Don awoke to the morning sunlight filtering through the lacy curtains. Angie'd opened the drapes once they'd put the candle out, to let the cool night air in while they slept.
He turned to look beside him. Angie was lying next to him, staring at the ceiling, with tears leaking out of her eyes.
"What? Are you sick again?" he asked her. She nodded and squeezed her eyes shut.
"Oh Angie, sweetie, I'm sorry. You want your crackers?" She nodded again.
He got up and went and got them for her. He handed them to her and then went to the bathroom.
"I have to pee too but I'm afraid to get up."
"Well, baby, you gotta. You can't hold it all day." He looked down at her and winced at the look of helplessness on her beautiful face. "I'd go for you if I could, but it don't work that way. Come on. Here..." He took the liner out of the plastic waste basket. "Take this with you. If you do get sick you can puke in it. Come on."
She got up slowly and held onto him as he took her to the bathroom. She managed to go without getting sick. He took her back to the bed and got her settled, half sitting, propped up with pillows. He took a few crackers out of the sleeve and handed them to her. "I'm gonna make you some ginger tea."
He was distracted as he went through his morning routine. He was disappointed. Everything had been so wonderful last night, and he'd been hoping that she was done with the morning sickness. So much for wishful thinking... she's really upset... and I have to go to work. Shit. He loved his job but he wasn't loving the idea of having to leave her alone in this state. Not that he hadn't been doing that for the past few weeks. But this time she'd had the hope of being over this, and now was having to face the fact that she wasn't.
"It's not as bad as it's been," she said, nibbling her crackers as he dressed.
"No? That's good. You should be about to the end of it. It's only supposed to last the first trimester, right?"
"Yeah but that's just a guideline. Some women have it all through their pregnancy."
"You won't." He sat down beside her on the bed. "You won't."
"You look so handsome all dressed up in your shirt and tie."
"Yeah, right. Did I match 'em up good enough?"
"Yeah. I've taught you well."
"Thank God for that. I used to get so much grief for my hideous ties and lousy color combos."
"I don't smell your bay rum."
"I was afraid to use it. I'd hate for it to suddenly start makin' you sick."
"Good point. But it's never bothered me before."
"I'll put it on tomorrow. Ok?"
"You better. You're not you without it."
"I'm not me without the coffee either but I've done without that for five weeks."
Her face clouded over. "No, Angie, don't cry! I didn't mean it as a criticism! I don't mind gettin' my coffee on the way to work. Come'ere." He pulled her into his arms and caressed her lovingly. She took a deep breath and he felt her relax.
"I really had fun with you last night," he whispered to her.
"It was great, wasn't it? Let's hope we can do it again really soon."
"We will. I bet you'll feel better later today. Just take it easy, don't try to do too much. And call me any time. If I don't answer just leave me a voicemail and I'll call you back as soon as I can. Hey, why don't you call Koree or Marilyn? Maybe they can come over and visit you."
"That's a good idea. I miss them both. I've been kind of isolated lately. Not that you're chopped liver or anything."
Don burst out laughing at that. "That was great. I know what you mean. I'm not here much."
"But that's because you're working. But yeah, I'll call the store today and see what's up. I'd love some female company."
"That's what I'm talkin' about. Look, I gotta get goin'. But I'll call you later. Ok?"
"Ok. Be careful catchin' bad guys."
He smiled. "I love you."
"I love you too. Now beat it, before you're late."
Angie opened the door and let Marilyn and Koree in.
"I've missed you!" Koree said, hugging Angie and kissing her cheek.
"I've missed you too." Angie replied.
Marilyn hugged her warmly. "You've lost weight honey."
"Yeah, about 11 pounds. Don't tell Don. He doesn't know how much I've lost. He's worried enough about me as it is."
Marilyn brought a casserole that had chicken and rice with mixed vegetables in a mild sauce. Angie was able to eat it and enjoyed it. Marilyn brought enough for Don to have some for dinner.
"You know he's been over for lunch several times," Marilyn said.
"He told me that. You're so sweet, Marilyn, to help me feed him."
"Well, a man needs good food, and you're a great cook, honey, but you're just not up to it right now. I'm happy to help."
"I feel so bad that I can't take care of him like I want to."
"Angie, you're pregnant," Koree said. "You can't help it. And I bet Don isn't complaining at all."
"No, he's just worried about me. I can tell it hurts him that he can't help me feel better."
"But he does help you." Marilyn said. "He goes out in the middle of the night and gets you weird foods that you crave or feel like you can eat. He gets his coffee on the way to work. He doesn't cook because he knows it makes you sick."
"I reminded him of that. Actually last night was really nice. I was able to eat and we even, you know..."
"Made love?" Koree asked with a smile.
"Yeah. And it was great. It's been like two weeks."
Her friends both smiled.
"And then I woke up feeling sick again this morning. But I haven't been as bad today. I need to get up the ambition to do some house cleaning. I've been slacking."
"Well, we can do something about that, can't we Marilyn?"
"We sure can."
"Oh no, you two are not going to do my housework!"
"Why not? Wouldn't you do it for me if I was pregnant with morning sickness?" Koree raised her eyebrows at Angie.
"Of course I would."
"Ok then. Let's do it."
The two women tore through the apartment and cleaned everything that Angie had let go in the last few weeks. She'd done the bare minimum, but hadn't done any deep cleaning. Don had done the laundry and dishes but he didn't have time for much else. By the time they were done it was early evening and the apartment was almost move-in clean. Angie stood in the spotless kitchen, looking at the shining appliances and freshly mopped floor and started to cry. Her friends enfolded her in a three-way hug.
"I swear, honey, you are such a crybaby!"
"I've been worse since I've been pregnant. If that's possible." They all laughed at that.
They were sitting in the living room drinking iced tea and laughing when Don came home.
"Ooh, the handsome cop is home! Hi honey, how was your day?"
"Hey Marilyn. It was very busy. Hi Koree. You two been keepin' my wife company?"
"They brought lunch," Angie said.
"Just a casserole. We saved some for you," Marilyn added.
"You were able to eat?" Don asked his wife.
"Yep."
"It's a bit bland, but not boring." Marilyn said.
"I'm sure it's delicious." Don said
"They cleaned the apartment for me too."
"Whoa! That was really nice of you two."
"We know she hasn't been up to it," Koree said. "And you don't have time."
"You guys are awesome. Thanks."
"We should get going," Koree said.
"Oh you don't have to rush off. I'm gonna take a shower and then have some of Marilyn's casserole." He went to the fridge and got a beer, and disappeared into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.
"He's a lovely man, isn't he?" Marilyn asked with a smile.
"You're telling me? He's a dream come true." Angie said.
"How does it feel to be married?" Koree asked.
"I love it. I'm still getting used to it, but I love it." Angie looked at the rings on her left hand. "Sometimes I still can't believe I married a cop, of all people. Crazy."
"But your life of crime is far behind you now." Marilyn said. "Have you finally let it go?"
"I don't know if it will ever really be gone, because it all happened. But as time goes by it's less and less of an issue. I keep working on forgiving myself for what I did, and remembering that it is my past, and doesn't have to control my life now."
"That's the best attitude." Koree said.
"I'm learning not to constantly try to make up for it. That was hard for awhile. Don's helped alot. I figure, if a cop is going to love me in spite of the fact that I'm an ex-con, then I don't really need to worry what anyone else thinks."
"Exactly. It's no one else's business anyway." Marilyn said with a nod.
"Will you tell your child about your past?" Koree asked.
"I think so. I want him or her to know where I came from. And to know that people can change for the better."
"I can't help wondering if Don's father will ever come to terms with it." Marilyn said.
"I don't know. I don't know if his Mom ever told his Dad about her past. That'll be a shock, to say the least. It was a shock to Don, so I can only imagine how his Dad will take it."
"You don't know if she told him?" Koree asked.
"No, I was afraid to ask, especially when she showed up to the wedding without him. I'm afraid to ask Don, too. It's gotta be a touchy subject. I mean, it's his father, after all. The NYPD legend. I worry that he feels like he failed his Dad somehow. I'll let him bring it up."
The water turned off in the bathroom, so the ladies changed the subject.
"So do you want a boy or a girl?" Marilyn asked.
"I really don't care as long as it's healthy. I'd guess that Don would like a son, but I bet he'd love a little girl just as much. We'll find out, so we can plan for him or her."
"We'll have a baby shower for you." Marilyn said.
"You will?"
"Of course!" Koree said. "There's Marilyn, me, the other girls from work, Lindsay, Stella, Don's mom, your mom. That's a nice intimate group." Koree smiled at her friend. Angie felt a lump in her throat. She tried not to cry.
'"Thanks you two. You're both so sweet."
"You deserve a shower, honey. And we'll give you a nice one."
The three were quiet for a few minutes. Angie heard Don come out of the bathroom and go into the bedroom, shutting the door.
"Are you gonna come back to work?" Koree asked.
"I want to, as soon as I know the morning sickness is gone. I'm going stir crazy cooped up here every day."
"How does Don feel about it?" Marilyn asked.
"He's nervous about it, but he said I can go back to work if I really want to. He asked me why I couldn't just do my website work, and I told him I need to get out and interact with people in person, not just online. He gets that."
"I get what?" Don said, emerging from the bedroom, clad in frayed, faded jeans and a t-shirt, smelling of soap, shampoo and bay rum. He flopped down on the sofa beside Angie. He put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek.
"That I wanna go back to work at the market."
"Oh, that. Like I could stop you."
Angie stuck her elbow in his ribs. "Hey, I'm not that stubborn."
"You're not? Coulda fooled me."
"Shut up! You hungry?"
"Starvin'. You ladies gonna break out that casserole?"
Marilyn smiled. "Comin' right up, copper."