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Evangeline finally tells John her news and she is shocked by his response.




Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.


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All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

 

 

Taking the long way home

 

Thoughts are captured in /italics/

 

 

Chapter 5

 

We arrive at the private airport and the car service takes us to my new apartment. Nina left the driver strict instructions and he followed them to the letter.  The apartment is clean, well stocked with food and perfectly located.  I am surprised that John hasn’t asked any more questions but knowing the detective he is observing everything and will pounce on me when I least expect it but I expect it and will be ready when he does pounce.

 

Once settled in and unpacked I delay John’s questioning by telling him that I want to take a shower because it is late and I am tired.  He goes to the guest room and I don’t hear anything from him until I return to the kitchen to get a glass of water.  He’s sitting on a stool at the island in the kitchen.

 

“So do you want to tell me what this is all about?  This isn’t your friend’s house because we are the only ones here.  What’s going on Evangeline?  Are you in some kind of trouble?  Can I do anything to help?”

 

Well I was not prepared for that.  He sounds like he really cares about me.

 

“John I’m tired can we talk about this in the morning?”

 

“If you really want to wait until the morning that’s fine but I don’t think that I will get much sleep until I know what is happening with you.”

 

“All right I will tell you but can we move to the sofa in the living room?”

 

I finish my water and walk with him to the living room.  He sits on the sofa and I sit on the chair facing the sofa.

 

“Why are you sitting over there.  Is what you have to say to me that bad? Did you bring me all the way here to break up with me?  You could have done that in Llanview and then I could have gone home and cried in my beer.”

 

“You would not have cried John.  You don’t cry.”

 

“Well you’re right I haven’t cried since Caitlin died but that doesn’t mean that I won’t cry ever again.  So tell me what is bothering you because I can tell that something is bothering you.”

 

“Okay but on one condition.  You let me say what I have to say without interruption.”

 

“Now I’m worried.  I will try not to interrupt you.  So start talking.”

 

“Do you remember a few months ago when I had the stomach bug?”

 

“Evangeline I can’t answer without interrupting so you have to take back your ‘one condition’.”

 

“Okay John you can interrupt.  So do you remember when I had the stomach bug?”

 

“Yes I remember.  That was the day that I was supposed to meet you for dinner with your old law professor and was detained by the snafu with Roxie. Why are you still sick?  Was it more than a bug?  Are you gravely ill?”

 

“No John I’m not sick, sick but I do have a condition.  The past few months I have been working like crazy and have not really been taking care of myself. Although I did have the sense to eat I have not gotten the needed rest to keep myself healthy.  I went to a doctor a week or so ago and he told me what’s wrong with me.”

 

“Are you dying Evangeline?  Is that why you brought me here so that we wouldn’t be interrupted so that you can tell me that you’re dying?  Don’t tell me that.  You’re too young.  It’s not fair.”

 

“John, John, wait!  I am not dying.  Oh I might as well just spit it out before you have a nervous breakdown. Listen carefully to what I’m saying John, I’M PREGNANT.”

 

 

John sits stunned, unable to talk.  /Did she just say that she’s pregnant? That’s why she brought me here away from Llanview.  She’s pregnant./

 

“John did you hear me?  John are you all right?  I know that this has to be a shock to you because it was to me. We know that no contraceptive is 100% except abstinence.  John, John!”

 

“I hear you Evangeline.  How far along are you?”

 

“Almost twelve weeks.  I know that neither of us planned on a baby and I know that you don’t love me John.  I’m not expecting you to marry me and I wouldn’t want you to marry me just because we’re having a baby so we’ll come to some kind of arrangement but I’m having this baby John.”

 

“Do you know if it’s a boy or girl?”

 

“It’s a boy.”

 

“Come here.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because I asked you to come here.  Come sit here with me on the sofa.”

 

“No I’m perfectly comfortable here in this chair.”

 

“Evangeline why won’t you come and sit with me on the sofa?”

 

“I can’t John.  I’m only holding on by a thread right now and if I sit next to you on the sofa I will get my hopes up that this will work out, that you do want me, that you do love me, that we can raise this child together, and John I can’t get  my hopes up.  I love you John, more than I have ever loved anyone and you don’t know how much it hurts to know that you don’t love me the same way and I’m having your child.  I have to stay detached from you John because that’s how I stay strong.”

 

“What do you want me to do Evangeline? You brought me here to tell me that you’re pregnant and then what?”

 

“I don’t know John.  I didn’t think anything other than telling you that I am pregnant and I’m staying here until after the child is born and maybe longer.”

 

“You’re staying here.  You’re not returning to Llanview?”

 

“I can’t John, I can’t have my baby in Llanview with everyone sneering at me that I got pregnant to snare you, or how could I be so stupid to get pregnant, or a multitude of other snide remarks. I haven’t even told my mother. Other than Nina, the doctor and you, those are the only people who know.”

 

“Why didn’t you tell me first?”

 

“I couldn’t face you John.  I made a mistake.”

 

“Evangeline you didn’t make this baby by yourself.”

 

“See that’s what I didn’t want to hear from you. Now you’ll offer to do the honorable thing of marrying me and I will refuse you.  I don’t want you to marry me.  You know I don’t believe in marriage but now that I am pregnant I don’t want to have a child out of wedlock so I am contradicting myself left and right.  I don’t know what I want.  All I know is that I am having this baby in this city.”

 

“But how will I help you if you stay here? Am I to have no part in watching the child grow in you?”

 

“John I told you that I have not thought about any of that.  I got as far as telling you.  Other than planning to have the child here I have no other plans.  I don’t know where I will raise the child.  Nina says that I can always move here because I can get work here.  I can’t raise my child in Llanview John I just can’t.  I can’t go home either and see the disappointment on the faces of my relatives, ‘poor Evangeline another unwed mother’.  I’ve made a mess of my life and I have to clean it up.  I will end this pity party now because the baby feels my moods and I don’t want it to feel anything but love.  I love this little one growing inside of me John.  It is evidence of my love for you.”

 

“Evangeline please come and sit with me.”

 

“I can’t John.”

 

With that John stands from the sofa, walks to the chair, picks up Evangeline and sits in the chair with her on his lap.

 

“Evangeline you will not go through this alone. Yes I am surprised to hear that you are pregnant.  I’m thankful that you love me and are willing to have my child even if we aren’t together.  I understand your hesitancy to have the child in Llanview.  The people there can be very judgmental which is quite surprising with all the skeletons in closets in that town.  I’m glad to know that you have a friend like Nina who has offered you much needed support during this time. But…”

 

“But what John?”

 

“Why do you think that I don’t love you?”

 

“You’ve never told me that you loved me. You told me once that you didn’t think that you could love again after Caitlin but if you did that it would be me and that’s the last that I heard anything about love from you John.”

 

“That’s my fault and I have no excuse for it. The last few weeks have been crazy for me.  When you left town without a word I thought the worst and then I decided that if it was serious that you would have told me before leaving and so I thought that perhaps something had happened with your mother and then I didn’t worry anymore because then I knew you were around loved ones.  Work has been a bear and trying to solve this Killing Club case has taken up all of my time.  I am sorry to have neglected you.”

 

“I know that your work is important to you John.”

 

“Yes it is but now there are things that are more important to me than work.  The woman that I love is having my child.  We will raise this child together, whether in this city or another.  Now you say that you don’t believe in marriage but you don’t want to have a child out of wedlock so that means that you have no choice but to marry me.”

 

“We always have choices John.  Wait a minute, what did you just say.”

 

“Which part?”

 

“The part about love.”

 

“The woman that I love is having my child. Yes I said it.”

 

“You love me John?”

 

“Yes I love you and yes I am in love with you. Now kiss me.”

 

“Now I have to kiss you?”

 

“Yes you do.”

 

And they kiss and in that kiss share all the love that they feel for each other and the joy of knowing that the manifestation of that love is growing inside of Evangeline.

 

 

They know that the road ahead will not be easy but together they will make it through whatever lies ahead.  Unsure of John’s love at the beginning, Evangeline took the long way to get home, home to the love that John had waiting for her.  Sometimes you need to face your fears and it may surprise you that what you want is right there waiting for you.






Chapter End Notes:

Well that's the end of the story.  As I previously stated, all of my JOVAN stories all have actual scenes from the One Life to Live show but with my own interpretations and embellishments.  I so enjoy writing about these two.  Although I did not follow them live on screen, most of my knowledge of them is either through YouTube videos and the now defunct evening show Soap Review or Soap Net.  I don't remember the exact name.  Hope that you enjoyed Taking the long way home and my other JOVAN stories.  







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Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.