Sadness

The day continued with Fredric checking in on Madeline from time to time during the morning. He could not help but worry at this unnaturally quick development, he eventually stopped fussing and crawled up behind her on top of the sheets to spoon from behind. Caressing her side with the fabric as a separation, trying to make her feel a bit better.

Eventually her nausea seemed to subdue and her mood improved, later on the day she dressed in the clothes she came in the other day but it was obvious her morning sickness had been replaced by raving cravings instead.

She spent some time looking over the menus of delivery services, but eventually settled for pizzas. Fredric agreed to one but she seemed to be able to eat a horse if she had one, ordering several family pizzas some with odder toppings like pineapple and banana with curry. Others with five types of salami and cheese.

Fredric could not help but look at her slightly bewildered as she continued with her third pizza in the living room, he had long finished the one he had for dinner. He was even less prepared to what came next.

Madeline sat on the sofa all spent, trying to keep a burp or two for happening, only to let one cutely pitched one escape. Sitting in silence, clearly not watching the TV.

“Why is all this crap happening to you” she said with tears building.

“What?” Fredrics attention was on the show he thought they were watching together.

“Why can’t we have a normal life together, why did you have to get involved with that shady shit?” she continued looking at him seeking eye contact.

“I did not know it was ‘shady shit’” he said, now paying attention looking back, emphasizing her phrase.

“Is it not enough to be with me?” the sadness in her voice was clear.

“Wait, what is this about? I did not know you when I did that.” He was just getting more confused.

“I just want you close, don’t you want the same thing?” she said with teary hopefulness and leaned her body against his in to caress his face seeking affection.

“Hold on you know where that goes, you said you wanted to experience pregnancy, if I give you another it will be over before you know it!” He said, raising from the sofa in a hurry having Madeline collapsing grasping lamely after him.

With that she started to cry softly.

She rose from the sofa and meekly went into the bedroom closing the door behind her, he could hear her sobbing disappear under the sheets as he stood there trying to process the sudden development.

He concluded it must be pregnancy related and let her be, he would talk to her about it once she returned to her senses and went to clean up the many plates and drinks strewn about the living room that she had scraped clean.

Much later when he did not hear anything from the bedroom he went to check on her, but all he saw was a ball curled up moving slightly under the sheets. Thinking she fell asleep Fredric let her rest and went to the sofa to refresh his memory on what pregnancy does to a woman.