The Course of Fate by Kelly
Part 8
Tom opened the door to the hotel room and looked around. "I guess it's okay. It's no Bel-Air Hotel, but it will do."
Cassy pushed by him and entered the room. "If it has a bed and a bathroom, it's fine with me." She dropped her suitcase on the floor and laid down on the bed.
"Cass, did you notice they gave us one room with two beds instead of two rooms."
"Don't care." Cassy mumbled. "Don't feel good."
"I'm calling Harry." Tom picked up his cell phone and began to dial. "Hi Harry, it's me ... Yeah we made it ... One small problem ... They put Cassy and me in the same room ... No Harry, a double room means one room with two beds. Adjoining rooms means two rooms connecting .. I know there are two beds, but couldn't we get another room? I understand about the budget for this trip. .. I know all about the heat you took for this trip. You know what Harry, just forget I called. I'll call you tomorrow." Tom hung up the phone.
"No dice?" Cassy asked from somewhere inside the blankets.
"Nope. We're stuck here together."
"You know Tom, there was a time once when sharing a hotel room with me would not have been a bad thing."
Tom laughed. "You know if you weren't feeling so bad, you'd be furious with the situation too."
"Probably. If I had the energy to be angry, I'd use it to pull myself into the bathroom."
Tom sat down beside her on the bed and felt her forehead. "Do I need to take you to a doctor?"
"No, it's just air sickness mixed with morning sickness making a very sick Cassy. I'll be fine in a few minutes. I just need to settle my stomach."
Tom stretched out on the other bed and yawned. He looked at the clock on the dresser. "It's only 7:00 here but I'm still on Florida time. That's what I hated most about the away football games." He kicked off his shoes.
"I refuse to think that my dinner tonight consisted solely of peanuts and ginger ale. How does pizza sound? We could order a pizza with everything and. . . ?" Cassy jumped from the bed and ran into the bathroom. "Was it something I said?"
For the next hour, Tom did his expectant father duties and held Cassy as she got sick in the toilet. He cleaned her up afterwards and helped her put her on a nightgown . He walked her to her bed and laid her down. He cleaned up the bathroom and brought Cassy a glass of water. "How are you feeling?"
"Been better. Would you lay down with me for a minute?" She looked so tiny and vulnerable that he couldn't say no.
"Just let me change clothes. You caused quite a mess in there, St John."
All Cassy could do was smile. Tom climbed into the bed with her and they spooned together. "Feels like old times, doesn't it Tom?"
Tom laid his hand on her stomach, and smiled. "Yeah, with a little something extra."
"Tom?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm scared. Actually I'm terrified." She turned over and came face to face with him. "I don't know the first thing about being a mother. What if I turn out like my own mother? And my baby grows up to hate me?"
Tom propped himself up on one elbow. "First of all, you are not your mother. Understand? I admit that there is no love lost between me and my former mother in law but you are nothing like her. You are warm and caring and giving, all the things she's not. Your baby, our baby, will be lucky to have you as a mother."
She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "And you as a father."
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End of part 8
To Part 9