Their Miracle Baby

Venetia let Lewis make love to her that night but clung to him afterward, feeling like their perfect little world had just been turned upside down. She realized Lewis was accustomed to getting what he wanted, much like herself; when he wanted something, he wouldn’t quit. That could be a problem since she’d decided that a baby right now was not what she wanted.

For the first few weeks, Lewis didn’t push her about having a baby. He had his on call days and then a series of procedures that kept him at the hospital long into the night. She knew that he hadn’t forgotten but hoped the reality of their lives had made him see the benefit of waiting a little longer.

But eventually Lewis brought the subject up. Venetia had been dreading it but knew it was inevitable. She was hoping that she could convince him to give her a little more time. She’d given up the idea of Doctors without Borders which had been hard enough, she just wasn’t willing to give up her new found freedom.

She tried to explain her feelings to Lewis, but he wouldn’t listen. The result had been their first fight and each of them going to sleep on their own side of the bed. The chilly atmosphere was still present in the morning until Lewis finally broke the silence.

“I didn’t sleep very much last night, I’m trying to see your side of this, but I guess I’m blinded by what I want and that’s not fair. If you want to wait, I’ll wait. But please don’t make me wait too long,” he said, opening his arms to her.

Relieved, Venetia went to him, wrapped her arms around him, and hugged him. “Thank you, Lewis. I know how much this meant to you, and I’m sorry, but I’m just not ready.”

Lewis just nodded his head and walked away to get coffee. But Venetia still felt the chill in the air and hoped that they would be able to get through this bump in their relationship. She loved him more than anything in the world, but she wasn’t going to do something she just knew she wasn’t ready for.

They fell into a routine. Lewis working his on calls and performing surgery during the week, Venetia worked at the clinic. But something between them had changed. She wasn’t sure how things had gone wrong so fast, but she was also determined to try and fix it. The only problem was that the fix involved the one thing she wasn’t ready for.

She began to have problems sleeping, lying awake most of the night listening to Lewis’ steady breath as he slept. Bernice couldn’t help but notice and after a few weeks of this finally approached Venetia to find out what was wrong.

“I know something’s up with you, so don’t even try to tell me again that you’re fine.”

Venetia had been holding in her heartache and sadness so long that it just exploded out of her. Bawling, she told Bernice her tale of woe.

“He wants to have a baby, and when I told him no, he said that he understood, but now he’s become cold. We don’t have fun anymore, he never touches me like he used to,” she wailed, then put her head down on her desk.

Bernice rushed over and took Venetia in her strong arms and let her cry for a while. “Well, you can’t have a baby just because he wants one. That’s a decision you both have to agree on, but it’s not all lost. He still loves you, I know he does.”

“That’s just it, I wonder if we were just in love with being in love. It happened so fast, maybe it’s not as real as we thought it would be. I just don’t know any more.”

“Honey, you guys will make it through this. Just take it one day at a time. You’ll see, he’ll come around.” But even as she said the words, Bernice wondered if some of what Venetia had said was true. Still, it was her job to be there for her friend, not to judge her relationship.

Venetia went home that night determined to salvage what was left of their relationship. She stopped and bought a bottle of Lewis’ favorite wine and cooked his favorite dinner. She pulled a special silk creation out of the box it had been hiding in since they’d gotten back from New York; it was daring with little fabric to cover her curves. Toping it off with the silk robe that Lewis loved so much, she greeting him at the front door with kisses.

But Lewis was still cold and distant, participating in the charade, even forcing some excitement at her daring outfit. He made love to her, but she could tell that his heart wasn’t in it. Finally, as she lay in bed, the sun coming up, she knew that what they’d shared was over. They had flown too fast and too high and now gravity was pulling them back to Earth; she just hoped that it didn’t hurt too much when she hit the ground.

After Lewis left for work the next day, Venetia packed her things and moved them back to her apartment which was empty, as if fate knew that she was going to need it. She left all the beautiful gowns he’d bought for her in the closet, knowing that she wouldn’t have a need for them now.

She left Lewis a note, knowing that she’d have to deal with him in person, but wanting a few hours to gather her thoughts before she faced him. It was clear to her that there was no future in their relationship. If Lewis behaved like a spoiled child when he didn’t get his way, she wasn’t about to spend the rest of her life giving him what he wanted just to keep him happy.

It would be one of the hardest things she’d ever done in her life, but she knew that the only way was to leave. Eventually, Lewis would agree with her decision, but first she had to get out of his house and all the painful memories swirling around her. She still had the clinic, she’d just dedicate more time to her work again. Having a life wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.