Through the Glass (35 page)

Would she walk out on him again? He honestly no longer thought she would. He trusted her again. And it felt good to be in that place.

Snapping himself from his thoughts, he stood beside her. “C’mon, lassie. I’m taking you home.” He held out his hand, and she slipped hers into it, intertwining her fingers in his.

As she stood, she stopped smiling and leaned on the table. “Oooh. Went a bit dizzy.” She smiled.

“You okay?” he couldn’t hide his concern.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I think I just stood up too quickly. Head rush.” She giggled.

“Well at least we can’t blame the wine. You hardly touched yours.”

“No, I didn’t fancy it. And anyway, I wanted to keep a clear head for later.” She raised her eyebrows at him, and he groaned, rolling his head back.

“Och, you’re killing me. C’mon, lassie. I want you at home and naked…now!” He squeezed her bottom and helped her on with her jacket and scarf. They didn’t have far to walk, but the bitter chill in the air demanded appropriate winter clothing.

As they walked on the icy pavement back to the cottage, she began taking deep breaths. He looked to her and again concern washed over him. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Do you know what, Jim? I have an awful feeling that I’m coming down with something. I keep going dizzy.”

“Oh, no. I hope the food hasn’t disagreed with you, sweetheart. That’s all we need, eh?” He rubbed her back.

“No, it wasn’t the food at all. It was cooked to perfection as always… I…I think maybe I’m getting the flu or…something. My immune system isn’t quite as it should be yet after the…well you know.” He watched as she lifted her hand to her head. They walked as fast as they could in the icy conditions.

Bloody typical. The one Valentine’s Day that we actually get to spend together properly, and my woman’s starting to feel bloody ill. Damn that idiot for drugging her. I wish I could get my bloody hands on the bastard.
He felt selfish at his thoughts then. He was worried about her.

When they arrived home, she rushed up to the bathroom. He heard unpleasant noises coming from up there. This wasn’t ordinary flu. This was turning out to be something like stomach flu. He followed her up and sat on their bed, feeling helpless, running his hands through his hair in a bid to keep them occupied. The urge to ring for a doctor was overwhelming, but he had to try to stop panicking every time she sneezed, coughed, or threw up. She never did like him to be there if she got sick. He’d offer to hold her hair, but she would shout at him and tell him to get out. So this time he sat. Waiting. The sickness started again
.

This is so bloody unfair. The poor wee girl. All I want to do is hold her, but I know she’ll shout at me if I even attempt to go in. Oh shit…what if it’s her liver? I’m going to have to ring the bloody hospital. I can’t just sit here and bloody do nothing. No…I’ll wait awhile… If things don’t calm down, then I am ringing a doctor…and she can complain as much as she bloody likes about me being over bloody protective. Tough. I love her, and I won’t sit by and watch her being ill. I can’t stand it. Yet another bloody Valentine’s Day ruined.

Jim’s train of thought stopped and he began to laugh.
Shit, I think I must have spent too much bloody time with Charles.
He shook his head.

After pacing around the room awhile longer, he realised that everything had gone silent in the bathroom. She had been in there ages now. Had she fainted or something? Panic washed over him again, and he decided to go check on her. Just as he got to the bathroom door, he heard sobbing.

He tapped on the bathroom door. “Flick, you’re really worrying me now, would you please open the door?” The sound of retching came loud again from within the bathroom. “Flick? Maybe I should call the doctor, eh?” He tapped again but the sobbing and sniffing continued. “Stomach flu can be serious, Flick. If that’s what it is, you should really see someone. You could be dehydrated, and I’m really worried.” He tried the door; she hadn’t locked it. She looked up as he walked in. Her eyes were bloodshot, and she was so pale. He noticed she held something in her hand.

“What’s that Flick?” Suddenly he realised what it was, looked back at the distraught expression on her face, and his heart broke. He shook his head. History was repeating itself right before his eyes. “No…no I don’t think I can go through this again.” He ran his hands through his hair, and he released a long breath.

Shakily, she stood and walked over to him. He had covered his face with his hands and tears were threatening to escape, but he was trying to hold them back. This would be it. This would be the end of them. She took his hands and pulled them down so she looked into his eyes.

Croakily she spoke. “Jim, I knew this morning but just presumed it was false, so I didn’t say anything. Then I started feeling sickly at the pub and put it down to the flu or the spices in the chicken—”

“Just don’t, okay? What does it matter? Your face tells me everything I need to know.” He squeezed his jaw tight. “I remember that expression from the last time we thought we were in this position.”

“Well tough, because I’m going to speak and you’re going to bloody listen… I came home and as you could probably tell I got sick. It happened yesterday, too, whilst you were out at the shack. I didn’t think anything of it after the overdose. I just presumed it was connected to that. But I’ve just worked out the dates and done another test.” Tears welled in her eyes and cascaded down her already damp, pale face.

“Aye…well, I’ve already said I can’t go through this again. You broke my heart last time when you didn’t want this, and the look on your face tells me nothing has changed on that front. But I’m telling you, I can’t go through it, Flick… All the heartbreak of knowing it’s not what you want. I can’t handle you feeling this way.” His voice wavered and his throat tightened. “Not now. Not after everything that’s happened. I’ve lost you over and over again and now this? This is just fucking cruel, Flick. Why can’t things to go right, eh?” A sob escaped his throat. Her face was filled with unreadable emotions but none of them looked like the positive kind.

She clenched her teeth. “Jim, will you just bloody shut up for one second?!” she shouted at him. More tears came.

He was torn between asking her to leave and wrapping his arms around her. “Sorry. I’m guessing you have something you need to say then, eh? Some speech about how you’re not ready and how it’s too soon? How you’ve got
decisions
to make.” He watched her expression change to one of hurt.

“Jim…I do have something to say. And I need you to listen, okay? Let go of the bitterness and just hear me out…please?” She placed her hands on his biceps.

He folded his arms across his chest and braced himself for what was coming. His heart pounded against his ribcage. “Go on then,” was all he could force his quivering voice to say.

Confusion surged through him as he saw a smile appear on her face. Her hands moved to his cheeks.

“Jim…Happy Valentine’s Day… You’re going to be a daddy.”

Meet the Author

Lisa is a happily married Mum of one with two crazy dogs.  She especially enjoys being creative; has worked as a singer and now writes full time. Lisa and her family recently relocated from Yorkshire, England to their beloved Scotland; a place of happy holidays and memories for them. 

Writing has always been something Lisa has enjoyed, although in the past it has centered on poetry and song lyrics. 
Her stories have
been building in her mind for a long while but until the relocation, she never had the time to put them down in black and white; working full time as a High School Science Learning Mentor and studying swallowed up any spare time she had.  Making the move north of the border has given Lisa the opportunity to spread her wings and fulfill her dream.  Writing is now a deep passion and she has enjoyed every minute of working towards being published. 

https://www.facebook.com/#!/LisaJHobmanAuthor

http://glipho.com/livingscottishd

http://livingthescottishdream.wordpress.com/

https://twitter.com/LivingScottishD

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