One : The Surprise Visit.
Nora
Love.
The word had always been so dreamy, so blindingly beautiful to me that the word started sounding small, something little to explain something so immensely overwhelming that it could make your chest constrict with the thought alone.
The songs about love would make my heart race, force me to dream about a fairytale which might never happen. Looking at my parents, I would wonder if they fell in love too. I wondered if they looked at each other and never wanted to look away because I did. Whenever I looked at them, I felt like savouring the sight of their faces until my heart felt content with their happiness but it would only make me greedy.
Maybe that's what love does as well.
It makes you greedy.
Maybe that's what happened as well when Daniel came in my life.
Nope, he stormed in my calm life like a hurricane and turned everything upside down for good. He held my hand and twirled me, in the middle of the night, under a sky full of stars and kissed me.
'You're an interesting human species.'
He answered, playfully, whenever I asked him that what was a man like him, popular, charming and perfect was doing with someone like me, invisible, anxious and messy. He knew what to say to make me laugh and what to do to push me out of my comfort zones.
Our love blossomed slowly, with times, preciously transforming into something everyone recognized. We became friends and then the friendship turned into something more intense and before we knew we were standing in the church, looking at each other, holding back our grins like two giddy teenagers as the priest announced us, husband and wife.
I remember how the crowd had erupted into loud cheers and people had became a witness to our years of togetherness and many more. The doubts had crept into my head, whispering, sowing the seeds of fear, anxiety and doubts in my mind. I wondered if I really loved him all while being called his wife. Wondered if he loved me. Wondered if we had mistaken years of togetherness for love. Wondered if simply the familiarity of each other pushed us into the illusion of love.
But then he held my chin between his thumb and index finger, looked into my eyes with a mischievous smile dancing on his lips and kissed me, washing away every doubt trying to plant its root in my head. The life we built together was enough to make me believe that love doesn't have a specific definition. It moulds into our togetherness and become.
"Ma'am, are you okay?" Our maid knocked on the door of the bathroom, pulling me out of my thoughts.
I gripped the test stick tighter, afraid that it would all turn out to be a mere dream. Seven years of togetherness.
Taking a deep breath and holding back my smile and tears at the same time, I replied, "Don't worry, Elsie. I'm alright."
I heard her sigh in relief on the other side of the door before the sound of her retreating footsteps eventually faded away. I rose to my full height, struggling to take my eyes off the bright two pink lines on display on the pregnancy test stick.
I am pregnant.
Good God, it felt surreal to even say the words in my head. After two years of trying, I was finally pregnant. There is a life growing in my abdomen. A life which will be nurtured by me and my husband. Our child. Fresh tears gathered at the corner of my eyes and I bit my lower lip to prevent myself from crying. Standing in front of the mirror, I chuckled through tears, caressing my abdomen.
Daniel would be so happy. He would be over the cloud nine. I chuckled again, imagining his reaction. Last few months had been tough but this, this will be the best news of our life. The second best moment of my life. First was, and would always be, getting married to Daniel.
Exiting the bathroom, I searched for my phone and almost dialled his number when an idea struck me. The phone call won't do justice to this moment. I shook my head. Tucking the phone under my chin, I decided to tell the news to his face and even record a video if I do not start crying again.
Wiping my tears stained cheeks with the back of my hand, I rushed out of my room after grabbing the car keys.
"Ma'am, do you need anything?" Elsie called after me.
"Daniel," I blurted out, failing to hold back my happiness. Glancing at her over my shoulder, grinning, I told her, "I am going to see Daniel."
Sliding in the driver's seat, I put on my seatbelt and drove away towards the office. Tapping my finger against the steering wheel, smiling all the time like a fool, I finally pulled over in the parking area. Getting out of the car, I glanced at myself one last time in the rear view mirror and smoothed a hand down the length of my dress to smoothen the wrinkles.
"Hi," I greeted the receptionist. "I am here to see Daniel."
"Oh, Hi Mrs. Lawrence," The receptionist greeted, smiling politely. "Do you want me to give him a call?"
I shook my head, vigorously, "No. I mean to give him a surprise. So, don't tell him."
He nodded, understandingly, "Of course," pausing, he added, "Luckily he is in his office. You don't have to wait."
My smile widened, "Thank you so much!"
It felt like the powers themselves were creating conspiracies to bring everything together without delaying anything. My cheeks started hurting from smiling so much but I couldn't stop. God! this was the happiest day of my life.
But when I neared his office, my feet came to a halt. Raspy and uneasy sounds reached me, coming from his office. My chest tightened with an uneasy sickening feeling. A strange kind of fear gripped me and my body felt rigid but still I forced myself to step closer. The door of his office was slightly open and what I saw left me frozen to my spot.
