Short Fiction

He was drawn into her emerald green eyes, unable to look away.

"Why don't you come up?" Her #glib smile and single shoulder shrug gave him pause.

"You sure?" His eyes narrowed slightly.

"Yeah," she softly poked an index finger at his chest. "It'll be fun."

***

He looked up at her from his vantage point between her legs. Her eyes were closed, her chest rose and fell with her deep breaths as she #alighted from her climax. He loved everything about the image in front of him.

"You alright there?" She raised a thumb up in reply.

***

He stared at her in silence, his gaze shifting between the small plastic device she was showing him and her emerald eyes. His bagel hit the floor with a #splat, cream cheese side down, catching the edge of his toe. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to himself.

***

He listened in shock as the #choir of voices, her parents, sisters, erupted in consternation.

"How did you let this happen?"

"What are you gonna do?"

"How long have you even known this guy?"

He tightened his grip on her hand, while tears gathered in her emerald eyes.

***

At his apartment, he held onto her tightly, her head resting on his chest. Her body shook with quiet sobs, prompting his arms to pull her in closer. They'd be fine, he assured himself, they'd #venture this together.

"We can do this. You can do this. You're so strong."

***

It was a #contemporaneous feeling of awe and apprehension when he heard the whooshing rhythm from the sonogram machine.

"A strong and healthy heartbeat," the doctor announced.

It seemed unreal, impossible. He looked over to see her smiling for the first time in days.

***

Words tumbled out of his mouth #aloud, before he could stuff them back in.

"Let's get married." She smiled in response.

"You don't have to do that," her hand squeezed his.

"I want to be a proper dad, always there, diapers, bottles..."

"You don't need a ring for that."

***

It was astounding that she appeared more stunning each day. Her body changed, breasts growing larger, her areolas darkening, her belly swelling in imperceptible increments. Her skin was smooth as if she had been #carved from marble and he admired her like a work of art.

***

"Look!" She sat with her legs outstretched, cashews resting on her prominent belly as if on a shelf.

"Cute," he replied. And then the can moved, tipping slightly from underneath. His eyes widened. It was unreal. He wished they could #expedite this and meet their baby.

***

Nothing in his #prior experience had prepared him for the oddity of hiccups in utero. Her belly popped with tiny, rhythmic bursts. They vibrated under the touch of his hand.

"Hi, little guy," he bent his head close to her body. "I can't wait to meet you."

***

"I either just peed myself, or my water broke," she stood in the doorway. He scanned over her, taking in her relative calm.

"You can't tell?" She shook her head then let out a quiet moan, leaning on the wall.

"We're going to the hospital," he made the #brash decision.

***

They made him leave the room while she got the epidural. He paced at the door, indignant that he couldn't hold her hand for this.

"Don't #fret," the nurse at the desk told him. "She will be fine and once it kicks in, you can both rest a bit."

He didn't believe her.

***

There was rest and then all the emotion and intensity of delivery. The pink, wrinkly bundle was placed on her chest. Tiny fists stretched and the toothless mouth opened.

"I think he just peed on me," she announced. Sure enough, a #rivulet flowed down her shoulder.

***

Her sisters came to see her at the hospital, cooing over their newborn son, spewing advice about breastfeeding and for how long she should #aim to continue with it. He stared daggers at the women who had not been there for the past nine months. Why now?

***

He took in the scene in the nursery when he got home from work. She sat in the rocking chair in the corner, her head tipped back, eyes closed. The #crepuscular light barely illuminated her features. She held their baby tightly against her chest. They were his whole world.

Mel's step #stuttered as she walked into the room, seeing an unfamiliar face at the desk. Someone pushed past her where she paused in the doorway, staring. She didn't do well with change. She took a deep breath, collecting herself, willing her feet to resume walking.

***

He approached her at the end of the day, drawing attention to the 5 o'clock #shadow by rubbing his chin.

"Can I take the laptop home?" He tried to make eye contact, but Mel avoided it. She pressed her lips together, nodding.

Then she hated herself for not saying more.

***

On Friday he came over to her again, hands in his pockets.

"Are you coming to happy hour after work?" He asked. She shook her head, avoiding his gaze. She didn't usually go out with people from work. "Why not?"

"#Cemetery," she blurted out the word, turning scarlet.

***

He found her awkwardness endearing. He watched her, out of the corner of his eye, standing at the window in the staff room watching the #wind whipping the fallen leaves into a frenzy. He tried to come up with something to say that wouldn't frighten her. He drew a blank.

***

#Autumn settled in. Trees nearly bear, brown piles of dead leaves on the ground. He finally had an opening.

"Let me walk you to your car," he caught her at the door about to walk out into the drizzly twilight. He gestured at his golf umbrella. She accepted with a nod.

***

"Is there a special lady in your life?" Gran smiled up at him, bringing her cup of tea to her lips.

"There's someone I'm... interested in," he watched his grandmother's head nod, her hair a white orb around it, like a ripe #dandelion.

"Tell her. She's waiting for you."

***

He towered over her desk. She tipped her head back to look at him.

"Listen, Mel, I like you. I'd really love to go out with you," he declared.

His admission was #staggering. She stared up at him with her mouth hanging open, her face flushing. She nodded acceptance.

***

It felt like a fancy restaurant. Tablecloths, dim lighting, an instrumental version of #Blackbird playing at a background volume. She clutched the napkin in her hands underneath the table, looking around.

"Mel," she looked at him, wide-eyed. "Relax." God, she wanted to.

***

He desperately wanted her to feel comfortable, to talk to him, to let him in. It was a struggle.

"That seabass looks amazing," he nodded to her plate, making conversation.

She grinned, spearing a #sliver of fish on her fork and extending it out to him across the table.

***

It was a lone apartment building on a gravel road with the #woods off to one side, county soccer fields behind it, and a railroad running in front. Besides the floodlights on the parking lot side of the building, it was dark. He had no expectations of being invited in.

***

Aside from a large print of a #heron in her hallway, her apartment was rather bare.

"It was there when I moved in," she explained when he stopped to examine the imposing bird.

"This is a nice place," he told her as she handed him a glass of scotch. She smiled, blushing.

***

He finished his drink before making the move to kiss her. Their lips met softly, moving together in a slow dance. Tongues greeted each other, #tangling, tasting, exploring. Her hands cupped his face, warmth radiating from them. Lightheaded... was he forgetting to breathe?

***

His mouth felt sensational on her collarbone. Her top was long tossed aside, exposing the lacey bra she had worn. Mel tried to gather up the courage she needed to push the words out, #fireflies executing their wavering flight patterns in her belly.

"Come in the bedroom."

***

She fell asleep with her head on his chest, her arm wrapped around his waist. He held her close, unable to sleep. Rain fell outside, sending tiny #rivers down the glass while his brain still processed the astonishing turnaround of that day. Mel let him in. In so many ways.

***

The anxiety and discomfort seemed to #ebb away with his first touch. Now there was familiarity and contentment left behind.

"I'm so glad you stuck it out with me, through all my weirdness," Mel smiled up at Dan, stroking his arm.

"Honestly, I enjoyed it," he confessed.