Baby Deyes: A Zalfie Fanfiction

Week Fifteen: Lilies and Louise

Week fifteen had so far not been good. Alfie was badgering me constantly - was I hydrated? Was I hungry? Was I tired? After my stint in hospital he had become so overprotective that I was sick of the non-stop attention.
"Alfie!" I screamed suddenly on Wednesday afternoon. "Stop! I'm so bloody sick of you constantly attending to me! I'm fine! I need space, for once! Please!"
A wounded Alfie retired for a minute, then brought me a glass of water and asked if I wanted a sandwich.
"That's it." I stood up immediately. "That's it. "
I silently took a bag, packed some clean clothes and items, picked up my purse and camera.
"Where are my car keys, Alfie?" I said. "Where are they?"
Alfie hung his head. "In the cupboard under the stairs on the boot rack."
I stormed in and grabbed them.
"Zoe?!" Alfie ran after me. I slammed the front door shut, then the car door. I started the engine and drove through a haze of tears and anger to see Louise.
"Zozeebo!" Louise looked shocked. I stepped inside with my bag and burst into tears.
"Oh, Zo. It's not the baby? Have you and Alfie split up? Are you ill? Has something happened?"
"I-I-I d-don't know." I sobbed into her shoulder.
"Ever since I got home Alfie's been treating me like an invalid. Constantly asking me if I'm okay and it's driving me round the bend. I need some space but I just walked out and I feel so bad. The look on his face made me feel so guilty. Can I s-s-stay with you for a couple of nights?"
"Of course. I'm going to ring Alfie, let him know you're here safely and explain that you'll be here for a couple of days. Okay? Go see Darcy. We were making cupcakes."
As I took off my coat there was a wail from the kitchen. We rushed in, to see Darcy holding out her right index finger and crying. I could see a burn but no blood.
"You ring Alfie. I'll look after Darcy." I said.
It was only a small burn. I lifted her onto the draining board and rinsed it with cold water, while Darcy told me she'd looked in the oven window but the oven door was hot. I sympathised and put some antiseptic cream on the reddened area, covered it with a plaster and gave her a cuddle.
"Are you staying with me and Mummy?" Darcy asked, wide-eyed.
"Yes, for a few days. Me and Alfie had an argument and Zoe needs to calm down a bit, so he's looking after Naly while I do."
"Yay! You can sleep in the spare room. Did you know I still have my dolly Daisy?"
"You only got her a few months ago." I laughed, forgetting about Alfie, lost in Darcy's chatter as the timer counted down.
"It's all done! Alfie agreed to stay away for a couple of days and be less protective when you get back."
My phone buzzed.
Alfie: I just want u to no that I still ❤ u and the baby. Xx if u don't want me 2 b a part of the baby's life then that's ok.
I felt tears prick my eyes, but brushed them away. Stupid bloody hormones.
Alf - I still ❤ u 2 and of course I still want u 2 be part of Harry's life! I just need a few days alone. Xx
I felt Louise looking at me. I turned in my chair. She had Darcy on her hip and was pretending to be extremely busy fussing over Darcy's hand.
"It'll be ok, Zo." She said eventually.
I brushed away a few more tears. "I know. I expect it's the hormones. I'll go up to the spare room, put my stuff down. I don't really feel up to much."
I sat on the bed for a while, remembering how on the night before my wedding we'd sat on the sofa eating popcorn and laughing. It seemed an age ago.
I woke up the next morning to the front door opening. I looked at my phone. 8 a.m. Too early for anyone to come, surely.
Then the door shut, Louise came up the stairs and my door opened. She was holding a bunch of lilies.
"Alfie just came," she said. "He said he knows you don't want to see him, but he wanted to give you these." And she handed me the lilies.
On the tag there was a note.
Zozeebo. I love you. And I'm sorry. Alfie.
P.S. Nala misses you, come home when you're ready.
Then I flipped the tag over and smiled. £11.99. Alfie never takes prices off. That's always my job.
I texted him.
Do I really cost just 11.99? Xx :) Tell Nala I miss her too
When I went down to breakfast I had showered and put on makeup. I decided to film a short video, although I still felt very guilty.
"Hi, guys. Yeah, so, yeah." I sat in silence for a moment.
"Umm... Me and Alfie are on a break. Only for a couple of days, and we're still married and together and stuff, but what with all my hormones and the sicking last week, Alfie became really overprotective and I felt I couldn't take anymore. I'm at Lou's for a few days. Alfie, if you're watching, I love you, but like I said in our messages, I need a little space. Zalfie is still a thing."
I read the note, more or less, and our texts. I signed off, having talked to the camera, for ages. Then I sat editing until Darcy jumped on my lap in the lounge and begged to put her ear to my tummy. Then she hugged it and said: "Zoe, can I ask you a question?"
I nodded, dreading having to do the "where do babies come from" chat with a four year old.
"Is the baby going to like me?"
She looked really worried. I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Of course he will! You're going to be best friends, best buddies, forever."
Darcy was satisfied with this answer and went squealing into the kitchen.
I uploaded it nervously and then spent a while on the internet, which was already trending with "#Zalfiebreak". I went on social media to clear things up, and found quite a lot of hate.

@Sparkle300: He was just trying to protect you! Don't be such a drama queen #Zalfiebreak
@ZalfieIsLife: So selfish. #Zalfiebreak

I had some positivity, though.

@❤Zalfie: Stay calm and positive! The rumours will pass. ❤ Zalfie
@YouTubeAddict: Butterflies and ice cream! Keep happy, Zoe xx you're a strong woman

I smiled, inhaled the fragrance of the lilies and set them in the vase on my temporary cabinet.

On Saturday, I packed up my bags and said goodbye to Darcy and Louise. I had texted Alfie and he was waiting at home.
As I drove off my phone buzzed.
I steadied it on my hands-free set and pressed loudspeaker. It was Joe.
"What are you doing?"
I was taken aback. He was yelling at me, not talking.
"Ummm.... Driving?" I said, confused.
"Not that. Are you insane? Why are you leaving Alfie? And how have I only just heard about it?"
I breathed a sigh of relief. This was easily explained.
"He was being way overprotective. I couldn't move without him asking if I was alright. He was constantly offering me a drink, fetching things for me... He was being really sweet but my mixture of hormones made me really angry. For fuck's sake, Joe, I couldn't drive because he said if I crashed he'd feel so bad, and he hid my car keys! My fucking car keys, Joseph!" I was in tears. "It was stifling. I couldn't take it anymore. I had to go to Lou's."
"Drive back. Now. No excuses."
"I am - go on my latest video."
"Which video?"
I sighed in irritation. "The one entitled "Temporary break" perhaps, Joseph?"
I could hear myself on the other side of the phone. Then Joe came back on.
"Umm... Sorry sis."
"I'm driving home now." I said, slightly more understanding.
"I just saw a message with the hashtag Zalfiebreak and freaked. I've been in LA with Caspar for a week and I didn't see your video."
"It's okay. I'll see you sometime, ok?"
"Yeah. And... Sorry again."
"Don't worry about it. Bye."
"Bye."
The phone cut, and my car pulled up on our drive.
"Zoe! Oh my God, I was so worried." Alfie enveloped me in a huge hug as Nala came skittering down the hall.
"Hello baby!" I said, picking her up. She curled against me and the baby, yapping.
"Oh Alf, I really did miss you."
"And I'm so sorry about being so overprotective. It's just... Last week was really scary. I thought you were going to waste away and die. I know you're better now, but I couldn't help it. I love you so much."
We curled up on the sofa with Harry, Nala and the popcorn.
"Look, Alfie, I'm really sorry too. I know you were just trying to help me, and Joe gave me a real stern talking to on the way home. Admittedly it was because he didn't have a clue what the hell was going on, but it shook me up a bit. I hadn't really realised what I did, I just knew how bloody guilty I felt, and I didn't know why."
I felt my eyes prick, not for the first time over the past few days.
"Oh Zoe, don't cry... I love you."