Luke laughed out loud at that. "That would make you a bit less of a genius, I guess..."
"I'm not a genius," I said and made a frown. "I'm smart and a hard worker."
"Okay, genius," he said and kissed me. "Your father told me you could have been in Mensa, so there's that..."
"He's a braggart," I said and punched Luke's shoulder playfully. "Those were tests from grade school. They don't count today."
"They sure do, oh, nerd of mine. I love that you're super smart."
I pouted. "Men are supposed to be intimidated by a smart woman."
"Luckily, I figure I'm just as smart as you so we're Even-Steven." He grinned.
"Even-Steven," I said and smiled back. "I like that."
"I love your brain, and I'm sure that your paper is much better than you think. Ask your supervisor to review it before you hand it in. See what she says."
"Maybe I will," I said but I cringed inwardly at the prospect of her reading my paper. I felt certain it was a mess. But if Luke was right and I was just being anxious because I'd been so sick, maybe I could hand it in. It would save me from having to repeat a class, and move things forward on my PhD.
"Now, let me go fix us some supper," Luke said after kissing my forehead. "Is there anythin
g your pregnant heart desires?"
I lay there thinking for a moment, reaching down into my stomach mentally to see if anything appealed.
"Noodles," I said. "Alfredo. Baked with chicken and mozzarella."
"Chicken Alfredo Bake it is," Luke said and jumped up off the bed. "Should we shoot for 7:30 or 8:00?"
"Maybe 8:00 would be safer," I said. "Just in case."
"8:00 it is," he said. He then changed into some sweats and a t-shirt, and then left me alone.
I turned over and closed my eyes, hoping to feel better by the time supper rolled around.
Chapter Fourteen
Luke
For the rest of the week before the Thanksgiving holiday, Alexa spent time working on her paper, giving it one last shot before handing it in to her supervisor, who promised to look over it on the long weekend. Then, Alexa would either polish it up and hand it in when the deadline came, or apply for an Incomplete and a leave of absence. I was sure she was just being pessimistic, and that her paper would be as good as they usually were, but she wasn't so certain. It was her first PhD class, and she had to change it from in-person to independent study because of her nausea and fatigue. It meant that she could work from home and only had to go on campus to talk to her prof once a month. Luckily, her prof was flexible enough to accommodate Alexa's needs, and I hoped would be happy with her paper, whenever Alexa handed it in.
We would find out on Monday if she would keep working and finish the paper this semester, or wait. Either way, it would be hard for Alexa. Pregnancy and morning sickness had knocked her back considerably.
She lacked confidence as a result. I hadn't seen her be so lacking in confidence since we met. I knew my job was to support her and prop her up as much as I could. Luckily, I had enough confidence in her abilities for the both of us.
On my part, I enjoyed working from the beach house, and made sure to take a brisk walk along the beach every day, to ensure I appreciated my luck. While Alexa couldn't join me, I made sure to tell her about what I found on the way. Some days, the ocean brought in interesting shells or bits of wood, even beach glass, and I'd bring it to her and show her, so she had some contact with the outside world. When she started to feel good, it was too dark to go for walks on the beach. I had to be her eyes and ears as a result.
Alexa sent her paper to her supervisor on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, after spending the week revising it, and then we waited. We decided to have a party at the beach house on the Saturday, and invited everyone out. To keep Alexa distracted, I invited Candace to stay for the entire weekend, hoping that having some company would help pass the time. The cast had been removed from Candace's leg a month earlier and so she was excited that finally, she'd be able to walk the beach unhindered, even if the weather was bad.
Maybe, if Alexa started to feel better, she'd be able to walk with Candace.
That was my hope. At first, Alexa had balked at Candace coming out for a visit, keeping with her intention to avoid her friends to protect them from a vengeful Blaine, but I talked her into letting Candace visit.
On Wednesday night, I arrived back from the city with Candace in tow. I'd secretly picked her up from her apartment and we'd stopped by a Chinese restaurant to get up some food on the way, planning on surprising Alexa. She thought Candace was coming the next day. We pulled up and I was unsure how Alexa would be. I knew she was anxious about sending the paper to her prof.
While I grabbed Candace's overnight bag, she brought the takeout and together, we went inside. In the kitchen, Alexa was up, wearing her robe and puppy slippers, her hair up in a messy topknot.
"You're here!" she said, her face lighting up when she saw Candace. "Oh, my God, you two are conniving. You should have told me you were coming."