Fiction: A Fictional Narrative

Charlie took me to lunch and couldn’t keep his hands and lips off of me. He was like a kid in a candy store. I was glad that Charlie got this day. David was going to get all the rest of them.
We ordered our food and then I sat there staring at him.
"What?" He asked.
"Nothing."
"Well, you're staring at me for some reason."
"Maybe I'm not staring at you, maybe I'm looking through you." I teased.
"Is that a super power, like x-ray vision? Can you see my underwear?"
I chuckled and continued to stare at him. Then I got serious and said, "I'm just watching you be happy. I like it. It makes me feel good. It makes me feel better."
"I'm happy, what's not to be happy about?"
"I love your simplicity," I said continuing to stare at him.
"Are you saying I'm simple minded?" He asked grinning and batting his eyes at me.
"No." I giggled and added; "You know I don't mean that in any negative way at all. I admire how you just handle everything. Whatever gets thrown at you. You're that person who just keeps making lemonade."
"Yeah, you're calling me a simpleton." He teased.
"Yeah, well you're my simpleton and I love you just the way you are."
"You seem a little better today. Are you feeling better?" He asked, his demeanor, instantaneously changing from silly guy to serious guy.
I took a deep breath and exhaled saying, "I just wasn't ready for this. I wanted

more time. It's… it’s like a death in a way."
"A death? How can you look at bringing a life into the world as a death?" He said, narrowing his eyes at me.
"My death. The death of this version of me, and this life. Having a child is going to change us. We're going to be responsible for this baby twenty-four seven."
"That's true, but it's a beautiful thing, and there's three of us. Its, not like all of the work is going to be on you."
"I know. I'll get there. I'm just working my way into accepting it.” I stopped, looked around the room and then looked back at him and said, “I’ve had to change a lot in a short amount of time.”
He nodded and said, “You want to put the breaks on the freight train?”
“It is an out of control freight train.”
“So, what do you want to change? Do you want to start over and take a different train?”
“No, no, that’s not what I’m saying. Please don’t think for a second that, that’s what I’m saying.”
He nodded at me and stared at me intently.
“It’s me and the lack of control I feel over everything. From the night I met you two, I think I relinquished any semblance of control in my life.”
“Anna.”
“I’m sorry - this is coming out all wrong. Love is out of control. You meet someone; you fall in love and your life changes. That’s the way it works, right? Love is an out of control freight train. You jump on it and go for the ride. Love can make you do things you never thought you’d do before.” I took a deep breath, exhaled slowly and continued, saying, “If someone would have told me a year ago that I’d stop working, sell my house, get married and be pregnant - I would have thought them insane. And… that’s without even touching on the fact that there’s two of you.”
Charlie reached across the table, grasped my hand, and said, “Your feelings are normal. Of course you’re going to feel that. Everyone needs time to adjust. You’re overwhelmed, you want time to adjust and the hits just keep on coming.”
“Charlie, I don’t have any doubts. This isn’t about me doubting the choices I’ve made. I never question the love that I feel. I just wanted time to bask in it.”
“You’ve got time. You’ve got approximately nine months.” Charlie said and gave me his beautiful smile.
“Oh God,” I said and smiled back at him.
“You - are going to be fine Anna. You’re going to be better than fine, I promise you that.”
“You're going to help me get there."
"Yeah, I am. I'll be happy for all three of us until you get there."
I reached for him and hugged him. He squeezed me tight. As crazy and silly as Charlie could be, there was another side to him that held me together. I rather liked to think of him as being my emotional super glue.
We ate our lunch and then went to the supermarket. Charlie wanted to make spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. It was something he cooked, that David especially loved. We purchased everything we needed and made our way home.
Charlie carried all the bags into the house, refusing to let me lift anything. While he started prepping everything, I told him I was going to the garden, to pick whatever remained of the tomatoes and basil. It was the beginning of September, and we were going to have to say goodbye to our garden until next spring. I thought about how I would be full term by then, and Charlie would have to plant that garden alone without my assistance. I felt a lump rise in my throat, and I squashed it down. I realized I could sit in a chair and bark orders at him like a wayward gardening supervisor. That would no doubt amuse him.
As I walked to the Garden, I phoned David.
“Hello sir, I’m calling to get your permission to enter the garden by myself and pick some produce. The gardener is nowhere in sight, and I think I can safely get in and out without him knowing.”
David laughed and said, “You have my permission, but take a shotgun with you just in case.”
We laughed.
“So how are you feeling baby? You still feel good?”
I sighed and said, "Physically I feel good. Emotionally, I'm coming along. Charlie’s exuberance is making me feel better. He’s making me see this baby as just another blessing.”
“It is a blessing. We're really going to be a family.”
“Yes we are. Now hurry up and get your ass home. I’m only complete when we’re all here.”
“I promise I’ll be home soon.”
I hung up the phone smiling. If they were both happy, then I should stop worrying and be happy too. I had to accept that we didn’t have any choice but to move forward.
When I went back inside, I helped Charlie roll meatballs. We finished them, made the sauce and had everything simmering. We set the table, and there was nothing more we could do other than just to wait for David.
“I didn’t get my morning dance with you today. I’m going to go get something. Don’t worry I’ll slow it down for the pregnant lady.”
Charlie jogged out of the kitchen and was back a few minutes later.
“I have a song I heard you listening to the other day. He started the music. It was “Runaway” by The Corrs. It was a song I loved.
He smiled at me sweetly and extended his hand to me. I reached for his hand, and he pulled me to him. We started swaying back and forth to the music. We were totally lost in each other and the music as we danced, kissed and sang to each other. It was very sweet, loving and romantic.
The song ended, and the kitchen was silent. We leaned into each other with our foreheads touching staring into each other's eyes.
"I love you Charlie Ledgewood."
Charlie pressed his mouth to mine kissing me passionately.
"I'm home if anyone cares," David said from the doorway, sounding less than pleased.
I went rigid and froze in Charlie's arms. Oh God, how long had he been there? Had he witnessed our entire dance?
Charlie pulled back from me, glanced at me and quickly turned towards David. I stood there staring at him. He was leaning in the doorway with his arms folded glaring at us. It was obvious he was injured from having seen us like that.
My mind was racing trying to formulate a recovery plan. I had nothing, save for the anxiety welling up inside of me.
David looked at Charlie and said, “I’m glad to see that you’re not spinning her around the room.”
“David!” Charlie exclaimed as he ran towards him grabbing him in a bear hug and added, “We’re having a baby!”
David was cold and unresponsive to Charlie’s warm greeting.
Charlie grabbed the picture of the ultrasound and showed it to him and was pointing and explaining the image to him. I just stood there looking at them. I was grateful for Charlie’s attention to David. I felt that maybe, just maybe it would alleviate any brooding that David was going to suffer from seeing Charlie and me together.
“We’re having a celebratory dinner. We made Spaghetti and meatballs.”
David smiled at him. I wasn’t sure it was sincere though.
“Don’t move I have a song for you guys to dance to as well. Then we’ll have dinner. We’re celebrating. Everyone’s dancing tonight.”
While Charlie ran to get the music, David just continued to lean in the doorway staring at me. Charlie was talking to himself saying, ”No, no, no” as he went through the list of songs he had loaded. Finally, the music started. He settled on “You Are So Beautiful” by Joe Cocker. David didn’t move he just held me in his gaze. I walked over and extended my hand to him. For a second, I thought he wasn’t going to take it. He was sulking. Then he smiled at me and took my hand. The smile looked a lot like the smile he had just given Charlie.
I went to back up out of the doorway, and he pulled me towards him and put my head in his hands and kissed me.

He just stood there kissing me so passionately through the entire song. I could feel his love for me pouring out of him. It was in every kiss he gave me. He made me lose control when he kissed me like this. I was hanging by a thread. When the song ended; he released me. I stood there breathless. I wanted to rip his clothes of off him and take him down on the floor right then and there. I knew he knew that he could do that to me, move me to that place and that he did it on purpose. I held myself and turned away from

him.
“Charlie is dinner ready?” I asked trying to act unfazed.
When I looked at Charlie, I knew he was struggling and trying to appear unaffected. David just made a point of saying “You see that, you see what I can do to her buddy?” It made me feel horrible for Charlie. Charlie was genuinely happy for the both of them, for all of us. He had gone out of his way to make a special dinner for us and in return David wanted to stick it to him because he had witnessed us in a private moment.
Charlie recovered quickly or chose not to give David the satisfaction and said rather chipper, “Absolutely, let’s eat.”
Charlie kept playing music while we ate. The food was excellent as always. As we finished eating “The One Thing” by Inxs came on. Charlie and I started bopping in our seats and singing. David usually smiled at us and sang a little, tonight he did not engage at all. It was obvious we were annoying him. He was acting childish, and I was not going to appease him tonight with his bad behavior.
When the song ended, David got up and shut off the music. He turned around and said to Charlie, “You can clean this up, right?”
Charlie just looked at him and nodded.
He walked over to me and extended his hand. I sat not knowing what to do for a few seconds and then I reached out and took his hand. I felt I had to, or it would make things worse.