The American Dream

Kate woke up next to her husband, Matthias Matthews. She bolted toward their bathroom and she tried to be quiet as she vomited in the toilet. Matt, as everyone called him, came in and softly stroked her back as she threw up.
She had to find her voice when she was finished, “I tried to not to wake you.” She flushed the toilet and turned sit with her back against the cool linoleum wall.
“Hey, it’s cool. I don’t mind. However you are going to go see my Dad today,” He murmured softly and Kate looked at him.
“It’s just a little vomiting nothing to go and bother your father over,” Kate said.

“Yes, it is, that’s why he’s a doctor,” Matt said so matter-of-factly that she burst out laughing.

“What time is it?” She asked when they stopped laughing.

“Time for you to get a watch,” He replied with an absolute straight face. She replied with a scowl and stood up. They both went back to bed and woke again with the alarms at 5:20a.m. Matt was taking a shower and Kate was making breakfast when she had vomit again. She was coming back into the kitchen and saw her fifteen year old stepdaughter, Hannah, drinking a glass of soda, leaning against the counter.

“The water is yours, Step-Mother,” Hannah said, gesturing with her cup toward the kitchen island where the water was. She didn’t speak in a condescending way. Five years ago when Kate and Matt told Hannah and her younger brother, Mike that they were getting married. Hannah wanted to know there was going to have call Kate because she didn’t want to call her mom. Kate told that Hannah could call whatever she wanted even if meant calling her a wicked step-mother. After that Hannah and Mike always called Kate either: Kate or Step-Mom and or Step-mother.

“Thanks Hannah,” Kate said taking a drink of the water, “You want to help me make breakfast?”

“You’re going eat after throwing up?!” Hannah exclaimed.

“No, but I still have to feed you youngsters. Besides I’m going to call and see if your grandpa can see me.” Kate picked up her cell from the island and dialed her father-in-laws phone while Hannah started breakfast.

Later that day, Kate was at her father-in-law, Joe’s office, having described her symptoms and the more she talked the more Joe got excited until he could barely contain himself. He had left and went to check a test he done which required Kate to urinate on a stick.

The door flew open and Joe followed by his wife, Mary, burst in. “You’re pregnant!” He shouted gleefully.

“Pr-pr-pregnat?” Kate stammered, “I-I…how?”

“My dear, you should know,” Mary laughed embracing her. The Matthews were so happy they didn’t notice the worry that crossed Kate’s face.

“Hey listen, can you not tell anyone until I tell Matt, please?” Kate asked.

“Yeah, yeah of course,” Joe said, “I’ll wait until I can talk to you and Matt about how to take care of yourself now.” When Kate raised an eyebrow at him, he continued with “It’ll be a good refresher for him.”

“I’m sorry, I think I need to get my head wrapped around this. Do you need anything more from me?” Kate asked. Joe shook his head and said that he’ll see her later.

Kate left the office and drove to the long-term hospital on the outskirts of Small-Town, Wyoming. She often visited this place. She went and visited the brother no one knew she had. Kate regretted the secrets she kept from her family and she often prayed to God for guidance on how to start the conversation. As she walked to her brother’s room, as she always did she thought of how she met Matt the first time.

He was a Marine, stationed in Moscow, Russia. One day when he was in a café, he bumped into Kate almost spilling his coffee on her. Instead of having a few choice words at him, in every language she knew, she was calm. There was something about him that was soothing. He apologized to her and instead of leaving he saw an opportunity to talk to her about God. The two sat down and talked. Kate told him the she was an American student going to college in Russia. He told her about his then eight-year-old daughter and six-year-son and of course about God. Rather than shut him down Kate actually listen to him and about the Man named Jesus. He who came down to save the world from its sins, while Kate did not come to Christ on that day, she and Matt became friends and often emailed each other. About a year later, Kate’s brother was hurt in shooting in Istanbul, Turkey and she got him into a Russian hospital then went to America to hide from the man who used Kate and her brother, Alexi, as his private assassins and shot him. When she was passing through a place called Small-town, she ran into the now widower and single-parent Matt. They sat down in a local restaurant and talked about life and God. This time Kate came to Christ and settled permanently in Small-town. Within a year and half Kate and Matt were married. Kate also arranged Alexi to be brought to America. Never did she tell her husband nor anyone in town her true nationality. Her reasoning was that they wouldn’t understand and no one would treat like she was just another person but mostly she was scared.

Kate reached Alexi’s room, and walked in and softly greeted her beloved brother in Russian.

“I’m pregnant,” Kate softly whispered to her brother in a Russian accent. However, it’s very hard for a man in a coma to answer. The thought crossed her mind as it always did: if/when would the past catch up to her. Kate sighed and went to call Matt.