A/N
This chapter takes place few days after chapter 17. The chapter really doesn't have a plot to it. In fact, I'm not sure how I would classify it. It's just a scene I thought up and decided to post because I'm having trouble with the flow of how I want things to go from here on out.
Rick drove Evelyn to the museum and now it's lunch time and he's coming to pick her up. Hamid was introduced eariler and he's Evelyn's helper at the museum.
anyway, enough rambling...
"Mrs. O'Connell has been crying" Hamid told Rick when he came to the museum to pick Evelyn up for lunch.
"What?" he said, then frowned. "For what? Where is she?"
"In the back office" he said as they started walking in that direction.
"Why was she crying?" Rick asked again.
"One of her books was not cataloged properly. And she simply burst into tears" Hamid, still perplexed, said as he threw his hands up.
"You're kidding me" Rick said.
"Kidding you?"
"Exaggerating" Rick said, trying to explain what he meant by 'kidding'. "You're exaggerating about Evy crying."
"Oh no, Mr. O'Connell. I do not exaggerate. I tell you the truth. She was crying tears" Hamid said as he shook his head. "I try to calm her and tell her it was alright. I tell her I would re-catalog the book. But to no avail. She just cry, cry, cry. I know not what to do."
"Is she still crying?"
"I am not sure. Is something amiss with Mrs. O'Connell?" Hamid asked. He was very fond of her and was concerned about her well being. And crying for no good reason seemed a bit odd for her.
By this time, Rick and Hamid had reached the office door and Rick opened it without knocking.
"Evelyn" Rick said in a worried voice as he rushed toward her.
She was sitting behind the desk in a high back chair with her eyes closed.
"Evelyn" he said softly as she reached out and palmed her cheek. "Evelyn?"
Evelyn stirred at his touch and slowly opened her eyes.
"Rick?" she said in a sleepy voice.
"You OK?" he said quietly as he leaned against the desk.
"Goodness" Evelyn said then let out a very unladylike yawn. "Pardon me. I must have dosed off" she said as she stretched her arms wide. "It's lunch time already?"
"What's wrong Evelyn?"
"What's wrong?" she gave him a bewildered look then noticed Hamid was in the office. "Nothing" she said and knew Hamid had told Rick about her weeping episode.
"Hamid said you were crying."
Evelyn had been bursting into tears over the silliest of things for the last two weeks and today was the first time anyone had been witness to it. She felt foolish about it, especially since she did not know why she was having these crying episodes. And the last thing she wanted was for anyone else to see how silly she had been acting.
"It was nothing. Really" she said when Rick gave her a doubting look. "I was a bit upset. That's all."
"Upset because a book wasn't cataloged right?!"
"Rick you're making too much of this" Evelyn said.
"Evelyn. What's wrong?" he said.
Rick was not convinced that her crying was 'nothing'. Evelyn was a strong woman and her strength was one of the reasons he fell so fast for her. Crying was not something she did just to do and if she had been crying something had to be wrong.
"Nothing" Evelyn insisted as she stood up. "I am starving and ready for lunch" she smiled at Rick.
Rick looked at her with a worried expression for a moment.
"Are you sure you're OK?" he asked in a soft voice as he pulled her toward him.
"I'm fine honey. Really" she assured him with a smile.
Rick stared at her for a few more moments, then reluctantly relented and stood up and followed her out of the office.
*******************
"Are you SURE everything's OK?" Rick asked again as they sat at the café eating.
"I'm sure."
"Then WHY in the world were you crying. It's not like you to cry."
"I was upset" she said, not wanting to explain something she had not explanation for.
"Because a book wasn't cataloged right?"
"I can't explain it" Evelyn said. "The book was out of place and I felt like crying so I did."
"Maybe you should go see the doctor."
"Rick, I don't need to see the doctor."
"Maybe you should."
"Maybe I shouldn't."
"Well something's got to be wrong with you. I'm taking you to the doctor."
"There's no need for strong arm tactics."
"With you there is."
"First you bully me and then you insult me. Mr. O'Connell, you are quickly working your way onto the couch."
"The couch sounds good" Rick grinned, knowing she was teasing him. "It is my plan to make love to you in every room in the house."
Evelyn gasped, turned rosy red and discreetly looked around to see if those sitting near them had overheard her husband's remark. Rick could not do anything but let out a hardy laugh. When Evelyn turned her gaze back to him and glared at him, Rick raised his brow at her. Her glare intensified and his shameless grin magnified.
When he smiled at her like that, Evelyn could not help but forgive any transgression. And besides that, the thought of him making love to her in every room in the house was an exceptionally alluring notion. Evelyn's scowl quickly turned into a smile and she was thankful that she had fallen in love the scoundrel.
Rick knew from the smile on her face that making love in every room in the house was defiantly doable. And he was ready then and there to get started.
"Instead of going back to the museum, why don't you come home with me so we can try out the couch" he leered at her.
"I've got important work to do Mr. O'Connell."
"What's more important than you. Me. And a nice sturdy couch?"
"I've got an important shipment of artifacts coming in this afternoon. And besides that" Evelyn smiled. "Jonathan may be home."
"I'll take his key and kick him out."
"That wouldn't be nice. And don't you have work to do?"
"Yeah, but it can wait."
"Well mine can't" Evelyn said, with a bit of regret.
"You sure?"
"I'm sure."
"Maybe tonight then?" Rick grinned.
"Maybe" Evelyn smiled.
*************************
After they left the café, Rick took Evelyn by the doctor's quarters. After explaining to him her fits of crying, the doctor informed both Evelyn and Rick that expectant mothers not only went through physical changes but psychological changes as well. Mood swings were not uncommon and where a symptom of the changes the body was going through.
Rick was relieved and thanked the doctor. Evelyn was relieved also to know why she was acting so uncharacteristically. But she was also saddened because she was reminded that her mother, who could have told her what was happening to her, was not here to share in the birth of her child.
As they drove back to the museum, Evelyn was quiet and Rick noticed a tear as it slid down her cheek.
"Hey" he said as he caught the tear with his finger. "What wrong now?"
Evelyn sniffled then wiped the tear that had fallen on the other cheek.
"It's at times like these" she said quietly. "That I miss mother the most."
Rick did not know quite what to say so he just took her hand, raised it to his lips and kissed the back of it. They rode the rest of the way to the museum without a word, holding hands.
This chapter takes place few days after chapter 17. The chapter really doesn't have a plot to it. In fact, I'm not sure how I would classify it. It's just a scene I thought up and decided to post because I'm having trouble with the flow of how I want things to go from here on out.
Rick drove Evelyn to the museum and now it's lunch time and he's coming to pick her up. Hamid was introduced eariler and he's Evelyn's helper at the museum.
anyway, enough rambling...
"Mrs. O'Connell has been crying" Hamid told Rick when he came to the museum to pick Evelyn up for lunch.
"What?" he said, then frowned. "For what? Where is she?"
"In the back office" he said as they started walking in that direction.
"Why was she crying?" Rick asked again.
"One of her books was not cataloged properly. And she simply burst into tears" Hamid, still perplexed, said as he threw his hands up.
"You're kidding me" Rick said.
"Kidding you?"
"Exaggerating" Rick said, trying to explain what he meant by 'kidding'. "You're exaggerating about Evy crying."
"Oh no, Mr. O'Connell. I do not exaggerate. I tell you the truth. She was crying tears" Hamid said as he shook his head. "I try to calm her and tell her it was alright. I tell her I would re-catalog the book. But to no avail. She just cry, cry, cry. I know not what to do."
"Is she still crying?"
"I am not sure. Is something amiss with Mrs. O'Connell?" Hamid asked. He was very fond of her and was concerned about her well being. And crying for no good reason seemed a bit odd for her.
By this time, Rick and Hamid had reached the office door and Rick opened it without knocking.
"Evelyn" Rick said in a worried voice as he rushed toward her.
She was sitting behind the desk in a high back chair with her eyes closed.
"Evelyn" he said softly as she reached out and palmed her cheek. "Evelyn?"
Evelyn stirred at his touch and slowly opened her eyes.
"Rick?" she said in a sleepy voice.
"You OK?" he said quietly as he leaned against the desk.
"Goodness" Evelyn said then let out a very unladylike yawn. "Pardon me. I must have dosed off" she said as she stretched her arms wide. "It's lunch time already?"
"What's wrong Evelyn?"
"What's wrong?" she gave him a bewildered look then noticed Hamid was in the office. "Nothing" she said and knew Hamid had told Rick about her weeping episode.
"Hamid said you were crying."
Evelyn had been bursting into tears over the silliest of things for the last two weeks and today was the first time anyone had been witness to it. She felt foolish about it, especially since she did not know why she was having these crying episodes. And the last thing she wanted was for anyone else to see how silly she had been acting.
"It was nothing. Really" she said when Rick gave her a doubting look. "I was a bit upset. That's all."
"Upset because a book wasn't cataloged right?!"
"Rick you're making too much of this" Evelyn said.
"Evelyn. What's wrong?" he said.
Rick was not convinced that her crying was 'nothing'. Evelyn was a strong woman and her strength was one of the reasons he fell so fast for her. Crying was not something she did just to do and if she had been crying something had to be wrong.
"Nothing" Evelyn insisted as she stood up. "I am starving and ready for lunch" she smiled at Rick.
Rick looked at her with a worried expression for a moment.
"Are you sure you're OK?" he asked in a soft voice as he pulled her toward him.
"I'm fine honey. Really" she assured him with a smile.
Rick stared at her for a few more moments, then reluctantly relented and stood up and followed her out of the office.
*******************
"Are you SURE everything's OK?" Rick asked again as they sat at the café eating.
"I'm sure."
"Then WHY in the world were you crying. It's not like you to cry."
"I was upset" she said, not wanting to explain something she had not explanation for.
"Because a book wasn't cataloged right?"
"I can't explain it" Evelyn said. "The book was out of place and I felt like crying so I did."
"Maybe you should go see the doctor."
"Rick, I don't need to see the doctor."
"Maybe you should."
"Maybe I shouldn't."
"Well something's got to be wrong with you. I'm taking you to the doctor."
"There's no need for strong arm tactics."
"With you there is."
"First you bully me and then you insult me. Mr. O'Connell, you are quickly working your way onto the couch."
"The couch sounds good" Rick grinned, knowing she was teasing him. "It is my plan to make love to you in every room in the house."
Evelyn gasped, turned rosy red and discreetly looked around to see if those sitting near them had overheard her husband's remark. Rick could not do anything but let out a hardy laugh. When Evelyn turned her gaze back to him and glared at him, Rick raised his brow at her. Her glare intensified and his shameless grin magnified.
When he smiled at her like that, Evelyn could not help but forgive any transgression. And besides that, the thought of him making love to her in every room in the house was an exceptionally alluring notion. Evelyn's scowl quickly turned into a smile and she was thankful that she had fallen in love the scoundrel.
Rick knew from the smile on her face that making love in every room in the house was defiantly doable. And he was ready then and there to get started.
"Instead of going back to the museum, why don't you come home with me so we can try out the couch" he leered at her.
"I've got important work to do Mr. O'Connell."
"What's more important than you. Me. And a nice sturdy couch?"
"I've got an important shipment of artifacts coming in this afternoon. And besides that" Evelyn smiled. "Jonathan may be home."
"I'll take his key and kick him out."
"That wouldn't be nice. And don't you have work to do?"
"Yeah, but it can wait."
"Well mine can't" Evelyn said, with a bit of regret.
"You sure?"
"I'm sure."
"Maybe tonight then?" Rick grinned.
"Maybe" Evelyn smiled.
*************************
After they left the café, Rick took Evelyn by the doctor's quarters. After explaining to him her fits of crying, the doctor informed both Evelyn and Rick that expectant mothers not only went through physical changes but psychological changes as well. Mood swings were not uncommon and where a symptom of the changes the body was going through.
Rick was relieved and thanked the doctor. Evelyn was relieved also to know why she was acting so uncharacteristically. But she was also saddened because she was reminded that her mother, who could have told her what was happening to her, was not here to share in the birth of her child.
As they drove back to the museum, Evelyn was quiet and Rick noticed a tear as it slid down her cheek.
"Hey" he said as he caught the tear with his finger. "What wrong now?"
Evelyn sniffled then wiped the tear that had fallen on the other cheek.
"It's at times like these" she said quietly. "That I miss mother the most."
Rick did not know quite what to say so he just took her hand, raised it to his lips and kissed the back of it. They rode the rest of the way to the museum without a word, holding hands.