Draw Me A Picture

by Meredith Greene

  “I love you, do you know that?” Michelle said, slipping her arms around William’s neck. “There is no other for me.”

  “I know, love,” William said; his voice remained gentle, though he felt his pulse speeding up.

  “No one but you could make me feel this way.” He kissed Michelle and let his mind wander.

  “It’s a good thing I picked the most remote, unvisited apple orchard in the county,” he thought. There was nothing in the world he wanted more than to be right here, under the blossoming tree with Michelle. Happily, no one interrupted them.

  They spent a rather pleasant afternoon together, talking and eating, though at times they ate a trifle informally, wearing nothing more than a shared blanket. In the back of his mind, William etched the sight of his wife shyly feeding him while very bare, rosy flowers moving in the breeze above them. Some of the delicate petals fell to her fair skin; William picked some from her hair, his eyes conveying what words could not. Sighing, he felt content, knowing the idyllic picture would stay with him the rest of his life.

  A FEW weeks after the picnic, Michelle awoke to the sight of William, standing near their closet; he was adjusting his tie for work. Sensing her gaze, he turned and favored her with his signature grin. His wife suddenly wished it was the weekend so she could coax her man back into bed. Knowing he'd be late if she did, she merely returned his smile. Tossing back the covers, Michelle sat up. Almost immediately, she felt dizzy. The room spun and swam, making her feel completely nauseous.

  Pulling on his suit coat, William was surprised to see his wife hurry over to their restroom. Going to the door, he saw Michelle hunched rather pathetically with her head over the toilet. Kneeling on the rug, William touched her back gently and helped pull her hair out of her face. Michelle had nothing really to throw up, but her stomach seemed persistent on going through the motions anyway. Concerned, William kissed her temple, rubbing her back.

  “Ohh...” Michelle groaned softly, leaning her head against William’s. “I hope it’s not the flu.” Her husband chuckled.

  “Indeed. That is an occurrence we can forgo,” he said, getting up. “Let me run the shower for you. You’ll feel better.”

  “Ugh,” his wife answered, hugging the toilet still. “Thank you... this is a really weird feeling.” Smiling, William turned on the water and adjusted the temperature. Helping Michelle stand, he noticed she was a little unsteady on her feet.

  An idea occurred to him, but he kept it to himself.

  “Do you feel dizzy, love?” he inquired. Michelle nodded, leaning against him; helping her off with her clothes, William opened the shower door and let Michelle sink down to the bottom. She liked sitting down in the shower anyhow, but William still felt sorry for her. He hated feeling ill himself, fervently so.

  “I’m going to get some things for you at the pharmacy,” he said, softly, kneeling down; he didn’t care that the shower flung a few water droplets on his clothes. Michelle leaned one side her face on her knees, looking at her husband gratefully with one eye.

  “Thank you,” she said, her voice muffled. “The water feels so good.” William smiled at her.

  “You stay in there for a little while,” he said, touching his wife’s soft mouth very gently. “I’ll be right back.”

  “Don’t you have to go to the office?” Michelle inquired; her voice sounded far away. Grinning, William stood up.

  “I’m the branch boss, remember?” he said, with humor. “Relax, love. I’ll take care of you.” Michelle face grew calm again; she managed a small smile. Closing the shower door, William escaped the room and fairly bolted down the hall, a smile from ear to ear.

  I local market stood a few blocks from his building. In the pharmacy section, William headed straight for the women’s hygiene aisle; it occurred to him that he’d never so much as stepped into it before. Unable to wipe the smile from his face, he methodically picked out one of each kind of pregnancy test and dumped them into his basket. Finding the cold remedy section, he looked around and finally asked a clerk which nausea medicines were good for expecting women. The lady gave him the once-over and led him to an aisle with several kinds of tea. Picking out a tin box marked ‘Chamomile’, the clerk told him where to find some saltine crackers.

  The young man at the check-stand gave William an odd look as he scanned in no less than eleven pregnancy tests.

  “What, ya having a baby or something?” the teenage boy asked. William grinned.

  “I hope so,” he said, earnestly. The youth shook his head, scanning the rest of the items quickly.

  “Dude, I feel sorry for you,” he retuned dolefully. William snorted.

  “That’s because you’ve never been in love,” he retorted. “One day you’ll want children of your own and a beautiful girl willing to have them with you. Hopefully you’ll be able to find a girl like that, let alone convince her to marry you.” With that, William paid for his items and left the store, his smile returning.

  “What if I’m a father?” he thought, his grin widening. The idea made him jog home at a quicker pace.

  Michelle was still in the shower when he returned; she did not look like she was feeling any better. William decided to let her stay in there for the moment; he made a cup of the tea in the kitchen and brought it in their bedroom. Getting out some fresh pajamas for his wife, William flipped open his phone, punching in the numbers out of memory. Mabel answered; she was surprised that he wasn’t going to show at the office, but complied with his request to re-schedule his meetings a couple days out.

  Stepping into the bathroom, William heard the water shut off. Michelle opened the door; she stepped out gingerly, hanging onto the frame. William was by her side, wrapping a large towel around her slender shoulders.

  “I can dry myself, Tarzan,” Michelle said, softly; she gave him a little grin. William smiled back, encouraged by her spunk.

  “I know, minx,” he said, fondly. “You’re not feeling well, so let me help.” Michelle have a soft sigh.

  “Well, if you insist,” she said; she let William carry her out of the bathroom. He sat her on the edge of their bed, drying her legs off with the towel. Looking up into her face, he grinned.

  “As much as I like seeing your bare skin, love...” he began, “... let’s get you into some fresh clothes, eh?” Michelle nodded. It had been so long since she felt really ill; her head swam and she just wanted to lie down.

  “Please God, don’t let me have the flu,” she prayed, out loud.

  William chuckled, helping her pull a clean camisole over her head. “Actually, you may not be sick,” he said, gently. Sitting down next to his wife on the bed, he put an arm around her shoulders. “I think, well... I mean, there’s a chance you might be... pregnant.” Michelle looked up at William with wide eyes. Her husband looked absolutely exhilarated. She smiled.

  “Oh...” she said, covering her mouth with her hand. “I didn’t even think of that. That’s right, you’re supposed to get all sick and dizzy... wow.” She looked over at William, her eyes bright. “We need to get a pregnancy test.” Chuckling, William fetched over a paper bag.

  “Way ahead of you, love,” he said. “I got you some Chamomile tea, too, even if you’re not.” Michelle felt moved by the gesture; she touched William’s face.

  “You’re wonderful,” she whispered. “I’m so lucky to have you.” William kissed her fingertips, unable to wipe the smile from his face. Not that he tried.

  Michelle looked in the bag and laughed.

  “Gosh, did you buy out the store?” she teased, feeling a little better. The prospect she may be carrying William’s baby cheered her up immensely.

  “One of each,” he man explained, sheepishly. “I didn’t know what kind to get, you know... I’ve never thought I was going to be a father before.” Michelle kissed his cheek.

  “Don’t get too excited yet,” she said. “We don’t know if I am. You’re lucky I have to use the restroom right now.” William’s smile brightened instant
ly.

  “Go on,” he said, helping her up. “Do you need any help, or...” Michelle giggled, pushing him gently away.

  “You may want to run on your treadmill of something for a few minutes,” she said, smiling. “I’ve heard it takes a little while to show results.” She blew him a kiss and disappeared into the bathroom again.

  William contented himself with pacing around the kitchen, though that activity did not last long. He picked up a cloth and some polish from under the sink and went out to the living room; a small concert piano stood by the windows, glowing in the morning sun. Though it did not look dusty, William spent several minutes vigorously rubbing it down with the cloth, his eyes darting to the hallway every few seconds.

  In the bathroom, Michelle waited by the tests, biting her lip in anticipation. She’d decided to do three, just to be sure. The rest would have to wait until she had to use the restroom again. Blushing, she touched her stomach, smiling to herself.

  “A baby...” she thought. “William’s baby... our baby.” Tears filled her eyes, but they were not tears of sorrow. Looking over at the tests again, Michelle leaned forward to scrutinize the little plastic windows; her hand flew to her mouth.

  Hearing his name called--even through four walls and much empty space--William darted down the hall to his wife. Michelle appeared, a radiant smile upon her face.

  “Baby?” he asked, feeling his heart may stop from the excitement.

  “Baby,” Michelle said; her eyes were soft with emotion; she flew into William’s arms, holding onto him as if she’d never let go. William felt moisture in his own eyes, finding no words came to mind. None at all. They stood a moment so, reveling in the moment.

  “Three,” William said at last, drawing back from Michelle a little; he looked at her lovely face, her trusting eyes gazing into his, brimming with happy tears. “There’s three of us, now, love.” Michelle let herself laugh; she let William kiss her several times. Her husband’s eyes held a wonderful look of blissful pride; she thought he’d never looked so handsome.

  The phone rang; the sound of it did not move either of them at first. Unwillingly, William walked over and answered it, still mentally atop the high hill of Euphoria.

  “Hello!” Margaret’s voice rang out. “You’ll never guess my news… Luca and Laurel eloped!” Shaking his head a little, William grinned.

  “What? When?” he asked, beckoning to Michelle; he put the call on speaker-phone.

  “Luca and Laurel! They went to Atlantic City and got married!” Margaret said, happily. “Sophie’s besides herself, you know... she’s terribly upset they didn’t go for the big wedding, but she’s positively elated her boy’s finally tied the knot. Isn’t it wonderful?”

  “It is,” William said, smiling at Michelle; she hovered next to her man, still looking lovingly into his face. He kissed her fingertips again and grinned. “I’m glad they finally did it. Good show. Michelle’s here with me, and we have some news as well.”

  “You’re not going to move out to California like that crazy man Oscar, are you?” Margaret inquired; her voice took on a threatening tone. “You don’t visit me enough as it is...” William laughed; Michelle also giggled, though quietly.

  “No, mother... we’re having a baby,” he said, dropping the bomb.

  A long pause ensued.

  “Sorry, I think I may have heard you wrong,” Margaret said, calmly. “Did you say...”

  “We’re pregnant,” William interrupted, smiling. “You didn’t think we’d disappoint you, did you?” There did not exist a library large enough on Earth to fully express Margaret’s joy at hearing she was going to be a grandmother; the lady did tolerably well, however, in relating her profound happiness to William and Michelle. They accepted her congratulations and promised to come visit her soon.

  As soon as she got off the phone, Margaret called everyone she knew, including Sophie.

  “It is about time,” the Italian woman said, over the phone to her friend. “They have been married nearly five months, yes?”

  “Oh I’m so glad! My very own grandbaby!” Margaret returned, feeling giddy. “Now, you watch, I bet Luca and Laurel will be calling you in a month. Luca won’t waste as much time as William.”

  “One can only hope,” Sophie returned.

  In the relative quiet of their room, Michelle sat for a moment with William on their bed, just soaking in the news; it felt good to be wrapped in his arms. He seemed to be protecting both her and their unborn child; his strong embrace was tempered a little, as if he did not wish to squeeze her too hard.

  “I’m very happy, William,” she said, at last. She still felt sick and dizzy, but suddenly that didn’t matter much anymore. She could almost imagine the little spark of life pulsating within her, and the thought was better than any gift on the planet. William kissed her forehead.

  “So am I, love,” he said, sighing a little. “We made a baby out of our love for each other. Oh, Michelle... I don’t know if I’ve ever heard anything more delightful in my life.” Michelle let a few tears slip down her face. She brought one of William’s hands to her lips, bestowing several kisses on it.

  “Don’t waste those, love,” her man said, lifting her chin with his free hand; he kissed Michelle fondly, as only a man in love can.

  Holding her close, William let the young woman carrying his child fall asleep in his arms; he gently caressed her soft hair. He looked skyward, uttering a silent prayer of thanks.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Michelle sighed, rubbing her back. Even vacuuming their apartment was a major undertaking being so pregnant.

  “Just eight more weeks,” she thought, running her hand gently over her swollen belly. Smiling, she kept working. Sometimes, she felt so ill it was hard to get up and do anything, let alone housework; Michelle forced herself to, however, fearing becoming more overweight than was necessary. Already she’d gained a good twenty-five pounds; her doctor assured her this was completely normal. The friendly obgyn had children herself, which made the advice easier to swallow. The pre-natal pills, however, were not; they proved to be odd-tasting things; it took most of Michelle’s willpower to choke them down each day.

  The extra weight normal or not, Michelle refused to be idle. She led the vacuum around her bedroom until she was certain the dust armies were abated for the day; winding up the cord, she glanced at the clock. Smiling, she sighed and put away the vacuum in its closet.

  “How did Alfred do this every day?” she wondered aloud. Sure, she was pregnant but the elderly man had cleaned and cooked meticulously, all the while a senior citizen.

  The phone rang.

  Hello?” Michelle asked, picking it up.

  “Well, hello there!” came Laurel’s chipper voice. Michelle smiled.

  “How on earth can you be so cheerful?” she said, feigning a pout. “You’re only a month behind me; you should still be ill and irritable.” Laurel’s laugh sounded out merrily through the phone line.

  “Aw, don’t hate me cause I’m happy,” the young woman returned. “It’s hard to be glum when I am so loving the feel of my big, round tummy. She’s been kicking me like mad all day.” Michelle smiled; she absently rested one hand on her stomach.

  “My little one kicks me mostly at night,” she said. “When I’m trying to sleep.”

  “Yes, well, he wants attention, like most men do,” Laurel returned. “My little girl’s relentless with the kicking. I still have a so long to go, too. When’s your due date again?”

  “Fifty-six days away,” Michelle said, giving a soft laugh. “I promised myself I would not be counting the days but I must confess I want the baby to come right now. I want to be able to sleep normally again.”

  “I hear you,” Laurel said. “Also, it will be nice to fit into at some of my old clothes. Though, Luca seems to like my pregnant body a whole lot.”

  Michelle blushed, thinking of William’s own whispered endearments and fond touches; she knew he felt similarly but did not say
so.

  “Maybe it is because our men know they are responsible for our current state and find it self-congratulatory,” she ventured. Laurel giggled.

  “You may be onto something there,” her friend said, still chuckling. “I’m going to head out and grocery-shop. I need chocolate. Just checking in.”

  “Thank you, Laurel,” Michelle said, smiling. “Have fun.” Saying goodbye, she hung up the phone. She smiled, thinking of her husband and how he looked at her; mostly she’d seen a measure of pride in his eyes. Sometimes, she felt very unattractive and disproportionate, but the prospects of the new little one in their life chased away most feeling of such a nature. William certainly had no qualms about touching her.

  Glancing at the clock once more, the woman of the house walked around the living room. Straightening the couch cushions, Michelle made her way into the kitchen; she checked on the lamb stew as it simmered in the large, copper pot. Turning off the burner, she fit the lid on tightly, to keep it warm. She took out a bakery loaf f bread and folded it into a cloth, setting it into a wicker basket. There was just enough time to shower and get changed before William came home. Heading to her bedroom, Michelle rubbed her aching neck, swaying it slowly from side to side.

  The shower felt incredibly good. Michelle washed and rubbed conditioner in her hair quickly, just so she could sit still in the hot water longer. Eventually, though, all good showers must end. Stepping out, Michelle dried off, smiling down at her swollen mid-section. Wrapping her hands possessively around the ‘baby’, she sighed; pregnancy wasn’t as bad as she’d feared. So far the tender thoughts of motherhood outweighed the irrational fears. The only doubts preying her now were whether or not she’d be a good mom.

  Once her hair was dry, Michelle dressed in a comfortable, dark-brown maternity skirt and a white tunic; just getting dressed proved laborious. Michelle had abandoned the idea of putting on socks or tights months ago.