by Lacy Kinsley
“I have all the time in the world now, Nora. I will help you keep your mind off the stress. We will go shopping together, and I’ll keep you so busy with getting excited about baby stuff you won’t have time to think of anything else.” Kimmy laughed. “You have to come to my ultrasound on Monday, too. Are you on a prenatal vitamin? Travis can write a prescription for you.” She turned to him, “You will, right?” Travis nodded.
“I started taking it when Colin and I talked about trying again.” Nora added, “I’m doing everything by the book!”
“This time will be fine. You’ll see. Not a hiccup. The girls were fine, besides being born early, but they’re twins. Of course, they would be born premature.” William said. Nora smiled.
“Well, I should be buying the beer then.” Travis said to Colin with a laugh.
“No, I will.” William insisted. “And I’ll get cigars tomorrow. We should have poker night and celebrate.”
Veronica smiled, but inside she was being torn apart. Everyone was so happy about the news of both Kimmy and Nora. Even William was thrilled. Veronica felt a small sting of jealousy that Nora and Kimmy could tell their partners the news of their pregnancy without worry. Of course, Colin who had loved Nora for years would be thrilled at news of a pregnancy after a miscarriage, and Travis and Kimmy were married. She laughed when everyone at the table burst out into joy and mirth, but she lost the conversation while deep in her own thoughts. That was until William held her hand under the table. She snapped back to the conversation and listened to him tell Colin about a store downtown that sold everything for decorating baby rooms in sports paraphernalia. Veronica half wondered if William had instinctively known of her awkwardness by the way he touched her. He didn’t look at her, didn’t say a word, but touched her while she was quiet. He probably suspected her feeling pressured by so much baby talk. Veronica didn’t know why he squeezed her hand as he did, but she was thankful. If she knew anything, she knew he loved her. And she needed to know he loved her, because someday soon she would be disappointing him with shocking news of her own.
“That is, if it’s a boy.” Nora said.
“Of course, it’s a boy. We already have two girls.” Colin jested.
Kimmy laughed, “I like your thinking, but that’s not sound. Nora, when you have a dream about what it is, then you’ll know for sure.”
“It’s true. Women who dream about their children while pregnant are ninety–five percent accurate.” Travis stated.
“Is that true?” Colin asked Travis with a smile.
“He’s a doctor.” Kimmy said as if that settled the matter. She beamed at her husband. She turned to Veronica, “Now, imagine if you got married in June, and got pregnant right away. We’d all have kids around the same age! We could be pregnant, together.” Kimmy grinned.
“Don’t, Kim.” William warned her before Veronica could say a word.
“Where’s are those bread sticks? I feel nauseous.” Nora stated while looking around.
“I’ll go check on it.” Travis volunteered.
“I’ll go with you. I want to get another pitcher of beer. We’re almost out, and he doesn’t seem to be coming back any time soon.” Colin said.
“If they make us wait any longer, I’m going run across the street to that pizza joint to get bread sticks.” Kimmy said.
“We should! Service here sucks! It’s been a half hour already and they haven’t even taken our dinner order. It’s getting ridiculous.” Nora added, “I’ll go tell the boys before they get the food.”
“Okay. I’ll run to the bathroom, and we’ll all meet at the front door, yeah?” Kimmy asked.
“Yeah.” Veronica said with a nod. They all got up.
“I’m done for the night, are you?” William asked her when they got to the door. “We could skip out.”
“No, I can’t do that. They’ll think we’re not happy.” She said.
“No, they won’t!” He added, “I’ll send them cigars and we’ll get them a gift card so they can shop. If you want we’ll even send them flowers. So it’s up to you, what do you want to do?”
“I hardly know.” She said honestly. He studied her face. It suddenly dawned on her why he was asking her if she wanted to leave; it was a lot of pressure for him to be with two other couples happily pregnant, and he wanted to leave.
Travis, Colin and Nora came up front and waited near the door. “We,” William said pointing to Veronica and himself, “are going to catch up with you four later.”
“Oh, you’re not leaving are you?” Nora asked, disappointed.
“I had a long week.” William explained. “I’ll call you tomorrow, and I’ll be very interested in knowing when you tell Mom and Dad. Or have you?”
“No, but they’re going to freak.” Nora laughed, and then added, “Yeah, I’ll tell you.”
They all said goodbye which was only drawn out when Kimmy came back from the rest rooms and it all started over again. “And I’ll call you to remind you of my appointment Monday!” Kimmy exclaimed and then gave Veronica a hug goodbye. Then the six walked outside together before splitting up and William and Veronica headed for his car.
“We never have a dull moment when we all get together.” William said with a laugh as he opened the car door for her. She smiled. When he got into his car he asked, “Are you hungry? We still could go out to eat. What do you feel like having?”
“I’m not very hungry.” She said. Her stomach was still bothering her, and if she ate it would only make it worse.
“A movie then?” He asked.
“Um, sure.” She said.
They went to the movies and shared popcorn, sour bears, and a soda. It was a perfect break for Veronica to say nothing, think little, and hold William’s hand in the peaceful darkness. Halfway through the movie she rest her head on his shoulder and sometime later fell asleep. He woke her up by moving his shoulder to put his arm around her and then kissed her forehead. “Kind of unfair of you to torture me with a romantic comedy if you weren’t even going to watch it yourself.” He said and laughed. “I’m teasing.”
“I won’t tell anyone who dragged me into this movie, William.” She said and laughed.
CHAPTER FORTY
Veronica threw herself on William the moment he closed the door. She pinned him against the wall. It was as if the last week of no sex, and the week before of being sick had suddenly unleashed a wild woman. “Wow, Babe, be gentle.” William said.
“Sorry, but you kissed me in the elevator, and . . .” She kissed him again, and this time he hit his head against the wall. She apologized quickly.
He picked her up. She wrapped her legs around him. He laughed as he walked her over to the futon. “You’re frisky.” He laughed harder.
“I can’t help it.” She confessed.
“Be gentle.” He implored when she once again attacked him with kisses.
“Don’t pretend like you cared in the past if we were more vigorous. So don’t start now! Don’t be gentle! Let’s have fun!” She insisted. When he put her on the couch she instantly kicked off her high heels and then pulled off her dress.
“You weren’t wearing underwear?” He asked smiling. Suddenly he began ripping off his clothes. She helped him. “I could get used to this—you needing me this badly.” He gloated and then dropped to the futon beside her. She straddled him. “Be gentle, okay. I mean it. Or I’ll take over.”
“I don’t want to be.” She confessed.
“You need to be.” He asserted. “I’m serious.”
“You’re no fun.” She said, and then leaned in to kiss him feverishly. She didn’t wait for foreplay and he was ready. She pressed him into her. He sat up blocking her from moving too deeply. Veronica inhaled sharply from the enjoyment as he entered. Her hormones were different and the touch of him was remarkably stimulating. It was going to be the greatest sex she’d ever have, and she could tell by the simple penetration of him. She closed her eyes so she could feel him slide deeper into her. His sc
ent was stronger and more erotic. Her nose traced up his neck so she could smell his skin. He reached deep inside of her, and she screamed with excitement. As she glided up she took one long slow breath of his erotic scent. She bit his earlobe, kissed his neck and then tasted his skin. She was making love to him with all her senses. She opened her eyes and looked at him. His green eyes stared at her with big black pupils that told her that he liked it. She exhaled in a soft high gasp as William began to move and burrow inside of her. She screamed and dug her nails into his shoulders as she experienced the intensity of her orgasm. It was stronger than ever before. It took her a several breaths before she released him.
“What was that?” William asked with a smile. “Did you,” he paused, “orgasm?” He laughed under his breath. “That was fast!”
“I,” she paused. She felt suddenly sick. “I’ll be right back.” She got up, went back into the bedroom, locked herself into the bathroom, and then threw up. It only made her feel partially better. She was still queasy as she brushed her teeth. However, she hurried out not wanting to take too much time. When she got back to the living room William was still on the futon with his boxers on. She sat on his lap and he put his arms around her. “Why are your boxers on?” She asked.
“You left and I thought I’d dress in case you were done.” He said. He then smiled, “Besides I’d rather wait until you’re that excited again, just to experience that one more time. That was the most seductive sex I’ve ever had.” He laughed, “For that thirty seconds.” He then added, “And until next time I’ll take that as foreplay.” He kissed her. “Unless you’re still wound like a clock because I’ll make love to you all night like that.”
“I’m,” she still felt sick and couldn’t bring herself to say she wanted more, “hungry.” She laughed and then asked, “Is that okay?”
“No, that’s totally fine.” He assured her.
They ate cereal, and then watched television in bed until Veronica fell asleep.
When Veronica woke up, she was relieved to find William wasn’t in the room. Her nausea was increasingly worse. She snuck a peppermint from her purse and lay in bed until the worst of it went away. It was nearly ten o’clock when she wandered into the living room. William was reading the sports section of the paper. He put it down when she came in the room. He smiled at her. “I was thinking we could go shopping for baby things for my sister and Kimmy. I thought it would be more personal to get them gifts instead of a gift card. Is that okay?”
“Yeah.” Veronica smiled. “That sounds,” she paused, “fun.” It sounded perfect. She wanted nothing more than to baby shop with him.
“Perfect.” He said. He stood from the couch. “I’m going to hop in the shower. You can eat, and get ready. Take your time. We have all day. I worked out this morning, so I want to shower.”
“Oh, you left?” She asked.
“Yeah.” He said. “For an hour. I woke up early feeling energized. I’m in a good mood.”
“About?” She asked.
“Everyone getting pregnant, my idea of shopping for a gift and looking around.” He said with a shrug. “So, I’m going to shower, and when you’re ready we’ll go.”
“I’ll shower with you.” She decided.
They got ready for the day, and then left. He took her to a high–end furniture store for babies called The Golden Pacifier that had everything from bedding to bottles. He held her hand and took her inside. They wandered in and were greeted immediately by a sales woman who was showing a baby bump of at least eight months. “Are you here to make a baby registry?” She asked them.
“No, we’re here for my sister, and a friend.” William replied. “We’re browsing.” He retrieved a big shopping bag before leading her deeper into the store. They strolled over to the clothes where William quickly picked up a pink little dress that had matching ruffled underwear and white tights. “I remember when Cleo and Claudette were this small.”
“It’s cute.” Veronica confessed with a smile. “But we don’t know if they’re having a boy or girl.”
“Odds are one of them is having a girl.” He paused, “I like this, too.” He picked up little blue overalls with a bear on a big pocket in the middle of the chest. A white collared shirt was under it, and a bear was sewn onto the arm. “Okay, there is nothing in here I don’t like. It all reminds me of how great kids are.” He said looking around. “This isn’t as easy as I thought it would be.”
Veronica picked up a little boy’s brown leather jacket. William was thinking of getting a bike once summer came. She thought it was cute and looked at the price tag. “You’ll never guess how much this coat costs!” She scoffed.
“I don’t know.” He shrugged, “Three hundred.”
“No. Two.” She joked saying, “What is it made of? Cow hide from India?”
He laughed. “That’s hilarious, Veronica. You’re so witty.” He took the jacket from her. “That’s so funny. Look at the tag!” He laughed so hard he could hardly talk. “Made in India!” They laughed so hard their stomachs hurt. “I have to get that. I’m going to keep it for fun because that is so hilarious!” He kissed her and told her he loved her.
They were still laughing and couldn’t look at each other without cracking up, so they made their way over to the furniture. “Maybe I should get my sister a rocking chair.” He sat on a plush golden–wheat chair with a deep seat that had an ottoman. “This is not a rocker. And how is anyone supposed to get out of it while holding a baby?” He asked once he sat.
“It’s kind of hard to pick stuff out if you don’t know what they’re going to have. If she has a girl, most likely everything will be pink. That looks like a boy chair to me.” She admitted.
“Well good, let’s jinx her into having a boy. Colin would love it.” He exclaimed. “And if they don’t have a boy maybe Kimmy will.”
“No. We should buy them something they can exchange or have it gender neutral. Or something they’ll need like diapers or bottles.” She said.
“Alright, let’s get bottles.” He said getting out of the chair. He stopped at a crib. “This is oak. You love oak. Oak is gender neutral.” He said. “What about this? Do you like it?”
“I like it a lot, but it’s probably ridiculously overpriced if a tiny leather jacket with less fabric then a woman’s thong, is two hundred dollars.” She jested.
“Veronica, I don’t care about that.” He paused, “Do you like it?”
“I do.” She looked around the store, “It’s better than all the other sets! I like the dresser and the armoire, too. I don’t like the changing table, though. Besides I worry about babies falling off them all the time. People should change their babies on a pillow on the floor. How hard is it to get up and down off the floor, anyway?” She asked him rhetorically. He took pictures of them with his phone, and mentioned he’d show them to his sister.
They went around the store looking at toys, books, and then stopped at small shoes. His bag was getting extremely full. He picked out a few pairs of both boys and girls shoes. She couldn’t help but smile seeing him so enraptured over small shoes. She started to wonder if he would be as upset like her parents were. But then he wasn’t shopping for their child. “Look at this hat.” He exclaimed picking up a boy’s cap that had written on it: “#1 Son.” There were more hats, but for grown men. One read: “Dad In Training.” Veronica picked it up and looked at it.
“You should get these for Colin and Travis.” She suggested. “They would like this.”
“They would like that.” He uttered, looking at it momentarily mesmerized. He took the hat from her and stared at it. “Yeah, I imagine they would wear it all the time, especially while fishing in the summer.” He kissed her. “I’ll get it.” He put it in his bag and kissed her again. “Thanks.”
The bag was soon filled. They were going up to the cash register when William stopped. “Have you seen these? They’re lollypops that help with morning sickness.” He collected several boxes and dropped them in his bag
. “I don’t know about you, but this kind of makes me excited about kids.”
“What?” She asked. She looked at him wondering if she heard him right.
“It’s great, right?” He asked.
“Oh,” she nodded, “yeah.” She added, “I thought that you were stressed last night from pressure.”
“Me?” He smiled, “Are you kidding? I didn’t want Kimmy to stress you out. You’re under enough pressure as it is, Babe. If anything, my worry is that you’re putting a lot of pressure on yourself.”
“Oh.” Veronica said. She smiled. She wanted to ask him what he thought about having a baby, despite not being married, but she couldn’t put her words together right without coming out to say she was pregnant.
“I’m excited for both my sister and Kimmy. I think it’s great.” He said.
“Me, too!” She concurred.
“I’m kind of jealous, really.” He confessed. He tucked her hair behind her ear wordlessly saying I love you. “Only because they don’t have to wait. While I on the other hand am still waiting patiently for you to say those two words.”
Veronica counted in her head, “Marry me.” She smiled painfully. Veronica looked down to her feet, not able to bear to look at him. It was devastatingly heartbreaking that he was waiting for marriage. Here in the midst of a baby store, he was telling her he wished to move forward with their future together. He was jealous they were stuck in limbo while Colin and Travis were seeing their futures unfold. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to marry him either; she thought of little else since she found out she was pregnant. Having his child only made her want to marry him more. But asking him to set a date felt deceitful without him first knowing she was pregnant.
“Hey!” He lifted her chin with a finger. “I’ll back off, okay. I just thought . . .” He hugged her. He took a deep breath. “I don’t know what I thought.” He paused. “Let’s go.” William said solemnly and then took her hand.
CHAPTER FORTY–ONE
