Chapter Eighteen: 'Til Death Do Us Part
Lydia and Nick, now happily newly-weds, had been married for two whole months. Lydia now five months pregnant had started to eat everything in sight. She outgrew her clothes and refused to have sex with Nick.
Nick, on the other hand, couldn't wait until Lydia popped the baby out, though he had to admit it was quite breathtaking when the baby kicked or had the hiccups.
Lydia and Nick still received many wedding cards and gifts, but Lydia's parents' gift topped the chart. Her parents gave them a nursery set for their grandchild. The set was a soft oak color, complete with crib, dresser, changing table, and a white-lace bassinet.
Lydia and Nick were so grateful and Lydia learned to love her parents more.
As for Mia, she split from Jimmy and was on the market again. Lydia wasn't surprised.
-----
Lydia slowly opened her eyes and blinked a couple of times. She pulled herself to realize the noise that flooded her ears. The phone was ringing. She sleepily reached over and answered it. "Hello?" Lydia said groggily.
The caller on the other end was gasping for air and sobbing.
"Hello? Hello?" Lydia said loudly and frantically.
"Lydia, is that you?"
"Mia? Oh my God, what's wrong?"
"Lydia, Dad- Dad-" She was stuttering.
"Mia, what's going on? What happened to dad?"
"Lydia, he-he died."
Lydia's heart sank and she had trouble breathing. "Mia, I'm coming."
"Lydia, you need to relax. You can't get all worked up."
Lydia got out of bed and started pacing.
"Lydia, calm down. Is Nick there?"
"No, he's not," she gasped for air, now bawling.
"Lydia, you need to call him, okay? Call me back," Mia said through tears.
Lydia heard a dial tone. She dialed Nick's cell. It was 2:31 in the morning. She hated when he worked the 9 PM to 5 AM shift. "Nick, pick up." Lydia was hysterical, still pacing.
"Hello?" He answered. "Hello?" He repeated. He must have heard Lydia crying. "Lydia-"
"Nick, Mia called. My dad died," Lydia collapsed on the floor, gasping for air.
-----
Lydia sat in the stuffy funeral home on the floral printed couch. She stared blankly at her peaceful-looking father, lying in his casket.
Lydia's mother was having a very hard time that night at the wake.
Lydia shivered, getting chills that ran up and down her shine.
"Are you alright, sweetheart?" Nick asked walking over to the couch and handing Lydia a drink of water.
"Yeah," she said softly.
He sat down next to her and rubbed her back. She leaned her head on his shoulder and started to cry.
"Nick, I'm such a bad daughter."
"Honey, it's okay. Shh. No you're not."
"I told him that I hated him so many times, Nick."
Nick was quiet and listened to Lydia cry. "Lydia, he knows how much you love him."
"I hope you're right, Nick. I hope you're right."
Nick had been trying to comfort Lydia the best that he could, but he didn't think he did a good enough job.
Over the past three days, Lydia had stopped eating and she had barely slept.
Nick knew he shouldn't, but he forced Lydia to weigh herself and she has lost six pounds. Nick was really scared for not only Lydia but also their baby's sake.
Mia walked over to Nick and Lydia and sat next to Lydia. "Lydia, I thought I should tell you this," Mia said crying.
-----
Nick glanced over at Lydia who was sitting in the passenger side, looking out the window. Nick thought she looked absolutely beautiful.
Her long, blond hair was side-parted and placed gracefully in a bun on the top of her head. It revealed her face. Her eyes were red from crying and big, purple bans lay under them from lack of sleep, her cheeks were red and tear streaked. Her mouth was emotionless.
Nick felt awful. He missed the old Lydia, the chatterbox and his wife. "Sweetheart, are you okay?" Nick asked.
Lydia didn't even take her eyes from the window. She sighed and turned slowly.
"Sweetheart?" Nick asked again.
Lydia's eyes glistened and her lips quivered. She began to cry.
Nick felt horrible, but there was no way to comfort her when he was driving.
Lydia managed to calm herself down and she finally spoke. "Nick, everything's changed. Everything I though I knew is, well, changed and not true."
Her voice was shaky, but Nick understood her. He supposed love did that to you. "I'm so sorry, Lyds," Nick said, looking over at her.
"Nick, you have done everything I asked you to. God, Nick, I'm so lucky to have you." She smiled, even though she was still crying.
Nick smiled, thinking about last night when Lydia had asked him to paint her toenails because she couldn't reach her feet because of her large, round stomach. He grabbed her hand and kissed it. "We're almost home, Lyds," he said.
She responded with a gasp. "Thank you, God! I am holding water like the Titanic!"
Nick smiled. His old Lydia was back.
Lydia and Nick, now happily newly-weds, had been married for two whole months. Lydia now five months pregnant had started to eat everything in sight. She outgrew her clothes and refused to have sex with Nick.
Nick, on the other hand, couldn't wait until Lydia popped the baby out, though he had to admit it was quite breathtaking when the baby kicked or had the hiccups.
Lydia and Nick still received many wedding cards and gifts, but Lydia's parents' gift topped the chart. Her parents gave them a nursery set for their grandchild. The set was a soft oak color, complete with crib, dresser, changing table, and a white-lace bassinet.
Lydia and Nick were so grateful and Lydia learned to love her parents more.
As for Mia, she split from Jimmy and was on the market again. Lydia wasn't surprised.
-----
Lydia slowly opened her eyes and blinked a couple of times. She pulled herself to realize the noise that flooded her ears. The phone was ringing. She sleepily reached over and answered it. "Hello?" Lydia said groggily.
The caller on the other end was gasping for air and sobbing.
"Hello? Hello?" Lydia said loudly and frantically.
"Lydia, is that you?"
"Mia? Oh my God, what's wrong?"
"Lydia, Dad- Dad-" She was stuttering.
"Mia, what's going on? What happened to dad?"
"Lydia, he-he died."
Lydia's heart sank and she had trouble breathing. "Mia, I'm coming."
"Lydia, you need to relax. You can't get all worked up."
Lydia got out of bed and started pacing.
"Lydia, calm down. Is Nick there?"
"No, he's not," she gasped for air, now bawling.
"Lydia, you need to call him, okay? Call me back," Mia said through tears.
Lydia heard a dial tone. She dialed Nick's cell. It was 2:31 in the morning. She hated when he worked the 9 PM to 5 AM shift. "Nick, pick up." Lydia was hysterical, still pacing.
"Hello?" He answered. "Hello?" He repeated. He must have heard Lydia crying. "Lydia-"
"Nick, Mia called. My dad died," Lydia collapsed on the floor, gasping for air.
-----
Lydia sat in the stuffy funeral home on the floral printed couch. She stared blankly at her peaceful-looking father, lying in his casket.
Lydia's mother was having a very hard time that night at the wake.
Lydia shivered, getting chills that ran up and down her shine.
"Are you alright, sweetheart?" Nick asked walking over to the couch and handing Lydia a drink of water.
"Yeah," she said softly.
He sat down next to her and rubbed her back. She leaned her head on his shoulder and started to cry.
"Nick, I'm such a bad daughter."
"Honey, it's okay. Shh. No you're not."
"I told him that I hated him so many times, Nick."
Nick was quiet and listened to Lydia cry. "Lydia, he knows how much you love him."
"I hope you're right, Nick. I hope you're right."
Nick had been trying to comfort Lydia the best that he could, but he didn't think he did a good enough job.
Over the past three days, Lydia had stopped eating and she had barely slept.
Nick knew he shouldn't, but he forced Lydia to weigh herself and she has lost six pounds. Nick was really scared for not only Lydia but also their baby's sake.
Mia walked over to Nick and Lydia and sat next to Lydia. "Lydia, I thought I should tell you this," Mia said crying.
-----
Nick glanced over at Lydia who was sitting in the passenger side, looking out the window. Nick thought she looked absolutely beautiful.
Her long, blond hair was side-parted and placed gracefully in a bun on the top of her head. It revealed her face. Her eyes were red from crying and big, purple bans lay under them from lack of sleep, her cheeks were red and tear streaked. Her mouth was emotionless.
Nick felt awful. He missed the old Lydia, the chatterbox and his wife. "Sweetheart, are you okay?" Nick asked.
Lydia didn't even take her eyes from the window. She sighed and turned slowly.
"Sweetheart?" Nick asked again.
Lydia's eyes glistened and her lips quivered. She began to cry.
Nick felt horrible, but there was no way to comfort her when he was driving.
Lydia managed to calm herself down and she finally spoke. "Nick, everything's changed. Everything I though I knew is, well, changed and not true."
Her voice was shaky, but Nick understood her. He supposed love did that to you. "I'm so sorry, Lyds," Nick said, looking over at her.
"Nick, you have done everything I asked you to. God, Nick, I'm so lucky to have you." She smiled, even though she was still crying.
Nick smiled, thinking about last night when Lydia had asked him to paint her toenails because she couldn't reach her feet because of her large, round stomach. He grabbed her hand and kissed it. "We're almost home, Lyds," he said.
She responded with a gasp. "Thank you, God! I am holding water like the Titanic!"
Nick smiled. His old Lydia was back.