Page 252 of The Baby Twist
“Sweetheart, you just got here,” her father said.
“I know, but I’m tired and not feeling well.” She stood up and hugged him. “We’ll meet for lunch or dinner soon. Come on, Charlie.” She glanced at me.
She stared the whole ride home out the window and didn’t say a word. I could tell she was upset, and maybe tonight wasn’t a good time to tell her about Grant looking for an apartment for her. When we arrived home, I poured myself a scotch and took it into the bedroom, where Marley was changing into her nightshirt. I just needed to get it over with and tell her about Grant looking for an apartment for her.
“Marley, I need to talk to you about something.”
“What is it?” She turned her head, and a small smile crossed her lips.
I stared into her eyes momentarily, and I couldn’t do it. “I wanted to talk about your dad.”
“What about him?”
“He seems like a great guy. I know I don’t know him that well, but he didn’t deserve what your mother did to him.”
“I know.” She sighed. “And he is a good man. Did you see the look on his face when I told him about the twins?” She grinned.
“Yeah.” I chuckled. “His face lit up like a Christmas tree.”
She went into the bathroom and began brushing her teeth. I followed and grabbed my toothbrush. As soon as I squirted some toothpaste on it, Marley ran to the toilet and started vomiting. Setting my toothbrush down, I walked over, grabbed her hair from her hands, and held it back until she finished.
“All better now?” I asked.
“Some. Thanks.” A light smile framed her lips as she wiped her mouth with a tissue.
We pulled the covers back and climbed into bed.
“Night, Charlie,” Marley said, turning the other way.
“Night, Marley,” I said, placing my hands behind my head.
Glancing over at her, I thought about my parents and the one rule they always followed: No matter what happened during the day, we would never go to bed angry with each other. They made that promise to each other on their wedding day. And if they got into an argument, it was always resolved before bed. At first, I thought it was weird. I was a kid, and anything adult-related was strange to me back then. What they had was special. They were always laughing and dancing. My dad loved jazz music, and while my mother was cooking dinner, he’d put it on, take her hand, and they’d dance in the kitchen. Not a day went by when he’d tell her how special she was and how much he loved her. My life would have been so different if they were still alive, but their tragedy changed everything for me.
Chapter Nineteen
Marley
I heard the shower running. Sitting in bed, I placed one hand on my belly and the other over my mouth. The nausea was there, but the feeling and my stomach were different. Throwing back the cover, I climbed out of bed and stood in front of the full-length mirror, taking note of the sudden expansion that happened overnight.
“What are you doing?” Charlie walked into the bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist.
“It’s happening.”
“What’s happening?” He opened the dresser drawer and pulled out a clean pair of underwear.
“This.” I pointed to my belly.
“I didn’t see you run into the bathroom while I was in the shower. Did you finally listen to me and use the other one?”
“No. There’s no need this morning.” I smiled. “I’ll go make you some coffee and me some peppermint tea.”
I grabbed the bottle of prenatal vitamins from the kitchen counter and took one. While the water was brewing for the tea, I made Charlie a cup of coffee and set it on the island.
“Thanks for this.” He grabbed the cup and held it up.
“You’re welcome. Don’t forget dinner tonight at my mom’s house. We have to be in Long Island at six-thirty.”
I heard him sigh.
