The cold air bit into Mark's cheeks, he lifted the lapels on his coat higher up in a vain attempt to stop the chill wind. He lowered his head and walked a little quicker the allure of a warm glass of single malt whisky spurring him on. It was November and autumn had come on in all its glory over the weekend, one morning the leaves were green and the sky a dark blue. The next day, the air had turned crisp, the sky had paled and the trees were now aflame with leaves of golden fire.
Mark gave a sigh of relief as he rounded the corner and saw the welcoming sight of the glass doors to his apartment block, a sudden gust of wind took the sigh forcibly from his pursed lips and Mark forced himself into a jog. He swiped his key card and heard the dull metallic thump as the lock disengaged. He pushed the door open and stepped into the foyer that was a balmy 23 degrees Celsius. "Hold the door please!" The woman's voice carried on the wind and Mark turned grabbing the door and held it open. The woman, Kate or Cat, was new to the apartments and lived a few doors down from Mark. Her arms were full with a large box, dancing round her feet was a child no older than four Mark guessed.
"Here, let me," Mark reached out taking the box either side, his hands brushing against Kate or Cat's icy fingers. She relinquished the box without a fight and gave him an out of breath thanks. "You shouldn't be carrying stuff like this, not in your condition." He looked down briefly at Kate or Cat's swollen belly as if the woman needed a clue to what he meant.
"You sound like my parents..." Her cheeks and nose were a rosy hue from the cold. She bit her full lower lip as she tried to remember his name.
"Mark, I live a few doors down." He felt a bite of disappointment at the fact that she had not remembered his name but saying that she had only knocked on his door once since moving in and that was just to say hi and that was two weeks ago. "Come on I'll give you a hand."
"Thank you Mark," She over emphasised his name letting him know that she would not forget it again. The lift came swiftly and Mark exchanged a hello with a couple who stepped out of the lift. The doors swished closed and he felt his stomach sink as the lift moved upwards. He moved the box about, feeling something clunk and jangle inside and he froze, Kate or Cat gave a gentle laugh, "Don't panic, it's nothing expensive just some of Carl's toys," She reached down and mussed up the fair hair on the child's head.
"How are you finding the apartments?" Mark asked.
Kate or Cat smiled and nodded "Better than I expected, everyone is really friendly and the view of the woods is nice too."
"Is your husband away on business?" Mark had noted on the day she moved in it had been only herself and her parents that had moved everything. He had noted the wedding ring when she had stopped by to say hello that was after he had noticed how attractive she was and before he noticed the swell of pregnancy.
She hesitated with her answer long enough for Mark to realise he had touched on a tricky subject. "We're separated is probably the best way to put it, have been for a few months now, it's just me and Carl. Well that is until this one comes along." She patted her belly and smiled widely. "Only a couple more months now."
Kate thanked Mark she had now made a mental note of his name a little ashamed she had forgotten it so quickly at first. Then as he said goodbye at her door after dropping the box just inside the doorway he had confessed to not remembering her name and she felt less guilty. Carl was finally fast asleep and Kate sat in the living room, feet up on the low coffee table, her swollen ankles buzzing. One hand rubbed absently at her belly the other pulling her red hair out of the tight bun that held it affixed to the back of her head before massaging her forehead. Everything had been planned out years ago by Kate and her then husband John. Carl had turned up on time and they both agreed once he was three they would try for number two. Like clockwork Kate fell pregnant...then the police came knocking at the door, followed by the newspapers. The court case was a disaster. John could not explain where 2.2 million pounds of his employer's money had disappeared to and when wife number two had turned up Kate's world imploded.
And just like that she was alone, a single mother expecting to raise two children. The tears had been fierce, the hate towards John even more so. But Kate picked herself back up, her job in advertising was secure her own employers were far more understanding than she ever thought they would be. Her outlook on life began to change. Moving out of the marital home was just what she needed, a new start. John was nothing more than a bitter memory.
"I need a glass of wine," she muttered to herself, her tongue running across her lips at the thought of a crisp white. Her hand that had been rubbing her belly had travelled further down, just under the swell, her little finger just above her pubic bone. Her mind flicked back to John briefly, the look on his face when Kate's hormones had gone berserk when she was pregnant with Carl, a mix of excitement and worry. Kate had become insatiable, by the end of the second week John had actually pleaded with her to let him rest. They had gone from a couple who would have sex once every couple of days maybe twice on Saturday and Sunday, to twice to three times a day every day. John even went to the length of buying her a viberator he had joked he was worried about her grabbing the nearest man to fuck when he was not around.
