Alphabet Stories: A New Life

 

Around the time she meant to leave, a godawful noise pealed through the house. Buzzing and beeping, not sounding orchestral at all, the front door bell, broken again, faded away after a minute or two. Cindy threw on her coat, a shield against whoever had decided to intrude, before she scurried to the front door. Daring to look through the peep hole, she hoped they wouldn't see her shadow, and glimpsed a man dressed up in an expensive suit.  Evan.  For pity's sake, why had he chosen this moment to show up on her doorstep.  Glad she'd put on her fiery red coat, she grabbed her purse from the hall table and pulled open the door. 

"Hey," she said, with a jerk of her head as if surprised, as if she hadn't known it was him on the other side of the door. Irrationally irritated, she waited for Evan to speak, to announce in one of his impervious ways why he'd come to see her today of all days.

"Just wait," he said, holding up his hand, fingers spread wide, aware she was mad. "Kindly hear me out.  Let me explain." 

"Move please," Cindy said as she stepped forward to walk out the door, "I'm late for an appointment."

"Not without me."

"Oh!  Patience had never been my long suit and I don't have time to explain anything or listen to your reasons." 

Quick on the draw, ready to fight him, and go it alone, Evan realized, and it'd taken him a few days to come around and he needed to make her believe he wanted to be in it for the long haul.

"Reasons," He repeated with eyebrows rising, wondering if he'd made the right decision, if this thing between them would really work when she was so pissed with him. 

"Surely you jest,"

"Tell me how long?" Unzipping her overcoat before she had a chance to react, he pulled it open to reveal the baby bump.  Visions of cribs and diapers and no more sleeping at night filled his head, but also images of she and him, curled up with the baby, with each other, creating a life together. 

"Wait, how did you know?" 

"X-ray vision, my darling," Evan said as he gripped her the lapels of her bulky overcoat, the one she thought would hide the changes in her body from him.  "You aren't going anywhere until we have had time to talk. Zero is the number of the day and the number of chances you have to do this without me because I love you." 

"Zero, seriously.  You show up out of the blue and expect me to just say yeah, no problem, let's go, when all you've ever said is no, no, no."

"X's, so many x's checked the boxes on my pro list, and helped me realized I want to spend my life with you, even if there wasn't a life we created growing inside of you."

"When did you decide that because it sure is news to me after you declared, very loudly I might add, that this thing between you and me could never be."

Visions of being alone filled her mind again and she knew she could do it, but did she want to do it along. Unfair, though it may be, Cindy had to know how he really felt.

"Truthfully," Evan said, running a hand down her cheek, "I was scared, of my emotions, of yours, and everything it entailed."

"Since when have you ever felt anything for anybody other than yourself," Cindy said, her hormones getting the best of her, making her want to fight with the one person she loved the most. 

Running his hands down her shoulders to her hands, he gripped her fingers. Quietly he gazed at her, thoughtful and sighed. Pulled her forward and wrapped his arms around her.

"Over and over again, I have tried, and I seem to be have been doing it all wrong, saying it all wrong.  Never have I ever felt this way and I've royally messed it up, but I hope you'll give me a second chance. 

Maybe she had been too hard on him, pushed too hard and she ordered herself to make the effort as she pushed back to gaze up at his face, noticing now the lines, the dark shadows under his eyes as if he hadn't slept for days. Listened too little because of the emotions ruling her body. 

"Kiss me," she said, needing to know how he really felt because he couldn't hide himself when they touched. Just as they kissed, the baby kicked and he reared back, astonishment and joy on his face. 

"Incredible." He knelt down, laid his head against her swollen belly, pressed a tender kiss upon the spot where the baby kicked. 

Good gravy, she was a goner she thought as her heart melted. From the very start, she'd known there would be something about the man that would link the two of them forever. 

"Evan," She said, stroking a hand over his hair, so sure at that moment, without a doubt, he'd be a good father, a good husband.

Darn hormones, she thought, as tears rolled down her cheeks.  Calmer now, she pulled him to his feet and lead him into the apartment.  

"Be with me," she said.

"Always," Evan replied as he picked her up, and carried her up the stairs to bed, the appointment forgotten by both of them.