The Suffering Of Fools (IJ Fanfic, Sal Vulcano X Brian Quinn)

Part 27

Even the break of the next morning could not falter his mood, and he sat on the edge of his bed - cloaked in the duvet that smelt of fresh cotton - and smiled a smile that ran almost thrice about his face.

The air around him crackling with excitement, he grabbed his phone from the nightstand to call the mother of his future child; already about the size of a poppy seed, yet filling that space and droves more in his heart with joy.

Eyes blurred with sleep, he fumbled blindly for her number before giving in and placing his glasses upon the bridge of his nose and across his ample and bunched cheeks. He quickly found and called her, nearly shaking with anticipation. He knew not what he was so anxious to hear - only that he was - and felt his nerves writhing and bubbling within.

"Hello?" she answered the phone sounding utterly ill, yet still with an underlying happiness.

"It's me," he audibly grinned, "Just phoning to see if you're all good."

He heard her relax, smiling, and her tone changed slightly "Hello, darling. I'm OK, just a little rough this morning. How are you?"

"Fine, fine, everything's fine with me." he hurried, sounding concerned. "You don't think you're sick, do you?"

"I'm good, Sal, honestly," she paused; and he could feel her smiling all those many miles away, before she asked: "Are you excited?"

"Excited, me? I'm not excited, what do you think I am? Ha, you barely know me at all!" he bellowed, grinning. "Of course I'm excited! How could I not be? This is the best thing to ever happen to me, apart from meeting you," he spoke warmly, in mellowed and gentle tones, "I love you, Clarabelle. I really mean that."

Her breath rustled down the line, and she lay her head against a cushion - for she was stretched on the settee in her little London apartment, nephew beside her playing a game on the Xbox. "I miss you, Sal."

"I miss you too, hon." he whispered, sorrowful. "Hopefully you'll be home soon; and it'll just be me, you, Jamie, and the baby." He smiled again at the thought of their child, before his thoughts were interrupted by her further news.

"Speaking of being home soon," she began, "They've decided on the final designs, and they've all been made up now - so work's over, and Jamie's school is breaking up on Friday."

"So you think?..."

"I've booked some plane tickets for the weekend, we should be home by Sunday evening!"

"That's brilliant!" he cried, overjoyed.

"I hoped it would be OK," she grinned, "I was going to leave it as a surprise, but I thought I'd give you a heads up - yknow, just so you've got enough time to bury the bodies and dump the new missus before we get back." she laughed, and he joined in; but his laughter was now hollow and cold upon realising what was to come between him and Brian.