Life In Gotha

Chapter 2

Mason was sitting quietly at the island in the kitchen, well as quietly as one can with a 3 year old present, working a puzzle with Ella. She had chosen it for the unicorn and fairies that covered the front of the box since all things magical were her current obsession. She was extremely smart for her age and Mason beamed with pride as he watched her easily pick out and connect puzzle pieces. He helped make the outline as she concentrated on finding the rainbow pieces for the horn and tail of the Unicorn. Suddenly Ella slid out of her chair and skipped off towards the living room, just as Mason was about to remind her to be quiet so her mother could finish napping, she stopped just outside the doorway and peered into the room. And then she took off running from his sight. Mason heard Ella's sweet voice murmur, "Mommy." Alina must have woken at some point, he just hoped the nausea and headache that had hit her hard and fast and been the reason for her nap had subsided. She had complained of blurred vision on top of these symptoms as well, so naturally Mason had been worried but Alina was a stubborn woman. Mason had asked if she thought a trip to the Doctor may be in order but she had adamantly let him know that a nap was all she thought she needed. Alina had always been very strong willed though and it was almost never worth it to push a subject with her unless Mason could truly see the benefits outweighed the potential argument. He loved her, had since they were 15 years old and understood her quirks for the most part.   

Mason stood from the table and headed towards the living room to join his wife and daughter. Ella came running around the corner and stopped him mid stride as she wrapped her arms around his legs and smiled that gorgeous smile up at him. "Daddy!" She spoke in a determined way. "Yes, dear?" Mason responded and picked her up into is strong arms. "Mommy is being so silly!" Ella giggled. Mason grinned at her and kissed her cheek. "Well, lets go see how she's feeling, Liebling." Liebling was the word Alina had used for Ella since the first day cuddling her newborn t her bosom in the hospital. It was a remnant from Alina's childhood with her German immigrant parents and had come as naturally as breathing. Ella was her liebling.

Mason strode into the room carrying Ella. He stopped at the sight of his beautiful wife, even after 2 years of marriage and 8 years of courtship, she still set something inside of him on fire. She stood looking at their latest family photo hung over the mantle, her dark wavy hair falling loosely down to her waist. She was a small woman compared to Mason's 6 foot frame, standing about 5'3. One of his favorite things had always been the way she fit against his body when he embraced her, like he could engulf with his broad shoulders and hands almost twice the size of hers. He felt like her protector, physically and mentally. Mason sat Ella down and walked up behind Alina who seemed to be deep in thought and went to wrap his arms around her. She spun around, startled and looking skittish, like a squirrel in the middle of the road, twitching and trying to figure out which way to run before it was flattened. She stared at him with her mesmerizing eyes, the blues and greens that swirled there had always reminded him of the Aurora Borealis over Alaska in late February. Everything about her was amazing to him. "Whats wrong?" he asked softly and went to stroke her cheek. Alina backed away quickly and his fingers fell back to his side. "Did your nap not help? You look like you may feel worse." He inquired, concern edging its way into his voice. Ella walked to her fathers side and watching the situation happening before her with curiosity. "Babe, talk to me. You're scaring me." Mason said and tried to laugh for Ella's benefit but it came out a tight sound almost as if he was coughing. He cleared his throat, his chest tight. There was no amount of pretend laughter going to change the look he saw on Alina face and it struck fear into his heart, not for himself but for his wife. Alina took another step back before quietly asking "Whats going on?" Mason didn't understand what she meant and said nothing for a moment. He watched her, something was off, not just her behavior but she held herself differently and her words had come out with more of the German accent she'd had when they first met, an accent that had slowly subsided over years of being around the native Floridians and after her parents passing. "What do you mean, babe?" He tried to step closer to her again but with every step he took forward she took one back until her calves were pressed against the sofa, so he stopped and took a deep breath. "Did you have one of your dreams where Ive done something to make you angry?" He prompted her and genuinely laughed this time because it had happened more times than he cared to admit and she would pout and act legitimately upset until the dream wore off. Suddenly Alina's posture straightened and looked a bit aggressive, "No!" She almost screamed. She took a deep breath and Mason could visually see her trying to compose herself. "Mason, I haven't seen you in 3 years." She stated matter of factly, "So, what are you doing in my house and why or should I say how did you manage to change everything around?" She gestured about wildly with her arms. Mason saw more fear in her eyes than the anger she was trying to project. Her brow was furrowed with confusion and her posture wasn't that of someone ready to spring forward and attack but looked closer to someone weighing their options should they need to flee. Mason was stunned at this outburst, and it was now he who took a step backwards. He squinted at her trying to understand. Was this a joke? Had she somehow lost her memory in her sleep? Was that even possible? So many questions spun through his mind so quickly he could grip no coherent thought. It was Ella who spoke next, "Mommy, we see you everyday. This morning you made pancakes and I didn't like that syrup but you said it was better for us all. No "pervatives" you said." Mason picked Ella back up and and corrected her "Preservatives." He said before looking back to Alina. "Honey, can you come sit in the kitchen with me and I'll take Ella to play in her room for a few minutes?" Ella protested, "I don't want to go to my room, I haven't been bad!" Mason smiled reassuringly at his daughter, "Of course you haven't but I need to speak to Mommy alone for a moment so no arguing, come along and I'll pull out your fairy house so you can play for a few minutes." Ella pouted but simply responded with an, "Okay." Thank goodness, Mason thought as he trotted up the stairs to her room while trying to figure out what in the world Alina was talking about.

When Mason returned to the kitchen Alina was sitting rigid on one of the stools pulled out from the island. He sat on the stool next to her and she didn't bolt, so that had to be a good sign although from her current behavior he honestly had no clue what to expect from her. He looked at her intently, willing her to look back at him but her eyes remained fixed on the refrigerator which held snap shots of the family, hung with silly magnets all across it. "Alina?" He started quietly, making sure to keep his voice even and to breathe. She turned to look at him. "Can you tell me what you meant by that statement in the living room?" He watched her face intently hoping to read the emotions there but all he saw was confusion now. "I'm not even sure how to explain what's happing myself so I doubt I could explain it to you." She stated and looked him dead in the eye. "How are you feeling? Do you remember when you laid down saying you felt as if you may be sick and that your vision seemed fuzzy?"Mason leaned towards her as he spoke, he was all business now, this was the woman who was his everything and he was beginning to think she may have had a stroke. Alina looked puzzled and shook her head, her mouth hung open for a moment gaping at him like he may as well have sprouted a second head, "Mason, the last memory I have with you in it was the shouting match we had while you packed your things to move out because you said I wasn't coping with losing the baby." Mason's face now mirrored Alina's as his mouth fell open in shock, What the hell was she talking about? Trying desperately to keep his voice even, he asked, "When did we ever lose a baby, Lin? When have I ever left you? How could I? I've loved you since sitting next to you in Coach Davis's History class and I realized I never wanted anyone else to touch you after getting that asshole off you at that party at Michael Steinhorn's in 9th grade! Do you remember that? My world revolves around you and Ella and has as long as I can rememeber." Alina's face hardened and her eyebrows knit together, "Of course I remember that! I haven't lost my mind, Mason! You were my everything from that moment on, until you walked out on me during the worst time of my life and now, to pretend like that didn't happen is sickening!" She stood up so hard the chair she had sat on, fell over behind her and clattered to the floor. Mason's mind whirled and his chest ached at the realization that she truly believed what she was saying. She thought he could hurt her. Hell, she thought he had hurt her in the worst way possible. "Alina, calm down." He begged. "Please, will you let me take you to the doctor? Something has happened and one of us is very confused, if you are correct then I have lost my mind and if I'm correct then you need to be seen immediately because I don't want to lose you! Please, Alina?" Alina stood contemplating and then out of sheer desperation and and confusion she said, "Ok." Mason let out an audible sigh of relief and turned to go upstairs to get Ella, "We will drop Ella with the neighbors and then head out, ok?" Alina remembered the neighbors and how they'd always invited her parents over for barbecues and when she and Mason had started dating as teenagers, they had invited just them over for a nice dinner and treated them like adults. It was a wonderful memory and had been the day she knew she wanted a family one day with Mason and to sit down to nice dinners with children. A tear ran down her cheek, where did that memory come from? What was happening? A doctor seemed the only logical thing to do at this moment in time so she'd go because she had no other ideas. The only emotions she could feel boiling right under the surface were anger, fear and turmoil.