What Is Your Emergency?

Pandora looked at her dad’s house, taking a few deep breaths, trying to muster up the courage to go inside. 

‘I am a grown woman with a job, a car, and a house!’ she told herself, but she also had that small voice in the back of her mind repudiate. ‘Did you forget the ex-husband whom your father asked you not to marry?’ 

Pandora groaned, knowing she was about to start her engine and just leave with how conflicted her thoughts were.

She jumped when she heard a sharp knock on her car’s window.

“Sorry,” Nina smiled as she looked through the window. Pandora let out a nervous laugh and opened her car door. “Is everything alright?” Nina asked as she looked her stepdaughter over.

“Yeah,” Pandora muttered and shut the door.

Nina and she walked to the house the older woman shared with her father. They had known each other since high school. They went from being close friends to raising Pandora together. Nina’s husband cheated on her ten years ago and Pandora’s father, Walter, stuck by her side.

Her father had just retired from being a prosecutor and started his own law firm around the time and Nina became one of his first clients. Of course, Nina couldn’t stay with her estranged husband during a divorce, so she asked Walter if she could rent a room in his house. And as months passed, the two fell in love and got married. This was a few months before Pandora’s marriage fell apart.

“Hello, dear,” Walter said, looking up from his paper. “Pandora?” he carried on when he noticed his daughter. He put the paper away, frowning. “You look terrible.”

Pandora rolled her eyes before sitting down. Why did people think it was okay to point out that she didn’t look as lovely as usual? Wouldn’t they assume that people who looked like crap probably felt like crap as well? She somehow doubted anyone wanted to be reminded that they looked like hell had frozen over.

“Is there something wrong?” Nina asked and touched Pandora’s hand.

“Not really,” she whispered.

As her eyes stayed on Pandora’s, she frowned.

“What’s wrong? Do I need to call the doctor?” her dad inquired frantically.

“No, Dad. I already saw the doctor,” she said. This information further worried her father.

“How bad is it?”

‘Depending on how bad you think it is to have a daughter who is divorced and pregnant. At least, I am not dying, right?’ Pandora thought about her response before taking a deep breath.

“I’m pregnant,” she let out the news finally.

Walter just looked at her, his brows pulled together. His mouth opened but he quickly closed it to rub his fingers over his chin. He looked thoughtful and confused. “How?” he asked, seeming that it was the only word he could say after a long time.

“Dad, I think you are old enough to know how babies are made,” she joked.

Walter crossed his arm and gave her the look. The same look her prosecutor father had used to make grown and hardened criminals confess their terrible crimes. The look made her buckle and spill all her secrets.

“I was drunk and met a friend in the bar. One thing led to another.” She knew she was not telling him the truth, but it wasn’t a complete lie either.

Her father looked away from her and clasped his hands in front of him. “I have never been fond of Derrik, even less after what he did, but if you are going to have a baby with him. I will get over my hatred for him.”

Of course, her father sensed that she had lied, but he had gotten the contents wrong. She couldn’t believe Walter thought she would allow Derrik to touch her. It was bad enough that they were in the same city. Never again would she share her body with that man.

“That was a lie. I hate that jerk and always will. I can’t help but think of ways to kill him if I see him again. But, I will make sure my grandchild will never know of my hate for his father.”

Pandora couldn’t help herself anymore and let out a snort. She walked over to her father and hugged him. “It’s not Derrik’s,” she said. When she pulled away, she saw her father’s curious look. She let out a deep sigh and said the truth. “I was drunk and met someone I only knew little about. One thing led to another and now—” She waved her hand around her stomach.

Walter rubbed his face before he spoke. “I love you, Pandora. And we will support you no matter what. But I think you need to call this man and tell him about the baby. Who knows, he might be your happily ever after.”

Pandora snorted and he tapped her arm gently.

“Just trying to give hope to my daughter. I also want hope that my daughter will marry a good man and have a baby on the way.”

“I was married, Dad, no baby… but married. Now, I don’t have a husband but a baby on the way,” she chuckled. It was a good exchange, in her opinion.

“I am here for you,” Walter said, kissing the side of Pandora’s head.

“So, I can be excited then?” Nina asked, clapping her hands in excitement.

“If you must,” Walter answered, sounding nonchalant.

“Of course, I should!” Nina exclaimed, hugging Pandora to her.

After she got home, Pandora ran a bath. She had just propped her head on a bath pillow and closed her eyes when a loud bang made her jump. She looked around the room as her brain tried to work out what it was. The loud thumping sound came again, but this time she was able to determine that someone was knocking on her front door.

Her heart pounded as there was a third round of knocking. This time, it sounded more like they were trying to break her door down.