Chapter 7

Things remained a little stiff for a while, No, get your mind out of the gutter! I don't mean that! I mean there was still just a hint of tension for a while, but as it turned out, we were both trying to analyze what had just happened, and happily, were both coming up with results on the positive side of the scale. But neither of us knew that for certain yet, and we were both walking on eggshells, afraid to drop the other shoe, on pins and needles, and all those other metaphors that cry "uncertainty." I know I had been too hesitant in other situations, and had missed out on "opportunities of a lifetime," but damned if I'll let that happen this time!

Then Kaitlyn beat me to the punch and dropped the other shoe!

We were back in the cabin, all the mindless, needless stuff was done, and re-done, and I had heated water for tea. She had peppermint, and I don't remember what I had, because my brain hadn't completely restarted yet. And I heard "Rob? Am I in love? Is this what it's like?" I looked at her, and even in the dimmed cabin lights her eyes were shiny. "Are you real?"

I closed my eyes for a second, and heard her move, felt a whisper touch my cheek, and there were those blue eyes again. And I asked

"Are you?"

"God, I hope so," and she settled into my arms again, her head on my chest, "I certainly hope this – us – we, are real."

"And not just some random reaction to whatever Todd put in your drink?"

"Please don't mention that lowlife again right now. I'm trying to decide whether to hate him, or to name our first-born after him!"

Now, that woke me up, I'll tell ya! Here I was, unattached, and as far as I knew that was a permanent thing, and all of a sudden I had this -- this angel in my arms, and she was talking about our firstborn! And I was happy with that! But I was tongue tied, and didn't have any response that I thought would be appropriate right then. So we just sat there.

Time has acted differently since I met Kay, so I don't know how long it took, but my arm started going to sleep because I was leaning against the paneling under one of the overhead lockers, and the headroom lacked about an inch of being just right for me. I had to move. That's when I realized she'd fallen asleep just sitting there leaning in to me. She had dozed off. But I had to move, because now my nose itched, and I desperately had to pee. So I moved, and she grumbled something in her sleep, and I just let her gently down to the settee, covered her with a light afghan, and tended to my business.

I washed up, brushed my teeth, and went back up topside, to think. To think – right! That was my first experience with what I now call "The Kay effect." I tried thinking with my eyes open. Saw Kay. Tried thinking with my eyes closed. Saw Kay. Heard her voice – "Am I in love? Are you real? Our firstborn?" Closed my eyes and put my hands over my ears, and tried not to see or listen. This time I saw her, and heard me, and in my head I was calling myself names like stupid, idiot – names like that, and hearing "Don't you dare screw this one up!" So I went back to eyes open, looking at the stars and listening for her voice. And she was right there, and she said "Doubloon for your thoughts, sailor?"

So I said "But what if it's a girl?"