just the little things

Bex couldn't say who was being more quiet. Was it Oliver? Or just her?

She guessed he knew now that it was her period. He hadn't said a word about it. When they got home, Oliver went straight to the bathroom for a shower.

"Just don't lock the door," Bex remembered it as if it had just happened. Him, underwater. The stillness. It was hard to shake.

He just nodded. She waited. Wondering how long a shower would take. She wondered then too if they should have gone to the emergency room or perhaps called 911. Why hadn't she? He didn't say she couldn't. It just wasn't a thought in her head.

She put on the kettle then and waited. If he took too long, she was going in. She was. But then the water stopped, and it was another five minutes or so, he came out with a towel wrapped around him.

"So you stopped by Nelson's, I suppose," she looked at him then as if he was rather content just in a towel.

"Yeah." He nodded sitting down at the kitchen table waiting for tea. He cut at the sharp cheddar cheese she'd already laid out. Grapes too. It would be a light supper.

"So." She kept staring at him. Wondering if his pupils might be huge. They weren't. That was a good sign. She guessed.

"I just needed to talk to him." Oliver shrugged putting cheese on a cracker and handing it to her. "All right?"

"You have my brother talk to, he can talk about just anything, you know." Why did he have to spend time with Nelson? What good could come from that?

"Well, maybe I'll introduce your brother to Nelson," Oliver just smiled taking her hand and pulling her into his lap. "Maybe he could be a youth minister, or something."

Bex rolled her eyes at that one.

"Have you heard from your brother today?" Oliver kept his hand on her belly. He kissed her before she could answer.

"Are you sure you should be hanging around that Nelson, especially, if-" She wasn't going to forget about Nelson.

"Please, don't make a big deal out of him. He just puts things in perspective. He's fine. He's a good friend to have," Oliver told her.

He kissed her again. This time she let go of any unwanted feelings and just felt his plush lip next to hers. She couldn't help but let him take her in.

The whistle from the tea kettle sang. She just smiled thinking they really didn't need tea after all, but she pulled herself away and made tea. It was highly unlikely that Oliver was going to get dressed anytime soon.