A Soldier's Girl

Chapter 63:

Chapter 63:

Beth's View

Arriving home, I'm more tired than I expected to be. The kids today were just out of hand and I probably called at least 17 out of 20 parents to inform them on their bad behaved children. I feel overly run down and dirty that I feel terrible about dinner tonight with Daryl. He's probably worked really hard on it and I should put on a good face and give him a nice date, but I seriously cannot muster up enough happiness to do so. Walking into a candled lit house, the aroma of fresh flowers, roast and a hint of wine is in the air.

The island is perfectly decorated with a small bouquet of flowers and two tall standing white candle burning. setting my things down on the table by the door, I look for Daryl and soon feels his arms wrap around my body and pulling me to his chest. A kiss is placed on my temple and then my neck. Soft piano music is playing through out the house and my senses are heightened suddenly.

"Welcome home, Love." He whispers softly in my attuned ears. Turning in his grasp, I wrap myself around his neck and kiss those tender, beckoning lips of his that drive me crazy.

"Thank you."

"Are you hungry?"

"Starved beyond repair, actually." Smiling down at me, his eyes loom in the candles, creating two dark pools of aqueous nature. Leading me to a seat, he pulls it back and I sit down as he courteously pushes me in. "Thank you."

"You're more than welcome. Salad?"

"Yes please."

"The roast will be done in about five minutes." He places a salad, with croutons, Italian dressing, and a roll in front of me. Kissing my head, he sits beside me and we eat peacefully, but I can't stop noticing his predator like gaze upon me as if I am a helpless bunny and he, a hungry fox. Suddenly his hand places his fork on the side of his bowl and lays his now free hand on top of my left. Slowing down my chewing, I swallow and then look at him and his rapturous eyes. "You are so beautiful."

"Hardly, I've been run down all day...I look as if I walked fresh out of a fight."

"I bet you won." His eyebrows raise and he smiles.

"What, uhm...what's going on here, exactly?" I quietly and nervously ask as I lay my fork down and look at him.

"I'm having a beautiful dinner with my more than beautiful wife." He kisses my cheek and something's not right with this picture.

"What did you break?"

"Nothing."

"What did you forget?" I purse my lips at him and he shakes his head.

"Nothing."

"What did you do?" Getting up, he goes behind me and starts massaging my shoulders, which feels amazing, but still isn't right.

"Can't I just go out of my way to give my hardworking and gorgeous wife a nice quiet romantic dinner?" He once again places kisses on my shoulders and neck and I lean into his kiss.

"Why do I feel this is a rouse for something?"

"Honey, it's not. You've been working hard lately, with school and Jackson, I just want to give you a nice night alone, with me." The oven beeps and he goes to take the roast out. Watching him, I try to think of why he's being this way, so coy and structured. Turning back around I raise an eyebrow to his devious smile that is plastered like a huge neon sign on his face. "Dinner is served my dear."

Placing a small roast, the size of a hamburger on my plate and one on his, he grabs some condiments from the fridge and places them close in reach.

"I don't know what yer up too, but thank you for this. It smells delicious." Leaning over I peck his lips quickly and start cutting my roast, as does he. We are silent for most of the meal, except for the light clinging of silverware against our plates. When we are all finished, he takes my plates politely and deposits them in the sink before bringing out a small dish of raspberry cheesecake from the fridge- my favorite.

"Madame, some cheesecake for you?"

"Bien sûr." He smiles at my French and hands a plate to me. "Merci, beaucoup Monsieur."

"Yer very welcome." As we eat our dessert, I can tell what I have been trying to figure out all along is now playing on his mind and lips. Wriggling a tiny bit in place, he has something on his mind, but he's not keen on sharing it. Finally a large sigh comes and he looks at me deeply, before taking my hand and stealing my focus away from my delicious dessert. "Let's have another baby."

Nearly choking on cake, I look at him shockingly and try to catch my breath. Getting the creamy cake down, I look at him with wide eyes.

"What?"

"Beth, it's what we want. It's what Jackson would want. He's growing fast and is going to need someone to play with. I feel we need to grasp this opportunity tonight instead of waiting any longer. Soon Jackson will be talking and walking and need more undivided attention and work. We won't have time to try. I just think we need to do this." Staring at him, I feel like I'm burning a hole into his head.

"Daryl...I'm just not sure I'm emotionally ready for that right now. I get where yer coming from and I respect it, but I just need time. Financially also, we're not ready." He slowly lets go of my hand and sits back in his seat. Running his hand through his hair, the disappointment and frustration shows on his face. "We can still have our nice romantic night Daryl, I just don't wanna start anything I'm not ready for."

Back up his seat, he grabs our plates and puts them in the sink and begins putting everything away. Take the last large gulp of his wine, he sets the glass in the sink and turns on the lights. Why is he so angry?

"Daryl..."

"I gotta go bring the dogs in." He quietly growls, trudging down the basement steps after slamming the door. I jump in my seat instantly and stare at the door that now has an actual small crack in the top of it. I was honest with him...what's so wrong with that? It costs a lot of money to have a baby and though he gets a nice fat check every month, that won't support us, Jackson and a baby, even with my pay also. Does he not think about these things? No, of course he wouldn't. He's doing this as a rouse to get me to forget about him and that woman, which I still haven't exactly let go of.

Standing up, I head upstairs to our bedroom and lay down. If he wants to act like an ass, I'll treat him like one. after about forty minutes I still don't hear him come inside. I don't go to him or leave my side of the bed. I'm angry and upset. He has no right to be mad at me for the fact that it's my body and I have to go through carry the child and he doesn't. As I start to feel tired, the door opens and he comes in, quickly laying down and looking away from me. I can here his angered breathing drop to a low hum in the darkness. Laying there, I try to go to sleep but I can't. Was I wrong? Or am I just selfish? Laying on my back looking up at the ceiling, he's doing the same thing and soon my hand slowly and naturally folds around his and our fingers interlock. We don't speak for almost an hour or look at the other. We just lay and stare at the ceiling.

"I'm sorry." He says softly and quietly. It's eerie in the room and lingers around us. "Yer right. I said it."

"I don't wanna be right...I just want to be heard and understood." I say quietly back. I don't know why we're whispering, but it seems to make the conversation less hostel and more meaningful.

"Okay, I can accept that. Can you promise me something?"

"Yes..."

"We'll figure us out soon."