I laughed. “Stanley, if there’s anything going on, I’m not the type to suffer quietly. So have a little faith in me and in the process, okay?”
Stanley kissed my cheek again. “Okay.”
“However—” I blurted out. “There is one thing—”
Stanley released me and jumped back. “What is it? Tell me what’s wrong?”
I turned to face him. “Will you please relax. I was just going to ask you to help me stay calm these next few weeks.”
“Gloria, are you afraid of losing the baby?”
“No! I just don’t want our child born on Christmas day. And I figure that staying stress free will safeguard his or her birthday.”
“I don’t understand. What’s Christmas got to do with safeguarding a child’s birthday?”
I stepped back and put my hands on my generous hips. Along with my belly, other parts of my body have gotten bigger. But I had to forget about my hips and address Stanley’s ignorance. “I can’t believe you’ve never noticed what happens to people who are born on Christmas.”
Stanley’s blue probing eyes met my questioning, green ones. “I’m all ears. What happens?” he asked.
I was so dumbstruck by Stanley’s inability to understand the obvious that I had to sit down at the table again. “Unbelievable,” I muttered.
Stanley blinked back, but I could tell he didn’t have a clue. “Gloria, talk to me. I want to help you with something you clearly feel is important. But I can’t do that if you don’t explain what’s going on.”
At first, I couldn’t speak. I was too surprised by our exchange. Finally, I gave Stanley my most understanding look. “Never mind, honey.”
Stanley scratched his head and sighed for the third time. “Would you like some lunch?” he asked in a hopeful tone.
I nodded. “Thank you. That would be great.”
Stanley nodded back and went to the refrigerator to get out some salad and sandwich fixings.
I watched him as I let my feelings settle in. I even smiled when he glanced my way. All the while, my mind was working feverishly. I found it quite alarming that my husband, the father of our child, was lacking in a way I’d never noticed before. What else didn’t he have a clue about?
Luckily, I remembered my promise to myself not to get upset. That meant I had to accept Stanley’s limitations. If he couldn’t provide simple need-to-know facts for our child, I’d pick up the slack. Hopefully, I’ll be smart and capable enough to make up for any of his deficiencies.
Three
AFTER WE HAD lunch, Stanley went back to work in his upstairs office, and I visited the nursery. The airy room has a large window overlooking the back yard, and a few flakes of snow were still falling outside. Even if there wasn’t a lot of it, the snowfall helped to put me in the holiday spirit.
The nursery always cheers me up, too. Since Stanley and I don’t know if we’re having a boy or a girl, we decided to paint three walls a pale, neutral yellow. A wallpaper mural covers the remaining wall. Its pastel rainbows and hot air balloons couldn’t be more upbeat. Sometimes, I sit in a corner rocker, look at themural, and dream about holding our baby. This is one of those days.
Ben always comes along to the nursery with me and settles down in a doggie bed we keep in the room. While I’m rocking away and whispering to my unborn baby, Ben’s usually fast asleep. When I see his twitching paws and hear his occasional whimpers, I know he’s dreaming, too.
We always decorate the house after Thanksgiving, and I wanted to include the nursery in our plans. I glanced at the large teddy bear sitting in the corner. Stanley bought it for the baby shortly after I got pregnant. The addition of a big red, velvet bow will give the bear a bit of holiday flair. The dresser already has a Christmassy look. Mom gave us a beautiful snow globe last year, and I thought it was perfect for baby’s room. I sometimes find myself smiling at its miniature village and the snow-dusted landscape that surrounds the globe.
As I admired it, I began to rock back and forth. The soothing motion helped my imagination take over. I envisioned vacationing in a snowy village in the Alps. I’d seen pictures of such wintery places when hunting for a screensaver for my computer. They looked just like the pretty village in the snow globe.
My sister’s voice brought me out of my musings. “Hi, anybody home?” Lolly called out from downstairs.
“Come on up, I’m in the nursery!” I called back.
My sister, Lolly, like the rest of my family, has an open invitation to let herself into our house. When we spoke earlier that morning, she said she’d stop by. I soon heard her footsteps on the stairs. They were slower than usual. That’s because Lolly is pregnant, too. We’re thrilled to think our children will be close in age and hopefully good friends growing up.
“Hi, Sis,” Lolly said as she came into the nursery.
Ben was immediately out of his bed and running over to greet her. His bright black eyes were filled with excitement as he jumped up and down on Lolly’s slacks.
“This little guy just gets cuter and cuter,” Lolly said.
