FSE

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Theo’s father said that there comes a time when a man should take responsibility for the world he’s got and the animals around him. He put those words in his mind over and over till the day Theo had to bury him.

And Theo had put himself in a right mess. One date turned to two, three, and more. And in the end, Vera had ended up like he imagined. Her belly swollen with their kittens/puppies. Vera, sweet Vera. The Abyssinian cat had turned his world upside down in the best kind of way. What started off as a fling turned into something…so much more. But part of him was still conflicted; he knew Vera was married before him, and she was a bit older than him.

He wondered if…she just saw him as a replacement for her ex-husband. Saw him as just an ad hoc way to fill the hole from a man who left her, cheated on her, etc. And with the fact that he was about to become a father, those doubts came more and more. Lying down in Vera’s home, she nestled next to him at night. He watched her stomach rise and fall with her asleep while he was wide awake.

“Theo?” Vera said groggily as she woke up, she had a way of telling when he was staring at her, “Why are you still up?” She asked, whipping the sleep from her eyes.

“Did I wake you up?” Theo asked, and Vera shook her head. She saw the worry on his face, and she rose up and cupped his face, her brown eyes looking into his ashen ones.

“Something wrong, babe?” She asked, getting close to him, her forehead pressing to his. It was an act of intimacy she loved; touching was how she showed her love, outside of even when they were making love, holding hands, kissing, etc. Vera seemed to thrive on physical contact; it made Theo wonder if her ex ever showed her much physical attraction.

“I…” His voice caught in his throat as he tried to find the right words, the words to express what’s been eating at his mind, so he was just blunt. “Did you choose me, or am I a replacement for your ex?” He asked, the words coming out far blunter than he wanted. But it was out in the air, and it hung there. Like a miasma, all that could be heard was the sound of crickets from outside, and Vera spoke up.

“I love you,” She whispered into his ear, holding him close, and she put his head to her belly, and he could feel a kick, the unborn life they made together, the kick of a future he didn’t think he’d ever have with someone like Vera. “And I want to be with you. You and my ex-husband are nothing alike, and I chose you.” She said as she kissed him.

She hugged him as she urged him to go to sleep, and with her arms around him, he managed to get some sleep. And his dreams were filled with a future, raising their children. Teaching them how to be a good landscaper, etc.

The next day Theo was preparing to head off to work; he had a job at an office complex. A cup of black coffee sat next to him as he scrolled through a news feed on his phone. Most of it was nonsense, a few things he might read later on his lunch break, and one article about a new piece of hardware he might like to use for his job.

“How do you drink that stuff?” Vera asked as she sipped some tea; she was still dressed in her sleeping gown. The soft swell of her belly accentuated the fabric, and Theo loved seeing her dressed like that.

“Not a fan of black coffee, Vera?” Theo asked as he sipped his. She shuddered, and he saw her fur bristle. He laughed at this as. Vera sat down; she was on maternity leave for the time being.

“Are you still worried about what happened last night?” Vera asked as she looked him in the eyes; her look was a mix of worry and questioning. He nearly choked on his coffee when she said this, and he managed to keep his composure from getting the better of him.

“No…at least not as much as I was when I was wide awake.” Theo said as he sipped more of his coffee. Vera reached across from the table; she rubbed the tip of her thumb against the palm of his hand.

“You can tell me anything on your mind, know that.” Vera spoke, her voice soft and her smile warm. He nodded as he headed off for work, kissing her goodbye. Leaving Vera to her own devices and her own mind, she was still just as insecure as Theo about this whole thing; her previous relationship never got this far.

She was married to her ex for 4 years, and the two never talked about having kids. And here she was with a man ten years her junior, having a child with him, and they had only been dating for a few months. She was still so…unsure if she should be able to move on after how long ago it was that her husband broke her heart.

“NO! Stop remembering him! He left you,” Vera said to herself; it was a mantra she’d been trying to get to stick. Her ex had permeated her love life for far too long. He’s the one who cheated; he’s the one who broke the vows you made together, she thought.

She got dressed in her normal clothes, a maxi skirt and a short-sleeved blouse. She had nothing to do; she decided she was going to prepare their home. Theo had moved out of his apartment when Verea fell pregnant, and she was slowly getting used to him being there.

Walking through their bedroom, she saw a box tucked away in his nightstand.

“Hmm, that’s odd.” Vera said as she walked up to it, and her mind immediately made out what it was. The box was covered in black velvet and small: a ring box. A lump formed in the Abyssinian's throat as she picked it up and opened it. It was a silver band ring, with an opal stone at its center, her birthstone. Her breath caught in her throat, and she closed the ring box and put it down. Her heart was beating fast, and she thought it might burst out of her chest.

She wondered if she was ready to be married again; she glanced down at her swollen belly. And she had made up her mind. She wanted to be with Theo; her heart fluttered at the thought of him being her husband and her being his wife.

When Theo returned home from work, she was more excited than she probably should be. She walked up to him and gripped his hands tightly.

“You're excited?” Theo asked, and Vera rubbed up against him, purring, and Theo was even more surprised.

“I…saw the ring box. I’m sorry.” Vera said, not looking Theo in the eyes, and the German Shepherd sighed; he pulled Vera into a hug. And kissed her again and again.

“I guess the jig is up, and I take it the answer is yes?” He asked, and Vera nodded as she snuggled into him. He felt like a massive weight was lifted off his shoulders, and as well as a new one somehow. But he’d worry about that for another time.