The desire to cheat was so strong. But she had seen Sam, chugging down a huge bottle of soda and a burger at his desk. Barbara was at his desk staring right into his eyes, he could barely swallow. But he needed to or he would choke.
He swallowed hard, thumping his chest, to assist the food flow down faster. It did and he belched fanning the air from his mouth.
“Heeeeey, bea-u-ti-ful!” his voice high pitched with an awkward staccato effect.
Barbara said nothing, she stared at him hands akimbo slightly hiking her dress pronouncing her swollen belly.
“Baby…” Sam started lifting up from his seat cautiously approaching her. He walked around his desk eyeing any stationery on his desk which had a pain-inflicting projectile. He shoved the stapler and pins into his top drawer smiling nervously.
Barbara started to breathe heavily through her nose sounding like a wounded buffalo ready to charge. “Baby…h-h-h-o-o-o-w…are you…OK?” He steadily held her belly inching towards her elevated navel rubbing it steadily his face drawing closer, eyes darting up and down, gauging whether to kiss her belly or if he was making his bald patch more available for a violent whack.
His lips quivered as he quickly kissed her belly; just as he pulled away he felt a kick!
“Awww! That’s my boy! Daddy’s here and we’ll be seeing you very soon.” Sam remarked, reaching out for a chair, guiding his wife towards it, her face now softening as she sat. She let out a heavy sigh.
“Honey, I am sorry, I know I said I would watch what I ate. I just couldn’t…I…” he began to stutter when he noticed Barbara’s forehead knotting again.
She exhaled forcefully rubbing her belly now shaking her head. She inched forward on her seat hunching over.
“Honey, is it now, should we go to the hospital?” Sam began to panic as Barbara raised her hand to silence him with her head still hung over her belly caressing it as she exhaled.
“I don’t even know what to do with you, Sam! You can’t stick to commitments you have made to me. You promised you would wait till after the baby was born to get off your diet. We couldn’t have you fighting life-threatening diseases because of SODA! Aaaaahh!”
“Honey, let’s go, let me get a wheelchair from the reception and we can go…
“Aaaaah!”
“Breath honey, breath.”
The lecture ended abruptly and off they were to the hospital. There was screaming, and slapping from the pain, Sam knew Barbara now had grounds to exact her revenge. But couldn’t fully which also frustrated her. Because they had a scare about 10 months earlier, he had a heart attack. And they agreed, he would take care of himself to live long enough for the two of them to grow old together and raise their children. Barbara was in perpetual fear every time she saw sugar or grease on his lips.
“This isn’t over Sam! You made a promise!” Barbara yelled as she was wheeled into the delivery room, Sam cheekily smiling as he followed her in.
After 20 hours of labour and a beautiful baby boy later, all Sam couldn’t get enough of was,
“I love you, we did great!” from Barbara.
The craving Sam had for a burger and fries which he persistently had, faded. The diet, his health, Barbara’s fight for his health, all made sense as he held baby Osborne in his hands. He had to live and eat right by the two of them.
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