Prego and the Phoenix 🐇↩️✔

Arabella - Two

It is not wise to let strange things come into your home, let alone strange people. I'm not quite sure if that's a real quote or not but it sounds like something that should be. I mean, how many times have people opened their homes to others in kindness only to be killed? I'm hoping that I haven't made a huge mistake...'

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As I drag Phoenix to my house, I feel like maybe I should just call 911 like normal people rather than do this but I get that same feeling that I shouldn't. I get him to my front steps and sigh, looking at the stairs and then at him. He's pretty heavy and I am pregnant... To my luck, there is a dolly from the delivery guys so I drag Phoenix to it and it makes it a little easier to pull him up the stairs. There are only three of them but, what can you do?
I try to be as gentle as possible with myself but I finally get him to the door and wheel him into the house. He collapses onto the floor as I stop the dolly and I growl.
"Great... You couldn't be light, could you?" I snap at his unconscious body on the floor. "You're just going to have to stay there. I can't drag you anymore."
I grab the groceries that I left outside and bring them in. It is cold today so I decide that I will make soup. Whether he wakes up or not is kind of not my concern anymore since I huffed and puffed him all the way up here.
About thirty minutes later, I hear a coughing sound and I turn around to find Phoenix getting up from the floor. I gasp and he rubs his head.
"Damn... I hate it when that happens. Must have scraped my face..."
I turn around from him and hold my breath as I mix the broth of the soup. Chicken noodle is best on a cold night.
"Where am I? Who are you?" I hear him ask.
This is the moment of confrontation... I turn and he blinks.
"Oh, it's you... How did I get in here?"
"I kind of dragged you."
"Dragged me? Isn't that bad for your baby? I'm pretty heavy you know." He says as he scratches his beard.
"I found a dolly and used it." I say, pointing at the dolly at the door.
"Clever... Listen, I'm going to go home so, thanks for saving me."
"Sure..."
He opens the door and then closes it quickly.
"Wow, it's freezing out there. Can I turn on your TV to see the temperature?"
"I have an iPad right there with an app on it for the weather." I say, pointing at the coffee table.
He grabs it and looks on the pad. He nods and goes toward the door again.
"It's not as cold as I thought. The wind perhaps but thanks for dragging me here... well, sorry."
"You were shot-" I start to say but he is already gone before I get a chance to continue my sentence.
I know he was shot, he wasn't grazed at all. He fainted onto the ground and grazes don't do that sort of thing. I sigh and continue making soup. I hear the door open again and I turn around in surprise.
"Hey, would you mind saving me a bowl of your soup? It smells really good, you know?"
He leaves and slams the door closed. I blink at the door and look at my belly.
"Well, looks like we almost let in a crazy dude. Come on, Toodles, let's make us some grub."
As much of an inconvenience my baby is and will be in the future, I can't help but love it. It's kind of nestled in my stomach like a cocoon but I can tell it loves me and I love it. So, I call it Toodles cuz that's my favorite Lost Boy from Peter Pan. I don't know if my baby is a boy or not but it kind of feels like one, haha...
I think about what has happened in the last hour and realize that things are going to be pretty stoic around here. Not even a little breezy with excitement.

I am so nervous! I don't know why I thought this was a good idea but it seems that now is not a good time at all. He looks so brooding from behind and what's with those weird twins that were on either side of him like statues. I have to ask what their names are so I can stare them down like the gargoyles they seem to portray pretty well themselves.
I clear my throat and Phoenix turns to me along with the Gargoyle Twins.
"Hi." I say flatly.
"Hello... I'm sorry what was your name again?" Phoenix says with an apologetic smile.
"Arabella Rickward. It's not a common name... This is for you." I say, holding out the Tupperware container that contained the soup from last night.
Phoenix looks at me with a confused expression and I inwardly groan. He doesn't remember. That's just great.
"You asked me to save you some from last night... When you were at my house..."
"At your house? At your... OH! I remember now! Yeah, hey, thanks!" he says, taking the container out of my hands. "Wow, that's a lot. How much did you make?"
"A pot."
"We'll eat off of this for lunch, Arabella, right?"
"Yes."
"You're a bit brusque." The one twin says with a look at me with his beady sea green eyes. "You're usually not like this."
"Are you spying on me, Gargoyle 1?" I growl at him.
"No... But we observe you." The other twin says.
"And you're usually pretty nice to people."
"My patience is running a little thin these days because people can't remember my name!" I hiss.
"Whoa, calm down, princess..." Phoenix says with a grin. "You're a little feisty one. Humphrey is right though, you're not usually like this."
"It's just... Never mind. Enjoy the soup." I say, turning around and stomping away.
For some reason, looking at him right then just made me want to scream. I had liked him for a while and him not knowing my name after the three times I talked to him just irked me I guess. I don't know anymore. I just want to get out of his way and on with my life.