Ch. 4: In the Kitchen
A/N:Okay so school and work kept me away for a while but... Here's the final chapter! (= ^ .^ =)/
Warnings: T for language
Disclaimer: I do not own Virals.
Ben's POV
"You wanted to talk about something?" I looked over to my wife as I chopped a tomato. That's right I'm the man of the household and I cook. While Tory sits there looking back at me, or rather my arms where I've rolled up the sleeves to my elbows. I let a brief smirk cross my face when she realized I had caught her in the act of leering. She blushed even as her eyes narrowed.
"Whenever you have time."
"Can it wait til dinner tonight?" I had planned a rather elaborate dinner for tonight and I wanted it to be a surprise. You can't really surprise your wife with amazing food if she's sitting right there as you cook it, so I had to ask the dumbest question of the evening. Women are not patient by any means.
"No it can't." Her tone was clipped and short. I should have seen the signs but like the idiot that I am, I pushed on.
"But you just said-"
"You choose now to listen to me?" In truth I listen to almost everything that comes out of her mouth, including things like, 'Can you wash the dishes tonight?' and 'My foot hurts could you massage it?' and my personal favorite, 'But darling, it's only for two hours and I'm sure you'll love it.' The first two are pretty clear but in case you were wondering about that last one...she was referring to a movie. A chick movie. Now I like a love story just as much as the next person but when you watch legally blonde for the seventh time and you're a guy you begin to question your sanity.
"Well yeah I mean-"
"Sorry it's just the baby." She had switched gears so fast that I missed a crucial part of that sentence.
"But Karen's at school." She was in third grade and already she showed great signs of potential.
"Not our first. Our second." It took a moment but my brain finally processed that little piece of information. I may not be a math major but I can count and unless I had very selective memory loss we only had one child.
"You mean-"
"Yes." She looked so beautiful sitting there that for a moment I was at a loss for words.
"But how-"
"You know how." Beautiful but smug.
"But isn't it too soon to tell?"
"Woman's intuition." Something no one who values their family jewels should ever question. For some odd reason women are mighty peculiar about their opinions.
"You could be wrong though." Just pointing out the obvious, and shifting sideways a little in case those rampaging hormones of hers decided to flare up.
"This coming from the guy who thought Karen would be an all-star quarterback?"
"Not all girls are into frills and lace. You're not."
"Karen is." Indeed. Pink walls, pink bed, pink clothes, and there was lace everywhere. She doesn't have to be manly and I would rather she didn't play football contrary to what my wife thinks but I am secretly hoping Karen will ditch the pink phase soon.
"That's beside the point." And truthfully it was...just because I didn't have an awesome come back doesn't mean I was trying to change the subject. Not at all, I'd just rather not bring up an old argument.
"No that is the point. You were wrong and I was right." Which proves nothing. She never brings up all the times I was right and she was wrong. It would be counterproductive to her purposes and we can't have that can we?
"According to you."
"According to her birth certificate." Ouch. I'm not going to lie, that one stung a little. But only a little.
"And people never lie on those?" How can you expect to seriously question a pregnant woman and expect to get accurate answers? Especially when she's in a great deal of pain and is taking pain medication.
"Are you trying to say that our little girl is actually a boy in disguise?"
"No!"
"Than why did you-"
"It sounded intelligent."
"Only in your head my dear, only in your head."
"The voices agreed with me." I saw her pause and mentally backtrack to what I said. The look on her face was priceless. You would think that after so many years of marriage that she wouldn't take me quite so seriously on some matters.
"What?" She shook her head and looked at me as if I was insane. Of course I would be if I had been serious but I wasn't.
"Anyway back to the subject at hand." I looked into her eyes as the conversation turned serious once again.
"So what are we going to name him?"
"Her."
"Again?" Do I have any male sperm? Not that I wouldn't mind having another daughter, Karen's a sweet girl, even if she's obsessed with the color pink.
"Yep." Thou shalt not argue with a woman's intuition. Just like Thou shalt not divide by zero.
"Hmm...Kaitlin?" For some reason mothers like for their children's names to start with the same letter.
"No." Well most of them anyway.
"Jenny?" Simple but not overly common like Savannah or Ashley.
"No." Maybe too simple.
"Amy?"
"No." Does she hate short names or something?
"Arizona?" Don't ask. People can name their kids whatever they want. Some people name their little girls Georgia, May, or April. At least my idea was semi original.
"No way in hell." Rejection.
"Carly?"
"Debatable." In other words: no.
"But not acceptable?"
"Not a chance." And yet another one bites the dust. Maybe I should invest in one of those baby name books.
"Any suggestions from your side?"
"Samantha."
"Is that my only option?"
"Pretty much." The woman is always right. What blows is when they realize that and never let you forget it.
"Fine but I get to choose her middle name." A fair compromise if I do say so myself.
"I will approve a list of suggestions." Women. Wives. Controlling brat. I love her but she is evil. Meanie. Of course I would never say any of that.
"Control freak." Well sometimes our mouths run faster than our brains.
"I love you too." Oh how the sarcasm pours from her mouth. And yet she is honest too.
"Well that goes without saying."
"Cocksure bastard." I made Tory curse! It's not the first time but it doesn't happen often and each instance should be well noted. What other purpose does a husband serve?
"Now now."
"Don't you now now be Benjamin!" Why does she always resort to that when she's mad? What am I supposed to call her when I'm mad? Tory isn't short for anything. Not fair.
"Let's not resort to christian names here."
"It's the name your momma gave you." True enough but no one calls me that.
"It's not what she called me for eighteen years."
"What do you think of the couch?" I tried to see where she was going with this but my mind was too busy switching gears.
"It's nice. Why do you ask?"
"Because it'll be where you're sleeping if you continue to defy me." Ah the ultimate threat. She forgets that we have a spare bedroom with a full size bed. Although I would prefer to sleep in the same bed as my wife.
"I apologize Mistress."
"Damn right." I saw her eyes twinkle and knew we were still on good terms. It's all fine and good to joke around so long as she forgives me at the end of the day.
"So when are you going to the doctor?"
"Maybe next month."
"Let me know when you make an appointment and I'll take the day off work." I don't take many sick days so I knew it wouldn't be a problem with my boss.
"Thank you Sweetheart."
"Your welcome." Because really what am I going to say to that? She told me once that she hated certain pet names but honestly I don't mind them. We're not teenagers and I know she's sincere. A wife and two daughters...maybe I should buy a dog or something because I am seriously outnumbered here.
Freaking girl power.
