1 and ½ months later
Mark spread out the worn quilt on the soft grass, setting the woven picnic basket on the corner before turning to his wife.
Susan smiled at Mark, allowing her husband to help her sit down carefully. "Are you comfortable?" Mark fretted, kneeling down in front of her.
"As comfortable as I can be considering I'm seven and a half months pregnant," Susan said with a chuckle, taking Mark's hand and tugging him down to sit next to her. Mark complied, kissing her protruding belly gently before turning to the picnic basket.
Susan was enjoying her pregnancy, something that many women disagreed with. She wasn't sure if it was the fact she was carrying Mark's baby or the simple fact she was carrying a child at all. Ever since the debacle with little Susie... 'No,' Susan thought. 'I'm not going there.'
She watched as Mark fished through the basket, unaware that a small smile was playing on her lips. Mark was great over the past month: constantly helping his wife through the birth classes, comforting her when she had nightmares, rubbing her feet after a long shift, or simply holding her during the night.
It definitely wasn't easy. On more than one occasion she woke in the middle of the night, her heart pounding as she saw flashes of the life she dreamt. There were Chuck and her getting married, she, Abby, and Deb getting plastered one night... her attending Mark's funeral...
A slight shudder shook Susan at the last thought. She had gotten sick after that dream. Mark had been there to comfort her, holding her hair back and wiping her forehead with a cool cloth before helping her back to bed and holding her close. He had asked her if she wanted to talk about it, as he always asked after she woke up shaking. For once, she had declined, choosing not to discuss the nauseating details of his death with her husband.
Susan pushed the thoughts out of her head when Mark offered her a tuna fish sandwich from her favorite sandwich shop. She couldn't help but love how Mark paid attention to the smallest details. Susan had developed a strange love for dinner rolls, insisting on having them with everything: eggs, Chinese food, even with ice cream. Rather then the usual Kaiser roll, Mark had the cook put her sandwich on a dinner roll.
"Mark, you're so sweet," Susan gushed, cursing the tears at the same time. "Thank you!"
"My pleasure, sweetheart," Mark replied, kissing her gently before unwrapping his ham and cheese sandwich. He handed her a bottle of water, smiling at the grouchy look on her face. "Come on, now, Suz, you know the water is good for the baby," he chuckled, opening the cold bottle for her.
"I know, but I would kill for a coffee right now," Susan grumbled, though her tone was good natured and she accepted the bottle.
The two ate in silence, enjoying the warmth of the sunshine and the peacefulness of the park. It was in the early afternoon on a Wednesday. Most people were at work right now, and save for a few tourists and mothers playing with their children, Susan and Mark were pretty much alone.
"It's a beautiful day," Susan murmured, brushing crumbs off her stomach before laying down, leaning on her side. Mark followed her suit, pulling her close to her chest, wrapping his arms around her stomach. She covered his hands with her own, resting her head on his shoulder.
"You okay?" Mark asked, the usual concern in his voice as he thought of his wife and daughter.
"I'm fine. Just don't move. I'm too comfy," Susan replied, closing her eyes against the sunshine. She dozed lazily in the sunshine for a few minutes before opening her eyes again, only to meet the curious eyes of a young girl.
"Hi!" the little girl chirped, surprising Mark as well. His eyes shot open, and he looked around, confused.
"Hi," Susan replied, sitting up with Mark's help. Mark nodded to the girl as well.
"Are you having a baby?" the girl asked, her eyes focused on Susan's large stomach.
"Yes," Susan replied, looking around for the girl's mother.
"What's his name?"
"We're actually having a little girl and we haven't talked about names yet," Mark told her, his gaze following Susan's to a harried looking woman coming down the path, pushing a little boy in a stroller.
"I have a brother," the girl told them as the girl's mother came up, looking irritated yet relieved.
"Susan Louise!" he mother scolded. "What have I told you about running off?"
"I was just talking," the young girl now identified as Susan told her mother. "These are my friends," she explained, gesturing to Susan and Mark.
The girl's mother shook her head, somewhat amused. "I'm so sorry," she apologized. "She likes to talk. I've tried to explain to her the negative aspects of running away but she's so darn curious."
"It's alright," Susan replied with a smile.
"Yeah, you'll find that kids can be the best thing in your life even though they drive you crazy," the woman said. "Is this your first baby?"
"Yeah," Susan said with a nervous smile. "Is it obvious?"
"Nah, when I was pregnant with little Susie my husband couldn't keep his hands off of me," she replied with a shrug, gesturing towards Mark's light grip on Susan.
The married couple laughed. "Yeah, he hardly lets go," Susan agreed, grabbing Mark's hand and squeezing it. "I can't say I don't hate the attention though. Are those your only two?"
"Yeah, this is Matthew."
Susan and Mark nodded, smiling at the little boy before the young girl called her mom. "Mommy!" the younger Susan complained. "Come look at my grasshopper!"
"Well, I better get going. Hopefully she'll burn off some energy soon," the mother told Susan and Mark. "Good luck."
"Thanks," they said in unison, watching the mother walk away.
Susan sighed happily, leaning her head back against Mark's chest. "We haven't really talked about names," she reminded Mark.
"Well, let's do it now," Mark said with a shrug.
"Okay," Susan replied. "Are there any that you particularly like?"
"I kind of like the name Ella," Mark said, furrowing his eyebrows in thought.
Susan nearly choked when he said this, and she said quickly, "Ella?"
"You don't really like it, do you?" Mark asked.
"It's not that..." Susan replied slowly, trying to think of a way to explain that his other daughter... the one in her other world, that is, was named Ella.
"No need to explain, honey," Mark chuckled. "What do you have in mind?"
"I kind of like the name Mackenzie," Susan said, somewhat hesitantly. "I've always wanted to call my daughter Mackie."
"Mackenzie," Mark said slowly, thinking about it. "I like it."
"Do you really?"
"Of course. It's a beautiful name. What about the middle name?"
"Lynn?"
"Perfect."
"That was a little too easy," Susan remarked.
"Wait till we have a boy."
"What's so hard about naming a boy. Aren't we going to call him Marcus Jr.?" Susan teased.
"My name isn't Marcus!" Mark exclaimed, gently nudging Susan.
"Come on, Mr. Grumpy," Susan joked. "Admit it."
"The only thing I am admitting to is my love for you," Mark said, shifting the mood completely. He lowered his head down to kiss her gently. Susan enjoyed the feeling of his lips on hers.
The sudden beeping of his pager interrupted them. "Talk about ruining a mood," Susan said, pretending to be grumpy.
"Damn it, it's the ER," Mark sighed, sitting up and beginning to pack the picnic basket back up. "Apparently they have a major trauma coming in."
"Bummer," Susan said distantly.
Mark glanced at her and said softly, "I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"Ruining our picnic."
"Eh, I work in the same hospital. I'm surprised they haven't paged me yet," Susan said nonchalantly. She nearly laughed when her pager beeped at that moment, getting the same message as Mark. "I've been summoned also."
Mark extended a hand to help Susan up, massaging her sore lower back for her for a few moments when he saw the pain on her face. "Thanks," she said gratefully when the cramp subsided.
"Let's go," Mark said.
Mark spread out the worn quilt on the soft grass, setting the woven picnic basket on the corner before turning to his wife.
Susan smiled at Mark, allowing her husband to help her sit down carefully. "Are you comfortable?" Mark fretted, kneeling down in front of her.
"As comfortable as I can be considering I'm seven and a half months pregnant," Susan said with a chuckle, taking Mark's hand and tugging him down to sit next to her. Mark complied, kissing her protruding belly gently before turning to the picnic basket.
Susan was enjoying her pregnancy, something that many women disagreed with. She wasn't sure if it was the fact she was carrying Mark's baby or the simple fact she was carrying a child at all. Ever since the debacle with little Susie... 'No,' Susan thought. 'I'm not going there.'
She watched as Mark fished through the basket, unaware that a small smile was playing on her lips. Mark was great over the past month: constantly helping his wife through the birth classes, comforting her when she had nightmares, rubbing her feet after a long shift, or simply holding her during the night.
It definitely wasn't easy. On more than one occasion she woke in the middle of the night, her heart pounding as she saw flashes of the life she dreamt. There were Chuck and her getting married, she, Abby, and Deb getting plastered one night... her attending Mark's funeral...
A slight shudder shook Susan at the last thought. She had gotten sick after that dream. Mark had been there to comfort her, holding her hair back and wiping her forehead with a cool cloth before helping her back to bed and holding her close. He had asked her if she wanted to talk about it, as he always asked after she woke up shaking. For once, she had declined, choosing not to discuss the nauseating details of his death with her husband.
Susan pushed the thoughts out of her head when Mark offered her a tuna fish sandwich from her favorite sandwich shop. She couldn't help but love how Mark paid attention to the smallest details. Susan had developed a strange love for dinner rolls, insisting on having them with everything: eggs, Chinese food, even with ice cream. Rather then the usual Kaiser roll, Mark had the cook put her sandwich on a dinner roll.
"Mark, you're so sweet," Susan gushed, cursing the tears at the same time. "Thank you!"
"My pleasure, sweetheart," Mark replied, kissing her gently before unwrapping his ham and cheese sandwich. He handed her a bottle of water, smiling at the grouchy look on her face. "Come on, now, Suz, you know the water is good for the baby," he chuckled, opening the cold bottle for her.
"I know, but I would kill for a coffee right now," Susan grumbled, though her tone was good natured and she accepted the bottle.
The two ate in silence, enjoying the warmth of the sunshine and the peacefulness of the park. It was in the early afternoon on a Wednesday. Most people were at work right now, and save for a few tourists and mothers playing with their children, Susan and Mark were pretty much alone.
"It's a beautiful day," Susan murmured, brushing crumbs off her stomach before laying down, leaning on her side. Mark followed her suit, pulling her close to her chest, wrapping his arms around her stomach. She covered his hands with her own, resting her head on his shoulder.
"You okay?" Mark asked, the usual concern in his voice as he thought of his wife and daughter.
"I'm fine. Just don't move. I'm too comfy," Susan replied, closing her eyes against the sunshine. She dozed lazily in the sunshine for a few minutes before opening her eyes again, only to meet the curious eyes of a young girl.
"Hi!" the little girl chirped, surprising Mark as well. His eyes shot open, and he looked around, confused.
"Hi," Susan replied, sitting up with Mark's help. Mark nodded to the girl as well.
"Are you having a baby?" the girl asked, her eyes focused on Susan's large stomach.
"Yes," Susan replied, looking around for the girl's mother.
"What's his name?"
"We're actually having a little girl and we haven't talked about names yet," Mark told her, his gaze following Susan's to a harried looking woman coming down the path, pushing a little boy in a stroller.
"I have a brother," the girl told them as the girl's mother came up, looking irritated yet relieved.
"Susan Louise!" he mother scolded. "What have I told you about running off?"
"I was just talking," the young girl now identified as Susan told her mother. "These are my friends," she explained, gesturing to Susan and Mark.
The girl's mother shook her head, somewhat amused. "I'm so sorry," she apologized. "She likes to talk. I've tried to explain to her the negative aspects of running away but she's so darn curious."
"It's alright," Susan replied with a smile.
"Yeah, you'll find that kids can be the best thing in your life even though they drive you crazy," the woman said. "Is this your first baby?"
"Yeah," Susan said with a nervous smile. "Is it obvious?"
"Nah, when I was pregnant with little Susie my husband couldn't keep his hands off of me," she replied with a shrug, gesturing towards Mark's light grip on Susan.
The married couple laughed. "Yeah, he hardly lets go," Susan agreed, grabbing Mark's hand and squeezing it. "I can't say I don't hate the attention though. Are those your only two?"
"Yeah, this is Matthew."
Susan and Mark nodded, smiling at the little boy before the young girl called her mom. "Mommy!" the younger Susan complained. "Come look at my grasshopper!"
"Well, I better get going. Hopefully she'll burn off some energy soon," the mother told Susan and Mark. "Good luck."
"Thanks," they said in unison, watching the mother walk away.
Susan sighed happily, leaning her head back against Mark's chest. "We haven't really talked about names," she reminded Mark.
"Well, let's do it now," Mark said with a shrug.
"Okay," Susan replied. "Are there any that you particularly like?"
"I kind of like the name Ella," Mark said, furrowing his eyebrows in thought.
Susan nearly choked when he said this, and she said quickly, "Ella?"
"You don't really like it, do you?" Mark asked.
"It's not that..." Susan replied slowly, trying to think of a way to explain that his other daughter... the one in her other world, that is, was named Ella.
"No need to explain, honey," Mark chuckled. "What do you have in mind?"
"I kind of like the name Mackenzie," Susan said, somewhat hesitantly. "I've always wanted to call my daughter Mackie."
"Mackenzie," Mark said slowly, thinking about it. "I like it."
"Do you really?"
"Of course. It's a beautiful name. What about the middle name?"
"Lynn?"
"Perfect."
"That was a little too easy," Susan remarked.
"Wait till we have a boy."
"What's so hard about naming a boy. Aren't we going to call him Marcus Jr.?" Susan teased.
"My name isn't Marcus!" Mark exclaimed, gently nudging Susan.
"Come on, Mr. Grumpy," Susan joked. "Admit it."
"The only thing I am admitting to is my love for you," Mark said, shifting the mood completely. He lowered his head down to kiss her gently. Susan enjoyed the feeling of his lips on hers.
The sudden beeping of his pager interrupted them. "Talk about ruining a mood," Susan said, pretending to be grumpy.
"Damn it, it's the ER," Mark sighed, sitting up and beginning to pack the picnic basket back up. "Apparently they have a major trauma coming in."
"Bummer," Susan said distantly.
Mark glanced at her and said softly, "I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"Ruining our picnic."
"Eh, I work in the same hospital. I'm surprised they haven't paged me yet," Susan said nonchalantly. She nearly laughed when her pager beeped at that moment, getting the same message as Mark. "I've been summoned also."
Mark extended a hand to help Susan up, massaging her sore lower back for her for a few moments when he saw the pain on her face. "Thanks," she said gratefully when the cramp subsided.
"Let's go," Mark said.