced to her by their mutual friends, she finds herself pregnant with nowhere to turn for advice. Her parents passed away long ago and, soon after Troianne finds out she's pregnant, her grandmother passes, too. Left with a large inheritance, she looks forward to life with her new baby. Fate takes the wheel when she goes into labor.
Chapter
One
Lexington,
Kentucky 2013
Bam!
Bam! Bam!
“Troianne!
Why have you locked this bathroom door? I need to go now!
You know this old woman can’t hold it very long. Come on outta
there ‘fore I pee my pants!”
“Just
a minute, Meemaw, I’m busy.”
One
minute more was all she needed in order to see if the test would tell
her if she really was pregnant or not. She was two months late and
terrified to think that one night of passion could alter her life
forever. When she thought about it, being twenty-one and in her third
year at the University of Kentucky, wasn’t the most terrible time
to be pregnant, although it sure did damper her plans to major in
World History and become a teacher. Troianne excelled at anything she
put her heart into. Her dream would just take a bit longer.
Ellie
and William were loving and very attentive parents to their only
child. Their tragic end had rocked Troianne’s young eighteen years
to its very core. Broken hearted and left alone with no siblings or
any other family in Pleasure Ridge Park—a small community south
west of Louisville, Kentucky—Troianne decided to pack up all of her
belongings and her seven-toes-on-each-paw tiger-striped cat named
Diesel, and move to Lexington, Kentucky, to live with her ailing
grandmother, Louanne Waires. Her grandmother lived in an old
farmhouse. Troianne used her inheritance money to go to the
University of Kentucky to follow her dream of becoming a teacher.
Now, however, she would have to rethink everything. Her life was
changing quickly, too quickly.
Now
looking down at the pregnancy test stick in her long slender fingers,
a low groan escaped her full pink lips. Right there glaring at her
big as a neon sign was a plus sign on the stick she had recently
urinated on. indicating that yes she was definitely pregnant!
"Oh,
Lord! Now what do I do?" she asked herself. Looking into the
mirror above the sink, she saw her deep sea-green eyes filling with
tears. Grabbing fistfuls of her long black hair, she screamed as the
reality of it hit her.
"I
am pregnant! Really pregnant, shit!"
Bam!
Her Grandmother hit the door with her tiny fist one last time.
"Troianne
Lee, you better open this door right this minute or I’m gonna whoop
your hide! I’m serious, girl, I gotta go!"
“Meeeeeooooooowww!”
Diesel the cat decided to put his two cents worth in too. He liked
going into the bathroom so he could jump on the sink and have you
turn the water on so he could get himself a drink.
"Okay,
Meemaw, hang on to your panties," she yelled, as she walked to
the door, quickly unlocking the knob and yanking it open. In slipped
Diesel, and up on the counter he jumped.
"Girl,
I almost peed right there on the floor. What the heck are you a doin’
in here anyway? Move,"
she spat out as she pushed her granddaughter out of her way, knocking
the cat gently off the sink.
"I
don't need your ole’ cat’s eyes watchin’ me neither. So git. I
gotta get on that pot!"
Troianne
moved out of the old lady's way and walked out, shutting the door. As
she headed to her bedroom, she realized she left the pregnancy test
lying on the bathroom sink. No!
No! No! Oh, crap.
She ran back down the hallway to the bathroom. Meemaw
is gonna see it and...just
in that precise moment the bathroom door opened and Meemaw stood
there with her face white as a sheet blowing in the wind, the
positive pregnancy test in her shaking, old gnarled hand.
"Is
there something ya wanna tell me, girl?"
With
a huge lump in her throat and tears threatening to spill out of her
sparkling sea-green eyes, Troianne replied, "Um...yes, ma'am, I
guess there is."
Two
months earlier...
One Saturday night in mid-June before moving to Lexington, Troianne had been on her way to meet some college friends at ‘Mike Lennigs,’ a local restaurant nestled in a shady grove on the Ohio River. The restaurant had been serving since 1925, well known for the coldest beer in town and its large portions of freshly caught fish and seafood. On most hot and steamy, southern, summer nights on the south-west side of Louisville, you could sit outside at this historical gathering place on white concrete picnic tables, under strings of yellow and white naked light bulbs, listen to good music and let your kids run around like wildcats while you sat and had a meal and some beers with family and friends.
On
one of those particularly hot nights, Troianne waited at a table
outside in the courtyard of the restaurant for a couple of her
friends from high school, Lena Miles and Joe Nelson. While she
waited, she went up to the little beer pavilion and ordered a nice
cold Miller High Life and watched as cars lined up to get into the
parking lot across the street. The place was always packed on summer
weekends.
Her
friends would be arriving soon, so she sat and watched the activity
until she spotted the 1975 shiny, candy apple red, Chevrolet Corvette
belonging to her friend Joe. She watched as another white Corvette of
the same year pulled in alongside Joe's. Intrigued, she watched as a
tall blond man emerged from the white vehicle and met up with Lena
and Joe walking across the road from the parking lot. Lena waved and
smiled, not even paying attention to the traffic passing in front of
her. Joe also waved and smiled to her, as all three strolled into the
courtyard over to her table. Lena, a beautiful tall young woman with
long blonde hair and big gray eyes, stepped up to her and grabbed her
up in a big ole’ hug.
"Hey,
Troi, nice to see ya again."
"Hey,
Lena," she answered back, "good to see you!"
"Hey,
Joe, looking delicious as usual," Troianne said.
Joe,
a handsome young man with wavy short blond hair and deep blue eyes,
responded with his shy smile, saying, "Hi ya, Troi. What's
shakin’?"
"Oh,
nothin’. Just decided I needed a break from all the estate closure
business and packing up the house after the funerals. Besides, I
wanted to see the two of you and enjoy a night out.”
"Joe
and I are so sorry to hear about your parents, Troi," Lena said.
"Thanks,
guys, it was tough, but I made it through and now I am going to move
to Lexington to live with my meemaw. She is sick and needs me."
"Well,
that sounds like a good idea," Joe replied, wrapping his arm
around her.
"Hey,
where have you guys been? I call all the time and you never answer or
text me back. What’s with that?" Joe looked at Lena with a
hint of anger in his eyes. Quickly recovering from the look, he was
back to his old smiling self.
Lena
replied, "Oh, Troi, you know we have so much travel involving
this archaeological find in England that we don't even have time to
catch up with our own families. However, on behalf of this handsome
hunk,” she grabbed Joe by the arm, “we apologize and are here
now. Sooooo, let’s get this parrrrrrrty started!" She laughed
loudly and shook her shapely hips!
The
man standing behind Joe waited for an introduction.
Troianne
peaking sideways, asked, “Who is your friend, Joe?"
Embarrassed,
Joe replied; "Oh, uh sorry, Troi, this is Becker Love. Becker,
this is Troianne Shelden."
Slightly
blushing, she replied, "Nice to meet you, Becker."
"Nice
to meet you too, Troianne."
"Troi,
please, all my friends call me Troi."
"Okay,
Troi it is," he said with a broad smile, showing gorgeous white
teeth.
Joe
interrupted the stare-fest between the newly acquainted couple and
asked Becker, "What’s your poison, man?"
Becker
replied, "I will have what she's having," as he pointed to
her beer.
“Me
too!” Lena squealed. She had always been perky and fun to be
around. Troianne pulled Lena aside and admonished her for not telling
her over the phone that there would be a setup tonight.
"Oh,
Troi, he is an old friend of Joe's who just popped into town, so we
decided to bring him with us. No ulterior motives involved, promise!"
she said as she crossed her heart.
"Well,
Lena, there better not be. I am not up to a double date or being set
up."
"No,
we're cool," Lena replied, crossing her fingers behind her back,
then added, "But isn't he yummy?"
"Yeah,
I guess," Troi replied with a twinkle in her eyes and a
bewitching smile. They all sat down and started chit chatting. They
ordered their beer, food and enjoyed good conversation.
After
they had finished eating, Troianne noticed Becker seemed a little
bored and suggested they all take a stroll along the river. Lena and
Joe walked ahead of Troianne and Becker, giving them a chance to get
to know one another. The moonlight gleamed on the river, seeming to
enhance Becker’s blond hair, blue-eyed, six feet two frame.
Troianne noticed he walked with a slight arrogant air of superiority.
She found him rather interesting and a lively conversationalist, if
not a bit self-centered, bragging about his football days at school,
his current travel adventures to Tasmania, Australia and the Azores
near Portugal. His love of travel was evident, it was his life and
there had been no room for anything but the necessity to travel and
explore the world.
Troi
found herself with a bit of a crush on Becker. After all, how often
do you actually find yourself getting set up with such a nice guy?
Gazing into each other’s eyes, Troianne became intrigued with the
intensity of his baby blues and the pull of a lustful attraction.
After
their stroll along the river, the couples decided to go to the
Riverboat Casino just across the Ohio River in Indiana. They all
enjoyed playing the slot machines, drinking, and laughing the hot
steamy night away, through which the flirtation between Troianne and
Becker took on a life of its own. It was all in good, fun but there
was just that little niggle that things could become a bit more
intimate. There was never talk about getting personal, deep thoughts,
or even about a relationship. Which was just as Troianne liked it. It
was a plain and simple desire.
Time
flew by and it was getting on to two in the morning. Lena and Joe
decided to get a room for the night, leaving Troi and Becker standing
on the deck of the riverboat, talking and enjoying each other’s
company under the full moon. Maybe it was the six beers she drank or
the hot summer night, but Troianne’s mind started to wander. The
scent of his cologne bewitched her senses; she had never come across
that particular scent. It was very intoxicating on its own and it
drew her closer to him. She could not explain the sexual attraction
building up inside of her.
When
Becker suggested getting a room as well, Troianne did not argue. As
soon as the elevator doors had closed, Becker pulled Troianne close.
He tenderly held her face in his hands, planting the most passionate
kiss on her wanting lips. That was all it took for Troianne to melt
into his arms. When the elevator doors opened, the gentleman waiting
to get on had to cough to let them know they were no longer alone. A
deep blush came across Troianne’s face and the thought of, “what
am I doing?” came across her mind, but only for a second as she
looked into Becker’s lusty eyes.
They
could not get into their room fast enough. It was like a whirlwind of
clothes flying to the floor, on the chair, and a piece of clothing
even landed on the lamp. Their hands explored each other’s body,
kissing, laughing, touching. The heat and the smell of sex permeated
the room. He taught her things about her own body she had never
dreamed of.
So
it began that for one hot steamy summer night Troianne lost all her
inhibitions and let her body overrule her mind. After all, he was
incredibly handsome and she saw no reason why she couldn’t have one
night of passion with no personal strings attached.
Troianne
never really had a steady boyfriend, never really wanted one. She had
dated all through high school. Different guys came and went, but she
never developed an attachment and only had sex with one young, overly
zealous nerd when she was seventeen. They dated for a year and then
she realized there were more important things in life to do and had
broken off their relationship. She had been a student and loved to
study. She put her whole heart into her education, realizing that one
day her dream of being a History teacher would pay off. Then—and
only then—would
she be able to concentrate on a man, love, and maybe start a family.
Chapter
Two
The
Flannel Gown
"Oh, Meemaw, what am I gonna do? I had no idea this would happen!"
"Troianne
Lee, you know how babies get born. What were you thinkin’, girl?"
"That's
just it, Meemaw, I wasn't thinking. It was just a spur of the moment
reaction to a very handsome man and a lot of beer."
"Ahh,
girl, you know better than to do something foolish like that."
As
tears welled in her eyes, yet again, Troianne dropped to the floor in
the hallway, holding her head. Diesel decided to try and comfort her
and head-butted her with his big old cat head. "Meeeeeeoooooowwww!"
He gently put his seven-toed-paw on her hand. She reached out and
petted him as he started to purr. He knew something was wrong and
wanted to comfort his mistress.
"Thanks,
pal," she replied as he quietly sat and waited for her to
continue.
"I
don't know. I just don't know how this could have happened. Why did
it happen to me, Meemaw?”
"Sugar,”
her grandmother said, "for every soul taken to heaven, there's
another born into this world. I reckon since we lost your parents,
God saw fit to bless us with a new life."
The
flood gates opened and tears fell freely from her eyes as she started
to whimper and cry. Being reminded of her parents and all that she
had lost so recently made all of the emotion come crashing in on her.
Oh, how her parents would have loved a grandchild. She continued her
tirade of tears. Meemaw stood up from her squatting position in front
of Troianne and said, "Well, girl, get up off that floor and
let's get you to your bedroom and figure this out."
Troianne
flopped on her bed, hysterically crying now as her grandmother patted
her back.
Diesel
jumped up on the bed with her and decided he wanted to lie on her
pillow, so with a swish of his tail, he turned in a circle and lay
down. He somehow knew this was going to be a long night, and making
himself comfortable, he just lay there, waiting for his mistress to
stop crying and notice he was on her pillow. She normally yelled at
him to get off the pillow because his fur always made her nose itchy.
He enjoyed the fact that she was too distraught to notice. The little
shit-head.
Troianne
started to shake with nerves strung too tight. Her grandmother knew
it was going to be a tough time for her only grandchild.
"Honey,
I am gonna go down and fix us some hot tea and I will be right back
up. You try and settle down."
Patting
her beautiful granddaughter on the arm, she left the bedroom with a
sad look in her old blue eyes. Remembering a time when she first
found out she was with child at the age of fourteen. No one was there
for her and the least she could do was be there for her
granddaughter, who was all she had left in the world.
Sometime
later, Troianne sat up in the bed as she watched her meemaw come
through the door with two cups of tea and something slung over her
arm.
"Here,
baby, take your tea and drink it down. It will help soothe your
nerves so we can have us our talk."
"Meemaw,
what's that on your arm?”
"Oh,
baby, this is something I’ve had for many years. My momma wore it
and I wore it when I was pregnant with your momma. It is soft and old
and sturdy. It will make you comfortable during your pregnancy. Your
poor momma wore it when she carried you and now you can have it to
wear for comfort while you carry your little baby."
"But
what is it?”
As
Meemaw unfolded the garment, Troianne could see it was made of a pale
pink flannel that had tiny little red roses all over it. There was a
small white lace collar that looked so soft, she had to touch it.
"Oh, Meemaw, it’s beautiful!"
“Here,
girl, take off them pants and shirt, then slip this on. I guarantee
it will make ya feel better.” Troianne did as she was told. As soon
as the luxurious fabric touched her skin, her body began to relax. It
smelled so good like lilacs and sweet pea. It was a flannel gown
passed down through generations of the Waires and Shelden women, made
by the hands of her great grandmother to comfort the women who wore
it during the sweetest time of their lives, pregnancy.
Between
the tea and this gown, she felt like the world was right again and
she instantly relaxed. Beaming with pride and a knowing smile on her
face, Meemaw had a feeling that all of this was meant to be and that
this new life Troianne carried inside of her was a gift from God.
Meemaw
never asked who the father of the baby was and felt it wasn't any of
her business. She knew her granddaughter was strong, smart, and old
enough to figure things out on her own. Meewmaw was there to help
Troianne any way she needed her to be.
*
* *
Troianne
had more respect for her dear grandmother than anyone on this Earth.
In the months that followed, the two were inseparable and bonded over
the little life growing inside the young woman's womb.
The
baby started to kick in late October of that year, and much to her
delight, Meemaw would touch the growing tummy of her granddaughter
and cackle out laughing, saying that “the baby had spirit and would
be a handful.” Troianne didn't doubt that one bit. Meemaw loved to
depart her motherly wisdom to Troianne and the young mother-to-be
soaked up every speck of knowledge she could on what happened during
pregnancy and what to expect when the baby was due. Diesel liked the
growing baby bump, taking any chance he could to jump up into
Troianne's lap and snuggle the bump, purring like a motorboat the
whole time.
Cat
and baby seemed to be bonding also. Every time the baby would kick,
Diesel would touch her belly with his huge paw and follow the tiny
kicks like it was a game. Many a long night Meemaw and Troianne would
sit and laugh as the cat would play with a tiny foot, fist, or even
the baby’s behind.
Troianne's
days were filled with going to class each day and in the evenings
making sure to read everything about raising children.
There
were times that she would let herself drift off in thought about the
baby's father, Becker Love, and whether or not to contact him. She
had tried calling Lena and Joe to see if she could get Becker's phone
number, but every time she called they were both out of the country
on some anthropological dig or some other such thing. She left
multiple messages, but never got an answer. She tried to find out
Becker's number from the University of Kentucky, but confidentially
clauses prevented that and the Internet yielded no information
regarding a Becker Love in the state of Kentucky or any other state
for that matter.
So
she had to face the fact that she would be raising this baby by
herself. Not that she thought she couldn’t do it; lots of single
moms in this world worked and raised children. Still, it would have
been nice to be able to tell Becker that he had a child and maybe to
have him share in the wonderful event of the birth of their little
boy or girl.
Chapter
Three
Let
It Be
Meemaw took to her bed in early December. She said she was feeling weak and needed to rest. She had been diagnosed with bone cancer back in 2010. She had done really well with the bone marrow transplant performed in 2011 and had been in remission ever since.
Recently
the doctors told her it had returned and her options for treatment
with radiation and chemotherapy, were really not options at all since
she was so frail and in a more weakened state. They didn't think her
body could take another transplant and Louanne Waires had agreed that
she couldn't go through all that again. She was in stage four now.
The doctors broke the news to both Meemaw and Troianne, saying that
the best thing they could do was make Louanne comfortable at home.
Troianne
took over the care of her beloved grandmother, making her as
comfortable as possible. At night they would put on their flannel
gowns, sit, talk about the baby and gossip about the neighbors.
Meemaw would tell her all about the old days living on the farm in
Bullitt County. Troianne loved those moments with her grandmother and
treasured all the knowledge she was gaining from this wonderful
woman.
Christmas
was just three days away. Troianne was busy baking cookies and
decorating her grandmother’s house. She had always loved Christmas
and was happy to be busy. Some of the neighbors would come by with
casseroles or sweet holiday treats for Meemaw and Troianne to share.
The brief visits were always welcome; they helped to keep Meemaw in
good spirits and keep her mind off of the pain she was experiencing.
Two times a week a nurse would come by and adjust Meemaw's
medications, making sure she had what she needed. Troianne attended
her classes at the university faithfully.
Diesel
kept Meemaw warm. The cat would crawl up in bed with the old woman
and lie his head down on her stomach, keeping her company and helping
to ease the pain that came more and more frequently.
One
afternoon Troianne stood in front of her grandmother’s beveled
mirror and said, "Meemaw, look at my belly. This baby is growing
like a weed!”
“Yes,
baby, it sure nuff is! She is gonna be a big baby too, I am afraid!"
"She?
What do you mean she?
It could be a boy, you know?"
"Naw,
this here is a girl. I can feel it." Meemaw smiled.
"Ohhhkkkkkay,
Meemaw, whatever you say." She smirked playfully.
"Mark
my word, baby, this one is a girl! Have ya thought of any names yet?"
"Well,"
she said, "I have got a few in mind for a boy, but haven't
thought of any girl names yet. "Got any ideas?"
Meemaw
thought as she held her finger to her lip. "I have always liked
the name Diana after the Greek Goddess."
"Oh,
Meemaw, everybody would think I named her after Princess Diana of
England. "I don't think that one would work. How about Louanne?"
"Lord
no, girl, don't you go naming that baby after me. I always hated that
name," she said, swatting at the air. Rising out of her chair,
she told Troianne, "Well, you got plenty of time to decide.
Honey, have you tried contacting the daddy lately?"
"Yes,
Meemaw, I have, but he must be out of the country or something. He
has not returned my phone calls, e-mails or texts. I even tried to
contact Lena and Joe, but they are unreachable also. I do think he
should know, but in a way I would like to keep this all to myself."
"Baby
girl, you know it is not right to keep a man from knowin’ he has a
child in this world."
"Oh,
I totally agree with you, Meemaw, and I would contact him if I only
knew how. Until I can contact him or find out where he is at, I will
raise this baby and give it all the love it needs."
"Honey,
if anybody would be a good mamma, it is you. Your mamma loved you and
instilled that nurturing power in you."
Smiling,
she patted her granddaughter’s leg and adjusts her blankets. "I
need to rest now. Go on and get yourself some supper."
Troianne
kissed her grandmother on the forehead and said, "I Love you!"
Louanne closed her eyes and quickly drifted off to sleep.
While
downstairs, she warmed her supper of fried potatoes, collard greens,
pinto beans and cornbread in the microwave. Her phone rang and it was
Lena.
"Lena,
hey, where have you been? I have called and called."
"Hey,
Troi. Sorry, Joe and I have been on a dig and have been unreachable.
I finally got to a tent with Internet connection and decided to touch
base with ya. What’s up?"
"Lena,
I need to find Becker."
"Why?"
"I
have something I need to tell him and it is kind of urgent."
"What
is it and I can relay it to one of his business associates."
"Well,
it’s kind of personal, Lena."
"How
personal, Troi? You can tell me."
"Look,
Lena, I am pregnant and it is Becker's, from you know...that night at
the casino."
"No
shit!
Holy cow, girl, didn't you use any protection?”
"No,
Lena, I didn't think of that at the time. I was doing an incredibly
gorgeous guy who smelled like heaven on earth. No!" Almost to
tears, she started feeling sick at her stomach, getting angrier by
the moment at the situation she was in and why Lena was being
so...non-supporting.
"Listen,
I am sorry, Troi. Uh, I will see what I can do as far as finding
Becker. I won’t tell him, I will let you explain."
"Thanks
for that, Lena, and please try and stay in contact with me yourself.
It gets kinda lonely out on this farm."
"I
will, Troi. Can't make any guarantees being that most of the time I
am either in a truck, on a horse or a plane.” The phone line
started crackling and Lena's voice was fading fast. She knew there
was not much more time on the line.
"Yeah,
I know, Lena. Hey, tell Joe hi for me and I hope you guys will be
back in time for the baby's birth. I am due on April 3rd."
“That
is so great. Hey, I gotta go, things are looking stormy here and I
don't want to get stuck in the rain. Congratulations. Take care."
The phone line went dead.
There
was so much more she had wanted to talk to Lena about, now it would
all have to wait. Hopefully Lena would call back soon, or better yet,
be able to contact Becker to let him know that she needed him to call
as soon as possible.
Sadly,
on December 30th, Louanne Waires passed away in her sleep just before
dawn. Troianne knew it was going to happen, but it was still a great
shock and a very lonely moment. As the sun rose and the world came to
life, Troianne realized she was truly alone. Well, except for Diesel,
who went walking through the house, pitifully meowing for the whole
day. Mourning for the old woman in his own feline way. Poor thing was
going to miss her too.
What
was she to do now? The sorrow crept in and a deep depression hit. She
went through the preparations for the funeral in a numbed state,
going through the motions with no feeling at all. Neighbors and
friends paid their respect. Coming and going and trying to talk to
Troianne. She made polite excuses to leave the wake and wander off
into the back yard to sit by herself. She had never felt this
unattached before in her life.
Not
even when her parents died had she felt so overwhelmed and detached,
even as her own child reminded her with kicks and rolls that it was
still alive and needed her for its very life. She couldn't pay any
attention to the baby inside her womb. She was drowning in her
sorrow. The days passed by in a blur. Eventually people stopped
coming around and she didn't go to class due to the winter break. She
stayed in the house. She lay in bed or sat motionless in front of the
television. Nothing seemed to interest her.
She
knew eventually she would have to get up and do something. Eat maybe?
When was the last time she'd eaten? She kept forgetting she had a
responsibility to the child she carried and decided to head into the
kitchen for some juice and to make a sandwich or at least eat some of
the many casseroles that had been left over a week ago from the
funeral. It was a start.
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