I'm In Trouble Deep

I Want Pizza

"Danny... Danny. Wake up. Danny. Danny, are you awake?"

Danny opened his eyes, "I don't know."

"Danny, I'm hungry," Linda said, leaning her elbow against the pillows behind her. "I want pizza. Get me some pizza?"

Danny looked at the clock, "no pizza place is open at three in the morning!"

"Seven eleven is. Please? I'm hungry."

"I'm not getting pizza at three am."

"Why not?"

"Cause I'd have to go to the city, and that's at least half an hour. Both ways."

"But I'm hungry."

"Ignore it. Think of something else."

"If you won't get me pizza, I won't have sex with you." She threatened, crossing her arms.

"You're already withholding it!"

"That's cause it hurts.... please, Danny? I'm really hungry!"

"Ignore it. Tell it to go away."

"I knew it," Linda's voice cracked as she crossed her arms. "You don't love me, or this baby!"

Danny fell back against the pillows, grumbling obscenities. He tossed the covers off and walked to the dresser to grab a T-shirt.

"Thank you." Linda smiled as she watched him approach the door. "And make sure it's cheese. None of this pepperoni crap."

***********

"Can I have pizza please?"

"What kind and how many slices?" The seven eleven cashier wondered. Danny guessed he was about ten years older than himself.

"Uh, I don't know. Cheese. Three? Slices." He tried to stifle a yawn.

"Lemme guess. Pregnant wife at home?"

"Four months in." He nodded, holding up four fingers.

"Then you'll wanna get her a pack of Oreos, a pudding cup, and a fruit cup."

"You've done this before?" Danny walked to the area where he could get the other items.

"Oh, yeah." The cashier and the detective were the only ones in the store. "We just found out we're having our fourth. I'm usually not here. Doing a little moonlighting."

"Congratulations," he set the Oreos, pudding cup, and fruit cup on the counter as the cashier boxed his pizza.

"You, too. Is it your first?"

Danny stopped himself from saying 'technically'. This stranger didn't have to know the fate of their first child. "Yeah."

"Good luck," he handed Danny the bag of purchases.

"Thanks, I'll need it."

************

When Danny came home, he found Linda fast asleep, mostly on his side of the bed. He hung his head in annoyance and went back downstairs to put the food in the refrigerator, with the exception of the Oreos. He'd be alright getting it from the fridge- annoyed, but alright.

He climbed the stairs, then into bed, and almost immediately Linda asked, "did ya get my pizza?"

"It's downstairs."

"Why didn't you bring it up?"

"You were sleeping!"

"Get it for me. Please?"

Danny got the pizza, pudding cup, fruit cup, and the Oreos. He came back upstairs after reheating the pizza slices. "Just in case you changed your mind, I got extras."

"Oooh." Linda took the bag from him and peered inside. "Pizza, pudding, fruit, and Oreos. Thank you."

"You're welcome." He kissed her, then snuggled deep into the covers while she sat up and ate.

On her second slice of pizza, Linda opened the pudding cup. "I wonder if it'll taste good if I dip my pizza into the pudding."

"Oh my gosh..." Danny mumbled into the pillow. He lifted his head, only to watch his wife dip the pizza into the chocolate pudding and take a bite. "Ugh, that's gross!"

"Lemme enjoy my pizza the way I wanna enjoy my pizza!"

He plopped his head back onto the pillow, wondering how in the world she found pizza and chocolate to be appetizing.

***********

The next time Danny woke up was when the alarm buzzed, alerting the couple it was time to rise. He frowned upon not seeing Linda sleeping next to him, as she was usually the one to wake up late. He got out of bed and walked to the en-suite, a sigh escaping his lips when he saw Linda in front of the mirror.

She ran a hand over her exposed belly. She was just starting to get a baby bump, and the baby had recently started to move. Baby Reagan wasn't moving a lot, but since Linda had been previously pregnant, she knew Baby Reagan wouldn't move a lot for a little while longer.

"It's pretty cool, huh?" Danny smiled as he walked up to her.

"It's amazing, Danny. There's life inside me, and I... I guess I forgot how great I felt during pregnancy. I just remember all the bad stuff, the nausea, the cramps, the sleepless nights."

"You think Baby R is gonna give you that trouble?"

"He or she might kick more, maybe, who knows? But the morning sickness is gone, unlike it was with Ella. And I actually feel really happy. I'm really glad I did the right thing."

Danny placed a hand over his wife's on her belly, "me too."

She leaned against him, "we need a better temporary name than Baby Reagan."

"Like what?"

"I dunno. Something universal, like... Sydney. Or... Terry."

"We'll figure it out." He kissed her cheek.