If Snowflakes Could Jangle

Chapter 6

AUGUST

My job at the convenience store was going well, I had been there for the best part of two moths and built up a good rapport with my colleagues, many of whom had become my friends. And the other aspect of my life? That was going great too, I was five months along now and my bump was getting bigger by the day.

I had felt her move and kick a few times, it was the best feeling I had ever experienced and I was bursting with love for her already.

Work today was going to be exciting, after seven weeks, I was finally going to meet the manager and I hoped that he would like me enough to keep me on after the baby was born but nothing could have prepared me for the shock in store...

I was standing in the sweet aisle, packing some cheap boxes of chocolate and resisting the urge to eat them when I heard distant voices from behind me and then, as they got closer...

"And this is Ember, our new girl. She's been doing a brilliant job since she's been here"

I turned around, hand held out, ready to shake his but my face turned pale and I felt my legs shake

"Ember, this is Reuben Blain, our manager"

There he stood with his brown eyes and hair, the same man who had deposited inside me five months previously and left me with the most precious gift I could ever receive. I heard him breath sharply as he slowly drew his eyes towards my belly

"Thanks Tony" he managed to muster, all the while staring at my growing belly

"I'll take it from here. And thank you, you've looked after the place well while I've been gone"

Once Tony was out of sight, Reuben grabbed my wrist to stop me from walking away

"See me in my office in five minutes" he demanded and he went through the double doors at the back of the shop, presumably to carry on with his managerial duties

I watched after him, appalled that he could such demands of me after impregnating me and disappearing off the radar for five months, I was determined that, for once, he could wait for me.

***

It had been an hour since Reuben and I had once again come face to face but no matter how hard I tried, it was impossible to avoid him. As soon, my name was being called over the loud speaker, I was to go to his office 'immediately.'

Reuben was pacing the floor as I sat on the chair at his desk, sweat was pouring from his body as it had been that night in the spring time. After a few paced laps of circling the room and then anxiously chewing on his nails, Reuben sat down and asked

"Is that mine?"

His eyes indicated my belly and then my face as it turned crimson red, a symptom of my boiling anger

"Do you mean my baby?" I hissed

"Yes, she's yours but don't worry. I'll do this with the help of my mom. We don't need you"

He jumped to his feet in the fastest move I had seen from him and was now on his feet in front of me

"Listen, I know I have no right to ask you this, but please, can I be involved in this child's life? All I've ever wanted from my life is to be a father"

I looked into his eyes, searching for any signs of a mistruth but nothing struck me, he seemed genuinely honest

I placed my hands over his face and gently stroked his cheeks, my heart fluttered as we held each other's gaze but before I allowed my lips to touch his, I pulled myself away