The Substitute Teacher

Part 40 ~ Sudden Change of Heart

NEXT DAY
_________

I wake up to heavy rain and loud thunderstorm. A huge smile appears on my face when I realize where I'm at. Butterfles fill me up with warmth all over my body. I love this bed! Michael isn't next to me . . he isn't even in the room . . but I think I hear the TV in the living room. . . what time is it? . . I look at the clock . . it's 8:30am . . . way too early to get up . . which reminds me, I'm going back to work in a few days . . so not looking forward to it. 

The door opens just as I'm about to get out of bed. 

"Morning, I hope I didn't wake up, I was just gonna get my phone charger" 

He walks around the bed to his night table, trips over something and falls down. I burst out laughing. Michael gets up, shaking his head.

"I'm ok, thank you"

"I'm sorry . . that was so funny . . what did you trip over?"

"Your purse"

"Oh, I'm sorry"

"It's ok . . umm . . my mom is on her way here"

"She is?. . did you invite her?" 

"Not exactly . . she called this morning and asked about the honeymoon"

"Oh boy . . . did you tell her that you don't wanna do it?" 

"No. . I didn't . . she said she got the plane tickets and that she got us checked in in the nicest hotel there, I mean, how can I say no when she took care of everything already? . . . we have to go . . if you don't mind" 

"Michael . . listen . . going to Paris sounds wonderful to me but does it to you? we're not going on this honeymoon if you don't want to . . we talked about it yesterday, remember? . . it's ok if you don't wanna go but you have to break it to your mother and find some kind of excuse. ."

"No it's ok"

"What? . . what is ok?"

"The whole thing . . it's ok . ."

"The whole thing, what? Paris? are you telling me you wanna go?"

"Yea . . it's alright"

"No, Michael listen . . I don't want it to be ''alright'' . . if you don't wanna go, then we won't. . just because your mother bought the tickets and got us checked in and everything, doesn't mean you have to force yourself to go . . I don't wanna get on that plane with you, knowing you don't wanna go . . . it's ok . . . you can be honest with her and tell her that we changed our minds . . if she asks me about it, I'll just tell her that we're fighting and that it was my fault that we can't go . . . ok?"

"Ariana . . I don't need to tell my mom any of that . ."

"Ugh. . . do you want me to tell her?" 

He sits down on the bed.

"Hello? are you listening to me? I'm not gonna tell my mom any of the things you just said . . you know why? because I wanna go, ok? . . I really wanna go but what about you? . . that's the question"

"That's the question? if I wanna go? . . Michael you KNOW I wanna go . . but I know you don't . . the things you said to me yesterday about too much pressure and all that, I respect it, ok? you don't have to pretend that you wanna go just because we had a love night . . . really not, I'm ok if you wanna blow it off"

"Are you even listening to me? I WANNA GO TO PARIS . . what part of that don't you understand? I know what I said yesterday . . I remember . . but I wanna go . . I changed my mind! and not because we had a ''love night'' I wanna go to Paris simply because I wanna go . . that's it . . ok? . . are you in or not?"

"Well yea . . of course . . but why all of a sudden? I don't get it"

DOOR BELL RINGS . . .

"That's my mom . . ."

I follow him to the door. "Michael please talk to me about this, we have to talk this through! I'm confused as to why you changed your mind so quickly . . I mean yesterday you were so against it and now you're ok with it? what brought this on? . . we need to talk about this first before we agree to it!"

He opens the door . . I put on a forced smile.

"Hiiii Katherine . . how nice to see you!" - "Hi mom!"

"Aww dear . . I'm so sorry for stopping by so early, I hope I didn't wake you"

"Ohh nooo, I was up already :)"

"Here is the envelope. . both plane tickets and the name of the hotel you guys are staying at . . I wish you guys a wonderful time there . . please take lots of pictures and bring home a few goodies . . I gotta go now, your father needs to go to the eye doctor . . call me before you two leave for the airport ok? love you guys!"

Katherine kisses us both on the cheek and leaves.

Michael's holding the envelope in his hands. . . awkward silence fills the hallway. We both walk back to the bedroom . . Michael throws the envelope on his pillow. . I sit down on the bed and grab it. "Are you sure about this?" 

"YES! . . why are you questioning me?" 

"Well . . I don't think you remember exactly what you said yesterday . . if you knew, then you would understand why I'm so confused . . is it because we had sex?? please be honest with me!"

"It's not because we had sex! why are you being so annoying?"

"Annoying? I'm not being annoying, I just wanna know why . . ."

"Why? Because I WANNA GO and if you keep questioning me about it, I'm gonna take someone else!" He says bluntly, leaving the bedroom . . I follow him out to the hallway. 

"Very funny . . who are you gonna take instead of me? . . I'm your wife. ."

"That's right . . and that's why I wanna take YOU . . but you're making such a big deal about it, I don't even know what to say anymore . . I really wanna go . . if you don't wanna believe me, then I'll go by myself"

"Yea right . . ."

"I'm serious . . . I don't mind going by myself . ."

"Ok . . I wanna go . . of course I do"

"Then it's settled . . . right?"

"Right"

He walks to the kitchen, leaving me standing in the hallway. Could it be that he really had a change of heart? . . it seems so strange to me though . . why would he? yesterday he told me how bad he feels . . how he dislikes the idea of going on that honeymoon, how pressured he feels and everything . . I don't get it . . why this sudden change? . . could it be the sex? . . he liked it . . he liked it a little too much and now he wants to take me after all. . . is that it?

. . could that be it?


~ to be continued ~