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Chapter 8
They did not go out that night. At the office, one look at Julia’s calendar was enough
for her to remember Dr. Merrick was to see her after work. Julia made a face: how
could she have forgotten! and what a pity it was to have to reject Mason’s invitation!
Of course he understood it was more important; he even asked if he could go with
her, but really, she did not think so. There was no ultra-sound scheduled, nothing
that could interest Mason, and there was no need for him to be there.
“Ok,” he said. “Then please bring me the tapes.”
“What tapes?”
“Dr. Merrick knows.”
“What tapes, Mason?”
“Lying-in.”
“You mean?” said Julia, stunned.
“Don’t you know?” Mason raised his eyebrow. I have discussed it all with Dr.
Merrick. Since I plan to be there for you, as many fathers do these days—”
“Are you?”
“Of course I am. What do you think I am, a sperm donor?”
Julia smiled. She knew Mason never lost a chance to make fun of her original plan
and to emphasize his own role in creating the baby.
“Ok I am glad,” she said. “So, what do you need the tapes for?”
“It’s a general rule. Would you like me to fall in a dead faint at the sight of blood or
scream at an unsuitable moment when you’re busy pushing our baby out?”
He made it sound funny. “I can’t imagine you fainting at the sight of blood,” Julia
said.
“I don’t think I have ever fainted,” Mason said thoughtfully. “But you never know;
so they make expectant fathers watch those tapes, you know. The normal
childbirth process and some more problematic cases.”
“No!”
“It’s okay, Julia, you don’t have to watch. It will look different when you’re doing the
lead, anyway.”
“For you it will look different, too, when it’s your own baby being born,” said Julia
smiling.
“I know.” Mason turned grave. “Thank you that you do not object to my being
there; it’s important for me.”
Julia knew what he was thinking of. “You’re welcome,” she said. “I think I will be
just happy to have you there with me. Only you must promise--”
“What?”
“When I’m shouting and yelling at you and calling you a thickhead and other
names, you won’t be cross with me.”
She wanted Mason to forget his fears, and for a moment he did. He smiled. “Okay.”
“And when I throw things at you, you’ll try to dodge silently.”
“I’m not so sure--”
“You must try to,” she pouted. “I want you to promise.”
“Okay, I’ll try to.” He looked at her in quiet contemplation. “Shall we practise this
tonight? You can start with softer objects, like pillows...”
This mood Julia definitely liked better.
*
They did not go out the next night, either. This time it was Mason who said he had
forgotten an important appointment.
Neither did they succeed the next few days. Mason was very busy. Julia did not
mind it – as long as he came home sober (and he did) and paid attention to his
fiancee, talking to her, massaging her back and kissing her good night.
The nights seemed quieter; Julia was afraid to hope, but it seemed to her Mason
was getting over his trauma.
However, after a few days that’d passed like this, the routine was broken.
Julia was at home, working at her briefs and discussing them with Matt who was
busy with his toys. Both were quite pleased with each other. Mason was meeting
another client, and Julia was, rather successfully, fighting her fear that he could be
drinking. After all, the last few days had been quite serene, she told Matt; she really
needed this. If she was asked, she said, she’d prefer a life like this to go on forever.
Of course she missed Matt’s daddy, she confided, as she was sure Matt did, too,
but business was business, and though Mason said nothing of the kind, Julia hoped
he was trying to get as much done as possible, to free a little time just after the
wedding.
There was a knock at the door. “Coming,” shouted Julia. It took her some time now
to stand up and get out of the desk; she felt rather awkward.
It was Eden; and though her makeup was perfect, a woman’s eye could see she
had been crying. “Is Mason at home?” she said.
“No, not yet. He’s meeting a client. I don’t know how long it’s going to take him –
you can wait here and play with your nephew,” Julia suggested.
Eden squatted. “Hi honey,” she said.
Matt said something in his language.
“Are you all right?” said Julia gently.
“Yeah,” Eden answered flashing a smile at her. “...No,” she said then and started
crying. Julia sat beside her and embraced her by the shoulders. Matt was watching
his aunt in surprise, and Julia knew it would not take him long to get frightened and
to join auntie in her weeping.
“What’s wrong?” she asked with concern.
“It’s Cruz – no it’s Mason. I want to ask him a question or two,” Eden said, and Julia
saw she was angry. “Do you know where he is?”
Julia shrugged her shoulders. “Meeting a client, I suppose. I am not sure where.”
“At the restaurant. Orient Express, to be precise.”
“What of it? Your restaurant is great and it’s a usual place for us to meet--”
“—beautiful women and go dancing with them?!”
Julia was speechless.
They did not go out that night. At the office, one look at Julia’s calendar was enough
for her to remember Dr. Merrick was to see her after work. Julia made a face: how
could she have forgotten! and what a pity it was to have to reject Mason’s invitation!
Of course he understood it was more important; he even asked if he could go with
her, but really, she did not think so. There was no ultra-sound scheduled, nothing
that could interest Mason, and there was no need for him to be there.
“Ok,” he said. “Then please bring me the tapes.”
“What tapes?”
“Dr. Merrick knows.”
“What tapes, Mason?”
“Lying-in.”
“You mean?” said Julia, stunned.
“Don’t you know?” Mason raised his eyebrow. I have discussed it all with Dr.
Merrick. Since I plan to be there for you, as many fathers do these days—”
“Are you?”
“Of course I am. What do you think I am, a sperm donor?”
Julia smiled. She knew Mason never lost a chance to make fun of her original plan
and to emphasize his own role in creating the baby.
“Ok I am glad,” she said. “So, what do you need the tapes for?”
“It’s a general rule. Would you like me to fall in a dead faint at the sight of blood or
scream at an unsuitable moment when you’re busy pushing our baby out?”
He made it sound funny. “I can’t imagine you fainting at the sight of blood,” Julia
said.
“I don’t think I have ever fainted,” Mason said thoughtfully. “But you never know;
so they make expectant fathers watch those tapes, you know. The normal
childbirth process and some more problematic cases.”
“No!”
“It’s okay, Julia, you don’t have to watch. It will look different when you’re doing the
lead, anyway.”
“For you it will look different, too, when it’s your own baby being born,” said Julia
smiling.
“I know.” Mason turned grave. “Thank you that you do not object to my being
there; it’s important for me.”
Julia knew what he was thinking of. “You’re welcome,” she said. “I think I will be
just happy to have you there with me. Only you must promise--”
“What?”
“When I’m shouting and yelling at you and calling you a thickhead and other
names, you won’t be cross with me.”
She wanted Mason to forget his fears, and for a moment he did. He smiled. “Okay.”
“And when I throw things at you, you’ll try to dodge silently.”
“I’m not so sure--”
“You must try to,” she pouted. “I want you to promise.”
“Okay, I’ll try to.” He looked at her in quiet contemplation. “Shall we practise this
tonight? You can start with softer objects, like pillows...”
This mood Julia definitely liked better.
*
They did not go out the next night, either. This time it was Mason who said he had
forgotten an important appointment.
Neither did they succeed the next few days. Mason was very busy. Julia did not
mind it – as long as he came home sober (and he did) and paid attention to his
fiancee, talking to her, massaging her back and kissing her good night.
The nights seemed quieter; Julia was afraid to hope, but it seemed to her Mason
was getting over his trauma.
However, after a few days that’d passed like this, the routine was broken.
Julia was at home, working at her briefs and discussing them with Matt who was
busy with his toys. Both were quite pleased with each other. Mason was meeting
another client, and Julia was, rather successfully, fighting her fear that he could be
drinking. After all, the last few days had been quite serene, she told Matt; she really
needed this. If she was asked, she said, she’d prefer a life like this to go on forever.
Of course she missed Matt’s daddy, she confided, as she was sure Matt did, too,
but business was business, and though Mason said nothing of the kind, Julia hoped
he was trying to get as much done as possible, to free a little time just after the
wedding.
There was a knock at the door. “Coming,” shouted Julia. It took her some time now
to stand up and get out of the desk; she felt rather awkward.
It was Eden; and though her makeup was perfect, a woman’s eye could see she
had been crying. “Is Mason at home?” she said.
“No, not yet. He’s meeting a client. I don’t know how long it’s going to take him –
you can wait here and play with your nephew,” Julia suggested.
Eden squatted. “Hi honey,” she said.
Matt said something in his language.
“Are you all right?” said Julia gently.
“Yeah,” Eden answered flashing a smile at her. “...No,” she said then and started
crying. Julia sat beside her and embraced her by the shoulders. Matt was watching
his aunt in surprise, and Julia knew it would not take him long to get frightened and
to join auntie in her weeping.
“What’s wrong?” she asked with concern.
“It’s Cruz – no it’s Mason. I want to ask him a question or two,” Eden said, and Julia
saw she was angry. “Do you know where he is?”
Julia shrugged her shoulders. “Meeting a client, I suppose. I am not sure where.”
“At the restaurant. Orient Express, to be precise.”
“What of it? Your restaurant is great and it’s a usual place for us to meet--”
“—beautiful women and go dancing with them?!”
Julia was speechless.
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