4EVER

Chapter 32 - Word Association

"Can you give me an example?"

"Lemme think..."

The pad of her index finger ran along her bottom lip."

"In one chapter, I wrote about how the hurts from our family of origin creep into our relationships but I trashed it because the focus isn't on that it's about dating relationships that lead to your forever."

"Well that's understandable. I think I have a major fear of disclosing different stories or aspects of my life and then maybe regretting it. Plus those circumstances would involve other people and maybe..."

"Maybe what?"

"Maybe they wouldn't want those things shared or find out how I perceived those situations as they may have thought or saw them differently."

Suddenly off the sofa, she was looking out the window.

"You looking for an escape route?" Snickering at his own funny.

"Noooo..."

Off to the kitchen she went filling a kettle and grabbing the tea tin from the cupboard.

"You want some?"

Smacking his hands on his thighs, he rose, navigating to her, hovering until she eventually overfilled the tea kettle at the faucet.

"Ohhh..." At the overflowing mishap.

"Looks like someone isn't paying attention."

Half of the water she poured into the sink before setting the kettle on the gas flame. Sputters from the water on the heat sounded as he thought of what to ask next, instead he didn't have to.

"Prince?"

"Hmmm?" Hands slipped up her short top to navigate downward and caressed the skin of her waist up and down to the ridge of her low rise joggers. As she turned to face him, he assumed his previous position, straight back to business, his thumb softly rubbing the skin between the hollow of her hip bone and belly where she was already starting to show.

In his mind he knew she had to have gotten pregnant pretty quick to be showing so soon.

"You've never behaved like the world was owed any of your privacy."

"What?" He asked distracted by her voice and the loveliness of feeling the culmination of their love snuggly cocooned in her belly.

"You've never felt that you had to share your private life."

"Well not with the world but I definitely feel I owe it with someone...like you."

"Owe me?" Confused at his word choice.

"Yeah...I mean I want you to know everything about me. No secrets, no gaps, no missing chapters." Prince pledged to her.

"Damn...dammit..." Clearing her voice and wiping her clammy hands on the front of her sweats she quickly washed her hands to cool down. Ranges in body temperature was normal during pregnancy and Noelle just couldn't get regulated.

"I'm sorry I need some air."

"Air? What the hell Noelle it's a blizzard out there."

"I feel like I'm burning up."

"Noelle...then take a cool shower but don't go out in this mess. Lemme start it for you."

Prince was worried. While he believed she felt hot he also considered a larger portion of this was the anxiety of not sharing the truth, an issue he too struggled with in his life.

Instead of a shower as he suggested, Prince drew a nice lukewarm bath and helped her at every step from removing her clothes to pinning her hair.

Once she slid into the the tub, he brought her his lavender bar soap and a cup of chamomile tea sweetened with a few drizzles of honey that she had started but abandoned in the kitchen.