CHAPTER 5 – Mark

I walk out into the living room with Casper in my arms, along with the memory stick and the photo album, just as my friends enter the house.

“Wand, did you bring your laptop?”

She glances across the room at me but doesn’t say anything and walks to the kitchen with Izzy. The two set their grocery bags down on the counters and then come back out to the living room while my other friends take more bags into the kitchen behind them. She stops in the middle of the room. Her eyebrows knot together as her light brown eyes fill with confusion. “Yeah. Why? Do you need me to go get it out of the van?”

Before I can answer, Casper frantically nods his head and chimes, “Yes. Mommy has stuff for daddy.”

I smile at my son and add, “Katie has some files Cass says are for me on this memory stick. Can I use your laptop to look at them?”

Wand’s eye light up and she flashes me a brilliant smile. “Sure. I’ll be right back.”

As she turns to dash out to the van, Izzy quickly snatches the photo album from my hands. “What do we have here, hmmm…”

Casper covers his mouth with his tiny hand and snickers, “Mommy’s book of daddy.”

Izzy’s eyes pop wide open as Evan and Frank run out of the kitchen towards her. The three of them stand in the middle of the room beside me, huddled together, while hovering over the photo album, almost in a trance. They slowly look through each picture. When they finally turn the page containing the ultrasounds, Izzy gasps.

Casper glances down at the album and proudly announces, “Pictures of me inside mommy’s tummy.”

The three flash a smile at my son, but they don’t say anything. Instead, they continue to look through the book as Wanda rushing back into the living room.

Slightly out of breath, she holds up the laptop and chimes, “I’ve got it.”

I dash across the room and grab the laptop. My heart races as curiosity nibbles away at me. What did she put on the memory stick?

I sit down on the couch and place Casper on my lap. His face glows with excitement as I place the laptop on the coffee table and open it up. My stomach flutters and I look at my son and gently ask, “Are you ready to see what is on here?”

He glances up at me with his big, innocent eyes and nods.

Well, I guess this is now or never. I insert the memory stick into the laptop.

My breath hitches as I browse through the various videos and the numerous pictures. If my guess is correct, the files are all of Katie and Casper.

I scroll up to the oldest video and quickly open it. Katie’s beautiful but nervous voice flows into the air and hovers around us. “Shane, I just got here. How could I be this sick suddenly and it isn’t going away?”

They are in a doctor’s exam room. Katie is exactly how I remember her. Gorgeous. Her long, flowing brown hair cascades over her shoulders while a look of fear dances around in her marble brown eyes. But I don’t see Shane.

The video bounces around a bit as Shane’s voice suddenly chimes, “We will soon find out. Just be patient. You are going to be a doctor soon, so you should know the drill.”

Her gaze drifts to the side as someone knocks and then a middle-aged man enters the room. He points to camera and asks, “What is the phone for?”

Katie hesitantly replies, “For my family. They are far away and they want to know what is happening with me, so I record stuff and send to them. Is there a problem?”

The doctor waves his hand. “No, just wondering.”

Did Katie record this for me to watch later?

Halfway through the video, as the doctor discusses the tests he wants to do, Casper looks up at me. “Why is mommy crying? What is wrong with mommy?”

As I fight back tears, I choke out, “Mommy wasn’t feeling well, but she will soon be very happy. I think this is the day she finds out she is pregnant with you, little guy.”

My son’s eyes instantly pop wide open. “I’m in mommy’s tummy?”

I gently rub his back and hum, “Yes.”

As the video continues on, I’m correct. This is the day Katie finds out she is pregnant. I almost feel like I’m there with her. I can’t believe she recorded it.

When the video ends, I suddenly realize everyone is standing around the couch and is either watching me or trying to see the video. I turn towards Shane, sitting in a chair on the other side of the room. “Shane, did Katie record her whole pregnancy for me to see?”

He slightly bobs his head up and down. “Yes. She also recorded Cass’s birthdays and other special occasions. From what Katie has told me, she also recorded some messages just for you.” He gets up and walks over to me. Remaining silent, he leans over the coffee table and turns the laptop towards him.

What is he doing?

He takes a moment and scans the list of videos before selecting one and turning the laptop back around to me. “This one is an emotional message to you after she found out she was pregnant. I helped her record it because she was too emotional to do anything. Let me get you some earphones so you can listen to it in private.”

Wanda picks up Casper off my lap and asks, “Cass, have you ever helped either mommy or Shane to fix a meal?”

My son shakes his head. “No.”

She softly asks, “Do you want to help Izzy and I to fix a meal?”

Casper’s face glows like a spotlight as he frantically nods his head. “Can I? Really.”

Wanda giggles as she walks towards the kitchen holding a bouncing boy.

A grin dances across my mouth as I watch them disappear into the kitchen.

Shane gently nudges my shoulder. When I turn to look at him, he hands me some earbuds. “You can use these, and I’ll make sure no one bothers you. I also brought some tissues just in case. If you need anything, let me know. Okay.”

I plug the earbuds into the laptop and get them situated in my ears as I glance up at him and nod. My heart races, wondering what kind of message she has recorded for me. I take a deep breath.

Am I ready for this? My stomach flutters as I stare at my beautiful Katie on the screen.

I’m not really sure I am, but I want to know what she has recorded for me.

I reach over to the laptop and click the play button.

Katie’s trembling voice fills my ears as she looks right into the camera. “I can’t do this. What was I thinking? I can’t make this video now.”

Is she talking to me? Her eyes are red and swollen as a few tears slide down her cheek. My heart aches seeing her like this.

Shane suddenly scolds, “Katie, you said you want to record this while everything is fresh in your mind, so you better start talking.”

A stream of tears trickles down her cheeks as she mumbles, “I know, but I don’t know how.”

Shane quickly counters, “Just pretend the camera is Mark and tell him what happened today.”

Katie takes a few seconds and a couple of deep breaths. “Mark, I know you don’t remember the night of my going away party but….. Oh, this hard…… Really hard….. Okay. But we ended up having sex. Amazing sex.” A smile spreads across her face and her cheeks turn rosy as soon as she says sex.

She is so cute.

I definitely have to agree with her comment, though. It was amazing, and it was the best night of my life.

“I didn’t know this could even happen, but somehow it did. Oh, I know you aren’t going to believe me, but I’ll say it, anyway. Mark, I ended up getting pregnant. Now, before you ask if I’m sure, I have to confess something. I know you are the father because I haven’t been with anyone since high school. You see, uhm, when I first saw you, everyone else became kind of dull and I couldn’t bring myself to be with anyone else but you.”

My mouth falls slightly open. I couldn’t believe what I’m hearing. Katie hadn’t been with anyone for years because she was in love with me. YES!!! She wanted only me.

My heart races as a warmth fills my chest. This is so much more than what she told me that glorious night, but I couldn’t be happier right now.

Katie pauses for a moment. “I wish you could remember the night. I could just call you and tell you, but I can’t. How can I call you up and tell you something like this?”

She lowers her head, and her long brown hair falls forward, covering her face. A faint sniffle spills from her and pulls at my heart.

Barely able to hear, she whispers, “Our baby is my precious little secret.”

With her head still lowered, her body trembles and a few more sniffles hang in the air. My eyes sting and glisten.

No, please don’t cry. I won’t be able to stay strong if you cry.

She stops sniffling and softly mumbles, “I miss you so much, Mark, and I love you more than you can ever know. I will love and protect our child while hoping someday you will find me and love me and the baby.”