An Unexpected Miracle-2

The elevator doors swished open and Mari sighed with relief as she dragged herself in.  She hit the button for the fifth floor then moved to lean against the back wall.  Just before the doors closed two other women rushed in.  Dressed in their tailored business suits, Mari recognized them both from the Administration side of the Center, Justine from Accounting and Anne from Human Resources.  They were obviously involved in an ongoing conversation so Mari silently nodded her head in greeting then sagged back and closed her eyes, letting the dialogue flow around her.

            “I cannot believe how sick I’ve been,” Mari heard Anne exclaim.  Peeking through half closed lids Mari saw Anne holding a hand over her stomach, almost a mirror image of what Mari had been doing for the past few months.  “I haven’t been able to keep anything down but crackers and water for weeks.”  Justine made a sympathetic noise as Anne continued.  “And I keep falling asleep at the dinner table.  Ken said if he didn’t know I was pregnant he’d have a serious complex.”

            Mari’s ears perked up at that first comment, hoping to hear that a virulent strain of stomach flu was making the rounds through around the building.  She was almost disappointed to learn the woman’s symptoms stemmed from pregnancy.

            “How far along are you?” Justine asked.

            “About four and a half months.”

            “You aren’t showing at all.”

            Mari forced her eyes open again.  That was true, Mari thought.  The woman in front of her still looked as trim as ever in her snappy skirt and jacket.

            “Not that anyone can really tell.  It’s just subtle things right now.  I get lightheaded a lot.  And I’m feeling just a little heavy on top,” she laughed.  “After being so sick I thought it would still be awhile longer before I had to wear maternity clothes, but my pants and skirts are starting to feel a little tight, not to mention my shirts.  I’m loving my suit jackets at the moment since it hides the fact I can’t button my skirt.  It’s a good thing this place is air conditioned.”

            The elevator doors opened at the fifth floor and Mari reluctantly stepped out.  If it were not for the fact that Anne was pregnant she could be describing Mari’s symptoms to a “t”.  She made her way down the corridor, mind spinning with more than just lightheadedness.  Unlocking the door to the lab, she replayed the conversation from the elevator in her head.  Mari mentally reviewed the woman’s symptoms, ticking them off one by one.  Anne had been sick for several months, extremely tired, and was lightheaded.  Sounds like me, except for that whole pregnancy thing, Mari thought as she dropped her backpack on her desk.  I’m sure I must have dropped at least ten pounds in the last couple months.  She walked over to the glass-fronted refrigerator across the lab which made a great full length mirror in a pinch.  Turning from side to side Mari took a hard look at herself and was surprised by what she saw.  Considering all the meals she had lost in the last couple months and the resulting loss of appetite, Mari was sure she would be looking a lot thinner.  But if what she saw in the glass could be believed she did not look like she had lost any weight.  “Just a skewed reflection from the glass,” she reasoned.

Mari went about her routine lab tasks out of habit.  When they were finished she collapsed at her desk in exhaustion.  She had tried to push the conversation in the elevator from her mind but snippets kept popping back into her head.  Just enough to make all the old desires flare back up.  This sickness is just a major case of stomach flu mixed with stress, she told herself.  She had been riding the edge since this grant renewal had come up.  Joe’s working in Houston had only added to the pressure she felt.  These symptoms had to be caused by stress and stomach flu.  It was the only explanation that made any sense.

            By three o’clock Mari was practically quivering with nervous tension.  Her stomach was rolling, although that was really nothing new.  Her head was pounding, again nothing new.  But she had gone over the same paragraph three times and still could not make sense of it.  Finally, Mari tossed her pen down with a sigh of frustration.  She could not concentrate with her mind in such turmoil.  It was time to put a stop to the wondering once and for all.  She would prove to herself that the symptoms she was experiencing were from the flu and not an answer to ten years of prayers.  Luckily the bench work for this grant was done and the written portion was basically finished, only needing a few final touches, which could wait until tomorrow.  She tossed the papers into her backpack and headed out the door.

            The oppressive heat was worse than it had been that morning and hit like a wall, forcing Mari to stop momentarily when she exited the building.  A trickle of sweat meandered down her back as she walked across the street to the parking lot and unlocked her car door.  Slipping inside the steaming car, the plan firmed in her mind.  She would make a quick stop at a drug store on the way home and pick up a home pregnancy test.  Joe was due back from Houston tonight.  On previous trips he had taken a late afternoon flight, not getting in until later in the evening, allowing him to work a full day before coming home.  When he had called yesterday to let her know he was coming home, he mentioned that his plane was due to take off at six.  It was now just after three.  That gave her a good five hours to do the test and get rid of the evidence before he even landed at Metro. 

There was a brief but sharp stab of guilt at the thought of going behind Joe’s back.  But there really was no alternative.  Fatherhood had always been a very touchy subject in their relationship, even from the first.  Mari often worked in the nursery at the church she attended while in college.  When she and Joe began dating, she tried to get Joe to come in and help her, but he always had an excuse as to why he could not do it.  After several times of this happening she became frustrated, demanding to know why he would not come in to help.  That was when Joe first told her about his encounter with the mumps in high school.  Mari felt terrible.  Joe tried to brush it off, and because she saw how much it hurt him she let it go.  But although she did not blame him for his feelings she knew they would have to revisit the issue if their relationship was going to go any farther.

But Joe had his own ideas.  Each time Mari brought the subject up, Joe sidestepped it, changing the subject.  One evening, after they had been dating some time, Mari brought it up one more time.  Joe blew.  “I love you, Mari, but you have to make a choice.  I am never going to be able to father a child, ever.  You can accept that and marry me which is something I want with all my heart.  But if having children is a dream you can’t give up, then tell me now because it will be easier to let you go now then it would be later.”  Joe left her at the front door of the dorm, shoulders slumped, head down. 

The ball was in her court.  Would she choose to continue their relationship knowing there would be no children in her future or go her own way to possibly find another man who could give her the children she had always dreamed of?  As far as Mari was concerned there was no decision.  She loved Joe.  She had prayed for the Lord to bring a man into her life who loved her and that she loved.  The Lord had granted that request.  Who was she to deny such a gift?  She would just have to change her plans for her future.

“Joe!” she cried.  When he turned, she ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck.  “I love you,” she whispered through her tears.  “I choose you.”