Twelve Months

January

Sara stood barefoot in the kitchen with a tub of ice cream in one hand and a large spoon in the other. Although Cookie dough fudge mint chip wasn't her favourite, it was what she had wanted at that exact moment in time. Even if she had never tasted it before, it was heavenly on her taste buds and the half eaten tub was justifiable proof.

Michael struggled in with another bag of baby shopping, the white carriers laden with suits, socks, scratch mitts and baby safe toys, all of which had some sort of a jingle to them. Behind him was a tall man dressed in a white boiler suit and matching cap. His name was sewn onto the suit, which buttoned up the centre, and the baby shop's name was sewn onto his cap. He was carrying a large brown box, the effort from the lifting evident on his reddened face and clenched, white lips.

Another man followed them both, holding nothing more than a clipboard, again adorning the company name. He had a moustache and was short and skinny. His hair receded under his cap and his dirty black boots remained in the hall while his colleague set the box down against the couch. He scribbled something onto the sheet he had attached to the clipboard and tapped the pen eagerly.

After setting down the bags next to the couch, Michael thanked the man with a quick slap on his shoulder and followed him back to the door. "Sign here please," the short man said monotonously, his day job obviously having turned him into a robotic machine and nothing more. Michael took the clipboard and scrawled his name next to the large, blue cross the man had splattered onto the page next to a dotted line.

"Thank you," Sara called, her words muffled by melting ice cream as Michael clicked the door closed behind them. He leant against the door and hefted a sigh from his lungs, rolling his head against the wood until his eyes met Sara's in the kitchenette beside them. "What?" she smiled, her eyes darting around the kitchen to avoid his gaze with her cheeky grin.

A smile spread across Michael's face as he pushed himself from the door and stalked towards her in the kitchen. The sleeves of his smartly pressed blue shirt were rolled up to his elbows in an attempt to cool his body from the exertions of work, and with a quick shove, he slid them further up his arms. His face was wickedly innocent as he approached her, his mouth twitching as he tried to straighten his grin and hide it from her dazzling hazel eyes.

Michael reached out and gently took the tub of ice cream from Sara's hands, the outside of the stiff cardboard carton wet with melted ice particles. Sara let out a whine of protest as Michael scooped out a flat spoonful and popped the spoon into his mouth. "That's mine," she told him, crossing her arms so they rested on her engorged abdomen. Michael deliberately pulled the spoon from his mouth slowly, his tongue scraping the metal as he did so, not leaving any remnants of the delicious frozen cream. With a sucking sound the spoon left his lips and he studied the spoon, twiddling it in the air before him.

"Well, see I thought I deserved a treat for carrying all of you're shopping up here," he paused to lick his lips before his eyes met hers once again, his eyebrow raising a little when his eyes widened mischievously and he took another scoop of the latte coloured dessert from the pot. Sara coughed out a laugh and she reached out to snatch the tub back with both hands.

"You took the elevator," she corrected his exaggerated comment with a sarcastic air. Michael emptied the spoon into his mouth quickly and smiled, holding the cold, creamy substance on his tongue where it began to melt. "And give me my spoon," Sara commanded playfully, stepping close to Michael and reaching out for the black handled cutlery.

Michael lifted his arm above his head and chuckled with his mouth closed, the warming dessert dripping from his mouth a little. Sara glared at Michael, narrowing her eyes and trying to force her smile from her face. "Ok, I'm sorry. Here," Michael swallowed and offered her the spoon but snatched it back with a hearty laugh when she reached for it.