Page 31 of Hook, Line, Infinity, Part 3

Oh please, please tell me she didn’t freak out and take off on me. I spin and walk out of the bedroom toward the kitchen. She’s not in there either. Fuck, I can feel the animation I felt moments ago drain away until I walk into the living room and see her standing at the far end staring up at a painting hung up above the mantel of the electric fireplace.

Her painting.

The one of the moon and sun that won the competition and was exhibited at the gallery opening in Chicago. The opening we never got to go to. After everything went to shit I spent many nights visiting the gallery, just standing there staring at the painting reliving the moments we shared recreating it. One night, I went there and saw it had a ‘sold’ sticker on it and panic filled me. At that time, it was the only thing I had left of Rein, and I couldn’t bear the thought of letting it go, so I tracked down the buyer offered him double the amount he paid for it and took it home.

The notion of having it sit in some stranger’s home who doesn’t have an inkling of the painting’s significance angered me. I walk over to stand behind Rein and she turns her head to look at me.

“I thought this painting was supposed to be displayed in the gallery?”

I look up at the painting, “It was, for about two weeks and then it got sold. Some guy paid fifteen hundred dollars for it.” I tell her. Rein glances at the painting and then back at me, her brows fusing.

“You bought it?”

“No,” I answer, moving to stand beside her. “Someone else did but I couldn’t stand the idea of anyone else having it. It didn’t belong in some stranger’s house, it belonged with me, so I bought it off him and when I moved here I had my best friend ship it over to me.” Rein listens to me intently, staring up at me for a long time. I couldn’t read the look she held behind her gaze, a concoction of sorrow and something else I couldn’t quite place. Gratitude, perhaps? “After I lost you, that painting was the only thing I had left and I wasn’t about to lose that too, not when it’s got so many memories tied to it.”

Rein turns to face me, her pretty eyes searching mine meaningfully, “So, the commission of the sale I received was from you?”

With a smile I turn to admire the painting once again, “While it may not mean much to you, to me that right there is a priceless piece of art, more valuable than the damn Mona Lisa and I would have scoured every inch of this earth until I found it and brought it back where it belongs.” Rein keeps her eyes on me. When I turn to look at her, I notice them watering despite her best effort to will them away. “The painting is a constant reminder of not only what I had, but what my spinelessness cost us both.” I admit morosely and Rein nods, a shaky breath pushing past her lips as she drops her gaze to her stomach.

“Would you do it again?” Rein asks, turning to face me. “If you could go back knowing how it ended for us, would you risk it all again?”

I nod without a moment’s hesitation and move to stand closer to her. Rein cranes her neck to look up at me, “Yes, I would, even if I couldn’t change the outcome, I would risk it all again because every second I spent falling in love with you was worth it, Snowflake.” I answer earnestly and reach up to brush away the tear that rolls down her cheek. “I would risk everything for even a day with you.”

Rein’s eyes close when I lightly trail my thumb along her bottom lip. “We should go,” she sighs and takes a step back but before she can get away, I catch her arm and draw her back to me. Rein peers up at me, her gaze questioning.

“What about you, Rein? Would you risk it all?”

We stare penetratingly at one another for a lengthy moment. I search her gaze for any indication of her answer, my stomach clenching tight while I wait in anticipation. “In a heartbeat,” she whispers back.

Relief floods me like a tidal wave and I smile, delighted by her response. I bite my lower lip and press my forehead to hers. “You deserve a great love that is willing to risk it all for you, and I want to be that love again, Snowflake. Take the fall with me and I swear to you I will spend the rest of my life earning your trust and putting your broken pieces back together again.” I vow, cupping her face with my hands and tilting her head up so I could look into that beautiful face. “One kiss at a time.” I add with a whisper and brush a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth.

Rein’s eyes slowly close, her hands come up where they were by her sides and rest on my chest. I’m gearing myself up for the disappointment that will come when she pushes me back. “I’m suffocating without you. I need you to save me this time, Snowflake. Please don’t give up on me, on us.”

Rein draws her head back slightly and licks her lips, “I’ll think about it. Right now, my only priority is our son, so can we put a pin in this at least until he’s born?”

I nod in understanding, “Of course.”

* * *

After our conversationI felt a hefty weight lift off my shoulders. I’m aware fixing our relationship is going to require a lot of work and patience, but thankfully, I have an abundance of patience and I’m willing to put in the groundwork until she learns that she can indeed trust me. We make it to the antenatal class ten minutes late, but we made it, nonetheless. With only forty-five minutes left in the session we covered birthing positions, breathing exercises and birth plans.

Oddly enough it all made sense but then again, I have been reading some—okay fine— a lot of baby books so I can prepare myself for when the baby is born.

Once class was over, Rein and I spent the afternoon shopping for essential baby stuff. While Rein is off trying to decide which cot she wants for the baby, I’m standing by the line of buggies, each one more befuddling than the next, trying to figure out how the damn car seat attaches to the frame.

Now, I’m rather DIY savvy, I can put together most things with my eyes closed, but fark me, this buggy was designed by the devil himself. Why is it so darn complex? It’s a fucking stroller not a NASA space shuttle, why does it need so many buttons and levers?

While I’m standing there, a car seat in my right hand and the other scratching my unshaven jaw trying to work this thing out, a blonde sidles up beside me. I look over at her, scowling.

“Hi there, you look as though you’re ready to brawl it out with that poor stroller. Can I help you?” She offers with a polite smile. I chuckle sheepishly and rub the back of my neck. I notice the name tag and realise she works at the store.

“Yeah, I’m just trying to figure out why one baby would require such a complex buggy? Isn’t the whole point of these things to clip the baby in and be on your way?”

“Well, sure, but babies grow quickly so this model right here is one of the most popular ones. It’s a six-piece bundle and it has all the essentials you need to get out and about with your little one. It includes our light and compact Flip XS pushchair and carrycot, a matching changing bag and footmuff, a handy cup holder and car seat adaptors that'll help you go from pushchair to car with zero fuss.”

I laugh and shake my head, “I’m going to have to take your word on that one because that to me looks like a lot of unnecessary fuss.”

“It can be daunting, especially for a first-time dad, but I promise you it’s not as difficult as it looks. Let me show you.” She assures batting her lashes at me coquettishly and placing her hand on my bicep before she leans in a little to take the car seat I’m holding. The intense smell of her floral perfume wafts around me and instantly makes my temples ache.

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