PART SEVEN
Prologue: "Broke-n Dreams"
Chapter One: "Mother Bother"
Chapter Two: "Far From Over"
Chapter Three: "Nina Seeks Advice"
Chapter Four: "Beau's Birthday"
Chapter Five: "Baby Maybe"

Previously on 'The Caliente Affairs':
At the Halloween Party, Angela caught Dirk with another girl and told her sister. Lilith publicly confronted him about it then dumped him. Afterwards, the two sisters grew a little bit closer, but Angela was beginning to worry about the amount of time her boyfriend Dustin was spending with Lilith during their part-time jobs together. Dina told her sister the full truth about her affair with Ed and together the two tried to come to terms with the fact that Dina might be pregnant with Ed's child.

Prologue: "Broke-n Dreams"

Brandi Newbie was one of the few residents whose whole family originated from Pleasantview. But, unlike the Goth's or the Pleasant's, her family had not been treated kindly by the financial changes that had come about when the town elected its new mayor. Instead her mother and father were forced to bring her up without the benefits that all the other children had.

It was tough, even more so during her teenage years. But she finally thought her luck had changed when she met the boy of her dreams Skip Broke. Together they found themselves in a very passionate relationship...

So it was no surprise that Brandi ended up pregnant. She was thrilled, but Skip was more concerned about how the three of them were going to live in the growing community of Pleasantview. Using what they had, Brandi's mum and dad moved out of their house and gave it to their daughter. Which couldn't have come sooner, since she found herself bearing yet another of Skip's children, Beau. With a husband, a house and two children, Brandi thought things were finally looking up...

Instead the Broke family was devastated when Skip died only a year after their house-warming. Left without her parents or her husband, Brandi was finally beginning to see what a struggle living in Pleasantview was turning out to be, especially when she gave birth to Calvin, just weeks after her husband had died.

Not ready to admit defeat just yet, she grudgingly agreed to accompany Mary-Sue on one of her regular visits to the new neighbours. After all, money was money! It was during that visit that she met Shaun Wilson, a young man originally from Britain who she fell head over heels in love with. She was afraid that it was too soon to begin dating again, but after a passionate night at his apartment,

She found herself accepting his engagement proposal. Shaun was an admirable man, who was working his way fast through the business career. Financially, he was a blessing, he helped raise Calvin and Beau like they were his own, and even Dustin took a liking to him. But deep down Brandi knew that emotionally she wasn't ready to get married. And sometimes she couldn't help but think, neither was he...

Chapter One: "Mother Bother"

It was nine AM and Brandi was surprised that her son was still sleeping. Usually he was an early riser, but Brandi knew this was a rare moment and quietly crept down the stairs to have some breakfast.

As she prepared some cereal, her eldest son Dustin came out of his bedroom.
"You're up a bit early aren't you?" She asked. Last night Dustin had gone to the Halloween Ball with his girlfriend. He came home after midnight, much to Brandi's disappointment.
"Gordon's put me on an early shift today, but the cheap-skate is only paying me for the usual three hours." Dustin replied as he crashed down onto the sofa and switched on the TV.
"Shh, not to loud or else you'll wake.." But it was too late, Brandi heard her youngest son crying for attention.

"Thank you very much!" Brandi said sarcastically, dropping the cereal box as she rushed upstairs to see if she could get Calvin to fall back to sleep.
"Sorry, I didn't know it would be so loud." Dustin apologised. Brandi rolled her eyes as she thought to herself that loud is the only way today's music comes. Dustin turned down the volume as he thought about last night's party. He was glad he went instead of getting some rest for his early shift. Even if he was tired, he didn't care because last night he had one of the best nights out with Angela Pleasant he'd had in a long while. For a while he wasn't sure whether or not their relationship was as strong as it once was, he found himself spending less time with her and even less time thinking about her. Angela was his childhood sweetheart, the girl of his dreams... Well, she used to be. A loud cry distracted Dustin from his thoughts and he went to eat breakfast with his little brother Beau before he had to leave.

"Hey little bro'!" Dustin said.
"Excuse me!" Beau said in shock.
"Whoa, sorry dude! Big bro'!" Dustin corrected himself. It was Beau's first birthday as a teenager on Saturday.
"Thank you Bigger Bro'! How was the party?" Beau asked. He was a little bit jealous that he wasn't allowed to go by himself, even if he was on the verge of becoming a teenager.
"Nah, you didn't miss much. You'd have just wanted to hang with me and all I was doing was making out with Angela all night!" Beau pulled a disgusting face as Dustin laughed.
"So I suppose in your eyes it was the greatest party in your life?" Beau asked.
"No way! I've yet to dance at that 'party', but I'm counting down the days!" Dustin joked as the phone rang. Neither of the boys answered it until Brandi screamed for one of them to move off their butt's and do so!

'Party', Dustin thought to himself and laughed. He loved confusing Beau with his grown-up yet immature sense of humour.

"Hello!" Dustin answered the phone. It was Lilith, Angela's twin sister.
"You're sick? Or are you just hung-over?" Dustin asked, Lilith was trying to get Dustin to back-up her story so their boss won't fire her for not showing up this afternoon.
"You know as soon as I bring it up he'll make me work your shift. I'm just gonna let you deal with this on your own." Dustin replied, but Lilith pleaded until he cracked.
"Fine! But you owe me big time for this Lilith." Dustin laughed. Lilith promised him something extra special would come his way as soon as she felt better. As he hung up the phone, he felt as if Lilith's last comment was a bit too flirtatious. It was true the two had become best friends since working together, but he hoped Lilith knew that that's all they were ever going to be.

Brandi had managed to persuade Calvin to sit tight until she changed into her clothes. He rubbed the tears from his eyes as she finally came back to let him out of his crib.
"Mommy!" Calvin cried as Brandi swooped him up into her arms. She loved the sound of his voice, she was so happy when he finally started talking that she would just sit with him for hours as he repeated the same words over again. Brandi would pick up objects like a bottle or a book and Calvin would tell her what they were. As she brought him downstairs, Calvin pointed at the front door and cried out 'Mail'. She laughed and kissed him on the forehead, she suddenly wondered if all mother's felt as happy as she did...

It had been a miracle that Nina had managed to schedule an appointment with a private doctor so fast, but Dina later found out the miracle would be how they were going to pay for it without anyone getting suspicious. Nina had found that going to a private doctor meant Dina could remain anonymous. As she entered the doctor's office once again, she suddenly felt that familiar sickness wash over her. She was about to find out if she was pregnant. She swallowed and sat down on the couch, suddenly feeling like she was at a psychiatrist's office. She reminded herself to be as vague as possible in what she told the doctor.

"Well Dina, we've got the results of your test back and everything went fine. How have you been feeling in yourself? Any cough's or cold's lately?" Dina rolled her eyes.
"Just skip the formalities, I've already told you that everything's fine."
"Very well then." The doctor opened up a folder and glanced at the test results, but Dina knew he already knew what they said, he was just trying to make her worry so she'd come back for a follow-up appointment.
"Some time today would be nice!" Dina demanded.
"Ah yes, well.."

"You are indeed pregnant."

Hearing it out loud, Dina realised she had secretly known that she was pregnant all along, she just didn't want to believe it.

"And there's no chance it could be a mistake?" Dina asked, knowing it was unlikely.
"Mistakes are rare but not impossible this far into the pregnancy. I could.."
"Whoa, this far into the pregnancy? How far?"
"Oh, next week will be one month since the conception." Dina's jaw dropped.
"And.. When was the conception?" She asked. The doctor looked at Dina as she realised what was implied by asking that question. "Oh! I don't know why I asked that, of course I know when it was, it's not as if you forget something like that!" Dina laughed and stood up. "Well, thanks for the appointment, I hope you have a nice day and I'll see you.. Well, never!" Dina tried to leave but the doctor stopped her.
"Would you like us to forward your results to your local doctor?" He asked.
"No! Just keep 'em! Do whatever you want with them, make a paper airplane for all I care just don't let anyone who knows me see them." As Dina left the doctor's office, she suddenly wondered if all mothers felt as sad as she did.

Chapter Two: "Far From Over"

Dina waited impatiently for her sister, wanting to leave as soon as possible. One side of her brain was trying to force her to deal with what she had just heard but the other more dominant side was making her ignore the news of her baby altogether. Nina sat back down next to her sister, looking whiter than usual.
"Are you still waiting?" She asked.
"Oh no, I'm done. We can go now." Dina stood up but Nina pulled her back down.
"Whoa, wait a second. You've got the results? Do you know if you're pregnant?"
"Yeah I know." Dina tried to leave again.
"Dina?" Nina asked, wanting an answer. Dina sighed,
"Yes. I'm pregnant." Nina began to smile and went to hug her sister. Dina rolled her eyes once more and pushed her giggly sister away. "Can you please calm down?"

"What? Aren't you happy?" Nina asked confused.
"Sure, I'm doing star jumps of joy. I can't wait to blow-up like a balloon and watch.. Correction, feel my ankles get fat. And I'm sure gonna be praising the lord during the sixteen hours-a-day I'll spend on the toilet!" Nina rolled her eyes this time,
"Are you done feeling sorry for yourself? It's always about you isn't it, what about that other thing you were worried about? Did the doctor tell you when you got pregnant?"
"I saved the best for last! I'm one month pregnant!" Dina faked a smile as Nina's eyes widened.
"Well, isn't that good? Doesn't it mean Mortimer's the father?" Dina thought about Nina's question.
"Let's see, If I count back from today exactly three weeks ago I can remember having woohoo with Mortimer.."
"Excellent! So you were worrying for nothing?"
".. Because I felt guilty having had an affair the day before!" Dina added. Nina's expression changed to that of a sad one.

"Anyway, enough about me. What's up with you? You spent the whole duration of my appointment in the bathroom. What were you doing?" Nina was the one who was keeping secrets this time.
"You know, normal stuff." Nina lied.
"Don't insult me Nina, you're a terrible liar."
"Well, I didn't feel well. Must have been something I ate last night at the party." Dina shook her head.
"You ate nothing but that hot dog we shared. Come on, I was honest now it's your turn." Nina looked away from her twin sister.
"Well if it wasn't something I ate then that can only mean one thing.."

"You're not pregnant, are you?" Dina asked.
"I don't really know for sure! I didn't want to tell you because you had you're own problems to worry about. But now you've got them sorted.."
"They're far from sorted Nina. In fact, you were right, I did have enough to worry about and now I'm going into a worry overload." Dina put her head between her knees.
"Stop! It's okay, today is a day of answers. No more uncertainties, I will go and take a test and unlike you I'll know for sure."
"How?" Dina asked.
"Because, it sounds stupid but I feel pregnant." Nina smiled, rubbing her stomach.
"It's not stupid, I felt the exact same thing, I just didn't want to believe it. But that doesn't solve everything." Dina said, referring to her affair.
"I think what you were saying at the party about Mortimer being your husband so he should be the father makes sense." Dina was shocked that her sister was telling her to lie.
"But what if he's not..?" Both the girl's looked at the floor as they struggled to come up with an answer.

"Trust you to bring me down on what should be the happiest day of my life!" Nina joked.
"I'm sorry! You're right, he is the father. I mean, there's not really another option unless.." Nina smiled.
"No 'unless'. Let's keep up the happy thoughts! Won't it be great being mother's at the same time!" Nina hugged her sister as Dina couldn't help but think about the 'unless' - Could she really raise a child knowing its father was Ed? If she couldn't, would she be able to give up her child instead?

Chapter Three: "Nina Seeks Advice"

"One step.."
"No!"
"Calvin! One, two step.."
"No!" Calvin dropped to the floor and crawled over to his toy. Brandi had never had so much trouble teaching her children to walk, in fact it was something Dustin and Beau grasped straight away. Just then the doorbell rang.
"We don't have a doorbell?" Brandi said to herself as she opened the door. Being greeted by no-one she realised it was just Calvin on his xylophone. As she was closing the door her best friend Nina Caliente was across the street.
"Hey! Were you coming in?" Brandi asked with a smile on her face.
"Well.." Nina said, thinking about the impending test waiting to be taken when she got home, "I guess I can!"

"How are you?" Brandi asked hugging her friend.
"You know, I honestly don't know!" Nina said as she walked inside.

"Red Dina!" Calvin cried.
"No Calvin," Brandi said picking up her son, "This is Nina."
"Aw, hello. Gosh, he's gotten so grown up since I last saw him. When the boys' go off to college you should really come and stay for a few nights." Nina offered.
"Are you sure you, don't you think he'll get a bit bored by himself?"
"Well, who says he won't have any other kids' to play with?" Nina asked cryptically.
"What do you mean?" Brandi asked. Nina couldn't help but grin. "Wait. Are you saying you're.."
"I'm not saying anything!" Nina laughed.
"You are! Are you?" Brandi asked.
"Maybe!"