AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Reese closes his opening statement, and I breathe out. He did well. The jury responded well. They didn’t like the idea that they were being looked at as stupid by the prosecutor. “That was brilliant,” Lori whispers.
Reese walks back to his table and his eyes find mine the way they always do, and I give him a tiny nod of approval. I let him know that he was received well. He sits down, and the prosecutor calls for a recess. At this point, it manages to get to eleven o’clock and court is adjourned until one o’clock. “I need to go to the office,” Lori says. “I have a case I may end up taking that just had activity.” She turns to face me as the crowd begins to disperse. “How are you feeling? Do you need anything?”
“I’m good,” I say. “It’s passing.”
She hugs me. “Love you. I’ll be back this afternoon if I can. Tell Reese, aside from Cole, he’s my idol.”
“Says the brilliant attorney herself,” I comment.
“Not as brilliant as your husband, or mine, but I’ll get there. Walk out with me?”
I nod and the two of us make our way out of the courtroom, and the crush of the crowd that normally doesn’t bother me, bothers me now. I feel like I’m suffocating. It’s with relief that I exit the courthouse, through the safe side door, and Lori hurries away. With my computer in my backpack and the crowd focused on the front of the courthouse, I dart down the sidewalk that leads to the park where Reese always escapes for his lucky hot dog during trials. I assume he will decompress with his team for a few minutes before joining me, so I decide to write in today’s baby journal.
I pass the food truck that provides those lucky hot dogs, and sit on a park bench, powering up my MacBook to begin typing, this time to Reese: Every moment I’m with you, I want to tell you that I’m pregnant. I wonder if I look different, if I feel different, and yes, I even wondered if I tasted different this morning. I know that is silly, but I really did have that thought and I’ll let you use your imagination to determine when I had that thought. When I was throwing up, I smiled. I know that sounds crazy, but I read that sickness means the baby is healthy. My God, Reese, this is killing me. I want to tell you so badly, but you have so much on you and what if you were worried about me when you had to give that opening statement today? I don’t know when to tell you. I love you so much and I want to support you and I see how much pressure you feel to win. I see how much your client needs you to win. What if you worry about picketers, and press, and a million other things that might make me miscarry and it changes how you try this case? I don’t know what to do but to keep writing what I feel and praying that you feel I made these decisions for the right reasons: love.
I love you.
It’s right then that a wave of sickness overtakes me. I shut my computer and my eyes, and will it away. “Cat.”
I blink and Reese is on his knee in front of me. I lean forward and press my hands to his cheeks. “You were brilliant.”
“What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
“I’m good. I’ve been good since the minute some asshole cut in line in a coffee shop and changed my life.”
“What aren’t you telling me?”
Chapter forty-nine
Cat
What aren’t you telling me?
I hate this question from Reese and with him on his knee in front of me, those blue eyes looking at me with concern, I decide to be as honest as possible. I also decide when to spill the news. “I have a birthday surprise I’m working on for you. I hate I’m telling you this because that makes it less of a surprise, but you’re obviously sensing something.” I kiss him. “So you were right. There’s something I’m not telling you.”
His brow furrows and he moves to sit on the bench next to me. “Now you have me curious.”
“Good. Be curious. And as for what’s wrong? I’m just not good at secrets, even good ones. You know that.”
“Yes, sweetheart, I do,” he says, taking my hand. “But we aren’t your parents or even mine. We don’t lie and cheat. A surprise isn’t those things.”
“You just know me so well that the minute this surprise came into the picture, you knew.”
“That’s not a bad thing.”
“No. No, it’s not and I know you, too. Go get your ‘must have’ lucky hot dog, and then tell me everything.”
He stands and pulls me to my feet. “Come with me.”
I smile and motion to my computer. “I need to guard it.”
“It’ll be fine.”
“It’s New York City.” I grab it and stuff it into my briefcase. “You’re a criminal lawyer. You know it wouldn’t be safe.”
He laughs and laces his fingers with mine, dragging me along with him. “You were brilliant,” I say. “And your opposing counsel was not.”
“Less is more sometimes,” he says, as we stop in front of the food truck. “We both know that was the idea and it wasn’t a bad strategy.” He orders his hot dog, and without even asking, my bag of nuts, which is all a part of our lucky lunch during trials.
