"Come on Neal, answer your damn phone." I screamed at my mobile, as it rang before going to voicemail. I left another message, before trying again hoping this time he would pick up.
Just then another contraction gripped me as I heard his phone again go to voicemail.
Checking the clock on my phone, I timed the contractions at about fifteen minutes. There was no time to wait for him. I phoned Mom.
"Mom, can you come and pick me up. My waters broke, and contractions are about fifteen minutes apart."
"Oh my god, yes sweetheart. I'm on my way. What about Neal?"
"I can't reach him. His damn phone goes straight to voicemail."
"Oh dear, first. Calm down okay. I'll be there as soon as I can. Love you."
"Love you too, Mom."
Calm down, damn that was easy for her to say. I walked outside to get my bag. I had all my clothes and new baby stuff already packed.
The moment I stuck my head out the door I swore. "Damn you, Neal." He had taken my car. The bag was in the trunk.
I phoned him again but no response. He was photographing some house for sale over on 5
th
street.
When Mom turned up, I was waiting. She ran over and helped me into her car. As she backed out she asked, "Where's your bag, sweetheart?"
"In the trunk of my car. Neal took it this morning. Can we go via Fifth st. It's on the way."
She gave me a quick glance. "Contractions?" I could see the concern.
"Still fifteen minutes apart, although they seem strong."
She smiled conspiratorially. "Honey, they all seem strong when it's your first. Do you know the address?"
"No, but I can track his phone, plus my car will be parked out front."
"Sweetheart, I could get the bag later. I think we should go straight to hospital."
"No, Mom, I want him there. We talked about this and he was so enthusiastic." I didn't want to sound whiny or needy, but I heard it in my voice.
"Okay, sweetheart, relax. We can stop in and see him."
I turned on my phone as Mom turned into Fifth st. I didn't need to track his phone. My car was parked on the curb outside a big posh house.
We pulled up behind it my car and Mom said. "You stay here, sweetheart. I will go in and get him."
"Thanks, Mom."
I watched as she ran full tilt into the house. She didn't even knock, she just barged straight in. Moments later she came barging back out. He face streaming tears. She ran straight to her door, climbed in and started the engine.
Anxious, and confused, I snapped. "Mom, what's going on? What about Neal?"
"Forget Neal, he's busy."She pulled out and hit the gas.
"Mom, stop, you're acting like a crazy woman. The contractions are still at fifteen minutes. We can wait a while."
"Like hell we will. Look, just relax and I'll get you to the hospital."
"Mom, stop." I screamed. "You're being ridiculous. I want Neal to be there."
The tears streamed down her face so fiercely she couldn't keep up. As I glanced at her, she grabbed my hand. I knew then something happened inside.
"What happened, Mom?"
"I don't want to talk about it. We can talk later."
"No, tell me, I need to know."
"Okay, you want to know. He was in bed with another woman, they were naked."
"Oh Jesus... No, Mom." Now I was crying, and the tears wouldn't stop.
My phone rang, it was Neal. "You cheating bastard." I screamed at him. "You stay away from me do you hear? You piece of shit." I ended the call straight away and turned it off. Mom grabbed my hand and squeezed. "It'll be okay, sweetheart. The baby is important now, so try to relax, breathe deep."
I tried, I knew she was right. I closed my eyes as a contraction bit hard. "Breathe deep, baby, breathe deep. Nice and slow.
"Why, Mom, why would he do that?"
"I don't know, sweetheart. He will have to answer that question." She kissed my hand and then a dark expression covered her face. "Oh hell, if your daddy finds out he is gonna kill that son of a bitch."
I snickered, the pain easing. "Yeah, he's gonna want to stay outa Dad's way for a while."
She nodded. "Hell yeah. Honey, I'm not going to tell him just yet, all right?"
I nodded as we pulled into the hospital.
The birth went well, I now had a beautiful baby daughter. I named her Eileen, after my Grandmother.
Mom and Dad came into the room to meet their new granddaughter. "Where the hell is Neal?" Dad asked.
Mom gave him a scathing glare, he frowned, not catching the importance of that look. "Well, where the hell is he?" Dad repeated.
Mom gave me a questioning look, I nodded my acceptance and she retold the story. I saw the look of horror and disgust etch deeply into his face. I saw his hands ball into fists. My dad was a strong man. He worked his whole life running his little construction business. He was a carpenter by trade. He built his little company from the ground up, and second only to Mom and me, he was damn proud of it.
It was almost dinner time when Neal walked in looking dejected and apologetic. The moment Dad saw him, he stood up, letting Mom's hand drop. Dad didn't beat about the bush, he snarled quietly. "You dirty cheating piece of shit. Get your sorry ass out of here before I kick it where you stand."
Neal was never a fighter; he wasn't big, either. Dad towered over him. He might have been twenty five years older than Neal, but there was no doubt in my mind, Dad would follow through.
Neal stood at the end of the bed as I nursed little Eileen. He fidgeted guiltily, handing a large bunch of flowers to Mom. "Look, I know this ain't the right place to talk about this, but I'm sorry, Zoey. I made a mistake. It didn't mean nothing."
I couldn't hold back the tears as they streamed down my flushed cheeks. "Did the birth go okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, no thanks to you, you piece of shit," Dad hissed. By comparison, a rattler would seem friendly.
Neal stared nervously at Dad and muttered. "Sorry, Pop, but, this is between me and my wife."
"Don't call me Pop, you snivelling piece of shit. I'd appreciate if you left right now, and never came back."
Trying to ignore Dad, Neal asked. "Is the baby okay?"
"Neal, you're right. This isn't the time. I would prefer if you left. We can talk at home."
He glanced around our tight little group and nodded. "Okay, but don't y'all get the wrong impression. I want to see my baby girl."
He walked off and Mom and Dad gathered closer. "What do you want me to do with these flowers, sweetheart? Shall I go and get a vase?"
Wiping away a little tear I snapped. "Thrown them in the damned rubbish, or give them to someone else. It seems that's what he does, anyways."
Mom walked out and I heard her talking to a nurse.
Mom and Dad left when my dinner was delivered. I was actually glad to get some time to think. Lying cheating dirt bag. I wondered how long the affair had been going on. How many others there were. I was so damn angry.
Okay, the pregnancy hadn't been easy, and we hadn't had sex for over six months, but I suffered as well. I liked sex as much as him, damn it. Why the hell did he have to do it? Couldn't he wait six lousy months?
The deeper in thought I sank, the angrier I became. Damn it, I had carried his sorry ass for the last twelve months so he could take up this damn photography business. His life's dream, he said. Something he always wanted to do. Yeah, well, he can't have wanted it that damn much because he couldn't make it happen without me supporting his sorry ass. I paid all the damn bills. Even when he did make something, he just brought new cameras, or some new shitty lens that he just had to have.
Christ, even through my pregnancy I worked. The doctors said I shouldn't, but he refused to go back to work. He was committed, apparently.
"Fucking loser," I snorted under my breath.
I opened up my internet banking app, and decided, fuck him. I transferred all but five hundred bucks into my old personal account. When we got married, it was his idea to open a joint account, and hadn't he made the most of that. The bastard. Well it ended here. Thankfully, I kept my old personal account open.
I had only used it to save money for birthdays and stuff. Now I was determined it would become mine. As I watched the transfer go through, I realized that was my decision, that action was me making the decision. I didn't want him back. There was nothing he could say that would change that decision. I phoned the credit card company and reported my card stolen. Because it was a joint card, it meant his was cancelled, as well.
Soon as I could get out and get a damn lawyer, his ass was grass, and fuck it, at the moment, I was a pretty big lawnmower.
Mom and Dad picked me up the next day and drove me home. Neal was there when we arrived. He waited with his arms open to hold the baby. I walked straight past him. Mom and Dad followed me in and stood beside me as I made my announcement. "Neal, I want you to leave."
"What, don't be stupid Zoey. Let's just calm the hell down and talk. Y'all need to just calm the fuck down."
Dad stepped forward and snarled, his voice loud and clear. "Listen here, sonny boy. My daughter said get, and I think that's just what you should do. I'll give you ten minutes to pack a bag, and then you better get your sorry ass outa here. Got it."
