As a clap thunder roared outside
his bedroom window, he lept up from his newest nightmare that was plaguing him.
Wiping sweat from his brow, he sighed as he caught a stolen glance at the Big
Ben sitting on the bedside table. Two-Ten. "Great," he murmured, as
he tossed the sheet off and sat on the side of the bed. "Not even
forty-five minutes this time." he sighed again before he felt her gentle
hand on his bare shoulder.
"Come back to bed
darling." she whispered quietly as she placed her lips softly on his neck
before rubbing his shoulders, feeling the tension he once again was carrying.
He was working to hard. Taking her hand, he kissed it lightly before he turned
around to face her. She was stunning.
"I'm sorry I woke
you. The baby-" he asked as he placed his hand gently on her womb.
"The baby's fine
love. It's you I'm worried about. Why don't you just tell me what this dream's
about. You'll feel better." she stated gently as she placed her hand
softly on the five o'clock shadow he bore before she kissed him. Breaking off
the kiss, he sighed for the third time as he reached down and pulled on his
light blue shorts before turning to face her once more.
"It's nothing
really. Just working too hard. I'm sorry I woke you." he repeated again as
he leaned in and kissed her softly on the forehead. "I'm going to go get a
sleeping pill." he added, more so to himself than her as he walked out of
the bedroom. Shaking her head, it was her turn to sigh as she laid back down in
among the soft pillows.
~
Rolling over, she
stirred as she reached for her husband, only to find him gone. Reaching over to
his bedside table, she grabbed the Big Ben and sighed, Four-Twenty. Setting it
back down, she grabbed the duvet off the bed and wrapped it loosely around her,
as she slipped off the bed and silently made her way out of the bedroom in
search of her husband.
"Sweetheart?" she questioned a few moments later as she walked
into the dimly lite living room, where he sat on the couch, a bottle of Strohs
and paperwork scattered on the marble coffee table in front of him and the
radio softly playing Foreigner's "I want to know what love is." on
the book shelf. Turning to face her, he smiled weakly. Coming over to him, she
sat down in his lap, wrapping an arm around him as she ran her other hand
softly down his face, before he kissed her lightly.
"What are you
doing up so early?" he questioned in between kisses, as her brown eyes
flashed in the light from the storm's lightening.
"Looking for
you." she replied, as she continued kissing him lovingly, the way only a
wife could.
"You shouldn't be
up this early. It isn't good for the baby." he answered as she looked at him,
a smile on her soft lips.
"Neither should
you." she whispered, as she felt him shifting beneath her, so his legs
were straight on the couch.
"I woke up and
you weren't there." she added, as she followed his lead and stretched out
next to him, just fitting into the crook of his arms, as he tucked the duvet
tighter around her.
"I couldn't
sleep. Didn't want to keep you up." he said, as he felt her nuzzle into
his arms and against his bare chest. "But it's okay now. Just sleep."
he spoke softly, like a new father to his scared child. "Get some sleep
love." he added as he felt her slip back into sleep before following her.
~
Kissing his wife
lightly on the cheek, he climbed out of the car and smiled at her. "I
don't have to go if you don't want me to." he told her for the second or
third time since they had gotten in the car to head for his meeting.
"Nonsense. Go to
the meeting. You'll only be an hour or two and then we'll have a romantic
dinner and then curl up on the couch and watch a movie." she replied as
she leaned over to kiss him goodbye. "Now go. It's not nice to keep the
others waiting. Go on." she urged him, as he nodded his head and closed
the car door behind him as he headed into the meeting. Smiling, she drove away,
as she mentally finished her list for dinner.
"You've got a
phone call. You can take it in the office." he was told about an hour
later, as he finished jotting down some figures from the treasure's report he
just gave. Standing up, he nodded his head.
"Who is it?"
he questioned as he headed for the office.
"It's your wife.
She sounds tired. Must be great to be newlyweds." was the answer he was
given, as he dashed into the office and picked up the phone.
"Darling?"
he questioned, the sound of fear creeping into his voice, despite the fact that
he was trying to hide it.
"I'm sorry to
bother your meeting, but I'm not feeling well darling. I was just letting you
know that I don't think I'll be able to come get you." she answered in
just above a whisper, as he shook his head.
"Are you sure
you're okay?" he asked, as he heard her sigh.
"Yeah. We're just
fine. Go back to your meeting." she replied as she hung up. Hanging up, he
went back into the meeting and grabbed his hoodie.
"Hey. Everything
okay?" the guys asked, as he nodded his head.
"Huh? Oh yeah.
I'm gonna head home. I'll see you all later." he answered as he pulled hid
hoodie and left.
~
Running up the three
flights of stairs to his apartment, he tried to calm himself as he walked in.
Setting his keys on the table inside the door, he sighed.
"Sweetheart?" he called out, as he headed into the dimly lit
living room. Walking over to the couch, she smiled weakly up at him.
"You're home
early." she whispered as he sat down next to her and ran his hand down her
face, noticing she was cold, clammy, and slightly gray. "I told you I was
okay." she added, as he pulled her into his arms, his hand resting lightly
on her womb.
"We're going to
the hospital angel." he answered her, as she silently nodded her head.
~
Rolling over, he grabbed the Big Ben. Two
thirty seven. Sitting up, he sighed, turned on the night stand lamp and reached
for his wife, only to find that she wasn't there. Pulling on his robe, he sighed
again as he headed slowly downstairs to the funeral home. Letting himself into
the dimly lit morgue, he flipped on the switch and sighed again as he looked at
the chaos of the bodies that filled the room. Walking over to one of the metal
dressing tables, he let out a deep breath as he looking into the tiny little
white casket sitting on top of it. The twins were still there, wrapped just as
tightly as they could be in the blankets that his young assistant had wrapped
them in earlier that evening before she had gone home. Baby funerals,
especially those that were miscarriages always hit him the hardest.
