The Meeting

Mood Swings

Leah
Baby en route, Al. Can you come home?

Alex
Your timing is impeccable my food has just arrived

Leah
Shall I cross my legs and hope for the best?

Alex
If you wouldn't mind, Le

Of course I rushed straight home, calling Amanda on the way to ask her if she could keep the other children overnight, and bolting straight upstairs to lift the hospital bag that we had packed.

"We good to go?" I asked from the hallway.
"Yeah. How was Gavin?"
"He's good!" I shouted, stuffing some sweets into my pocket.

This was so much different to the times before, it was almost like all of our practice runs had left us feeling prepared for child birth now; two professionals. Leah was calm as I slipped my arm around her back to help her up from the sofa. She stopped briefly to place a peck on my lips, squeezing my pocket as she did so and letting out a chuckle.

"I knew it."
"What? I might get hungry." I shrugged.
"You are something else." She chuckled.

As we drove, we talked about the pregnancy, speaking of how much Leah would miss being pregnant, and how much I wouldn't miss her psychopathic behaviour.

Flashback:

"Mum, can I have a snack?"
"Yeah, Theo. Grab whatever." I mumbled, too busy trying to chop up vegetables.
"This?"
"Yeah - whatever is fine."

It wasn't until after dinner that I discovered that Theo had chosen the wrong snack. Why didn't I look at what he had picked? Leah was sat on the sofa watching some new series on TV, whilst I lay across the sofa with my head resting on her lap. She was delicately stroking through my hair, telling me how much she loved me every now and again, and smiling as I chuckled along with videos on my phone. It was peaceful, we were in love.

That changed without warning though, she gently lifted me up so she could go and get something to satisfy her cravings, placing a kiss on my forehead as she left the room. Within just a few seconds, she appeared at the doorway smiling as she leaned across it.

"Al, did you put my Squashies somewhere else babe?"
"No, they're in the cupboard." I smiled.
"They aren't."
"They were earlier. Check again."

Leah disappeared again, coming back a few seconds later with an empty packet in her hand. She held it up, rustling it in front of me but without speaking.

"You found them?"
"I found the packet. Did you eat them?"

Oh fuck.

"No!"
"Who ate them then?"
"No one - wait - Theo asked for a snack earlier."
"What did he have?"
"I don't know, I didn't look up when he asked." I said sheepishly.
"But you knew these were in the cupboard? You know I need them!"

Bit dramatic, Le.

"Well you don't need them." I chuckled.

She did not find that funny.

"Are you sure it's definitely empty? Why would he put an empty packet in the cupboard? Check, there might be one or two in there that you can't feel."
"Of course it's fucking empty! I'm not stupid!" Leah raised her voice.
"I'll get you more tomorrow." I held my hands up as a plea of innocence.
"Tomorrow? Tomorrow? What's the point in getting me more tomorrow when I want them now?"
"You're being a bit dramatic, Le." I whispered.