About 6 months after Albert and Rose are married.
"Rosie, where are my pills?"
Rose Alvarez Peterson looked up from the kitchen stove at her flustered husband. "I haven't seen them since yesterday."
Albert continued to rummage through the cupboard. "Rosie . . .," he wailed.
With a sigh, she stopped stirring the soup and stepped over to her husband, placing an arm around his shoulders. "Albert," she said firmly, turning him away from the cupboard, "you don't need them."
He looked at her in disbelief for a moment, and then pointed a finger at her. "You. Give me my pills, Rose."
"No," she replied calmly, and turned back to the stove.
Albert came up behind her and grabbed her around the waist. "Where did you hide them?" She didn't answer. "Don't make me resort to drastic measures, Mrs. Peterson," he said softly in her ear.
"Wild horses couldn't drag it from me," she answered amiably.
"Even quoting Anne of Green Gables won't save you this time," he warned her. He paused for a moment and then said, "All right. Don't say I didn't warn you."
He tickled her sides, making her squeal and try to escape his embrace. "Albert!" He didn't stop. "All right, all right!," she squeaked.
"Give up?" he asked, hugging her tightly against him from behind her.
"Yes!"
"So where are my aspirin?," he asked without releasing her.
Rose turned her head to look at him, her eyes sparkling with glee. "In the medicine cabinet," she said simply.
He stared at her with a little grin on his face. "Are you serious, Rosie?" She nodded.
Sighing with exasperation, he released his wife and headed over to the medicine cabinet. "But only take one, Albert. I mean it." He nodded, pouring a single aspirin into his palm to humor her.
As Rose finished preparing their dinner, she glanced over at her husband, who was finishing his glass of water as he stared out the kitchen window. "How was school today?," she asked.
Albert seemed to snap out of his trance. "Oh, it was alright. The Whitaker boy was giving me a hard time again, and some of the teachers are talking about a strike, but that's all."
"Why do they want to strike?," Rose asked inquisitively.
"They want a raise." He turned to her and smiled. "And because it's a group of them, they can demand a raise. Instead of begging."
She rolled her eyes. "I never begged you for a raise, Mr. Peterson," she said with a huff.
"And much good it did you," he replied.
"As you well know," she retorted as she set the table, "I was not working for you because it was such a high-paying and privileged job to have. I did much more than just type."
He moved to help her. "Yes, I know," he replied. He gently took hold of her arm, and turned her toward him. "I'm very lucky to have such a patient little rose," he continued, kissing her softly.
Rose smiled. "I love you, Albert," she whispered softly as he held her.
Albert kissed her affectionately, before continuing to set the table. "I don't know what will happen if the teachers decide to strike, though. The administration doesn't want to negotiate." She listened intently as she placed their bowls of soup on the table. "I could be out of work for quite a while if they can't come to an agreement."
"Will they send the kids to school during the summer?"
He nodded. "The school year will extend until the end of June. They may even send them to school on Saturdays to make sure we don't have to go to school in July."
"Poor kids," Rosie remarked quietly.
They sat down silently to their dinner. Rose didn't seem interested in eating. She took a small sip of her soup, and then put her spoon down. She was motionless for a few moments, until Albert glanced over at her.
"Albert, I . . . There's something I have to tell you," she began clumsily. "I, um, I'm not absolutely certain yet, but . . . I think that I . . ."
"Is everything all right, Rosie?," he asked in a concerned voice.
"Yes, everything's fine, Albert, I just . . . I'm pregnant." The last two words came out in a rush.
Albert stared at her with his mouth open. "You're–you're pregnant?!," he sputtered in disbelief. "How long . . . that is, how far along . . ."
"About two and a half months," she answered softly.
He got up from his chair and walked over to her. She stood as he reached her. "Rosie," he breathed, his face finally losing the look of complete surprise and breaking into a smile. "Oh Rosie, that's wonderful news!," he cried, hugging her tightly.
"Of course, it could be a false alarm," Rose said slowly. "I can't really be absolutely sure yet . . ."
Albert paid no attention. He held her at arm's length and asked, "Have you been to the doctor yet?"
She shook her head. "No, I wasn't sure . . ."
He cuddled her against him again. "Rosie . . . I love you so much." He kissed her. "How long have you known?"
"Just this week." She looked at him with tears in her eyes. "Oh Albert, I'm so happy," she half-sobbed, half-laughed.
Six months later
"Hurry up, Albert! We don't want your mother getting to the station before we're there!"
Albert quickly swallowed his aspirin and hurried to the coat closet. He quickly pulled their coats out of the closet and closed the door. He put Rose's coat snugly around her shoulders. "You really shouldn't be getting yourself all worked up, Rosie," he scolded, patting her heavily pregnant stomach.
"Did you just take more aspirin?," she asked, as she put her arms through the sleeves of her coat. Albert turned to put on his own coat. "Albert?" He grabbed his hat off the shelf. "Albert."
"Rose, it's not important," he said nonchalantly, and began to open the front door.
Rose grabbed his arm. "Albert, it is too important! Your stomach can't handle all that aspirin; you're going to get an ulcer!"
He turned to face her squarely and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Rose," he began sternly, "Calm down. It is not good for you to be getting all upset. If you don't manage to make yourself sick again, you'll at least tire yourself out. The doctor said that you shouldn't be doing anything strenuous, and if you make going to pick up Mamma a strenuous activity, then I'll have to order you to stay home." More gently, he added, "Understand?" Rose nodded curtly.
They headed out of the house to their little 4-door car. Albert opened the door to the passenger side and began to help her in. She yanked her arm out of his grasp. "I'm fine," she said through her teeth.
Albert sighed and went over to the driver side. As he got into the car, he looked at his thoroughly infuriated wife. Slowly, she glanced over at him. "Are you going to start the car, or did you forget how?," she asked irritably.
He gently patted her hand. "Try not to let Mamma get to you, Rosie. She shouldn't have too many comments for you, but . . ."
Rose closed her eyes and sighed. "One comment about me being a floozy and she's going to get an earful, Albert, understand?"
"Not from you, Rose," he replied seriously. "Let me handle her."
"She'll get what she deserves."
"Rosie, I forbid you to lose your temper with her!" He squeezed her hand. "You don't want to hear the 'man and woman' speech again."
"Woman's job is to obey and speak only when spoken to," Rose recited in a monotone. She glanced over at him with a slight smile. "You don't really believe that, do you?"
"You're the one who vowed to obey me," he grinned. With that, he started the car and drove out onto the street, headed for the train station.
* * * * *
"Sonnyboy!" Mae Peterson hurried toward them, with two suitcases in hand. She was wearing her usual long mink coat.
"Hello, Mamma," Albert greeted his mother cheerfully, giving her a quick hug. Rose stood slightly behind Albert, looking slightly uncomfortable.
Mae released Albert and looked over to Rosie. "Hello, Rose." She seemed to look her up and down before continuing. "You and Albert sure got busy in a hurry, eh? But it stands to good reason. Better have children while you're still young enough." She grinned at her own joke.
Rosie took a deep breath before speaking. "It's good to see you, too, Mae."
Mae arched an eyebrow at her. "What ever happened to calling me 'Mamma?'"
"I was under the impression that you didn't like me calling you that," Rosie replied.
"Oh, I never realized that my feelings were being taken into consideration," Mae responded pointedly. She turned back to Albert. "So, Sonnyboy, how do you like being isolated from the world; not having to put up with certain people you don't want to see?"
Albert took her bags from her as they began to walk toward the parking lot. "Pumpkin Falls isn't really isolated from the world, Mamma. But we like it here, don't we, Rose?" He glanced toward her, a feeble attempt to include her in the conversation.
"Yes," she agreed shortly.
"I've started to take classes for my master's degree at the community college," Albert continued.
"You're working and going to school at the same time?," his mother asked. "Better be careful, Sonny, or you'll get an ulcer. Too much stress can do terrible things to a person."
"Like make them overdose on aspirin every three days," Rose muttered.
Mae turned to her daughter-in-law. "What was that?"
"It was nothing, Mamma," Albert quickly cut in, putting an arm around her shoulders. "She was just agreeing with you." He gave Rose a pleading glance before continuing the conversation with Mae. Rosie rolled her eyes and followed them silently to the car.
Author's note: So, what do you think? Please review, even if you didn't like it! This is my first fanfic!
"Rosie, where are my pills?"
Rose Alvarez Peterson looked up from the kitchen stove at her flustered husband. "I haven't seen them since yesterday."
Albert continued to rummage through the cupboard. "Rosie . . .," he wailed.
With a sigh, she stopped stirring the soup and stepped over to her husband, placing an arm around his shoulders. "Albert," she said firmly, turning him away from the cupboard, "you don't need them."
He looked at her in disbelief for a moment, and then pointed a finger at her. "You. Give me my pills, Rose."
"No," she replied calmly, and turned back to the stove.
Albert came up behind her and grabbed her around the waist. "Where did you hide them?" She didn't answer. "Don't make me resort to drastic measures, Mrs. Peterson," he said softly in her ear.
"Wild horses couldn't drag it from me," she answered amiably.
"Even quoting Anne of Green Gables won't save you this time," he warned her. He paused for a moment and then said, "All right. Don't say I didn't warn you."
He tickled her sides, making her squeal and try to escape his embrace. "Albert!" He didn't stop. "All right, all right!," she squeaked.
"Give up?" he asked, hugging her tightly against him from behind her.
"Yes!"
"So where are my aspirin?," he asked without releasing her.
Rose turned her head to look at him, her eyes sparkling with glee. "In the medicine cabinet," she said simply.
He stared at her with a little grin on his face. "Are you serious, Rosie?" She nodded.
Sighing with exasperation, he released his wife and headed over to the medicine cabinet. "But only take one, Albert. I mean it." He nodded, pouring a single aspirin into his palm to humor her.
As Rose finished preparing their dinner, she glanced over at her husband, who was finishing his glass of water as he stared out the kitchen window. "How was school today?," she asked.
Albert seemed to snap out of his trance. "Oh, it was alright. The Whitaker boy was giving me a hard time again, and some of the teachers are talking about a strike, but that's all."
"Why do they want to strike?," Rose asked inquisitively.
"They want a raise." He turned to her and smiled. "And because it's a group of them, they can demand a raise. Instead of begging."
She rolled her eyes. "I never begged you for a raise, Mr. Peterson," she said with a huff.
"And much good it did you," he replied.
"As you well know," she retorted as she set the table, "I was not working for you because it was such a high-paying and privileged job to have. I did much more than just type."
He moved to help her. "Yes, I know," he replied. He gently took hold of her arm, and turned her toward him. "I'm very lucky to have such a patient little rose," he continued, kissing her softly.
Rose smiled. "I love you, Albert," she whispered softly as he held her.
Albert kissed her affectionately, before continuing to set the table. "I don't know what will happen if the teachers decide to strike, though. The administration doesn't want to negotiate." She listened intently as she placed their bowls of soup on the table. "I could be out of work for quite a while if they can't come to an agreement."
"Will they send the kids to school during the summer?"
He nodded. "The school year will extend until the end of June. They may even send them to school on Saturdays to make sure we don't have to go to school in July."
"Poor kids," Rosie remarked quietly.
They sat down silently to their dinner. Rose didn't seem interested in eating. She took a small sip of her soup, and then put her spoon down. She was motionless for a few moments, until Albert glanced over at her.
"Albert, I . . . There's something I have to tell you," she began clumsily. "I, um, I'm not absolutely certain yet, but . . . I think that I . . ."
"Is everything all right, Rosie?," he asked in a concerned voice.
"Yes, everything's fine, Albert, I just . . . I'm pregnant." The last two words came out in a rush.
Albert stared at her with his mouth open. "You're–you're pregnant?!," he sputtered in disbelief. "How long . . . that is, how far along . . ."
"About two and a half months," she answered softly.
He got up from his chair and walked over to her. She stood as he reached her. "Rosie," he breathed, his face finally losing the look of complete surprise and breaking into a smile. "Oh Rosie, that's wonderful news!," he cried, hugging her tightly.
"Of course, it could be a false alarm," Rose said slowly. "I can't really be absolutely sure yet . . ."
Albert paid no attention. He held her at arm's length and asked, "Have you been to the doctor yet?"
She shook her head. "No, I wasn't sure . . ."
He cuddled her against him again. "Rosie . . . I love you so much." He kissed her. "How long have you known?"
"Just this week." She looked at him with tears in her eyes. "Oh Albert, I'm so happy," she half-sobbed, half-laughed.
Six months later
"Hurry up, Albert! We don't want your mother getting to the station before we're there!"
Albert quickly swallowed his aspirin and hurried to the coat closet. He quickly pulled their coats out of the closet and closed the door. He put Rose's coat snugly around her shoulders. "You really shouldn't be getting yourself all worked up, Rosie," he scolded, patting her heavily pregnant stomach.
"Did you just take more aspirin?," she asked, as she put her arms through the sleeves of her coat. Albert turned to put on his own coat. "Albert?" He grabbed his hat off the shelf. "Albert."
"Rose, it's not important," he said nonchalantly, and began to open the front door.
Rose grabbed his arm. "Albert, it is too important! Your stomach can't handle all that aspirin; you're going to get an ulcer!"
He turned to face her squarely and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Rose," he began sternly, "Calm down. It is not good for you to be getting all upset. If you don't manage to make yourself sick again, you'll at least tire yourself out. The doctor said that you shouldn't be doing anything strenuous, and if you make going to pick up Mamma a strenuous activity, then I'll have to order you to stay home." More gently, he added, "Understand?" Rose nodded curtly.
They headed out of the house to their little 4-door car. Albert opened the door to the passenger side and began to help her in. She yanked her arm out of his grasp. "I'm fine," she said through her teeth.
Albert sighed and went over to the driver side. As he got into the car, he looked at his thoroughly infuriated wife. Slowly, she glanced over at him. "Are you going to start the car, or did you forget how?," she asked irritably.
He gently patted her hand. "Try not to let Mamma get to you, Rosie. She shouldn't have too many comments for you, but . . ."
Rose closed her eyes and sighed. "One comment about me being a floozy and she's going to get an earful, Albert, understand?"
"Not from you, Rose," he replied seriously. "Let me handle her."
"She'll get what she deserves."
"Rosie, I forbid you to lose your temper with her!" He squeezed her hand. "You don't want to hear the 'man and woman' speech again."
"Woman's job is to obey and speak only when spoken to," Rose recited in a monotone. She glanced over at him with a slight smile. "You don't really believe that, do you?"
"You're the one who vowed to obey me," he grinned. With that, he started the car and drove out onto the street, headed for the train station.
* * * * *
"Sonnyboy!" Mae Peterson hurried toward them, with two suitcases in hand. She was wearing her usual long mink coat.
"Hello, Mamma," Albert greeted his mother cheerfully, giving her a quick hug. Rose stood slightly behind Albert, looking slightly uncomfortable.
Mae released Albert and looked over to Rosie. "Hello, Rose." She seemed to look her up and down before continuing. "You and Albert sure got busy in a hurry, eh? But it stands to good reason. Better have children while you're still young enough." She grinned at her own joke.
Rosie took a deep breath before speaking. "It's good to see you, too, Mae."
Mae arched an eyebrow at her. "What ever happened to calling me 'Mamma?'"
"I was under the impression that you didn't like me calling you that," Rosie replied.
"Oh, I never realized that my feelings were being taken into consideration," Mae responded pointedly. She turned back to Albert. "So, Sonnyboy, how do you like being isolated from the world; not having to put up with certain people you don't want to see?"
Albert took her bags from her as they began to walk toward the parking lot. "Pumpkin Falls isn't really isolated from the world, Mamma. But we like it here, don't we, Rose?" He glanced toward her, a feeble attempt to include her in the conversation.
"Yes," she agreed shortly.
"I've started to take classes for my master's degree at the community college," Albert continued.
"You're working and going to school at the same time?," his mother asked. "Better be careful, Sonny, or you'll get an ulcer. Too much stress can do terrible things to a person."
"Like make them overdose on aspirin every three days," Rose muttered.
Mae turned to her daughter-in-law. "What was that?"
"It was nothing, Mamma," Albert quickly cut in, putting an arm around her shoulders. "She was just agreeing with you." He gave Rose a pleading glance before continuing the conversation with Mae. Rosie rolled her eyes and followed them silently to the car.
Author's note: So, what do you think? Please review, even if you didn't like it! This is my first fanfic!