"Where's Mommy?" My son questioned as I crossed the living room.
"Mommy's not feeling well, darling." I informed him.
"Oh." His face dropped. "She was gonna watch cartoons with me."
"Sorry Freddie, she's resting in m room. I'd sit with you but I'm busy taking care of your mother."
"I'll help!" He piped up.
"That's okay, sweetheart." I replied and headed for the kitchen.
With the noise from the can opener I didn't even notice Lilith enter the kitchen and place her hand on my arm.
"You scared me." I chuckled.
"I'm sorry. I just wanted to get a glass of water." She replied in a timid voice.
As I turned to pour the soup into a saucepan for heating, I caught a longer glance at Lilith.
She had changed into the shirt I had lent her. It was way too big for her, obviously. Her hands were lost in the sleeves, dangling past her hips, her alabaster legs stretching down to her bare feet. She had taken her hair down, her raven tresses now draping her shoulders, led my eyes to the shirt collar, open to the third button.
"What?" She questioned, with a confused look.
I suddenly realised I had been staring at her.
"Oh, I must look terrible." She commented, as she put her hand to her forehead and brushed her hair back in an effort to tidy herself up.
I softly grabbed her arm. "Nonsense, you look beautiful."
"Oh, Frasier." She instantly found her feet amazing and wouldn't lift her head, as her cheeks turned a rosy shade. "Honestly, my eyes are puffy, my nose is red I'm losing my voice."
"Lilith." I held her shoulders and looked her straight in the eye. "You look gorgeous. Trust me."
The corners of her mouth started to form a smile, as she was about to deny my opinion a second time, when we were interrupted by the shrill ring of the telephone.
"I'll get it." I stated as I left the room.
"Hello."
"Hello. Frasier? It's Brian, do you know what time Lilith's plane left for Boston. I came home from New Zealand early and I wanted to surprise her, but I don't know how much time I have to get things ready."
"Well, um, actually Brian, she never left. Here, you'd better talk to her yourself." I made my way back into the kitchen.
"She's there?"
"Yes. Uh, here she is…" I handed the phone to Lilith as she set her glass of water down on the countertop. "It's Brian." I informed her.
She looked at me quizzically as she put the phone to her ear. "Brian?"………Um, no, the airline wouldn't let me fly….I think I have the flu……..Yes, I know darling…"
She looked at me with a pained expression. As if she were sorry that we had to be reminded she was married.
"No, Brian, sweetheart, that's not necessary……….I'll be okay. I'll be home in few days………uh, no, Brian, I told you, there's no need to fly out here…….." She rolled her eyes. "You've just got back from New Zealand, darling, it'll be nice for you to have the house to yourself and get some rest……..Okay…" She gazed at the floor…"I love you too." It seemed as if it pained her to say that phrase. "……Goodbye."
She pushed the call button and passed the phone back to me. "Are you okay?" I inquired.
"Yes, I'm fine. Just a little woozy. That's all."
"Of course. You go back into the bedroom and lie down. I'll be in with your soup in a minute."
She headed for the doorway then stopped and turned to face me once again. "You're too good to me, Frasier." She stated.
"Oh, go on." I smiled, gesturing towards to doorway.
"Mommy's not feeling well, darling." I informed him.
"Oh." His face dropped. "She was gonna watch cartoons with me."
"Sorry Freddie, she's resting in m room. I'd sit with you but I'm busy taking care of your mother."
"I'll help!" He piped up.
"That's okay, sweetheart." I replied and headed for the kitchen.
With the noise from the can opener I didn't even notice Lilith enter the kitchen and place her hand on my arm.
"You scared me." I chuckled.
"I'm sorry. I just wanted to get a glass of water." She replied in a timid voice.
As I turned to pour the soup into a saucepan for heating, I caught a longer glance at Lilith.
She had changed into the shirt I had lent her. It was way too big for her, obviously. Her hands were lost in the sleeves, dangling past her hips, her alabaster legs stretching down to her bare feet. She had taken her hair down, her raven tresses now draping her shoulders, led my eyes to the shirt collar, open to the third button.
"What?" She questioned, with a confused look.
I suddenly realised I had been staring at her.
"Oh, I must look terrible." She commented, as she put her hand to her forehead and brushed her hair back in an effort to tidy herself up.
I softly grabbed her arm. "Nonsense, you look beautiful."
"Oh, Frasier." She instantly found her feet amazing and wouldn't lift her head, as her cheeks turned a rosy shade. "Honestly, my eyes are puffy, my nose is red I'm losing my voice."
"Lilith." I held her shoulders and looked her straight in the eye. "You look gorgeous. Trust me."
The corners of her mouth started to form a smile, as she was about to deny my opinion a second time, when we were interrupted by the shrill ring of the telephone.
"I'll get it." I stated as I left the room.
"Hello."
"Hello. Frasier? It's Brian, do you know what time Lilith's plane left for Boston. I came home from New Zealand early and I wanted to surprise her, but I don't know how much time I have to get things ready."
"Well, um, actually Brian, she never left. Here, you'd better talk to her yourself." I made my way back into the kitchen.
"She's there?"
"Yes. Uh, here she is…" I handed the phone to Lilith as she set her glass of water down on the countertop. "It's Brian." I informed her.
She looked at me quizzically as she put the phone to her ear. "Brian?"………Um, no, the airline wouldn't let me fly….I think I have the flu……..Yes, I know darling…"
She looked at me with a pained expression. As if she were sorry that we had to be reminded she was married.
"No, Brian, sweetheart, that's not necessary……….I'll be okay. I'll be home in few days………uh, no, Brian, I told you, there's no need to fly out here…….." She rolled her eyes. "You've just got back from New Zealand, darling, it'll be nice for you to have the house to yourself and get some rest……..Okay…" She gazed at the floor…"I love you too." It seemed as if it pained her to say that phrase. "……Goodbye."
She pushed the call button and passed the phone back to me. "Are you okay?" I inquired.
"Yes, I'm fine. Just a little woozy. That's all."
"Of course. You go back into the bedroom and lie down. I'll be in with your soup in a minute."
She headed for the doorway then stopped and turned to face me once again. "You're too good to me, Frasier." She stated.
"Oh, go on." I smiled, gesturing towards to doorway.