Second Chance, Baby. A.C. Arthur

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      Felicia stood at the door to the home she and Ty had shared, debating whether or not she should use her key. Still, she needed to retain some sort of distance between them. As she’d told Ty earlier that afternoon, she wasn’t about to run back to him and things the way they were, baby or not. She wasn’t about to act like things were even remotely back to normal.

      After a few more awkward moments, she realized how foolish she was being and lifted her hand to ring the doorbell. Ty was at the door in no time, as if he’d been standing directly on the other side waiting for her.

      “Hey, you’re right on time, as always.” He smiled and Felicia almost bolted.

      How was she going to survive having dinner with him, here of all places? It was bad enough she’d been thinking of him and that crazy toned body for the duration of the afternoon. “I was hungry.” She shrugged and walked inside.

      “I’ll bet, considering your present condition. Let me get that for you.” He took her purse and the sweater she’d draped over her arm as a weather precaution.

      Felicia continued into the living area. She loved their loft-style penthouse and remembered each piece of furniture they’d chosen together. Clean lines and a contemporary décor was their goal. As she stood in front of the wall-length windows, she would say they’d hit their mark.

      Ty wanted to be close to the pulse of the business industry, and so they’d found this great place in the center of downtown. The windows that made up one wall overlooked downtown Houston’s Near Northside.

      As dusk had just settled over the city, Felicia was treated to the sultry golden hue of the sun as it settled for the night. Buildings glowed majestically, while trees with leaves just changing color filled the landscape. In the distance the Quitman Bridge had a steady flow of commuters either heading toward Houston’s nightlife or hurrying to get home and put the workday behind them. Folding her arms, she took a moment to simply enjoy.

      “You look good standing there,” Ty said from behind.

      She turned slowly. “It’s the view.”

      He shook his head. “No. It’s you. I always liked to see you standing there looking so content.”

      Quickly unfolding her arms, she moved away from the window to take a seat on the beige leather couch. “Looks can be deceiving.”

      Ty didn’t respond, but came to sit beside her. “Dinner’s just about done. Do you want to listen to some music?”

      Felicia blinked in surprise as he leaned forward and picked up the remote to the entertainment center from the cherrywood block coffee table. When was the last time she and Ty had simply sat in the living room listening to music? When was the last time they had sat and did anything together?

      She watched in a trance as he pushed buttons, having never mastered that monstrosity he called a remote. It operated everything electronic in the room—the DVD, the CD player, the television, etc. It had been her practice to just push the power button on the machine she wanted to turn on. The remote was intimidating and entirely Ty’s domain.

      Her heart stumbled when the first chords of a song she hadn’t heard for years began to play. It was an old Freddie Jackson song she and Ty had listened to as they’d studied back in college. She couldn’t help but smile. “Where’d you find that?”

      It was Ty’s turn to shrug. “It wasn’t lost, just forgotten for a while.”

      She sat back in the chair, loving the caramel and ivory pillows she’d insisted on. The relaxing was good for her. Dr. Franz, her ob-gyn, had informed her that during her first trimester she should try and get as much rest as possible. Especially in light of the mild cramping she experienced erratically. Dr. Franz said it wasn’t a big deal as long as she wasn’t bleeding or the pain didn’t become unbearable. But she certainly wanted to be as careful as she could.

      “Are you comfortable?” Ty asked. “Can I get you something to drink?”

      “Please, no.” She chuckled, shaking her head. “I go to the bathroom enough without any added help.”

      “Really? I always thought that was later in the pregnancy.”

      “Nope. That was one of those symptoms that started right away. I hear it gets worse as the baby grows. I’m definitely not looking forward to more trips to the bathroom.”

      “So you’ve been to the doctor and everything is going to be okay? You and the baby are healthy?”

      She couldn’t help but touch her stomach at his words. In the beginning of their marriage, Ty had always been very attentive, providing any-and everything she needed—from a glass of wine when they came home from work to a massage on those particularly rough days she’d had at school.

      “Dr. Franz said that everything looks fine. He anticipates a noneventful pregnancy and a healthy baby in late April.”

      To her surprise, Ty smiled. “May I?” he asked, nodding at the spot on her stomach where her hand rested.

      After a second of stunned silence, she smiled. “Sure. There’s not much to feel yet.”

      When his hand replaced hers, Felicia’s pulse quickened. It wasn’t just with the awareness that it had been almost three months since she’d felt Ty’s hands on her. It was also the realization that what he was feeling was something they’d both created. The baby that would forever symbolize their love and commitment. Family.

      “This still seems a little unreal,” he said, his eyes glued to her stomach.

      “Is that good or bad?” she inquired tentatively.

      He lifted his gaze to hers and smiled with complete sincerity. “It’s perfect.”

      Keeping his palm on her stomach, Ty continued to stare at her. He used to do that when they were in college. She’d be reading some textbook and assuming he was doing the same. But when she’d look up, those intense, dark brown eyes would be focused solely on her. What was it he used to say he was doing?

      “I’m still memorizing you,” he said as if he’d read her mind. “After all these years, I look at you and want the picture of your face to stay permanently etched in my mind.”

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