Chapter Seven
A slight breeze blew through the backyard, rustling the leaves on the bushes surrounding the fence and cooling Mari’s sun heated skin as she lay on a deck chair out by the pool. It had been a grueling day at work, a grueling week actually, due mostly to her raging emotions. She had snapped at Greg several times throughout the day until he had finally ordered her to go home. Mari knew he was worried about her, knew he forgave her for her seeming insanity today. She had acted like a fishwife, berating him for not filling out the supply log correctly and other things so trivial it was laughable if she had not been so near to breaking point. When he had looked at her like she had grown two heads, Mari broke down sobbing. He had pulled her into his arms until the storm passed then ordered her to go home. She would have argued, but he clamped his hand over her mouth and frowned at her in a way that let her know there was no choice in the matter. Mari got the message. She gathered her belongings and went home.
Lying out by the inground pool, soaking up the warm afternoon sun, helped drain some of the tension that had built up over the last several weeks. The Labor Day holiday had passed like a bad dream. Joe’s boss laid down a no work on the holiday weekend policy, thinking to give his employees a no worry weekend. Which would have been great if Mari and Joe were actually speaking to on another. All it meant for Mari was three days of a brooding, silent Joe. Not even Sunday services relieved the tension building up in the Conley household. Yes, they attended, but they drove separately and Joe left immediately after the conclusion of the service. Mari stayed for a short time, but felt the pressure of covering for Joe’s behavior. Greg and Marla and Glen and Gretchen were away for the weekend, which left Mari feeling alone and slightly frightened at having no one to confide in.
Monday was no better. Joe mowed the lawn and worked outside, leaving Mari to stay indoors. She wanted to give Joe space, but by Monday afternoon she was past feeling saddened by the situation and well on her way to acute irritation. When Joe came in to grab a soda out of the fridge, Mari glared at him, meeting stare for stare. Joe retreated back outside without a word, which had Mari stomping upstairs. By the time Tuesday morning came Mari was doing little to curb her annoyance. Unfortunately, Greg was the only one near enough to take it out on. That lasted until this afternoon when he finally sent her home.
Mari closed her eyes, forcing her mind to clear. With the sun beating down on her, her body became languid and relaxed. She tuned out the negative thoughts of the last week and tuned in to the birds calling to one another, dogs barking in the distance. She was almost asleep, hands flung over her head, when she felt the baby’s first movement. Her eyes popped open, and she sat up, startled. Unsure if what she had felt was truly her baby or just something she ate, Mari pulled up her tank top to bare her stomach and rested her hand there. After a moment she felt the gentle movement again. Tears came to her eyes. It was real. Here was tangible proof a baby was alive and growing in there. She wanted to call Joe so much it hurt, but held herself in check. He would not be happy to be sharing in this moment. She would heed Jennifer Nolan’s advice and wait. Joe had spoken to Pastor Nolan last week and was meeting him again tomorrow. Mari had not been invited to join them, a situation she found surprising and slightly troubling, but she would bide her time and pray for another miracle.
Reaching over to the table beside her, Mari grabbed her cell phone. She had to tell someone about the baby moving or she would absolutely burst. There were only a handful of people who actually knew she was pregnant so her choices were limited. Uncle Andrew would have been a logical choice but he was out of town and not available. In the end, she called Greg. Considering everything she was putting him through, he deserved to hear some good news for a change.
“Uh, hi, Mari,” Greg’s hesitant voice came over the line.
Mari grinned. She was surprised he actually had picked up considering what had happened earlier. No doubt he was now waiting for the emotional bomb to go off. “Hi, Greg. I hope I’m not bothering you.”
“No. Just putting that supply list in order,” he replied, tongue in cheek.
“I am sorry,” Mari apologized again. “I know I lost it today and I promise to try not to do it again. At least not while you’re around.”
Greg laughed. “Better me than some poor unsuspecting research assistant coming in to ask a question. At least I know what the problem is.”
“I actually called with some exciting news and I have to share it with someone. I thought it might make up for the rough time I’ve given you this past week.”
“Okay. Shoot. What is it?”
Mari rubbed her hand along her slightly distended belly and felt the little ripple of motion. “I felt the baby move,” she whispered, her voice filled with awe.
Greg was silent for a minute. “Was it wonderful?”
“Oh, yeah.”
Greg sighed. “I cannot wait for Marla to get pregnant. If I put my hand on your stomach are you going to hit me?” he asked.
“No, I promise. You just better do it when Marla is around. It might look kind of funny to have some guy rubbing my belly who isn’t my husband.” At the mention of Joe, Mari grimaced. Not that he would be rubbing my belly any time soon, she said to herself.
Greg noticed the hesitation. “I take it things are still tense between you two?”
“Tense is a nice way to put it. Although can it really be tense if he avoids me ninety-five percent of the time?” Changing the subject, Mari added, “Anyway, I just wanted to share my news with you. You can pass it on to Marla for me. I know she’s asked you to keep tabs on me.”
“I will definitely do that. And take it easy, Mari.”
Mari agreed, snapping the phone closed. Leaning back in her chair, she began absently rubbing her hand over her slightly swollen stomach. It was the five month mark of this very unexpected pregnancy, with four months to go. In the weeks since she discovered the news, Mari had done as Joe asked and not told anyone about it, except for a chosen few. But the reality of the situation was not going to be able to be denied much longer. She was really starting to show now. Wearing loose clothes was not going to hide the fact that she was pregnant. And, in truth, Mari did not want to keep it a secret. She loved this baby so much, was so excited to be having a child that she wanted to shout the news from the roof tops. Only her love for Joe kept her silent. She did not want to strain their relationship any more than it already was if at all possible, at least not now. In a couple of weeks people were going to know no matter what she did, barring total seclusion.
Pushing herself up from the lounge chair, Mari went inside. The air in the house felt cool after the heat of the backyard and her skin broke out in goose pimples. She went to the hall to adjust the central air, before plodding upstairs. There was a function at church was this evening and she wanted to shower before she left. In her bedroom, Mari stepped out of her shorts and pulled off her shirt. Looking at herself in the mirror she turned this way and that. Her body seemed to be blooming in a lot of areas. Her stomach was now definitely rounded and protruded over the waistband of her bikini underwear. She rested her hands around the small mound and smiled softly. A baby was growing in there, she thought in wonder.
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