I Want It All

They walk into the multi-market a happy couple. They stop off at the fresh produce store and buy the fresh fruits and vegetables they need. Wisdom wants fresh cut flowers for the living room vase. So they visit the flower shop. A woman pushing twins in a stroller pauses by them.

"Oh, they're beautiful," Wisdom gushes over the babies. "Kenny, aren't they beautiful? How old are they?"

"Three months," the mother answers.

"I'm sorry if we're holding you up," Wisdom apologizes teary eyed. "They're just so beautiful. You've been so blessed.

We were having a baby, but we lost it."

The mother's heart goes out to the barren woman, "Would you like to hold one?"

"Oh, I don't want to impose," says Wise.

"You're not," the woman lifts one of her infants and places it in the barren woman's arms.

"Thank you," Wise bouncing gently with the infant. She talks gently to the infant, telling it how beautiful it is. The infant smiles and coos for her.

As Kenny watches Wisdom hold the baby, a wave of deep sadness washes over him. He'ld like to have this with Wisdom: children, a family, the whole enchilada. He hadn't realized he wanted those things until just now. Except the feminine product under Wise's sink: the tampons, panty liners along with the three different sizes of maxi pads, remain untouched, unopened.

Kenny's eyes well up with tears. If he's ever to have these things, he has to give up Wise. He loves her desperately, but he can't have a family with her. If he's going to have a family, children of his own, he has to let go of her. Get her out of his system so he can find someone to have these things with. Kenny turns with tears slipping from his eyes to run down his cheeks and walks away.

"Kenny," Wise calls concerned, but he doesn't stop. Doesn't answer. She hands the woman back her baby, "Thank you so much. I don't mean to be rude, but I must be going."

"That's okay," the mother responds. "He looked very upset."

"Thank you,' and Wise heads in the direction Kenny went. She steps out of the flower shop and spots Kenny exiting the market. Once outside he jogs quickly to his car.

When Wise steps outside, she sees Kenny speed away in his car. "Kenny," Wise yells. She's not sure what to think. She calls his mobile phone, but he doesn't answer. So, she calls his mother.

"Hi, Wise, honey. What's going on?"

"Kenny left me."

"What? What do you mean? Start from the beginning."

"We were shopping. A lady came along with a set of twins. She let me hold one. Kenny got upset and walked out. I called after him, but he got in his car and sped away. Left me standing here. I'm standing outside the market's west entrance by the flower shop.

"We'll come get you," Sonja signaling to her husband that they have an emergency. "Did you try to call him?"

"Yes, but he's not answer," Wise informs her.

"You just sit tight, dear. Poppa and I are on our way."

Wisdom sits on a bench and waits.

"What's wrong," Henry asks his wife.

"We have to pick up Wise from the market. Kenny left her."

"He what," Uncle Finnius shocked.

"I'll drive" states Henry a bit numb. "Did she call him?"

"Yes," Sonja confirms. "But he's not answering."

All three of them climb into Henry's car.

"I'll use the speaker phone," Henry announces as they pull out of the driveway.

"I know what I'm doing," Kenny answering his parents' call.

"Have you lost your mind," asks Henry.

"Kenny don't do this," Sonja pleads. "You don't know what you're throwing away."

"Just listen. I can explain," and Kenny explains the revelation he had in the market as he watched Wise hold the baby. He tells them what he wants. But that he believes he can't have it with Wise and why. About the feminine products under her sink that are unused. He concludes with, "If I'm going to have these things, I can't stay with Wise. I love her, but I can't." He ends the call.

"She's not having a cycle," says Henry. "Uncle Fin, do you think something went wrong with the process?"

"I suppose it's possible, Henry," answers Uncle Finnius. "If so, I'm sure it can be fixed."

"It doesn't matter," says Sonja extremely distraught. "She won't take him back after this. All we can do is be there for her. Be loving and supportive. Be her family, and pray she's not so crushed that she decides to go away."

"If Kenny's right," says Henry, "and she can't have children, maybe it would be better for Kenny if she did go away."

"No," shouts Sonja in tears. "Don't say that. She's the best thing that ever happened to Kenny. To us as a family. And if she leaves, she'll take our grandchild with her."

"Sonja." Henry asks, "What are you talking about?"

"She's pregnant," Sonja reveals. "She hasn't had a cycle yet because Kenny got her pregnant the first month she was home. She was going to announce it at Finnius's welcome home dinner. But Kenny pulled that stupid stunt the night before, and she decided to wait. She wanted to make sure things were going to be alright between them. And now, he does this. And you can't tell Kenny. It's for her to tell him when she's ready."

They pull up in front of Wisdom sitting on a bench. Finnius's eyes well up at the sight of her. He's seen that look before on his Wisdom when she was told her parents were dead, shocked disbelief. Sonja rushes to her and guides her to the car. Wise slides into the back seat with Finnius. His hand takes hers and it's comforting. But the tears finally find their way out of her eyes. It's a quiet silent cry.

"Wise," Henry tries to assure her, "It's going to be okay. Things will workout for the best."

"The best," question Wise. "He abandoned me like an unwanted dog."

Henry Samuels doesn't know how to respond to that. A while later, they pull in next to Wisdom's car at the house she's been sharing with Kenny. But his car isn't here.

Wisdom shakes her head, "I can't go in there."

"Mom and I will run in and get some of your things." Henry climbs from the car.

"Mom," Wise calls. "My vitamins are under the sink behind the feminine products."

"I'll grab them," assures Sonja. Then she joins her husband. Inside, they head straight to the master bedroom and its spacious walk-in closet. Together they pack the duffle bag and suite case Wisdom came home with plus another travel bag.

"Is there anything else she needs," asks Henry.

"Her vitamins," Sonja rushing into the bathroom. She pushes aside the unopened feminine products and grabs the bottle of pills.

Henry takes the bottle of pills from his wife and reads the prescription label. They're prenatal vitamins prescribed by her doctor. Part of their plan had gone right. Wisdom is carrying their grandchild.

When they get back to their car, Sonja tells Wise. "Give me your keys, sweetie. I'll drive your car."

Wise digs her keys out of her pocket and hands them to Sonja.

Wisdom enters the home of Henry and Sonja Samuels looking shocked, dazed and confused.

"Which of the two guest rooms would you like," asks Henry.

"Maybe I shouldn't be here," says Wisdom. "Your Kenny's parents not mine. Maybe I should rent a suite at the casino."

"Nonsense," says Sonja. "We're your family."

Wise gives her a weak smile, "You're Kenny's family first. I'm not sure I belong here. He might resent me for it."

"Kenny's mind is AWOL," says Henry. "He's going to avoid us because he knows we're upset with him right now."

"There's a second bedroom with its own bathe in the guest house," reminds Uncle Finnius. "If you don't mind an old man's snoring, you could share the guest house with me."

Wise nods her head agreeing, "That way if Kenny comes by, I have a separate place to retreat to."

"Then it's settled," says Finnius. "Let's get you settled into that second bedroom.

I'm a retired scientist. But I like to keep busy so I'm opening a flower and garden shop. Perhaps, you could come help me out a couple of days a week."

"I think it would be good for me to keep busy," says Wise. "I'ld be happy to help out."

Wisdom cries herself to sleep every night for the first week. But helping Finnius with his shop is therapeutic for her. After a couple of months go by, her belly begins to protrude. Sonja deems it time to buy maternity clothes. Henry asks her to call Kenny and tell him. Wise refuses along with forbidding Henry from telling Kenny. She's sure Kenny won't answer her call and she's not going to leave such important news on his voice mail.

Kenny drove for four hours to get to the nearest city after he left Wisdom. After renting an apartment, he went to a dating agency and informed them of what he's looking for: a wife, someone who likes, wants and is good with children. An agency was how his father found his mother. He hopes it will work for him as he begins interviewing women.

He's up front. He's looking for a wife and a mother for his future children. They're all either beautiful or really cute. The type of women you see in a web-mag-ad. But none of them has that perfect blend of beautiful and cute that Wisdom has. He knows it's not fair to compare them to Wise, but he can't help it. They are all intelligent, but lack Wise's wit. Many are at least honest enough to admit they don't want children or don't ever want to be pregnant themselves and risk ruining their figures. Why would they do that when a baby can be grown in a synthetic womb or a surrogate could be hired? But that's unacceptable for Kenny.

After about a month of this, Kenny is frustrated and discouraged. Just when he thinks he may have found one with potential, she always fails the honesty test. Kenny likes to attempt to tell jokes. Wisdom never hesitated to tell him if she didn't get it, if it wasn't funny or just flat out disgusting or nasty. These women twitter and he-he at his worst jokes. Telling him he's hilarious when he knows he's not. Then he politely informs them they've failed and thanks them for their time.

Kenneth misses Wisdom terribly and regrets not taking her call as he sped away from the market. He wishes she would call him or at least take or return his calls. He wants to hear her voice, make sure she's okay. No one will tell him how she is, not even his best friend, Milo. They all keep telling him he's made a huge mistake and that if he wants to know how she is, he should go see her for himself.