Always The Second Choice

19. Lentils And Blueberries

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"You need to fix this." Dominic ran his fingers through his already disheveled hair. "You need to fix this, Dom."

He stopped pacing and looked at the closed door of his wife's bedroom. "But how? I don't even know what she is thinking. I don't even know her. And now we are having a baby!"

The reality of the situation hit him like a ton of bricks. A baby. Their baby.

Dominic took a deep breath, trying to process the gravity of the situation. He knew that their marriage was strained, but he had never thought that it would lead to this. He had never imagined that he would become a father under these circumstances.

But was he happy? Yes! He didn't think he would be this happy but he was, as he had told her, positively ecstatic!

Dominic's eyes fell on the roses that he had tossed under the dining table. He scrambled to get them. Two roses had snapped on the impact. He removed them from the bouquet.

Dominic took a deep breath and went to her room. He knocked twice. No reply.

He hesitated for a moment before pushing the door open. He had expected her to be asleep but she was reading.

"Can we talk?"

Nicola looked up from her Kindle, her eyes red and puffy. "What about?"

"About us," Dominic said, holding out the bouquet of roses. "And our baby."

Nicola stared at the flowers, then at him, her eyes narrowing. "What is there to talk?"

Dominic took a tentative step in, setting the roses on the bedside table when it became obvious that she was not going to take them. "I know things have been..." He paused, searching for the right words. "I know we haven't been the best couple."

Nicola wanted to roll her eyes but keeping her poker face intact was what she had perceived to be better for everyone.

"But I want to change that." Dominic took another step forward. "I want to be there for you. For us. For our baby."

This time, Nicola could not help but roll her eyes.

"So you admit that you were never there for me?"

The sarcasm in her voice was palpable.

Dominic opened his wretched mouth to say that she was not there for him either, but for the sake of the baby and truce, he simply nodded.

Nicola shrugged. "You can continue to live your life as it is, Dominic. We don't want anything from you."

"What?" Dominic felt like he had been slapped. "But I-"

"I should go to bed now." Nicola interrupted. "Close the door on the way out." She picked up the roses and held them towards him.

"That's for you."

"The smell is making me nauseous."

Dominic immediately took the roses and held them away from her.

"Get some rest then." He said tenderly.

Nicola looked at him skeptically. "Okay."

The man remained standing there.

"Go!" Nicola pointed towards the door.

"Can I stay with you?" He asked, almost puking the words out.