#year 02

[prossims]

The Landgraabs

Charlotte, however, was too stressed and sad to sleep. She, like her husband, drew herself a bath to relax in. The silence and serenity of the bubbles swelled her with emotions. She didn't know how to feel anymore. Malcolm was sometimes so nice and he took good care of her. He gave her everything she asked for. But then again, he was just so mean sometimes.

And the baby..she was going to be a mother. And yet she didn’t feel any kind of attachment to the baby growing inside her. Only if Malcolm wasn’t so overjoyed to have this baby, she would totally have gotten rid of it.

Was her situation ever going to improve? How was she going to deal with the upcoming 8 months? Only time will tell!

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[prossims]

The Landgraabs

“Babe, happy Love Day!”

“Wow, thanks Malcolm. I… I am sorry I didn’t have time for you today.”

“That’s okay. Maybe we can go on a date this weekend? When’s your shoot?”

“How did you know that I passed the audition?”

Malcolm smiled silently at the question and decided to go to bed. His shoulder and finger both were not feeling very well.

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[prossims]

The Landgraabs

Charlotte, on the other hand, had good news. She actually got the part. However, she wasn’t happy. Her agent told her that she needs to work on her acting skills. A clear indication that she was selected only because of her reputation, not her skills. Charlotte just..can’t deal with these insults anymore.

She made her way upstairs and had a good cry under the covers before Malcolm came around looking for her.

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[prossims]

The Landgraabs

When Malcolm came home, he was feeling even worse. Charlotte wasn’t home, of course. And the butler was still nowhere to be found. He took his meds, drew himself a bath and tried to relax by watching some world culture network in his towel.

It got boring pretty soon and he really needed something to do with his hands. He is just different like this. Whenever he feels stressed or anxious, he needs to go out in nature, interact with the natural elements. So Malcolm put on a pair of pants and started roaming through the edge of their backyard.

And sooner than expected, he found a beautiful daisy plant naturally growing out of the sand. He picked the flowers and the smell made him happy. His stress vanished like magic. He decided to plant a daisy in the front of their house near the landscaped flower patch.

Around 9, he started getting quite hungry. So, without many other options, he decided to make himself a salad. And cut his finger in the process! His day is really not getting any better. But at least he had a little ray of peace this evening so far.

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[prossims]

The Landgraabs

Charlotte needed to work on her skills. Her audition is just in a few hours. But her mood did not pick up even after that pick-me-up on the balcony. So she retreated to her trusty best friend.

“Helen… I feel like crap!”

“Charlie, how was your appointment?”

“That foolish woman said everything’s fine. I don’t feel fine, Helen. Help me!”

“Charlie, listen. I think it’s just morning sickness. And your hormones. You have to keep them in check. Remember your plan. You gotta crash the audition today. You can’t lose your nerves just cuz things aren’t going well. You have a plan!”

“You’re right, Helen. I gotta go prepare for the audition. Thanks babe. You are a god-send!”

After being quite inspired by this conversation, Charlotte, with a nagging fear of failure in her head, decided to prepare well and hard. She can do this. She knows she can do this.

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[prossims]

The Landgraabs

Malcolm dropped Charlotte home on his way to work, leaving her home alone. The doctor said she is doing well and no follow ups are needed before the second trimester. However, Charlotte wasn’t feeling that glad.

She went to the balcony to make herself a drink. Yes, she is pregnant. And yes, it’s 11 in the morning. So what? When someone’s feeling as crappy as Charlotte is, they are allowed to break a few rules.

“What does she mean by 'everything's fine’? Why do I feel like crap then? These doctors and their useless degrees!”

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[prossims]

The Landgraabs

The fire incident was more than enough to push Charlotte over the edge. She couldn’t believe how fragile her life was at that moment and how she just..did not want to tolerate this anymore. She started to feel like she was in a deep hole with no way out. All she wanted was to feel better, happier again.

Even though Charlotte did not want anything to do with the pregnancy, she had to keep her word and go see the Ob-Gyn. So Malcolm and Charlotte got ready and at around 9 am, they headed towards the clinic.

“Charlie, wait up!” “Why don’t you pick up the pace? I don’t have time to waste.”

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[prossims]

The Landgraabs

Charlotte’s mood wasn’t much better this morning either. She woke up feeling incredibly ill. This is exactly what she was afraid of. The pregnancy was going to ruin her body in so many ways! There is no way Malcolm could convince her to make peace with this anymore. Charlotte knows she can never accept the pregnancy as a good thing.

However, her sugar cravings from last night had culled a little bit. She wanted to take advantage of it and cook herself a healthy breakfast - which - turned into a nightmare. With her astonishment, the stove caught on fire while she was standing exactly next to it. She ran away in absolute horror and stood there, screaming, watching the fire spread.

The fire alarm caught the attention of the fire department soon though. Two firemen rushed through the door even before Malcolm made it into the kitchen. Not before the stove and a counter nearby were completely burnt though.

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