Chimera

Page 11

I was just heading to dinner and met him in the hall. He came to me slowly.

"I want to apologize. I guess I didn't really think you'd have a problem with this. Your parents didn't think you'd give more than a token resistance." I just raised and eyebrow at him. He held out a letter size envelope. "I'm not good with words I'm better with actions. I'd prefer to buy you a diamond mine or the mountain we stand on to show you that I really would be honored to have you as my husband but if it's words you want. I'll try." I took the envelope and walked away. I was a little curious on what he'd written so when I got back to my room after making nice at dinner and talking about my new zeal for my art and the new art supplies I got the letter out.

It was two pages of him trying to explain why he felt I was such a catch and how honored he'd be if I would consider marrying him. I crumpled it up and tossed it in the trash. Out the window was a little dramatic though I was tempted. Going to my closet I slid my egg out of it's nest and carried it to bed. I curled around it and sighed.

"Now if only Alex would check his damn messages. Your daddies getting an ear full."

Over the next week I woke to more letters under my door for me in the morning. Each one talked of how good of a life we'd have how much he really did care for me. In a way I kind of felt sorry for him that I'd never be able to care for him. Here's hoping he didn't take it to bad when everyone found out about junior. Yes I'd named my egg. Simply saying egg sounded stupid even to myself so they were junior and when I was annoyed Alex junior. I'd had no troubles hiding it so far. They stayed in the closet during the day and curled with me at night. They were with me at night because I had this horrible vision of the house catching fire and them being hard boiled before I could get to them.

The second week it was a bouquet of flowers, my favorites, daisies. Which I was surprised he'd known. Mom swore she didn't tell him and so did everyone else I asked.

Week three was different kinds of chocolates which I gave to the staff.

Week four was little eagles statues.

At that point I called into the school again but he'd not checked his messages. No doubt he figured if I had trouble I'd just call him directly.

By week five I had to give in a little so I was taken out three nights a week for dinners and different activities. Mean while I still found little gifts ranging from little figures, to more flowers, to notes. I'd even found a very expensive watch which I'd given back while frowning.

"Too much?"

"Yes." I said and gone back to my room. My desk was full of the little gifts. I had to admit he'd gotten creative. I'd even found a hand carved wooden eagle with a note saying he'd had it commissioned of me from a picture my mother had taken when I was a kid. That one I might hold onto. My egg was doing well. It was getting heavier the heart beat was still strong.

At the two month mark I was somehow talked into an over night stay in New York to see a show. I was able to take my egg easily in my case and my insisting on two rooms made it easy to check on them whenever I wanted. By three months I suddenly started getting two gifts extra a week. One was a book of house plans. What followed was things that went with that. The other was a line of baby suggestive things. Those I took and put right back in front of his door but he kept leaving them. The house things I'd made a pile of. My room was starting to look like I was a hoarder. I was in the middle of taking them all to an unused guest room one day when he came home from work. He'd set up a new office right in town.

"Uh, decided that I'm not worth the trouble and sending it to the dump?" He asked actually looking panicky.

"No I decided that I don't want to trip over something and break my neck so I'm storing it in here. If we ever get that house I won't need to have a house warming I'll have everything already." That made him smile. I didn't care. I knew it wasn't happening but I did feel bad that I was sort of leading him on. "I will ask that I get no more figurines find something new. Their are no surfaces left." He followed me into the room. Every surface was full of his gifts. I knelt and put the last load of house books on the shelves. "There, I'm sure you are having to order books on building houses and you finally gave up on the baby things, thank you." I saw him blush. "I'm going to suggest you scale back and try for things that will travel. five weeks and I go back to school. I'm not going to waist my breath trying to get you to stop but how about only one goodie box a week a small one." That I wasn't telling him no would give him hope and keep him from doubling his efforts. "I have restrictions at school on what I can have there or receive, here's a list." I handed him a folded paper. "If it's not on the list include shipping for me to send it home." He chuckled.