Gator
Thursday January 2
7:00 PM
Flame all but passed out during dinner. One minute she was complaining about the diet Lily had her on and the next, she was snoring into the peas that had so offended her. I put down my fork delicately and nudged her with my foot until she jolted back awake, a squished green ball stuck in her short hair.
"What?"
"You fell asleep again." I told her standing up to clear the plates and slapping her hand away when she tried to do the same.
"I can clear my own plate, Raoul." She said, trying to pick a fight like she always did.
"Glad to hear it, Iris." I retaliated, although I didn't let her touch her plate.
She gripped my arm as I made to walk away. "Gimme,"
I tugged my arm away, "Careful, Cher, wouldn't want to lose that arm, would you?" just as I had hoped, Flame pulled her knife. "Mmmm," I inhaled through my nose. "That's hot."
"I am going to skin you alive," she warned me.
"Oh, yeah? You have to get me first." I taunted as she struggled to heave herself out of the chair.
"Gator, get you ass over here and help me up so I can kill you."
I hurried over to help her despite her threat figuring I deserved it as I was partly responsible for her predicament. "This is all your fault." She pointed out crossly, as if reading my mind as I lifted her to her feet.
"Blame Lily, she's the one who impregnated you, not me." I denied, my eyes hot on her rounded belly. She was due in less than a week, and neither of us could wait for the birth of our child.
"Details," Flame muttered, jaw cracking on a huge yawn.
"Okay," I sighed, scooping her up in my arms and ignoring the knife she still gripped. I became alarmed as she mumbled and nuzzled into my chest instead of protesting like she usually did.
I put her to bed, which was easier than it should have been and bit my lip, growing worried. What if this wasn't a pregnancy thing, what if this was a cancer thing?
As soon as she was sleeping peacefully I snagged the phone and called Lily to make sure Flame was alright.
It rang three times before Lily picked up. "Hello?"
"Hey, Lily, I just wanted to make sure-"
"Ryland, take him, it's Gator." She cut me off and I heard the muffled sound of Daniel being passed to his father. "Okay," she said a second later, "what's up, Gator?"
"Flame is exhausted all the time and I want to make sure-"
"Exhaustion is normal, she will sleep a lot in the last few days before the baby is born. After it is, I will check Flame. I really have to go now, call me when the baby comes." Click.
I shook my head and tossed the phone onto the bed before quickly pulling off my pants and lying next to her. I was relieved that she was alright and I felt a little rueful for bothering Lily at Daniels bedtime.
A year from now my child was going to have a bed time too. I smiled and fell asleep with my hand on Flame's stomach.