Eyes Of Muniz

Chapter 22

Michael let her in. He needed to cool off from the evening with Marisa. He didn't like how he had felt free just sitting and talking to her. Michael stared at the woman standing in front of him. He was going remember how it felt to be in control of everything that went on around him tonight.
"Did you make sure Marisa had everything she needed?" Michael asked her.
"Well, she didn't need my services today. She's not used to having anyone running around trying to make her feel comfortable" she said.
"Make sure she's comfortable first" Michael ordered her. He wanted to sleep knowing that Marisa lacked nothing. She was carrying his child. A wild night could wait. He watched the maid's face flash with anger. That was what he wanted to avoid. He knew from the day he had started sleeping with her that she'd eventually start disliking Marisa and that was not something he wanted.
"She doesn't need my help. Can we just.."
"Just go and check, Anna!" He barked at her. He did not know why he was pushing Anna around. Was it because he was feeling bad about how he had left things with Marisa in the kitchen? Or he didn't feel like spending the night with Anna anymore.
"Okay, fine" Anna said. Michael watched her as she reluctantly walked to the door. He realised he really wanted Anna tonight, just to clear his head.
"I want you back in here soon as you are done" he called out to her. She turned and winked with a smile.

* * *
Marisa woke up with terrible morning sickness. She dragged herself out of bed and went to throw up for the third time that morning. Michael had dismissed the maid that morning since they were set to go to Italy. Marisa couldn't do anything more by herself after her shower. She went to bed and slept til  twelve noon. It got worse than she had anticipated and she dozed off.
  Marisa heard her bedroom door crack open. She struggled to open her heavy eyes. Marisa saw a blurry figure of a tall woman. She waited until her eyes gained focus. The woman looked familiar and Marisa remembered how she knew her. It was Shelly, the woman who had dressed her for the first dinner they had had with the Alfinos.
  "I rang the door bell for almost ten minutes, are you okay?" Shelly asked Marisa.
"I don't feel too good. How are you?" Marisa couldn't get up at the first attempt but she didn't want Shelly to overreact so she pulled herself together and got up.
  "What's wrong?"
"Just a bit under the weather. So let me guess...dress up time!" Marisa said trying to sound okay. Shelly smiled and went to her. She signaled her to sit.
  "It's going to be terrible for a while, you'll be fine as time goes on" Shelly said and left the room. Marisa sat on the bed wondering what she meant. Had she noticed? Oh, Michael was going to kill her. She should have tried harder concealing it.
  Shelly walked back in with a dozen of shopping bags. She threw them on the bed.
"That's a lot" Marisa said to Shelly. She wanted to ask her what she meant to say before she had left for the shopping bags.
  "And still not enough, you'll need more" Shelly said with excitement. She noticed Marisa was trying her best to hide the fact that she was sick.
"Do I have to try them on for you?" Marisa asked wishing she didn't have to.
  "Well not necessarily, they're all your size" Shelly replied. She knew Marisa wasn't fit enough to do that today.
"Thank you, I was dreading the process. Can I see them?"
  "Sure, they're all yours. If you're worrying about the fitting you don't have to, they're good for the first few months before you start to show" Shelly told her. She saw the startle in Marisa's eyes.
"Is it obvious?" Marisa asked Shelly.
   "Not exactly. Michael told me you were expecting. I'm one of the few people Michael tells everything, dear" Shelly said. She saw Marisa relax.
" I'm so relieved. I thought I was making it obvious" Marisa said.
   " It's okay dear. You get some rest and I'll pack your bags for you. I have somewhere to be so I could be gone when you wake up" Shelly said clearing the bed for her to sleep.
"Thank you, Shelly" Marisa said sliding under the bed covers. She closed her eyes and drifted to sleep.

Marisa woke up feeling sicker than she had been before. It was now around 4 pm. She hadn't eaten since morning. Marisa reached for her phone. She was going to call Michael. It wasn't a good idea but it was her only option. Michael was not answering his phone. She felt helpless. Marisa figured she could try to get to the kitchen on her own. She dragged herself out of bed and got up. She was feeling dizzy but she struggled to walk. She kept trying Michael's phone as she struggled to walk to the kitchen. She had made six attempts now but it still went unanswered. Marisa was almost there, all she had to do was make her way down the stairs and then go to the kitchen. She looked down the staircase, it was quite a long way down. She started walking down the stairs slowly. Feeling like she had to try Michael's phone one last time, she stood halfway and tried calling him again. It wasn't answered. She felt as if he was deliberately ignoring her calls and it hurt. She could do on her own around the house without him but today she needed help. She needed him to deal with the problem just as he usually did. Marisa was about to continue down the stairs when she missed a step and fell. She hugged her tummy as she violently rolled down the stairs. She was unconscious when she reached the floor....