Through Thick And Thin

Chapter 6

When the alarm clock began ringing, Amelia pulled a pillow over her head and groaned. She stuck a hand from under the covers and hit the snooze button before she let her arm hang over the side of the bed. Ever since she got pregnant, the nights seemed a whole lot shorter than she knew them to be. She had expected the food cravings and the mood swings but the long extended hours of sleep was something new for her.

She turned around and reached out hoping to touch Chad but his side of the bed was empty. She pulled the pillow away and her eyes fluttered open to look at Chad’s empty side of the bed. She could hear the hair dryer running in the bathroom.

“Chad?” she called out. She pulled herself to a sitting position when she heard the hair dryer go off. The bathroom door opened and Chad stepped out. He had a towel around his waist and his hair was perfectly in place.

“Morning sunshine,” he said with a smile.

“Morning.” Amelia began climbing off the bed. “But I don’t feel very sun shiny,” she added as she put on her slippers.

“Well you look great,” he said as he walked to the closet. Amelia walked to the bathroom and grabbed her toothbrush.

“Wish I felt as great as you make it sound,” she said before she began brushing her teeth.

“Why? Still feeling queasy?” Chad asked in a concerned voice. “I thought the morning sickness was supposed to ease up after the first trimester.”

Amelia pulled her toothbrush out of her mouth and spat in the sink before she turned to look at him.

“First off, it was all day sickness for me until some few weeks ago and I still get queasy every so often but only when I walk by that Indian place on fifth.”

Chad smiled. “The Indian place? The same place your boss sends you for all the meetings?” he asked. She resumed her brushing and nodded. “I thought you said he was giving you a break from all the hard stuff since he found out that you were expectant.”

“Well, clearly his clients from the Asian continent didn’t get the memo,” Amelia said before she rinsed out her mouth.

“What do Asian clients have to do with the restaurant?” Chad asked as he pulled on a pair of pants. Amelia walked out of the bathroom and walked over to the bed.

“Well, he has these new guys who supply him with top quality fabrics from all over the world And I am talking authentic stuff. Top of the range cotton, best silk money has to buy and everything.” She began straightening the bed and Chad walked over to where she was to help her.

“So he is not really a client?” he asked matter-of-factly. She looked at him and frowned.

“I guess he is more of a partner really,” she said as she began placing the pillows on the bed. “But he is one of those virtual business people so he doesn’t really have an office. The meetings we usually have are either held at the Dalton Wear offices or that damn Indian place,” Amelia explained. “There are too many spices going on there.”

“I thought you liked Indian food,” Chad smiledhe pointed out,

“I do. I really, really do but I would much rather have some takeout.” She sat on the edge of the bed and looked at him. “Nowadays, when I sit in the restaurant I feel like I just took a stroll down through Slumdog Millionaire.” Chad smiled and walked back to the closet. “Wait, was that offensive?” she asked in a whisper even though no one else was in the room.

“I don’t think you are in any kind of trouble. After all, it is not like you have a Swastika tattooed on your forehead,” he said as he buttoned up his shirt. She smiled and stood up from the bed to walk to where he was. She helped him with his tie and looked into his eyes as he tucked his shirt into his pants. “I made you breakfast,” he said in a soft voice as he held her waist making her eyes grow wide.

“You did?”

“I made you those Paninis you love so much,” Chad said with a smile.

“Oh honey,” Amelia said in a low tone. She had been having at least one Panini for breakfast almost daily for the last week and so far Chad had been incredibly supportive, even though she knew her cravings were gradually getting him tired of some foods. “You know you didn’t have to, right?” she asked as she leaned on his shoulder.

“I knew that your day wouldn’t have been complete without it,” he said. “And I also made you some blueberry pancakes in case you want to carry something to work.” He knew a little too well how much she had grown to despise delis.

“You are the very best boyfriend in the world,” she said before she leaned in to kiss him softly. “So, which interview are we going to today?” she asked when she pulled back.

“Actually it is a callback.”

She raised an eyebrow over the other.

“It is? From who?” She could feel her excitement growing inside her.

“Harper Medic Incorporated,” he said.

“Seriously? Isn’t that the company you compared to that big international pharmaceutical…I forget the name,” she said frowning.

“GlaxoSmithKline. And the word you meant to use is multinational.”

Amelia rolled her eyes and shrugged.

“Well, you understood me,” she said as she walked to the bathroom to get her bathrobe. “So,” she started as she walked out of the bathroom securing the robe at the front. “Do you know what to expect from this callback?”

Chad shook his head.

“Not really,” he said as he put on his jacket. “I guess I am just hoping everything goes well.”

“I think it will. I mean it is a callback,” she said with a smile. Chad smiled back at her. “Go on, I don’t want to make you late.”

“What about you? Are you going to be alright?”

“I keep on telling you. I am just pregnant not sick,” she said as he pulled her close.

“Well, you are carrying my son in there. I definitely have a right to worry,” he said. She let out a laugh.

“Son? What makes you so sure that it is a boy?”

“I just have a gut feeling.”

“Gut feeling, huh? And that is all you have to go by?”

“Well, Amelia, I have always trusted my gut and it has never failed me. I mean, I did trust it when I first met you.”

“Wait, you and I are together because of a gut feeling?” she asked, raising an eyebrow over the other

“Yeah, and look at how well that turned out?” he touched the side of her face. “Aren’t you glad I trusted my gut when I did?”