Normal | Rhekker

Chapter 63- Fight

Connor cooked their breakfast early in the morning, having already been out for today's flowers. He moved the eggs with care in the pan. Careful not to break the yolk.
Ava padded out of her bedroom behind him, a bag on her shoulder. His face fell.
"I'm just going to stay with Ini for a few days" she said.
"Ava you can have the apartment"
"No- it's fine, I just need to be somewhere different"
Somewhere that doesn't remind me of you

"Okey" he nodded, Turing back to the pan. It was just a few days.
"So just you and Ini?"
"And Victor"
"Right yeah" he nodded.
"Can't let you leave on an empty stomach" he said, handing her a plate.
"Thanks", Ava ran a finger along the edge of her plate

They had breakfast together in an only somewhat awkward ordeal. Compared to what they had been living with. Connor drove them to the hospital, her overnight bag on her lap.
Ini would drive her home that night and she'd stay there for as long as she needed.
Ava got some things on her break for them tonight, a few sweets they'd both grown up with, something sweet and something salty.

Ini drove them home that evening, her bump cleared without her white coat.
"How are you and Connor doing?" She said as she took a turn.
"Good, thanks for having me. I just needed to reduce my Connor time"
"I get you, I need a break from Vic time too, especially when he'd just moved in again. I was so used to living alone"
"Clearly had some time together in Abuja" Ava looked out the window.
"What gave that away" she touched her stomach.
"It was planned, to an extent"
"We'd talked about it at lest, it made sense with the timing. With him moving here"

Ava greeted Victor as they came in, who was running off to a business dinner. Ava made them a quick dinner before they got to work.
"What colour did you go with?" Ava asked, stepping into the nursery that was once an office.
"This light yellow colour, thought we'd keep it neutral" she opened the tin.
"Do you know what it is yet?" Ava asked.
"No, were we met sure if we wanted to know at the last visit. But then we decided we did. So we're going to find out in a week t our next appointment"
"What do you think it is?" She asked, running a roller over the wall"
"Victor thinks it's a girl, and so do I. But I really don't know"
"We'd be happy either way, my gut does kind of say boy"
"You have any old wives tales, about how to tell the sex?" Ava reached up and started painting.
"Not that I can think of" she said.
"We used to say if you were carrying low it was a boy, but high was a girl"
"Well I'll keep you posted"

They finished painting, Ava doing some of the harder to reach parts of the room, leavening it to air and dry. Victor rang Ini and she left to take it. Ava making them some more snacks for the pair. "He's caught up at a meeting" she yawned.
"They went for drinks after dinner" she bit down on some biltong.
She paused, "that's really good" she nodded.

They went up to Ini's room with their snacks, watching a movie on low.
Ava laid on her stomach, gazing across at Ini's bump.
"Sweet or salty?" She sat up.
"Salty"
"Google says it's a boy"
"Well we'll have to wait and see"
"Are you going to find out the gender?"
"I don't think so"

"How long do you think you'll stay for?"
"Kicking me out already?" She teased.
"You know your always welcome here"
"A day, maybe two" she shrugged, probably no longer.

*

The house was empty. As it would stay all evening.
He stripped the bed, changed the linen, he ran his hand over the covers.
Should he sleep there tonight? Ava wouldn't be back for the bed.

He left that to mull over in his mind. He ordered a takeaway, not wanting to cook alone. He watched some new show on Netflix, waiting for the next episode of Jimmy Fallon later in the week. He stayed up for a while, not sure what to do in the house alone.
After much thought he decided to return to the bed, for the sake of his back. Putting fresh sheets down , he'd be sure to change them again once Ava came home.
He turned off the bathroom light. The empty bed before him he laid on top of the covers, his hand reaching to the far side. Sinking into to covers.

"Come here" she whispered in his ear, her lips on his skin.
She threw a leg over his hip, pulling him close.
"You're too far away" she kissed his cheek.
"Ava" he pulled her onto him.

He woke to light pouring through the open blinds. He missed sleeping in a bed. Connor got up and stretched, showering in the en-suite.
He made a solo breakfast, leaving for work as soon as he could, the house quieter than he liked.

He ran a hand through his hair as he red through his cases on his tablet. Passing Ava by in the hall. "Hey" he greeted her.
"Hi" Ava smiled. Connors heart fluttered, they were getting there. They'd be back together soon. Maybe time apart is what they needed.
Connor walked with an extra pep in his step that day, knowing Ava would be back by next week he decided to take his free time with week and enjoy it. He got another takeaway, this time form his favourite Mexican place. Making tacos at home only reminded him of Ava. And their time in the kitchen together.

He set down his plate and binned the takeaway containers, flicking though old episodes of Jinny Fallon to find the most recent one.
Connor heard voices coming up the hall.
"Your won't so much as kiss me"
"No because your too busy playing house with someone you can't look the eye"
"Keep your voice down" he heard her hush.
Connor opens the front door quickly. It was the paramedic from the hospital.
"Oh here we are the man of the moment" he threw his arms in the air.
"Can I come in" Ava said quietly, Connor blocking the door.
"Of course, yeah" he stepped aside, assessing the situation.
"Two timing lousy bitch whore" he cursed, turning from them.
Connor saw the look in her eyes, her clenched fist, grabbing her before she could dive on him.
"Crazy bitch" he cursed, walking off.

He pushed her back against the inside wall.
He wrapped his arms around her tightly, Ava dropping her coat and bag to the floor she sobbed into his arms.
"He was outside when I came home. He was drunk"
"We were never together we just got a drink after shift one day"
"Shh, your okey. You're safe" he assured her.
Connor pulled back once her sobbed as softened and her breathing calmed. He picked up her things and hung them up. Ava leaving for her room.

He heard the water running, letting her have her space.
Connor made her a quick dinner, putting it in the oven to keep it warm.
He out the tea towel down, making is way down the hall.
"Ava" he knocked on the door. "I-"
The door opened before him and Ava stood there, eyes reddened.
"I, I just brought you some water" he handed her the glass. "There's food in the kitchen, if you'd like?"
"Thanks" she pursed her lips, "I'm not really hungry" taking a sip to help with her hoarse voice.

Connor paused, holding her gaze, "I'm sorry for ruining us"
"No more then I ever did" the ghost of a smirk on her lips.
"That wasn't your fault, it was a miscommunication"
"And what would you call this?"
Connor pressed his lips together.
Ava stepped back, "Goodnight, Connor"
"Night, Ava"