Chapter 9: Some Repair Work
Liz woke up early and alone in the large bed. Todd had kept true to his word and had slept on the couch that night. It was Saturday. She remembered she had that huge office party that night. She groaned. Her and Todd hadn't really talked in two days. He had temporarily taken residence on the couch. Even thought it was still early she decided to get up. She crawled out of bed and walked down the hallway and peeked into the living room. She looked down at Todd sleeping on the couch. It was way too small for him and his long legs draped over the armrest. But whatever floats his boat, she thought to herself. She went into the kitchen to start brewing the coffee.
Todd had pretended to be asleep when he heard Liz walk into the living room. Then the second she was gone he stretched his legs and groaned. His whole body has stiff. The couch was small and uncomfortable.
And again, for the second night in a row, he hadn't gotten any good shut eye. He threw the blanket off of him and yawned. Then he scratched his face, it itched him like crazy. He realized why he never had tried to grow a beard. He had a very apparent two day growth of a scruffy beard on his face.
Liz decided to go back to the bedroom to change clothes and saw Todd had risen. She didn't say anything to him but just looked at him in disgust.
'Well morning to you to' Todd thought to himself. He honestly couldn't believe this was real- the way he and Liz were acting towards each other. This so wasn't them. He knew it, but he wondered if Liz could even realize it. Todd wanted to stay planted on the couch, but the coffee she had brewed hit his nose and he was drawn to it. He walked into the kitchen and poured himself a mug. Then he decided he was going to do something- something he knew that Liz hated him doing. He opened up the front door and went outside and got the morning paper in his underwear. He felt a little satisfaction in this. He walked back in, and started reading the paper at the kitchen table while he sipped his coffee.
Liz came back into the kitchen a few minutes later in some worn out jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt. She rolled her eyes as she realized Todd was reading the paper in his boxers. She hated when he retrieved the paper in his underwear for all their neighbors to see, but she just didn't feel like telling him so, since that would actually require talking to him. She reached up into the medicine cabinet next to the spices
and grabbed a few pills Dr. Peters had given for her to help keep her food down.
"What are those?" Todd asked, not even needing to look up from the paper.
"Pills," Liz said simply pouring herself some coffee and taking the pills. Although they were good for her she hated the taste and almost gagged.
Todd saw Liz's face as he looked up from the paper. He saw the gag reflex and the grossed out look on her face and very shortly, and quickly, let out the shortest of laughs. His eyes quickly went back to the
paper, like he didn't want to be caught looking at her or something ridiculous like that. "What for?"
Liz felt another wave of nausea come from her stomach and she gripped the kitchen counter, "some to help a queasy stomach," she said. It was kinda weird she felt more sick just tasting these pills then actually not taking them, but her doctor knew best.
"Oh" Todd said, thinking that was sufficient enough, considering they really hadn't talked the last two days. "Don't tell me you finally broke down and decided to go to the doctor" he said, using his willpower to leave out "with your busy schedule."
"Yeah I went yesterday," she said putting the pills away, She decided to leave out that she was pregnant. Under these circumstances, was not the time to tell Todd.
"Good" Todd said casually, even though deep down he was immensely relived. He hated seeing her physically sick because of the medical aspects and then of course the other things that went with it. Mainly the personality change. She should have gone weeks ago, but Todd was grateful she had, late or not.
Liz sat down at the table with Todd and put her head in her arms, she still felt tired even though she had plenty of sleep. If this was how it was going to be for the next 8 months she wondered if she could sign off now. She pulled her head up looking at Todd, she was afraid to ask him but she thought it was the best time as ever, "Umm . . .Todd?" she asked.
"Yeah?" Todd said, turning the page. He noticed how her tone had changed- like for the first time in 4 weeks.
Liz fiddled with the cloth placemat that was set on the table. "Well there's this party I have to go to tonight. . ." she trailed off.
"Yeah? And?" he said shortly.
Liz ran her hand nervously through her hair and bit her lip. "Well I wa-was wondering if you were going to come with uh, with me," she stammered.
Todd lowered the paper in his hands, so that he could look at Liz over it. He kept his emotion very hidden, so that it wasn't clear through his words. "I don't know." he paused, figuring he could and should add more. "A few weeks ago, when you mentioned it to me, ya I mean, we were planning on going to it together. But now? After 2 days of not talking to each other?" He shrugged. "I don't know."
Liz sighed, "It's not like we have to talk, I just don't want to go alone, and everybody else will be going as couples, I don't want to be the only one there without a date, and . . " she trailed off looking at Todd's past 5 o'clock shadow. It was more like 10 pm the next day.
"Go, but not talk. That sounds swell Liz. Why should I?"
"It would mean a lot to me to have you there, besides tonight's when they recognize everyone and I already prepared a speech and you're in it," she said looking at him shyly.
Todd had not expected that. Somehow, she had softened the wall they had put up between them, and apparently, she had already torn down hers to ask him this. This wasn't over between them, not by a long shot- but.... "Ya I'll go." Todd said simply. He looked back down at the paper. "What time do I have to be ready?"
"Social hour is at 5:00, dinner is at six, so I figure around 5:30 so we can catch the last part of it and then speeches and awards are at 6:30, and then gifts are at 7:00 so its about 2 hours. I'll make it up to you I promise," she said with a small smile on her face.
Somehow, that comment made Todd feel more worse than more happy. Since when would accompanying his wife to her office party need to be something that was 'made up to him' later? Since they'd begun fighting like crazy, he knew was the answer to that question. "Ok I'll be ready." He put the paper back up between them as he read, but added through it a second later, not wanting to see her face, "And I promise to shave."
Liz laughed. "I was just going to ask if there was anything growing in that," she said standing up. She remembered she shouldn't make sudden movements so early in the morning and grabbed the table form falling
over. It seemed lately her balance was off, along with her depth perception.
Todd noticed her shakiness and his first instinct was to reach out to help her but he didn't. It actually scared him, watching her like that. He knew she needed to get better, for her sake and his.
Liz went to go call her mom, she had called her earlier this week but she hadn't had a chance to call her back. She pecked Todd on the cheek and went into the study to make her call.
Todd realized it was the first time in days that a conversation between them hadn't ended in a shouting match.
Liz woke up early and alone in the large bed. Todd had kept true to his word and had slept on the couch that night. It was Saturday. She remembered she had that huge office party that night. She groaned. Her and Todd hadn't really talked in two days. He had temporarily taken residence on the couch. Even thought it was still early she decided to get up. She crawled out of bed and walked down the hallway and peeked into the living room. She looked down at Todd sleeping on the couch. It was way too small for him and his long legs draped over the armrest. But whatever floats his boat, she thought to herself. She went into the kitchen to start brewing the coffee.
Todd had pretended to be asleep when he heard Liz walk into the living room. Then the second she was gone he stretched his legs and groaned. His whole body has stiff. The couch was small and uncomfortable.
And again, for the second night in a row, he hadn't gotten any good shut eye. He threw the blanket off of him and yawned. Then he scratched his face, it itched him like crazy. He realized why he never had tried to grow a beard. He had a very apparent two day growth of a scruffy beard on his face.
Liz decided to go back to the bedroom to change clothes and saw Todd had risen. She didn't say anything to him but just looked at him in disgust.
'Well morning to you to' Todd thought to himself. He honestly couldn't believe this was real- the way he and Liz were acting towards each other. This so wasn't them. He knew it, but he wondered if Liz could even realize it. Todd wanted to stay planted on the couch, but the coffee she had brewed hit his nose and he was drawn to it. He walked into the kitchen and poured himself a mug. Then he decided he was going to do something- something he knew that Liz hated him doing. He opened up the front door and went outside and got the morning paper in his underwear. He felt a little satisfaction in this. He walked back in, and started reading the paper at the kitchen table while he sipped his coffee.
Liz came back into the kitchen a few minutes later in some worn out jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt. She rolled her eyes as she realized Todd was reading the paper in his boxers. She hated when he retrieved the paper in his underwear for all their neighbors to see, but she just didn't feel like telling him so, since that would actually require talking to him. She reached up into the medicine cabinet next to the spices
and grabbed a few pills Dr. Peters had given for her to help keep her food down.
"What are those?" Todd asked, not even needing to look up from the paper.
"Pills," Liz said simply pouring herself some coffee and taking the pills. Although they were good for her she hated the taste and almost gagged.
Todd saw Liz's face as he looked up from the paper. He saw the gag reflex and the grossed out look on her face and very shortly, and quickly, let out the shortest of laughs. His eyes quickly went back to the
paper, like he didn't want to be caught looking at her or something ridiculous like that. "What for?"
Liz felt another wave of nausea come from her stomach and she gripped the kitchen counter, "some to help a queasy stomach," she said. It was kinda weird she felt more sick just tasting these pills then actually not taking them, but her doctor knew best.
"Oh" Todd said, thinking that was sufficient enough, considering they really hadn't talked the last two days. "Don't tell me you finally broke down and decided to go to the doctor" he said, using his willpower to leave out "with your busy schedule."
"Yeah I went yesterday," she said putting the pills away, She decided to leave out that she was pregnant. Under these circumstances, was not the time to tell Todd.
"Good" Todd said casually, even though deep down he was immensely relived. He hated seeing her physically sick because of the medical aspects and then of course the other things that went with it. Mainly the personality change. She should have gone weeks ago, but Todd was grateful she had, late or not.
Liz sat down at the table with Todd and put her head in her arms, she still felt tired even though she had plenty of sleep. If this was how it was going to be for the next 8 months she wondered if she could sign off now. She pulled her head up looking at Todd, she was afraid to ask him but she thought it was the best time as ever, "Umm . . .Todd?" she asked.
"Yeah?" Todd said, turning the page. He noticed how her tone had changed- like for the first time in 4 weeks.
Liz fiddled with the cloth placemat that was set on the table. "Well there's this party I have to go to tonight. . ." she trailed off.
"Yeah? And?" he said shortly.
Liz ran her hand nervously through her hair and bit her lip. "Well I wa-was wondering if you were going to come with uh, with me," she stammered.
Todd lowered the paper in his hands, so that he could look at Liz over it. He kept his emotion very hidden, so that it wasn't clear through his words. "I don't know." he paused, figuring he could and should add more. "A few weeks ago, when you mentioned it to me, ya I mean, we were planning on going to it together. But now? After 2 days of not talking to each other?" He shrugged. "I don't know."
Liz sighed, "It's not like we have to talk, I just don't want to go alone, and everybody else will be going as couples, I don't want to be the only one there without a date, and . . " she trailed off looking at Todd's past 5 o'clock shadow. It was more like 10 pm the next day.
"Go, but not talk. That sounds swell Liz. Why should I?"
"It would mean a lot to me to have you there, besides tonight's when they recognize everyone and I already prepared a speech and you're in it," she said looking at him shyly.
Todd had not expected that. Somehow, she had softened the wall they had put up between them, and apparently, she had already torn down hers to ask him this. This wasn't over between them, not by a long shot- but.... "Ya I'll go." Todd said simply. He looked back down at the paper. "What time do I have to be ready?"
"Social hour is at 5:00, dinner is at six, so I figure around 5:30 so we can catch the last part of it and then speeches and awards are at 6:30, and then gifts are at 7:00 so its about 2 hours. I'll make it up to you I promise," she said with a small smile on her face.
Somehow, that comment made Todd feel more worse than more happy. Since when would accompanying his wife to her office party need to be something that was 'made up to him' later? Since they'd begun fighting like crazy, he knew was the answer to that question. "Ok I'll be ready." He put the paper back up between them as he read, but added through it a second later, not wanting to see her face, "And I promise to shave."
Liz laughed. "I was just going to ask if there was anything growing in that," she said standing up. She remembered she shouldn't make sudden movements so early in the morning and grabbed the table form falling
over. It seemed lately her balance was off, along with her depth perception.
Todd noticed her shakiness and his first instinct was to reach out to help her but he didn't. It actually scared him, watching her like that. He knew she needed to get better, for her sake and his.
Liz went to go call her mom, she had called her earlier this week but she hadn't had a chance to call her back. She pecked Todd on the cheek and went into the study to make her call.
Todd realized it was the first time in days that a conversation between them hadn't ended in a shouting match.