It Started At Christmas Pt. 06

Although this was her last semester prior to graduation, the first week back to school, for Victoria, was academically no different than any other semester. She had four classes. Her classes were Monday through Thursday. She had two on Monday's and Wednesdays, and two on Tuesday's and Thursday's. The first day of classes her professors went over their syllabi and class expectations. Although she had four classes, her course load wasn't heavy.

Even though college life kept her busy, the events of Christmas vacation and even more her last day, with Alan, were never far from her mind. Not a day went by that she didn't think about him. The thoughts would come when she lay in her bed at night.Her father had always been her best friend, but over the break, as a result of her attempt to do something nice for him, they had become lovers.

She never imagined their relationship transitioning the way it did and now she didn't know what to do about it. She knew for certain that she loved Alan, and not just as her father, but as a man. She also knew that his marriage to her mother was, for all intents and purposes, a sham. She'd witnessed her mother in a very compromising position with her nurse and Victoria had never looked at her mother the same again.

She and Alan stayed in contact as much as their busy schedules permitted. He, being a professor, himself had a pretty busy teaching schedule, but he always found time to call her. Their calls were always warm, pleasant and full of longing one for another. The way they spoke, with one another, one would never imagine it was a father talking with his daughter. Their conversations were more those of two people very much in love with one another. It was these thoughts that kept Victoria comforted as she studied for exams.

Her friends on campus had noticed the change in her demeanor and often teased and prodded her to find out what had happened, who had caught her heart over Christmas Break.

With loads of reading, researching, and homework, the first few weeks of the semester seemed to whiz by to Victoria. Before she knew it, February was upon her. As she sat in her Thursday afternoon class listening to Dr. Bennett's lecture her head started to feel a weird dizzy feeling. Then her mouth began to water as a wave of nausea rushed through her body. Arrested momentarily by this feeling Victoria tried to shake the feeling by breathing deeply in through her nose and out through her mouth. Always attentive to his class, Dr. Bennett noticed Victoria, "Ms. Spencer, are you okay over there?" He asked quizzically.

"I think I need to ask to leave class. I'm feeling rather sick at the moment," Victoria cautiously answered.

"Please, do what you need to do." Dr. Bennett admonished.

Victoria grabbed her things and walked out of class. As the nausea intensified, she quickly made her way to the women's restroom where she barely made it before she got sick. Kneeling before the toilet, Victoria felt wretched. Barely back to school a month and I'm already sick, she thought to herself. Gathering her stuff, she left the stall and went to wash her hands. Looking at her reflection, in the mirror, she noticed how pale she was. I need to get myself hydrated she mused as she finished washing her hands. Making her way back to her dorm room, which she shared with her best friend Tasha, she lay down, in her bed, and went to sleep.

She'd barely been asleep but a few hours when a wicked second bout of nausea overtook her and she had to rush from her bed to the bathroom in her dorm room. Tasha was in the room at the time and when Victoria emerged from the bathroom, Tasha looked noticeably concerned.

"Hey girl, are you alright?"

Victoria lay back down on her bed, "I think I've got a virus. It hit me hard in Dr. Bennett's class." Victoria replied.

"Well, don't give it to me," Tasha chuckled as she got up and came and sat next o Victoria on Victoria's bed. "Would you like me to go pick you up anything? Maybe I can get you some orange juice or chicken soup or something."

"Maybe just some ginger ale perhaps." Victoria answered feebly.

"Okay, well I'm going to go get it. Don't you go dyin' on me or anything while I'm gone," Tasha teased.

Victoria smiled weakly as she watched Tasha walk out the door. Shortly thereafter she fell asleep, where she slept for the night.

The weekend would be full of the same for Victoria. The nausea and vomiting increased and she developed a fever. Ever being the faithful best friend, Tasha kept vigilant watch over Victoria. She kept a bucket beside the bed so Victoria would not have to rush to the bathroom. She kept their dorm room dark and quiet, gave her Tylenol around the clock and applied cool compress rags to Victoria's head to help break the fever. After a rough weekend, the fever finally broke on Sunday night.

That Monday morning, Tasha accompanied Victoria to the campus nurse. The nurse seemed nonplussed by Victoria's symptoms as she asked her routine questions. But she ran some customary blood and urine tests on her anyway. She told Victoria to keep herself hydrated and to stay up on her vitamin C. It was more than likely a bout with the flu and would have to run its course.

Victoria and Tasha returned to their dorm room. They had been back for about an hour when Victoria's phone rang. It was the nurse and she needed Victoria to come back to the clinic, today. Feeling a little alarmed Victoria asked Tasha to please accompany her again. When they arrived, the nurse called Victoria in and told Tasha she'd have to wait.

Once Victoria got seated on the exam table, the nurse turned to her asked her, "Ms. Spencer, what was the first day of your last period?"

"Huh?" Victoria said looking puzzled at the nurse. "What does my period have to do with the flu?"

With a knowing smile on her face, the nurse replied, "Nothing actually Ms. Spencer. You don't have the flu. What you do have though is a baby. You're pregnant Ms. Spencer."

If Victoria had been feeling sick before, she was really feeling sick now. Sitting there dazed she couldn't believe what she thought she just heard the nurse say.

"What did you say?" Victoria asked shocked.

"I said, you're pregnant Ms. Spencer."

The nurse watched as Victoria's face expressed a myriad of emotion. She wasn't surprised. She'd told many a college girl the same thing she was telling Victoria. "Now, as I asked you before, what was the first day of your last period? I'm asking because that is how we calculate when this baby will be due."

Victoria could barely think straight as she thought about when her last period was. As her mind tried to process what she'd just heard, she started calculating and realized it was at the beginning of December. She'd had her period before she came home on break. Oh my god. Why it just now dawned on her she would never be able to explain to her self, but it flooded to her in a rush. She'd gotten pregnant over Christmas break, and this baby was she and Alan's, her own father. As this was all registering to her, she told the nurse the date.

The nurse said a number of things to Victoria, none that she honestly heard. The nurse handed Victoria a business card with the name of an OB/GYN doctor who she could follow up with. She then told her the nausea and vomiting was morning sickness and would probably pass by the end of her first trimester. With that, she wished Victoria well and dismissed her from her office.

In shock, Victoria walked back out into the waiting room where Tasha was. Tasha knew immediately by the look on Victoria's face that something was very wrong. "Whatever it is, we don't have to talk about right now. Let's just get you back to the room."

It wasn't until the next day, after class that Victoria told Tasha. "Let's go get some lunch," Victoria said. They settled on Chinese take out and went back to their dorm room. Sitting cross legged across from one another, on their respective beds, very stoically Victoria said to Tasha, "I'm pregnant."

Tasha almost choked on the rice she was eating. Her already big brown eyes opened wide as saucers. "Victoria? Are you serious?"

Victoria nodded in the affirmative.

"Who's the father? Are you going to keep it?" Tasha asked incredulously.

Victoria wasn't prepared for the "who is the baby's father" question. There was no way she felt she could tell anyone. No one would understand the love she felt for Alan. Not to mention, if anyone got wind of it, it could mean the end of Alan's career for him.

"Do I know him?" Tasha asked. "Girl, what are you not telling me? I'm your best friend and you're holding out on me."

Victoria couldn't look Tasha in the eye when she said, "No, you don't know him."

Tasha had been Victoria's best friend since they were in high school. She knew when she was lying and she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Victoria was lying to her now.

"Vicky, c'mon, this is me you're talking to. There is nothing you could tell me that would make me feel any different about you. You're my best friend girl."

Victoria knew Tasha was right. They knew some dark secrets about one another. But Victoria had elected to keep what happened over break to her self. They sat there in silence looking at one another as Victoria was torn whether to and what to share with Tasha. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Victoria said gravely.

"Try me," Tasha said. "What have you ever told me that I didn't believe?"

Victoria decided then that she did not want to bear this burden alone. So she said to Tasha, "I know I can trust you Tasha, but I have to demand the utmost secrecy about this. No matter how much it may burn within you to talk about it, you don't talk about this with anyone but me. Would you swear to it?"

Tasha got up off her bed and came and sat next to Victoria. "I swear on my life Victoria."

With that, Tasha sat silently as she listened to Victoria tell the story from beginning to end: from coming home and seeing her mom eating the pussy of her nurse, to everything that subsequently transpired between her and Alan. She spared nothing as she shared her emotions, about her dad, with her best friend.

Now it was Tasha's turn to sit and process. The whole story seemed incredible. She'd met Mr. Spencer before. He was a handsome guy. But to fuck your own father was something else. Then she imagined how Victoria must have felt when she caught her mother. Tasha's parents were very happily married and she couldn't imagine what she'd feel if she'd found either of them like that. But, wow, to not only sleep with your father, but to actually love him as a man too was what Tasha kept coming back to in her mind.

"Tasha, say something." Victoria said.

"Wow," was all Tasha could initially get out. "If you're not playing a cruel joke on me, what you just said is pretty surreal. You're pregnant...with your dad's baby," Tasha said incredulously. "What are you going to do? Will you call him and tell him? Are you going to keep the baby? What about your mom?"

Victoria hadn't slept too well, the previous night, pondering the very questions Tasha just asked her. "I'm keeping my baby Tasha. In time I will tell my dad. I'll probably wait until graduation when he and mom come up. He has enough to worry about without this too. As for my mom, I don't care what the hell she thinks. I've never lived up to her expectations anyway and this will just be one more failure in her eyes."

"What do you think your dad will say?"

"Honestly, I don't know Tasha. It's going to be big news for him to adjust to. I know he loves me beyond a shadow of a doubt, but I won't force him into any decisions about it. I will either raise our baby with him, or without him. In any case, the baby will either love him as his or her dad or his or her grandfather. But if he chooses to be the baby's grandfather, my child will never find out the truth. No matter what he decides, I still love him."

Tasha smiled her warmest smile at Victoria. "Everything is going to work out Victoria. It's easy for me to say, but don't worry about this. Your job is to focus on a healthy pregnancy and graduation. I will be with you every step of the way."

Victoria smiled back, "Thanks girl. Most of all, thank you for not judging me."

Tasha laughed and tried to make light of the situation, "Well, there must be something about the way your dad put it down that's got you addicted." To which she laughed heartily afterwards.

Blushing, Victoria couldn't help but to laugh herself.

**************************************************

Over the next week Victoria made quiet inquiries into finding a midwife. She didn't want a doctor. She feared a doctor would ask too many intrusive questions. She finally found one that might work, so she set an appointment up for that Friday, when she knew she didn't have any classes. For her first appointment she told Tasha she preferred to go by herself.

Sitting in the exam room, Victoria waited for the midwife to come in. She didn't have to wait long before the door opened when a short, heavy set, dark haired woman walked in. She smiled brightly at Victoria, "Hello Ms. Spencer. I'm Safina Naua. I'm a certified midwife."

Victoria smiled, "It's nice to meet you Mrs. Naua."

"No formalities here hon, Safina is fine." Her smile was warm and genuine. "So, you're having a baby are you?"

Again Victoria smiled and said that she was.

"Well, most people who seek my services have a particular reason for it, other than delivering their babies. What may I ask is your reason?"

Victoria put her head down and started to speak when Safina interrupted her, "Nothing to put your head down or be ashamed about here missy."

Putting her hands on Victoria's stomach she followed up with, "Nothing you share with me will go any further. I'm sworn to confidentiality, just as a doctor would be. I'm known for my unconventionality. Now, lift your head up and look at me when you're speaking to me. You're going to have a baby. A beautiful baby and this should be a wonderfully happy moment in your life."

Victoria raised her head up and smiled. "I'm concerned about my baby. Please don't ask me who, but my baby's father is closely related to me. They are a family member. I am concerned about congenital birth defects that may arise from such close familial relations."

Safina raised one eyebrow, "I see. Okay. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I can promise you I won't ask you any questions regarding who he is, but I will ask you questions about his health history if you know the answers to them. But outside of that, we'll play by your rules. Does that sound fine with you?"

And so Victoria secured herself a midwife. Within the next week Safina had done a number of tests on Victoria, had ascertained a due date (September 12th), and they were off to a good start.

Victoria cried profuse tears of happiness when Safina called to notify her that all her tests had come back normal and by all appearances the baby was 100% healthy. She was crying again, this time with Tasha in tow, when Safina hooked her up to the monitor and she heard the sound of her baby's heartbeat for the first time. Tasha was overjoyed. She'd already appointed herself as little baby Spencer's auntie. Although Safina had told her they could find out the baby's gender when the time came, Victoria elected not to find out.

Once everything was established that the baby was healthy and Victoria's pregnancy was going as normal as any other, Victoria was able to focus on her studies.

Between her studies, OB appointments and baby shopping with Tasha May got there before Victoria knew it. She had finals coming the following week and graduation the week after. In two weeks she would see her parents and they would see that she was pregnant. More importantly, Alan would see she was pregnant. How would he react to her pregnancy she thought to her self?

Tasha came into their dorm room and saw Victoria sitting there on her bed. As had become her little customary tradition, she walked over to her and put both of her hands on her Victoria's very obvious baby bump and said, "Hi little niece or nephew. It's Auntie Tasha."

During the time since finding out she was pregnant, Victoria and Tasha's friendship strengthened. Victoria was thankful she had someone to share this experience with. They'd gotten to the point where there really wasn't anything they couldn't or didn't talk about.

"So," Tasha said as she flopped down on her bed.

"In two weeks your mom and dad will be here. How are you feeling about it now?"

"Nervous," Victoria admitted.

"I think it'll be okay," Tasha said trying to give Victoria some measure of comfort. In an attempt to lighten the mood, as she always was good for, Tasha broached the subject of Alan and Victoria's sexual experiences. It would always make Victoria blush furiously as she would say, "Taaaaaashaaaaa!"

"So....outside of the pregnancy issue, I bet you can't wait to feel your dad again," Tasha said matter-of-factly.

As Tasha knew she would, Victoria exclaimed, "Taaaaaashaaaaa!"

Tasha laughed heartily at Victoria. "Girl, I don't know why you get so embarrassed when I talk about you and him having sex. Hell, you're having his baby so you obviously have fucked him a few times."

Victoria smiled knowing Tasha was right.

"Actually, I am looking forward to holding him and feeling him again."

"See girl, I knew you were," Tasha boasted.

"Actually, and before you ask, NO, you can't watch it, Dad and I filmed our last time together."

"You did what?!?!?!" Tasha said incredulously.

Now it was Victoria's turn to laugh. "We filmed it. It's pretty hot, if I do say so myself."

At Victoria's words Tasha began to laugh, a deep fully belly laugh. She couldn't stop and soon she and Victoria were both laughing ridiculously. "I can't.... (Laugh interrupted), I can't believe that you're actually bragging about it." Tasha barely got out between laughs.

And thus was how it went with the two of them for the rest of the week and it was their laughter that got them through finals and to graduation. Two days before graduation they began packing up their dorm room in boxes. Victoria had way more stuff than Tasha now since she'd added baby things. Pretty soon they had their entire room boxed up. As they looked around the empty looking room, with boxes piled high, they couldn't believe they'd come to the end of their academic journey. It was definitely not the end though of their friendship.

The night before graduation Victoria got a call from Alan. She could tell her mother was present because Alan had his customarily fatherly tone with her.

Although his heart and body ached immensely for her, "Hello sweetheart," Alan said cheerfully.

"Hi Dad," Victoria said with longing in her voice.

"Just wanted to let you know that your mother and I are leaving in the wee hours of the morning and we will be there at your graduation. We can't wait to see you. We are so proud of you."

"I can't wait to see the both of you as well Dad," Victoria said not knowing if Allison was listening in or if she was on speaker phone.

The call was brief and has they hung up Victoria got a very heavy feeling in her chest. Sitting down on her bed, she rested her hands on her belly and talked to her stomach. "Daddy and grandma are coming to see us tomorrow sweet baby. Your daddy is going to love you so much. Everything is going to be okay."

**************************************************************

The next morning dawned bright and early. Victoria got up, showered and put on the maternity outfit she'd picked out for graduation. After that, she and Tasha assisted each other with putting their gowns on. Each was Phi Theta Kappa so they had extra regalia to wear over their robes. At 9 a.m. they made their way to the University stadium for graduation.