Chapter 23

Louisa woke to the sound of water running in the shower behind the closed door of their en-suite bathroom. She had had a difficult night. With only five weeks until the baby's due date, finding a comfortable position in which to sleep was challenging pretty much every night, but she must have settled in an awkward position the previous night because her back was aching and it was all she could do to turn her head to see that the clock registered 5:30. Martin was always an early riser, but 5:30 was early even for him. He had had a difficult night as well, tossing and turning all night long. She knew it was due to his anxiety about seeing his parents for the first time in over 15 years.

The evening before, when he had arrived home, he was quiet, lost in thought. As Robert did every evening, he ran to the door as soon as he heard Martin turn the key in the lock, gaily laughing, lifting his arms, and shouting "Daddy, Daddy."

"Good evening, Robert," Martin set down his case and picked him up sliding his palm across the top of his blond head and down to his cheek where he let his fingers rest for a moment before carrying him into the lounge and depositing him next to his brother on the floor. "Daddy, me and James are building a castle."

"It's James and I are building a castle, Robert," he replied in a vain attempt to correct his young son's grammar.

He reached over to James who was intent on placing the next block carefully on the turret he was building, and he leaned over and gently tousled James' hair, "Good evening James."

"Hi Daddy. Will you help with the castle? I want to construct another turret before bedtime."

"Not tonight James. I have some work to do." He returned to the foyer and picked up his bag. Louisa followed him and wrapped her arms around him, "Rough day?"

"Mmm …. yes. Later?" He kissed her, after which he headed straight for his study, closing the door behind him. This type of behaviour wasn't all that unusual if he had had a challenging procedure or if he had lost a patient. It happened occasionally, and she had learned to give him some time and space at these evenings, explaining to the boys that Daddy needed to finish some work before he could play with them.

They had a quiet dinner and after the boys were in bed, and the two of them were seated on the couch with their evening cuppa, he confided what it was that had him under such a strain. "My parents are in town. My father has severe atherosclerosis and his doctor in Portugal has sent them to consult with me with respect to his treatment. I spoke with his doctor by phone this morning."

She immediately understood Martin's anxiety. It had taken several years of therapy before and after their marriage for him to find peace with his upbringing, his parents' nearly complete disinterest in him and their eventual estrangement. She sensed fear for him, knowing that all the hurt and bitterness could return in an instant once they reappeared into his and their lives. She wondered, "Can you do that? Treat your father, I mean?"

"No. It's not illegal, but it is ethically unsound. And in my case, with our long-standing estrangement, I could be held liable if anything should go wrong. I won't treat him. I will have Brendall treat him and I will monitor his condition closely."

"Jake?"

"Yes."

She liked Jake Brendall, one of Martin's former students whom she had first met at the Parsons' Boxing Day party all those years ago in Cornwall shortly after she had met Martin. When they had an opening in Martin's department several years ago, Jake had applied and Martin had brought him on board. Louisa had reconnected with him shortly afterwards at one of the annual holiday parties, and he and his wife had joined them at dinner in their home a few times when the Parsons were in town.

"Is he capable enough?"

"Of course. I wouldn't have hired him if he weren't. I have complete confidence in his skills."

She put her tea cup down on the table and reached for his hand, "What time is their appointment?"

He wrapped his fingers around hers and replied, "One. I had Morwenna fit them in before afternoon consultations."

"I will try to send good thoughts your way then."

"Mmm …" He pursed his lips. She knew he didn't believe in the power of positive thoughts, "no scientific basis for their efficacy" he once told her. However, she felt that knowing someone was thinking of you had a power to soothe even if the actual thoughts had no effect.

"Remember that I love you. The boys love you. Your parents can't take our love from you no matter what they say to you or how they behave." She reached up and kissed him on the cheek.

He took a final sip of his tea and placed his cup on the table next to hers and then took her in his arms and buried his face in her neck, murmuring, "I won't forget."

They sat there for maybe a full minute or two, just holding each other, and when he raised his head, he searched out her lips, kissing her tenderly. He gazed into her eyes and whispered, "I'm grateful you're here."

"Oh Martin, I will always be here," she replied and kissed him back just as tenderly … at first. Gradually tenderness gave way to passion as it frequently did and when they came up for air, she whispered, "Upstairs?"

"In a minute", Martin whispered back as he reached up to release her hair from its ponytail so that it fell over her shoulders. She smiled at him seductively as he brushed the loose strands off her neck, tickling the sensitive area under her ears. He ventured lower to caress her breasts lifting them appreciatively after which he continued a downward path, sliding his palm across her swollen belly. Moments later, the baby started kicking. Martin smiled and spread his hand wide on her tummy, relishing the vigour of his unborn child, "Strong kicks".

She started to laugh, "Seems like someone isn't enjoying our intimacy as much as we are. Perhaps it's time to call it a night."

Ignoring her suggestion for the moment, he continued to stare at her stomach, entranced with the movements of the baby, "Do you think it's another boy?"

She tilted her head, "I don't know. Why would you ask that? Did you see something on the last scan?"

"Noooo … I purposely didn't look. It's just that the baby seems so strong."

"Baby girls can be just as strong as baby boys." Louisa defended her gender adamantly.

Martin looked up into her eyes. He knew he had overstepped some boundary, she could tell. "Yes, I know that. I was just wondering."

She leaned back away from him and answered him sceptically, "Right."

"I am allowed to wonder." He defended himself staunchly.

She started to chuckle at his retort. "Yes, you are, and I am glad that you do." She pulled his head towards her and kissed him affectionately.

Martin returned the kiss with passion and then leered at her, raising that eyebrow of his with a look that told her he had one thing on his mind, "I believe you said something about 'upstairs'."

She leered back at him, raising her own eyebrows, and replied, "I did."

He wrapped his arms about her and kissed her again, "Right," he declared. "Upstairs it is!"

She grinned in agreement, "Sounds like a plan." Her tone was light and playful, and she was as eager to continue their interaction as he, but she hoped she could provide him more than physical pleasure. She could see more in his look tonight than lust; there was an undercurrent of need in his eyes. He needed her tonight; he needed the emotional healing that sexual intimacy could provide, and she hoped to bestow that comfort, to give him the strength he needed to face his parents the next day.

Martin helped her up from the couch and they made their way up the stairs and into the bedroom where they did indeed execute a tender and loving coupling despite the challenges inherent with late stage pregnancy and despite the frequent kicks of protestation from their little one.

She had hoped that the exertion of their amorous activities the previous night would ease the anxiety he was harbouring about facing his parents and help him to sleep well, but he had been restless all night and now he was dressing for the day.

She rolled out of bed and shuffled over to his side wrapping her arms around his waist, "Good morning. You're up early."

He returned her hug, "Yes, couldn't sleep. You should go back to bed. You need your rest. I'll wake you before I leave so you can get the boys ready for school."

She shook her head, "I couldn't sleep very well either. I must have slept funny; my back is really bothering me. I think I'll take a shower. Maybe the warm water will make me feel better."

She could feel his eyes on her as she walked into the shower. He wasn't happy that she had continued to teach this last term, but her schedule was light to begin with as she only taught classes every other day. She really enjoyed teaching and felt that she was making a difference in the lives of her students. Her due date was only a week before the holiday break, and she had already arranged a supply teacher to take over her classes for the last three weeks of term in case the baby decided to come early.

James was in school full time now and Robert was in a preschool class two mornings a week. They had a great nanny, Emily who was a student at university majoring in early childhood education, as all their nanny's were. She took care of the boys' needs on the days when Louisa taught and watched Robert on the days when he wasn't in school. Louisa usually took the boys to school in the morning and Emily picked up Robert and fed him lunch on the days he was in school even if Louisa was at home those days. She was very competent and Louisa had total confidence in her ability to care for their children.

"Perhaps I should call … um … Emma and ask her to take the boys to school this morning if you're not feeling well."

"Emily. Her name is Emily. I'll call her if I'm still achy after my shower."

The shower did help her back and she dressed and met Martin in the kitchen where he was reading the morning paper as he finished his breakfast. He looked up from the paper, "How are you feeling?"

"Better, but I'm glad today is an off day. I think I will call Emily to see if she's free to take the boys to school. I'll use the heating pad while I am doing my planning this morning to help my back relax.

Martin pulled back from the table and neatly folded the newspaper, and then he rose and stepped to her side, placing a hand on her belly, "Any twinges or Braxton-Hicks sensations this morning?"

"Martin, I'm fine. I just slept wrong. We still have more than four weeks till my due date, although …"

"What?" He was palpating her uterus, a thoughtful expression on his face, searching for she didn't know what, given that he wasn't an OB.

She screwed up her mouth in a wry smile, "We may have to curtail any more activity like last night for a while."

He quickly looked up at her in alarm, "Did I hurt you?"

"Nooo …. I quite enjoyed it. You know I always do."

"I tried to be gentle." His face softened into that look of loving concern which melted her heart every time.

"And you were. You were quite lovely." She could have added that knowing your husband still desires you when you are heavily pregnant does wonders for a girl's self-esteem at a time when she is feeling extremely awkward and unattractive.

He reddened, always embarrassed when she praised his lovemaking even though she knew he was pleased that she appreciated his attentions, and she wrapped her arms around him in a gentle embrace. "I cherish our intimate moments. I always have from the very first time, but it is getting close to term. I'll ask Phyllis about it when I go in tomorrow."

"Is that really necessary? She doesn't need to know about … ahem … our intimate activities, does she?"

"Martin, she is my doctor; and given my condition, I think she already has some clue about our engaging in 'intimate activities'".

"Humph." He straightened up, took his used dishes to the sink and headed towards his study to gather his case. "I have several procedures scheduled this morning before consultations. I must be going."

She managed to catch him just before he opened the door to leave, wrapping her arms around his neck to look him in the eye and remind him in all seriousness, "Don't forget I love you …. We love you … very much. And I will be thinking of you when you meet with your parents after lunch."

He tucked his chin into his neck with a quick, 'Yes.' And then he placed a hand on her stomach, "You are quite certain that you are alright? You will call me if the pain in your back doesn't abate?"

"Yes Martin. I will." They shared a quick kiss good-bye and he trotted down the front steps and headed down the pavement towards the hospital.