Page 138 of Range
My knees graced the cushion on the floor. My head hung over the toilet rim. My back lifted and fell with each heave.
Tears blurred my vision. Gagging strained my vocals. Nausea threatened to end me.
I waited for the inevitable while cleaning the drip from my nose. To my surprise, the nausea subsided. I pulled my legs up toward my chest and leaned my head against the vanity in case my body decided to clear its insides in the toilet one more time.
With the largetumbler in my hand, I exited the closet that I was slowly bringing to life. My mother’s message was full of suggestions to help suppress the violence morning sickness caused daily. I responded to the message with a single black heart.
A mother. My thoughts rang out. Disbelief still held me by the ears.
I strolled through the second wing of our home, enjoying the natural sunlight as it shined into the ten foot windows. Mentally, I began to fill the walls and rooms with decor. However, physically, I was unable to lend any energy to the idea of furnishing them.
The kitchen lights sensed my presence and lit the large canvas. Crackers were on the list of items Rhea advised me to keep stocked. I was almost certain that Roaman’s grocery store visit included the purchase of some.
“Gosh!”
The brooding presence on the other side of the kitchen startled me. I placed my tumbler on the counter and leaned forward, hand on my chest. Chemistry was unmoving. He peeredin my direction, legs gapped and one hand hovering over the sleeve of crackers I was in search of.
“What are you d– How long have you been here?”
“Have a seat,” he insisted, ignoring the questions I was asking.
I obliged, slowly making my way to him. When near, he leaned forward and slid back the chair closest to his right side.
“Teddy,” I greeted him, settling into the seat.
“Good evening, Range.”
I tried, but failed to read him. He was a closed book.
“Hi.”
“Here,” he said, opening the crackers. “Have some. They could help.”
“Rhea– She said they might.”
“You’ve talked to her?”
“Just a minute ago.”
“Good. That was one of the reasons I’m here.”
“And the other?”
“You’re a smart girl, baby.”
I paused, taking a second to gather my thoughts while stuffing a cracker in my mouth.
Chemistry’s gaze never left me. I finished the cracker off with a sip of water from my tumbler.
I shook my head, hand up to my mouth as I cleared it to speak.
“This– this was not the plan.”
Chemistry didn’t need me to spell it out. He was here for a reason. And, that reason was the babies growing in my belly.
“Not everything goes according to plan,” he reminded me.
“Yeah. I know,” I sighed.
