“I don’t think I did the right thing by asking us to leave,” Leila said into the phone. Her best friend was on the other end. Kelvin was still sulking. He might be pretending to be okay but she knew he wasn’t. By not talking to his mother, it had affected his relationship with his father. “We should have waited for a bit.”
“Girl!” Freya screamed as if talking normally would have opposite effect. “You saved your husband’s life.”
Tucking the phone between her shoulder and ear, Leila arranged the makeup brushes on the dresser. Kelvin’s words came back to her. She knew he was right; she had to stop worrying.
“She wouldn’t have really hurt him.”
“Maybe.” Her lips parted as she took in her mirror image. Her cheeks were fuller and her breasts heavier. Kelvin mentioned it once that she had added in the right places. Freya’s voice dragged her ou
Leila was all smiles as she drove her parents home. Her mother had been unable to counter her when she made the offer again. Kelvin had backed her up by saying it was the only way he could make it up to them by being late.Kelvin stretched a hand to her and she took it. She had volunteered to drive because she knew how tired he must be. Her parents were at the backseat making conversations and giving her directions. A peek at Kelvin and she smiled again. His eyes were closed and his head was resting on the headrest.She cut into the corner her father asked her to. This life was crazy. They were living in the same city yet they hadn’t stumbled on each other. She drove down an unfamiliar path and took another turn by her left.At her father’s instructions, she parked in front of one of the similar looking houses. She tapped Kelvin and his eyes opened. He stared at her for a bit, then smiled. He looked tired. They wouldn’t stay long.&n
In the morning, Kelvin was the first to wake up. He snuck out of the bed to use the bathroom. When he returned to the room, Leila was awake. She stretched her hand to him and he grabbed it with a smile bigger than anything.“You slept well?” he whispered against her lips.Leila patted the mess on her head and he tickled her till she giggled. Hovering above her, his knee between her legs, he kissed her nose.“I did, baby,” she replied. “Did you?”“Yeah.”Switching positions so she could be on his lap, he loosened her rope and tugged the strap of her gown down her shoulders. Her breasts were bigger and fuller. His finger circled one hard nipple. Leila purred.“Your boobs are bigger,” he commented.Cupping her boobs, she added, “They feel heavy too.”Kelvin said nothing to that. Her boobs always got bigger during her period
The car was deathly still. Leila was trying to keep the laughter in but it became harder. She turned on the radio and Kelvin switched it off, grumbling under his breath.Unable to hold it in any longer, she erupted in laughter. “Fuck you, Leila,” was all he said.Leila laughed harder. She didn’t reply him till they were at a traffic light. “Yes, Kev. I want you to fuck me but as you can see, I’m driving. I wouldn’t want us to get killed. I don’t want to give you another reason to scream.”“Shut up!” At his outburst, more laughter trickled out of her lips. She wiped the tears that leaked out of the corners of her eyes. She had always thought nothing scared Kelvin but today, hearing him scream in fear during the zombies attack had proved her wrong. “I hate that game.”“Really?”Kelvin stared at his feet. “Yeah. Didn’t enjoy it much.
Saturday was always Leila’s rest day but when her mother called to ask her if she would love to accompany her on grocery shopping, Leila could not say so. Besides, Kelvin was not at home.The drive to the store her mother would be shopping was slow. Leila pondered briefly her decision to get a new house for her mother. She got to the store and her mother was outside waiting for her.Leila smiled. They might look different but she would always see this amazing woman as her mother. She got out of her car and her mother engulfed her in a hug. For a second, she held her breath, expecting to be called by her pet name but nothing came out from her mother.Her mother caressed her chin. “Leilani.”“Mum.”They hugged again. Linking their hands together, they headed to the store. She was beside her mother, helping her pick up groceries and other cooking condiments. They passed an aisle with shelves of bak
The next day, Leila was up before Kelvin. She tried to get off the bed but his arms tightened around her.How was she supposed to get to the hospital?“Kev? Wake up. I need to pee.”His arms loosened. “Okay.” He peeled one eye open and patted the spot she rolled off. “Be fast, I’m waiting for you. I want to cuddle and kiss you, baby.”“Okay, love.”Leila was back in the room within minutes. She needed to leave the hospital but she had to find a way to do it without letting him know. Kelvin’s lips turned down in a pout. He stretched his arms and she crawled back to the bed to join. Today was Sunday, they should be resting but her mind was restless.“You’ve not told me where you were yesterday,” he said into her ear when she was tucked in his arms.Leila slowly turned. Kelvin pushed an arm under his head. He hadn’t bee
Kelvin stood, then sat. He stood again, then sat again. His wife promised everything was fine but he was so restless he could barely do anything. He opened his laptop to work but the words on his screen blurred. He shut down the laptop on his study table and locked his hands behind his head. They had been doing fine for a while now. She couldn’t be sick, he would have known. Wait, what if she was pregnant?He jumped when his phone rang. Startled, he grabbed it from the table. It was his sister, Madonna. A grin touched his lip as he picked. Madonna’s voice filtered into his ear in a high pitch. He kicked his legs under the table and his grin widened.“Mum’s here,” she said after the pleasantries.His smile dimmed. Kelvin ran one hand through his hair. This wasn’t what his mother told him. She would not be in California until a week. His fist met the table. That was his issue with her. Making decisions that cou
Leila sang along to the song playing from the radio, messing up the lyrics without a care. The car from behind overtook her but she didn’t give a shit. She wouldn’t have minded if someone slapped her. In fact, she might have turned her other cheek to them.Nothing had been able to affect her since she saw the result of the test. Positive. She was pregnant with her and Kelvin’s baby. Fifteen weeks pregnant. How did she not notice? The increased appetite. The weight gain. The breasts heaviness. It wasn’t just her getting fat, it was her body adjusting to accommodate their baby. She rubbed a hand over her belly. It was a boy.She couldn’t say for sure but she felt it would be a boy. A boy that would be named after his father. In her excitement, she had crushed the doctor in a hug. They would return later after she told her husband the great news. She didn’t mind waiting to find out his gender but if Kelvin wanted to know it
First try. No result. Second try. No result. Third try. No result. A frustrated growl tore out of Kelvin’s lips. He tossed the phone on the bed and paced the room.He fucked up. Knowing his mother-in-law and wife’s history, he shouldn’t have suggested her staying here to Leila. Was that why she wouldn’t pick his call?His phone rang and he rushed to it. His chest sagged. It was his mother, not Leila. He didn’t pick. She was the cause of all these. Leila had been excited, what did she want to tell him? Why wouldn’t she pick his calls? He pinched his nose and growled again.Frustration ate at his insides. He wanted his wife. Kelvin stared at his phone for a long time before it hit him. Freya. She was going to Freya’s. He could call Freya. As he was about to dial her number, his phone lit up with his wife’s best friend’s number.Fate was working in his favour. He wasted no time in