Bittersweet

Hey everyone! Now, this is an awfully long chapter that's why I didvided it into two parts. I had actually planned for this to be the last chapter, but somehow the story has developed its own life and turns out the characters want to continue. How could I say no to that? So to all of those who actually enjoy the story - Don't worry! There's more to come! Once again, thanks for the great feedback. I love reading it and replying to it. So keep it coming. ;-)
Fanny, I'll dedicate this chapter to you, because you are my constant feedback and encouraged me to go on writing. And - unless something horrible happens - it won't be the last chapter!

Chapter Eleven

The pain in her abdomen was nearly unbearable. Katie screamed. She was scared. She felt as if somebody was tearing her lower body apart.

Anna was there with her, but she seemed to be far away, her soothing voice was distant and strange to Katie who only felt the pain.

Suddenly everything around her went white, the lights blinded her and she closed her eyes. Breathe in, breathe out, just like you learned it,

in…and out. Katie desperately tried to gain control again, but another wave of pain shot through her body. She screamed again, even louder

this time. Suddenly there were many people around her, women mainly. But Anna was gone. Where was Anna? Where was her sister? She felt

as if she had said it, but nobody answered. She was taken away by women, were they nurses? Katie didn’t know and didn’t really care. She

just wanted this pain to end. Unable to form a clear thought she barely noticed the doctor who had entered the room and was currently

examining her.

She was so scared. She longed for somebody to hold her, but there was nobody. Anna was gone all of a sudden; Orlando was…she didn’t

even know where he was…What was happening to her?

Suddenly the door burst open and Orlando rushed inside and came straight to her side. He bent down to kiss her forehead and then he just

held her. He stroked her head and whispered gentle words into her ear. Words she didn’t understand, but just the tone of his voice, made her

calm down in his arms. He looked at the doctor, listened to him and then nodded a look of worry on his face. Then he bent down to Katie

again. He stroked her cheek and kissed her forehead again caught up in an endless whisper. Another wave of pain came over her, she clasped

his hand until she saw the pain in his eyes and then everything turned black around her.

It felt as if she woke up just after another few seconds. The sharp pain was gone, but replaced by a numb pressure in her abdomen which

again came close to pain. She struggled to keep her eyes open. The numb feeling seemed to be spreading all over her body now, her fingers

were tingling slightly. She sighed deeply at the exertions of breathing. In a movement that had become a habit over the past few months

now, she stroked her belly, but froze in shock. She let out a scream which would have been deafening if she had been at full strength.

Suddenly there was a rash movement and within an instant Orlando was at her side. He took her hand and bent over her. He gently pushed

her back into the cushions with his weight. When he saw the panic in her eyes, he smiled gently. “Hush, baby….sssh…” he whispered. “It’s

alright, he’s alright. You had a premature birth, but it’s okay, little Orlando is okay.”

“Is he…” she started but was too weak to finish the sentence. Orlando nodded. “He’s healthy, a bit small, but he’ll grow and in a few weeks

he will be stronger and healthier than all his baby friends. Come on, he’s a Bloom. I’m not worried about him, but you love, you do need some

rest.” He kissed her forehead again, a feeling Katie definitely wouldn’t mind getting used to.

“I…” but again her voice faded. Orlando seemed to understand anyway. “I’ll get a nurse to get him, okay? Then you can see him.”

Katie nodded and was surprised at how cold she felt when Orlando had turned away from her to call a nurse. It felt like ages until the nurse

returned with a bunch of blankets and towels. Oh no, there he was. He was so small, so tiny; Katie tried to reach out for him, but was too

weak to lift her arms. So Orlando took him and leaned down beside Katie, so that she could see her son. And at the moment when he saw his

mother for the first time the young boy started screaming, screamed as loud as possible reaching out for his mum to hold him. But she

couldn’t. Orlando tried his best to calm him down, but the screaming just wouldn’t stop.

That is until Anna had stormed into Katie’s room and turned off the alarm clock. “For God’s sake, Katie! The clock has been ringing for nearly

half an hour now. What’s wrong with you?” she roared.

Katie turned around her heavy body, well at least it seemed heavier to her. She sighed deeply and hid her eyes under the blanket when Anna

opened the curtains and the sun shone right into her room.

Katie’s hand wandered up her belly just to make sure that everything was still where it was supposed to be. The young life inside of her

obviously thought that it was time to get up as well as he started kicking her furiously. She groaned when she sat up in bed still holding her

belly. “Coffee.” She murmured, but Anna shook her head firmly. “Nope, all you get is tea and you can come downstairs and get it yourself!”

Then she took a closer look at her younger sister. She did look miserable and tired. Anna couldn’t remember ever looking that bad during any

of her pregnancies, at least not that early, but then again, each child is different, just like each pregnancy. And this belly was a huge one!

Her sister was young and healthy and there was surely nothing to worry about. Katie groaned again. Anna sat down beside her in the bed. “Is

he kicking again?” Katie only nodded and made some room for Anna to touch her belly. It was amazing to feel all these movements inside of

her. And if it weren’t that strenuous she could get used to it after all.

*

Katie stood in front of the mirror and checked her hair. Everything looked fine. Her eyes went down and checked the rest of the reflection of

her body. Her breasts seemed to be huge by now and even though, she was only in the fifth month, she already seemed to have an

extraordinarily big bump. That didn’t really help her with the sleeping; she hadn’t had a whole night of sleep now for weeks and one could see

that in her eyes. At times like this it is good to have a gorgeous man who constantly tells you how beautiful you look. She was more than just

happy that things between Orlando and herself seemed to be working out by now. They still had a long way to go to rebuild the trust that

had always made their friendship so special, but they were on the right track and she was optimistic about it – even if he would soon have to

go filming again. Katie was lost in her thoughts and therefore hadn’t noticed that her sister had been watching her all the time. “Katie, you’re

only goin’ to a doctor’s appointment! It’s not the Miss Pregnant contest!”

Katie shot her sister and angry glare. “Hey, look at me, I look awful! Like a worn-out mum – a bit like you actually…” Anna laughed and threw

a pillow at her. “Hey, you won’t go hitting a pregnant woman, will you?”

They both laughed, but when the door bell rang, Katie’s smile faded. “Well, I just don’t want to scare the doctor off, I mean look at my

eyes…and those breasts! I didn’t even know I have that much skin.” Anna laughed again.

“And your styling doesn’t have anything to do with the fact that gorgeous Orlando is right there at the door waiting for you?”

“Anna! I told you we’re…”

“Just friends, I know!” Anna laughed and approached her sister to give her a warm hug, and then whispered into her ear, “Honey, who are you

kidding?”

Katie turned away from her, shot her another one of those “If-you-weren’t-my-sister-I-swear-I’d-kill-you”-glares and went downstairs.

Orlando greeted her with a kiss on the cheek and bright smile. He always started to smile when he looked at her bump. Wait a minute, he

didn’t look at her bump…his eyes were fixed upon something a bit further up. She hit his head with the magazine she held. “Hey Mister! The

baby is down there!” Orlando backed a way, smirking at her. “I’m sorry, love, they’re just huuuge…!”

Katie hit him again, but still laughed. “Hey, the baby needs to drink something when it’s out!”

Orlando laughed and helped her down the stairs. “Don’t you think we should ask the doctor about the gender today? I know we said, we want

to be surprised, but…I don’t like referring to it as ‘it’”

She gave him a bright smile which made Orlando’s heart beat faster. She looked so beautiful – and she was carrying his child. He couldn’t

remember ever being that happy in his entire life.

“I was just about to ask you the same. I’m dying to know whether it’s a boy or a girl.” She exclaimed. Orlando opened the car door for her

and wanted to help her in, but she pushed him away. “I’m not some senile old lady! I can sit down all by myself!” Orlando laughed and walked

around the car. They spend the ride mostly in silence. Katie was nestling around in her seat, because she couldn’t figure out how to sit

comfortably while Orlando couldn’t get the smile off his face. A wave of affection rolled over him as he watched her checking his car out

critically. “You will get a different car though, when the baby is there, right? This one is not save enough, and definitely not big enough.”

Orlando gasped. He liked his Audi TT! But still he nodded. There’s no point in discussing anything with an expecting woman – Katie Stratford in

particular.

They had decided to meet up early so they would have lunch together and go and check on some baby stuff. Orlando had spotted a reporter

earlier on, but he thought he had lost him after driving a couple of detours.

About an hour later they found themselves in a shopping centre looking for a baby seat assisted by an extraordinarily nice and polite clerk.

Orlando suspected that she had recognized him, but he didn’t say anything as he loved watching Katie discuss the advantages of the more

expensive seats with her. He didn’t say anything just nodded when he was asked something. He didn’t care what the new seat for his car was

going to look like. The only thing that seemed to be important for him at the moment was that belly, or rather the life inside of that belly. He

couldn’t stop looking at it. That was his child in there. His child…A gentle hit on his head tore him out of his daydreams.

“Have you been listening to any word I said?”

He flashed one of these irresistible smiles and shrugged. “I’m sorry, hun, I was just..:”

”Oh, don’t give me the puppy dog eyes!” Katie hit him again. She growled at him, but the light in her eyes showed him that she was enjoying

herself just as much has he was. He handed Katie his credit card and winked at the assistant, hoping that she was going to be discreet about

customers. Then he led Katie carefully out of the shopping centre making sure she wouldn’t be able to stop at any more shops. She seemed

to be having a good day, a really good day. Orlando felt as if everybody turned around and looked at her. She had this huge smile on her face

and her eyes were sparkling even brighter than usual. After a few minutes she stated that she was hungry. Instead of reminding her that

they had just had an ice-cream Orlando took her to the next café where they could have their lunch. He ordered more than usual knowing

that she was going to eat at least half of his meal as well.

Maybe this was a good day to ask her, but then again maybe he should wait until after they’d been to the doctor. She leaned back, closed

her eyes and let the sun shin onto her face. Her hair reflected the sun which added a reddish touch to it. For a few seconds he just watched

her. He watched her breath in deeply indulging herself in the warm sunlight. He just had to know. Now.

“Katie?”

She opened one eye at first, but when she noticed that he really wanted to talk she turned towards him. “Yes?” She blinked a few times until

her eyes had adjusted to the darker light. Had her lashes always been that long? And had her voice always sounded that sexy?

He cleared his throat. “Well, uhm…I just…wanted to know…whether you’ve found an apartment yet?” Orlando you are such a coward, he

scolded himself.

“No, not yet. I’ve been looking at loadsa apartments, but no, there was nothing affordable in a good neighbourhood. But Anna says I should

take my time and not just look for some flat, but for the perfect apartment as I won’t be able to move anytime soon.”

He nodded and the silence fell between them again. He was just about to say something when the waitress interrupted them with their drinks.

He thanked her and smiled politely. A man with manners…Katie sighed and was just about to turn towards the sun again when Orlando cleared

his throat again. She studied his face attentively. There was something on his mind and he was afraid to tell her. She knew it from the

nervous blink he had in his generally so calm eyes.

“Come on, Bloom, spill it. What do you want to tell me?”

“Nothing…” he shrugged, but gave in when he saw her sceptically raised eyebrow. “I was just wondering, you know…I…I’ve got a pretty big

house and it’s in a nice neighbourhood…”

Katie sat up straight. Now that was something she hadn’t expected. She cleared her throat. “I…I don’t think I know what you mean…”

“Yes, you do.” He smirked nervously. “It would be affordable for you and…the baby. It would even be for free, nice neighbourhood, a huge

garden. We could make it safe for the kid…”

She left out a long deep breath. Orlando bit his lower lip, trying to give her time to grasp what she had just heard. She took another deep

breath, her eyes blinked uneasily and she started playing with her fingernails, which she hadn’t done since 7th grade. “Well,” she paused

again. “Orlando, I appreciate the offer, but” another pause. “I don’t think this would be a good idea. At least not yet. We’re just in the

process of making up again, finding each other again. I…I just think this would be too early. Do you understand?”

Orlando’s heart sank, but still he looked straight at her and nodded. In his head he knew she was right, but however, when she was around, it

was not his head that reigned his body. She noticed how disappointed he was and leaned in closer to him. “It’s not that I said never, Orlando,

it’s just, give us some time. Give me some time. I’ll have to give up my job in a few weeks and raise a child. My whole life is about to change

drastically and you just stepped back in a few weeks ago. I need to get used to the whole situation; I don’t wanna rush into anything and do

something stupid, ok? Please don’t be mad at me…”

“I’m not, no, no, I’m really not. And I know you’re right. It’s just…I don’t know. Things have just been goin’ so well lately…” his voice had

faded into a whisper. Katie put her hand on his and suddenly felt a wave of affection for him rush over her. It came out of nowhere and just

overwhelmed her how true and deep her feelings for him where.

Orlando saw in her eyes what was going on inside of her, but he would not pressure her. He was happy enough the way it was now. If things

were to develop any further, they would do so in the future. He would have to rely on that.

But still he couldn’t stop himself from taking her hand in his and kissing it gently. Katie rewarded him with a wonderful, honestly happy smile.

*

To be continued...