"Hello," Arlene said answering her phone.
"Why didn't you tell me?" David asked.
"I did tell you," Arlene replied, "through the email."
"How are you feeling?"
"Fine, but scared."
"About?"
"Some of the things the doctor told me."
"Such as?"
"Such as the fact that it's normal for women carrying more than one child to be put on total bed rest the last part of their pregnancy, and it's also normal for them to go into premature labor."
"You sound as if you're rethinking your decision to have the babies," David said his tone nervous.
"Never!" Arlene said. I'm just feeling a little overwhelmed after finding out that I'm having more than one baby. I'm also feeling kind of alone."
"You're not alone, Arlene," David said trying to reassure her.
"Oh, but I am," Arlene pointed out. "I don't have any family or friends that I can turn to when I need support, or I'm afraid."
"I'm here for you," David said.
"You're in California, David, and I'm in Georgia," Arlene pointed out.
"Have you changed your mind about giving our marriage a chance?" David asked his heart rate increasing slightly at her possible answer.
"I haven't changed my mind," Arlene replied.
"Thank God," David said, breathing a sigh of relief and slowly releasing the breath he was holding.
"But I'm wondering how we're going to give our marriage a try and be a family, given our current situation," Arlene said.
"What do you mean?" David asked tensing up again.
"David, we've decided to give our marriage a chance and to be a family, but we haven't taken any steps in that direction," Arlene said. "Nor have we made any decisions as a couple. We can't become a family without getting to know each other. There are so many things we must discuss and work out."
"Like where we're going to live," David said understanding what Arlene was saying.
"Yes," Arlene replied glad that he understood what she was saying. "What kind of marriage are we going to have? Are you going to be a weekend father, or do you want to be involved in the day to day lives of our children?"
"I want to be involved in the day to day lives of our children," David told her. "I want to be with you and our children. The only reason I didn't push the issue or bring the things you pointed out is because I wanted to give you time to adjust to us being together. Especially after everything that happened to us. I figured and hoped that you would let me know when you were ready to talk about our situation."
"Thank you," Arlene said relieved that all the thoughts about why David hadn't mentioned them living together weren't true. "You don't know what I've been thinking, the thoughts that were running through my head. And that email it...it confirmed my worst nightmare."
"I'm sorry Diana did that to you," David said his tone sympathetic and sincere. "I promise you that she won't be sending you any more email. I talked to her and made it clear that I won't tolerate her interfering in my life or our relationship."
"I understand why she did it," Arlene said. "She's trying to understand what's happened to her, her relationship with you, the plans the two of you made concerning your futures and why her life has suddenly changed. Your relationship with her didn't end because either of you wanted it to. It was forced to end when you married me. She probably thinks, I'm forcing you to stay with me. In her mind, she's rescuing you from me."
"Well, after the conversation we had today she knows that I don't need to be rescued," David said, "and that I'm staying married to you because it's what I want."
"No, one that knows you is going to believe that you're with me because you want to be," Arlene said. "Especially when they hear how we came to be married. Everyone is going to think that I'm the one not willing to have our marriage annulled."
"Then I'll just have to straighten them out," David said. "I'll let them know that I'm the one that doesn't want to let you go."
"Defending our marriage might take more energy than you think," Arlene said, "it might take more energy than you're willing to put into it."
"You sound as if I'm in this by myself," David said.
"You're not in it by yourself," Arlene assured him. "I don't know you or what to expect from you. I'm in a strange spot David. We both are because we don't know each other. You don't know my strengths or weaknesses and I don't know yours. You don't know what it would take to make me say uncle and I don't know what it'll take for you to give up. We're both taking chances not only with our lives but the lives of our children."
David hated the truth of the words, he heard his wife speak, but he couldn't deny them.
"I'm committed to you, our children and our relationship, Arlene," David said.
"I believe you David," Arlene said. "Everything you've done so far shows your commitment to our relationship, me, and our children. I'm just scared that the reality of that commitment might become too much for you."
"You're worried about what I'll do if it becomes too much for me, aren't you?" David asked.
"Yes," Arlene said. "I've been abandoned before, but I was too young to know it was happening. But, if it happens this time I'll feel it, and I won't be in it alone."
"I can assure you that I'm not walking around with blinders on, and I'm not working under the impression that everything is going to be all flowers and hearts because we want it to be," David said. "I know because of many factors in our relationship that there are going to be hurdles that we're going to have to jump. And, I know as you said you don't know me well enough; my word is the only thing you have to trust right now and that isn't much, but I assure you that you'll never be alone as long as I draw breath. I will be there for you and our children."
"Have you told your parents about the babies?" Arlene asked.
"Yes," David replied smiling when he heard the sniffle Arlene gave as she changed the topic of their conversation. "They can't wait for them to be born so they can spoil them."
"That's great," Arlene said pushing away the pang of jealousy she felt at David being able to share his happiness with his parents. "I'm glad they're happy about becoming grandparents. Will our children be their first?"
