Chapter 10
"Mmmmmff." Morning sun strained through a small window and spilled over the unmade bed in which Jessi Ramsey was still curled upon. The smell of scrambled eggs beckoned her to pull the covers down and blink at the clock. 9:30. She never used to sleep that late. . .not until ballet rehearsals drained every last ounce of energy from her body.
Jessi sat up and rubbed the heels of her hands in her eyes to wake herself. When her coal-black orbs looked up, she saw a gorgeous man dressed in khakis and a loose white button up shirt, carrying a tray of orange juice, eggs, and fruit.
"Oh, Quint, thank you!" Jessi smiled as he placed the breakfast on her lap. "Is this just because you love me, or to congratulate me on my lead?"
Quint chuckled planted a warm kiss on his wife's forehead. "Both. You're going to need all of the strength you can get now. So eat up."
She took a small bite of her cantaloupe and studied her husband. He was idly rubbing her blanket-covered feet and examining the city skyline through the tiny window. Her high school sweetheart, Quint was an amazingly caring, loving, and sincere man. Jessi hadn't hesitated a second when he proposed, even though she knew she'd have to leave her beloved Stoneybrook and come to the city where Quint was working. It turned out to be for the best-Jessi soon was performing too.
"What are you smiling about?" Quint teased her. Jessi snapped out of her thoughts. Her life really was perfect. She was content and loved.
The phone rang, and Quint jumped to his feet to answer it so that Jessi didn't have to move her tray. After saying hello, Quint smiled hugely into the phone. "It's for you, Jessi," he said. "Your baby sister."
"Becca!" Jessi cried. She chatted for a few minutes, and Becca filled her in on how Squirt and the family were faring. Jessi's mind began to wander back to when Squirt was, well, a squirt, and how adorable and fun he was. Now a young man, Squirt largely resembled his father and was no longer lived up to his old nickname. When Jessi hung up, she felt a longing in the pit of her stomach.
Quint picked up on her mood change right away. "What's wrong, baby?"
Jessi gazed out the window and sighed. "I think I'm missing something, Quint."
Quint took her face in his hands and kissed her gently. "You know I'll give you anything," he whispered seriously. Through the year of marriage they had been, there was never a moment Quint wasn't ready to give his life for her.
"Quint," she began, not quite sure how to phrase her newfound feeling. "I. . ." She looked deeply into his velvety brown eyes. "I think I want to have a baby."
Quint blinked, and she knew that was not the request he was expecting. "You. .you do?"
Jessi nodded meekly, momentarily afraid that she had upset him.
He leaned forward swiftly and caught her in an embrace. "I would love for you to have my children," he reassured her softly. "But our life is so unstable right now! Look at where we live. . .a tiny house in New York City. We wouldn't have room for a little one. And our jobs are taxing, both emotionally and physically. I think maybe we should wait until everything just calms down a little."
What he was saying was making sense, but Jessi still couldn't shake that profound feeling of longing. She pulled away and stared at her food. "I should probably finish eating."
Quint nodded, as if he understood her feelings. "I'll be in the kitchen when you're done," he told her, and left.
Jessi watched him go, but her appetite had vanished. She cursed herself for her new, unsettling emotion and set the full tray on the bed next to her. The phone rang again, making her jerk the tray slightly so that the glass clinked against the plate.
"Hello?" she answered. And her forlorn expression turned into one of surprised delight.
"Mmmmmff." Morning sun strained through a small window and spilled over the unmade bed in which Jessi Ramsey was still curled upon. The smell of scrambled eggs beckoned her to pull the covers down and blink at the clock. 9:30. She never used to sleep that late. . .not until ballet rehearsals drained every last ounce of energy from her body.
Jessi sat up and rubbed the heels of her hands in her eyes to wake herself. When her coal-black orbs looked up, she saw a gorgeous man dressed in khakis and a loose white button up shirt, carrying a tray of orange juice, eggs, and fruit.
"Oh, Quint, thank you!" Jessi smiled as he placed the breakfast on her lap. "Is this just because you love me, or to congratulate me on my lead?"
Quint chuckled planted a warm kiss on his wife's forehead. "Both. You're going to need all of the strength you can get now. So eat up."
She took a small bite of her cantaloupe and studied her husband. He was idly rubbing her blanket-covered feet and examining the city skyline through the tiny window. Her high school sweetheart, Quint was an amazingly caring, loving, and sincere man. Jessi hadn't hesitated a second when he proposed, even though she knew she'd have to leave her beloved Stoneybrook and come to the city where Quint was working. It turned out to be for the best-Jessi soon was performing too.
"What are you smiling about?" Quint teased her. Jessi snapped out of her thoughts. Her life really was perfect. She was content and loved.
The phone rang, and Quint jumped to his feet to answer it so that Jessi didn't have to move her tray. After saying hello, Quint smiled hugely into the phone. "It's for you, Jessi," he said. "Your baby sister."
"Becca!" Jessi cried. She chatted for a few minutes, and Becca filled her in on how Squirt and the family were faring. Jessi's mind began to wander back to when Squirt was, well, a squirt, and how adorable and fun he was. Now a young man, Squirt largely resembled his father and was no longer lived up to his old nickname. When Jessi hung up, she felt a longing in the pit of her stomach.
Quint picked up on her mood change right away. "What's wrong, baby?"
Jessi gazed out the window and sighed. "I think I'm missing something, Quint."
Quint took her face in his hands and kissed her gently. "You know I'll give you anything," he whispered seriously. Through the year of marriage they had been, there was never a moment Quint wasn't ready to give his life for her.
"Quint," she began, not quite sure how to phrase her newfound feeling. "I. . ." She looked deeply into his velvety brown eyes. "I think I want to have a baby."
Quint blinked, and she knew that was not the request he was expecting. "You. .you do?"
Jessi nodded meekly, momentarily afraid that she had upset him.
He leaned forward swiftly and caught her in an embrace. "I would love for you to have my children," he reassured her softly. "But our life is so unstable right now! Look at where we live. . .a tiny house in New York City. We wouldn't have room for a little one. And our jobs are taxing, both emotionally and physically. I think maybe we should wait until everything just calms down a little."
What he was saying was making sense, but Jessi still couldn't shake that profound feeling of longing. She pulled away and stared at her food. "I should probably finish eating."
Quint nodded, as if he understood her feelings. "I'll be in the kitchen when you're done," he told her, and left.
Jessi watched him go, but her appetite had vanished. She cursed herself for her new, unsettling emotion and set the full tray on the bed next to her. The phone rang again, making her jerk the tray slightly so that the glass clinked against the plate.
"Hello?" she answered. And her forlorn expression turned into one of surprised delight.