DAY 1 - THE APARTMENT
"I love it." She said as she swirled around the living room; with its red shag carpet and dark paneling.. It had an alley kitchen painted puke green, a bedroom with paisley wall paper that was starting to peal The dark pink bathroom was tiny; if you stood up to wipe, you were leaning into the deep, claw footed tub. But,hey, what can $500 a month get you?
"I don't know, Lezza. It's a lot of money." I stared out the window.
"I don't know, Lezza. It's a lot of money." I stared out the window.
"$250 each." She came up and hugged him from behind. "You know you love it, Brady."
I turned around and pulled her closed to me. "I do, mostly because you do. I just don't like that it's so far out of town when I work so much, especially at night."
"C'mon. I'm not some wilted wallflower that needs to be protected."
"I know that. I'm actually more worried that if someone broke in, we'd have to pay their medical bills.' I kissed her. "You have a pretty quick draw with that little pink pistol of yours."
"You look so tired." she rubbed his cheek. "This would be a nice haven from working all those hours at those hospital."
"You sure you aren't going to miss Old Man Davis and Miss Viola's Saturday night rendezvous above us?" I asked, running my hand through her long, red hair."
"Uhm, no. In fact, we can get even louder." She giggled.
"I like the way you think, Mrs. Laven-Black." I kissed her again.
Someone behind us cleared their throat. "Excuse me?"
Lezza moved out of my arms. "We're sorry, Mrs. Lampton. We'll take it."
"Great!" The grandma clapped her hands as if this was the best news she'd ever heard. "I've already done you background check, so all you've got to do is sign the paper, Give me the first and last month's rent and I'll give you the keys
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"You hungry?" Lezza asked as we got closer to home.
"Uhm, beer and pizza from Lugi's? I don't think I want to go in anywhere." I put my hand on her right knee, leaned back and closed my eyes.
"You OK?"
"UHM. I all of a sudden have a bad headache." I yawned and rubbed my eyes. “It smelled liked new paint in there.”
“If they painted anything, they wasted their money.” Lezza pulled into a parking place in front of Lugi’s.” I’m sure the fact that you haven’t slept in almost 50 hours has nothing to do with your headache.”
I glanced at my watch. It was 7:15. “I know. I plan to be fed, showered and asleep by 8.”
She giggled. “You’re not gonna stay up and help me pack?”
“Uh, no. I can’t believe the first 3 days off I’ve had in months is going to be spent moving.” I groaned.
“Just think of how nice it’is going to be living in a actual a house? Hey, you know what the house needs”
“Oh God!” I propped my elbow against the window and rubbed my temple. “I swear if you say the B word I’m going to blow my brains out with that little pink gun of yours.”
“Actually, I was thinking about the D word. What’s so bad about having a baby?”
I groaned. “I just don’t think it’s the right time to have a kid.”
She stared at me. “So, if I told you I was two months pregnant, what would you say?
I glared at her. “Are you?”
“No, but it’s good to know what you would think!” She pulled out of that parking lot.
“Where are you going, what about supper?”
“I’m not hungry! I’m going home so you can take a shower and go to bed, which is all you seem to care about.”
“Lezza, you know that’s not true!”
“You could have fooled me!”
“Dammit, can we please not do this? I can not handle your craziness tonight. My head is about to split wide open and I’m exhausted.”
“When are you not? This is your life, and I’m just here when it’s convenient for you.”
“That’s not fair! You know I love you.”
“Yeah.” she pulled into the parking lot in front of their apartment.
“What the hell do you want, Lezza? I’m doing the best I can!”
“So, I hear.” She got out of the car, slammed the door and went in the apartment.
“Damn it to hell!” I yelled and leaned my head against the headrest. My head felt like thousands of jack hammer were trying to destroy my brain. I must have fell asleep. When I woke up and finally stumbled into the apartment, it was 9:15. Lezza was watching TV. “Hey, what’s up?
She glared at me and went back to her show.
“Good God!” I groaned and went into the bedroom. I started the shower and took 3 Excedrin PM. The hot shower was great.
“I’m going to bed.” I stood behind her and leaned down to kissed to Lezza. She moved her head away.
“Whatever!” I moaned and went to bed. I tossed and turn for half an hour until exhaustion finally took over. When I woke up, the alarm clock said it was 2:30 and Lezza hadn’t came to bed. I found her in the living room floor, surrounded by boxes and watching a Lifetime movie.
“What did you do, rob a liquor store?” I laid on the couch, covering up with the afghan Lezza’s grandma had crochet us for our wedding.
“Yes, plus I got pizza. You hungry?”
“Not really. Am I still in the dog house?” I yawned.
“No.” she sat up on her knees and kissed me. “I’m so sorry, I really acted ugly to you.”
I kissed her hand. “I’m sorry too. Honey, you know I want to have kids, and if you were pregnant I would be ecstatic. I just don’t think it’s the right time. We go days without seeing each other. I’m always exhausted; sometimes all I can think about is the next time I can close my eyes, even if it’s only for ten minutes. I want to be involved, but with two more years of residency I just don’t see that happening. I don’t want you to resent me because you feel like a single mom. You deserve the best of me. Our kids, when we choose to have them, deserve the best of me. My work and my patients deserve the best of me. Half the time, I feel like I’m not doing anything right.” My eyes were starting to water.”
“I’m sorry, Brady.” She wiped my tears away, even though there were tears flowing down her cheeks. “I never meant to make you feel bad.”
“I know. I just don’t want to disappoint you.” I entangled my fingers with hers.
“Never!” She kissed me. “The first time I met you Mom, she told me that when you friends use to play cowboys and indians that you actually set up a MASH tent in your backyard.”
“I couldn’t just watch them all bleed to death.” I laughed.
“And that’s why I love you so much. You’re going to be as great of doctor and father as you are a husband. I know you’re right; it’s not the right time`. I know you ‘ exhausted and you’re working so hard. I want to make life easier, not more difficult for you.”
“And you do!” I pulled her onto my lap. “There’s not a day goes by that I’m not thankful for. You take care of me and our life, so that I can do what I need to do to finish my degree. If I didn’t have you, I don’t know what I’d do.”
She tossed her hair, is smelled like ginger. “You’d be a walking zombie.”
He yawned. “If we get a dog, you can name it ‘baby’.”
She hit him in the stomach, but laughed. “You’re a jerk.”
“A very tired jerk. Will you please come lay down with me?”
~THE END~
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