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“Don’t tempt me,” she said, wide-eyed.
“No, I mean a donation donation, not an actual…” And here he twisted his hands together back and forth until she roared laughing.
“That doesn’t sound like fun,” she said sadly.
“If we did it just to get you in a family way, no matter how hard we tried, we would always have that between us. It wouldn’t be fair to you, Lila.”
“You know, you are so damn full of yourself, Lyon. Don’t get too puffed up. You’re not that great.”
He’d finished his drink, thinking she was teasing him, but she really wasn’t.
***
Overcome by joy, Aisling got inside her condo as fast as she could, throwing her things onto the kitchen table and getting out her phone. She had people to call, starting with her mother and father, who were with her sister in Michigan.
“Can I speak to Granny and Grandpa Murphy?” she asked when her mother answered the phone.
“Why, this is Granny Murphy. We have a house full of grandchildren here, you know.”
“And you’re going to have one more!”
Her mother screamed, then put her on speakerphone so everyone could hear. They babbled together for five minutes until her sister took her off speakerphone.
“Do you think Mike suspected?” her sister asked.
“I really don’t. I think I got pregnant the day before he died.”
They sighed simultaneously. “Well, honey, I think that’s just wonderful. I’m just sad our kids won’t grow up together.”
“You never know,” Aisling said. “There are like six military installations here. Do you think your husband might consider trying to transfer?”
“Honey, I don’t think it works that way, but it would be so nice. I really miss everyone. I’m sorry you were alone yesterday.”
“I worked. I just found out today I was pregnant. Devon took me to the drugstore.”
“Aw, I love him. Is there any chance you two might hook up?”
“Mike’s only been gone six weeks! Could you give me a little longer, please? Besides, Devon is like a kid brother. He’s even dorkier than Mike was, if that’s possible.”
“You know, I never considered someone with the chutzpa to be a fireman could be a dork, too. It seems like a contradiction.”
Sighing again, the loss of someone like Mike, who was just larger than life in every way, bashed down on her again.
“He was amazing, that’s for sure. Anyway, I love you, sis. Talk later?”
They said goodbye and hung up. All Aisling wanted to do was immerse herself in memories of Mike. Walking through the condo, she saw evidence of him wherever she looked, so glad that she’d encouraged him to display items that really didn’t fit in with her decorating style.
“Come on, Ralph,” she said, holding the door to Mike’s den open. Ralph walked through and lay down on his usual spot, which would have been on Mike’s feet in the middle of the couch. Aisling sat at her end during the times she visited the room. Granny Murphy’s crocheted afghan was still folded at the arm, but one end had been pulled over the arm. Mike had told her that it was Ralph who’d given him the idea that he needed to do something special for her, and that the barber had suggested dinner.
The special evening meant so much to her, but it was the details of their entire life together that she wanted to remember. They had a routine that was particular to them as a couple. They enjoyed sitting on the patio in the evening, talking. On her days off, they slept late, cooked breakfast together, always showered together, and made love during the day, making up for lost time. When he’d been gone for three days, the first thing he wanted to do was make love. It was important business to him.
“Let’s take care of business and then we can talk,” he’d say when he got home in the morning. If she was off work, she’d wait in bed for him to shower, or if he showered at the station, he’d take her hand and lead her right to the bed.
Sex took all the pressure off. If they waited too long, someone would get snappy, and whoever did it first would say, “Uh-oh, we’d better take care of business.”
Aisling laughed about that. But then the knowledge that she’d never make love to Mike again hit her like a brick in the gut. Hands to her belly, she thought of the baby they’d made. He’d planted his seed in her that night before he left her forever, and it took root. The baby was his legacy to her. She vowed at that time that she would live a healthy lifestyle, not that she was unhealthy, but the wine she’d consumed worried her. No more of that. No coffee, too. It was worth the sacrifice.
She picked up the remote and aimed it at the TV, pressing the on button. Before she knew it, she was asleep.
