Page 38 of Night Blind

“Was it hard to get the foot at a good angle to get a scan?”

She smiled at him. He was so handsome and obtuse at the same damned time. From her pocket, she pulled out a picture frame, passing it to him face down.

“I’m not understanding.”

“Turn the frame over,” he told her.

Michael Isaac Neary lived his life with a slow hand. He took his time to process situations to determine the best outcome for all involved. A man blessed with keen insight and a quick wit, he was very slow on the uptake upon looking at the black-and-white image.

“Is this a sonogram?”

“Yes, that is the first picture of Luke,” she told him. “If you turn it this way, let me show you, right there, that is his little worm. We are having a boy.”

Slow sat staring at the image. He could clearly see the head, legs, and arms. When he held the picture as she said, he could see what she meant; there it was, his little Neary maker. He was going to be a father again, and this time it was a boy. He would have a son.

“Holy shit,” he said softly. “Are you okay? Are you feeling okay? Do you need a snack, some juice, a pickle, or a piece of fruit? When? I mean when will Luke be arriving?”

“I’m about 17 weeks,” she said. “We are halfway there.”

“Where? You aren’t even that round about the middle yet. I saw some extra junk in the trunk, but I thought that was just from eating regular meals. Wait, that came out wrong. Holy shit. I’m going to have a son to go with my adorable daughter,” he said, looking at her. “Do I say thank you? I’m at a loss for words here. Holy shit. A son. Thank you.”

He leaned over, kissing her lightly. He still stared at her, then at the belly covered up in the oversized coat. Michael Isaac Neary held up a finger, exiting his office and standing in the middle of the walkway of the cubicles and offices. He opened his mouth and said very loudly, “It’s a boy! I made me a son! We’re pregnant again!”

For no logical reason, he began to do the MC Hammer dance up and down the walkway in front of his office as people clapped and cheered. For good measure, he even added the music from his mouth with a booming, “dun-dun-dun-a-dun!” Cherry sat in the chair, watching him with pride and she teared up a bit. This is what he had wanted and missed being able to share with his co-workers about Naomi.

People passed by him, giving him a high five as he grinned from ear to ear. She heard a few people mention they didn’tknow he was married. One woman said she didn’t know he could dance. Someone commented they had never seen him smile and somewhere an Angel was dying in fear from him showing off his teeth. Finally, when he’d calmed down, he announced, once more very loudly, that he was taking the rest of the day off to celebrate.

He returned to the office, red-faced, slightly embarrassed at his own reaction to the news, and grateful. Michael Isaac Neary was grateful for the new change in his life. This was news his father would love to hear.

“Whew, I need to call Daddy,” he said, holding up a finger for her to wait on second, dialing his father, grinning from ear to ear. “Daddy, we did it. Luke Jacob Neary is in the hopper. He’ll be arriving in about four and a half months. I know right, yeah, please, let Mom know. Sure. Sure. No, she’s wonderful. Just as beautiful as ever. She’s glowing, Daddy. My baby is glowing as she’s carrying the life of our son. Sure will.”

He ended the call, looking at his wife with a blush on her cheeks, “Dad sends his love and says hi. I’m sending you some love too. This is awesome. I need cigars. Ooh, wait. I need to call Jay. Wait. I don’t know if I want to talk to him. I think he and Helen bumped uglies. She keeps smiling.”

“They did,” Cherry said.

“Eww. She also said Cinderella had fun at the ball, I don’t know what that means,” Slow replied. “How long will her post-coitus happy joy thing go on? I mean, do the aftereffects last a long time? Wait. Is Cinderella, I don’t want to know. I can’t know. It would fuck up my day to know what that means.”

“Based on what she said, there were rounds,” Cherry told her husband’s upturned face. “Are you jealous?”

“No, not at all,” he said, “Jay is just not the settling down type. I don’t want Helen to expect much from him going forward, but I could be wrong.”

“I think you might be on this one. Whatever happened between them changed her. The weekend changed her, and she’s happier than I’ve ever seen, so I’m going to leave it alone,” Cherry said, “I’m craving red meat. Like liver and onions red meat.”

“And double eww,” he replied. “However, my blushing bride and mom-to-be, your chariot awaits.”

“Lead on my noble knight,” she answered, getting to her feet. “I want to ask, and I will wait until we are in the car, about what you mean with her expecting too much from him.”

He carried her to the elevator and out to his SUV. Helen had given her a ride to the doctor’s and dropped her off at his office, and he would bring her home after they went to celebrate. Naomi wasn’t at school today because she was on a shopping trip with her grandmother. It gave them time to talk.

Inside the vehicle, Cherry asked the question again about the man called Mustang. “You said Helen shouldn’t expect much from him. I’m certain she doesn’t, but a bit of clarification is necessary. I mean, I didn’t even know you had a brother.”

“Because he’s also a Technician, the connection between us, well, you know,” he explained. “If you found out his real name, you’d know he was a relation, but he is also Black, so people don’t add two and two and get him as my brother.”

“And why, you know, the expectation part?”

Slow shrugged a bit. “He only comes home twice a year. For Mom’s birthday or he chooses Thanksgiving or Christmas, depending on his schedule.”

“Do you ever go to him?”

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