Chim - Double Walker

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Kimba is still in bed and I’ve decided to make her some breakfast for when she wakes up. But now that I’m downstairs and looking at the variety of food in the cupboards, I realise that I don’t know anything about what she likes to eat or can’t stand the thought of now that she is pregnant.

If I was making her breakfast in normal circumstances, I would play it safe with a fry-up or crumpets. But what if they make her sick now?

Before I can think anymore about what to make her, I hear her sweet angelic voice at the top of the stairs and I hurry into the hall to stop her from coming down.

‘I’m here babe, go back to bed’ I instruct her as I appear at the bottom of the stairs.

Completely ignoring me, she takes hold of the banister and begins to walk down the stairs, slowly and cautiously.

‘What are you doing? I said go back to bed’ I moan as I jog up the stairs to meet her and block her path.

‘Don’t come here and start dishing the orders, I’ve been coping fine without you telling me what to do’ she chuckles, not noticing the hurt expression on my face as she says this.

‘Now let me get past’ now she’s the one giving the orders.

I step aside and she continues her graceful descent, the bottom of her robe trailing down the stairs behind her.

I stay where I am until she disappears into the kitchen, then I quickly wipe my eyes, wanting to get control of my emotions before following her.

I’m not allowed to be offended by what she said, she’s right. I’ll left and she has managed to look after herself just fine. Well, she and the baby are still alive anyway; the only thing she did wrong was not sleep. But, again, if I was here, that wouldn’t have been a problem.

I sniff a final time before going downstairs and into the kitchen after her.

‘Were you going to cook something?’ She asks when she senses my presence, looking down at the plates I had got out the cupboard ready.

‘Y-yeah’ I pause to clear my throat as my voice wobbles, ‘*ahem* I was gunna give you breakfast in bed’

She looks at me now, a sad and shocked expression on her face as her jaw drops a little.

‘Oh babe I’m sorry’ she apologises, ‘I didn’t know you were going to surprise me or anything.’

‘Well that’s the point in a surprise babe’ I smile, trying to show her that I’m not disappointed.

‘I should have just stayed in bed.’ She grumbles to herself.

I decide to continue like I haven’t heard her.

‘Besides, I didn’t have a clue what to cook for you anyway. I don’t know what you like or don’t like anymore.’ I shrug, still trying to act like I’m not worried about it, ‘It’s like you said, I’ve not been here, and you’ve got this far without me’

I was planning on continuing, but she turned to look at me with a heartbroken look. That’s when I realise she can see right through my brave face.

‘Cheryl-’

‘And I’m sorry for telling you what to do back there’ I continue nonetheless, gesturing into the hallway, ‘I just wanted to make sure you were resting properly’

A tear escapes my eye as she walks over to me.

‘Chez, if you thought that was a snide comment, what I said on the stairs, I promise you it wasn’t. I was just being stubborn, like I always am.’ She smiles sadly, lifting a hand to stroke my cheek, wiping the tear with her thumb, ‘Yes I’ve got this far, but I have had constant support from the girls and Sally and Amy... your mum came around to check on me too’