Julian

I. January, Ch. 1

     "I'm pregnant," said Lisa.

     It was a pleasant blow to the gut, both a choke and a breath of fresh air. It was every question in the world being answered at once. "You're what?" said Marlo.

     Lisa fiddled with the edge of her apron. "Pregnant. Twelve weeks."

     Marlo's skin became the same color of the wedding dress his wife wore three years ago. If his blood ran any colder, his veins would crack. "Pregnant?"

     She nodded.

     His sad eyes searched the bedroom for answers. After twelve months of trying, it was finally happening.

     The sound of children's laughter leaked into the room.

     Marlo smiled at the sound. It was the neighborhood kids playing in the streets, enjoying the last of their winter break from school.  

     Lisa took Marlo's pale face in her hands. She wiped away the tears that slid down his cheeks. "Say something. Please."

     His neurons explored every corner of his brain for comforting words. He wanted to hold her, but forgot how to move. All he did was smile.

     She smiled back.

     "A baby? We... having a baby?"

     Lisa wrapped her thin arms around her husband's torso. She nodded against his chest.

     As her body heat transferred to him, he felt a protective urge coming on, an instinct to defend his offspring and its mother. He broke into a gentle fit of laughter, losing his mind in the most pleasant way possible.

     Lisa laughed with him. "Are you more relaxed now?"

     He took Lisa in his arms. With the little strength he had, he lifted her off the shag carpet. "Am I ever. This is exactly the kind of news I needed."

     She kissed Marlo's laughing lips. "Don't worry about those hypocrites, darling. No matter what, you'll always have me."

     Marlo's worries melted away. He stopped thinking about the Julian High School faculty members who didn't respect him, or the pre-semester luncheon he was attending in five minutes. 

     How could two simple words make a man so happy?

     She took the ends of his undone bow tie and fastened the garment around his shirt collar. "You're a man of principles, a family man. I'm very proud of you."

     His heart tripled in size. "Family man? You say that because we're going to be parents?"

     "I say that because of what you did for Calvin and his friend. You didn't have to hire them."

     "I did it for Mother. She wanted him to be looked after."

     Lisa's kind face turned cold, as it always did when discussing her late mother-in-law. "Even after what she did to you, you still follow her orders."

     "She was my mother, Lisa."

     "A mother who abandoned you."

     Marlo's face turned hard. "I made mistakes, too."

     "You were just a kid."

     He wanted to argue, but he knew better than to go against Lisa's passionate protectiveness.

     Lisa looked into his eyes. "I would never walk out on you. You know that, don't you?"

     "I know, baby."