This is the finale in a 10-part series. The rest are available here:
1) "Unexpected Meeting"
2) "All Night Conversation"
3) "Breakfast Buddies"
4) "Past, Present, Future"
5) "About Last Night"
6) "Clarification & Coffee"
7) "9 1/2 Weeks Later"
8) "A House Divided...Or Not"
9) "Head and Heart"
*flashback to a month ago*
Things were progressing greatly. Jakob and Camille were in their own little love bubble. They spent all of their free time together. They had so much fun together. Music and literature were always the topic of discussion. They just clicked. The couple was in bed, watching "What to Expect When Expecting." Well, Camille was watching and Jak was on the web. "Awww, look how cute she looks pregnant. I cannot wait to have kids." Camille turned to look at Jakob. His face was all screwed up. Camille was thoroughly confused. "Baby, what was that look about?" Jak replied matter of factly "Kids aren't my thing. I've never wanted any." Camille's face dropped as did her heart. She was thoroughly confused. "He doesn't want kids. How come I didn't know this before?" she thinks. "Are you serious?" she asks. He says "Yea, I am. I thought you knew?" "No, I did not. You never said a word," she says as she sits up indian-style in the bed. She was so hurt by his words. She was actually speechless. Jak sensed this. He says "Baby, I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Just you and I. Just us two. Is there anything wrong with that?" Camille digests his words. They are somewhat bitter going down.
"Jak, you know I love you too. It happened so quickly but felt so right. But, I want kids. They are a part of my plan. Always." she says. They are tears falling from her eyes as she was speaking. She was literally in pain. How could it be possible that this wonderful man doesn't want what she wants. She has been dreaming of having his kids for weeks now. "Why is this just coming up now? Why didn't we discuss this before..." her voice trails off. Jakob hates that he is hurting her. But, he refuses to bring a child into this world. His father was a horrible parent. He was a drug addict and he was bi-polar. Jakob was deathly afraid of passing those genes down to a kid. He decided long ago that children weren't an option. "Cami, I would be a terrible father. I don't want to do that to my own child." Nothing Jakob is saying is consoling Camille. She continued to cry. She was speechless. She got up and got dressed. She needed to be alone. "Jak, I need some time. I'm going home." Jak gets out of bed and grabs her. He hugs her tight and begs her to stay. She cries into his chest. He whispers "I love you, Camille. I do." "I love you too, Jakob. I still need to go to think." She walks out.
Camille shakes her head, trying to stop reliving that night. "I still cannot believe this is happening to me." she thinks. She lays in the bed, rubbing her stomach. Her and Jakob haven't really spoken much since that night. And now this. This was truly ironic. She was pregnant. Pregnant for a man who didn't want kids. Pregnant and alone. Now she has a choice to make. To tell him or not. To have this baby or not. Camille was so confused. Crying again. It is all she has done in the last two days. She knows she has to tell him. She couldn't be that woman. Yes, it's her body and her choice. But, this baby is his too. Camille sends a text she is dreading. "Jakob, we need to talk. Can you come to my house?" Jakob was home when the text came through. His heart smiled as he read the words from Camille. He texted back "On my way." He smiled with hope. "Maybe she finally wants to finish what we started" he thought as he drove to her house. Jak wanted things to be back the way they were before the baby talk. He missed her. He missed her smile and the way she argued at the political pundits on Fox/CNN/MSNBC. He missed everything about her. And, he was determined to get her back. He sent her calla lillies to her job every Thursday just because he knew they were her favorite flowers and that it was her favorite day. He would leave her voice messages because he know she liked it. He was wooing her back. He felt like it worked.
Pulling into her driveway, Jakob was confident. He knocked on the door instead of using the key she gave him. He didn't want to seem to pushy. Camille opened the door. "Hi," she said. "Hey there" he replied. "Come in." hey both enter the living room and sit on opposite sofas. Both nervous, neither jump to speak. Jakob starts "Camille, I've missed you. A lot. I hope this means you missed me too." Camille smiles weakly. "I have Jak. A lot." He smiled and sighs with relief. He walks over to sit next to her. Camille dropped her head. She was afraid of his reaction. "I have something to tell you," she mumbled. "Ok baby. I'm listening." Camille inhales deeply. "Well, I don't know what your reaction will be," she says as she raises her head, "But I just found out that I'm, no, we're pregnant." The silence was deafening. Jakob was livid. He couldn't believe that this was happening. He couldn't speak or even think straight. He was seeing red. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN?" he screamed. "Pregnant? Nah, that's not happening, Camille." She knew he wouldn't be happy but she didn't expect this response. The look of total disgust on Jakob's face was undeniable. Camille was crushed. "It IS happening. There is a baby. Our baby, Jakob." Jakob jumps up and begins pacing. "You can't have this baby. You know how I feel. I'll pay for the termination."
Camille was pissed. "Termination? Don't be so clinical. Say it. Abortion, Jakob. You don't get to decide what I'm going to do. Oh, and fuck you. How bout that? That's where you automatically go...to an abortion? I cannot believe you." Camille was screaming at this point. "Just go. I know how you feel now. Get the hell out of my house please." Camille says calmly as she walks towards the door fuming. Jakob knows he should smooth the situation out. But he can't because he is so angry. He follows her. "I've avoided having kids for 38 years. I have no plans to be any kids dad. That's not in my plans, Camille." "I don't need to hear your excuses. I didn't make this baby on my own. We did this. You and I. Remember that? Just leave, Jakob. Go." She opens the door to indicate that this conversation was over. He walks out dejected and pissed. She slams the door in his face. As soon as she turns the lock, she breaks down. The tears spill out of her eyes easily. She runs to the sofa and flings herself on it. She sobs deeply. She is more heartbroken than before. She goes to her room and climbs into bed. Hugging the pillow, she closes her eyes. She cries herself to sleep.
Something shook Camille out of her deep, pain filled sleep. She awoke with a start. Instantly grabbing her stomach. She was cramping badly. "Aaarrrgghh," she yelled. The pain was so intense Camille felt like she was dying. She was curled up into a ball in the middle of the bed holding her stomach. "Oh my God, it hurts. Make it stop." She slid out of the bed onto the floor. Then, she crawled into the bathroom. Camille felt like her insides were being ripped out. She grabbed onto the wall and pulled herself up to turn on the light. Pain hit her again as she screamed and fell to the floor. And, it was there, on the floor where Camille discovered the blood. She knew what was wrong. She knew what was happening in that moment. She did not know why. Why was this happening to her? Why now? She couldn't move. She was in too much pain. She lay there on the cold tiles feeling like she was dying. She couldn't help herself or her baby. She wanted to die. She laid there shaking and writhing in agony for what felt like hours. She
She crawled to her phone to call 911. She crawled to the front door to wait on the ambulance. She felt herself slipping into the darkness once she opened the front door. She knew she had to hold on. In the distance, she faintly heard the sirens. She could sleep now. That's all she wanted to do was sleep. Camille held her stomach as she laid her head on the floor. She was cold. She no longer felt any pain. She was calm. This was over. Paramedics ran towards the open door. "Ma'am , are you ok?" he asked. No response. The female paramedic checked for a pulse. There was none. They tried to revive her. Tried to bring her back. They were too late. Camille was gone. Jakob pulled up to Camille's house in a panic when he sees the ambulance. He runs from the street to her door. He is stopped by a police officer. "Where is Camille? I have to tell her something." he yells. "Sir, who are you? How do you know Camille?" the cop asks. Jakob begins to answer but stops suddenly when the paramedics roll Camille's lifeless body out on a gurney. Her face is covered. Jakob cannot believe this. "Sir, I'm sorry but she's gone." the cop says. Jakob runs to the gurney. "I have to see her. Let me see Camille." Jakob uncovers her face and the tears flow. He can't stop sobbing. He whispers in her ear how sorry he is and how wrong he was. "It wasn't supposed to end like this." he says to no one in particular.
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