Author's note: Sorry about the delay with this chapter but I've been really busy with work. You might have to get used to longer waits between chapters cos my workload doesn't look like lightening up any time soon unfortunately. Also, sorry if this chapter seems a bit crammed and rushed, I was trying to move the story along a bit but I'm not sure if it works. I'll try and spend more time on the next chapter to make it flow better.
Ray was not comfortable. He knew Neela had morning sickness to contend with but it was after noon and did he mention he wasn't comfortable?
"So, how are you guys enjoying Chicago so far?" Ray asked Neela's parents.
"Is she ok?" Neela's mother asked him, looking in the direction that Neela had just exited in.
"Neela? Yeah, she's fine. Had a stomach bug a couple of days ago, it's probably just a throwback to that," Ray explained, rather unconvincingly, before trying to change the subject. "I guess you haven't had much chance to see the city yet. Probably just the airport and the hospital, right? Well, Neela's got this great place in mind for dinner tonight, you'll love it."
"Maybe I should check on her," Neela's mother said distractedly, clearly not listening to a word Ray was saying.
"No," Ray said a little too sharply. "No," he said again, softly. "She likes to be on her own when she's sick. She'll just shout at you. Trust me, I know, she's always yelling at me." The look Neela's parents gave him caused him to quickly add, "Not that we fight a lot. We don't fight. She can just be a little stubborn. But not in a bad way."
Oh God, Neela, please hurry up.
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Neela had had a bad day. Actually, that was one hell of an understatement. She took a deep breath as she stared into her locker. Her shift was finally over but she had a feeling things were only going to get worse.
Ray entered the lounge and she tried to looking like she wasn't completely vacant by taking a book out of her locker that she clearly didn't need. She cursed herself as Ray approached.
"Hey, you ready to get out of here?" he asked her.
"Erm, yeah," Neela replied distractedly as she wondered what the bloody hell she was doing with the stupid book.
"You ok?" Ray asked her.
"Yeah, sorry, yes," she replied, actually sounding convincing. "I was miles away," she explained.
"So, you ready to do this?" Ray asked with a small smile of anticipation.
Neela paused before calmly replying. "No."
Ray opened his mouth to reply when what she actually said suddenly hit him. A look of confusion came over his face. "Erm, what?"
"I've changed my mind, I don't want to tell them," Neela said matter-of-factly.
"Neela, we have to tell them," Ray insisted, trying to reason with her latest pregnancy related insanity.
"No we don't," Neela continued. "Think about it, I hardly ever see them, I bet we could hide it from them."
"Neela," Ray started but he drew a blank. He was running out of arguments with the woman. "That's just crazy," he stated eventually.
"Crazy?" Neela asked, starting to get worked up. "You think that's crazy? I'll tell you what's crazy. Me holding this book is crazy," she said as she waved said book in front of Ray a little. "Ray, I have no idea why I'm holding this book," she said weakly.
Ray wasn't quite sure what to make of all that. He looked at the book and then back to Neela. "Well, how about we put the book back in you locker?" he suggested.
"Ok," Neela said, allowing Ray to take the book out of her hand and place it back where it came from. "Sorry, I think I went a little crazy there," she admitted.
"Just a little," Ray conceded.
"I'm serious though," Neela explained. "I don't want to tell them, not right now. I mean, we'll have to tell them eventually, but not tonight. We can tell them tomorrow."
"Aren't you the woman who told me 'Never put off til tomorrow what you can do today'?" Ray asked her.
"Yes, Ray, but I was talking about the housework. And you ignored me, as I recall," Neela argued back. She sighed. "Ray, I really don't have the energy tonight. We'll do it tomorrow, I promise. They're all jetlagged and moody right now. We should give them time to adjust before we drop this on them."
"Yeah, ok, I guess you're right," Ray found himself admitting. "I'm going to hold you to tomorrow though," he promised.
Neela nodded. "Deal."
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One week later and Neela still hadn't found the right moment to tell her parents about their grandchild-to-be. The longer she'd left it, the harder it had got. And now it was their last day in the country so she knew she had to do it pretty bloody soon.
As of this second, however, she was once again fighting her morning sickness and her father was taking an inordinate amount of time in the bathroom. She was stood in the kitchen sipping at a glass of water when her mother entered.
"Hi, mum," she said, attempting to sound cheery.
"Me and your father are all packed now," her mother explained. "We'll be out of your hair tonight."
"Don't be silly, mum," Neela said. "You haven't been any trouble."
"You've been stressed," her mother stated dryly. "It can't be good for the baby."
What? Neela choked on the sip of what she was taking. "What baby?" she managed weakly after she'd finished coughing.
"Your baby," her mother said patiently. "The baby you're carrying."
"Mum, I'm not pregnant," Neela said. Why the hell did I just say that? she thought to herself.
"Why are you lying?" her mother asked her.
Neela paused as she looked up at her mother. "I don't know," she said quietly. "Because you took me by surprise. Because I wanted to tell you myself. With Ray here. Because⦠because I'm scared of what you're going to say."
"I'm going to say that you're foolish," her mother began. Neela nodded and looked down, resigning herself to the lecture that was undoubtedly coming her way. "And I'm going to say that you're lucky."
Neela looked back up. "Lucky?"
"To have Ray," her mother explained. "He seems to have his head on his shoulders. Most of the time. He can be jumpy though. And he talks too much. Often without thinking first."
Neela smiled. All very true. But, then, that's why she loved him.
"He seems like he'll be a good father. He's good with children. He has a bond with them. Probably because he has the mental age of a five-year-old."
Neela smiled wider. Again, very true.
"I really thought you were going to go mad at me," Neela stated.
"I would have done," her mother admitted. "When I found out on that first day I was very unhappy. I disliked Ray extremely and I thought the whole situation was just terrible. But Ray's not so bad. You could do better. Back in England you could definitely do better." Neela rolled her eyes. "But I still think you did ok."
"Well, thank you, mother," Neela said, genuinely pleased with how this was going. "Wait a minute. You knew the day you arrived?" Neela asked.
"Of course. The morning sickness, the mood swings, the look on your face. I know you, Neela. And I knew it must be something big when you invited me and your father over here."
"Dad," Neela said distractedly. "I still have to tell dad."
"I already have," her mother explained.
"You did?" Neela asked.
"Yes, we both know," she nodded.
"Oh," Neela said, somehow a little upset that she didn't get to break her big news to someone. "Ok then."
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Ray and Neela stood at the check in desk, saying goodbye to Neela's parents. Neela's mother gave her a hug and Ray couldn't help but notice that it was the first time he'd seen the two in any kind of close physical contact. No, Ray thought, they must have hugged when Neela finally got round to telling her about the bun in the oven.
Neela's father pulled Ray subtly away from the others and out of his train of thought. "I hope you have a nice flight," Ray said cheerily.
"If you hurt my daughter, I will hurt you," Neela's father stated simply.
Ok, slightly out of left field, Ray thought. He wasn't exactly sure what the correct response to such a comment was. "I don't intend to," he said, still a little lost.
"The road to hell is paved with good intentions," Neela's father stated.
So that's where Neela gets the random sayings from, Ray thought.
Neela and her mother broke hug and her parents prepared to leave, picking up their bags.
"I want a picture of that baby when it's born," Neela's mother stated.
"Of course," Neela said.
"Picture? You're coming to babysit," Ray joked. Neela's parent's didn't look impressed. Right, they don't like my jokes, Ray remembered. Although they don't look like they want to bludgeon me and that's a big improvement.
"We'll talk to you soon, mum," Neela said.
They all said their goodbyes and Neela and Ray watched the retreating forms of her parents. Neela felt a load lifted off her shoulders. The two of them turned and started to walk out of the airport.
"Guess all we have to do is tell your mum now," Neela said.
"That's cool, I already told her," Ray explained.
Neela stopped walking. "What?"
Ray also stopped and looked at Neela. "What did I do now?"
"You told her without me?" Neela asked, obviously hurt.
"Well, it was when you first told me and you wouldn't talk to me. I had to talk to someone, Neela," Ray explained.
"Fine," Neela said as she started walking again. Ray quickly followed after her.
Good work, Barnett.
