“Of course.” He kissed her on the foreheadand left the room.
Vicky went through her purse and pulled outthe business card that she’d held on to for the past 4 years. Ithad Ryan’s information on it. This time she used the hospitalphone. It felt wrong to use Jason’s phone for this call. She dialedthe number. It started to ring for the second time before someoneanswered.
“Hello, this is Vicky Martin. I need to speakwith Mr. Ryan Carter please, it is an emergency.”
“May I tell him what this is regarding?”
“I’m sorry it’s of a personal nature and I’drather discuss it only with Mr. Carter.”
His administrative assistant put her on holdfor a few seconds. It felt like an eternity before she finallyreturned to the line. “I’m sorry Ms. Martin, Mr. Carter is in ameeting and would like for me to take a message.”
Vicky was seething “Ms...I need to speak withMr. Carter NOW. Whatever meeting he is attending needs to beinterrupted. As I mentioned before this is an emergency, if hecannot come to the damn phone I will come to his office or perhapshis home whichever he prefers but I will speak with him today.”
The operator stammered for a second “I’llpass this message along. One moment please while I do so.”
Vicky sat wondering if Ryan would pick up thephone. It had only been seconds from when his administrativeassistant put her on hold but it felt like hours. The next voiceshe heard was Ryan’s. It had been four long years. “Ms.Martin?”
“Yes, Ryan this is Vicky.”
“Well, I was in a very important meeting.What is it that you could possibly want after all this time? Ifit’s money I can’t help you.”
“I haven’t called you since the birth of YOURchild. If I wanted money I would have had my lawyers call you!”
Ryan stood in his office looking at hiswatch. He didn’t have time for this. He’d hope the ghost of VickyMartin would not rear its head ever again. Yet, somehow he knewthis episode in his life would come back to haunt him. He closedhis eyes and sighed “My my my…last I remember you couldn’t affordramin noodles now you have lawyers? Aren’t you being a littledramatic? I haven’t heard from you in four years Vicky.”
Vicky’s head was starting to throb all overagain. She took slow deep breaths. She had to remain calm not justfor her sake, but for the sake of her unborn child. She closed hereyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Ryan, if I could havegone a lifetime and never spoke to you again I would have. But,circumstances have changed. I need you…let me re-phrase that YOURchild needs you.”
Ryan spat out bitterly, “I tried tolocate you, you moved, and changed your number. But you managed tocash that check I sent.” THAT was a sure sign to me that you didn’twant me anywhere near you or MY child, which was probably best. Then you call meup out of the blue demanding to speak to me.” Through clentchedteeth he spoke “What…do…you…want Vicky?”
Vicky was not cowered by Ryan’sself-righteous bullshit. “You pig! You are not going to make me outto be the bad guy here. I was a naïve young woman. You preyed onthat and took advantage of me. You were married for god’s sake! Youknew I would have never dated you had I known you were married. So,yes, I cashed the check because Angel deserved better than to notlive in that hell hole where we were living. I changed my number,my address, and I even changed my hair. What did you expect me todo? It was one thing to be with you and not know about your wife. Iwasn’t about to willingly be your mistress!”
“Can you get to the point, no need tore-live the past. I have important business to attend to. For thelast time what do you want Vicky?”
Vicky couldn’t let her anger and frustrationtoward Ryan keep her from getting what she needed from him. “Angelhas a rare blood type and she needs an emergency blood transfusionwithin the next 24-48 hours. She’s vel-negative. I need you to gettested.”
Ryan didn’t know what to say. The first thingthat came to his mind was that Vicky had given birth to a daughterand her name was Angel. He’d wondered if the baby was a boy or agirl. After trying for so long with his wife he’d given up all hopeof ever being a father. But, he did have a child. He had adaughter….with Vicky.
What the hell was he going to do? When Vickytold him she was pregnant he’d tried everything to convince her toget rid of the baby. Ryan never told Alicia about Vicky or aboutthe pregnancy. There had been other women even another pregnancy ortwo but he had always convinced them to terminate them.
Ryan had never intended for the affair to getso out of control or for anyone to find out about it. It wassuppose to be a simple ‘thing’. At the time, he loved his wife, butAlicia was so over bearing and controlling. Everything was alwayshis fault. By the time he met Vicky their relationship had becomevirtually a partnership. But, when he was with Vicky she had madehim feel loved and needed. Not only had Vicky been beautiful, shewas so innocent and giving. He knew it had been wrong to let herthink he was single and down on his luck but at the time he didn’twant to give her up. He also knew she had been in love with him.Ryan tried to use that knowledge against her and he’d hoped thesilent treatment would convince her to terminate the pregnancy.
Days had turned into weeks and weeks turnedinto months. Initially, it wasn’t his intention to end therelationship the way it happened but he also realized it was forthe best. He didn’t know what decision Vicky had made until shecalled him to tell him that she was in labor.
Ryan remembered it like it wasyesterday. Vicky had called Ryan while they were at Alicia’sparent’s home having dinner. Alicia was sitting right next to him.They had similar cell phones. When
