Lucky

Chapter TwentyThree
By: Lara
© 2000

"The look on his face was priceless!" Lisa said cheerfully as she and Brian walked back into her house two hours later. "I really wish they still dressed convicts up in those striped suits. Brand him for life!"

They stopped short when they saw who was standing in the living room. The eyes of both Lisa and Brian fell to Lara's flat stomach, then tried to look everywhere else "Hey, D!" Brian came over and hugged Howie, then turned to Lara. "Hello there."

"Hi," she said shyly, but smiled when he hugged her. "You did quite the disappearing act there," Brian said to Howie. "We didn't have a clue where you were. We got a little worried."

"Sound familiar?" Howie said, playfully glaring at Lara, who had the grace to blush.

"I'm hungry," AJ said suddenly. "Guys, let's go prove to these women that we're not totally clueless in the kitchen." After squeezing Lara's hand one last time, Howie followed AJ and Brian into the kitchen.

Lara quickly sat down on the sofa and suddenly found the strap of her purse very interesting. Lisa sat on a recliner across the room. "You're not pregnant," Lisa stated in a lifeless tone.

"I...there was...there was an accident. I fell down some stairs." Lara finally looked up at Lisa miserably. "I lost the baby."

"And how do you feel about that?"

"At first I was actually grateful. Sick, isn't it? An innocent life is ended and I am grateful. Then it began to hurt. It hurt BAD. This baby was Nick's, yes, but it was also mine. My baby. Someone that wouldn't care how I looked, whether I wore glasses or contacts or had the face of a hyena...someone that would love me just because I was in their world." Lara didn't even notice the tears that fell down her face. "But all of a sudden that baby was gone, and I have no one now."

"Oh...sweetie...you do have someone!" Lisa was beside Lara in an instant. "You have me. You have me and Anna and Howie and Brian and AJ." She cried with Lara as she put her arms around her.

"I'm so sorry, Lisa. I had no clue Kevin was gonna do what he did. I had every intention of telling you about my relationship with Nick after I told HIM about the baby...then Kevin burst into the room and everything went to hell," Lara sobbed. "I'm so angry at myself for believing all of Nick's lies. He never said he loved me, but I heard it in everything else he said and did. I was so stupid."

"No...honey...you weren't stupid. You loved him." Lisa brushed hair from Lara's cheeks and smiled. "Love makes you hear things that aren't there sometimes."

"That's what Howie said," Lara said with a sniffle.

"Anyway...what's up with you and him?" Lisa said with a smile.

"Nothing," Lara told her solemnly. "I'm not jumping into anything right now." She looked at Lisa long and hard. "Can you ever forgive me?"

"For what? What did you do wrong? Nothing. YOU have to forgive ME. I'm the one who just snapped out on you without letting you explain...not that Kevin left much room for explanation."

"Have you talked to him?" Lara asked.

"No. Not yet. I don't think I could right now. Maybe in a little while, but not now."

"Lisa, do you have a fire extinguisher?" Howie yelled from the kitchen. The women looked at each other and laughed.

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LA Gossip from the one in the know

"Entertainment's reigning Princess is back on the throne. Television, movie and music star Lucky was back in the public eye today at a charity auction for the children's wing of a local hospital. She cheerfully signed autographs for an hour, then made a point of visiting every child in the hospital, as well as stopping by to coo over the babies in the nursery. Is there something we should know? Lucky's recent beau, Backstreet Boy Kevin Richardson, has been mysteriously absent from her side, but our Lucky girl is taking it all in stride. Welcome back, Lucky...we missed you!"