Frank woke at a little before six. He smelled supper cooking and smiled to himself before going to take a shower and clean up. He went into the kitchen wearing a pair of khaki pants and a tee shirt. His heart nearly stopped when he saw Denise.
"Hey you, did you sleep well?"She asked hearing him come into the kitchen; she turned her head and smiled at him.
"Yeah, I was tired," Frank said smiling. "Are we going out?"
"No, just thought I'd dress up for a change. Too fancy?" she asked.
"No, gorgeous. Your mom is eating at the Holden's and Jeremy is out, why three plates?" Frank asked moving to hold Denise in his arms. "Should you be doing all this work on your feet?"
"Honey, I'm fine. I met a soldier of yours who said she hadn't seen you in a while so I invited her over," Denise replied.
Frank's heart sped up and he turned ghostly white. He tried to hide it, "Who?"
"Um I think she said her name was Jordana Davis" she said.
"Oh, Dee, honey...I wish you'd have talked to me about this first," Frank said trying not to show his frustration. "I...I don't like you doing this kind of cooking and standing on your feet so much. Your ankles are going to swell, your back's going to hurt..."
"Frank calm down, I will be fine, really don't worry about me," she told him.
"I better change my shirt," Frank said capitulating. "I'll be right back." Frank dialed Michael the minute he was in their bedroom. The second his friend answered he said, "Jordana is coming over for dinner."
"What? How did that happen?" Michael asked him.
"Apparently Denise invited her," Frank told him. "What the heck do I do now? Do I tell her before it comes out?"
"I don't know Frank, either way you run the risk of Denise getting hurt," he sighed.
"I know, but if it comes from me at least it's honest," Frank said. "But I run the risk of her thinking it's more than it is."
"Yeah your right, I think you need to tell her now, and get it over with. Maybe it won't be that bad," Michael said not thinking much of the seriousness of the relationship.
"How do I do that? How do I go out there and tell my wife I was with another woman in a way I should never have been?" Frank asked. "It will break her heart, it could endanger the baby."
"Yeah but of Jordana lets it slip, she will be more hurt that you kept it from her and she heard it from another woman," Michael replied.
"I don't think she'd do that," Frank sighed. "She has no ill will towards me. Denise will cry, she cries when I forget the milk, she'll certainly cry for this."
"Yes but she will be tore all to pieces if she event senses something. Frank, you need to tell her, it is the right thing to do," Michael said.
"I'll go tell her now; in case can you put Claudia Joy on alert?" Frank asked him.
"Sure I'll tell her to be ready" Michael said. "Good luck."
About an hour later, seven o'clock on the dot there was a knock at the door; Frank went to answer it while Denise finished setting the table and getting the food ready.
"Major Davis," Frank said politely. "Come on in, welcome to our home." Frank moved out of the way to all her to enter but soon found his arms full of Jordana.
"Frank it's good to see you again, it's been awhile," she said hugging him smiling smugly to herself.
"It has," Frank said hugging her enough to be polite and moving away.
"You've changed a lot since I seen you last, you look great though" she said smiling at him
"Well fatherhood agrees with me," Frank said smiling. "I know you've met but allow me, Jordana Davis this is my wife, Denise. Denise, this is Major Jordana Davis, intelligence."
"Nice to meet you again," Denise said offering her hand trying to be polite.
They sat down a few minutes later and Denise listened intently while Frank and Jordana talked shop for nearly three hours. It was clear to Denise these two had been more than colleagues; most likely they'd been friends. About 10:30 she wanted to rid her home of this other woman, she knew Jordana would have no problem keeping Frank company in her absence. She shifted in her chair a few times, when that was unnoticed by Frank she let out a tiny, "Ooh."
Frank's head turned to her quickly. "Are you okay, Dee?" he asked her.
She made a point of standing and exaggerating the pull in her back muscles by placing her hand there and rubbing it even as she said, "Fine."
"Maybe you should lie down honey, these chairs are hard," he told her.
"Don't be silly," Denise said looking at Jordana. "We have a guest." This time she walked past him making sure he got a good view of her legs.
"No, you go lie down Mrs. Sherwood. It's time for me to be going anyway," Jordana said faking a smile and Denise knew she was, Frank on the other hand couldn't stop staring a Denise.
"Dee, honey, your legs are swelling and anyone can see you're tired," Frank said tenderly. "Go to bed, get off your feet. I'll clean this up. Go on."
Denise tried to refuse again but lost when Frank dipped at the knee and lifted her into his arms. "No arguments," he told her carrying her to bed and helping her undress forgetting all about Jordana until he returned to the kitchen and found the plates scraped, rinsed and put in the dishwasher.
"Thank you, Jordana. You didn't have to do that," he said thinking she was just being nice.
"Sure I did," she said. "I don't know what it's like to carry a baby, but Denise is a lot older than me. I can't imagine this pregnancy is safe for her or ideal for you."
"Yeah she has had a hard time, but she and I are both thrilled," he told her.
"So thrilled you didn't tell me," Jordana said softly. "And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little hurt."
"Oh I'm sorry, I just got caught up in talking about work and I forgot to tell you," he apologized.
"Really?" Jordana said getting close to him. She reached out to touch his shoulders, "Or is it that part of you wishes things turned out differently?"
"What do you mean?" he asked trying to back away.
"I mean, maybe just a little part of you wishes that you didn't stop that night in my quarters," Jordana said very softly leaning up and kissing Frank on the lips as she had done that night.
Frank immediately backed up pushing her slightly to get her to back up. "Jordana what are you doing? I'm married and expecting a baby, Denise and I are happy," he told her shocked at what she had done.
"Okay," Jordana said. "I'll go. But think about this, why did you never tell me you reconciled?" With that and swish of her hips, she left.
Frank had to have a drink before he could go anywhere near his wife. Once he did though he knew he'd have to tell her about tonight and the past, except when he walked into their room Denise was clearly not feeling well enough to hear that, what she needed from him was love and attention, not heartbreak.
"You okay honey?" he asked walking toward her.
"You were right," Denise sighed. "I overdid it."
"I figured you did, I'm sorry you went through all that trouble," he told her sitting down beside her.
"It's okay," Denise said snuggling up to him. "Your baby is laying on one of my nerves. My back is killing me."
"Want me to massage your back" he asked wanting to make her feel bette.
"No," she shook her head. "Just hold me. I just want to fall asleep in your arms. That's all."
"You got it, come here," he said pulling her into his arms.
The next morning Denise was drinking coffee when the phone rang; she saw the caller ID and smiled "Hey, what's going on?"
"Hi, Denise," Claudia Joy said gently. "How are you? I wanted to call last night but Michael said not to."
"I'm good, just the normal pregnancy stuff, but I'm good," she said thinking that was what she was referring to.
"You are so much stronger than I am," Claudia Joy said complimenting her friend. "I couldn't have taken that kind of news so well."
"What news?" Denise asked sipping her tea.
"Didn't Frank tell you? Michael said..." Claudia Joy was beginning to think she was saying too much.
"Didn't Frank tell me what? Claudia Joy what's going on?" she asked her.
"I've...never mind, Denise, I'm sorry I..." Claudia Joy didn't know what to say.
"Claudia Joy tell me, please," she said beginning to get upset.
"Okay, I'm so sorry, Denise. Michael told me Frank was going to tell you before Major Davis got there last night," Claudia Joy sputtered. "I guess he..."
Denise cut Claudia Joy off when Frank came in from his run. "I'll call you later; I think Frank should tell me whatever he needs to tell me himself."
Frank froze, he knew he was in trouble now, he had to think fast.
Denise started to cry before Frank even spoke. She put her face in her hands and just sobbed.
Frank walked over and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Dee?" he said, this was a mess and he wanted it to be over as fast as possible.
"What were you supposed to tell me before Jordana came over last night?" Denise asked looking at him. "What could it have been that Claudia Joy called to see if I was okay?"
"Okay Dee, I'm just going to tell you because you need to know, while I was on tour in Iraq, umm, Jordana and I got close," he said whispering the last three words.
"Close? Close how? Close like you and Michael close? Close like you and me close?" Denise asked trying not to judge him. She'd had an affair, he'd been hurt but he forgave her. She wanted to give him a chance.
"Not as close as you and I Denise I swear," he said.
"Tell me," Denise said. "I told you everything about me and Mac, you owe me that."
"We didn't sleep together Dee, I wouldn't let it go that far," he told her. "But she and I got close, it was while we were separated and it was a mistake" he added
"Did you confide in her?" Denise asked. "Did you hold her in your arms?"
"Yes, but honey it didn't mean anything, I swear," he said.
"Then why do you still write to her? Why didn't you tell her we were still married? Or that I am..." She started to cry. "Am having a baby."
"She and I kept in contact because we are friends, and I didn't tell her we were married or about the baby because after that night it was strictly work, Denise please forgive me I am so sorry," he said wanting to hold her but afraid she would reject his touch.
"As silly as this sounds, I'm...I'm glad you had someone to listen to you then," Denise said. "But I'd rather have been told before I invited her into our home. She is not just a friend to you, Frank. Not in her mind."
"I know Dee and I'm sorry for not telling you sooner, I really am I should have told you," he said
Denise smiled at him and kissed him, "I love you. Now shower because we have an ultrasound in 45 minutes."
Frank smiled brightly, glad that he had told her and that it was over. "I love you too, be right back," he told her heading to take a shower and get ready for her doctor's appointment.
The appointment went very well. The doctor was no longer concerned Denise would have premature labor and was happy with the baby's size. He was unhappy that Denise hadn't gained more weight and addressed this with her and Frank. He also addressed her noticeable tiredness.
"Denise I am concerned about your lack of weight gain, you've only gained 13 pounds and you should have have gained at least twenty if not more. Are you eating well?" he asked her looking at both her and Frank.
"Yeah," Denise said fidgeting with her hands. "I'm just not keeping it down."
"Denise why didn't you tell me?" Frank asked her.
"Didn't want you to worry," she said shyly.
"Denise, you can't keep things like this from me, I need to know if you are sick," he told her.
"I'm not," Denise argued. "What can I do to correct the nausea?"
"Avoid stress, eat frequent small meals, and try to stay off your feet for more than an hour at a time. Some women your age have complications that start with nausea, swollen legs, and frequent urination. One of those is gestational diabetes, which I want to test you for immediately."
"Okay," Denise said quietly, she hoped the tests came back clear.
Frank was less than pleased with her as they went to lunch.
"Frank I'm sorry I didn't tell you. Are you mad at me?" she asked.
"Mad's not the word," Frank sighed. "Worried. Baby, why?"
"I just didn't want you to worry, you've been sick and I knew if I told you, you would worry, I didn't want to make things worse," she told him quietly.
"Look, I'm better, okay?" Frank said kissing her cheek. "I didn't have any of the things they said I had, I'm fine, so stop protecting me."
"Frank I have to protect you. I want you to be around when this baby is born and if you keep getting stressed I'm afraid I am going to lose you," she told him honestly.
"I'm not going anywhere, except to feed my wife and baby," Frank said holding her close.
Today had been a nice day, Frank and Denise had been out all day, they went to eat, then went to the park and sat at a bench and watched all the children play, they couldn't wait to be able to do this with their baby. Then they had gone and rented movies to take home and watch, now they were snuggled up in bed as the movie came to an end.
"I am tired tonight," Frank said stretching his arm around her. "You feel okay? Nothing revisit you from earlier?"
"Yeah, I'm fine" she told him laying her head on his shoulder.
"Good," he said smiling before kissing her and quickly falling asleep.