Whoop! I like this. 'Cause it's about 460 words (See? I promised!) and it only had one error, which was a messed up apostraphe. I'm getting better with my mechanics!

Course, you guys probably don't care about my grammar achievments. Or maybe you do, since you read my stuff... Anyways, let's get on with it!

Enjoy!
-RD :)


Over My Head

Chapter Nine: Expecting

.x.x.x.

Cooking was not for Paul.

He thought this as he pulled up the spoon from the mess of what was supposed to be a rice dish in the making. He had cooked so much when he was younger, but since he had a wife who loved cooking, he hardly did it anymore.

Until that day.

"No, Paul!" Dawn said as she stepped behind him. She told hold of his arms and gently guided them through the stirring. "Like this."

"I don't see why I have to learn to cook like this," he complained, wishing she hadn't let go of him to point at her stomach.

"Well, you have to unless you want to starve! Eventually, I'll be experiencing more and more symptoms and I won't be able to cook!"

"I don't think it'll be that big of a problem."

"Hey," she shrugged. "It's either cooking or childbirth. I'll let you choose." She sent him a playful smirk. "Soon, I'll be getting morning sickness and all that fun stuff. So you'll go hungry otherwise."

Paul sighed, defeated. "I know…" He placed his hands on her hips and she smiled softly at him.

"I wondering if it'll be a boy or a girl…" Dawn whispered, looking down at her belly.

"I think we should name him Jonathan."

"What if it's a girl!" she countered. "I'm hoping for a girl, actually. I want to pass on my Contest skills and have that be a family tradition."

Paul scoffed. "If we have a daughter, she's going to have to become a Trainer. Like me."

"I hope and pray our daughter isn't like you."

His eyebrows furrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You were so serious when I first met you," Dawn sighed. "I have no clue what I'd do if she were so power-obsessed."

"Well, maybe we'll have a son."

"But what if he's like that, too?"

"Why do you want our children not to take after me?"

Dawn giggled, and the angry expression on Paul's face softened a bit. "I'm just joking. Learn to take a joke!" She shoved him on the shoulder. "And learn how to cook, too."

"I'm learning…"

"Slowly." He snorted and she laughed again. That was one thing he absolutely loved about Dawn - her laugh. Paul smiled slightly and placed his head on top of hers.

"That baby is going to be lucky to have such a great mother…"

"…Aw, thanks. That baby's father is pretty great, too." She placed her arms around him and snuggled into her husband's embrace. "Paul?"

"…Hmm?"

"Your rice is on fire."