AllFreeNovel
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Glancing at the clock, I realize she must be asleep. I worked all through dinnertime. Feeling hungry, I venture into the kitchen and find her sitting on a chair, legs up on another. She’s flipping through a magazine of some sort and eating ice cream.
She looks so beautiful and at ease. She giggles as she reads something out loud.
“Something funny?” I inquire.
She looks up with a jerk. Immediately, she puts down her legs and straightens her spine. “Boris,” she’s flustered. “I’m so sorry. I’ll get out of the way.”
I hate that she feels like she’s imposing.
“Please, stay,” I insist, shaking my head. “This is your home too.”
She nods but doesn’t look convinced. I frown. I make a mental note to do more to make her feel like it’s her space.
“What are you reading?” I pick up a spoon and sit opposite her, digging into the ice cream as well.
“Oh, just a home decor magazine.”
“Home decor? Is my place not to your liking?” I ask, genuinely concerned. “You may feel free to change things around. Money isn’t a problem.”
“Oh no,” she shakes her head furiously. “I couldn’t. It’s not the home. It’s just …”
“Yes?”
“They’ve got a feature on nurseries,” she blushes.
I feel like a fool. Of course, she’s nesting. I want her to feel like this home is hers, yet we haven’t even discussed the basics of what it takes to make one, like building a nursery.
How blind I’ve been to her and the baby’s needs!
She meets my gaze with uncertainty, as if unsure how I will react to her desire for a nursery. The realization hits me like a ton of bricks—she must feel so isolated in this marriage, so alone with her thoughts and worries about the baby.
“Would you like to talk about nursery ideas?” I offer tentatively, trying to sound casual even as my heart pounds with nervousness. “We could plan something together.”
Her eyes widen in surprise. “Really?”
“Sure,” I nod, giving her the smallest smile. It is my duty to help her make a home for our family.
She looks at me with a gentle expression, one so tender that I feel afraid and hopeful all at once. Suddenly, her eyes widen, and she squeals. She takes one hand and reaches for mine, placing it on her belly.
And then, I feel it.
A flutter beneath my palm, soft but unmistakable. The baby's kick. A gentle reminder of the life growing within her. Robin's face lights up, her eyes shining with an indescribable joy. I'm frozen in that moment, the realization sinking in deeper than ever before. A child, our child, a tiny being already making its presence known.
And I couldn’t have prayed for my child to have a more doting mother. Just that look on her face is enough for me to know she loves our baby fiercely.
In another life, this would be when I’d lean forward, take her face in my palms, and draw her in for a kiss.
In this life, I can’t force her to play a role she’s not prepared for. To protect myself, I have to maintain a distance.
I tug my hand away. “I think it’s getting late. You and the baby both need your rest. You should sleep.”
I stand and walk away. “Boris…” she says. I turn, wondering what she wants to say.
There’s a silence. “Never mind,” she says at last, shaking her head ruefully. “Good night.”
It pains me to not know the words she just swallowed, but I don’t want to force her. “Good night,” I nod, and walk away.
***
