Chapter 8

The Phantom Wooer

A ghost, that loved a lady fair,
Ever in the starry air
Of midnight at her pillow stood;
And, with a sweetness skies above
The luring words of human love,
Her soul the phantom wooed.
Sweet and sweet is their poisoned note, The little snakes of silver throat,
In mossy skulls that nest and lie,
Ever singing, 'Die, oh! die.'

Young soul put off your flesh, and come With me into the quiet tomb,
Our bed is lovely, dark and sweet;
The earth will swing us, as she goes, Beneath our coverlid of snows,
And the warm leaden sheet.
Dear and dear is their poisoned note,
The little snakes of silver throat,
In mossy skulls that nest and lie,
Ever singing, 'Die, oh! die.'

Thomas Lovell Beddoes

Our marriage had been going smoothly until yesterday. We were returning home from having dinner, every Thursday we went out to eat, and found the front door open. We had been robbed! I couldn't sleep. Every time I closed my eyes I heard a strange noise and thought that the robber had returned. Tadase assured me that we were fine and that robber wouldn't return. He had already taken what he had wanted or needed, but I still felt uneasy. My first concern when we had gotten home was the dog. He was gone. Tadase had gone out this morning to ask the neighborhood to find out if anyone had seen him.

Amu stopped writing when she heard the front door open and close. For a moment she thought it was the robbers, but calmed down when she heard a friendly noise. She quickly hid her diary and ran out to the living room to greet her dog.

"I found him walking around on the street." Tadase said as he removed his coat. "He wasn't far."

Amu buried her face in his fur. "I missed you. You made me so worried."

"Someone one will stop by today to fix the lock. Most of the stuff that were stolen can be replaced." Tadase said as they moved around the room. The place had been a mess when they returned yesterday, but most of the stuff had been cleaned up. "We can get back to our normal lives soon."

Amu didn't feel treasured. "Actually, I think I have a better solution."

Tadase turned towards her. "Hm?"

"You know that I have been feeling a bit uneasy after the incident." The dark rings under her eyes were proof of that. "I would wish us to spend some time my parents."

Tadase frowned. "I wish us to move back in with them?"

"Only temporarily." Amu told him. "Until I feel safe again."

Tadase didn't like this. He wanted Amu to be comfortable, but he felt a bit insulted that she believed that he couldn't keep her safe. She was his wife. He would do anything for her. Even take a blow to his ego. "Sounds good. We can pack and leave in an hour."

"Mother!" Amu ran happily into her motherless arms.

"What brings you here?" Her father asked. He had seen the luggage they were carrying. "Of course, we are happy to see you. But I am curious."

"We were robbed." Amu told them and quickly said, "But we are fine. We weren't home when it happened."

After her mother had asked them a thousand questions and made sure for the hundred time that they were not hurt, she led them into the dinning room where they were fed tons of food. After dinner everyone shared a few glasses of wine, except Amu. She wasn't in the mood.

Instead she went up to her old room. It wasn't until she was seated on the bed that she noticed her mother had followed her.

"Is something the matter?" Amu asked.

"I was about to ask you the same question." Midori said.

"I am fine. I guess that robbery really shock me up." Amu laid down on her bed with a tired sigh.

"Are you sure that there is nothing else?"

Amu considered it for a moment. Maybe she should tell her. She got of the bed and led her mother inside. Then closed the door so that no one would hear them. "Honestly, there is another reason to why I wanted to come here."

"What is it?" Midori asked.

Amu fidgeted with her fingers and her gaze was focused on the floor. "I am pregnant."

Midori started to scream so loud that Amu was almost knocked off her feet. She knew that her mother would be happy, but not like this. She quickly tried to calm her mother down before someone heard her. But it was too late. A minuet later Tadase and her father rushed into the room.

"What happened?" Tadase said and rushed to his wife's side.

"Why did you scream?" Her father asked.

"They are having a baby!" Her mother exclaimed before Amu could stop her.

The room grew very quiet. Her father had leaned against the wall for support and Tadase was only silently staring at her.

"Is this true?" He whispered.

Amu nodded. She could not face him. She had not yet told him about the baby.

"We you please leave the room." Tadase had help her father out and practically push her mother out. "Why did you not tell me?"

Amu could not answer that. The best she could come with was, "I was scared."

"Of what? Me?" A thought hit him. "Is it mine?"

"Who else would it be?" Amu said. She was shocked that he even went there.

He didn`t answer her, but she already knew who he was thinking of. Ikuto. She had not seen him in some time, which also reminded her that she would have ot tell him about the news. She felt insulted that Tadase would think he would be the father, and she also felt guilty.

It was true that there was some feeling between them, but she was not sure that they were love.

"Is this why you wanted to come here?" Tadase wonder. "You want us to stay with your parents when the baby is born?"

"I want my mother to help me." Amu admitted.

Tadase scratched the back of his head. "You could have told me that. I would understand."

Amu`s hope lifted. "You mean we can stay?"

"Of course." Tadase said and gave her a peck on the cheek. "But the next time you are pregnant. I am the first to know."

To be continued...