PART OF HER WORLD

CHAPTER 13

A week then two came and went. Soon a month had come and gone and another passed as well. Asher caught sight of Sophia nearly every day as she came and left the center, but she had stopped sitting outside to eat her lunch. He had seen Charlie with her every day now and guessed that he was finally allowed to go home with her. Having tried once to talk to her had proven to be a mistake that had him nearly losing his job because Doctor Fancy Pants complained to Asher's boss. The only good news was he found out from Margret that Sophia had switched doctors and was now seeing a woman by the name of Dr. Tuttles.

As the lunch buzzer sounded, Asher walked over to the seat he had been waiting for for the past month.

"Asher, we are going to the Chubby Cheddar King with Hallie tonight, wanna come?" Mike asked as he slid in across from him.

"Nah, I got things to do,” he lied.

"Yeah, sure yah do, like pacing back and forth in the trailer or working on your truck or watching TV. So exciting." Mike looked at him with a mock scowl. He was learning it from Crystal.

The pair had been seeing each other steadily now since the week after the Gala and it had been good for his sister. Hallie seemed to like him and she needed another man in her life to look up to, and Mike was good with her. However, he didn't feel like being the third wheel, and watching the two love birds only added to his heartache.

"Nah, I'll pass,” he said

"Hallie is really going to be disappointed, I already told her you were going,” he told him using the big gun against him. Mike knew Asher wouldn't refuse if Hallie wanted him to go.

"Fine, but I'm not wearing the stupid hat," he told him gruffly.

"Oh come on, it's the highlight of the meal." Mike kidded, and Asher froze.

"What's wrong?" Mike asked. The look of trepidation must have shown on his face.

"That's the cop that was giving Sophia a hard time," he growled as he watched the officer getting out of his cruiser.

"Her husband?" he asked.

"No ... A different one,” he said as he watched the officer walking towards the main doors, he was carrying a yellowish envelope in his hand.

"Oh? Well, why was he giving her a hard time?" Mike asked, as he now too watched the cop entering the Center.

"I never found out but Sophia said it had to do with some old drama, so I imagine her husband is involved somehow."

The police officer was only a few minutes inside before he came back out. He didn't look upset or angry like last time and almost ten minutes after he left Asher's heart fluttered in his chest as Sophia walked outside. She was wearing a cream-colored blouse and black slacks, her long red hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and she was smiling. She now carried the envelope and she was walking towards the yellow cab that had just pulled up to the Center after Charlie got in she did.

It was the first time he had seen her with a smile since the night of the Gala. That had him a little more than curious about what was in the envelope she held onto for dear life.

"You need to talk to her, "Mike told him as Brady's eyes watched the cab leave.

"Easy for you to say,” Asher grumbled.

"Look man if you don't at least try, then how the hell do you know if she'll forgive you?" Mike said and for once his advice was sound.

"Alright, once I figure out what to say and how to approach her,” Asher said just as the buzzer sounded for them to go back to work.

They had maybe two weeks left of work here and then he would most likely never see her again. That thought had him a little panicked and he told himself he would make a point of talking to her before then. He didn't think she would want him to go to her house and Sophia didn't seem the type to make a public scene. Talking to her here may go more smoothly for him, he thought and he started to form a plan of action.

* * *~~~* * *

Yesterday was a wonderful day. Sophia was overjoyed as she signed the divorce papers at her lawyer's office and things seemed as if they were finally going to move forward. Then she had her appointment this morning with her doctor for the stomach flu she just could not seem to shake, and now everything was falling apart again. Being pregnant was not what she had even considered would be wrong with her, and it had come as quite a shock.

"Are you sure?" Margret asked as Sophia walked beside her.

"Yes."

"Oh my God what are you going to do?" she asked, sounding just as shocked as Sophia had when her doctor gave her the news that morning.

"Well, I'm not sure ... I know there are a lot of people in my situation with kids, but I'm not ready for this. I mean if I could see, or if I had someone, but it's just me." Sophia told her as thoughts of trying to raise a baby by herself scared her half to death.

"What did Asher say?"

"I ... well I haven't told him."

"Oh my god, you're going to have to tell him."

"I haven't talked to him since the night of the Gala," Sophia said solemnly. She was still hurt by the fact he lied to her, however, part of her missed him dearly.

"Oh, Hun."

"Look, I know he has a right to know but I just don't know if I can deal with talking to him,” she stated as Charlie paused and she did too.

"Sophia, somehow you're going to have to find a way. It's not right to leave him out of it."

"Maybe I'll write him a letter,” she mumbled as they began to walk again.

"Now that is just not a nice way to do this," Margret told her flatly.

"I know I was sort of kidding,” she mumbled as they headed into the mall. Today they were supposed to be going to a new restaurant inside but Sophia wasn't in the mood to eat after finding out she was pregnant.

Birth control was something she and Jason didn’t use and she had messed up when she and Asher had slept together. For some reason, the thought of contraceptives never even entered her mind. In order to best take care of the baby, she might have to move to England with Maxine. It's not an idea she cared for but the other options were not plausible for her.

After they had ordered a light lunch, Sophia tried to avoid the topic of being pregnant. This place sounded busy and she didn't want to chance anyone overhearing their conversation. Having been a little less than thrilled with the news, the doctor immediately began giving her the other options. She had mistaken Sophia's anxiety. Children had been something she always wanted, but not as a single-blind woman.

They talked about anything and everything else for the next two hours as they enjoyed lunch. The distraction helped ease some of her tension. Margret was so good at getting her to relax when she was stressed out.

"So have you told Maxine yet?' she asked as they walked back towards the parking lot.

"No, I'm going to call her this evening after I get home. Are we still going to the church fundraiser tomorrow evening?"

"Oh yes, I wouldn't miss that," Margret said, sounding excited.

"Good I have a few things to bring to the auction. Do you think Todd would mind helping to get them there?" she asked her.

Sophia was hoping that the church would raise the money for little Hallie Reed's medical expenses, but if they could not Sophia was yet again prepared to help the little girl. She knew it was Asher's niece this time but it didn't matter. When she had learned why Mark Reed and his two brother-in-laws had robbed the bank five years ago she donated the money for the heart pump anonymously. Hallie at the time was only two and would have died without it and Sophia had the finances to help. No one knew she was the one to give the money for the procedure, not even Jason or Maxine.

"What are you donating for the auction?"

"Just a couple of dressers and some smaller antiques that I really don't use anymore,”

"So we are going to need the trailer on the van,”

"Yeah, one of the dressers is a triple so it's kind of big. David and Clarisse told me they would be coming too. I'm pretty sure I can get David to help Todd carry the stuff out,” Sophia explained as they drove to the grocery store.

There was a lot of stuff she needed to go through that she no longer used. Sophia knew she would have to clean the house out and maybe even sell it if she decided to move to England. Tonight she would discuss it with her sister and together they would sort it out. For now, she was trying to get used to the idea of becoming a mother.

* * *~~~* * *

As he was on his way home, Asher spotted Margret and Sophia walking into the supermarket, pulling into the parking lot. He knew this was it, now, or never, he thought. His hands began to sweat and the knots tightened in his guts.

"You love her i***t. What are you doing?" he said aloud to himself as he thought about leaving without talking to her.

Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to get out of the truck and walked into the busy store. It was as good a place as any to try to convince Sophia to at least take the time and sit down with him and talk sometime. Looking around, he found them both standing in the produce aisle. Margret looked up, her eyes went wide, but then she smiled as he walked towards them.

"Sophia, I need to talk to you," he said straight forward.

"Asher.,” she looked surprised and sounded it as well.

"Listen, I see Rev. McLean over there at the deli ... I think I should go say hi," Margret said as she let go of Sophia's arm.

"Oh wait," Sophia interjected.

"No, you two need to have a talk ... now is as good a time as any," Margret said, and her smile was almost mischievous.

Sophia stood there in her pretty sundress looking completely lost. Asher’s guilt grew at having ambushed her into talking to him.

"I'm not asking for a second chance, but I can't leave this as we did. Please, Sophia, all I want to do is talk to you,” he said in a low voice.

"Here  ...  at the grocery store," she asked in a hushed tone. He assumed she didn't want to draw attention.

"Well no, I was thinking of someplace a little more private.”

"Asher, this really isn't a good time," she mumbled as she played with a large orange and then sniffed it before feeling for her cart and placing it inside.

"When Sophia, I can't stop thinking about you  ...  about us. I screwed up. I'm sorry, but I can't just walk away either," he told her. His voice cracked a little as his emotions ran high.

"Asher, you lied to me,” she told him and she clutched onto the edge of her cart. She grew pale suddenly, and a fine bead of sweat dotted her forehead.

"I know, and I'm so sorry. Please, Sophia, I just want a chance to talk to you and make this right," he explained.

"Asher ... I ... oh.,” she swayed on her feet, and as she crumpled he caught her.

"Sophia," he exclaimed as she lay unconscious in his arms.

The rushing of feet toward them made him peer up. Both Margret and a man had rushed over to them.

"What happened?" Margret exclaimed.

"She passed out," Asher said as he still held her in his arms.

"I'll call an ambulance," the man said as he pulled out his cell phone and Margret knelt on the floor beside them.

"She just needs some air Reverend," Margret told the man with the cell phone, and started fanning her with the grocery flyer she held in her hand.

A small crowd of people started to gather and Asher was consumed with worry and guilt that he had somehow caused Sophia to faint. Sophia let out a soft noise and he looked at her.

"Oh god Sophia, are you all right,” he asked.

"What happened?" she asked, sounding a little confused.

"It's ok. You fainted sweetheart. Don't worry, Asher caught you,” Margret explained, and Sophia turned red.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry," Sophia murmured as Asher helped her to stand.

Asher looked at Margret, then back to Sophia.

"Are you sick?' he asked.

"Ah no ... Just ... Ah, I should really go home and lie down. Asher, I will call you later, OK. But I need to leave,” she told him. The red deepened more in her face.

He could tell she was embarrassed and so he didn't stop her. Margret looked back at him as she helped Sophia to the door. A large smile played on her face, she didn't seem worried about Sophia's fainting and that made Asher curious as to why. As he walked toward his truck, his cell phone rang and he looked at the number. It was Crystal's.

"Hey,” he said as he answered it.

"You need to come to the Green Haven Memorial hospital. Hallie's had an attack." Mike's voice said in a near panic.

"How bad?" he demanded as he rushed the last few yards to the truck and jumped in.

"I don't know ... Crystal is in with the doctors now,” Mike explained, and Asher’s heart jumped up in his throat.