Trapped By A Storm

Five

  I grabbed my bags from the conveyer belt and feel arms come around me. I smiled as I turned into his body. "Hi, honey!"

  "Hello sweetheart!" He lowered his head to kiss me. When he raised his head, he framed my face with his hands. "Are you ok, sweetheart? You look pale. Are you sick?"

  I shook my head with a smile. "No honey, I'm tired, but not sick. Are you going to take me home?"

  Trace picked up my bags. "I like the sound of that. Home! Let's go home sweetheart!"

   It takes us forty-five minutes to get home. Trace has a nice habit of holding my hand any time we are in the car.

  When we get home, I put my bags in our bedroom. Then return to the den. Trace is tensed up. "Trace, honey, will you sit with me?"

  We sit in his recliner. "I know that you are worried about me. But I just had to come and talk to you face to face." He nodded, but didn't say anything. "Honey, I'm pregnant. I found out this afternoon."

  He just stared at me.

  "Did you hear me?" I asked him when he didn't say anything. "Trace?" Still nothing. I try to stand up off his lap, but he holds me still. I can't look him in the eye.

  "Pregnant? We're going to have a baby?" I look up and see tears in his eyes. Along with a look of wonder and love.

  "You're not upset?"

  "Upset? No sweetheart! I love the idea of us having a baby! Is that why you are pale?"

  "Yes. It is also why I passed out at work this morning. And why I was fired today."

  "Wait a minute! You passed out at work and he fired you?"

  I nodded. "The smell of seafood makes me nauseous. Today's special was salmon. I called Bentley in to take my shift. As I was walking past the salmon, I  fainted. They called an ambulance. That's when I found out that I was pregnant. Then Marcus called demanding that I come in. I refused and he fired me. He tried to get me to stay on when I went and cleaned out my locker. Then I decided that a call would not be good enough for telling you that I'm pregnant. So now here I am."

  "I am so happy that you are here!" Trace drew me into his arms again and I cried. He held me tighter.

  We went to bed and talked about the baby. "So how long are you here for?"

  "I don't know. How long do you want me here?"

  "Forever." He looked into my eyes. "I love you Tamara. I want a real marriage. But I will not push you on it. I just need you to know where I stand."

  "I love you too, Trace! I'm good with a real marriage. I guess that means that I am here for life!" We made love slowly.

  I wake up the next morning and feel safe, but still nauseous. Good grief! When is this shit going to stop? Maybe if I lay here really still, I will be fine.

  Nope! Off I go! Trace holds my hair out of my way as I empty my stomach. I'm embarrassed that he is seeing me like this. But when I tried pushing him away, he resisted.

  I brush my teeth. Trace picks me up and takes me back to bed. "Thank you for your help. I just didn't want to be seen like that."

  "Sweetheart, I'm responsible for your morning sickness. I should be there when you need me. I will do everything in my power to help you throughout the whole pregnancy and be a good daddy. A good husband. I love you."
 
   "I love you too, Trace! But we have a small decision to make." He lifted an eyebrow in question. "How do you want to tell your parents?"

  His smile is so beautiful. "We can go over and surprise them. Whenever you feel like going."

  "Let me shower and I'll be ready." I took a quick shower with Trace. For once, we didn't have sex in the shower.

  When we get to Mike and Rachel's, we walk in to see them in the kitchen. "Need some help mom?"

  Rachel doesn't turn from the stove. "You aren't Tamara. And I cook better than you. So no I don't need help."

  "Well I'm Tamara." I said laughing.

  My in-laws both turned to me with smiles. "Welcome back Tamara! We didn't expect you back so soon."

  "I kinda surprised Trace last night."

  I wobbled on my feet a little and Trace was right there. "Sit down sweetheart."

  Rachel pulled the bacon off the heat. She then added several eggs and stirred the gravy.

   Trace put some bread into the toaster for me. Hopefully it will settle my stomach.

  They both kept glancing at me. We sat down to eat. "Ok! So I'm going to shoot it straight. Why are you dizzy?" Mike said suddenly.

  I look at Trace. I can tell that Rachel is putting it together quickly. "We are going to have a baby." Rachel screamed in joy and threw her arms in the air. "Yesterday she fainted at work. Tamara wanted to tell me personally, so she flew in last night."

  Rachel hugged us both. Then Mike got his hugs. We talked about how we felt about being pregnant.

  "So is the baby going to be born in Galveston? Or here? Sorry, I don't want to be nosey or pushy. But you live in separate states." Mike said.

  "We actually have that settled also." Trace said as I had a bite of toast in my mouth. "We will now live together." He looked at me for confirmation. "Here." I  nodded. There was nothing keeping me in Texas now. I will sell the houses and move everything here, or sell it too.

  "That's great! We can see our grandbaby growing! I do believe that I am a very happy woman!"

  "I need to figure out what to move here, what to sell, things like that."

  "What all do you have?" Mike asked.

  "Two houses, furniture in both. The usual dishes in both, linen, my car, jeep, and truck."

  "If you want, we can keep one of the houses and use it as a vacation home. I know the one you live in is special to you." Trace suggested.

  "That sounds great! Then I just have to sell one house. I guess that I can clear out dad's house and sell it. I never liked it. He only bought it because mother is a snob and wanted bigger."

  "Well you have all of us now. You don't have to do everything alone anymore. You just tell one of us what you need and we'll get it done." Rachel hugged me tightly.

  "Don't make me cry. I am an ugly crier." I told her honestly.