by Mary Abshire
After reaching the bathroom, she stopped in front of the vanity. She tried to shake off the blues by reminding herself of the good things she had in her life. She had a loving husband and a caring friend. Both would do anything to help her and her child. She had enough money in the bank to last two lifetimes and she would never have to work. In the grand scheme of things, she had it easy. So many others were in desperate or poor situations. Instead of weeping, she should have been praising the two men who wanted to help her.
“Hey,” Andrew said softly as he entered the room. He stepped behind her and rubbed her back. “Are you okay? We didn’t mean to upset you.”
She sniffled as she turned to face him. “It’s my hormones. I’ll be fine.”
He wrapped his arms around her. She welcomed his embrace and rested her body against his with her head on his shoulder. In a year, she wouldn’t be able to feel his warmth or his love. She’d take all she could get while she had time.
“He’s a wonderful man. And we are extremely lucky to have him as a friend. I’m grateful he wants to be a godfather and bodyguard,” she said.
“Then let him. There is no reason not to.”
She couldn’t think of any either, so she nodded. “He can stay with us. I don’t mind.” She lifted her head. “He should know if he ever wants to leave, he can. I don’t want him to think he has to stick around because he’s the godfather.”
“I’m certain he knows that, but I’m betting he will enjoy his new role. Remember how I told you he can’t have kids?”
She nodded.
“Our child won’t be blood related to him, but that won’t matter. The three of us are like family. This is his once-in-a-lifetime chance to hold a baby and help raise it into a happy and productive adult. I highly doubt he’s going to walk away from our child.”
With that said, her lip trembled. While Matt would get something he’d always dreamed about, Andrew would be missing out. Life didn’t seem fair.
She put her head back on his shoulder and squeezed him as more tears escaped her eyes. “I think you’re right. But if I could have one wish, it would be for you to stay on Earth with me and together we’d take care of our little one.”
He held her tight and kissed her head. “I wish for it every day and night.”
She sniffed as she inched away from him. Crying only made her feel more depressed. They had company and dinner would get cold if she continued to let the sadness devour her. There was nothing any of them could do to change when Andrew had to return. Her best option was to accept it, plan, and prepare. She’d grieve later.
“You should go back to the table. I fixed a good meal and I don’t want it to go to waste. I’ll be there in a few minutes.” She wiped her cheeks.
He took her face into her hands. “You’re strong. Everything will work out. Lean on Matt for support and you’ll be okay. You’ll see.”
His words lifted her spirit, even if only a smidgen, and she nodded. Time would heal. At least, that was the saying. “I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
“And you heard him, he’ll change diapers for you.”
A chuckle slipped from her.
“That’s my girl.” He pressed his lips to hers. “Now come back to the table and let’s finish eating.”
“Go ahead. I want to clean up real quick.”
“Okay, but if you’re not at the table in two minutes I’m coming back for you.”
“Fair enough.” She planted a kiss on his mouth.
He returned the affection with a longer, more inviting version. “I have more of that for you later.”
With warmth flowing through her, she looked forward to bedtime. “Go.” She tilted her head toward the door.
Through his reflection in the mirror, she watched him leave. She loved how he tried to make her laugh and continued to want to please her. He was rare catch and he belonged to her. She considered herself the luckiest woman on Earth and even more so since she had a good trustworthy friend. Mood improving, she decided Christmas would be a great time to celebrate their friendship. How? She didn’t know yet, but somehow she’d try to make it one the three of them would always cherish.
Chapter Three
Andrew woke to the sound of soft thuds and clanks outside the bedroom. He lay naked and faced sideways on the pillow with his arm stretched over the upper part of Emily’s bare back. He loved touching her while they slept, even if he were only holding her hand. Her closeness soothed him, made him feel complete. He’d miss her more than words could express when he had to return to heaven.
Pain stabbed at his heart every time he thought about his departure. He managed to avoid breaking down and allowing the heartache to consume him, but it was difficult. He focused on trying to keep her happy. The loss she’d feel would exceed his and he couldn’t bear to see her so sad. As long as he walked on Earth, he’d do anything and everything to see her smile and please her.
A clinging noise gathered his attention. Andrew lifted his head. He saw a small one-inch crack in the door. Emily must have forgotten to close it when she’d taken a bottle of water from the fridge in the early morning hours. Curious to learn what is buddy was up to, Andrew decided to get up. He gently lifted his arm away from his wife, kissed her shoulder, and then slipped out of the large bed.
Soft light illuminated the room from the thin curtains covering the patio doors. He spotted his shirt and boxers on the floor. After he donned them, he headed out of the bedroom.
Andrew strolled in the kitchen and found Matt standing near the coffee maker on the counter, holding a cup to his mouth. He wore a gray t-shirt and black sweatpants.
“Morning,” Andrew said.
Matt lowered his drink. “I’m sorry, did I wake you?”
“It’s okay. Is the coffee ready?” He reached for the cabinet with the glasses.
“Yeah, just fixed myself a cup.” Matt stepped back closer to the stove. “Does Emily drink this stuff?”
Andrew set a mug on the counter. “Not since she learned she was pregnant. She likes the smell of coffee brewing. That’s why we bring our own wherever we go.”
“I wondered why there was a can sitting by the machine.”
Andrew poured the dark fluid into his cup. “She has me spoiled on the good stuff.”
“There’s no harm in that.”
While Andrew added sweetener and flavored creamer from the refrigerator, Matt passed him and strolled into the living room. Cup of java in hand, Andrew left the kitchen to join him. Matt took a seat on the large, cream-colored sofa. Andrew sat on the lounge chair next to him.
“I’m glad she agreed to let me stay and help. I sensed she was hesitant at first,” Matt said.
Andrew held his cup on the armrest. “We’d talked about it several times before. She fears you will be giving up your livelihood. I told her repeatedly you want to help raise the child. I think hearing it from you in person eased her worries, some of them, anyway.”
“I can’t imagine what she will go through after you’re gone. It will be a difficult time for her. She’s strong, and having to care for the baby will help, but she will need a friend, someone trustworthy to rely on and talk to. I will do as much as I can to help, but I know she’ll be devastated for a while. And so will you.”
Andrew fought the grief trying to cultivate within him. He lifted his mug. “I’m glad you’re here. Your presence and friendship mean a lot to both of us. We’re both very grateful.”
“I know this sounds strange, but I really believe everyone and everything has a purpose. It crushed me when the doctor said I couldn’t procreate. But now I believe God has given me a chance to serve in a fatherly role. This is right. This is how it’s supposed to be no matter how crazy it seems.” Matt sipped on his drink.
Andrew had never been the type of person to plan much or think in terms of the future until he’d met Emily. He preferred to live in the here and now. But Matt’s words made sense. Andrew found the woman of his dreams and managed to knock her up.
The price he had to pay for his second chance at life required him leaving both, but at least he had a good friend who was perfect to fill in for Andrew.
“This is a dangerous time to live in and I fear it will get worse. I wish there were more people who thought like you, who believed in God and morals. The further society gets away from both, the more destructive people become,” Andrew said before he drank more java.
“I couldn’t agree more.” Matt finished off his coffee. He set the cup on the coffee table. “Do you ever plan to destroy the demon named on your arm?”
Andrew released a heavy sigh. “Yeah. I know I’ve been selfish putting it off, but I want to enjoy as much time as I can with Emily. ”
“That’s understandable.”
“The people upstairs may not think so. I need to keep them happy, so I thought I’d wait until after Christmas. But I can’t put it off too much longer with the baby due in April.”
“Have you done any research on the guy? What’s his name?”
Andrew leaned forward and extended his forearm, revealing the tattoo.
Matt moved closer to look at the writing. “Ahmed Zahara. Oh…”
“Emily has spent hours online trying to get information about him. The property is under a different name, a Jacob Willoughby. Through her research she was able to discover Jacob is the name given to Ahmed at birth. She learned the home belonged to his parents and they transferred the deed to him three years ago. They’re older and now live in another part of San Antonio. They have a Facebook page and talk about their son, Joshua, but there is no mention of Jacob. Other than that, she can’t find anything else about Jacob or Ahmed. She can’t even find a picture of him. He’s not on any of the social media sites under either name. It’s as if this guy is a ghost.”
Matt shook his head. “I’ll make a few calls. I don’t want to make any rash judgments, but if I’m right about this demon, you need to kill him soon.”
“Emily said his alias is Muslim. She said she had a bad gut feeling about him. I read about the attack on September 11th and the war with Iraq. I know there are good and bad Muslims.”
“I served a couple tours in Iraq. There are some seriously fucked-up people who want to kill everyone. The morals of our country are decaying and evil is breeding like wildfire.”
“Do you think it’s possible this guy could be a terrorist?”
“There are sleepers and converters living in the States. I know the government tries to monitor them. Like I said, I don’t want to make any judgments about this guy. I’ll call a few people I know and see if they can find out any information.”
“That would be helpful. And maybe we should keep everything between us. I don’t want to add any more stress for Emily.”
Matt pressed his lips together as he glanced in the direction of Andrew’s bedroom. “Are you sure want to do that?” He kept his voice low.
Andrew didn’t like keeping secrets from Emily. But her hormones made her sensitive and she already struggled to deal with his upcoming loss. He couldn’t put her through any more turmoil, especially if it might endanger the baby.
He nodded. “I think it’s best. Too much stress could cause problems.”
“Okay. I understand, believe me, I do. I would do the same thing if I were in your shoes.”
As Andrew finished his drink, Matt’s attention shifted again.
“Your wife is up,” Matt said with a lighthearted grin.
Emily stepped into the room dressed in red pajama bottoms with penguins and a pink sweatshirt. She’d combed her light-brown locks. She stopped next to Andrew’s chair and bent to kiss him. Of course, he gave her a quick one in return.
“You taste like coffee,” she said.
“We just drank a cup,” Andrew said.
She walked to the patio. “It smells good.” She opened the curtains and the room brightened more.
“Have either of you got any plans for today?” Matt asked.
“I’m taking Emily to a doctor’s appointment this afternoon. I’m hoping we’ll get to find out the sex of the baby,” Andrew said.
Emily came up to his other side. She leaned her rear on the armrest. “We can go out for an early dinner and walk around in town if you’d like?”
“That sounds like fun. I brought my laptop so I’ve a few things I can work on. You mentioned a few places last night you were considering living in. I’ll do some research and see what I can find out about them,” Matt said.
“Great.” Emily straightened. “I need a shower before I can eat.”
“Oh, now that sounds like my kind of fun,” Andrew said.
Emily smiled as she walked away. “It can be.” She started walking away.
Andrew set his empty cup on the coffee table. “I hope you don’t mind, but I have a wife to attend to.”
Matt chuckled. “Not at all.”
Andrew hurried to catch up with her. He loved bath time with his wife. Cleaning up had never been as much fun before. He’d never pass on a chance to cleanse her with his hands and tongue. And the hotel’s shower even had a bench to sit on with multiple sprays. Even if it took him an hour, he’d make sure to properly bathe her.
Chapter Four
Emily held Andrew’s hand as she sat beside him in the waiting room of the doctor’s office. The area was wide and spacious with a water cooler near the check in window. A toy box, a kid-size table, and other toys had been set up in one corner. Six other women were sitting in chairs. Three had brought other kids with them. A television hung in a corner near the front windows and the four without distractions watched a home remodeling show on the TV. Andrew was the only man in the room.
She leaned closer to him. “Do you think they’re single or the fathers just didn’t want to come?”
He looked around the room. “Maybe their significant others had to work.”
She pressed her lips together in a flat line, suspecting he was trying to be positive and hopeful toward the fathers. In reality, she estimated the women were either alone or the father didn’t want to be with them. So many people still didn’t use contraception in the twenty-first century.
“What do you really think?” she asked.
“I think if I were going to be a father I would show up to every appointment with my wife or girlfriend. But that’s just me.”
She couldn’t help grinning. “I love you.”
He moved closer and gave her a gentle kiss. “You’re mine, Mrs. Reynolds.”
She squeezed his hand. “Yes, I am.”
The door a few feet from her right opened and stole Andrew’s attention. A woman with brown hair tied behind her head and dressed in Hello Kitty scrubs stepped forward with a file in her hand.
“Penny Reynolds,” she called out.
Andrew rose while Emily grabbed her purse from the seat next to her. Bag in hand, they headed toward the nurse together.
“Follow me,” the woman said.
Emily walked behind her, past the door, and down a small hall. Andrew stayed close to her side. After turning the corner, the nurse stopped by a weight machine.
“I need to check your weight,” she said.
Emily handed her purse to Andrew and then removed her jacket. She gave it to him before stepping onto the machine. The digits appeared in an instant. Andrew stood by, watching. When they stopped, she looked at him.
“Two pounds up from last time. That’s not bad. Maybe it should be more,” he said.
The nurse wrote down the number in the file. “Okay, the room is down this hall, second one on the left.”
Emily grabbed her purse and coat from Andrew before she followed the gal. The weight gain from the last visit five weeks ago seemed normal to her, but then again she didn’t know what normal was since she hadn’t been pregnant before.
She passed the nurse and entered the small room. An examining table took up most of the space in the center. The ultrasound equipment and other standard medical devices were near the cabinets to the side of the de
sk. Two empty chairs were lined against wall near the window. Emily set her purse and coat in one while the nurse shut the door.
“Have a seat on the table,” the nurse said, as if Emily needed a reminder.
The woman sat on a small rolling stool and faced a computer monitor. She’d put the open file in front of her. While Andrew lowered into the remaining chair, Emily climbed up on the table, crushing the tissue paper covering it in the process.
“When was your last appointment?” the nurse asked.
“Five weeks ago. It was in Baltimore,” she asked.
“Do you live there? Your address shows—”
“No, my husband travels a lot for his job. Right now I’m helping him so we aren’t in the same city for too long. When it gets closer to the due date, we’ll be settled at home.” Of course, she didn’t know where home would be yet, but the statement was still accurate.
“Are you flying?” the nurse asked.
“No, we drive,” Andrew said.
“That’s good. Doctors recommend pregnant women don’t fly after six months,” the nurse said.
“I don’t plan on it,” Emily said.
The nurse typed on the keyboard. After she finished, she rose. “Have you had any problems at all?” She grabbed the pressure reader from the wall and tugged it toward Emily.
“No, no problems. I think I felt the baby kick. It’s very light, but noticeable,” Emily said as she held her arm out.
The nurse wrapped the reader around Emily’s arm. Since Emily had known they’d take her pressure, she’d worn a short-sleeved blouse. She didn’t think she’d have to undress, but in case she had to, she could slip off her jeans and tennis shoes. She would’ve worn a dress but the thirty-degree temperature changed her mind.
While the nurse worked to acquire Emily’s vitals, Emily smiled at Andrew. He watched the nurse intently. At least once a day he’d checked her pulse. If anything happened and she went into labor early, at least she would be in good hands since he had been a nurse in his first lifetime.