by Cat Mann
****
“Hi, Baby,” Ari whispered as he traced circles on my back. I blinked and smiled up at him.
“Hi.”
“Are you feeling any better?” he asked, and I saw the crease above his eyes.
I rolled over and smoothed his forehead with my thumb.
“Yeah, actually, I feel good. Hungry.”
“Hungry? That’s a good sign! Why don’t you try to get up and I’ll go next door and grab Max, then I’ll make some grilled cheese sandwiches.”
“With tomatoes?” I said, perking up; my stomach was roaring with hunger.
“Anyway you want it.”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too. I really hope you’re getting better. I have been worried about you.”
“It’s just a stomach bug. I’ll be fine.”
“I hope you’re right.” Ari brushed the back of his hand against my cheek and smiled.
I climbed out of bed, took a quick, hot shower, and changed into some clean clothes. I even peeled the sheets and blankets from the bed and carried them down to the wash. I heard Max’s giggles coming from the kitchen as I emerged from the laundry room.
“Hi, Mama Baby.”
“Hiya Max! How was your day? Tell me, what did you do?”
“I played with Rory in the ocean.”
My heart skipped a beat and I shot a panicked look at Ari.
“He was with my mom and dad, too, Ava; don’t freak out.”
“Oh, thank goodness.”
Rory was great with Max but he played a little too rough at times for my liking. Max carried on about more of his day’s activities while Ari made grilled mozzarella and tomato sandwiches on crunchy Italian bread and I ate my weight in them. I helped wash dishes, then turned over the laundry. Ari, Max and I played together in the living room until it was Max’s bedtime. We tucked him in and I yawned.
Ari had the painter and decorator in and out of our house for a week straight working overtime to set Max’s bedroom up to Ari’s very high standards. What he had done with the room really was magnificent. Max’s new bedroom was boyish enough that he would feel very much at home, yet the space was sophisticated enough to blend naturally with the rest of our home. The bedroom was perfect for Max.
“You tired, Ava?”
“Yeah, I’m exhausted.”
Ari frowned at me and the crease in his forehead reappeared.
“If you aren’t feeling better by tomorrow, I want you to see Dr. Phillips.”
“Don’t worry about it, Ari. I’m sure I am fine. Besides, I already have an appointment with Dr. Phillips for tomorrow.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
I shrugged, “I dunno, I guess I don’t really like him. He’s arrogant.”
“Well, he’s the best doctor in L.A., Ava. He’s entitled to a little arrogance. Now let’s go to bed.”
“Ari, its only nine o’clock in the evening.”
“I’m aware of the time, Ava, but you’re tired; let’s go to bed.”
I poked his ribs, “You don’t look tired.”
“There is no place in the world I would rather be than in our bed watching you sleep. Now come, please.”
I gave into an early bedtime only because I was honestly too tired to do anything else. Ari wrapped me up in his arms, played with my hair, and kissed my eyelids while I drifted off to sleep.
I woke in the morning to Ari’s alarm. I was lying on top of him so he had to shuffle out from underneath me to turn off the annoying noise. He scooted me under his arm and turned to face me. “Morning, how are you feeling?”
“Mmm… I think I’m fine.” I stretched out and didn’t immediately feel sick and I took the lack of nausea as a good sign.
“What time is your appointment?”
“I think ten. I’ll have to check to make sure.”
I had been seeing Dr. Phillips, per his request, every eight weeks. He had suggested I see a therapist for my anxiety and stress. I refused, so he decided to take matters into his own hands and arranged to meet with me personally to check on my progress. The appointments, in my opinion, were a huge waste of time.
Dr. Phillips always started by asking how I was feeling. I continued the ritual with my line: “I’m fine, thank you.” Next, he would urge me to stay on my scripts and I would take the little piece of paper with a refill prescription scribbled on it, roll my eyes and leave. The whole ordeal took just under ten minutes, but I had to drive all the way to L.A. to see him. I had discovered that taking Max with me into the examining room shaved nearly two minutes off the usual ten, and I had brought him with every time since.
Ari asked, “Well, the two of you’ll be in town, so do you want to come up to the office for lunch?”
Ugh, food. Suddenly just the thought of eating made my stomach turn sour.
“I can’t. Max and I have some shopping to do for your birthday.”
A cute smile spread across Ari’s lips, “Okay, but call me when you leave Phillips’s office so you can tell me what he said.”
“K.”
Ari gave me a quick kiss then got up to get ready for work. I stayed in bed and watched him walk back and forth with his toothbrush sticking out of his mouth while he adjusted his shirt collar and chose a tie. I heard Max’s footsteps as he came running down the hallway towards our bedroom. He jumped into bed next to me, making my stomach complain a bit, just in time to watch The Ari Show, a morning tradition in our home. Ari put on “Everlasting Light” by The Black Keys and started to dance. Max loved Ari’s morning dance party possibly more than I did. He giggled and clapped his hands. When the dance was over and Ari was ready to go, he kissed us both and asked me again to call as soon as I left Dr. Phillips’s office.