The Body #4: Nico and Cosi

Chapter 10 (Nico): A Volatile Mixture

Two weeks. Two weeks and Costanza wasn't much better. That also meant two weeks of Desti living in our house, which didn't thrill me but it was what Costanza wanted. What my wife wanted, she got. It also meant I got hundreds of texts from Desti, but if that was the price I had to pay to make sure my wife was looked after, I didn't care.

I'd come home late that day Costanza had told me to call Desti to stay with her so I could go to work. Desti had met me at the door.

"Hey, Nico," she said in a very low voice. "I'm going to head home and grab some clothes, but I'll be back in an hour."

"Why?"

She stepped even closer. "Cosi begged me to stay with her. She was crying about...well, never mind what she said. So, I'll be back."

"No. Tell me what my wife was crying about and saying."

Desti looked decidedly uncomfortable.  "You have to understand that she doesn't really get it. Your new position in the Body, I mean, and what it entails. And she was just complaining that you're never home and you don't have any time for her anymore. That made her sad and she started crying."

Shit. I'd been afraid of that, and that's why I kept telling Costanza that this wasn't forever, it was only temporary.

"I'll talk to her," I said.

"Oh, sure, but just know...you won't get anywhere with her. You know how sweet Cosi is -- so sweet she'd never admit that to you. She'll probably just tell you that she's not worried about it and she's fine."

"She can't deny it if I tell her you talked with me."

"Sure you could tell her that, but then you'd be making sure she never shares anything with me again, and then you'll have no idea of what she's really feeling. Just like if you ask her if she begged me to stay, she'd probably tell you that I offered. She's afraid of upsetting you when you're so distracted with the Body changes. All her training to be a good little Body wife is coming in to play."

"I know how to talk to my wife, Desti."

She held up her hands as if placating me. "Sure. Handle it how you think. I'll go get my things now."

Once she walked out, I took the steps three at a time to go see my wife.

"Hey, sweetheart," I greeted her, and she turned toward me with a smile and muted the TV.

Sitting beside her on the bed, I gave her a kiss.

"What'd the doctor say today?"

"He said it's the flu and that I should take it easy and drink plenty of fluids and rest as much as possible. And I already knew that so..."

I cupped her face. "I worry about you. You know that."

She pulled me down for a kiss. "I know. And I worry about you."

"Desti said you begged her to stay with you until you're recovered."

Costanza looked confused. "She offered to stay, and since it would bring my worrywart husband some peace of mind, I said she could. But only until I was well enough to do the cooking and cleaning again."

Fuck. Exactly what Desti said she'd say. The perfect Body wife response, and I knew Costanza was the sweetest girl in the world and wouldn't want me to feel guilty for leaving her for work.

"Costanza, I'm sorry I've been working so much since the coup. It's been a lot of changes." I caressed her face. "Are you bothered I've had to leave you alone so much?"

A flash of guilt went across her face. "No, Nico. I've been...keeping pretty busy. I'm proud of you, and I know that it's an incredibly busy, and critical, time for you. You've been given such an important job and I know it's going to take time to get everything settled."