Chapter 41: Party Pain

Roxanne knew that obsessing over those three little words was sophomoric. In junior high, people would talk about who loved whom without really giving it a thought as to what those words meant.
Six months after she’d moved in with Tom, he still hadn’t told her he loved her. She lay in their bed following an afternoon nap, pregnancy making her more tired than she’d ever been. Looking at Tom’s empty side, she wished he was there for her to cuddle.
She thought about how he often showed her his affection with kisses and gentle caresses. Moreover, he frequently told her he cared about her. He even showed his feelings for her by buying her gifts such as a foot spa for her swollen feet and giving her nightly foot massages, but he hadn’t said “I love you.”
He probably just assumed she knew it and didn’t have to say it, but she wanted to hear it. Rolling over and looking out the window, Roxanne swung her legs off the bed. With her belly growing bigger, sitting straight up had become more difficult.
While she still raged about the fact that Baxter continued his illegal dealings, she felt relieved that Danny and her old construction crew were back to work. Albeit, she still needed to find proof of Baxter’s misdeeds in order to exonerate Tom for the forged permit, but she was concentrating her efforts on re-opening The Hole in the Wall.
Although Tom was busy preparing his development project on Ruby’s former land, which he bought, including attending meetings with investors, architects, and city planners, when she had a free moment, Roxanne continued to stew over how to catch Baxter.
With the renovations at The Hole in the Wall complete, the bar was set to re-open that night. Roxanne would have felt most comfortable in her old jeans and a t-shirt, but neither of those fit anymore. Looking down, she couldn’t even see her feet over her swollen belly. She shuffled over to the dresser to pick out an outfit for the evening.
Tom had been so generous, buying maternity clothes and anything else she needed. He also hired a personal chef to make sure Roxanne had healthy meals, and even though she enjoyed being pampered, the pregnancy hadn’t slowed her down from working hard to make their projects, such as re-opening The Hole in the Wall, successful.
She selected a long cotton dress, her pregnant stomach protruding in the middle, and slipped on a pair of flip-flops so she wouldn’t have to contort her body to put on shoes. Plus, the cool air on her exposed, puffy feet felt good.
At The Hole in the Wall, Roxanne met up with her dad who had also been helping with the re-opening preparations. He stood behind the bar making sure the glassware and dishes were ready for use.
Roxanne waddled to the bar, her belly leading the way. “Hi, Pop.”
“How’s my favorite pregnant lady?” he asked.
She put her purse down on the bar. “Good,” she said. “This baby is going to be a soccer player, I think. Kicking away.” She held her hands to her stomach and smiled at her father.
“Hey, do you have any antacids? I think I have a touch of something.” He pressed his hand to his chest. She opened her purse and rooted around, finally handing her dad an antacid.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah,” he waved. “I’m all ready for this place to have some patrons again.”
“You invited all your friends, right? I invited Danny and the construction crew. Plus, Tom has some people coming. We should have a good crowd.”
Roxanne swayed her hips as she scooted over to the bar to check the supplies. While the place had been repaired and cleaned, repainted and upgraded, she’d kept most of the elements that had made it an unpretentious hangout for a diverse crowd. Examining the room, she anticipated a fun and raucous re-opening.
The staff they’d hired started to arrive, including the new manager. Roxanne left them prepare for the big night, needing to sit down and rest her feet after checking the bar for anything that might be out of place.
Tom walked in just before the opening, bringing with him some of his colleagues. Seeing Roxanne at one of the tables, he came over and kissed her on the cheek. “How are you today?” he asked.
“Oh, just getting this place set up while our baby here is practicing for the World Cup,” Roxanne said with a smirk and rubbed her belly.
Tom kissed her burgeoning midsection. “Does it hurt? Why don’t you go home? Get some rest? You’ve been working so hard here.”
She looked at him with a sly smile. “I love feeling our baby all active and strong. You’re not getting rid of me that easy,” she said. “I don’t care if I have to sit in this chair at the front door like some kind of geriatric welcome wagon, I’m not going anywhere.” Tom smiled, and it made her forget all the uncomfortable aspects of her pregnancy.
She remembered how his smile on their first outing at The Hole in the Wall had thrilled her. Even with her tired and awkward body, his smile still renewed her energy.
Danny strode in with a few of the guys from Roxanne’s old construction site. “Glad you could make it,” she said. They looked around, taking in the new surroundings, some giving her a thumbs-up, others offering a high-five.
“I like what you’ve done with the place,” Danny said.
“Thanks,” Roxanne replied.
Ruby glided in a few minutes later wearing a mini-skirt and off-the-shoulder blouse. She kissed both Tom and Roxanne on both cheeks and ordered a chardonnay at the bar. Roxanne eyed a few of the patrons checking her out, including Danny. She made a mental note to introduce them later.
The bar buzzed and hummed with drinks and conversation. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Roxanne lumbered around to all the tables to thank them for coming, while Tom stayed mostly in the corner, still not totally comfortable with large groups of people.
When Roxanne headed to the stock room to check on some more napkins, she found her dad leaning against one of the shelving units they used for supplies.
“Pop, what is it?” she asked.
“I think it’s just that heartburn I had earlier,” he said and winced.
She watched him press against his stomach. “I don’t think that’s it. I’m taking you to the hospital.”
“You?” he chuckled. “You can barely waddle out of here.”
“I may not be able to tie my shoes anymore, but I can drive. Let’s go.”
He grimaced in pain and followed her out the back. Roxanne plodded to the car as best she could with her father hobbling behind her, holding his ailing midsection. Seeing him struggle in pain upset her.
In the car, as they passed The Hole in the Wall, Roxanne could see people laughing and drinking, the atmosphere filled with revelry. While she longed to be there, toasting a beer with her dad, she knew they had to go; her father’s health depended on it.