Baby Comes First by Beverly Farr

that ‘quiet’ was important
to him, which was ironic, given his frequent outbursts of
temper.
    “Is eight o’clock too early for you?” he
asked.
    “No, that would be fine.”
    He handed her the phone so she could give the
company her address and other vital information.
    Hannah gave the phone back to him for the
billing information. She watched him as he spoke, admiring the
clean line of his square jaw. He was firm and decisive, a man who
got things done.
    Hannah appreciated his help, but she also had
the sinking feeling that if she wasn’t careful, he would take over
her life. He liked to be in charge. At work, that was appropriate,
but in her private life, she was determined to keep some
control.
    “Thank you,” she said, when he had finished
the call. “You are being very generous, and I --”
    She could tell that her appreciation
embarrassed him. He looked at his watch. “We’ve been here nearly
three hours,” he said, effectively changing the subject. “How soon
did your doctor say you could go home?”
    “I don’t think she gave an exact time, but if
you’re anxious to leave, you can go and I’ll get a taxi –-”
    He barked, “Don’t be ridiculous.”
    This sounded more like the Luke Jamison she
knew. Yes, sir , she thought, hiding a smile.
    A few minutes later, he started pacing across
the room, deep in thought. Hannah didn’t comment. He often paced in
his office when he was working on complicated legal issues or
rehearsing a closing argument. He suddenly turned and asked, “Don’t
you think the father of the baby would want to know how you’re
doing?”
    Hannah’s heart contracted, feeling like a
stone in her chest. She had hoped that he had given up this topic
for the day. The problem was, the father already knew exactly how
she was doing, and she couldn’t tell Luke that he was the father.
“No,” she said finally. “I don’t.”
    He paused and frowned at her. “Is he married?
Is that why you won’t contact him?”
    His brain must be working overtime, trying to
figure her out.
    She said clearly, “I did not have an affair
with a married man, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
    Luke seemed relieved by her answer, but
persisted, “Then what’s the problem? Unless the father was a
one-night stand you picked up in some bar, and you don’t even know
his name -- which I doubt –-”
    “Thank you for your vote of confidence,” she
said dryly.
    “––you must have had some feelings for the
guy. What’s keeping you from telling him now?”
    Hannah sighed. He was going to push and push
until he found out everything. He’d drive her crazy in the process
with all his pacing and the non-stop questions. “All right,” she
said, choosing her words with care. “You want to know the truth?
Here it is. There is no father.”
    He stopped still. “He’s dead? Forgive me. I
never thought --”
    “No,” she said quickly, alarmed by the
sympathy in his voice. “What I mean is that there is no male person
who’s responsible for this baby. I went to a sperm bank, a
fertility clinic actually, and I’m having the baby by myself.”
    “They let single women have sperm?”
    “Some do.”
    He stared at her. “Don’t tell me you’re a
lesbian and this is the way for you and your partner to have a
baby!”
    “No!” Hannah choked out the word, amazed at
the twists this conversation was taking. “No, I’m heterosexual.”
Although in her experience, she thought wryly, it had been all
hetero and no sexual.
    He scowled, trying to understand. “So you’re
telling me that you purposefully went to the sperm bank? You
planned to be a single parent?”
    She felt awkward having this conversation
with him standing beside her bed, glaring down at her, but she
couldn’t stand up to face him. She lifted her chin. “That’s
right.”
    “I don’t believe it. You’re smarter than
that.”
    Hannah bristled. “A lot of women raise
children by themselves.”
    “Yes, but they usually