The Save Game

Chapter 16

Life, as Sal knew it, would never be the same. He sat, holding Bella, while Allison slept in the bedroom down the hall.

"You're the missing piece of my life." He whispered to the baby as she slept soundly, making sucking noises occasionally. "Your momma and I love you." He kissed her forehead, smiling at the scent of baby lotion.

Sal looked around the room that Allison had insisted they set up as the nursery. He thought back to last week when they'd gone shopping for it all. They'd been home from the hospital for almost six weeks and Allison told him she couldn't take not having a nursery any longer. She had picked out enough pink to cover the room from wall to wall. Sitting there now, he had to admit it was oddly comforting.

More comforting than spending time with Allison recently. He couldn't understand where her thoughts were taking her. He knew she was trying to be happy, but he just couldn't deny that something was going on. It felt like every day was a struggle. She was happy as long as she was busy. It was the times when she had a free minute that she seemed to sink into a dark place that Sal wasn't experienced with.

Sal continued to cradle and rock Bella, listening for signs that Allison was awake. After another minute of silence, he stood and placed the baby in her crib.

He wandered through the house. He'd persuaded Allison to move in with him, not wanting to spend even a minute away from her or Bella. He felt the need to protect them and having them with him all the time made that easier.

When he reached the kitchen, he leaned against the counter and took out his cell phone. He'd been out of the loop with Murr and Q and Joe. He needed to find out when they were going to be filming again. Before he could dial Joe's number, he heard Allison's cell phone ring.

Because he knew she needed rest, he reached around and picked it up from the counter. The caller id showed a Los Angeles number.

"Hello?" He answered, not thinking.

"Mrs. Peterson, please." The male voice boomed.

"She's unavailable right now. Can I take a message?" He asked, racking his brain to remember anyone she might have mentioned from California.

The silence on the line told him that the caller had hung up. Sal dialed the number on his own phone. As soon as he put the phone to his ear, he was met with a busy tone. He saved the phone number to his contacts, with a question mark, before putting Allison's phone back where it had been.

Was this why she'd been so on edge? Was she seeing someone else? Sal wondered. Was this another secret from her past?

"Hi." Allison's voice startle Sal and he jumped.

"Hey." He smiled at messy hair and half sleepy eyes that told him she had slept well. "Did you get some rest? I tried to keep Bella quiet for a little while."

"I did. Thank you." She said as she wrapped her arms around him and put her head on his shoulder.

It was one of the times that she seemed content. He took in her scent, now a mixture of her flower shampoo and Bella's baby scent.

Allison kept her arms tight around him, not letting him step away. Just as he started to believe that maybe everything would settle back to normal he felt her shoulders heave.

"Are you crying?" Sal pulled away from her just enough to see her face.

Sure enough, tears were streaming down her cheeks onto his shirt.

"What's wrong?" He kept his voice calm and hugged her tight again. "You know you can talk to me." Sal said as he stroked her hair.

"I just don't want to lose you too." She said between sobs.