Evelyn had heard the doorknob twist and lay there waiting for Rick to knock and demand she open the door. When she heard his footsteps fad away, she was a bit disappointed. Even though she would not have let him in the room, a small part of her wanted him to kick the door in, tell her he loved her beyond reason and he was happy about the baby. But instead, he walked away and a tear slipped down her cheek. Evelyn sighed as she turned on her side and closed her eyes, finally giving in to total exhaustion.
When Evelyn opened her eyes again, the sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon. She rolled over onto her back looked up at the ceiling. She felt weak, weary and worn out. The few hours she had slept were fitful and restless. Her stomach began to feel its now usual morning queasiness and Evelyn grabbed her midsection and rolled to her side, willing the feeling to go away. As the seconds passed, the nausea grew worse and Evelyn moaned as she slowly rolled over, swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat up. After taking a deep breath, Evelyn gradually stood up and her head started spinning. She breathed out a loud 'ooohhh' and held her head. After another deep breath, Evelyn took small steps and eventually made it to the bathroom.
As her empty stomach lurched, Evelyn wondered when she would again be able to enjoy a morning that did not start off with her having her head in the commode. After her dry heaves ended, Evelyn pulled herself up on the sink, pushed her disheveled hair out of her face and looked into the mirror. She looked a mess. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy from crying all night and there were dark rings under them. Her skin was paler than usual and had a sickly hue to it. Evelyn started to cry as she looked at the pathetic image that was staring back at her. After several minutes of feeling sorry for herself, Evelyn realized that looking at her pitiful reflection only aided in depressing her more. After washing her face and mouth, Evelyn turned from the mirror and walked slowly back to the bedroom. As she fell into bed, Evelyn was grateful that it was Saturday and she did not have to go to the museum.
******************
Rick's eyes flew opened and his body became taut the moment he heard movement upstairs. He felt like he was back in the Legion, sleeping on the hard ground but not really sleeping at all and jumping at the slightest sound. After gathering his wits and realizing he was on a couch in his own home, he relaxed a bit.
Rick knew Evelyn was the source of the movements because it was much to early for Jonathan to be up and then he heard the sounds of Evelyn's morning ritual of vomiting. He wondered if he should go up and try to help but decided against it. For one thing, all he ever did was sit there and hold Evelyn's head while she puked. Another reason he decided to stay put was because Evelyn had turned into a morning grouch every since she started having morning sickness. And with the argument they had the night before, he knew her mood would be even worse than it normally was.
Rick lay on the couch waiting for Evelyn to come downstairs but after a while he dozed back into a fitful sleep. About a ½ hour later, he woke with a start, not knowing how long he had been asleep. He listened to the quiet, still house for several moments then sat up. Rick wondered if Evelyn had come downstairs and left the house while he had dozed. He got up and went upstairs and found the bedroom door slightly opened.
Rick walked into the bedroom to find Evelyn still in bed. Seeing her sleeping so peacefully put Rick at ease and he felt his body relax and release the tension it had been holding every since the previous night.
Rick had not truly slept when he was on the couch and had just drifted to sleep moments before the sun began to rise. His exhaustion hit him suddenly and it hit him hard. He wearily stripped down to his underwear and climbed in bed. He fell asleep almost immediately and rolled closer to Evelyn. Evelyn instinctively rolled closer to him and sighed as her sleep became tranquil.
When she woke up, Evelyn thought she was dreaming. Her face was buried in her husband's naked chest and his arm was lying across her hip. Evelyn moved slightly and in the next instance her posterior was being grasped quite possessively and she was being pulled into Rick's groan. He mumbled something and tightened his grip on her. Evelyn looked up into his sleeping face and thought he looked handsome. She pushed back the lock of hair that lay on his forehead then laid her hand on his cheek. She loved him so much and this was one of those special moments that she would mark down in her Book of Love.
Then she began to wonder. Was the fight they had last night just a nightmare and not a reality? No, it had been quite real. She remembered very clearly the countless tears she had cried throughout the night as her heart broke at the thought that he did not want their baby.
Why then was she snuggled comfortably in his arms? Why then was she feeling so safe.. and loved? Why then was she content to lay there and look at his handsome face for the remainder of the morning?
Evelyn became angry with herself at how easily she fell into his arms. And in her emotional state, it did not matter that she was asleep when she had fallen. Evelyn silently berated herself because all he had to do was put his arms around her and she would succumb to him. Again, she ignored the fact that he had slipped into bed while she was asleep. And she ignored even more the fact that had she been awake when he came to bed, she would have in no wise turned him away.
However, that was neither here nor there. She was expecting and he, she told herself for the millionth time, did not want their baby. Evelyn felt the tears welling up and lifted Rick's arm from her waist and rolled away from him. She got out of bed, grabbed fresh clothes and went to the bathroom to soak in the bathtub. After easing into the steaming water and sighing with contentment, Evelyn thought about how she would tell Rick about her decision.
**************************
Rick woke up and reached for Evelyn but only found a cold sheet. He opened his eyes and saw that he was alone in the bed. He looked over at the clock on the nightstand and saw that it was a quarter past one. He yawned and stretched his body, feeling so much better after getting some good sleep.
Rick also felt better because with the new day came a new perspective. He was still scared, or rather, uneasy about having a kid but he loved Evelyn and he would do whatever he had to do to make things right between them. Even if it meant admitting how scared, no apprehensive, he was about having a kid. Even if it meant digging up those old memories about his Pa and sharing them with Evelyn to explain why he was not exactly happy about the news that he would become a father. Even if it meant telling Evelyn he was... scared, scared as hell.
With his mind made up, Rick got out of bed and went to the bathroom to shave and bathe. After he finished, he went downstairs hoping to talk to Evelyn. When he did not find Evelyn in the sitting room reading, he walked into the kitchen but did not find her in there either. Then he saw the note and walked over to the table and picked it up.
'I've gone to run a few errands' it said. It was not addressed to him and she had not signed it. Rick supposed he was still in boiling hot water with Evelyn. Rick balled up the note and tossed it in the kitchen trashcan. As he walked out of the kitchen, he knew he could not be mad with Evelyn. It was, after all, his fault and he was ready to admit that.
Wanting Evelyn to return soon, Rick moped around the house feeling guilty. Every ½ hour he would look out the window hoping to see Evelyn coming up to the house. When it neared 5 o'clock, Rick began to worry. Evelyn should have been back by now. She couldn't have that many errands to run. Rick then wondered if she had gone to the museum and did not hesitate to find out.
When Rick made it to the museum, it was already closed and he went around back. After banging on the door for several minutes, a tiny man came to the door.
"Mr. O'Connell" he said in a heavy accent.
"How ya doin' Hamid. Is my wife around?" he asked Evelyn's new helper.
"No sir" Hamid said nervously. He was a little man and practically all other men towered over him. And this particular American foreigner seemed to instill fear in him. Maybe it was because he was always wearing guns and a frown.
"Hamid" Rick said with a slight frown that did not ease Hamid's mind. "I'm not a 'sir'. It's Rick or O'Connell" he told him.
From the first day Evelyn had introduced him to Hamid, he had called Rick 'sir' and Rick had asked him to call him 'Rick'. But for some reason Hamid kept calling him 'sir'.
"Yes sir" Hamid shook his head.
"Has she been here today?" Rick asked.
"Earlier, but she left."
"How long ago?"
"Oh a while ago."
"Did she mention where she was going?"
"No" Hamid shook his head nervously.
"Thanks" Rick said and turned and walked away.
After shutting the door and locking it, Hamid turned around and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank you Hamid" Evelyn said.
"Mrs. O'Connell, that was quite harrowing" he said. "I really don't like lying. And especially to that husband of yours."
"I'm sorry Hamid" Evelyn said, beginning to feel guilty for asking Hamid to lie. "I won't ever ask you to do that again" she smiled apologetically to him.
Hamid returned the smile and they walked back to the library.
Rick, meanwhile, was combing the streets of Cairo looking for his wife. After an hour, he headed back home hoping she was there. When he got home, she was not there and his worry began to turn into extreme anxiety. He paced the floor, looking out the window every five minutes. When thirty minutes had passed, Rick's imagination had conjured up visions of something awful happening to Evelyn. He even had the thought that Imhotep had somehow risen from the sands of Hamanaptra and stolen Evelyn from him.
With thoughts of gloom consuming his mind, Rick walked quickly to the door intending to go searching for his lost wife. He reached for the doorknob, turned it and yanked the door open.
"ooohhh!!"
Rick collided into Evelyn and he had to grab her around the waist to keep her from falling. Evelyn held onto Rick's arm and steadied herself and once she was settled on her own tow feet, she letting go of him. Rick however, held on to her.
"You OK?" he asked in a concerned voice that tempted Evelyn to waiver in the decision she had made.
"I'm fine" she breathed, avoiding looking into his eyes.
"You sure" he asked in a soft voice as he took his finger and pushed a piece of hair behind her ear.
"Yes I'm sure" she said, still not looking at him.
"Where you been?" he asked.
"I had some things to do. Are you going to let me in?"
"Sorry" he said and stepped aside and let Evelyn inside the house.
"I ah... I was getting worried" he said as watched her set her purse on the hall table. "I thought something had happened to you."
"There was no need to worry" Evelyn said in a chilly voice. "I can take care of myself."
Rick felt the sting of that chilly response and gritted his teeth. She was obviously still pretty mad at him and he wondered how hard it was going to be to get her to forgive him.
"Evelyn..." he said as he followed her into the sitting room.
"Rick, we need to talk" she said as she turned to face him.
"Yeah, I know" he said, a little relieved that she was willing to talk to him.
"I have something I need to say" Evelyn began.
"I'm sorry about... about happened yesterday. I..."
"Rick" Evelyn interrupted. "I need to say something and I want to say it and get it over with."
"OK"
"I've been thinking... since you... since you" she fought back her tears. "Since you aren't exactly happy about the baby..."
"Evelyn" Rick said, wanting to explain to her.
"Rick please. Let me finish. I've come to a decision that will be best for all of us."
"What kind of decision?" Rick said.
He did not like the sound of that. With Evelyn thinking he did not want the baby, would she try to get rid of it? He knew from his associations with ladies of the night that unwanted expectancies had a way of disappearing. He found the thought revolting but was not given to judging others.
"I've decided... it would be best for all concerned..." Evelyn set her jaw as she looked into his eyes. "I... I..." she averted her gaze then finished. "I want a divorce."
When Evelyn opened her eyes again, the sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon. She rolled over onto her back looked up at the ceiling. She felt weak, weary and worn out. The few hours she had slept were fitful and restless. Her stomach began to feel its now usual morning queasiness and Evelyn grabbed her midsection and rolled to her side, willing the feeling to go away. As the seconds passed, the nausea grew worse and Evelyn moaned as she slowly rolled over, swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat up. After taking a deep breath, Evelyn gradually stood up and her head started spinning. She breathed out a loud 'ooohhh' and held her head. After another deep breath, Evelyn took small steps and eventually made it to the bathroom.
As her empty stomach lurched, Evelyn wondered when she would again be able to enjoy a morning that did not start off with her having her head in the commode. After her dry heaves ended, Evelyn pulled herself up on the sink, pushed her disheveled hair out of her face and looked into the mirror. She looked a mess. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy from crying all night and there were dark rings under them. Her skin was paler than usual and had a sickly hue to it. Evelyn started to cry as she looked at the pathetic image that was staring back at her. After several minutes of feeling sorry for herself, Evelyn realized that looking at her pitiful reflection only aided in depressing her more. After washing her face and mouth, Evelyn turned from the mirror and walked slowly back to the bedroom. As she fell into bed, Evelyn was grateful that it was Saturday and she did not have to go to the museum.
******************
Rick's eyes flew opened and his body became taut the moment he heard movement upstairs. He felt like he was back in the Legion, sleeping on the hard ground but not really sleeping at all and jumping at the slightest sound. After gathering his wits and realizing he was on a couch in his own home, he relaxed a bit.
Rick knew Evelyn was the source of the movements because it was much to early for Jonathan to be up and then he heard the sounds of Evelyn's morning ritual of vomiting. He wondered if he should go up and try to help but decided against it. For one thing, all he ever did was sit there and hold Evelyn's head while she puked. Another reason he decided to stay put was because Evelyn had turned into a morning grouch every since she started having morning sickness. And with the argument they had the night before, he knew her mood would be even worse than it normally was.
Rick lay on the couch waiting for Evelyn to come downstairs but after a while he dozed back into a fitful sleep. About a ½ hour later, he woke with a start, not knowing how long he had been asleep. He listened to the quiet, still house for several moments then sat up. Rick wondered if Evelyn had come downstairs and left the house while he had dozed. He got up and went upstairs and found the bedroom door slightly opened.
Rick walked into the bedroom to find Evelyn still in bed. Seeing her sleeping so peacefully put Rick at ease and he felt his body relax and release the tension it had been holding every since the previous night.
Rick had not truly slept when he was on the couch and had just drifted to sleep moments before the sun began to rise. His exhaustion hit him suddenly and it hit him hard. He wearily stripped down to his underwear and climbed in bed. He fell asleep almost immediately and rolled closer to Evelyn. Evelyn instinctively rolled closer to him and sighed as her sleep became tranquil.
When she woke up, Evelyn thought she was dreaming. Her face was buried in her husband's naked chest and his arm was lying across her hip. Evelyn moved slightly and in the next instance her posterior was being grasped quite possessively and she was being pulled into Rick's groan. He mumbled something and tightened his grip on her. Evelyn looked up into his sleeping face and thought he looked handsome. She pushed back the lock of hair that lay on his forehead then laid her hand on his cheek. She loved him so much and this was one of those special moments that she would mark down in her Book of Love.
Then she began to wonder. Was the fight they had last night just a nightmare and not a reality? No, it had been quite real. She remembered very clearly the countless tears she had cried throughout the night as her heart broke at the thought that he did not want their baby.
Why then was she snuggled comfortably in his arms? Why then was she feeling so safe.. and loved? Why then was she content to lay there and look at his handsome face for the remainder of the morning?
Evelyn became angry with herself at how easily she fell into his arms. And in her emotional state, it did not matter that she was asleep when she had fallen. Evelyn silently berated herself because all he had to do was put his arms around her and she would succumb to him. Again, she ignored the fact that he had slipped into bed while she was asleep. And she ignored even more the fact that had she been awake when he came to bed, she would have in no wise turned him away.
However, that was neither here nor there. She was expecting and he, she told herself for the millionth time, did not want their baby. Evelyn felt the tears welling up and lifted Rick's arm from her waist and rolled away from him. She got out of bed, grabbed fresh clothes and went to the bathroom to soak in the bathtub. After easing into the steaming water and sighing with contentment, Evelyn thought about how she would tell Rick about her decision.
**************************
Rick woke up and reached for Evelyn but only found a cold sheet. He opened his eyes and saw that he was alone in the bed. He looked over at the clock on the nightstand and saw that it was a quarter past one. He yawned and stretched his body, feeling so much better after getting some good sleep.
Rick also felt better because with the new day came a new perspective. He was still scared, or rather, uneasy about having a kid but he loved Evelyn and he would do whatever he had to do to make things right between them. Even if it meant admitting how scared, no apprehensive, he was about having a kid. Even if it meant digging up those old memories about his Pa and sharing them with Evelyn to explain why he was not exactly happy about the news that he would become a father. Even if it meant telling Evelyn he was... scared, scared as hell.
With his mind made up, Rick got out of bed and went to the bathroom to shave and bathe. After he finished, he went downstairs hoping to talk to Evelyn. When he did not find Evelyn in the sitting room reading, he walked into the kitchen but did not find her in there either. Then he saw the note and walked over to the table and picked it up.
'I've gone to run a few errands' it said. It was not addressed to him and she had not signed it. Rick supposed he was still in boiling hot water with Evelyn. Rick balled up the note and tossed it in the kitchen trashcan. As he walked out of the kitchen, he knew he could not be mad with Evelyn. It was, after all, his fault and he was ready to admit that.
Wanting Evelyn to return soon, Rick moped around the house feeling guilty. Every ½ hour he would look out the window hoping to see Evelyn coming up to the house. When it neared 5 o'clock, Rick began to worry. Evelyn should have been back by now. She couldn't have that many errands to run. Rick then wondered if she had gone to the museum and did not hesitate to find out.
When Rick made it to the museum, it was already closed and he went around back. After banging on the door for several minutes, a tiny man came to the door.
"Mr. O'Connell" he said in a heavy accent.
"How ya doin' Hamid. Is my wife around?" he asked Evelyn's new helper.
"No sir" Hamid said nervously. He was a little man and practically all other men towered over him. And this particular American foreigner seemed to instill fear in him. Maybe it was because he was always wearing guns and a frown.
"Hamid" Rick said with a slight frown that did not ease Hamid's mind. "I'm not a 'sir'. It's Rick or O'Connell" he told him.
From the first day Evelyn had introduced him to Hamid, he had called Rick 'sir' and Rick had asked him to call him 'Rick'. But for some reason Hamid kept calling him 'sir'.
"Yes sir" Hamid shook his head.
"Has she been here today?" Rick asked.
"Earlier, but she left."
"How long ago?"
"Oh a while ago."
"Did she mention where she was going?"
"No" Hamid shook his head nervously.
"Thanks" Rick said and turned and walked away.
After shutting the door and locking it, Hamid turned around and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank you Hamid" Evelyn said.
"Mrs. O'Connell, that was quite harrowing" he said. "I really don't like lying. And especially to that husband of yours."
"I'm sorry Hamid" Evelyn said, beginning to feel guilty for asking Hamid to lie. "I won't ever ask you to do that again" she smiled apologetically to him.
Hamid returned the smile and they walked back to the library.
Rick, meanwhile, was combing the streets of Cairo looking for his wife. After an hour, he headed back home hoping she was there. When he got home, she was not there and his worry began to turn into extreme anxiety. He paced the floor, looking out the window every five minutes. When thirty minutes had passed, Rick's imagination had conjured up visions of something awful happening to Evelyn. He even had the thought that Imhotep had somehow risen from the sands of Hamanaptra and stolen Evelyn from him.
With thoughts of gloom consuming his mind, Rick walked quickly to the door intending to go searching for his lost wife. He reached for the doorknob, turned it and yanked the door open.
"ooohhh!!"
Rick collided into Evelyn and he had to grab her around the waist to keep her from falling. Evelyn held onto Rick's arm and steadied herself and once she was settled on her own tow feet, she letting go of him. Rick however, held on to her.
"You OK?" he asked in a concerned voice that tempted Evelyn to waiver in the decision she had made.
"I'm fine" she breathed, avoiding looking into his eyes.
"You sure" he asked in a soft voice as he took his finger and pushed a piece of hair behind her ear.
"Yes I'm sure" she said, still not looking at him.
"Where you been?" he asked.
"I had some things to do. Are you going to let me in?"
"Sorry" he said and stepped aside and let Evelyn inside the house.
"I ah... I was getting worried" he said as watched her set her purse on the hall table. "I thought something had happened to you."
"There was no need to worry" Evelyn said in a chilly voice. "I can take care of myself."
Rick felt the sting of that chilly response and gritted his teeth. She was obviously still pretty mad at him and he wondered how hard it was going to be to get her to forgive him.
"Evelyn..." he said as he followed her into the sitting room.
"Rick, we need to talk" she said as she turned to face him.
"Yeah, I know" he said, a little relieved that she was willing to talk to him.
"I have something I need to say" Evelyn began.
"I'm sorry about... about happened yesterday. I..."
"Rick" Evelyn interrupted. "I need to say something and I want to say it and get it over with."
"OK"
"I've been thinking... since you... since you" she fought back her tears. "Since you aren't exactly happy about the baby..."
"Evelyn" Rick said, wanting to explain to her.
"Rick please. Let me finish. I've come to a decision that will be best for all of us."
"What kind of decision?" Rick said.
He did not like the sound of that. With Evelyn thinking he did not want the baby, would she try to get rid of it? He knew from his associations with ladies of the night that unwanted expectancies had a way of disappearing. He found the thought revolting but was not given to judging others.
"I've decided... it would be best for all concerned..." Evelyn set her jaw as she looked into his eyes. "I... I..." she averted her gaze then finished. "I want a divorce."