Simply Complicated (29 page)

“Hey sweetheart; I feel good. I’m a little nervous but other than that I feel fine. The contractions are about the same as earlier today when I spoke to you,” she said as she went to the sofa to sit down.

He helped her ease into the sofa and put a pillow behind her back, trying to make her more comfortable. “Camille, I just want to say that I never stopped loving you. I know this may not be the right time, but I’m so glad everything turned out the way it has. I’m not just saying that to get you to run to me, but because I know in my heart that you have always deserved better.

“God has a strange way of working things out for us. I know what you went through was painful and difficult but it’s over and I’m here to support you and you’re still here looking as beautiful as ever.”

Camille took a deep breath as she gazed into his eyes. “I’ve had a lot of time to think about my life and my relationship with Jake. Now, I’m able to see that the only reason I was still willing to marry him despite the many times he cheated, was I had convinced myself that this is how love is and supposed to be. I made myself believe that this type of love was healthy and so was the relationship.

“And then you came along and showed me that love doesn’t have to hurt to be real. That love can be simple and not complicated. If I never said thank you, I’m telling you now. Thank you, Paul, for helping me see how love was meant to be,” she said as she hugged him very tightly.

That evening they decided she should stay with him at the hotel; it was closer to the hospital and they thought she would be more comfortable. He planned to stay there until the baby was born.

Later that night, around 11:45 p.m., her contractions sharpened. They were getting more intense but were still too far apart for her to go to the hospital. She was starting to feel uncomfortable and the contractions were getting more painful.

The next two days proved to be even more challenging. Her contractions were becoming more intolerable. Once they began coming every five to eight minutes apart, it was time to go to the hospital. On the way there, her water broke. When they arrived, the nurse immediately put her into a private room.

Paul was very excited. He had decided that he was going to propose to her even if the test proved that he was not the baby’s father. He had purchased an engagement ring when she told him that she did not marry Jake.

He had planned on proposing when he was initially scheduled to arrive on July 28, but when she went into early labor he decided to wait until after the baby was born to do it. She had no idea that he was going to ask her to marry him and move to Los Angeles.

After being in labor for three hours, Camille gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. She weighed 6 lbs and 11 oz. She was 21 inches long. When Camille held her she started crying. She decided to name her Lauren Michelle Bradley after her mother.

Camille gave the baby to Paul to hold. When he looked at her a tear rolled down his face. He was overcome with emotion and then he gave her a kiss.

Camille told the doctor prior to giving birth that she wanted to have a paternity test. The nurse took blood from baby Lauren and then from Paul. They were told that the results would be mailed to them.

When the nurse left, Paul pulled out the engagement ring and got down on one knee to propose. “Camille, as I told you before, I fell in love with you from the moment I looked into your eyes. You are a warm, charming, beautiful, and loving woman and I want to spend the rest of my life with you and Lauren if you both will have me.

“I know in my heart that God brought you back to me so I can love you and the baby. Even if the test proves that Lauren is not my daughter, I still want to marry you and build a life with the two of you.

“I will love and treat her as if she were mine. I love you and adore you. Give me a chance to show you what real love is. What do you say, baby, will you marry me?” he asked.

Camille was stunned. She began to cry. She had fallen in love with him during the weekend he was first in Chicago but she was afraid to succumb to her true feelings. She had become comfortable with Jake and she was too scared to trust her heart.

“Don’t cry, baby. Everything will be okay. Trust your heart. What does it tell you? I know you’re scared but I promise you that I will never hurt or disrespect you,” he said.

“Yes Paul, I will marry you,” she wiped the tears from her cheeks.

“I love you, baby. You’ve made me the happiest man alive. I promise to love, honor, and cherish you and Lauren all the days of my life,” he said as he kissed Camille and then the baby.

Several weeks after baby Lauren was born and Paul had returned to Los Angeles, Camille’s aunt Joan came to Chicago to help her with the baby. Since she had been retired from teaching for ten years, she was able to stay for as long as they needed her.

Paul made a point to come to Chicago every weekend to see Camille and the baby. As they waited for the test results to come back they continued to make plans for their wedding. They were going to marry in Los Angeles.

Since the lease to her apartment was up November 1, they decided that she and Lauren would move to Los Angeles and in with Paul during the second week in November.

A month after the baby was born, the paternity test results arrived. They were so happy that the results showed that Paul was Lauren’s father. Camille was finally able to get Jake out of her life for good.

When the time came for her to move out of her apartment and to Los Angeles she was overtaken with emotion. She had been in that apartment for nearly eleven years. She had lots of memories there, some good and some bad.

She was finally getting the life she always wanted. Life was finally going to be simple for her and not so complicated. She had finally met someone who she knew in her heart would love her and not hurt her.

She was able to close that chapter in her life that proved to be very painful. Now that it was proven that baby Lauren was Paul’s, she no longer had that dark cloud over her head and Jake could be gone from her life forever. She was finally free of pain, deceit, and confusion.

She and the baby left the apartment and climbed into the limousine that Paul had waiting to take them to the airport. She took one last look at the building as the limousine drove down the street.

When she arrived to the airport she was pleasantly surprised to see Paul standing there with a bouquet of red roses waiting for her to exit the limousine. He had flown to Chicago earlier that day for a meeting and wanted to surprise her. She kissed him when she exited the limousine and he, Camille, and their daughter left Chicago, anxiously anticipating the new life that was ahead of them.

On December 13, Paul and Camille were married in a small chapel right outside of Los Angeles.

“T
ed, I’m not sure how much more of this I can take. I love you too much and it hurts every time we have to say goodbye. I’m willing to leave my husband if you leave your wife,” offered Kristie as she stretched across his lap.

“Baby, you have to be patient. I thought we agreed that we wouldn’t change anything. We both have a lot to lose if we simply walk away from our families. I know it’s hard, but believe me—it will happen when the time is right,” he said as he bent down to kiss her cheek.

“I’m not talking about leaving now. Let’s promise that in four years, when our children have completed high school, we’ll divorce our spouses and plan to be together. I’m tired of this charade and the lies,” she said, obviously frustrated.

“Listen baby, let’s talk about this some other time, okay? I just want to enjoy your company right now. I think maybe you need to get away. I have to go to Detroit to meet with a potential client on Friday. Some big official has gotten himself in major trouble.

“Why don’t you take off work and come with me? I’m sure you can come up with something to tell Donald. I’ll only be gone for a few hours. I’m leaving in the morning. If you go with me I’ll drive.”

Kristie sat up, “That was a nice way to avoid the conversation, Ted. I really want us to talk about this.”

“I wasn’t trying to avoid the conversation. I was simply suggesting that you come with me to Detroit so we can be together. I thought maybe we could talk on the way,” he said defensively.

“Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the time we spend together; but baby, I can’t just take off work to drive to Detroit. Besides, when Donald asks me why I’m missing work what am I to tell him? That I had to go with my lover to Detroit? I don’t think so. That’s a little too risky and I am not comfortable taking that risk,” sarcasm filled Kristie’s voice.

“Come on baby, can’t you tell him that you’re going to an all-day teacher’s workshop or something? You have them all the time. He won’t think anything of it. I don’t think it’s risky at all,” said Ted.

“Of course you wouldn’t consider it risky because you won’t be the one taking the chances. All of your trips are scheduled so you look as if you’re on legitimate business. I, on the other hand, will have a hell of a time explaining why I’m taking off work and getting home so late.

“It may seem simple to you but typically when I have a workshop planned I tell him a few weeks ahead of time so he can pick the children up from school. Not to mention that it will take us at least four or five hours to drive to Detroit and the same to get back. There are no workshops that last that long,” she said with an attitude.

“Baby, you don’t have to get an attitude. You make it sound as if I’m not taking risks. The fact that I’m with you is a big risk. The fact that I love you and want to spend my life with you is a big risk. The fact that you were pregnant with my child was a big risk.

“I know it seems like I am not risking anything but you know that’s not true. If the paper got wind of our relationship and the baby, my name would be tarnished and my reputation destroyed. I took a chance opening my heart up to you again.

“I took a gamble trusting you again and I hope that wasn’t a mistake. I know you’re tired of the charade and honestly so am I, but baby it’s not fair to our families for us to selfishly run away together leaving them behind to suffer the after-effects.

“You are my soul mate and I’m glad to have you back in my life, but baby please don’t ask me to choose between you and my children. I will never ask that of you,” he pleaded with a disappointed expression.

Kristie held back tears as she spoke, “Let me first say that I agree both of us are taking great risks. Although I’m not a big-time defense attorney and the world wouldn’t care if I had an affair or not, it would still create terrible pain to the people I love.

“We talk about being each other’s soul mates and how we are meant to be together but do you really believe that? I agree it would be very selfish to simply run out on our families. That’s why I have to say goodbye to you now. I cannot do this any longer.

“It’s tearing me apart inside. I love you so much that it aches when I think of you and Lynn being together. It aches knowing that we may never be together. You keep telling me to be patient but in actuality what am I being patient for? You keep telling me that we’re close to being together but realistically how close is that?

“It has been almost five years. How many more do I have to wait before it finally happens, ten, twelve, fifteen? You just don’t understand, Ted.

“Baby this has got to end. I love you and no matter what you will always be my soul mate—my one true love. But I am afraid this is goodbye. I think we’ve reached the end,” Kristie’s voice broke as she finished.