Falling In Maths

by Melissa Bender

  “She needs to leave, when does she get those keys?” Noah finally said, keeping his voice down.

  I shrugged, “In two more weeks I think, she hasn’t signed the lease yet.”

  “She better,” he said sternly. “I can’t take much more of this, now can you help me undress and wash? I need nurse Mia to take care of me.”

  I laughed, “You’re a pervert, come on then, but you must tell me if I hurt you.”

  “Just be careful of my right side. You might have to cut the shirt off me, I can’t lift this arm at all,” He said quietly, “I shouldn’t play anymore, all I could see your worried look when you came over.”

  “What? You love playing Noah, and yes you scared the heck out of me. I hated seeing your arm looking like that and then hearing it going back into the joints. Just think about it, you’ve got time off from playing so see how that feels being here and not on the field,” I suggested, standing up and walking over towards him, I ran a hand through his wet hair and smiled. “I love you.”

  “I love you too Mia, can you make me some soup? Or those pies?” He asked, giving me a boyish grin.

  I laughed, “Yes because you aren’t well and I would love to take care of you. I believe this will be my first wife caring duty.”

  “Good, now help me up,” he grinned.

  I helped Noah up, slowly undressing him and then washing him in the shower. I felt so bad when I heard him hiss in pain as I gently and very carefully rubbed the dirt off his sore arm. After a good half hour in there, we came out and I helped him dress into a pair of sweats and then prop him up in our bed.

  “You want me to go cook now for you?” I asked handing him the remote.

  “If you want, I think I’m going to pass out soon. I probably have a slight concussion too,” He yawned.

  I looked at him with wide eyes, “Oh you are not going to sleep Noah Wade, let’s play a game.”

  He looked at me, chuckling. “What kind of game?”

  I grinned wide, “Umm how about I give you a maths equation and you solve it? Then I tell you if you did good or not?”

  He laughed, loudly. “Mia, you’re going to teach me? I have a pounding headache and you want to talk maths?”

  I nodded, “Either that or I am sure your mum would love to come and take care of her sick little boy.”

  “Fine, give me a problem and I’ll solve it,” he smirked, pulling me closer with his good arm and kissing the side of my cheek. “I am smarter than you after all baby.”

  Chapter Thirty Four

  “What do you think he wants?” Noah asked me as I sat my phone back on the bedside table.

  I shrugged, I had just gotten a call from a Mr Lee’s. I had no idea who he was but apparently he knew me. “I don’t know, he said he needed to discuss something important.”

  Noah gave me a slight frown, sitting up in bed for the past week had turned him into the grouch. “You’re not going alone, I will come with you.”

  “Noah you’ve barely been able to walk to the bathroom, and he’s coming here anyway so you can relax,” I said, leaning over and moving my mouth so it was mere inches away from him.

  I liked teasing him, he wasn’t able to move quickly and he knew it. “Mia,” he sighed.

  “Noah,” I sighed back and then kissed him. I pulled away slightly and smiled, “you want some food? Or a drink?”

  “Food sounds good, I’m a bit hungry and all I can smell is your baking,” he reached up and gently cupped my cheek, I smiled leaning into his palm. “How is she today?”

  I wanted to groan but I thought I better not, his Mum was probably at ears length. “She is good,” I lied.

  “Mia?” Noah gave me a stern look.

  I sighed, “She told me off, it’s ok. I didn’t realise I was over stepping with taking care of you.”

  His brows dipped down low, “What do you mean over stepping? You’re my wife for god sake, if you were sick or unwell then I’d be taking care of you regardless if your Dad was here or not.”

  “I know, she just keeps telling me not to do certain things or I’m folding your underwear wrong. I’m still trying to figure out how to do things with you. I feel like I’m just getting in the way,” I said, laying down and curling up into his side.

  “You’re not getting in the way, I happen to like how you fold, cook, clean and everything else. This is our home, she needs to leave Mia. We can’t even make love without her knocking on the door and interrupting us ten seconds,” He grumbled.

  I giggled, “That’s why you’re so cranky. You aren’t getting it as much as you normally do.”

  “Whatever,” he muttered. I tilted back my head to get a look at him, he was smirking back at me. “I’m hungry, can you go get me some food please? Anything greasy and full of fat, nothing healthy.”

  I laughed getting back up, “Ok, I did some cooking when I got up this morning anyway. The kitchen smells like a bakery.”

  That was something that I desperately missed. Cooking like I used to, I knew Noah was enjoying all the food. I had made so many cakes, pies, savouries and sweet treats that I froze a lot of them too. We were set for quite some time.

  Noah hated the cereal that his Mum kept trying to feed him so I decided to not sit back and take her criticism anymore today. I was going to make Noah something so unhealthy and greasy that I knew he’d like to eat. Egg and bacon muffins with a milkshake.

  I was drizzling the sauce on the muffin when she walked in, giving me a pinched up look as her eyes drifted to the food in front of me. “You hungry?” she asked.

  “Nope, Noah is,” I replied, as I started making another one.

  “I think he needs to eat a little healthier, he’s going to put on weight with all the food you give him,” she replied. Making her way into the kitchen and grabbing a bowl.

  I laughed, “Noah’s stomach is all muscle. He doesn’t gain weight and he’s been eating like this long before I met him.”

  “Mia, I don’t mean to be rude but Noah is my son. I know what’s best for him,” she said and pulled the draw out, bumping it into my knees.

  That was the final straw, “Louise, I appreciate you helping and being here but you need to stop. You may be his mother and you always will be, but I am his wife. I am taking care of him and I will be making him breakfast. If Noah wanted to eat muesli for breakfast and a salad for dinner then he would tell me and I would happily get that for him, but he doesn’t. Stop making me feel like I can’t do anything right,” and with that my knee pushed the draw hard.

  “There’s no need to be snarky,” she mumbled under her breath.

  I spun around, “Well stop being a smother in law then!”

  “Enough!” Noah’s voice erupted in the room. “Mum you need to leave, god I love you but you’re driving me mad. You don’t listen to anyone and think just because you’re here then that makes up for the past ten years, it doesn’t!”

  “Noah,” Louise whispered. “I didn’t mean to upset anyone, I was trying to help Mia.”

  “No you weren’t. You’ve pushed and pushed for the past weeks, Mia’s right. You’re smothering us, and I can’t deal with you treating us like we’re toddlers. We have been together for months, doing all this and both of us have been happy. You need to move, by the end of the week,” he said sharply.

  Louise looked at him, mouth agape and shock clearly written across her face. “But that’s in two days.”

  “I don’t care, by Friday you need to be out. You’re living here rent free. We need our space,” Noah grumbled, biting his lip as he walked over into the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water.

  The door slammed again and I was beginning to think she was the one who was the toddler, that door slammed so many times a day it was a wonder it wasn’t off its hinges. I just stood there cooking and feeling awful, I didn’t know what to say. I felt an arm wrap around my waist and Noah’s body leaning against my back as I cooked him breakfast.

  “Smells good,” he murmured.

&
nbsp; “It does,” I said back softly. “Is your arm playing up again?”

  “Yeah, I need to go back to the doctors and get it checked. I probably tore a ligament or something,” he sighed, kissing my cheek as he pulled away.

  I gave him a smile as he leant against the counter, “You probably did, and it’s bruised pretty badly.”

  I slid over the plate of food and his shake, “Eat up, I need to shower and get dress before this guy turns up. Please can you change or stay in the bedroom, you look like death.”

  “Ladies and gentlemen, that lovely woman there is my wife,” he called out pointing to me and grinning, “yes dear, I will stay in the bedroom so my good looks doesn’t put him off.”

  “Your smell would do that,” I teased, coming around and planting a kiss against his cheek.

  “Love you too Mia,” Noah chuckled as I headed for the bathroom to get ready.

  It didn’t take me long to shower and dress, I wasn’t dressing up or anything. I just wanted to look decent, this man sounded very important on the phone and I was definitely wondering who he was, and why he wanted to see me urgently.

  I came out and was alone, I peeked in the bedroom to find Noah passed out in bed and his Mum’s door still closed. At least she wouldn’t go all crazy when Mr Lee’s turned up, which should be any moment. A firm knock on the door and my heart began to thump, I nervously walked over and opened it.

  “Mrs Wade, we have some business to discuss,” he said, looking sharp as he wore a crisp white shirt, black tie and suit.

  I sat across from him and just stared, I was definitely intimidated. “You can call me Mia,” I replied, Mrs Wade made me feel really old. It also reminded me of Noah’s mother, I wasn’t up and down bipolar.

  He chuckled, rubbing his greyish beard and giving me a smile. “Very well Mia, as you probably don’t know I am, well was Nancy Dalton’s lawyer.”

  “Oh,” I said quietly. I actually never expected that.

  He nodded, “Yes, she had come to see me the week before her passing and wanted to add a couple things to her will. She had no other living relatives or grandchildren and she wanted to make sure that in the case of her passing, you were to receive her full estate.”

  As he rummaged through the black briefcase I sat there, blinking as I tried to fully comprehend what was happening, “I don’t think I understand, I mean why me?”

  “You to Nancy were like a granddaughter, she often talked about you and therefore wanted to leave you everything,” Mr Lee’s replied, handing over a piece of paper.

  My eyes skimmed the details, stopping as I read the number and then the all assets. “Wait, you’re telling me that this number that’s here, is what I will receive? As well as the bakery?”

  “Yes correct,” he nodded.

  I shook my head, “This is a lot, are you sure it’s right?”

  He chuckled, “It is all correct Mia, I just need you to sign and I can do a funds and property transfer.”

  I was in shock, I was so stunned that I was in such a daze as I signed on the line and then walked him to the door. I couldn’t believe I was left all of that. I had to wonder, was this what she wanted to give me the night she passed away.

  “Noah,” I whispered as I walked into our bedroom and closed the door.

  “Yeah?” he yawned, “you ok?”

  I shook my head. “That guy just came here, Noah oh god I can’t stop shaking,” I said as I shakily sat down. My heart was going into overdrive, “I can’t believe this just happened.”

  “What?” Noah asked, sitting up and looking at me worriedly. “Mia did he hurt you in anyway?”

  I rolled my eyes, “No Rambo he didn’t, he just came to give me this,” I said as I passed him over the piece of paper.

  Silence.

  Nothing came from him as he read the forms and then sat them on his lap. “Mia,” he said quietly.

  “Noah, I didn’t do anything to deserve what it says I’m getting,” I said looking up at him, I felt sick to my stomach about the amount of money she had left me.

  “Baby, this is a good thing. You said you never knew what you wanted to do and I think you running the bakery would be perfect, don’t you think? And the money doesn’t need to be touched if you’re uncomfortable with it,” he said taking my hand, I leant into his side and he kissed my temple.

  I laid against him for a while, letting what he said sink in. “The money would be for our future, we can save it and not touch it.”

  “Good idea, I have a good income and can support us for a while,” he replied.

  I didn’t like the idea of Noah taking care of me, but I knew he liked it so I never told him any different. I wasn’t used to it, and if I worked then I would have an income for us also. “I will take some time to think about the bakery, I just need to let that sink in. I might still take some time off and look at opening it again next summer?”

  “Whatever you want beautiful, take all the time you need,” he smiled.

  I laid down and curled into him, “I am lucky to have you.”

  “Not as lucky as I am,” he replied.

  I sat up and grinned. “Two more sleeps as we get to live alone again.”

  He chuckled, “Yeah the smother in law will be gone. I nearly pissed myself when you called her that.”

  I groaned, “I’m sorry, she was getting on my nerves big time.”

  He smirked, rolling onto his good side. “So, my wife the bakery owner.”

  “And my husband, the school teacher who better never ever fall for another student again or there will be trouble,” I said sternly, pecking his nose.

  Noah shook his head, pulling me closer and skimming his lips across mine, whispering, “I wouldn’t dream of it Mia, the only other girl I’ll ever love will be our daughter when she’s born.”

  I smiled, looking at him and tearing up. “Awe, it’s no wonder why I’m crazy in love with you when you say things like that.”

  Chapter Thirty Five

  I looked over at Noah and yawned, “What this time?” I asked sitting up in the bed.

  “A mouse,” he ran a hand through his bed hair and brushing the water off him.

  “Noah this is the fourth time this week you’ve gotten up at 5am to help her, can’t you tell her to stop?” I asked, stretching out in the bed. "Or at least tell her not to call this early?"

  Noah’s Mum finally moved out, within the two day time frame Noah had given her but it didn’t stop her coming down and visiting constantly, or ringing Noah’s phone constantly to ask him to come and help her. The first time it was the fire alarm that kept beeping. She just needed to get a new battery. The second, the oven timer wouldn’t turn on. She needed to press the right buttons. The third, a leaking lap. Noah just had to tighten the nozzle to stop the shower from running and now this morning, it was a mouse. Yes a damn mouse in a trap that she was too frightened to take outside and dispose of. Noah was the one who took it out in the thunderstorm and throw it away.

  He slumped down after pulling his wet clothing off. “I know, I can’t keep going over there each day," he said and rubbed his shoulder.

  I looked at him, “How’s your arm? Is the new tablets helping? Or are you still in pain?”

  Noah chuckled, “I’m fine baby, I promise. Just wished she’d move a little further away,” he said lowering his voice for the last part. Even though she wasn’t still living here, we still lowered our voices out of habit.

  “Why don’t we look at buying a home together? Somewhere with a yard?” I smiled as I looked at him nervously.

  “A yard? You dropping some hints about something we aren’t trying for, but secretly we really are?” He chuckled.

  “A yard for a dog idiot, not babies! And what do you mean not trying but secretly are? Noah are you forgetting on purpose?” I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes at him, we’d had a couple little slips, ok a lot of slips with forgetting to pull out or to put something on. Too caught up in the moment to remember these tiny but v
ery important details. I thought it’d panic me, but it didn’t at all. I never even mentioned something to him, and he didn’t say anything either. Maybe we were trying to get pregnant.

  Noah chuckled as he got up off the bed and pulled some boxers on, “No beautiful, I wouldn’t do that to you,” he then wiggled his brows, “but I think you wouldn’t mind if I got you pregnant?”

  “Sure I wouldn’t, would you?” I laughed, blushing a little

  He smiled as he sat back down, taking my hand and kissing it gently. “Babies huh, why are you blushing when we talk about them?”

  I shook my head, “I’m not blushing. It’s just a serious topic and we said we were going to wait.”

  Noah just grinned, looking at me as he laid on his side and watched me, “Mia we’ve been having a lot of unprotected sex, I don’t think either of us really wants to wait, yeah? If it bothered us then I’d slip something on, it’s not like you’ve told me to wrap it up and I haven’t mentioned you not being on the pill.”

  “True,” I smiled, looking down. “So, you wouldn’t be mad if I got pregnant then?” I then asked, looking up to read his expression.

  His brows dipped a little, “Mia no way, you’re my wife and we’re going to have kids someday. I wouldn’t be mad at you for falling pregnant.”

  I gave him a smile, “Good, because I’m already pregnant.”

  Noah looked at me, his eyes wide and mouth opening and closing for a good ten seconds. “What?” he finally asked, or more like choked out.

  “I am late. I took a test and it came up pregnant,” I said quietly.

  “When did you take it?” He asked, sinking this all in.

  I bit my lip nervously, sliding the test out from under my pillow and handing it to him, “Around twenty minutes ago, when I was in the bathroom and you were outside with a mouse.”

  “Oh god,” he said sitting up. Holding the test in front of him as he stared blankly at the white stick with the word pregnant written across the screen, “I think I’m going to throw up, fuck you’re pregnant?”