Their Own Cliché
Title: Their Own Cliché
Characters: Vanessa, Dan
Rating/Word Count: PG | 526
One-Line Excerpt: "Cliché, you know how I feel about this holiday."
Vanessa watched the sleeping boy. She was so mesmerized by her five-month-old that when she felt her husband’s arms around her waist, she jumped with a loud gasp.
He laughed.
“That’s not funny, Dan! Hasn’t anyone told you not to creep up on a mother watching her child?” she huffed.
He held her tighter and rested his chin on her shoulder. “I didn’t mean to startle you.” He paused. “Or laugh.”
She nodded and leaned her head to the side against his. They watched their son in silence.
Wesley was a fussy baby, and Vanessa was almost too motherly. Dan brought it up once; told her that the baby shouldn’t be picked up at every sound. She had rebuffed that after everything with Milo - he had cringed - she was afraid to let him go.
“You know, it’s Valentine’s Day,” he said off-handedly.
“I’m aware.”
“I made dinner reservations.”
She pulled away. “There are two things wrong with that statement. One - cliché, you know how I feel about this holiday. And two -” she moved her hand in the crib and stroked the baby’s face.
“I already talked to my dad. They’re thrilled,” he mentioned, watching her.
After a minute of silence, he sighed. “Vanessa, last year couldn’t have been more of a cliché,” he pointed out.
That snapped her out of her gaze, and she met his eyes.
“Come on, admit it,” he continued. “You could have told me any other day, but you decided to drop the bomb then.”
“I was hormonal!” she shouted in defense, glaring.
He laughed again as their son shifted. “Shh! You don’t want to wake him,” he teased.
She slapped him his chest. His only response was another laugh.
“How exactly is this convincing me to go out with you tonight? Or any other night. I have half-a-mind to take Wes and leave.”
Dan turned her around and kissed her, long and hard. “I love you. I’m sorry. I’ll go pick up some perigees and you can show me that film you’re editing.”
She stared at him in silence for a minute and then nodded. “Better. Thank you.”
XOXO v LAST YEAR v XOXO
Vanessa twirled her wedding ring. She took a deep breath, but it only made things worse. She ran to the spare bathroom and threw up; thankful Dan was showering in the master bathroom.
Her hands were shaking so she busied herself by cleaning the kitchen.
He came out in a towel five minutes later. “Hey.”
She looked up and smiled. She moved out of the kitchen, grabbed his hand, and walked them into Dan’s old bedroom. “Close your eyes.”
He did.
“Picture this: blue and brown wallpaper. A chair, rocking chair by the wall. A dresser by the garage wall. A pacifier on the ground. You’d step on it a dozen times. And a tiny bed in the center. Small like a -”
“Crib,” he finished, opening his eyes. “Vanessa?”
“I’m pregnant.”
It took him a few seconds to take in her words. “We’re going to have a baby?”
She nodded.
He grinned and kissed her passionately. “I love you.”
“Happy Valentine’s Day. I love you.”
Characters: Vanessa, Dan
Rating/Word Count: PG | 526
One-Line Excerpt: "Cliché, you know how I feel about this holiday."
Vanessa watched the sleeping boy. She was so mesmerized by her five-month-old that when she felt her husband’s arms around her waist, she jumped with a loud gasp.
He laughed.
“That’s not funny, Dan! Hasn’t anyone told you not to creep up on a mother watching her child?” she huffed.
He held her tighter and rested his chin on her shoulder. “I didn’t mean to startle you.” He paused. “Or laugh.”
She nodded and leaned her head to the side against his. They watched their son in silence.
Wesley was a fussy baby, and Vanessa was almost too motherly. Dan brought it up once; told her that the baby shouldn’t be picked up at every sound. She had rebuffed that after everything with Milo - he had cringed - she was afraid to let him go.
“You know, it’s Valentine’s Day,” he said off-handedly.
“I’m aware.”
“I made dinner reservations.”
She pulled away. “There are two things wrong with that statement. One - cliché, you know how I feel about this holiday. And two -” she moved her hand in the crib and stroked the baby’s face.
“I already talked to my dad. They’re thrilled,” he mentioned, watching her.
After a minute of silence, he sighed. “Vanessa, last year couldn’t have been more of a cliché,” he pointed out.
That snapped her out of her gaze, and she met his eyes.
“Come on, admit it,” he continued. “You could have told me any other day, but you decided to drop the bomb then.”
“I was hormonal!” she shouted in defense, glaring.
He laughed again as their son shifted. “Shh! You don’t want to wake him,” he teased.
She slapped him his chest. His only response was another laugh.
“How exactly is this convincing me to go out with you tonight? Or any other night. I have half-a-mind to take Wes and leave.”
Dan turned her around and kissed her, long and hard. “I love you. I’m sorry. I’ll go pick up some perigees and you can show me that film you’re editing.”
She stared at him in silence for a minute and then nodded. “Better. Thank you.”
XOXO v LAST YEAR v XOXO
Vanessa twirled her wedding ring. She took a deep breath, but it only made things worse. She ran to the spare bathroom and threw up; thankful Dan was showering in the master bathroom.
Her hands were shaking so she busied herself by cleaning the kitchen.
He came out in a towel five minutes later. “Hey.”
She looked up and smiled. She moved out of the kitchen, grabbed his hand, and walked them into Dan’s old bedroom. “Close your eyes.”
He did.
“Picture this: blue and brown wallpaper. A chair, rocking chair by the wall. A dresser by the garage wall. A pacifier on the ground. You’d step on it a dozen times. And a tiny bed in the center. Small like a -”
“Crib,” he finished, opening his eyes. “Vanessa?”
“I’m pregnant.”
It took him a few seconds to take in her words. “We’re going to have a baby?”
She nodded.
He grinned and kissed her passionately. “I love you.”
“Happy Valentine’s Day. I love you.”