Bowie

17

She insisted we leave the house as soon as possible. We left a day after Thanksgiving. Although we never ended up eating dinner with her family, they didn't bother to check in on us. She wrote a note and left it on the counter, but not before eating anything that she could get her hands on. "I'm just so hungry..." She kept saying. We pulled our bags to the car and drove off. I drove on the way to the airport and tapped my fingers on the steering wheel and taking a drag from the cigarette between my teeth.

Ilse gazed out the window and sighed. "I'm sorry." She whispered. I took hold of one of her hands.

          "Don't be sorry." I said. She looked at me and looked away just as we got into the airport.

***

          The plane landed and we went to her apartment to feed the cat and straighten things out before heading back to my apartment. When we got the the door I noticed a wad of cash in front of the it. I picked it up and put it in my pocket. Damn it! I thought, unlocking the door. If Julie isn't back in England, she could be anywhere in New York.

"Our doctors appointments are tomorrow!" Ilse yelled, muffled by a piece of bread and a chunk of cookie dough she had stuffed in her mouth. I pushed Julie from my mind walked into the kitchen.I gave her a discussed look. She tilted her head. "What?" She asked, swallowing hard.

"Do you want me to make some real food?" I asked. "I could make you a hamburger, or some spaghetti or something?"

"Both?" She asked, laughing a little. "Okay. Spaghetti." She said smiling and plopping down on the couch.

"Spaghetti it is." But why is she so hungry all the time. When we first met she barely ate anything and she is a small girl.

When dinner was done I placed it on the table and went to go get Ilse. She was sitting on the couch with her knees pulled up to her chin and her eyes were closed. I leaned in as close as I could to her without her knowing before pressing my forehead to hers. Her green eyes opened and she smiled at me and pulled me into the couch. She kissed me and ran her nimble fingers through my hair before getting up and walking to the table.

"I'm starving!" She exclaimed.

***

"Ok. Mr. Jones?" I nodded. "Here are the papers you will need for the passport..." My doctor handed me the papers.

"Thank you." I stood up and the doctor shook my hand.

"You can wait in the waiting room for your wife or go into the room with her." I chose to sit and wait in the waiting room.

Ilse walked out looking pale and sick. She waved her papers and motioned me to leave. I pressed my hand softly into her back. "Are you alright?" I asked.

"I think I'm going to be sick." She handed me her papers and braced herself on the side of a trash bin and threw up.

"Ilse!" I exclaimed. She held on tighter to the trash bin. I looked down at the papers in my hand. And on the front page was a pregnancy test.

It was positive.