Dixie sat back on the sofa, with the windows open, in attempt to cool the
unusually warm house. It was an amazing stretch of weather that they were
facing for mid-March. It might have just turned spring, but it felt like a
summer day. Dixie had the television on, fanning herself as the doorbell
rang.
"One minute!" she called, trying to get up. "Maybe two minutes." Dixie got to her feet, putting her hands on her lower back as she made her way to the door. It seemed to Dixie that the baby had grown extremely quickly, recently. She had just reached her sixth month, but she looked as if she would give birth at any minute. She made it to the door and eased it inward.
"Edmund," she said, moving aside. "Come on in." Dixie made her way back to the sofa, sitting slowly.
Edmund approached her. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I swallowed a watermelon."
Edmund smiled. "You've been through this before with JR," Edmund said. "So at least you know what to expect."
"Except... when I was pregnant with Junior, I was allowed to leave the house." She paused. "So..." she said. "Are you on lunch or something?"
"No, I took the rest of the day off. I thought you might like some company until the kids get out of school."
Dixie smiled. "I would really like that." she paused. "We can't do much though."
Edmund sat beside her. "Well, you were watching TV, we could do that."
"I never took you as the soap opera type, " she said.
"Well, I'll give them a try," he said. "Just clue me in as to what's going on."
Dixie sat up straight, putting her hand on her belly as she moved closer to Edmund. "OK," she said. "That woman is sleeping with her husband's brother, who's engaged to her sister and he's just about to walk in on them."
"The brother?"
"No, the husband." Dixie sighed. "Just watch, you'll catch on."
Edmund sat there, through a few of the shows, trying to follow what was going on, but for the life of him, just couldn't. "I don't know how you do it." Edmund looked at her.
"Do what?" Dixie asked.
"Watch these things."
Dixie laughed. "You know, Tad said the same thing," she said. "I happen to think they're entertaining."
"Entertaining, that's for sure," Edmund said. Dixie took a hold of the arm of the sofa to stand. "Do you need something?"
"I can get it," Dixie said. "I'm fine."
"No, no." Edmund stood. "You just sit and relax. I'll get it. What do you need?"
"You don't have to..."
"I want to." Edmund smiled.
Dixie did the same, leaning back. "I just want to get some water." Edmund walked into the kitchen. "The glasses are in the cabinet above the sink!" she called. "And you can just help yourself to anything in there. I think I might have some Oreos in the cookie jar."
After a moment, Edmund came out of the kitchen and handed Dixie a glass. "Why is the creme in these Oreos green?" he asked her.
"They're those new spring colors," Dixie laughed. "You mean Maddie hasn't attacked you to get them yet?"
"I'll have to be prepared, I guess," Dixie smiled, placing the glass down and then attempting to stand again. "Dixie, I said I'd get anything..."
"I really don't think you'd be able to help me in this department." Dixie raised her eyebrows. "Just wait here, have a few more of those Oreos. I'll be out in a minute." Dixie slowly made her way out of the room and Edmund sat back. He twisted the Oreo apart, looking down at it.
"Green creme." Edmund said. "What will they come up with next?"
"Mom!" JR called as he opened the front door. "I'm ho.."
Edmund stood from the sofa. "JR." he said.
"Where's my mom?" JR asked. At that moment, Dixie walked back in. "Hi, sweetie," she said.
"I think I should get going," Edmund said. "Sam and Maddie." Edmund headed for the front door. "Dixie, if you need anything..."
"Thanks, Edmund." Dixie smiled. She sat back down on the sofa as Edmund left the house. JR approached her. "How was school?"
JR nodded. "What was he doing here?"
"Just checking in," Dixie said. "It gets kind of lonely just sitting here doing nothing all day. He kept me company for a few hours. We watched some TV."
"Well how are you feeling?" JR asked. "Don't you have an appointment at the hospital today?"
Dixie checked the clock. "Good thing you reminded me," she said. "I completely forgot." Dixie tried standing again. JR jumped up and helped her to her feet.
"I can drive you down there," he said. "I want to go with you."
Dixie smiled. "OK," she said. "I don't think I can fit behind the steering wheel anyway."
"I can go see Tad while they look at you."
"that would be nice. I'm sure he'd like to hear your voice."
JR smiled softly as he took Dixie's arm. "Come on," he said. "I don't want you to be late."
"One minute!" she called, trying to get up. "Maybe two minutes." Dixie got to her feet, putting her hands on her lower back as she made her way to the door. It seemed to Dixie that the baby had grown extremely quickly, recently. She had just reached her sixth month, but she looked as if she would give birth at any minute. She made it to the door and eased it inward.
"Edmund," she said, moving aside. "Come on in." Dixie made her way back to the sofa, sitting slowly.
Edmund approached her. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I swallowed a watermelon."
Edmund smiled. "You've been through this before with JR," Edmund said. "So at least you know what to expect."
"Except... when I was pregnant with Junior, I was allowed to leave the house." She paused. "So..." she said. "Are you on lunch or something?"
"No, I took the rest of the day off. I thought you might like some company until the kids get out of school."
Dixie smiled. "I would really like that." she paused. "We can't do much though."
Edmund sat beside her. "Well, you were watching TV, we could do that."
"I never took you as the soap opera type, " she said.
"Well, I'll give them a try," he said. "Just clue me in as to what's going on."
Dixie sat up straight, putting her hand on her belly as she moved closer to Edmund. "OK," she said. "That woman is sleeping with her husband's brother, who's engaged to her sister and he's just about to walk in on them."
"The brother?"
"No, the husband." Dixie sighed. "Just watch, you'll catch on."
Edmund sat there, through a few of the shows, trying to follow what was going on, but for the life of him, just couldn't. "I don't know how you do it." Edmund looked at her.
"Do what?" Dixie asked.
"Watch these things."
Dixie laughed. "You know, Tad said the same thing," she said. "I happen to think they're entertaining."
"Entertaining, that's for sure," Edmund said. Dixie took a hold of the arm of the sofa to stand. "Do you need something?"
"I can get it," Dixie said. "I'm fine."
"No, no." Edmund stood. "You just sit and relax. I'll get it. What do you need?"
"You don't have to..."
"I want to." Edmund smiled.
Dixie did the same, leaning back. "I just want to get some water." Edmund walked into the kitchen. "The glasses are in the cabinet above the sink!" she called. "And you can just help yourself to anything in there. I think I might have some Oreos in the cookie jar."
After a moment, Edmund came out of the kitchen and handed Dixie a glass. "Why is the creme in these Oreos green?" he asked her.
"They're those new spring colors," Dixie laughed. "You mean Maddie hasn't attacked you to get them yet?"
"I'll have to be prepared, I guess," Dixie smiled, placing the glass down and then attempting to stand again. "Dixie, I said I'd get anything..."
"I really don't think you'd be able to help me in this department." Dixie raised her eyebrows. "Just wait here, have a few more of those Oreos. I'll be out in a minute." Dixie slowly made her way out of the room and Edmund sat back. He twisted the Oreo apart, looking down at it.
"Green creme." Edmund said. "What will they come up with next?"
"Mom!" JR called as he opened the front door. "I'm ho.."
Edmund stood from the sofa. "JR." he said.
"Where's my mom?" JR asked. At that moment, Dixie walked back in. "Hi, sweetie," she said.
"I think I should get going," Edmund said. "Sam and Maddie." Edmund headed for the front door. "Dixie, if you need anything..."
"Thanks, Edmund." Dixie smiled. She sat back down on the sofa as Edmund left the house. JR approached her. "How was school?"
JR nodded. "What was he doing here?"
"Just checking in," Dixie said. "It gets kind of lonely just sitting here doing nothing all day. He kept me company for a few hours. We watched some TV."
"Well how are you feeling?" JR asked. "Don't you have an appointment at the hospital today?"
Dixie checked the clock. "Good thing you reminded me," she said. "I completely forgot." Dixie tried standing again. JR jumped up and helped her to her feet.
"I can drive you down there," he said. "I want to go with you."
Dixie smiled. "OK," she said. "I don't think I can fit behind the steering wheel anyway."
"I can go see Tad while they look at you."
"that would be nice. I'm sure he'd like to hear your voice."
JR smiled softly as he took Dixie's arm. "Come on," he said. "I don't want you to be late."
