Page 27
Story: Through the Flames
FLASHBACK
“Hey Amaya,” I yelled as I walked into the bathroom. “What do you want for dinner?”
When I saw the huge mass of reddish brown hair in the bathtub, curled up like a baby, I stopped talking. My heart sank because I was so scared that something was wrong with her.
“What’s wrong? Why are you in the bath?”I asked, kneeling next to the tub.
She looked at me with wide, bright eyes and said, “I don’t know.” This place is so cosy.
I raised my eyebrows and blinked a few times because I didn’t know how to respond.
I took her out of the tub and put her on my lap. I kissed her forehead and tried my best to get all of her hair out of her face. It was harder than it sounded.
“Now, my beautiful wife, can you tell me why you were in the bathtub with me?”
She looked down at the rock on her finger and her eyes got bigger. “That’s right! I’m your wife!”
Okay, now I was lost.
“Yes, you are my wife. “I remember very clearly you walking down the aisle to me a few months ago,” I said slowly. Maybe she was having a breakdown. Should I call Diane?
“That’s also right. She mumbled, “We just got married a few months ago,” more to herself than to me.
I snorted a laugh. I think Amaya was in some kind of trouble and needed someone to talk to about the good and bad things.
Maybe she and Tessa were up to something?
“Amaya? Do you want to go out to eat? Maybe getting some fresh air would help? We could even go out for drinks after that.
I thought I heard her lungs constrict when she gasped so hard, and then she hit me in the chest.
I bent over in pain and held my beating chest, wondering what I had done to deserve such pain. This is why I am always careful around Amaya.
You never knew when or where she would strike.
“What’s wrong with you?”Amaya growled at me. “I can’t drink! That will hurt the baby!”
“Well, you could have just said that! You didn’t have to stop my heart for a little while.
I cut myself off and thought back to what she said.
“What baby?””I whispered.
She smiled and bit her lip. Her hazel eyes drew me in. “The baby we made is so silly.”
My mouth was wide open, and Amaya laughed and took my hands and put them on her lower abdomen.
I felt tears welling up in my eyes, but I didn’t try to wipe them away or hide them.
“Are you pregnant?””I let out a breath, not even knowing it was mine.”
“I just found out,” she said, putting her hands over mine. “Are you happy?””
I stared at her.
“Am I happy? I’m so happy that I feel like crying or throwing up.”
She screamed with joy and hugged me around the neck.
I couldn’t believe it.
My baby was going to have a child.
********
And she had a baby.
My wife and daughter were everything to me. If anything happened to either of them, a part of me would die, and I don’t mean that in a figurative way.
I don’t even want to think about what would happen if something happened to both of them.
I made myself stop thinking about those bad things. I just realised that the more you had to lose, the more these thoughts seemed to come up.
“Papa? Not listen?”Siobhan frowned at me, and at that moment, she looked so much like her mother that it hurt my heart.
“Papa is very sorry, peanut.” How can I make it up to you?”
She scrunched up her little face in thought, and I had to bite my lip to keep from squealing.
We made a small Amaya.
“Kish?””She touched her cheek, and a part of me melted.
I held her face and kissed her cheek for a long time. I blew raspberries on her cheek, which made her laugh like a baby.
Amaya finished cooking a few minutes later and brought me a huge bowl of my favourite food. We moved to the dining table, and I strapped Siobhan into her seat.
The happiest sound at dinner was Siobhan gurgling as she drank her pumpkin soup.
It’s clear that my child had great taste in food.
Amaya and I took turns feeding Siobha, and by the time we were done, her whole face was orange.
I could see Amaya yawning a lot during dinner, so I thought Siobhan must have given her a hard time that day. I loved my little girl, but she was fast, naughty, and loved to play hide and seek.
I don’t want to say this, but a small part of me is happy that karma has finally given Amaya the same hell she gave me.
I told Amaya, “Why don’t you take a nice bath? I’ll take care of Siobhan and put her to bed.” I saw her shoulders drop.
“Thank you, Cartie,” she said, and then she started to clean up the table. I put my hand over hers to stop it.
“Leave this alone.” “I’ll clean the kitchen and then I’ll come up to see you.” I kissed her deeply, and she smiled against my lips.
She whispered in my ear, “I’ll keep the bed warm for you,” and then she bit my lobe.
I had to get Siobhan to sleep right away.
I took Siobhan upstairs and gave her a bath. I added a little extra lavender essential oil because it helps her sleep better.
The bath was fine, but putting her in pyjamas was a nightmare. Every time I tried to buckle her onesie, she played football with my face. And when I finally got those stupid buttons together, she ripped it open in one go.
I gave up and let her sleep in her nappy, but she wouldn’t go to sleep.
I walked around the house with her in my arms, but as soon as I thought she was asleep, she looked up at me with those hazel eyes and smiled with a toothy grin.
I took off my shirt, hoping that some skin-to-skin contact would help, and when it did, I almost fell to my knees in thanks.
I took her back to her room, tucked her in, and stayed there for a while to watch her sleep. It was hard for me to let Siobhan sleep alone when she was younger, but it’s getting easier now.
I kissed her goodnight and left, suddenly remembering that my wife was waiting for me. I went through the door that connected Siobhan’s room to ours, but Amaya wasn’t in the bedroom, so I had to assume she was still in the bath.
I was right: Amaya was in the tub, resting with her eyes closed.
“Did she bother you?””Amaya asked with her eyes closed.
“When does she ever not cause trouble?””I laughed. “But she’s my daughter, so I don’t mind at all.”
Amaya hummed in response as I sat down on the edge of the bathtub. I began to rub her shoulders, and when she threw her head back and moaned, my back tensed.
“She gave you a lot of trouble today, didn’t she?”
Amaya snorted, and I laughed at her.
“When does she ever not cause problems?””But she’s my daughter, so I don’t mind at all,” Amaya said, quoting me.
We laughed together and then stayed quiet for a few minutes. I kept giving her a massage, trying to keep my cool despite her deep moans and groans.
“Carter?”Amaya called.
“Yeah, baby?””
“How long will it take for you to get the message and f**k me already?”
“Hey Amaya,” I yelled as I walked into the bathroom. “What do you want for dinner?”
When I saw the huge mass of reddish brown hair in the bathtub, curled up like a baby, I stopped talking. My heart sank because I was so scared that something was wrong with her.
“What’s wrong? Why are you in the bath?”I asked, kneeling next to the tub.
She looked at me with wide, bright eyes and said, “I don’t know.” This place is so cosy.
I raised my eyebrows and blinked a few times because I didn’t know how to respond.
I took her out of the tub and put her on my lap. I kissed her forehead and tried my best to get all of her hair out of her face. It was harder than it sounded.
“Now, my beautiful wife, can you tell me why you were in the bathtub with me?”
She looked down at the rock on her finger and her eyes got bigger. “That’s right! I’m your wife!”
Okay, now I was lost.
“Yes, you are my wife. “I remember very clearly you walking down the aisle to me a few months ago,” I said slowly. Maybe she was having a breakdown. Should I call Diane?
“That’s also right. She mumbled, “We just got married a few months ago,” more to herself than to me.
I snorted a laugh. I think Amaya was in some kind of trouble and needed someone to talk to about the good and bad things.
Maybe she and Tessa were up to something?
“Amaya? Do you want to go out to eat? Maybe getting some fresh air would help? We could even go out for drinks after that.
I thought I heard her lungs constrict when she gasped so hard, and then she hit me in the chest.
I bent over in pain and held my beating chest, wondering what I had done to deserve such pain. This is why I am always careful around Amaya.
You never knew when or where she would strike.
“What’s wrong with you?”Amaya growled at me. “I can’t drink! That will hurt the baby!”
“Well, you could have just said that! You didn’t have to stop my heart for a little while.
I cut myself off and thought back to what she said.
“What baby?””I whispered.
She smiled and bit her lip. Her hazel eyes drew me in. “The baby we made is so silly.”
My mouth was wide open, and Amaya laughed and took my hands and put them on her lower abdomen.
I felt tears welling up in my eyes, but I didn’t try to wipe them away or hide them.
“Are you pregnant?””I let out a breath, not even knowing it was mine.”
“I just found out,” she said, putting her hands over mine. “Are you happy?””
I stared at her.
“Am I happy? I’m so happy that I feel like crying or throwing up.”
She screamed with joy and hugged me around the neck.
I couldn’t believe it.
My baby was going to have a child.
********
And she had a baby.
My wife and daughter were everything to me. If anything happened to either of them, a part of me would die, and I don’t mean that in a figurative way.
I don’t even want to think about what would happen if something happened to both of them.
I made myself stop thinking about those bad things. I just realised that the more you had to lose, the more these thoughts seemed to come up.
“Papa? Not listen?”Siobhan frowned at me, and at that moment, she looked so much like her mother that it hurt my heart.
“Papa is very sorry, peanut.” How can I make it up to you?”
She scrunched up her little face in thought, and I had to bite my lip to keep from squealing.
We made a small Amaya.
“Kish?””She touched her cheek, and a part of me melted.
I held her face and kissed her cheek for a long time. I blew raspberries on her cheek, which made her laugh like a baby.
Amaya finished cooking a few minutes later and brought me a huge bowl of my favourite food. We moved to the dining table, and I strapped Siobhan into her seat.
The happiest sound at dinner was Siobhan gurgling as she drank her pumpkin soup.
It’s clear that my child had great taste in food.
Amaya and I took turns feeding Siobha, and by the time we were done, her whole face was orange.
I could see Amaya yawning a lot during dinner, so I thought Siobhan must have given her a hard time that day. I loved my little girl, but she was fast, naughty, and loved to play hide and seek.
I don’t want to say this, but a small part of me is happy that karma has finally given Amaya the same hell she gave me.
I told Amaya, “Why don’t you take a nice bath? I’ll take care of Siobhan and put her to bed.” I saw her shoulders drop.
“Thank you, Cartie,” she said, and then she started to clean up the table. I put my hand over hers to stop it.
“Leave this alone.” “I’ll clean the kitchen and then I’ll come up to see you.” I kissed her deeply, and she smiled against my lips.
She whispered in my ear, “I’ll keep the bed warm for you,” and then she bit my lobe.
I had to get Siobhan to sleep right away.
I took Siobhan upstairs and gave her a bath. I added a little extra lavender essential oil because it helps her sleep better.
The bath was fine, but putting her in pyjamas was a nightmare. Every time I tried to buckle her onesie, she played football with my face. And when I finally got those stupid buttons together, she ripped it open in one go.
I gave up and let her sleep in her nappy, but she wouldn’t go to sleep.
I walked around the house with her in my arms, but as soon as I thought she was asleep, she looked up at me with those hazel eyes and smiled with a toothy grin.
I took off my shirt, hoping that some skin-to-skin contact would help, and when it did, I almost fell to my knees in thanks.
I took her back to her room, tucked her in, and stayed there for a while to watch her sleep. It was hard for me to let Siobhan sleep alone when she was younger, but it’s getting easier now.
I kissed her goodnight and left, suddenly remembering that my wife was waiting for me. I went through the door that connected Siobhan’s room to ours, but Amaya wasn’t in the bedroom, so I had to assume she was still in the bath.
I was right: Amaya was in the tub, resting with her eyes closed.
“Did she bother you?””Amaya asked with her eyes closed.
“When does she ever not cause trouble?””I laughed. “But she’s my daughter, so I don’t mind at all.”
Amaya hummed in response as I sat down on the edge of the bathtub. I began to rub her shoulders, and when she threw her head back and moaned, my back tensed.
“She gave you a lot of trouble today, didn’t she?”
Amaya snorted, and I laughed at her.
“When does she ever not cause problems?””But she’s my daughter, so I don’t mind at all,” Amaya said, quoting me.
We laughed together and then stayed quiet for a few minutes. I kept giving her a massage, trying to keep my cool despite her deep moans and groans.
“Carter?”Amaya called.
“Yeah, baby?””
“How long will it take for you to get the message and f**k me already?”