Chapter 2
"Okay, we need…milk, bread, cheese, cereal and…what else did you say Sam?" Tabitha asked later that morning. The small Guthrie family had made their way to the grocery store after breakfast, and were now standing in the middle of the aisle trying to figure out which way to go.
"Flour." Sam reminded her, swinging Sami up onto his shoulders.
"That's right." Tabitha said and then blinked. "Wait a minute, I just bought flour a couple days ago."
Neither Sam nor his daughter would meet Tabitha's gaze. Truth be told, they had gotten into a small flour fight that morning, but had cleaned it up before Tabitha had come back in.
Tabitha gave her husband and daughter a suspicious look but let it drop.
They slowly made their way through the grocery story, hefting the needed items into the basket. Tabitha winced as she remembered the 'package' that she needed to pick up and wondered how she was going to get it without Sam noticing.
She had come to the conclusion that it was better not to tell Sam that she might be…that, then to tell him and get his hopes up, only to have it be a false alarm.
(After all, it could just be the stomach flu.)
After a few more minutes Tabitha saw her chance to slip off and grab her box. Sam and Sami had discovered the bakery and were happily watching the cooks ice the cakes and other assorted goodies. Tabitha smiled softly and then moved off to quickly grab the pink and blue box.
She moved back quickly, and deposited the fruits of her labors under a sack of potatoes. Sami and her father were still watching the bakers and talking in whispers back and forth.
"You guys almost ready?" Tabitha had to fight to keep her voice steady, and clenched her fists to keep them from shaking.
"Almost." Sam called, shifting Sami around in his arms. "You go on, we'll be there in a second."
Tabitha rolled her eyes, but did as the asked, wheeling the cart down the aisle. Sam and his little girl watched her go then turned back to the cakes.
"I think she'll like that one." Sami said, pointing to a pink and yellow cake.
"Ah think so to. Did she ever tell you what color her uniform use to be?" Sam asked, as they waited on the baker.
"What uniform?" Sami asked, confused.
"The one she wore when Ah first fell in love with her." Sam told her softly, a distant look overcoming his handsome features.
"No…what did it look like?" Sami asked, her face shining.
Sam suddenly laughed. "It was neon green and hot pink. Yoah Momma had the worst taste in clothing back then!"
"Neon green and hot pink? Mommy?!" Sami asked, incredulously.
"Yes." Sam nodded, then looked up and smiled as the baker walked up. "Hi, can we order this cake?" Sam asked, pointing to the one Sami had chosen.
"Of course. Anything written on it?" The fat little baker asked.
"Nah, just the cake." Sam said after looking over at Sami. The little girl was shaking her head from side to side, in a gesture that meant 'no'.
"Is this your little girl?" The baker asked, smiling at the tot. Sami smiled back shyly then hide her face in Sam's shirt.
"Yes, sir, she is." Sam said, stroking her hair softly.
"Pretty little thing." The man complimented, boxing the cake.
"Thank you. She looks like her Momma." Sam laughed, shifting Sami so he could take the cake. Sami wiggled out of his arms and hoped down onto the floor. She reached up to lace her small fingers through his much longer ones as they walked up to the cash register that Tabitha was standing at.
"What's that?" She asked, pointing at the box.
Sam grinned, and then said "Oh nothin'."
"Nothin', my eye. I know that look." Tabitha muttered, looking at her husband suspiciously.
For her part, Sami had avoided her mother's questions by looking through the cart. Her eyes fell on a little box under the potatoes, and she crinkled her eyebrows in confusion. She peered at it through the chris crossed silver bars of the cart and then looked back up at her parents who were still bantering back and forth. Sami looked at the box, then back at her parents, and decided that it could wait.
****
When the Guthrie family had finally checked out of the grocery story and carried the groceries to the car. Tabitha made certain that she had the bag with her 'special' box in it, just in case Sam decided to go through his bag, as he had been know to do from time to time.
"Mommy, can we go to McDonald's for lunch?" Sami asked, noticing the golden arches as they drove by. Tabitha looked over at Sam who was driving and he shrugged.
"Why not?"
"Yeah! I wanna Furbby happy meal!" Sami cheered, her little face lighting with joy.
"Oh my lord, are they STILL selling those?" Tabitha asked. She smiled and looked over at Sam.
Sam chuckled and looked over at his wife who was staring at him with a peculiar light in her eyes. He crinkled his eyebrows and reached out for her hand.
"What?" He asked, worried.
"Nothin'." Tabitha said, shaking her head.
"You sure? And what was wrong with you this morning?" Sam asked, his face contorting with worry as the memory popped into his mind.
"What do you mean?" Tabitha asked nervously, not meeting his eyes.
"He means why were you throwing up this morning, Mommy." Sami supplied helpfully from the back seat.
"Oh. I'm not sure." Tabitha lied, biting her lip. "Maybe it's just the stomach flu."
Sam was still looking at her with worry in his clear blue eyes and she smiled at him. "I'll be fine."
"Okay." Sam agreed slowly, turning into the McDonald's parking lot.
Tabitha smiled at him, and then climbed out of the car. Sam looked at her back for a second, then climbed out after her, walking around the back of the car, picking Sami up as she clambered out of the car. Sami smiled at him, then looked over at her mother.
"Dad, is Mommy okay?" Sami asked, looking at her father.
"Ah hope so sweetie." Sam answered. Tabitha turned back to look at them, and Sam jogged a few steps to catch up with her.
"Sam…I'll be right back." Tabitha said weakly as soon as they stepped into the McDonalds.
"Alright…what do you want to eat?" Sam asked, looking at her in worry. But Tabitha had already darted off toward the ladies room. Sam watched her go and looked down at Sami.
"Are you sure Mommy's not sick?" Sami asked, worried.
"Ah have no…idea." Sam said, something suddenly occurring to him. "It can't be that…can it?"
"Can't be what, Daddy?" Sami asked, tipping her face to look at him.
"Oh…nothin' sweetie. Let's go order."
*****
Tabitha raced into the Ladies room and, thankfully, there was no one there. She fell to her knees in one of the stalls, and threw up everything she had in her stomach. She twisted around lean against the toilet and breathed deeply.
After a minute more, she stood up and went to go find her family.
She found them sitting at a table, Sami chewing on a fry and playing with her new toy, and Sam smiling at her.
He's such a good father, Tabitha thought to herself. Sami smiled at him and walked the ugly brown creature she had gotten out of her Happy Meal over to him and made it kiss his arm. Sam laughed and then caught sight of Tabitha.
"Are you okay?" Sam asked as she slide into a seat next to him.
"I'm alright. Really." Tabitha said, looking over at him.
Sam looked at her for a long moment, but then let it drop. Sami looked up at her parents then went back to playing with her toy, and slowly eating her food.