Love Is Full Of Surprises

Chapter 13

Meryl was half asleep but thought she felt something on her stomach. Was she dreaming? Don never fell asleep on top of her, she knew he wouldn't especially now that he was so worried about her and about their baby. She opened one eye and tried desperately not to laugh at the sight in front of her: Don was sitting cross-legged on the bed looking at her while his hands were on her stomach. 'Dear lord, give me the strength to love him through this.' She laughed to herself.

"Don." She croaked still half asleep.

"You need something?" He asked.

"Yeah, for you to relax and go back to sleep. What time is it?" She asked while he hadn't moved an inch.

"It's 2 in the morning, I couldn't sleep." He said still not taking his eyes off of her.

"Don, what are you doing? I want to go back to sleep." She said closing her eyes and turning on her stomach.

"Should you sleep on your stomach?" He asked.

That was it. She sat up and threw the pillow at him. "YOU ARE DRIVING ME CRAZY!" 

"What?" He shrugged giving her that coy smile that never failed to melt her heart.

"Watching me sleep! Feeling my stomach! Commenting on my sleeping positions!" She was exasperated, but laughing at the same time.

"Okay, sorry." He said hanging his head and walking off dejectedly causing Meryl to throw her head back and sigh.

She didn't mean to make him feel bad, but she knew that look, he was hurt, but she didn't know what she did. She loved him, but if she had to put up with 8 months of this she was going to go out of her mind. After 10 minutes and he still didn't come back in she began to worry about him. So, as much as she wanted to sleep, she needed to find out what was going on in his mind.

***

Don was sitting downstairs on the big couch that faced the huge fireplace. She knew he was deep in thought. He was always concerned about how she was feeling, what was going on with her, but he never came out with his feelings easily. She walked up behind him and snaked her arms around his neck placing a kiss on his cheek. She was relieved when his hands came up to hers and brought hers to his lips. "Baby, I am sorry if I hurt your feelings, I am just tired and queasy." 

"No, I'm sorry if I'm making you crazy." He said quietly.

He was hurt. She knew that voice. She walked around the couch and sat by him, turning his face to hers. His broken eyes really upset her. "Baby, what's going on?" She asked.

"Nothing, it's silly." He said brushing it off.

"Don, we're partners, I want you to tell me everything. If it is something you are feeling then it's not silly. What is it, baby?" She asked.

"I just want to be a part of this." He said.

"You are a part of it, hell you were a HUGE part of it if you know what I'm saying." She said looking down at his crotch making him laugh.

"That's not what I mean." He laughed.

"I know, I'm sorry. What is it?" She asked.

"You are the one who gets to carry this baby, you get to feel it's first movements, you will be the one it depends on for food both now and when it's born. I don't know, I guess I just feel left out. I want to be a part of everything. I know some men think the baby is the woman's responsibility, but that's not how I feel. I want to be as much of a part of it's life as you are." He said bringing tears to her eyes.

"Don, baby, you will be a part of this every step of the way. You can come with me to every appointment, as soon as it moves I will tell you and you can feel, I want you in there with me when I have this baby. I want you to be the one to place little Gummer in my arms. Just because you won't feed it in the beginning doesn't mean it won't need you. You can change its diaper. Once I start pumping you can feed it. I don't want you to be left out of ANYTHING. Just because the baby is in my body doesn't mean it is any more mine than yours." She said stroking his cheek. "I want to tell you something else."