Love Sucks

For the first week of our stay, we explored Italy in its entirety. I saw the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the ruins of Pompeii, the beautiful cities of Naples, Rome, and Venice, and finally Sicily. We dined only on the best of food, and boy was I glad I was a vampire because Italians do NOT eat a lot of food. Mr. and Mrs. Carson had given us a good supply of bottled blood, and we brought it with us wherever we dined.

I looked out the open window of the house, overlooking the Tyrrean, watching the sunset. The fishermen were tying their boats to the docks, their tireless work now done. Henry came behind me and put his arms around my waist, and nuzzled his head against my neck. “I couldn’t be happier right now than being here with you,” said Henry as he kissed my neck. “There is no one in this world I would rather be with, be married to, or make love to than you. I am yours, and you are mine, and we will be happily together forever…”

“Oh, Henry,” I said softly as I turned to kiss him. My lips connected with his in a heat of intensity like no other. “Make love to me now…”

I jumped up, wrapping my legs around his waist, and he gently eased me down on the bed. We hurriedly took off our clothes as if they were burning our skin. Henry took my hand, and guided it down. “Gia, this is what you’ve always done to me… You always turn me on. I want you to play with me. I want you to make me as happy as I’ve made you.”

I blushed, not knowing what to do, me being a virgin and all. Henry took my hand gently in his, and wrapped it around his shaft, making my hand move up and down. He took his hand away from mine as I continued, and I watched him moan with delight. Wow, I can sure please my husband.

“Oh Gia,” moaned Henry softly. “Gia, my love…”

“Yes, darling,” I whispered, quieting his moan with a kiss. I stopped playing with him, and strattled him, guiding him easily inside me. Every time I moved, he moaned with delight, screaming my name and gripping my thighs.

Hour after endless hour we continued, the two of us moaning and climaxing to no end. I never wanted it to stop because it felt so good. We finally stopped, and lay together on the bed. “And to think,” I said, smiling as Henry stroked my hair. “That we will soon be going back to New Jersey, and all of this will soon be over. We won’t be able to make love without nosy busybody Rollo watching in or your mom and dad poking their heads in…”

“Gia, there is something I haven’t told you yet,” said Henry, gently easing my head onto his chest. “We aren’t going to be living in my parents’ house much longer. I bought us a house close by where we will soon be living in. Mom and dad are fixing it up while we are away.”

I sat up. “You are joking!” I said, grinning from ear to ear. “No way! Our own house? This is madness! I’m so happy!”

“I love you Gia,” said Henry as he kissed me.

“You know I love you too darling,” I said, snuggling up close to him.
* * *
A crawling, creepy feeling washed over me, and ultimately woke me up along with the rising sun. I felt hot, so very very hot, and yet it was a cool October day. I felt the bile in my stomach rise up to my throat, and ran to the bathroom. Just in the nick of time, I reached the toilet, hurling my brains out. Did I eat some bad Italian food? Hell, that’s impossible, Italian food is amazing! And they cook it so well.

Maybe it was a vampire sickness that Mr. Carson didn’t tell me about. Who knows?

I brushed my teeth to get the nasty taste out of my mouth, and glanced at myself in the mirror. Weird, I looked almost… too beautiful to be real. I didn’t look dead pale, but rosy. My eyes gleamed their former brown color. Why the hell do I look so good but feel like crap?

I looked down at myself, making sure I didn’t get any vomit on myself, and saw with astonishment that my stomach was a bit bigger than normal. And since I had become a vampire, I had only gotten thinner… Holy shit.

“My love, are you alright?” asked Henry as he entered the bathroom. “You look absolutely gorgeous for someone who had just run to the bathroom at the speed of light.”

“Thanks babe,” I said, giving him a small kiss on his sweet lips. “Do you have a cell? I just want to make a call…”

“Yeah, I brought mine with us for emergencies,” said Henry. “But you can use it if you want. I’ll go get it for you…”

I walked slowly back to our room, and Henry pulled out a regular flip phone from the chest of drawers. “Go take a walk by the Tyrrean. You’ll have better reception there. I’m going to go tidy up a bit…”

“I’ll be back soon love,” I said, giving him a hug. I walked barefoot in my nightgown by the sea, wind whipping my hair, and dialed.

“Gia, dear, whatever is the matter?” answered Mr. Carson on the first ring. “Are you and Henry okay? Was your first time alright? Is anyone badly hurt? What’s wrong?”

“No, no, everything’s great here,” I said calmly. “Mr. Carson? Is there ANY way… um, that Henry and I… You know, cause we…”

“I honestly have never seen it really happen,” said Mr. Carson. Then, he gasped and got the true meaning of why I would be asking. “GIA! You THINK you could be-”

“Please, not a word to anyone until this is for sure,” I begged.

“I promise,” said Mr. Carson. “But this is simply amazing! Why, you must come home soon so I can examine you properly. Do you think you guys can leave tomorrow? I know that I’m asking a lot from you, but it would be safer knowing what is going on with you as soon as possible. Tell me, what drew you to this conclusion?”

I bit my lip. “Well, Henry and I have been… BUSY. And this morning, I felt like I had food poisoning, and threw up. And the weird part of it all is that I look so… different now. I look more beautiful than I ever have, vampire or not. And that’s after getting sick…”

“You do have the human-like symptoms,” murmured Mr. Carson. “Maybe because you haven’t been a vampire for as long as we have, you can have children. I don’t know, Gia. But I do know that if this baby survives, you will not be able to have another…”

“But why?” I said, on the verge of tears. “I would love to have more babies!”

“If all goes as well as I hope,” said Mr. Carson. “That baby will grow inside of you, and come out healthy and beautiful. But the downside to having this baby is the pain that you will experience during childbirth. As the baby comes out, it will destroy your uterus, making you incapable of conceiving another child. But, let’s not dwell on this, for we do not even know for sure that you are pregnant!”

“WAIT!” I shrieked, thinking fast. “ROLLO! He can hear your thoughts. Please block them as best as you can. I know Rollo has the BIGGEST mouth…”

“Oh Gia, he hasn’t been home much since the wedding!” laughed Mr. Carson. “He went to Ireland with Fionghuala!”

“Okay, good then,” I sighed, trying to calm down. “So, I guess I will see you tomorrow?”

“See you then.”

I hung up, and ran back to the house. “Henry dear? Where are you?” I called as I walked through the front door. “I have to talk to you…”

I found him in the kitchen, pouring me a glass of warm blood. I took it from his hands, and sipped from it. “I know neither of us wants to leave Italy or this beautiful house, but-”

“I think we need to go back home now!” said Henry and I together. “Wait, what? Why did you just say that?”

“You first,” I said as I sat down at the kitchen table.

“Okay,” said Henry as he cleared his throat. “I just want to get back home. That’s all. I miss mom and dad a bit…”

“Aw baby,” I said. “I miss them too. Wow, great minds think alike huh?”

He smiled at me, and poured himself some blood. “We better start packing because our flight will leave tomorrow. I hope that’s okay-”

“That’s perfect my darling!” I cried. “I’m going to go pack right now dearest. Then, maybe after, we could go for a little swim?”

“That would be nice,” said Henry as he put his arms around me and kissed me. I walked to our bedroom, and began to pack our things. I left out what I would wear to bed tonight, and my clothes for the next day, and then rummaged for a suitable bathing suit to wear. I opted for the black one-piece to hide any cause for suspicion.

I looked down, and touched my stomach. It wasn’t huge at all, but I felt something move inside me. What I hoped was my baby.

I finished packing, and sauntered over to Henry. “Come on, let’s go for a swim!” I said, practically dragging him to the sea. “Let’s move the tush!”

Henry laughed as the waves rolled in, and splashed us with cold water. I playfully splashed him, and dove quickly underwater to escape from his splashes. I found a crab under the water, picked it up, and put it on Henry’s nose.

“Haha!” I said, shaking with laughter. “Henry’s got a crab on his nose!”

Henry shook off the crab, and went underwater. He stayed under for several minutes, and finally came back up.

“Ha ha! Who’s laughing now?” said Henry as he put two crabs, one on each of my nipples. “Gia has crabs!”

“Very funny,” I said. “Now get these damn things off me before I lose a boob!”

Henry laughed uproariously as he took the crabs off me. I flung my arms around his neck when he finished, and we kissed passionately. “Darling, you know what?”

“What Gia?” asked Henry.

“I’m going to do something I have never done before,” I said, plucking up a shitload of courage. “You know what they say: When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Well, I’m going to swim naked! If you care to join me, go on right ahead!”

I stripped off my one piece to Henry’s shock, and dove straight into the water. Ah hell, my stomach didn’t look that big, and besides, Henry would never in a million years think that he was still capable of making a child… It felt so liberating to swim in the most beautiful sea I have ever swam in naked.

Henry jumped in, and swam after me. “You are something else,” he grinned as he rubbed his hands up and down my chest.

“Someone a little happy?” I asked, pointing to what was once below the surface and was now standing proud and tall. He smirked, and carried me back to the shore, wrapping my legs around his waist. He laid me gently down in the wet sand, and we began to make love. It was the most beautiful thing ever, to be with Henry in that special way while the gentle sea came in, washing over us as we made love. Just as we both reached an amazing orgasm, we heard whistles. We looked up, and saw the fishermen waving at us.

“Ah, amore!” exclaimed one of the fishermen as he smiled at us. “É bellisimo!”

The two of us laughed, and put our clothes back on. Well, they were a bit creepy, but then again, we were the ones having sex on a semi public area… But hey, whatever floats your boat. Ha ha.

We had our dinner quietly at home, lasagna with blood sauce. It was absolutely amazing, mostly because Henry had made it. He’s a man of many talents, I’m telling you.

“Dearest, is there anything wrong?” asked Henry as he cleared the table. I felt very full strangely, and wobbled a bit when I got up from the table.

“It’s nothing,” I said, holding onto the chair for dear life, fearing I would fall. “It’s probably me just coping with being a vampire. You know I haven’t been a vampire for as long as you. Maybe I’m still getting used to what I am…”

“I don’t know,” whispered Henry as he held me close to his chest. “I’m worried about you. Are you sure you are okay?”

“I-I’m fine, my love,” I said shakily. “I’m going to get some sleep. Maybe I’ll feel better in the morning…”

But when I did wake the next day, I felt like I had been hit by a truck that was being driven at a zillion miles per hour. I felt so guilty as I plunged my face into the toilet, throwing up Henry’s wonderful dinner. I wanted to tell him that there was some sort of HOPE that I was having his baby, but if I wasn’t, I didn’t want him to be as upset as I would be. So it was best to keep it quiet until it was confirmed what was going on with me.

I gagged, and retched once more into the toilet. I shook as I tried to stand up slowly, and grasped the sink for balance. I looked at myself in the mirror, and saw that I was glowing and radiant. How could I be when I felt clammy and sick?

I brushed my teeth vigorously, and then got dressed quickly. Thankfully, this time Henry had not awoken to the wonderful sound of me being sick. I sat on the bed next to him, and entwined my hand with his. God, I love this man… VAMPIRE so much. I’ve never loved anyone as much as I do him. Dear God, if there is one, please let this be my baby… Henry’s and my baby. I don’t want it to be some sort of disease, or me dying. I just want happiness for once in my life…

I put my hand on my stomach, and noticed that it had gotten a bit bigger since last time. No more tight shirts for me…

“Henry my love,” I whispered as I kissed his forehead. “Up and at ‘em. Come on sleepyhead, we are leaving in a few hours you know!”

“Mmm,” moaned Henry softly. “Morning, Gia. I had such a nice dream last night…”

“Oh really? What about?” I asked, knowing somehow it was probably about me and a whole lot of steamy sex.

“We were alone, walking on the beach,” said Henry, resting his head on my shoulder. “Then we were joined by… by a little girl. She had your beautiful hair, and my eyes. She was in every way the most beautiful child ever. It was our little girl…”

“And,” I began, looking into Henry’s teary eyes. “What happened?”

“We were just one family, walking down the beach,” said Henry, wiping his tears. “I’m sorry. It’s just, I’ve always wanted a little girl to smother with love and affection. But we are undead beings, and it is utterly impossible…”

“I’m sorry,” I said, kissing away his tears. “I would have loved a girl too…”

Henry got dressed without another word, and I didn’t bring up his dream for fear of letting the cat out of the bag. I had almost screamed, “HENRY, YOU WON’T HAVE TO DREAM MUCH LONGER BECAUSE WE MIGHT BE HAVING A BABY!” when he had spoken of his dream. God, why do things have to get complicated?

We had some blood before we boarded the jet, and our things were stowed as we boarded. “I promised your dad that I would drop by for a visit and tell him how amazing our honeymoon was,” I said as I gripped the Perrier glass tightly as I poured some into a cup. The jet had just started up, and once it took off, the glass shattered under my intense grip, seltzer and glass everywhere. “I’m- I’m so sorry!” I said, grabbing napkins and trying to clean up my mess. “Oh, look! I’ve got you soaked! Henry, please forgive me.”

“No harm, no foul,” said Henry as he cleaned himself up. “And I’m looking forward to seeing mom and dad again.”

I sipped my Perrier, and then gagged. I ran to the bathroom, almost knocking Henry over, and threw up in the toilet noisily. Lord almighty, I must either be pregnant, bulimic, or very very sick.

For the rest of the flight, I lay there across Henry’s lap, trying to relax. He tenderly stroked my hair, looking back at me with a concerned look. “Gia, you’ll be okay,” he whispered. “Everything will be fine once we get home…”
* * *
Once we landed, I practically burst out of the jet and kissed the ground. Lord was I happy to have my two feet on the ground! We took off in Henry’s old Mustang convertible, and arrived at the familiar Carson household, where Mr. and Mrs. Carson stood waiting for us.

“GIA!!!! HENRY!!” cried Mrs. Carson as she pulled us into a bone crushing hug. “Oh God I’ve missed you two! How was Italy?”

“It was beautiful,” I said, smiling. “I’m just happy to be back home. I’ve missed everyone.”

“Gia, can I please see you in private?” asked Mr. Carson.

“Sure you can,” I said as he led me through the house and into his office.

“Tell me everything,” said Mr. Carson as he got out a notebook and a pen. “In order to diagnose what you are, I will need full details.”

“Well,” I began, embarrassed. “We made love the first night of our honeymoon, and pretty much every night since then… I began to feel sick during the last few days in Italy. I even got sick on the jet back home!”

“Lift your shirt a little so I can examine you properly,” said Mr. Carson. I lifted my shirt, and his hands gently pressed against my stomach. “This is very peculiar… very peculiar. If I am not mistaken, you are definitely pregnant. Your symptoms are that of a pregnant woman’s, your stomach is starting to swell with child, and I can feel the baby move inside you. If only we could get Rollo here, he would be able to see how the baby is doing…”

“Mr. Carson!” I squealed. “Do you know what this means? I’M PREGNANT!!!!!! And you are going to be a GRANDPA!”

I kissed him on the cheek, and gave him a big hug. I ran to find Henry and Mrs. Carson, who were in the kitchen drinking a glass of blood. “Oh my God, Henry! Oh my God! Our dreams, although most of them had come true, are coming true even more so now! We are having a baby!!!!”

Henry slid to the floor, and I ran to him. “Love, please wake up!” I said, shaking him awake. “God, he’s just fainted.”

His eyes fluttered open, and looked up at me. “You… you did not just say-” he stammered. “That the two of us… we are having a baby?”

“I said that because it is 100% true,” I said, tears coming to my eyes. “Your dad just confirmed it for us. That’s why I’ve been getting so sick!”

“Does he know how the baby will turn out?” asked Henry, gently touching my stomach. “Will it be tame like us, or will it be a killer?”

“How dare you insinuate that our baby be a killer!?” I yelled, backing away from him. “Our baby will not be a killer, that I know. It will grow up to be as gentle and kind as its parents, and just as smart if not smarter.”

“Darling-”

“Don’t you DARE!” I yelled as he reached out his hand. “I don’t have to be Rollo to know that you probably want this baby to die, or for me to get an abortion. But I will NEVER kill my baby. It’s my baby, my body, and I will not let anything harm it. Not even you…”

I winced and fell to the floor. I could feel my baby move at last, and it was moving about like a tornado inside me. “Sh, my precious baby,” I whimpered as I gently patted my stomach. “It’s okay. Mommy is here, and I won’t let anything happen to you. I love you…”

The movement slowed, and Mrs. Carson helped me up from the floor. “Have something to eat, my dear. You’re eating for two now, so you must eat more than you did before.”

She helped me into a chair, and got out two large glasses, and filled them with blood. She then took out some vegetables and fruit from the fridge, and I began to pick at them. “Vampires can eat human food, but only to a certain extent,” said Mrs. Carson soothingly. “Some vampires can eat anything, whereas others are only limited to grains and meats. Thankfully, all of us can eat anything…”

I glared at Henry, who had decided to sit next to me, trying to pretend that he was going to be a good father. I munched on a carrot stick. “You know, Mrs. Carson-”

“Please, Gia, call me Greta,” smiled Mrs. Carson. “We’re family now. And since I’m going to be a grandma soon…”

“Yes, Greta,” I said. “I think I should tell my mother that I’m pregnant. I think she ought to know, because she is pretty much all I’ve got.”

“I won’t disagree on that,” said Greta Carson. “I’m sure your mother will be delighted that she will be a grandma!”

“I wouldn’t count on it,” I said grimly.
* * *
I rang the doorbell to my mother’s house, my much bigger stomach concealed by a baggy shirt. “Gia? What’s the matter?” asked my mother as she invited me in. “Are you getting a divorce?”

“No, it’s not that,” I said gently, sitting down at the kitchen table with her. “Everything is fine. I just wanted to visit and see how you are doing.”

“Oh, I’m fine,” said my mother as she poured herself a cup of coffee. “Want some?”

I shook my head. “I’ve just gotten back from honeymooning in Rome,” I said, smiling back at her. “Oh, it was such a wonderful honeymoon. I’m kind of sad that it’s all over now…”

“I can’t kid myself, or you,” I sighed. “I did come over with a purpose. Now, I don’t want you to judge me or yell at me. I am a grown, married woman now, and I do not deserve to be scolded like a child…”

I slowly lifted my shirt, and put my mother’s hand to my belly. “I’m pregnant…”

“You have got to be kidding me,” said my mother, dropping her hand from my stomach. “You are not pregnant… Like HELL am I going to sit here and be happy with you and for you!”

She slammed her fist down on the table, and coffee spilled all over and onto the floor. But she didn’t care.

“YOU! You have NO idea what I went through!” she screamed angrily at me. “I never told you the truth about YOUR dear old dad, but I think it’s time for you to hear the bitter truth. Yes, I married young like you, and had a baby just as quickly as we had gotten married. But once you were born, your darling father took off, leaving me to raise you for 19 miserable years! I had to struggle to make ends meet, to feed you, and try to give you a good education. And for what?! FOR YOU TO THROW IT ALL AWAY ON SOME GUY!”

“How DARE you think that this is all about you!” I screamed back. “Here I am, trying to be good about this by telling you, and you go and insult me! And unlike my FATHER, Henry takes his marriage oath very seriously! He LOVES me mother, and if you can’t be happy for me, then I’m afraid you will never see your grandchild…”

I ran out of the house, trying my best to conceal my tears, but as soon as I reached the Mustang convertible I had borrowed off of Henry, I broke down and sobbed. After nineteen years of never knowing a father, I had to be told now that my father had walked out on me. I sped off to the Carson’s house, and parked in the driveway.

Something wasn’t right, and I could smell it with my vampire senses. I walked up the path to the front door, and walked inside. All was quiet and still, and it looked as if no one was home. I walked upstairs, looking for Henry, and wiping my face. “Henry?” I called, as I opened his bedroom door.

And then, I let out a bloodcurdling scream.