recognize / b.simmons

53

"baby, sit down, you shouldn't be on your feet," ben says, trying to pull amari down into a chair but she rips away from him. she's gained this weird pregnant strength and he can't get her to do anything.

"no, i need to tell them where everything goes," she says, turning to look at the living room she just created. it was coming together perfectly, and she wasn't going to let ben mess that up.

a week after the gender reveal, they met with a realtor, but neither of them could agree on a house. they tried another one two days later and found this one. it took a month, but they were finally handed the keys and given the OK to move in.

"what you need to do is sit down," he says sternly. amari looks at him as if he'd just told her he went to mars last night. "come on." he says, grabbing her hand and pulling her down onto one of the bar stools.

amari glares up at him and he kisses her as consolation. "love you," he says, putting his hands on her knees. she gently kicks him in the shin and pushes him away.

"whatever, nigga," she mumbles and he rolls his eyes and backs off and starts talking to one of the movers.

amari watches a worker place an end table where it doesn't belong, and gets up. it takes extra to get out of the chair, but once she does she makes a beeline for him.

ben sees movement out of the corner of his eye and sighs in frustration as he sees amari walking—very quickly for a pregnant woman—to one of the movers. her intercepts her snd puts his hands on her hips to stop her. "i thought i told you to sit down?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

"they're not doing it right," amari complains, looking around ben and seeing the end table in the wrong spot. "that table doesn't go there." she whines, dropping her head onto his shoulder and holding onto his torso.

"are you hungry?" he asks her, rubbing her back.

"yes," she says pathetically. she's always hungry and tired, and now ben has picked up on signals to tell when she is; like now.

"come on, tahj is here, they'll be fine," he says. amari nods and they walk out of the unfinished living  and amari grabs her purse.

ben lets tahj know that they're leaving and then they finally leave the house and get into bens car. amari looks at the house as they drive away, and smiles to herself. shes in love with the house they bought and can't wait to start their family in it.

"what do you want to eat?"

amari shrugs. "i don't know,"

"just say something," ben says, slightly annoyed.

"you don't have to yell at me, god," she says, crossing her arms over her chest and huffing. ben tries not to roll his eyes and licks the corner of his mouth.

"i didn't yell at you—yes you did!" her eyes start to water and amari looks out the window and tries to blink them away. he's so mean, she thinks.

ben sighs and puts his hand on her knee and glances at her. "hey—i'm sorry, alright? im sorry. don't cry," he says. amari looks at him and nods, placing her hand on top of his.

they drive downtown to their favorite pho restaurant. "are we going to pho bistro?" she asks, excitement in her voice.

"mhm," he says, turning on his blinker and pulling the car into a parking spot on the curb. he turns off the car and jumps out and walks around to the other side to help amari out.

she kisses his cheek as he closes her door and he slides his arm around her waist. the two of them enter the restaurant and get in line behind a few people. amari rests her head against his chest and winces as the babies kick like they're playing soccer. "you okay?" he asks. amari grabs his hand and sets it on her stomach. "goddamn, they might have careers in soccer if they keep it up." he jokes. amari laughs looks up at him. ben leans down and kisses her, and they move up in line.