What a Rich Man Wants by Billie Summer (self help books to read .txt) 📗

Cat walked through the front door of the house she had spent the best years of her young life. Jack and Dawn Nelson’s three bedroom brick house, she had come home. Cat had been lucky finding a home with the Nelson’s. Most kids got turned out at 18 from foster care. Cat had got a job after school and paid her way to help the Nelsons. They had told her that it didn’t matter they saw her as their own, having never been lucky enough to have children of their own. She was their girl. Leaving her handbag and keys near the front door, the first thing that hit Cat was the smell of bread baking, smiling to herself. No one made bread like Dawn, her foster mother had never bought bread from a shop always making it from scratch. Before walking into the kitchen, Cat paused to get her feelings under control. She still hadn’t figured out how she was going to tell them about her pregnancy. Which Cat had gotten confirmed before leaving Sydney, the doctor had handed her ultrasound photos, with a pamphlet kit explaining everything she needed to know about pregnancy. Including Iron pills and an order to take better care of herself. This pregnancy was very draining on her body. The headaches and flu symptoms had all been part of the pregnancy and very low iron. More draining than a normal pregnancy due to being eight weeks pregnant with twins. It had almost floored Cat when she found out about this. One baby she would have figured it out but two! how was she going to work and raise two babies. Still in shock waiting for the bus to take her home after her appointment with the doctor, Cat had called Allison to let her know she had seen a doctor and he had told her she was run down and very low in iron. Not really a lie, she just didn’t tell Allison the cause. Allison had asked if anything else was wrong and Cat had told her “ No, other than that I’m in good health but I think I will need to take some time off and get away. Get myself together.”  “Yes! That’s fine Katherine. I’ll get a temp in. There really isn’t a lot going on right now, so don’t worry about work and just focus on getting yourself well.” Allison ordered down the phone.” I’ll see you in a few weeks, take care of yourself.” Cat knew she would have to leave her current job, regardless. So Eric didn’t find out that she was having his baby….. babies! Twins! If she left now it may look suspicious having been so sick and Allison already asking Eric if Cat was pregnant. Cat worried her lower lip. So Cat gave herself two weeks with her foster parents, by the end she will be ten weeks along. Currently Cat wasn’t showing but how long would that last with twins. The doctor couldn’t tell her, every woman was different he said. Cat was hoping she wouldn’t show for another month or so. Cat believed if she was lucky She had a max of eight to ten weeks before she had to leave Logan holdings, she would save as much money as possible, then move home to Cowra. The cost of living was cheaper. Hopefully she could find a job that would work around raising children. She didn’t want to get government support but she would if she had to. Cat crossed her fingers that Jack and Dawn would help her. She really needed them right now. With that Cat walked through into the family kitchen. Dawn was on her knees with the upper part of her body inside the oven cleaning it. Freshly made bread sat cooling on racks on the island. Silently laughing no wonder she hadn’t heard Cat come through the front door.  Cat took a seat at the kitchen island, letting Dawn finish the oven, she kept it so clean it wouldn’t take long, Cat must of made enough noise sitting down though, because Cat heard the older woman say from inside the oven “Your home early dear, decided to give yourself the day off for a change.” Dawn must think she was Jack, who owned the local hardware store in town. Cat replied “I decided to have two weeks off actually” laughing when Dawn jumped and hit her head in the oven “You ok?”  “Katherine!oh Katherine!” Dawn scrambled out of the oven so fast, rounding the counter to pull Cat into a hug. Hugging her foster mother back she started to tear up. God she missed her foster parents, she did see them, at least every four weeks. It wasn’t the same as living at home.  Dawn must have been thinking along the same lines before she said “Katherine, sweetheart I’ve missed you.” Hugging Cat again. “Mum, I’ve missed being around more as well, I missed being home with you guys.” A tear slipped from her eye and ran down her cheek. Cat had started to call Dawn ‘Mum’ when Cat had turned 16, that year Dawn had become very ill with the flu and it had developed into Pneumonia, fearing she would lose the only mother she had ever known. Cat had visited her in hospital, before leaving that day. Cat had called her Mum and it had stuck. Dawn had been more of a mother to Cat than her biological mother had been. It had taken her a little longer but Jack soon became Dad. “Katherine sit down at the dining table, I’ll make you a cup of tea.” Letting Cat go Dawn put the kettle on, then came and joined Cat at the dining table, where Cat had moved.  “How was your trip here? I didn’t know you had decided to come home for a visit. Lovely surprise, you said two weeks.” Laughing Cat covered Dawn’s hand “ One question at a time mum.” Smiling she added “The trip was long and I have taken two weeks off and I wanted to surprise you.” Dawn gave her a once over frowning, she said worried “ you have lost so much weight Katherine, what are you doing to yourself.”  Cat had to admit, she did look terrible but that should improve over the next few weeks, with the proper vitamins and healthy eating, not to forget baby weight. “Yes mum you are right, I do look like hell.” Cat finally said. “Oh Katherine, I didn’t mean to….” Dawn had thought she had upset Cat. Cutting her off Cat cleared it up “ No it’s alright Mum, I know how I look… I have had some problems” Cat did know where to begin. Dawn lent forward holding Cat’s hands, on the table. “ Tell me Katherine, can I help in any way.” Tears again filled Cat’s eyes, she loved this woman so much, not even knowing the issue she wanted to help. Taking a deep breath “ I fell in love.” “Katherine that’s great, when do we get to meet him.” Dawn enthusiastically said. “No! Mum you don’t, that’s just it, I fell in love with a man who only wanted an affair, I wasn’t strong enough to say no, because I fell in love with him. I haven’t told you or dad anything because it wasn’t what you wanted for me. Things are over and have been for two months now.” “I’m so sorry but you’ll see he will come around, things will work out.”  Shaking her head “ No mum, they won’t. He is with someone else.” “Then he isn’t for you then.” Dawn stated  “That’s not all…. I’m…..  I don’t know how to tell you this….” “Honey you can tell me anything. It will not make us love you any less.” Dawn tried to reassure her. Cat squeezed her foster mothers hand “Thanks, I needed to hear that.” Looking down at her hands clasped within her mother’s, Cat said in a rush “I’m pregnant.” Dawn surprised her by saying “It’s nothing to be ashamed about. Katherine how do you feel about it?”  Cat looked into the other woman’s eyes  “Well, at first I wasn’t to happy, it was like following in my birth mother’s footsteps, then I realised I’m nothing like her. This pregnancy came from the love I felt for their father and I will cherish the result of that love. So I’m happy about it now.”  Dawn hugged her foster daughter hard. “ I’m so happy for you and I’m glad to hear it children need love. Everything else will work itself out.” Dawn promised “ I’m going to be a grandmother.” Clapping her hands together excited. “We’re going to be grandparents, Dawn.”Jacks voice said from the doorway Cat looked sharply at Jack, they hadn’t heard him come in. “Jack, how long have you been standing there?”Dawn demanded  “Long enough to know our little girl is pregnant” he smiled looking at Cat “ if your happy about this baby, so are we, how could you think anything differently Kitty.” Cat started to cry openly now, walking into Jack’s outstretched arms. “Now dry your eyes girl and tell your dad all about it. Dawn how about a cup of tea?” He moved Cat back to the table. “Oh the tea, I forgot.” Dawn said moving to put the kettle back on. Sitting down Jack asked gently “Have you told the father, Kitty.” “No. I only just found out I was pregnant, I was sick for a while thinking it was stress from the break up, now I know better. I haven’t told him because he is in love with someone else. I don’t want him with me just because I’m pregnant. So I’m doing this on my own.”  “Not on your own girl, You will always have us.” Her dad reassured her “Thank you, I’ve decided to move back to Cowra, find a place to live, it’s going to be hard to get work while pregnant but anything will do until after I give birth, then I’ll find something more permanent.” “You could move back in here….” Holding up his hand as Cat started to interrupt in disagreement “ we would love to have you back, there’s plenty of room. Then when you have our grandchild, you can take charge of the admin at the hardware store, because I have to tell you Kitty since you left it’s a real mess.” Laughing Jack hated paperwork. Nodding she said “ Ok, thank you again for being so understanding. I better tell you as well,  it’s grandchildren! I’m pregnant with twins.”