Dear Dulcie [h.s.]

Ham And Pineapple; Farm Weddings.

'Harry did you get popcorn?' Odette asks as we saunter through the supermarket looking for snacks. We have invited Amy and Niall, and Ben and Lucy over tonight for a movie night; Odette has been absolutely uninterested during her bed rest, she detests the lack of adventure in her day, even stopping her morning run was a test, she has been coerced into Pilates at the foot of our bed - walking around the apartment is the most exercise she seems to be getting as of lately, but luckily for my beautiful bride she will be returning to work in just a few shorts days.

I received a message from her today after I finished work telling me how monotonous her day has been, and I arranged for the others to come around, I was going to head to the supermarket on my way home from work but Odette pleaded with me to take her - I finally agreed after we negotiated some strict terms, her bandages are due to come off soon, I don't want her getting an infection or opening a wound.

My hand falls to the small of her back and she leans into the familiar touch, "Yes dear."

'What about crisps? Or chocolate? Or..'

"Yes, yes, and most likely yes. I have gotten everything on the list." I reassure my bride, her stress only having evolved from the excitement of planning something with other people.

'Did you get the pizza's?' She asks, her quizzical eyes scanning through the contents of our trolley to find the item.

Well don't you look stupid, I say to myself. "Ahh, no, actually. I haven't."

'Okay, you stay here, I'll go and get it.' She turns on the spot and I catch her arm before she has time to wriggle from my view, no way am I letting her do anything on her own.

"Hey, where do you think you're going young lady?" Her brow furrows at my words and she glances back to my eyes obliviously. "I'm not letting you go by yourself. You've just had two cochlear implants fitted, do you really think I'd leave you?"

'Harry what's the worst that could happen?'

I take a sigh and recite the list of possibilities in my head, "well someone could bump into you and you could fall over and hit your head, or another person may be lifting something over you and hit your head, you could get dizzy whilst I'm not there and faint, resulting in you hitting your head. Odette there are so many possibilities."

'Harry you need to let me do stuff. I'm losing the will to live being cooped up at home.'

"Baby I'm just trying to keep you safe."

'I know you are, but let me breathe. You'd let me wander off before.'

"Yes but apprehensively." I quarrel back with her, I know she wants some sort of freedom but I just can't help it. "Listen to me, when you start back up at work I won't be there to look after you. I won't be able to stop you from running around everywhere, or going out of sight, or pull you out of the way when I think someone is getting too close. I'll be sat in my office constantly worrying about you, worrying that at any moment something could happen and I wouldn't be there to help. So I know it's frustrating but it gives me piece of mind, you won't be captivated for much longer, and I'll lose all sense of what little control I have." Her stunning eyes soften at my confession and her lips begin to pout, understanding my constant reason for concern. With guilt passing through her mind Odette leaves me with a small kiss to my cheek before looping her arm through mine and walking with me towards the pizza isle.

'You know I'll be okay, right?' Her question is almost rhetorical but I answer anyway, Odette will be fine eventually but only if she looks after herself, and that's the bit that I'm worried about - Odette works a thousand miles a minute and she rarely slows down her exciting life, being busy has been her constant escape all of her life so I understand that slowing down is something out of the ordinary for her; however, I also feel that if she were to carry on as before, she would cause more harm than good.