Midnight
Chapter 37
Nellie soon found herself growing bigger by the day, and although she tried to keep working as long as she could, Sweeney put his foot down at seven months.
"No, Nellie, I'm not budging on this. That baby could come whenever he or she wants at this point, I'm not having you give birth in the bakehouse and getting your water all over the pies."
"Sweeney..." she whined. "What am I supposed to do for the next two months?"
"What is it that you do when you're not working?"
"Sleep. And sometimes eat."
Nellie was quickly finding Sweeney to be a hopeless worrywart. For instance, he was constantly talking about how enormous she was and what that could mean.
"I hope it doesn't come early..." Nellie heaved herself up from where she'd been sitting in his barbering chair, waddled over, and placed her hands firmly on his shoulders.
"Sweeney. You are going to make me go into early labor with all your worrying!"
But even with all their bickering, they never discussed the issue of parentage. It was on Nellie's mind constantly, and surely Sweeney's too. But there seemed to be an unspoken agreement that to speak it would be to make it true.
As Nellie fell asleep that night, the baby slowly mapping out the inside of her womb with his feet (and hands, it seemed, that baby could be everywhere at once) she felt vaguely uneasy. It was the slight nagging feeling where you know you're about to have a nightmare, but you're too tired to stay awake any longer...
It was the rape all over again. He was coming towards her, pinning her too the wall, he was too strong, there was nothing she could do...
But worse, so much worse! This time, when the splitting blow came to her head, she was still conscious, but paralyzed and limp... He was inside her, surrounding her, everywhere, everywhere, and no one could hear her screaming because her screams made no sound, though they tore at her throat like fire...
"Nellie! Nellie! Nellie, please, oh Nellie, wake up, it's all right, you're all right... Nellie!"
She woke up with one last terrible scream and clutched on to the thing closest to her... a man's arm... She yelled again and recoiled, rolling with difficulty across the bed.
"Nellie, pet, be careful. It's me, it's Sweeney."
"Oh!" She lifted her head and latched back onto his arm, sobbing. "It was terrible, Sweeney, please, will you stay with me? He'll come back, keep me safe, please!"
"Sh, shh. I will." He laid down beside her, one arm curled around her waist from the back, his free hand resting on her stomach.
Slowly Nellie's sobs subsided into shuddering whimpers, and then silence. She burrowed her head into Sweeney's shoulder.
"Thank you," she whispered raggedly.
"I was so afraid, I thought you had gone into labor..."
"Sorry."
"No, don't apologize. Go back to sleep."
It was so nice, lying there with her head pillowed on Sweeney's arm, his warmth around her keeping her safe...
Nellie dreamed again of that dreadful day, only she dreamed of the part at midnight...