It was after five in the afternoon, when Deb and Claire got back home, with four bags filled with baby stuff.
Mike hurried to the hallway, and practically jerked the two bags, Deb was carrying, out of her hands. “You know you’re not supposed to carry heavy things”
“For God’s sake, Mike, I’m pregnant, not handicapped” Deb sighed irritated. “And they’re not heavy. You want heavy? Go check the trunk”
Mike frowned and walked past Deb and Claire, outside, to the car, and looked through the rear window. “You bought a cradle?” he asked a little surprised.
“Well, yeah, Beth can’t sleep on the carpet, can she?” Deb replied sarcastically, while caressing her big tummy.
“Beth?” Mike frowned, a little annoyed, as he walked back inside with the box. He put the box seguinte to the stairs, and looked at Deb. “I’m just surprised you didn’t ask me to come with you. We could’ve decided together”
“It’s a cradle, Mike, not a car” Deb tilted her head. She turned to Claire. “You want some coffee? I can make some”
“No, I should go” Claire replied, and to make she said: “I can ask Ryan to help you out with that thing” The thing being the cradle.
“Yeah, that would be nice” Mike responded.
As soon as Claire had left, Mike turned to Deb. “Beth? Seriously? You want to call our daughter after your…dec…eased sister?” What Mike actually meant to say was ‘deceitful’, but he swallowed his words. Deb had been very emotional, over the smallest things. No need to give her a reason.
“Yes, I like Bethany. It’s a lovely name” Deb answered elusively. “And…I feel I’m honoring Beth if I name our daughter after her. You understand that, right?”
“I understand, alright” Mike replied, and he took Deb’s hands in his. “But don’t you think you’re doing it out of guilt? Don’t you think that, if you name our daughter Beth, she will remind you of your sister, and of the things you blame yourself for?”
Deb focused on Mike’s hands, rather to meet his gaze. “Beth is a product of our love, not of my guilt. I think you’re the one who will be reminded of my sister, and I think that’s the reason you don’t like the name”
Mike couldn’t argue with that, because someone rang the doorbell.
“I got it” Deb said quickly, and she wobbled to the front door. She opened it and stared in the face of a tall, ginger woman, whose arms were filled with tattoos.
“Hello, Debra” Susan smiled. “Long time no see”
Mike hurried to the hallway, and practically jerked the two bags, Deb was carrying, out of her hands. “You know you’re not supposed to carry heavy things”
“For God’s sake, Mike, I’m pregnant, not handicapped” Deb sighed irritated. “And they’re not heavy. You want heavy? Go check the trunk”
Mike frowned and walked past Deb and Claire, outside, to the car, and looked through the rear window. “You bought a cradle?” he asked a little surprised.
“Well, yeah, Beth can’t sleep on the carpet, can she?” Deb replied sarcastically, while caressing her big tummy.
“Beth?” Mike frowned, a little annoyed, as he walked back inside with the box. He put the box seguinte to the stairs, and looked at Deb. “I’m just surprised you didn’t ask me to come with you. We could’ve decided together”
“It’s a cradle, Mike, not a car” Deb tilted her head. She turned to Claire. “You want some coffee? I can make some”
“No, I should go” Claire replied, and to make she said: “I can ask Ryan to help you out with that thing” The thing being the cradle.
“Yeah, that would be nice” Mike responded.
As soon as Claire had left, Mike turned to Deb. “Beth? Seriously? You want to call our daughter after your…dec…eased sister?” What Mike actually meant to say was ‘deceitful’, but he swallowed his words. Deb had been very emotional, over the smallest things. No need to give her a reason.
“Yes, I like Bethany. It’s a lovely name” Deb answered elusively. “And…I feel I’m honoring Beth if I name our daughter after her. You understand that, right?”
“I understand, alright” Mike replied, and he took Deb’s hands in his. “But don’t you think you’re doing it out of guilt? Don’t you think that, if you name our daughter Beth, she will remind you of your sister, and of the things you blame yourself for?”
Deb focused on Mike’s hands, rather to meet his gaze. “Beth is a product of our love, not of my guilt. I think you’re the one who will be reminded of my sister, and I think that’s the reason you don’t like the name”
Mike couldn’t argue with that, because someone rang the doorbell.
“I got it” Deb said quickly, and she wobbled to the front door. She opened it and stared in the face of a tall, ginger woman, whose arms were filled with tattoos.
“Hello, Debra” Susan smiled. “Long time no see”