INSIDE THEIR MINDS

New Arrival

KATE

The boxes were in a wide variety of sizes, but besides that they were pretty uniform. They were all a deep black color with colored tape lining each of the top folds. From what little research I had done on baby shopping, so far, I could tell that these were top of the line products.

"So you didn't, like, ask him for anything did you?" Alex asks as she finishes yet another can of soda.

"Not a single thing." I answered as I gently moved away some of the boxes from the couch.

"You shouldn't be lifting that..." She says as she starts to get up from her seat.

"I'm pregnant, not made of glass." I remarked with half a laugh. "These boxes are light, don't worry."

"Where were you planning on keeping your babies things?" She asks as her eyes gaze over the tops of the boxes.

"I had planned on cleaning out my study room and—" I started as she cut me off.

"No need to worry, I can do all of this for you." She says with a smile. "Only question is, do we keep his stuff or do we send it back?"

"I have no idea. I have lists made up of everything I am going to need to buy and how much they cost. I have the means to pay for all of this myself." I say as I start almost subconsciously rubbing my belly.

"but what would he think if you sent everything back." She asked.

"I honestly don't know him well enough to know." I say feeling almost guilty. I hardly know him at all. I don't even know if his is good with children.

"Well is that something you want to change?" She asks.

I wanted so badly to say yes. I want to get to know him. I want to know everything about him. I want to know his favorite foods, what movies he likes, what his hobbies are. I want to know him. Part of me even wants to love him, and not just because of the baby but because of how I truly felt about him.

"All I know right now is that I am craving some pizza." I answered.

PHIL

After not cooking a true home cooked meal in over a year I decided it was long overdue. I decided to make Chicken Kiev's and homemade apple pie. It took me almost four hours to finish everything but with my little man by my side it was all worth it. I had let him bring a few toys into the kitchen, something that was usually forbidden, so for him it was an absolute treat.

"JULIA, JULIA!" I hear my wife shout as she came in from the garage entry way.

"Julia's not here." I yelled back.

Then with what I could tell was her fake smile she entered the kitchen.

"Oh, your home." She said somewhat happily.

"Yeah I didn't go to work today, I figured the little man and I would have a guy's day."

Then almost immediately Trevor comes running in.

"Daddy and I did a lot of fun stuff today, like color and play games and cook. I wish daddy could be home all the time." He says with a grin still holding one of his toys.

"I wish that too Tre, I wish that too." She says giving me a, that's not how things are but its how it is, look.

"Mommy and Daddy need to talk, can you go play with your toys?" She asks somewhat seriously to him.

"Sure mommy but wait I wanna get you your picture of you and daddy and the baby." He says running quickly out of the room.