The Incubus

Chapter 9, Scene 5

It took a fair amount of pleading and promises from Justin to convince Rebecca to move back. The only real reason she finally gave in was for the sake of the baby. She still loved her husband, but he had a lot of cracks to fix before he would be in her good books again. The first half of the trip back home was spent in uncomfortable silence where both of them waited for the other to speak. Justin finally caved.

'I got rid of Lotus.'

Rebecca looked at him. 'Did you see his neck?'

Justin nodded. 'There's no way a bird could do that on its own.'

'So you believe me?'

'About?'

'About the strange things that have been happening in our house lately.'

Justin threw a few possible answers around in his head. No reason to work her up on the way home. He could tell her that he believed her. He could just as easily tell her that it was she that did it for attention; or an alternate personality. He could also change the subject.

'I believe that someone killed our bird,' he said. 'I just can't figure out who or why.'

Rebecca didn't have the answers. She was hoping Justin would. Whenever something went wrong, Justin always had an answer. If there wasn't an easy answer for a problem, he would invent one. Now that safety zone had been shaken. There were no answers, right or invented. There was nothing to make her feel that everything was going to be okay.

'So tell me about the pregnant thing,' he said.

Rebecca's face lit up. 'I took two tests,' she said. 'Just to be sure.'

'And...?'

'They're both positive.'

'We should get another one,' he said. 'Just to be very sure.'

'There's one in my bag,' Rebecca giggled.

Justin smiled and for a long moment didn't say anything. They were getting another shot at the chance to become parents. This time, however, he felt ready for the responsibility. He couldn't pinpoint what or how, but something within him clicked in place and he felt ready for the challenge. 'How far along do you think you are?' he asked.

'I'm not sure,' Rebecca said. 'But I have an appointment with the doctor on Thursday. I think I might be six or seven weeks now.'

Justin worked it back in his mind. It was the night he gave her Lotus; the same night he took her to dinner. He smiled at her and for the briefest moment everything seemed perfect again.

'Where's your ring?' Rebecca asked.

Justin's perfect picture shattered and his stomach twisted. 'It's...I...'

Rebecca looked at him expectantly. There was no getting around this one.

'I lost it,' he said and turned his head slightly down and away from her.

For a long moment there was only silence. Justin could feel her staring at him. 'Okay,' she said with a voice far too chirpy to be trusted. 'We'll just get you a new one.'

Justin frowned. 'You're not angry?'

'No,' Rebecca said and then changed the topic back to the baby and how they were going to turn the study into the baby's room and which accessories they had to start saving up for. Only a wooden cot would do. 'None of those carry cot fold-it-ups in my house, thank you.'

Justin smiled and stroked her hand. Deep within he knew that everything was going to be just fine.