The egg timer rattled. He did not hear it because his head was lying on the table and his eyes were closed.
The egg timer fell down and broke on the tiled floor. Finally, this sound woke him up.
Danny rubbed his eyes and sweared at the stupid clock.
Then he got the pizza off the oven.
Pizza.
His only food since she was gone.
Hell, he missed her.
While eating, his thoughts went around her. The days since she had left him had be the hardest of his life. In his mind he saw her smiling at him as she used to do and he had to smile, too.
Outside the dawn was breaking and the first rays of sunlight broke through the cities fog.
He still could see his reflexion in the glass of the window. Lost in his thoughts he watched the picture become thinner until he only saw the house on the other side of the street. Some seconds later, his eyes fell closed again.
As he had done every night – or day – since she was gone, he dreamed of her. In his mind he could see her, he could touch her, he could hear her talk and hear her laugh.
The light of the morning sun made the wedding ring on his finger shine.
That was the first thing Lindsay noticed when she came in. The taxi driver put her heavy suitcase on the floor and gratefully took her tip.
Hand on her stomach, she stood in the hallway and listened but could not hear a sound.
Tiptoing she went through the flat and smiled at her husband who was asleep in the kitchen.
"Danny", she wispered but he did not react. "Danny.." She tickled his ear.
His confused look when he saw her let her know he thought he was dreaming. He twinkled twice and his eyes became bigger wih every time. "Surprise", she wispered.
"Lindsay!" He shouted, jumped up and pulled her into his arms. "What are you doing here? I mean, I thought you would come next week? I was counting the days.."
She silences him with a soft kiss. "I missed my husband." She kissed him again.
"Oh, I missed you too, both of you. How are you, I mean, how was the flight, and how is she?"
Excited, Danny touched her stomach the first time since he know there was his little girl inside. His arm was still around her shoulder and she snuggled up against his warm chest. "She is fine. I am..well, fine too. But a whale."
He smiled. "You're not. You are beautiful." "I don't believe you."
As if staggered, he took a step back. "You tell me I'm a liar?"
Her soft laugh made him melt away. How he had missed this.
He gently pulled her close for a soft, deep kiss.
When they finally pulled apart, Lindsay looked at the table.
"You mind me taking some pizza? Plane food is horror." Without awaiting an answer she took a piece.
Danny smiled. That was his girl. His wife.
