CHAPTER SIX

"Do you want to try for that baby tonight, Rosemary?"

Rosemary almost spit out the milk she was drinking. Luckily she was standing next to the sink. "WHAT?"

"Um…I'd rather not repeat it…it was kind of awkward for me to say in the first place…"

"I just…never thought I'd hear that from you," said Rosemary. It was a couple of days later and Amadeus's strange behaviour had not abated. He was still sleeping too much and he kept saying the strangest things at the strangest times.

He looked at her oddly.

"I know."

"Well, will you stop saying those…those weird things?" Rosemary said. "I mean…you're not acting like yourself, Amadeus. What's going on?"

"I haven't a clue."

Rosemary made a noise of exasperation and slumped down at the table. "Amadeus…I need you to get a clue pretty soon…you're driving me nuts…"

"My apologies," said Amadeus, and he did look sorry. "I really don't know what's come over me." He wasn't looking too good either, Rosemary thought. He was starting to look kind of limp and listless.

Maybe he was sick…but she didn't think that was it.

"Well…" said Rosemary, who was a bit wary of the question but not wanting to let him get out of it, "if you actually want to try for it..."

"I told you we would a long time ago," said Amadeus.

"You didn't mean it," said Rosemary.

"Yes, I did," said Amadeus.

"I don't think so," said Rosemary.

"Do I usually argue when I'm wrong, Rosemary?"

"You're supposed to. It's the manly thing to do."

"Hmph," said Amadeus, clearly a bit ruffled at being compared to other men, and he stood up from the table where he had been sitting. "I'm going out for a while."

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know yet."

Alarms went off in Rosemary's head.

"That's not like you."

"So what," said Amadeus. "I can do what I like. So let me be, Rosemary."

And with that he left.

She just stood there, feeling like he had hit her.

She needed to figure out what was happening with him. She couldn't live like this anymore.

When he got back she told him to sit down on the couch and he did so without comment. She sat down on the table across from him and said, "Amadeus, we need to sort this out. It can't wait."

"What are you talking about?"

"Your strange behaviour, Amadeus."

"Have I been behaving strangely?"

Rosemary wanted to…to…well, she didn't know, but it would be violent, and it would be directed at him. "Where did you go this afternoon."

"I went anywhere?"

"Am I going crazy, Amadeus? You left this apartment this afternoon declaring that you didn't have to tell me where you were going."

"I…I don't remember that."

"I'm going to kill one of us, whichever is easier," said Rosemary, fuming. "I'm going crazy. What in the world is wrong with you?"

"I'm sorry," said Amadeus, and he rubbed his face with both hands. "I feel like I'm in a dream most of the time. I don't remember where I've been or what I've done. It's not any better for me, you know."

Rosemary sighed and sat next to him on the couch. He pulled her to him and stroked her hair.

"I'm sorry, my love," he said.

"It's all right," she said. "As long as we both try to figure this out, it'll be okay."

"I try," said Amadeus, "but every time I start to get somewhere I just…disappear, for lack of a better word."

"I love you, Amadeus," Rosemary said, because she was afraid he was slipping away from her and she wanted to give him something to hold on to; a reminder of why they were together.

"And I love you, Rosemary," he said, and she was happy that his voice was normal, not dreamy or confused as it had been so often lately.

There was a knock at the door. Rosemary was quite comfortable snuggling with him after so long, but quite expected him to want to answer it, so she moved away. She was surprised when he whispered urgently, "No! Don't answer it!" and pulled her back to him.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, quite," he said, and he was holding her very tightly now.

The door opened.

"Damn," said Amadeus.

"Oh shit," said Rosemary at the same time. "I forgot to lock it again."

It was Bernie.

"Oh don't you two look cosy!" she said cheerily. "And how are you two doing?"

"Fine," said Rosemary shortly. "Can we help you with something?"

"Oh no," said Bernie. "I just came to bring you some chocolate mouse."

"Chocolate what?" asked Rosemary.

"Mouse," said Bernie, and she presented to them little bowls with chocolate mousse in them.

"Oh, chocolate mousse," said Rosemary.

"That's what I said," said Bernie. "Chocolate mouse."

Rosemary rolled her eyes and took it into the kitchen. "We'll eat it later," she said, not intending to eat it at all.

"Well…I really wanted to know what you thought of it…"

"We'll tell you later," said Rosemary.

"Amadeus? Help me out here?" said Bernie pleadingly.

Amadeus looked at her with that sort of dazed look and Rosemary felt her heart sink into her stomach. She wasn't getting anything more out of him, that was for sure.

Wordlessly, and without looking at him because she didn't want to see that look on his face, she handed him one of the ramekins and a spoon. He tasted it and then rubbed underneath his nose.

"It's all right," he said.

Bernie was staring at her expectantly. Figuring it would make her go away, Rosemary dipped a spoon into it and tasted it as well. It tasted all right first, but after a few seconds there was a horrible, bitter taste in her mouth that made her want to gag.

"My God!" she exclaimed. "It tastes like chalk!"

"Rosemary!" said Amadeus. "That's not very kind."

"I don't care! She asked for my opinion and she got it!"

Amadeus, having eaten the rest of his mousse, put the spoon and the bowl on the countertop. "My apologies," he said to Bernie. "She's kind of outspoken at times."

Reluctantly she allowed them to have a little conversation about how outspoken she was. At least it gave her a moment to discard the rest of the awful mousse into a napkin, which went into the trash can as soon as she got near it.

Amadeus said goodbye to Bernie and then sat down on the couch.

"Amadeus, did you really have to say that in front of her?"

He didn't say anything.

"Amadeus?"

When he still didn't speak she went over to see what was going on. She had gotten only a few steps however when the room started to blur and she felt like it was spinning around her. She thought she might have called Amadeus but he apparently didn't hear her because when the ground neared he wasn't there to catch her.