The Good Life

Chapter 78

”Mar…don’t fuck with my head.” he answered her seriously.

”Bru…I’m like 2 weeks late and I feel like I did last time. So I took the test. It came back positive.” she answered him calmly.

”Mar….I don’t know if I should be happy or surprised or….” he trailed off not sure how to answer.

”Bruno…I know I said I didn’t want it to happen to make us better…but I’m really happy. ” Marla told him.

”Everything will be perfect, Marla. It just wasn’t right last time. This is right. I know it. There’s just something about right now….I’m almost done and then I can take that giant enormous break I was telling you about and it can be the four of us…and you can get your license and not have to worry about anything because I’ll be there.” he tried to reassure her. ”Baby..are you crying?”

”No…no…I’m not…” she sniffed.

”Mar….they’re happy tears. I know that.” he told her making her laugh.

”You’re right. ” she smiled in the phone stretching out in the bed with the light off.

”I’m always right.” he told her.

”Oh. Yeah. You’re always right.” she answered him.

”I sense a bit of sarcasm in your voice, Marley.” he told her.

”Ahh…see you’re always right then.” she replied.

”You’re amazing Mar. I love you.” he responded to her comment waiting for her to answer. ”Oh…good night Mar.”

**

Dear Marley,

You told me that Rosie was a handful last night. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to take care of her for you. But, I’ll be home soon. I love you.

Brunz

**

”Momma….” Rosie asked her mother while eating breakfast the next morning.

”Que?” Marla answered.

”Can I put the sticker on the map? Daddy’s in Brazil….” she put down her bowl running to the map grabbing the stickers. ”That’s right here…” she pointed to the large South American country.

”You’re so smart!” Marla cheered pointing to the city he was in that day hugging her daughter.

”Mommy…you’re hot. Are you getting sick?” Rosalia asked her mother pointing to her stomach. ”Your tummy has a fever.” Marla tried to hold back the laughter that was building up. ”Mommmyyyy…you can’t get sick!” Rosie looked at her mother almost about to cry. Marla bent down to her daughter wiping away her tears. ”Mamaaaa….nooooo….”

”Rosalia….I’m okay, nena. I’m okay.” she said rubbing her daughter’s head taking her hand leading her to her bedroom to get dressed.

”No, mommy. Tell me you’re okay.” Rosie said throwing her clothes on the floor in defiance.

”Mama...look at your flower…” Marla picked up a small clay pot that they had planted some daisies in a few months in the past. ”You know how the dirt gets real wet to make sure the seeds grow? Like when we water it?” Marla asked her daughter who took the pot in her hand touching the dirt confused. ”There’s a little seed in my tummy…like the pot…and the fever is the dirt to make sure it grows….”

”Mommy..you have daisies growing in you? Are you crazy?” Rosie asked her mother.

”There’s a little baby in there. It’s like a seed. You were like that once.” Marla told her daughter who looked at her mother even more confused.

”But momma…I don’t understand.” Rosie answered putting the pot down. ”Seeds don’t turn into babies. You’re silly.”

”Well, you’ll just have to wait and see.” Marla answered grabbing a sweater for her daughter as they walked out the door to her pre-school. Shit. She’s gonna tell everyone. Marla thought to herself as she buckled her daughter into the car seat. ”And only you and daddy know about the seed right now, okay? We’ll have a big party to tell everyone about it…like a surprise party…but you can’t tell anyone about the party, okay, Rosalia?”

”Okay, mama.” Rosie answered.