There Will Be Freedom (not mine)

17. Late Night Shopping

I sighed. "He's making everyone suffer because he's suffering. He won't see a doctor, he hasn't made an appointment with his therapist, and he's always on edge."

"Well, I would be too if I were him. He's got a baby to look out for now." She bit her lip, trying not to smile too wide. "We're all so excited. And he is too. I can tell."

"I wish he would talk to me about it."

"He hasn't said anything?"

I shook my head. "Not really. I think he's happy about it, but every time I try to bring up the baby, he changes the subject. I don't know what that means."

"Well, he talks to me about it."

"Really? What does he say?" I asked, eager to hear something about the topic.

"He's really stressed, as you could imagine. He freaks out if you get a paper cut and now you're just super fragile. He's trying to let you live your life, but he's worried about you...especially after last time."

"I figured as much."

"Did you know he pulled the connecting lines from your carbonator last week? That's why it hasn't been working."

"Yeah, I found them in his sock drawer. I let the driver take me everywhere now so I don't have to argue with Justin about it."

"He just needs to sort it out, but he's so busy."

Suddenly, the phone rang.

"Ah, it's your wonderful husband." Jane pushed a button on the screen of her computer.

"Jane, I need you to go into my office and find my silver cufflinks. I know I had them when I left the house. Maddie put them right next to my watch."

She held up said cufflinks in her hand and shook her head at me. "You took them off to fix your shirt this morning and then got that call from the Mayor so were distracted. You left without them."

"And you didn't tell me? What kind of secretary are you?"

"The one who knows that theses cufflinks didn't even go with that suit you had on. I saved you."

"I have impeccable fashion sense."

I laughed behind my hand, trying to disguise my presence. Of course, he heard me.

"Is that Maddie? It sounded like Maddie. Maddie, are you there?"

"No," Jane snapped. "Pay attention to your lunch meeting. You have to be back here in an hour for a conference call to Japan."

She hung up the phone without another word.

"You're the only one who can talk to him like that," I said.

"Because I'm his work wife. He hired me to be a hardass. Whenever I let him get away with things, he scolds me."

"Well, keep it up. Can I go in?"

"Sure, Lydia's waiting for you."

"Perfect."

"Bye, Baby Justin." She waved at my stomach. "See you soon."

Everyone in the family was doing that these days.

Today was a good day on the pregnancy scale. I only threw up once, and it didn't even hurt. I ate a sensible and healthy breakfast. I snacked on a rice cake for lunch and was supposed to meet Justin for dinner before going to work. I even walked to the fucking treadmill in the basement since Jaxon said I was getting fat. I almost cried when he said that. I blamed it on hormones.