When flames blossom from embers

The next morning was difficult, the stitches ached when she stretched to get out of bed. And what was worse she was suppose to go running with her co-worker but the stitches hurt to much and the doctor had warned against splitting them. So she called to cancel. She undressed and looked in the mirror and groaned.
Her body was covered in light purple and blue bruises, her arms were scratched and her thigh was an ugly yellow –purple bruise color. She wrapped herself in a towel and walked to the shower. She turned the faucet when her phone rang. She ran back to her room and clicked the talk button. “ Hello”
A chuckle came from the other voice, “ Hello stranger.”
She instantly smiled and walked to turn off the shower and sat on the sink, the steam from the water had fogged up the mirrors, she drew a heart in the mirror. “ Can I help you?” she teased back.
Chad smiled on the other end, he had just woken up and wanted to hear her voice. “ Why yes you can. Tell me what are you wearing?” he could imagine her wrapped up in the cotton towel he bought her, the blue looked lovely against her.
She rolled her eyes, “ You men are all the same in the morning,” she smiled picturing him wrapped up in his sheets. The brown pillow in her spot ( for it was now her spot). “ I’m wrapped up in my new blue Egyptian cotton towel that my boyfriend bought me cause he didn’t think the other one did my eyes justice, ready to jump in the shower.” She glanced at the clock on the wall, she had another five minutes to spare before she had to get in that shower.
“ Really?” he questioned.
She could hear his smile. “ Yes, yes I am.” She drew a smile in the mirror thinking of him imagining her just as she was imagining him. They were too much a like that it scared her at times. But she liked him, that was certain.
“ I don’t believe you…take a picture.” He pleaded. He had never asked her to do something like that and wondered if she would. He sat up against the headboard.
She laughed, “ You little pervert!” but she took her phone and took a picture of herself in the mirror. She pushed the send button on her phone. “ You should get it in a second.”
His eyes got a little wide, she had done it. He was just teasing with her. He couldn’t believe that she had done it. His phone beeped. “ Oh I got it. One second,” He pulled the phone away from his ear and clicked open. He saw the girl he was falling for, sticking her tongue out and a finger flicking him off. Nothing else. “ Wow, you sure now how to make a guy smile.” He laughed.
“ thought you would like that.” She teased back. “ Hey I got to get in the shower as should you! We got to get to work. Don’t be late today.” She started to turn the shower back on.
“ Okay okay. Damn thought you were my girlfriend not my mother.” He grumbled standing up. “ I’d already be in the shower if you were here with me.” He muttered quietly.
She smiled into the phone, “ And if that were happening we’d defiantly be late for work. Got to go handsome. See you at work.”
“ See you at work.” He replied before she clicked the end button.
She showered letting the hot water wash over her back, loosening the knots in her back. Her bruises stung for a second as the water poured hard against her. She rested her head against the tile for a minute breathing. She needed to tell Chad what was happening, she needed to be honest but she was scared. She hated lying. But she knew that this was something that was going to ripple into every corner of her life. She grabbed the soap and scrubbed every inch of her body until she was pink. She kept thinking that if she ignored it, it would disappear. She turned the facet off and wrapped herself off and went to get ready.
She arrived at work with her hair pined up in a bun, some curls coming down in the back. She had gotten better at styling her hair this summer. What a woman will learn to impress someone she chuckled. Chad was in her office with a cup of coffee ready for her, along with a small white daisy.
He handed her the coffee and kissed her on the cheek, “ Good morning beautiful. How are your stitches?” he inquired looking down at her dress pants.
She took a sip of the hot caffeine, gods nectar. “ They are okay, a little annoying but I will live.” She shrugged kissing him back on the cheek before taking a seat at her desk. “ thank you for the coffee by the way and the flower. You always know how to make my day.” She placed the daisy behind her ear. She had never had a guy who did all the small things she did too. She had always given cards, or chocolates or cute notes to guys she dated but never before had she had a guy do the same for her. She smiled as she looked back at him.
“ what are you smiling about?” he asked laughing. She had this big goofy smile on her face. She nodded towards the door and he shut it. She motioned with her finger for him to come closer. She looked real quick- the blinds were closed.
“ Because I’ve been wanting to do this ever since I saw you this morning.” She stood up and kissed him, allowing his hands to wrap around her waist and pull her close. She kissed his neck and whispered into his ear, “ Hey stranger.” She leaned back from him, his hands still on her waist. He leaned back into her and kissed her forehead and then her nose and finally a soft kiss on her lips.
He smiled and whispered, “ Wow if I get that for just getting you coffee I’ll have to start bringing you breakfast too.”
She laughed and pushed herself off him. “ Oh you such a greedy little bastard. Come on work is waiting.” She sat down on her leather chair and swiveled to her computer. Designing new marketing ads.
They spent most of the day designing a new ad for the fog campaign. At lunch they drove to the radio station to do a psa for the company. He watched her smile and read the commercial like a pro.
She saw him starring at her most of the day, smiling at her, the goo goo look in his eyes. And she couldn’t help but smile back every time she saw him. She would blush and smile, she never had a guy look so…passionately at her. Yeah some had look possively at her. But never like she was the prize instead of the lucky one. She tried not to think about how he would react to her… secret.
The day was close to ending and she was typing up paper work when he came into her office. “ I swear to god if those are more easements I will kill you Chad. I want to leave by 6 today. “ she looked at the pile on her desk. It was almost done but if he added more to it she’d be here till 8.
He smiled and kissed her on the forehead,” No babe these are mine.” He clicked out his laptop. “ Hey you want to come over for dinner today? I could use some help with a new recipe.”
She looked at him and rolled her eyes, “ yeah right. Mr. I can cook anything.”
He stuck out his tongue, “ Can I help it that my mom taught me how to cook? Okay so I don’t need your help, just your company. Say you’ll come?” he asked, batting his long eye lashes.
She shrugged, she did need to talk to him still. Might as well happen tonight. “ Sure I’ll stop by after I change. Oh- and hey we need to talk tonight.” She hammered on at the end.
He looked up from his lap top. Those four little words were so unholy. “ About?” he asked curious.
“ Nothing to do with you. Just me.” She replied causally. In her head she finished her thought, and if you still want to be with me.
They finished their work day and she headed home changing into comfortable jeans and a cotton shirt. She took a deep breath and drove over to his house. She found him in the kitchen chopping up onions and bell peppers. “ Wow it smells delicious.” She complimented.
“ Indian recipe. You’re going to love it.” He smiled. “ So what do you want to talk about?”
She sighed. She had wanted to at least eat diner first. “ Umm.. well.. maybe we should do this away from the pointy objects. “ She gave a weak smile.
He looked at her hard, “ It’s that serious?” she only nodded. He flipped the stove off and walked to the living room, she followed behind him. “ Okay bumble bee shoot.”
“ Well I can’t ask you not to flip out… “ she stammered. She was going to just have to tell him. “I’m pregnant.”
He sat there for about a whole minute looking at her. She didn’t know what to say, he didn’t seem angry, he didn’t seem anything, he just sat there thinking. “ How?” he finally asked.
She sighed, “ Do you really have to ask that.”
He stood up and paced the room. “ Yes I have to ask that. Was it before me or while we were seeing each other.” He sighed. He was trying to take it all in with out getting frustrated. But damn this was a lot to lay on a guy.
“ Before.” She started to cry.
He walked over to her and put a hand on her lap. “ Who?” he asked her.
She gave him a hard look that answered her question. “ Oh.” He replied. “ Did you tell… him?” he asked. She nodded. “ And?”
She started balling. “ He doesn’t want to have anything to do with it. I told him and he was just all whatever about it.” She started crying, tears were making little rivers down her cheeks and her body shook. “ I don’t know what I want to do. I just… I just… he’s such an asshole!” she leaned away from Chad. “ And I just wanted to tell you, I don’t like lying. I don’t like keeping secrets. I like you. I really do! And … well.. you probably think I’m the worlds biggest slut right now.”
He looked at her, crying and confused. He cleared his throat, “ he doesn’t want anything to do with it or you?” he questioned.
She looked at him, her eyes were a watery but hard. “ Do you think I want him back? Why the hell does everyone think I want him back? I don’t! I don’t care about him! I care about.. well whats going to happen. And he doesn’t want to be in the picture which is fine by me.” She grabbed a tissue and blew her nose.
Chad picked her up and placed her against him, her head in his lap. “ do you know what you want to do?” he asked her.
She shook her head. “ No. I’m just scared. And worried.” She had stopped crying, she could feel Chad’s hands stroking her hair.
He whispered into her ear, “ I’ll help you.”
She rolled over to face him.” What?” she stammered.
He cupped her face and whipped the remaining tears off her face. “ Look he’s a douche. He’s out of the picture. I’m here. And if you plan… on.. ya know… I’m here. I won’t leave you. I won’t hold this against you. You’re the most strongest amazing woman I have ever met. And I don’t want you to cry anymore. Whatever you do is up to you but I’m not going to leave you over this. I’m not going to leave you.” He told her.
She looked at him and was bewildered. Where on earth did this guy come from? How was he so compassionate and understanding? Why was she so lucky to have found him? She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. “ You are too amazing.” She said as she laid against his chest.
He chuckled, “ Only for you.” He started to remember something. “ Hey! Missy you are so not allowed on the motorcycles anymore now. You should have said something sooner. You could have gotten seriously hurt!” he snapped.

She smiled at him. “ Oh yeah like I didn’t already.” She curled up as close as she could to him. Then she felt her stomach growl. Oh… “ I’m hungry.” She laughed.
He rolled his eyes and picked her up. “ Yeah yeah yeah. Come on woman I’ll feed you.” He carried her to his bed. From there he brought her the Indian food and they ate talking about life. Nothing about her… ‘situation’ was mentioned. After dinner they curled up in the middle of the bed together. He laid his head against her stomach.
“ How many weeks are you?” he asked lightly. “ You aren’t that big.”
She laughed, “I’m only seven weeks. No morning sickness just … sensitive to smells. And I have to pee a lot!” she grabbed a pillow and put it under her head. She didn’t mind him touching her stomach.. it felt weird. But at least they weren’t fighting.
“ I noticed that! But I thought you just had a small bladder.” He laughed. “ So … when do you have to decide what you are going to do?” he asked seriously.
She sighed, “ I have about eight weeks to decided. I don’t know what I’m going to do. I’m scared and worried. I have a lot going on in my life, but I’ve never been one to quit just because it’s hard.” She groaned. “ I have to pee! Get up!”
She ran to the bathroom.
He laid there on the bed wondering what he was doing. He didn’t know her that well, but he knew that he loved her. He loved the way her brown eyes got round when she laughed. He loved her smile and he loved making her smile. He loved the way she was one of the guys and how she had great friends.
He looked up at the celing and wondered how someone so wonderful could have dated someone like the one before. Whatever was going to happen he was glad that the other was out of the picture. He didn’t know how someone could just do that, but Chad was raised differently with different morals. The other guy must have been just raised differently too. He sighed.
She came back into the room and jumped on the bed. “ Miss me?” she laughed.
He grabbed her and kissed her. “ You have no idea.”
They spent the night together curled up in each others arms. She laid against his chest, her leg wrapped around his. And for the first time in months she slept without having a nightmare.