Commencement Exercises

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Updating really fast before I leave. I seriously AM sorry that you've got to wait for this!

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Of

Sandy was woken by the sound of clattering pans, the dull thud of crockery being set down purposefully loudly and the whistle of the kettle. He slid out of Kirsten's grasp wishing the springs were both less noisy and less prominent. Having slept through the racket issuing from the kitchen his wife immediately roused when she realised she was alone in bed, typical. He leant over her, pressing kisses to her eyelids. 'Shh sleeping beauty, you go back to sleep.'

Kirsten wrinkled her nose and rolled into the warm dell he had left, cuddling the sheets around her. 'Cold now,' she muttered before drifting back off.

He stood for a moment watching her sleep, a mixture of emotions scurrying across his face; smiles of pride and awe, smudges of doubt, disbelief, shades of excitement and anxiety as his eyes shifted towards the bump hidden by the bedclothes, and love, a hell of a lot of love.
More noise startled him from his reverie and sent him hurrying to the kitchen before the din could disturb the angel currently sleeping in his bed.

His mother was washing dishes in a rather exuberant manner, banging them triumphantly on the drainer when they were done. It was clearly evident what she trying to do but he knew better than to come right out and confront her about it. She'd probably storm into the sitting room and fold up the sofa bed, Kirsten with it.

'Good morning,' he ventured, stretching out and groaning as his back protested. 'Maybe…not so good…back is…killing me.'

The Nana turned to him, eyebrows raised, lips pursed, 'I see the pair of you didn't last long in separate beds.'

Her son looked guilty for a split second before asking, 'Did you expect us to?'

'Well,' the Nana reasoned with herself. 'I guess not; you're soppy that way.'

'We're in love.'

'Love! Love isn't much good for a bad back, seems to cause them.'

'And whose fault is that?'

'Your own for sleeping on that rickety old thing instead of a perfectly decent bed.'

'That bed was cold and lonely and you made Kirsten sleep on the sofa.'

'So she punished you by making you suffer it too?'

'Ma! It was nothing like that. She was the one worried about you catching us.'

'Humph,' she responded, turning back to the sink.

'I wanted to sleep there; neither of us sleep well alone. I couldn't sleep until I had her beside me; it's just…difficult to suddenly sleep without someone you know.'

Sophie looked pensive for a moment before her face hardened. 'Yes I do. But come on Sandy, you've only been married a year.'

'Two years.'

'Apples and pears. It's still an incredibly short time to get so attached.'

'We love each other.'

'So I've heard.'

'What now? Why are you being so awkward about this?'

'I just…don't trust her.'

'Well I do.'

'You're a fool.'

'I'm going for a shower,' Sandy said, walking away from the argument he didn't want to have.

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'Uh Sandy, I think the morning sickness is back,' Kirsten groaned without looking up from her position knelt on the bathroom floor. It was an hour or so later and her first day in New York wasn't getting off to a particularly auspicious start.

'Sandy's gone out to get some milk,' her mother-in-law's voice replied causing her to sigh inaudibly.

Great. Now she was alone with Sophie Cohen.

'Oh. Did you want the bathroom? Sorry. Hopefully I'll be done in a minute.'

'It's pretty late to be still having morning sickness,' Sophie observed, leaning against the doorframe.

Kirsten glanced round and sighed again, realising it looked like the Nana was settling in for the long haul.

'I-I don't know. Is it?'

'Well it varies.'

Kirsten didn't answer, ducking back over the toilet.

'Do you want anything?' Mrs Cohen's sweet tone put her immediately on her guard.

'Huh?'

'Glass of water, saltine crackers, termination?'

'What?'

'It's never crossed your mind?'

'No!' Kirsten was almost speechless. 'I-I…wh…we both want this baby.'

'Really?'

'Yes. You know Sandy wants a big family.'

'Oh Sandy, Sandy, Sandy. Of course I know he does. I'm talking about you.'

'Well, I uh…'

'You what Kirsten? Never really wanted kids but thought this might be good way to keep a hold of my son once the novelty had worn off and he realised you were the last person on earth he was meant to be with?'

Kirsten forced herself to flush the toilet calmly. She stood up and moved the basin, keeping her back to the door, refusing to let the older woman see how much she was getting to her.

'You know, when the pair of you got married I thought you must be pregnant. I hoped you were because then at least Sandy had an excuse for being such a fool.'

She almost choked at that, hurriedly spitting out water.

'Yes?' Sophie asked, smirking at the reaction.

Kirsten didn't answer, forcing herself to breathe slowly. Don't listen to her. Don't listen. She only wants to rile you. And she's succeeding.

Kirsten reached for a towel to dry her hands and face, breathing in the scent of the washing powder in the hope it would calm her.

'But then again, I wouldn't put it past you to have lied about it. Maybe you invented a scare to make him propose, maybe even earlier, when you first went out. Or did something really happen? Your rich boyfriend knocked you up, wouldn't marry you so you duped Sandy into thinking it was his and then you lost it…of course, he'd never tell me that.'

'No, he wouldn't, because there's nothing to tell. Maybe you should talk to him. Obviously he'd never told you that he was the one who did the chasing.'

'That's no to abortion then.'

'Don't talk about our child, your grandchild like that. I would never hurt this baby so don't even think it,' Kirsten forced out between clenched teeth, her icy voice just masking the shudder beneath it.

And with that she turned unsteadily on her heel and walked out, leaving a surprised mother-in-law behind her.

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Kirsten let herself quietly out of the apartment so she could cry in peace in the stairwell. She sat on the stairs one floor down so that Sandy's mom couldn't see her if she happened to be spying through the peephole. Mrs Cohen couldn't possibly believe all the things she'd said, she reasoned to herself, she was simply trying to hurt Kirsten. Everyone knew that she loved Sandy and everyone knew he loved her right back, right? It was only his sister and mother and her father that thought anything different.

Sandy loved her. He told her every day. And he knew she loved him so much it hurt didn't he? She loved him so much she knew she would have as many children as he wanted even though she was scared enough about this one.

Still, that knowledge didn't do much to dissipate the bitter feeling inside at Sophie Cohen's words, or fully smother the knots of uncertainty in her stomach. And so Kirsten Cohen continued to sit on the stairs and cry until her husband came back.

That was a couple of minutes later, the whistling and carefree swinging of the bag containing the milk stopping abruptly as he caught sight of a huddled form leaning against the banister, blonde head resting on knees, body twitching with sobs.

'Hey,' he said worriedly, dropping to his knees on the step below her, the milk clanking ominously as he did so. 'Hey, hey, honey what's wrong?'

Kirsten tried to fight the gentle fingers forcing her face up to meet his anxious gaze but failed miserably.

'Aw sweetie, don't cry,' he told her, pulling her towards him. She pressed her damp face into his chest and took long, shuddering breaths.

'I'm sorry.'

'Don't be sorry; just tell me what's going on.'

'Just…hormones,' she muttered into his shirt.

'Mmmhmm. It wasn't ma or Jess then?'

Kirsten didn't answer and he knew it was.

'Which one?'

'It doesn't matter.'

'Yes it does. Now I'm guessing it was my mother because Jess is out with the kids. What she say?'

Another silence.

'Look, if you're not gonna tell me I'll just go ask her.'

'Sandy don't!' she begged, gripping his hand so he couldn't leave. 'Don't say anything.'

'She made you cry. How can I possibly not say anything?'

'She doesn't know that,' Kirsten whispered. 'I didn't cry till I got out here.'

'Aw honey,' he said shifting to sit beside her and sliding his arms round her. 'You don't have to be strong all the time, you're allowed to cry.'

'Not in front of your mother; that's what she wants and I won't give her the satisfaction.'

Her husband kissed her forehead. 'You're stubborn.'

'And you're not?'

'I was born that way.'

'Well so was I, or maybe living with Caleb Nichol made me.'

They laughed slightly together and Kirsten dropped her head onto his shoulder.

'You know I love you right?'

'Yeah. I love you too.'

'Promise.'

'What has my mother being saying to you?'

'It doesn't matter, just promise.'

'I promise I love you.'

'And that you know I love you.'

Sandy rolled his eyes but complied, 'I promise that I know you love me.'

She smiled and kissed him but he broke away.

'You promise me first.'

'I promise.'

'Promise what?'

'I promise that I love you and I know you love me.'

'Well that's settled.' Sandy declared, lifting his hands to cup Kirsten's face and kissing her passionately.

'Oh please you two,' Dave moaned, running up the stairs two at a time past his brother and his wife who were edging into foreplay territory, 'get a room.'

'We would,' Sandy called after him, 'but the only free one was yours and we didn't think you'd appreciate it!'

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Thanks for all the reviews. I will reply when I'm next home I promise!

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