Memories Ch. 04

They made love for hours that night. It was another one of Chris' favorite "sexy sexy times" to remember. Again, not that there hadn't been plenty. They'd been married for 45 years and had four children together, after all. But, it always made him kind of sad remembering that night too.

"Chris, I need you to come over." Even over the phone, he could tell she was upset.

"Larissa, are you ok?" Chris immediately became concerned.

"I'm fine. I just...I can't tell you over the phone. I just really need you to come over," she choked back a sob.

"Yah. Of course. I'll be right over." Chris clicked off his phone and ran out the door.

Chris banged hard on Larissa's front door. It felt like an eternity before Molly, her roommate, answered it and let him in.

"She's upstairs in her room," she spoke quietly. The sympathetic look in her eyes was all he needed to see to know that she already knew what was wrong with Larissa. It irritated him that Molly knew before him, but he didn't have time to be pissy. He was glad someone was at least here for Larissa, whatever the problem was. Chris finished ascending the staircase and knocked on Larissa's closed door.

"Hey, babe. It's me," he waited. Larissa opened the door a few seconds later. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy, her face slightly splotchy. "Baby, what's wrong?" Chris hugged her close and he felt her body shake as a new wave of sobs overtook her. He felt her head roll back and forth across his chest. She wasn't ready to talk.

"Larissa, you're really worrying me," he stroked her hair. "Please, calm down," he soothed. "Let's go sit down." Chris guided Larissa over to her bed, but kept his arm around her. He didn't speak any more, giving her a few minutes to calm down, hopefully. She finally regained her composure enough to talk.

"I don't know how it happened," her lip began trembling. "Well,I do, but it's SO ridiculous!" a hint of anger entered her voice.She finally just blurted what was on her mind. "Chris, I'm pregnant." He knew he should say something, but was thoroughly speechless. He wasn't sure what to think. He wasn't sure what to feel. This was about the last thing he had expected to hear from her.He did keep his arm around her and pulled her to him.

"Are you mad?" Larissa managed finally, muffled by Chris' shirt.

"Oh my God, no!" Chris hugged her even tighter. "No," he whispered and kissed the top of her head. "Did you...Just find out?" Larissa nodded her head.

"Why are you so upset? Did you think...?" It didn't take him long to put two and two together. "You were afraid I was going to be mad?" he spoke softly. She nodded her head again against his chest.

Chris had never really thought about having kids. He didn't know what to think. He certainly wasn't mad, though.

"I could never be mad at you. I'm just...Surprised."

"Yah," Larissa scoffed. "Me too."

"So how did it..." he trailed off, letting Larissa pick up on the insinuation.

"The night you popped the question. It pretty much had to have been. I think that was around the time I missed a pill..." she tried hard to fight back the fresh tears.

"No," Chris said firmly. "I should have been more careful too.My God, we had sex for like 3 hours that night with no protection.What did we expect?"

"I know, but my birth control..."

"Stop," Chris interrupted her. "You're not gonna blame yourself, you hear me?" Larissa slowly nodded her head, but continued looking down at her lap. Chris lifted her chin, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "I love you. Absolutely nothing is going to change that, ok? Everything will be fine."

A couple of weeks went by and Chris couldn't wait to share his big news with Larissa, though he was also kind of worried about how she would react. Just as he was about to reach his phone to call her, it rang. Little did he know at the time, it would be the most horrible phone call of his life.

"Hey, I was just about to call you! I have some big news. Where are you?"

"Chris? I'm at UCLA," she hiccuped. "In the ER. I, I don't want to tell you this over the phone, but I know you'll worry the whole way," Larissa was blubbering, almost hard to understand her. "I'm fine, but I started bleeding this morning. I lost the baby, Chris,"she began sobbing uncontrollably.

"Where, uh, UCLA, you said? I'll be right there. Is anyone with you?"

"N-no. I drove myself." Chris wiped his hand across his face. He felt terrible.

"I'll be right there, babe," he spoke calmly. "I love you."

Chris raced the 20 minutes from his apartment to the medical center.He couldn't believe he didn't get pulled over. He had never felt so helpless in his life. The woman he loved more than anything in the world was suffering. And alone. Even once he did reach her, he knew there wasn't much he could do to comfort her, and perhaps that hurt worst of all.

The idea of him becoming a father had been slowly growing on him over the past two weeks. It seemed so strange at first, him being someone's father. He had never given kids any serious thought, but here it was, looming in his face now, whether he was ready or not.The whole thing filled him with sheer terror...But joy, too, at the thought of sharing the experience with Larissa.

He ran up to the reception desk. "I'm looking for a Larissa Olsen," he told the big woman behind the desk.

"Just one moment, please," she went about typing on the computer in front of her. "What is your relationship to the patient?"

"I'm her fiancee."

"Here she is. I'll have someone take you back."

"Thank you."

Chris waited to the side of the reception desk, too nervous to sit down. His phone rang.

"Hey dad, I-"

"Chris! Tony Mazono just called me and told me the good news, that you got that part on that upcoming wine movie. Bill Pullman and Alan Rickman! I'm proud of you, son!"

"Dad, I have to call you back," Chris was finally able to get a word in over his father's gushing. It wasn't like him to hang up abruptly on his father, though.

"Is everything alright?" he could hear the concern in Robert's voice.

"Ugh," Chris sighed as he debated whether to tell the truth or lie. He absolutely hated lying to his family, but they hadn't told his parents about the baby yet either. Chris figured Larissa would be more upset if he told them the truth without telling or asking her first.

"Larissa's in the hospital, dad. I just got here. I'm not really sure what's going on."

"Oh, son. I hope everything's ok. Your mom and I will be thinking about her. Let us know when you get any news."

"I will, dad. Talk to ya soon."

"Right here," the receptionist pointed at Chris as a nurse emerged from the emergency room area.

"Larissa Olsen?" she asked to double check. Chris nodded. "Follow me," she turned and walked quickly away. Chris didn't usually have a hard time keeping up with people due to his height, but she was quick for being a good six inches shorter than him. I guess no-nonsense in an ER nurse is a good quality, he thought. After a few turns, she stopped.

"Right through there," she pointed. "I hope you can help her calm down," she spoke more quietly. "Poor thing's been through a lot this afternoon," the nurse turned and walked away, as if she was never there.

Chris slowly walked toward the room. Now that he was actually there,he realized he was totally unprepared. How could he possible console this woman? She tried to hide it most of the time, but Chris knew she was secretly excited about the baby. After all, she had told them on their first date that she wanted lots of kids. He had no idea what she was going through, but he was about to find out.

"Larissa?" he knocked lightly on the door, poking his head in.She rolled onto her back and held her arms out to him. Chris crossed the room in two steps.

"I'm so sorry," he was surprised to find himself crying as soon as he wrapped his arms around her. She looked so frail and tired."I'm so sorry I wasn't here. Why didn't you call me?" he pulled her tear-reddened face up to his.

"I don't know," Larissa shrugged. "I didn't want you to worry,I guess. I figured I was just being paranoid. But then the bleeding got worse..."her shoulders heaved as she leaned her forehead against Chris' chest. He silently stroked her hair for several minutes, letting her cry.

"We're getting married, Larissa. I want to know everything."

"I'm glad you're here now," she spoke quietly.

"Me too. So, what happens now? How much longer do you have to stay here?" Chris hoped he didn't sound insensitive.

"They want to keep me for another hour or two. Make sure the bleeding doesn't turn into hemorrhaging. It was getting pretty bad.Other than that, they said...it, should pass on its own," Larissa tried to swallow the lump in her throat.

"Ok, ok," Chris tried to soothe her. "Why don't you lay back down and get some rest?" He helped Larissa get settled, then asked,"Can I lay with you?"

"Of course," she replied over her shoulder.

"I'm sure the nurses won't like it, but I don't care," he whispered in her ear as he cuddled up behind her on the small gurney and wrapped his free arm around hers protectively.

Chris and Larissa laid in silence in his bed for a long time as he softly stroked her hair.

"Hey. Are you still awake?" Chris whispered.

"Barely," Larissa responded truthfully.

"I know this is terrible timing, but...Why don't you come live with me?" he held his breath, waiting for her response.

"I practically do already," she laughed. "Where did that come from anyway?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "I've just been thinking about it a lot lately. I just haven't found the right time to ask."

"Well you picked a helluva time now," she chuckled.

"I know, I know. Just think about it, though."

"Chris, it's not that I don't want to, but what about my job? That drive would be horrendous from this side of town. I'd be spending most of what I make in gas money, wasting away, sitting in traffic."

"Get a different job that's closer. Quit your job," Chris regretted his words almost as quickly as they flew from his mouth. "I don't care. I just want to be with you more." He wanted so badly to tell her his big news about the part he got earlier in the day, to ease her mind that he could take care of both of them, but knew it wasn't the right time.

"Chris..."

"Just think about it," he interrupted her, stroking her hair again.

Chris woke two hours later to darkness, which didn't really tell him much as his bedroom was always shrouded in darkness from the lack of windows. 6:30. He rolled back over and nestled against Larissa's back, gently kissing her temple. She began to stir almost immediately, stretching her arms above her head.

"Hey," he spoke quietly, propping himself up on an elbow.

"Mmm," she grumbled, rolling over and pulling herself closer to Chris. "What time is it?" she asked, not opening her eyes.

"A little after 6:30."

"Shit," Larissa hissed and began rolling out the other side of the bed. "I have to go to work. Talk to Yuri. Give him that doctor's note." She was smart and, because her boss at the diner was such an asshole, Larissa had had the forethought to make sure she received some kind of paper stating why she missed work that day and why she wouldn't be able to make it for the next few days either. It kind of pissed Chris off. Her job was the last thing she should have to worry about right now.

"I'll go with you." Larissa nodded in agreement. Her lack of arguing over having him drop her off at her house first and taking her own car and going by herself, like she normally would have, was all Chris needed to know about her current mental state.

Chris' scowl deepened as he watched Larissa and her boss' exchange from a distance across the restaurant. Yuri held up his hands as she tried to hand him the doctor's note. Generally, he was horrible at reading lips, but Chris could make out her boss saying "I don't want it". Chris felt his muscles tense, contemplating whether or when to intervene as he watched Larissa start furiously waving the note around, her face reddening. Just as he was about to walk over and find out what was going on, Larissa turned on her heels and started walking toward the door.

"What on Earth is going on?" Chris caught her elbow gently as she was about to reach for the door. Tears welled at the corner of her eyes, threatening to fall at any second.

"That bastard just fired me!" she pointed back at where Yuri continued to stand, trying to keep her voice under control.

"What?!" Chris shook his head, momentarily dumbfounded. "How is that even legal? Is that legal?"

Larissa threw her arms up, letting them fall violently back to her sides. "Knowing him, probably not. I told you. He's a scumbag," she sighed. "Just get me out of here, Chris."

Before they left, Chris turned back to still find Yuri watching them.

"Expect to hear from my lawyer, you son of a bitch," he called to him. The man just nodded and waved a hand dismissively.

"Chris, where are we going?" Larissa spoke quietly, finally managing to calm down, only to realize Chris wasn't heading towards either of their houses.

"We're going to my parents. I need to talk to my dad and get the contact information for his lawyer."

"Chris, I can't..."

"I'm not going to let that son of a bitch do this to you," he interrupted. "I know you hated working there, but he had no right to fire you."

"Chris, I can't afford a lawyer. I could barely pay for my bills when I was working..." she trailed off.

"Don't even worry about that. I'll take care of it."

"Chris," Larissa started arguing again.

"If I cover the legal costs, would you go to court against him?"Chris looked at her seriously at a red light.

"I guess. I really don't want any trouble, though. You know me."

"Larissa, we just went through the worst day of our lives. And then to have that man fire you for no good reason on top of that? I won't stand for it. I know you have a lot on your mind right now, but I'm not letting this happen," he waved his hands erratically in the air. She sighed and resigned herself to looking out the window again as the businesses and residential neighborhoods whizzed past.

He felt bad, he did. Chris knew she wanted to argue more, but she just didn't have it in her after the day she'd had. And, admittedly, he kind of used that to his advantage in this case.

Chris parked the car halfway up the semi-circle drive of his parents. Both of them sat in silence, not moving, for several minutes.

"You know we're going to have to tell them the truth?" Chris took Larissa's hand and stroked the back of it with his thumb like he always did to calm her nerves.

"I know," she whispered, barely audible.

"You ready?" he paused. "Please let me do this for you," he spoke softly. Larissa just nodded.

Chris rang the doorbell. He knew he was welcome at his parents' house any time, but he didn't quite feel comfortable just waltzing into their house as a grown man, especially without giving them any notice he was coming over. He kept his arm around Larissa's shoulders protectively.

"Christopher," there was surprise in Robert's voice. "What's going on?" he glanced at Larissa by his side. "Come in, come in," he moved out of the entryway, gesturing for them to come inside.

"Have a seat," Chris' dad had led them to the family room.

"Hey, guys. What brings you over?" His mother questioned, turning the tv off. "How are you feeling, Larissa? I heard you were in the hospital earlier?"

"Oh, I'm ok, thank you," she spoke quietly and forced a smile.

"We need to tell you guys something," Chris began. "And get Donnie Arnosky's phone number."

"Son, is everything alright?" Chris' father grew alarmed at the mention of him needing a lawyer.

"Yes, yes, we're not in any kind of trouble," he reassured his father. "But I'll get to that in a minute. First of all, I wasn't completely honest with you on the phone this afternoon," he began. Robert nodded and waited for Chris to continue.

"I did know what was wrong with Larissa when you caught me at the hospital. It just wasn't something you tell someone over the phone, if you can help it." He took a deep breath. "There's no easy or good way to say this, so...Larissa had a miscarriage earlier today."

Gwen gave a short gasp, covering her mouth with her hands. His father's face visibly blanched several tints.

"Oh, you poor dear," Chris' mother gushed. He glimpsed Larissa, sitting in the giant, oversized recliner next to him, out of the corner of his eye. It almost made her look like a child, her feet barely reaching the floor and the chair threatening to swallow her at any moment, it seemed. Fresh tears were quickly forming in the corners of her eyes. Her bottom lip trembled, giving her completely away.

"We were going to tell you. We just felt like it was too soon." Chris left it up to his parents to figure out whether he meant his statements about the pregnancy in general or the miscarriage. Hard sobs began to rack Larissa's body as she swiped the back of her hand across her nose. His mother stood and crossed the room toward her, sensing there was more Chris needed to talk about with his father.

"Come on, dear," Gwen managed to get Larissa out of the chair. She put an arm around her shoulders and led her away. "Let's go in the kitchen. Make some tea."

There was a long pause after the women had left the room.

"I'm so sorry, son. I don't really know what to say."

"I know, dad. It's ok."

"So what's this about needing to call Donnie Arnosky?"

"So I took Larissa to work so she could give her boss the doctor's note, right? Since she missed work today and is supposed to take at least 3 days off? We get there and not only will the bastard not accept the doctor's note, he fires her too."

"What?!" his father was shocked.

"I know. That can't be legal, right?"

"I would think not. I would definitely give Donnie a call, though,"Robert paused a moment. "Do you need some money, son?"

"No," Chris waved his hand. "I should be ok. They're supposed to be giving me a 'sign on bonus' for the movie."

"Alright. Well if you change your mind..."Robert trailed off as he walked towards the den to retrieve the lawyer's information. "Here you go," he returned a minute later and handed Chris a small piece of paper. "Seriously, if you need anything."

"I know, dad. Thanks," Chris leaned in and hugged his father.

"You haven't told Larissa about the movie yet, have you?"

"No, I haven't had a chance," he winced. "I think I'll wait till tomorrow. I hate to spring even more on her, but I can't wait too long. We're supposed to start shooting in about 3 weeks."

The lights flashed monotonously, like driving down the freeway at night, passing under each streetlamp. Muffled, unfamiliar voices spoke frantically on either side of him...

Chris broke the news of his part in Bottle Shock the next afternoon as they sat snuggled on the couch together, watching a movie they had both seen a million times and neither were really paying attention to. That had been the easy part. The hard part was convincing her to come with him for filming.

He knew she would put up a fight, but she didn't argue with him quite as much as he expected. Chris had to give her credit for how much stubbornness she was able to muster. It was obvious she was still mentally, emotionally, and physically drained from the previous day's events.

"Chris, I need to be looking for work. I can't just run off with you to wine country."

"Why not?"

"For starters, I can't afford it!" Chris rolled his eyes.

"Will you please stop worrying about money so much?"

"No. I can't help it. I don't like feeling like a charity case. I like being able to take care of myself." Chris grumbled and rubbed his face with both hands.

"Please, I'm begging you," he put his palms together. "I want you to come with me. It's the perfect time and you know it. Get away from...just, everything, for awhile. Consider it a much needed vacation. And, may I remind you yet again, we are getting married.I'm supposed to take care of you. Physically, monetarily, and otherwise. We're supposed to help each other out. And I really, really think you should come with me," Chris looked Larissa in the eye, giving her his best puppy dog eyes.