TJ's Plan // Robert Downey Jr.

28

After my mom left, Robert looked at me with concern. 

He asked if I was alright and put his hand on my belly, to which I nodded in acknowledgment. I was relieved that the witch was gone, but her words still echoed in my mind. She talked about my dad, and I couldn't help but get annoyed. I knew it wasn't Robert's fault, but I was too overwhelmed to think clearly.

Before I knew it, Robert had pulled me up and carried me into the bedroom. I held onto his neck tightly as tears started to stream down my face. Robert shushed me, but it only made me cry harder. I had to let it all out, everything that had been brewing inside of me.
My mom had said something about my dad for a reason, and I had to figure out why.

Robert helped me take off my clothes and put one of his shirts on me. I was relieved because I had just noticed how tight my pants were. When I looked down at my body, I noticed that I had a small but visible baby bump. Not exactly visible where you would see it and say "Oh, She's definitely pregnant!", more like "Did she eat too much?", 

I poked at it and felt how hard it was. I had always had a slight little pouch due to my hormone imbalance, but now there was nothing soft about my tummy. 

I whispered to Robert, who had just gotten out of his clothes, "My belly was soft like, hours ago, and now it feels so...stiff..." He kneeled beside me, looking at my belly with wide eyes. He seemed to think something was wrong and asked if we should call Dr. Rowe. I wasn't sure what to do, so I just looked at him, not sure if I should nod or shake my head, 'no'.

Robert didn't even hesitate and immediately got his phone from the nightstand. He called Dr. Rowe, who picked up almost immediately, probably wondering why we called at such a late hour. It was almost 1 a.m., and I was worried that Dr. Rowe would be angry, but since she felt like a second mother to me, I expected her to understand. 

When she answered the phone, she asked Robert if I was feeling sick or tired. I shook my head 'no'. I was unable to speak. 

It felt like someone had put duct tape over my mouth or a cotton ball was stuck in my throat. Robert then said that my stomach felt tight and hard. Silence. He handed me the phone and said, "Maybe you can talk about this better than I can, I'm a man after all" with a laugh.

"Hey Theresa, how are you feeling?" She asked, her voice filled with slight concern. It felt good that at least one woman cared about my well-being, removing Scarlett from that list because she was my age.

I nodded and then facepalmed myself. She couldn't see me. "Theresa? Do you want to leave the room, so you feel more comfortable?" She asked, and I said nodded again. Facepalm. "Yes", I said quietly. 

I left the bedroom and looked back at Robert, who had a concerned and confused look on his face. "Dr. Rowe, I messed up really bad," I whispered, leaning against the wall. She was probably judging me. "You... You said no intercourse, and I broke that rule...but that's not the worst part, my Birth giver came home to us and slapped me," I heard Dr. Rowe gasp. "Where did she slap you? In the face?" I slid down against the wall. Just talking about this made my blood boil.

After describing the situation to Dr. Rowe, I anxiously hoped she wouldn't contact the authorities.
Dr. Rowe reassured me that my discomfort was simply due to medical reasons and advised me to get plenty of rest and drink chamomile tea. She said she would give me an appointment on Wednesday for some checkups, but not to worry. Then she whispered an apology to me, "I'm so sorry your mother is like that.", When she mentioned calling the police, I quickly interjected and requested that it wasn't necessary. Dr. Rowe said that I should make sure I always have someone on my side to protect me in case my mother appeared again. Just for the sake of the baby.