It was 9:16pm. The wind was whistling and slight showers of rain was dropping from the sky. I was seated in a fancy red table. Two tall candles was positioned on the center of the table, red velvet roses was sprayed around the table, two bottles of champagne stood on the table. I wore a dazzling red gown and styled my hair in French ponytail. I painted my lips with glossy red lip gloss and wore a pair of diamond earrings.
Jansen arrived at the terrace in pink sleeves and a pair of brown jeans with black shoes. His hair was neatly gelled. My cheeks immediately dissolved into a wild smile seeing him. His eyes lit in excitement seeing the decorations on the table.
I sprang to my feet and he advanced to me, "this arrangement, it looks adorable."
"I know hon." I laid my hands on his shoulders and tapped the music box and a music started playing, it was a romantic song, Perfect by the Artiste Edsheeran. The chilled breeze fondled my skin softly. Jansen laid his hands on my waist and held me closer to him.
I rested my face on his chest and we slowly started dancing. Jansen's arms felt so warm and solid. After ten minutes, Jansen was starting to feel discomfortable, he slowly dropped his hands from my waist and I moved from his chest, "what's wrong?" I raised my brows.
"This dance is too slow and quite boring." His brows furrowed.
"You don't enjoy dancing with me anymore?"
"You feel frail in my arms. I can't even move my body and you aren't moving yours. And I don't want us to so you don't get stressed."
My brows furrowed and I furiously yelled, "I know I am sick, do you have to remind me how frail I am? I know I am so frail but I don't want you to make me feel that way and just dance with me."
"Well this dance is boring. I'm tired standing doing nothing just having you lean on me."
Tears filled my eyes threatening to obscure my vision, I winked and they slowly poured on my cheeks, "if dancing with me is so boring, let's just cancel this date and go to bed."
"Okay if you say so."
I sniffed, "carry me to our room. I feel too tired to walk. I feel I'm gonna pass out if I walk. I'm getting dizzy again."
"Alright hon." Jansen advanced to me. He carried me in his arms, I wrapped my arm on his neck and was staring at his face. I was leaning my head on his chest. He walked from the terrace, climbed a plight of stairs approaching our bedroom. He nudged the door open, stepped in and gently dropped me on the bed. He pulled my heels off my legs and took his shoes off too.
He threw himself on the bed and sighed resting his forehead on his elbow. I pulled myself closer to him and touched his cheek. He looked into my eyes and I looked deeply into his, "hon, make love to me."
Jansen sighed, "no, I don't wanna weaken you. The doctor said you should avoid any kind of stress."
"It's been a long while since we made love."
"If you aren't frail, we would. Stop trying, stop putting an effort to make our bonding interesting. You're weak Emily, nothing's gonna work."
"Are you tired of me? That I am this? Sick? I don't attract you anymore? Should I curse myself cause I'm so sick? Should I hate my body?" My voice was cracking as I spoke.
"No hon don't say that. I just don't wanna see you stressed. That's it."
I sat up and shouted amidst tears, "no, you don't like me anymore cause I am so sick! You think I'm so boring and that i don't amuse you. I feel like I'm forcing myself to be yours, and that you are forcing your self to like and get used to my sick state. Don't give up on me please Jansen, don't get tired. I will still get better once I've done the surgery and operation and I will still be that attractive wife who you fell for."
Jansen advanced to me sitting up, "I love you, attractive or not attractive. Sick or not sick."
He leaned in kissing my lips affectionately and he glanced at my face envisaging it to be Juliet's face. He was almost pulling off my blouse and I gently pushed his hand away, "it's okay. I now believe that you're not irritated with me." I pulled myself nearer to him embracing him lovingly grinning from ear to ear.
******
It was a radiant hot Saturday afternoon. I called Juliet inviting her for dinner at my house so I can introduce her to Jansen since she's now based in New York. It's time Juliet met my husband and my daughter I agreed. And I also wanted to satisy my curiosity to know if she really was at my house two nights ago attending to me. When I spoke to Juliet on phone, she sounded excited to meet my husband and daughter.
I stepped into the kitchen and I glanced at Jansen munching slices of apples. I advanced to him and stood behind him wrapping my arms around his flat tummy and resting my cheek on his back. "Hon..." I grinned from ear to ear.
Jansen slowly turned to me. He was sucking another slice and the juice from the slice was dribbling on his cheek. I reached for a soft tissue lying on the table and was gently rubbing his cheek, "hon guess what?"
"What's the surprise?" Jansen grinned.
"My sister Juliet is coming over. I just realized I haven't yet introduced you two to each other and I wanna do that while she's still in New York before she leaves to Brazil."
"You invited her? Okay, that's alright hon. I really can't wait to see and know her. I'm sure she must be as pretty as you." Jansen touched my nose and I chuckled, "so, what are we preparing for dinner? Pasta?"
I shook my head, "no, not pasta. My sister is very allergic to pasta. Just the smell, gives her rashes and make her itchy and nauseous too."
Jansen's brows furrowed feeling quite jittery recalling two days ago when he and Juliet visited a restaurant. The waiter approached their table asking them to pick an order and Jansen asked him to serve them pasta. Juliet immediately objected, "don't serve me pasta. I'm allergic to it. Just the smell can make me wanna throw up or give me rashes."
Jansen broke out of his thoughts. "When...when is she coming?"
"This evening by 8. So I want you to put on one of your favorite shirts and your cute pants. I will go pick a dress for Isabella." I stepped out of the kitchen.
Jansen's heart was starting to race incessantly, my voice was echoing in his mind, "I just realized I haven't introduced you two to each other yet and I wanna do that while she's still in New York before she leaves to Brazil."
Jansen paced up and down cogitating, "could Juliet be the Juliet who is Emily's sister?" He rubbed his neck in anxiousness, "I hope she's not. It better not be her."