Each morning, Nina woke up, went to the kitchen and made coffee. Fortified for what lay ahead, the next stop was the living room. Some days the vases remained perfectly placed, other days the small nudge had occurred.
The first few times, Rory had been informed of the change and the mystery was discussed. He was dragged to see the evidence, but he simply shrugged. How could anyone notice such a small difference, he would say. The raising of eyebrows made her question herself. After a couple of weeks, Nina did not mention it anymore.
The strange events took a back seat as Nina waited for the changes to her body which would herald her pregnancy. A mounting conviction, that she would soon get the confirmation, made her hypervigilant for any clue. Queasiness at the sight of a plate of scrambled eggs, was the, long awaited, sign. Holding her breath in the bathroom, the test confirmed what she already knew.
The move to Fernborough had brought much discussion about starting a family. They didn't use the words, trying for a baby, that seemed so clinical. They had both expressed how wonderful it would be, especially with a large house and grandparents nearby, and had then left things to take their own course. Now it had become a reality.
Almost floating down the stairs, Nina went into the kitchen holding the small white stick. No words would come. The tears flowed as the test was offered to Rory.
"You're pregnant?"
"Yes."
Rory smiled and punched the air, then he cried, and then a frown.
"Oh my God. We'll have to get that bedroom decorated and there's all sorts of stuff to buy. I'll ring mum and dad."
"Hold your horses, Rory. Yes, I'm pregnant, but only a few weeks. Let's wait before we tell anyone. I need to see the doctor and start the process. You know, hospital appointments and such. Plus, this is the riskiest time. I want to be sure that everything is okay before we tell people."
"I know, but I'm so excited. My parents will be ecstatic. Expect a tsunami of baby gifts when they find out. You'll have to phone Louise, too. I'm sure she will be happy for us."
Nina nodded and smiled at that suggestion, but there was a hint of a frown, as well. The news might bring a visit from her mother and that was always fraught. Louise would descend, drink too much, sleep late, disrupt their lives and then leave. There would be an incident when she cried pitifully and various occasions when she was petulant. It would be good training for dealing with a toddler.
That could wait. After the weekend, Nina would phone the doctor and set the wheels in motion. No doubt, the other thing that would happen as they entered a new week, was that the vases would start to move again. The ghost, spirit, whatever, seemed to take Saturday and Sunday off.
A couple of times that week, the vase moved an inch over night and the next day she moved it back. It was an irritation. Such a small thing. Nina did spend a lot of time thinking about the anomaly though. At home during the day, a tour of the house would be undertaken to see if any other changes had happened. So far, there was nothing to report.
A knock on the door announced that Rory's parents had arrived. They would turn up every now and then, occasionally bringing something for the house. Lately a number of plants had been delivered. They didn't supply a pretext or an excuse, they just came. Nina didn't mind these visits. Once they found out about the pregnancy, would they increase and become a problem?
"I'll put the kettle on. How are you?" Nina greeted Joy and Martin.
"We're fine. Are you coming to lunch on Sunday? I've got lamb." Joy knew that was their favourite.
"That sounds good. I'll check with Rory, but I'm sure it will be a yes."
The tea was made and a message sent to Rory. He responded with an affirmative.
"Rory says yes to lunch."
"Did you tell him it was lamb?"
"I did. He was powerless to say no."
Nina showed them around the garden, pointing out all the work that their son had done. Martin couldn't resist pulling up a couple of weeds during the tour. Back inside, Joy washed up their mugs, even though the presence of a dishwasher had been pointed out several times.
"We'll get out of your hair. Looking forward to Sunday." Martin looked at Joy, who nodded back.
"One moment, I must nip to the loo first."
"Every time." Martin rolled his eyes and Nina smiled.
"I'll make a cheesecake and bring that with me on Sunday. Not that we'll have much room after eating one of Joy's roasts."
"That would be lovely. Ah, there you are. Have you got everything? Right let's go."
"The light was on in the loo. I turned it off. Thought I would mention it in case it was on for a reason."
"Thanks, Joy. See you Sunday."
Nina hadn't used the downstairs cloakroom that morning. It must have been left on overnight. A list was started for the next shopping trip. What flavour cheesecake should she make?