The next morning, Jimmy treated me like I never learned how to walk. He helped me get out of bed, and he had his arm snaked around my waist as I walked to the bathroom to brush my teeth. He was trying to help me out as much as he could now that I was pregnant. I could not imagine how he would treat me as I got bigger.
Jimmy kept his arm around me as we walked down the stairs to breakfast. Charles was sitting at the end of the table with a book in his hands. Tommy was leaning back relaxed in his chair. He was cleaning his fingernails with his pocket knife. An empty bowl sat in front of him. I was relieved that he did not look up at me.
I went to walk over to the cupboard to get us some bowls and cereal. Jimmy put his hand on my shoulder and pulled me back toward him. He forced me to sit down in the chair across from Tommy.
"Sit down," he said. "I'll get it."
Charles chuckled and looked over the top of his book at me.
"Oh, I remember when Marilyn was first pregnant with James," he said. "For the first few days, I wouldn't let her do anything. The first baby is always the scariest."
"Wait." Tommy flipped the blade of his knife back in. He sat straight and his eyes widened. "Julie's pregnant?"
His voice was filled with venom. He was gnawing on the corner of his lip. My stomach twisted and I could feel the tension build in his body.
"Yeah," Jimmy said, setting the food down in front of me. He lightly ran his fingers through my hair. "I'll have a son soon."
"Unless it's a girl," Tommy said.
"It won't be."
Tommy's nostrils flared. He opened the blade of his knife. He held it against the edge of the table. He made deep slashes into the wood as he stared between Jimmy and me.
"Thomas!" Charles yelled. "Stop that right now. Go outside. I'll meet you out there in a few minutes."
Tommy let out a deep breath and flipped the blade back in. He pushed his chair away from the table and stormed outside. Charles leaned back in his chair and rolled his eyes.
"What am I going to do with that boy?" he muttered.
Jimmy sat and we began eating our breakfast. I watched Charles as he got up from the table and slipped his arms through his jacket.
"Juliet," he said. "I don't want you cooking any meat tonight."
"Dad, Julie should definitely be eating right now," Jimmy said.
Charles scowled. I have never heard Jimmy so boldly disagree with his father. I pulled at the sleeves of my sweater and began picking at the ends.
"Do as I say," Charles said. "You are living in my house. Somebody else will come onto our property soon. One day without meat is not going to hurt Juliet or your baby."
"Okay," Jimmy said.
I could tell from Jimmy's voice that he was disappointed. Jimmy was raised to respect and never question his elders. Charles gave us a quick nod before heading out the door.
Jimmy picked the bowls up from the table, and I stood. Jimmy put his hand on my shoulder and pushed me back down into the seat. He dropped the bowls into the sink. I went to stand again, and Jimmy put his hand back on my shoulder and forced me down.
"Jimmy, I need to clean up," I said.
"Julie, sit down," he said.
"No, I am okay," I said. "I was pregnant a couple of days ago and neither of us knew. There is no reason to treat me differently now."
"Julie," Jimmy said. He got down on one knee in front of me. He held my hands in his. "The baby is getting stronger. That is why you were so sick yesterday. I want you to take it easy so that the two of you will be healthy. Try to get your chores done, but don't push yourself too hard."
A few strands of hair had fallen out from behind his ear. It was hiding the clear part of his face, leaving him to look like a grotesque monster. A monster was the last possible thing he was; he was my saviour. He was the only person who was going to protect me.
He reached out and rubbed my belly. I smiled and covered his hand with mine.
"Thank you," I said.
"I've got to keep you safe," he said. "Right now, things are going to change. I don't want you anywhere near Tommy now, do you understand?"
"Yes I do," I said.
"Good," he said, kissing my forehead before getting up off of his knee. "Remember that I love you."
"Thank you," I said. "I love you too."
--
For the next few weeks, I tried to avoid looking at Tommy as much as I possibly could. He would scowl at me, and I noticed that his eyes were always locked on my stomach. I crossed my arms over my belly, like I was protecting my baby from his evil glare.
Jimmy did not seem to notice this. He was still treating me like I was made out of glass. He would help me put away the dishes after dinner. He would tuck me into bed and read to me at night. I always wished he would read for longer, but he would kiss my head and insist that I needed to sleep.
One morning, I woke to Jimmy stroking his fingers along my arm. He kissed my cheek when he saw my eyes flutter open.
"Julie," he said. He brushed my hair out of my face and kissed my lips. I opened my eyes wider to see the room was flooded with sunlight. Jimmy must have not set an alarm. We were usually up before the crack of dawn.
"I slept in," I said as I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand.
Jimmy chuckled.
"I let you sleep in," he said. "Dad and Tommy were going into town today, but Tommy is sick. Dad can't go alone, so I have to go with him. I tried to convince Dad to go next week, but he refused. Maybe we can buy some meat today."
Charles only allowed me to cook meat on Sundays. The weeks were dragging on and I could see how their patience was running thin. Even Jimmy would snap at me if I was taking too long to get dressed or doing the dishes.
I began to feel disgusted with the way I was thinking because I was praying that someone would come onto our property soon. I wanted someone to be captured and brought down to the basement. I wanted something that was going to make them happier. What I feared so much, I was now hoping for. The snow had begun to blanket the ground, so I doubted anyone would come onto our property soon.
"I'll be alone with Tommy?" I asked.
"Yeah." He nodded his head. I could see him gnawing at the corner of his lip. "I don't want you to leave this room. I'm going to tell them that you are sick. I don't want you to leave this bed."
I shook my head and reached out for Jimmy's hand. The last time I was alone with Tommy he had threatened to hurt me through the bathroom door. I no longer had the protection of my bathroom lock to keep me safe.
"Jimmy," I said.
I had my fingers curled around his wrist. He shook me off, and I cradled my belly.
"Julie, don't whine," he said. "Trust me, I hate the idea just as much as you do. That is why I need you to stay in our room."
"What if Tommy comes in?" I asked.
"He won't."
"But what if he does?"
"Juliet." He was losing his patience with me. It was rare that he ever used my full name. "Stop asking questions and just trust me. It is going to be okay."
I nodded. There was nothing else that I could do. I just had to trust Jimmy, like I always have. He will protect me, especially since I was carrying his baby boy.
"Okay," I said. "I'm going to miss you."
Jimmy kissed me. He got off the bed and walked over to the rocking chair. He picked up the orange and yellow knit blanket on the back of the chair. He unfolded it as he walked back over to the bed.
"Lie down and get comfy," he said.
I nestled back in bed and pulled the sheets over me. Jimmy draped the blanket over me. He sat on the edge of the bed and kissed my forehead.
"I brought some toast up for you while you were asleep," he said. "I don't want you leaving this room, but I don't want you to go hungry. We shouldn't be gone for long."
"Okay," I said. "Be safe."
"Of course," he said.
He leaned in and kissed me before he planted another kiss on my forehead. He got up off the bed, and a shiver ran up my spine. He opened the bedroom door and Buster burst through as he jumped up onto the bed. I pulled my arms out of the tight cocoon Jimmy had just made for me so that I could scratch Buster's fur.
"Do you want him to stay in the room?" Jimmy asked.
"Yes, please," I said.
"Alright," he said. "You remember what I said, right?"
"I'm not going to leave the room until you get home."
"Good girl. I'll see you soon."
He closed the bedroom door behind him.
--
I must have fallen back asleep because when I woke I felt someone twirling a piece of my hair around their finger. My heavy eyes opened as my lips lifted into a smile.
Jimmy must already be home.
Tommy was sitting on Jimmy's side of the bed. He had his legs crossed underneath him. His lips curled into an evil-looking smirk when he saw that I was awake.
There was a clicking noise before the cold metal of his pocket knife was pressed against the side of my throat.
"Rise and shine, Jules."