Cora turned around in bed, she stretched her hand out, but only felt empty sheets. Cora opened her eyes, and saw Robert wasn't there.
She heard sounds in the bathroom, she looked at the clock, it was only five in the morning. Worried that Robert was ill, she got up. But she found Robert at the sink shaving.
"What are you doing up?" Robert asked, when he saw Cora.
"I could ask you the same question." She said. "I am back in a second, I need to use the toilet."
Robert was a bit confused. He had told Cora he was going on a business trip, didn't he? He started to doubt that. When Cora returned, she was wrapped in her bathrobe.
"Cora? I did tell you about the trip John and I were going to make. We have to visit some estates. We will be away for at least three weeks." When he saw Cora's face, he knew he forgot to tell her.
"How wonderful, that you are telling me this on the day you are leaving." Cora crossed her arms in front of her.
"I really thought I told you this before. Are you sure, you didn't just forget?"
"Robert, I know, I can have pregnancy brains these days, but I could never forget that you would leave for three weeks.
Robert cleaned his face and stepped towards Cora. Ignoring her words, he put both his hands on her belly. "I can't wait to see how much you've grown when I come back."
Cora breathed out and decided to let it rest. This was the Robert she married, and she should except it. She put her hand on his, and moved it a bit, so he could feel the baby move. "When you are back, promise me, you will not leave soon after again."
Robert still looked down at her belly. "I won't, when I am back you are close to your due date, and I don't want to miss the birth of our little boy."
Cora gave Robert and annoyed look. He kept saying boy, and it still scared her. He was too convinced she was carrying a boy. "What time do you need to leave?"
"John is picking me up in about 2 hours. I still need to pack, so I have to hurry." He kissed Cora on her cheek and turned back to the sink.
Cora went to the kitchen, to make him breakfast and something to take with him for lunch.
"How did the writing go this week?" Simon asked Cora when she put her guitar away.
"I didn't write at all." Absentmindedly she rubbed her belly.
Steve put his arm around Cora. "You are feeling down?"
Cora looked up, with tears in her eyes. "It's just hormones."
"Missing your husband, is a very normal feeling. Nothing to do with hormones." Steve said. "Just sit down and start writing, who knows what will come out of it.
"Those lyrics will be very depressing." She decided to call Rosamund, maybe she wanted to come over for dinner tonight.
Rosamund picked up Cora from her guitar lesson's. "So, you are sure you want to eat at home? We could go out for dinner?"
Cora loved Rosamund, she always knew what she needed. Rosamund felt like a sister and best friend in one package.
"How is Robert doing?"
"I think he is alright. He isn't calling, only texting when they arrive at a new estate."
"You are telling me, Robert is now gone for two weeks and hasn't called you?" Rosamund said while parking the car. She drove them to a small restaurant in little Venice.
"That's your brother for you." Cora said, trying to put a smile on her face.
"I am going to kill him. How can he be so insensible?"
"No no don't." Cora said quickly. "He is texting, so he is thinking of me. And that is already more than I expected."
"I wish Robert would open his eyes and see what a wonderful wife he married." Rosamund said frowning.
Cora's cheeks coloured. "That's alright, Rosamund. I knew what I got myself into."
"If I remember correctly, you didn't when you said yes to his proposal. You thought he loved you."
Now Cora's cheeks were bright red, she stammered. "I didn't know, you knew that."
"Mama and I tried to talk Robert out of it. The company didn't need the money, we would have managed without it. But he insisted, that your money would be needed. But he also let it slip, that he didn't tell you the truth. I hoped he would start to love you, soon after the marriage, but he is being stupid and blind for what is in front of him."
"Rosamund, don't worry to much. Soon we will have a little one to take care for, and that little one will love me." Cora put her hand on her bump, she could feel the baby very clearly today. She was almost 7 months pregnant. Her belly was growing steadily and until now, she didn't have many problems. Besides a painful back and swollen feet and legs.