A tiring day. Vlora felt more exhausted than usual, maybe because of the work piled up or because of her recent lack of rest.
“Nana asked me something earlier.”
Andreas’ voice startled Vlora when it suddenly appeared. She turned to find Andreas following her into the dressing room, as if he couldn’t wait for her in the bedroom.
Vlora’s casual clothes had been discarded, replaced by a comfortable nightgown. She closed the wardrobe door and wondered if something had happened that day to make Andreas strike up a conversation in the dressing room.
Vlora was sure that something was wrong. Judging from their time together, she found Andreas to be a patient man, controlled and never in a hurry, as if he knew that waiting was not a bad thing.
Vlora was not wrong in her assessment. That’s the way Andreas usually was. But there were exceptions to everything, and this was the case with Andreas. He could have waited for Vlora to get dressed in the bedroom, leaning against the bed and relaxing with his phone. But no, this time he was really curious about Vlora’s reaction to the topic he wanted to bring up. So he followed her, and Vlora answered his question with a counter-question.
“What?” Vlora asked.
Andreas didn’t answer right away. Instead, he sat down on a sofa that was there. He gestured with both hands, and Vlora caught the signal with surprise.
Why was there a chaise longue in the dressing room?
Vlora would ask about it later, perhaps to Andreas. Right now, there was something more important than finding out the advantages of having a chair in the dressing room.
Vlora approached and Andreas took her hand, leading her to sit on his lap.
Her hands went up and wrapped around Andreas’ neck, while Andreas automatically held Vlora’s waist.
Andreas raised his face, Vlora lowered hers, and their lips met in a brief kiss. For a moment, their breaths caressed each other as the kiss unfolded. They looked into each other’s eyes, and Vlora’s forehead creased slightly as she felt a touch on her stomach.
“Nana asked about that,” Andreas said.
No further explanation was necessary. Vlora was sure that one didn’t need the intelligence of a professor to understand Andreas’ words.
“So, what did you tell her?”
“I told her that we would try,” Andreas answered casually, ending the conversation on Vlora’s stomach. “But I still want to know, do you want it too?”
One-word disturbed Vlora. “Too?”
Andreas nodded, not at all in denial. “Yes, I want it. How about you?”
Reluctantly, doubt crept into Andreas’ mind. He wouldn’t forget how their marriage had happened. Without any romantic impression, their marriage was like a business agreement to gain individual benefits. They hadn’t planned for separation to be the end of their marriage, but death, not discussions about children, was the main focus of their marriage.
“How about me?” Vlora asked again, looking confused. “Why do you ask like that?”
“Marriage and children are two different things. You accepted our marriage, but do you want to have children? Uh, forgive me. I overlooked that when I proposed to you.”
Reflexively, Vlora chuckled, albeit briefly. Andreas noticed her reaction and rolled his eyes.
“Maybe we should have talked about what is allowed in our marriage before,” he suggested.
Vlora’s chuckle turned into a giggle. Her eyes disappeared and her head suddenly rested on Andreas’ shoulder.
“Oh, Andreas. You’re absolutely right.”
Andreas smiled playfully. His words might sound like a joke, but they made sense, considering the unconventional way their marriage had started. They weren’t like other couples who married for love, so it was reasonable for him to wonder.
“I know it sounds funny, but I’m serious.”
Vlora’s body shook with laughter. Andreas let her laugh until it stopped a moment later.
Vlora blinked her eyes with lingering laughter. She ran a hand over Andreas’ shoulder, then stopped at his chest. Her touch briefly brushed Andreas’ nipple, making him shiver with anticipation.
“I never knew there were other options for a woman besides having children with her husband.”
Ah! A smile suddenly appeared on Andreas’ face. The look in his eyes changed; the doubt disappeared and was replaced by a satisfied look.
“You want it too.”
Andreas finished with just one effective sentence. Moreover, when he thought about it again, Vlora had mentioned the topic of having children with him. Not explicitly, but it had already been implied that Vlora wanted it, too.
“I didn’t want to say this, but I have to. So I hope you remember.”
“What is it?”
“If we have children, I’m sure our child will be a bit annoying, considering that its father is you.”
Andreas’ eyes widened. His mouth opened; he obviously wanted to interject. But he found that Vlora continued to speak.
“Fortunately, because you are their father, they will definitely inherit your good looks. If it’s a girl, I’m sure she’ll be a prima donna.”
The once widened eyes returned to normal. The expression that had indicated surprise also changed to one of comic relief.
“I’m also sure she’ll be intelligent and resilient. Because their father is you.”
“It seems I can relax now,” Andreas remarked, rubbing the curve just above Vlora’s buttocks. “Because they will surely be as smart as me in choosing a mate.”
“I thought you would say the opposite.”
Andreas laughed. “You’re accusing me, Vlo.”
“I thought so for a moment, and I agree with you. Marriage won’t work if you choose the wrong partner.”
Andreas’ caresses continued faithfully. He touched some hidden places that slowly produced sensations for another purpose.
“When you say ‘they’, does that mean there will be more than one child?”
Vlora smiled meaningfully. “We’ll have to discuss that question in more detail. After all, I’m the one who’s carrying, so let’s see what interesting offer you can come up with?”
Andreas shook his head. It seemed that not only her proposal was an unusual event, but so were the discussions about family planning. Perhaps he should prepare a presentation on the pros and cons of the desired number of children. Then make an offer that he thought would convince Vlora, including aspects like babysitter and special vacations.
Alright. Andreas had no problem with that. After the Progun matter was settled, he would begin to put everything together as if it were a proposal for a business partnership between companies.
In the meantime, Andreas had something more interesting to do. He looked at Vlora and wondered how she could look more beautiful every day.
Could it be that Andreas was in a good mood? Everything he had planned was going smoothly, which made him happier than usual? Was it because of that, or was it just the truth?
“Are you tired tonight?”
*