I won't apologize for the large delay; for I'm sure it won't mean much to my readers. I will however like to say that while in absence I have not totally neglected my writing. My best friend and I have put together many stories over the past year and are currently writing our own little story based on one of my favorite games of all time, Halo. Check it out sometime. I know you will like it.
Once again, thank you to all the readers and reviewers that have voiced opinions to me. It's much appreciated. I have a feeling that due to the much needed practice I have been undergoing, readers will be impressed at my overall improvement. I also wish to state that you will be seeing a lot more from this revived author. Thanks once again for reading. And now, let's start anew with the continuation of Expecting the Unexpected.
luv
Brown-eyedFiction
Final Fears, Final Days
One week.
That's all I had left, was one week.
In one week my entire world would turn upside down. I would be a whole new man, with new responsibilities, new expectations, and more importantly a new son.
Oh my god.
I groaned from my position in the bathroom; for the past twenty minutes I had been standing there staring at the mirror, hovering over the sink and wearing nothing more than a pair of boxers.
The entire nine months of this process had come crashing down on me. I looked like shit. My eyes were weary and the peach fuzz that I had overlooked the past few months had progressed into a scruffy goatee. The good set of abs that I boasted in my young twenties was slowly evaporating into flub…
I don't care if it's not a word, that's what it looked like, flub.
And my arms, the sight made me moan again. The force and strength that once ruled my arms had been overthrown with age and the lack of exercise. Glancing upward once more, I observed that I desperately needed a trim as well, as my long bangs now hung limply in front of my eyes. It matched my feelings at that moment with accuracy.
"Rick?" Evelyn's voice came from the bedroom, interrupting my pity party. It was distant, like she had mumbled it or something
"Yeah?" I croaked; great, even my voice was messed up.
She didn't say anything more, probably because I scared her with this monster voice I had suddenly acquired. I took a deep breath, trying once more, "Yeah, sweetie?"
Once again, there was no answer. I rubbed my eyes and trudged back into the bedroom expecting to see her lying on the bed. However instead she stood wide awake by the bedroom window overlooking the garden. She wore her white night gown and I couldn't help but let my eyes wonder over her frame as the sun hit her at just the right angle. I don't care what anyone says, Evelyn can look fantastic without even trying.
Evelyn's eyes were isolated, staring off into the distance. Her arms were crossed over her abdomen, as if to prevent me from seeing what lay hidden underneath. To tell the truth, it scared me. When she had that look in her eyes it made me wonder what was going on in her head at that very moment.
I made my way over to her, placing the best fake smile I could muster, "Did you need something?" I leaned in front of her line of vision so she would have to look at me.
She gazed at me for a moment, before glancing back out the window. It was then that a small bead of water made its way down her cheek. A first, I thought that the hormones had once again kicked in, but something about that one little tear told me that wasn't it.
"Sweetheart…" I placed my hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong?"
She took a deep breath, and her voice finally emerged, "I'm… scared. I'm scared, Rick."
Her simple explanation had taken my breath away. The statement had broken my heart to hear, but in the end I was left amazed. I smiled and instantly pulled her close.
Join the club.
Her face burrowed into my chest and her arms wrapped around my neck. My own arms explored her lower back and I rested my chin on top of her head. I rocked her, and after a moment both of our bodies were swaying together. The last time we were like this was when she had lost her job…
She had come home in a huff, angered and upset that her boss Hafez or what ever his name was had given her the boot for no apparent reason. I offered to take her back to museum for an explanation, but she proudly declined. She instead started running around the mansion finding random things to do. I had managed to track her down in the library (no surprise there) and found her shuffling through the shelf labeled "T."
"Honey?" I approached her cautiously.
"Yes darling?" she answered, not looking up at me.
I took a hesitant step foreword. She seemed to be a bit more cheerful than she had when she'd come bursting through the front door, cursing up a storm and mentioning that if any should have gotten the Hom-Dai it was her boss. I considered my words carefully; one thing I learned from this whole baby thing was that pregnant women were more terrifying that a room full of undead mummies.
"Whatcha doing?"
It was then she pulled a book from the shelf and tossed it over to me. It nailed me in the chest and then fell into my hands. I read the cover and glanced up at her. "Tu- Tuthmosis?" I muttered trying to pronounce it correctly.
She then smiled. "I owe a lot to that little book."
I glanced down at the author, "Henry Alexander…" I chuckled and flipped through the worn pages, "my middle name." I added offhandedly.
Evelyn paused and turned to finally face me. "What… did you say?"
I looked up to meet eyes with her, "I said Alexander, it's my middle…name." Suddenly a thought struck me; Alexander…Alex…not a bad name for a kid…
"Rick…" Evie's lips curved into a grin. Apparently, it had struck her as well, "That's it. That's it!" She rushed over to me and flung her arms around me in such a way that my adrenaline skyrocketed. "Alexander Jonathan O'Connell! I love it!"
I blinked a few times trying to bring my focus around. "R-Really?"
She let go of me for a moment and spun in a circle before clapping her hands together. "It's perfect… Alexander, little Alex for short." Evie spoke with such pride. She then clasped onto me once more and pecked me on the lips numerous times. She hummed an unknown song and leaned into my shoulder. She closed her eyes and sighed contently. I don't think I'd ever seen her this energized before. I could only smile, watching her enjoy this moment.
Looking at her not only made me happy, it made me a little well…excited. And I don't mean the woo-hoo excited state that she was in. This was more of an intimate excitement, if you will. My hand slowly made its way to her shoulder and I caressed it tenderly.
The atmosphere around us suddenly changed, as her eyes fluttered open and her hands started fiddling with the buttons on my shirt. In the meantime, I stood there quietly, trying to think back on the last time we'd been together. The closes I could remember was about two or three weeks before we'd found out about Alex, which I'm guessing was when he was brought about. I smirked; I won't be telling the kid that story any time soon, hell, maybe not at all.
More to the point, like that little book that now lay forgotten on the floor, my wife and I were overdue...
"Are you ready for this, Rick?" Her timid voice caught me off guard, bringing me back to the present. "We only have a week left."
I placed my chin on her shoulder. "You want the truth?"
She nodded, her attention turning back to the window and the outside world that seemed to wait impatiently for the arrival of the baby. Our baby. I kissed her neck, just below her ear, causing goose bumps to travel up her body.
"I'm not ready for any of this." I started, he body slouched at the confession. "But you know, I don't think I ever will be." At this she faced me once again. "What I look foreword to the most though, is seeing you… holding that kid, our kid for the first time." I closed my eyes trying to picture it. "And I know that when I see it, everything will be fine." Man I sounded like a flabbergasted idiot, I'm surprised she wasn't laughing.
I opened my eyes once more as a drop of water landed on my forearm. She was crying again, and I felt awful because of it. It seemed like no matter what I said, I always made her cry.