"Agh!"
One of the ultrasound copies slips out of my grasp, as I reach to press for the ground floor in the elevator and the lady standing next to us stares as I go into my usual panic, catching it just before it hits the ground.
Mikal chuckles at this. "He's just very protective." she turns to pat me on the shoulder. "You alright, babe?"
"Perfect" I answer, chuckling nervously. "I caught it."
The woman next to us gets off on the floor just before the ground floor, leaving us alone in the elevator.
"Yeah, I know, I gotta stop doing that." I sigh, as Mikal swipes the extra one out of my hand.
"It's alright, just force of habit." she says, gazing down at the picture in her hands.
"You say that now, it's not gonna be as funny a year or whatever from now, when the kid's old enough to start chucking stuff off their high chair and I'm hitting the floor every two minutes, waiting for a black hole that isn't there."
"I beg to differ." she giggles, giving me a peck on the cheek.
"Well to each their own, I guess."
I start up the car and Eugene's song, the same one as before, comes through the speakers again, much to Mikal's immediate disdain.
"Okay, you're doing that on purpose!" she proclaims, trying to stifle a laugh. "I don't know how, but you are. It can't be a coincidence."
"Aaalright, you caught me." I admit in defeat, ejecting the tape from the player to show her. "Found it at a garage sale last weekend, guy who sold it to me was going off about how AWFUL the band was and bragging about how he was there, front row when Eugene..you know..."
"He has a point, lemme see that." she gestures her hand in a gimme type motion.
"No way! You just admitted to wanting to chuck it, on the way here!" I protest, holding it just out of her reach.
She leans over from the passenger side, trying to grab at it. "Damnit, Zia!"
"Make me!" I raise it higher, quickly switch it to my other hand, and shove it back in the tape player before she can even get close to grabbing it.
"Ugh, you're impossible!" she declares in defeat. "I don't know how I put up with you."
"Come oonnnn!" I nudge her playfully, before pulling the car out it's spot. "That's what you love about me."
"That's what you think." she smirks.
"That's what I know." I correct, emphasizing the last part.
Back at home, Mikal opens her door and starts to sway as she tries to step out of the car, putting her hand on the doorway for support.
I rush around, over to the passenger side when I hear her start moaning.
"I gotcha, I gotcha!" I put my arm around her so she won't fall. "You okay? What happened?"
"I just feel a little light headed."
"Well you didn't eat much, and what you did, is back in that trash bin."
She looks like she wants to smile, but winces instead. "Please don't mention food."
"Sorry." I chuckle. "Why don't we get you inside, you can lie down for a bit?"
She nods weakly. "Sounds good to me."
She moves her arm off the car and around me, for support, so I can walk her into the house.
