Chapter 34
Chapter Thirty-Four
Matilda wiped her mouth after retching into the toilet bowl yet again.
Whatever she ate the night before had disagreed with her, and she’d woken up before dawn with a horrible urge to rush to the bathroom and empty her stomach.
She’d thought she had the flu a couple of weeks earlier, but that had passed.
Since then, she just hadn’t felt right, and now the symptoms were really ramping up.
“Are you okay, sweetheart?” Ryan stood behind her, placing one hand on her shoulder.
“I’m fine.” She stood and looked at her reflection in the mirror above the sink. There were dark smudges beneath her eyes, and her neck was blotchy and red.
“What’s going on?”
“I think I have food poisoning.”
“Oh, no. I’m sorry.” He rubbed a circle on her back. “Can I get you something?”
“I’ll take a shower, and I’m sure I’ll feel better.”
He smiled. “Okay. I’ll let the dog out since we’re up. I don’t have to go into work until nine today, so I can stay to make sure you’re well before I leave.”
“Thanks. That would be nice.”
She took a shower and leaned against the wall as the steam filled up the room. She felt okay now, but how long would it last?
After her shower, she dressed in a sweatsuit and UGG boots, then brushed her still-wet hair until it was straight. When she opened the curtains, she saw snow falling in the darkness.
“It’s snowing!” she exclaimed, but Ryan wasn’t there.
She rushed down the stairs in her excitement and found him standing by the door, wiping off his feet. The dog had snowflakes on his back. He wagged his tail at Matilda.
“It’s snowing!” Matilda said again, clapping her hands together.
Ryan laughed. “I saw that.”
“Can we go out driving? Please? I’ve never lived anywhere it snowed before.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Really? Okay, if you like. I’ll get my coat and keys.”
The world seemed a magical place. The sun was glowing on the horizon, but the neighbourhood was still mostly dark.
Snow fell silently on the car as the windshield wipers squeaked across the glass.
Matilda could see her breath, but it wouldn’t be long before they were warm as hot air rushed from the vents.
She rubbed her hands together with a shiver.
“I love it. It’s so beautiful. Do you think it’ll stick?”
“Probably not, but we can enjoy it until then.”
They drove for a while through the quiet town. Traffic was beginning to form as some made their way to work early. They went past two different vehicles that had slid off the road and into ditches, but they didn’t stop since each had a tow truck already in attendance.
“No one in Atlanta knows how to drive when the temperature falls,” Ryan said with a shake of his head.
Suddenly, Matilda felt ravenous. The nausea lingered, but what she really wanted was a huge pile of French fries with ketchup and gravy. An image of the fries filtered through her mind, and her mouth watered at the thought of it.
“Can we stop to eat somewhere?” she asked. “Like… now.”
Ryan looked at her. “You’re hungry?”
“I’m famished. I need to eat something right away. Where can we stop?”
There was a yellow neon sign up ahead that read Waffle House. “How about there?” Ryan pointed.
“Yes! Please. I love waffles. I could eat a whole mountain of them right about now.”
With a chuckle, Ryan pulled his truck into the lot and parked.
They walked through the falling snow, arm in arm, as the sun rose over the waking city.
They sat in a booth near the back of the restaurant.
Every other booth had at least two people seated.
Some were full. The place was bustling, which was surprising given how early it was.
“What’ll ya have?” the waitress asked as she took a pencil from behind her ear and held it poised above a ragged notepad.
Matilda looked over the plastic menu. “Can I please have two fried eggs with a pecan waffle, bacon, hash browns, and grits?”
“You got it, honey. And you?” The waitress looked at Ryan with a smile.
He handed her the menu. “I’ll have the same, but with toast instead of the waffle. And can you please get us each some coffee? Thanks.” Then to Matilda, he said, “Grits? Have you ever had grits before?”
She shook her head. “I haven’t, but they sound interesting. Why are they called grits? Are they gritty? Who knows? I guess I’ll find out soon.”
He laughed. “I love them, but you’ll have to add butter and salt.”
“I’m all for adding butter and salt.” She was so hungry, she wanted to slather everything in butter.
“You seem different since you sold the clinic.”
“Different how?” Matilda asked.
“More relaxed. Happier. It’s good.” He smiled as the waitress poured their coffee. “Thanks.”
“If I can just kick this flu, I’ll be great. I’m looking forward to relaxing a bit. I want to get back into exercising — I haven’t done any real exercise in months.”
“I think you probably got your steps in at the clinic.”
She shrugged. “That’s true, but I mean running, weights, that kind of thing. You know how much I love to work out. I feel agitated when I don’t get to do it.”
“I’m the same way. Maybe we can start working out together in the mornings before I leave for work.”
“That would be really nice,” Matilda replied, imagining the two of them lifting weights together in the downstairs gym at the house. She was always keen for activities they could do together. They never seemed to get enough time with one another.
Their food arrived, and it was steaming hot and smelled delicious. Matilda decided to start with the grits. She added butter and watched it melt as she stirred it in. Then she spooned a large bite of it into her mouth. It had a surprising taste and texture, but she liked it.
“It’s different. But it’s good.”
“It goes well with the eggs and bacon,” Ryan replied as he made a forkful for himself.
She tried it again, this time together, and found that it was delicious.
The waffle was the star of the meal, though.
She’d never had one quite as good in her life .
If she hadn’t been stuffed completely full, she might’ve ordered another one, although by the time she finished eating it, she already had a sugar high from the syrup. Her head spun.
By the time they made it home, Matilda was feeling much better.
Life was good. She didn’t have to go to work today, and her flu seemed to be abating.
The waffles and eggs left her belly satisfied and her heart was full as Ryan opened the truck door, helped her out, and kissed her before she could take a step toward the house.
Then he swept her off her feet and carried her the rest of the way with her giggling like a schoolgirl.
He set her down gently on the steps and unlocked the door.
He chased her into the house, and she ran up the stairs squealing. He caught her at the top of the stairs and pulled her to his chest. They were both laughing and breathless.
“I wish you didn’t have to go to work today.”
“I wish that too. But I do have to…”
“You could play hooky.”
“I want to…”
Her phone rang. She disentangled herself against his protests and ran to answer it. Her sister’s voice rang out.
“Tilly! I miss you. Why don’t you ever call me?”
Matilda laughed. “Hey, Stell-bell. I’ve been really busy. But that’s all changing. I’m a lady of leisure. At least for now, anyway. I sold my clinic.”
“You did? Wow, I can’t believe you went through with it. That’s a big deal. I’m really proud of you for choosing your health and happiness. It’ll be worth it.”
“I think so too,” Matilda replied. “And as soon as I get rid of this flu, I’ll be golden.”
“What flu?”
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I feel nauseated sometimes, but not other times. I keep thinking I’m better, and then I’ll have an entire day when I’m dizzy. Do you think I should go to the doctor?”
Stella laughed. “I think you should take a pregnancy test.”
Ryan waited outside the bathroom while Matilda took the test. Then he knocked softly on the door. “Can I come in yet?”
“Come in,” she called.
She stood by the basin, looking at the test stick. He stood beside her, one hand on her shoulder, and they watched it together. It didn’t take long.
Pregnant.
She looked up at him, a smile lighting up her features. “I’m pregnant.”
He grinned and picked her up off her feet to kiss her on the lips.
They both laughed with joy together. She’d begun to think it would never happen.
She hadn’t taken a test in weeks because she was so tired of the disappointment.
She wasn’t sure how much more of it she could take, and now it’d really happened.
“Are you happy?” she asked him as he set her feet back on the bathroom floor.
There were tears in his eyes. “I’ve never been so happy in all my life.”