Awkward & Effortlessly

While Maria was pressing the call button in one room, Laila had pressed hers in the other. Almost simultaneously their significant others picked up and their conversations began. Laila's conversation sounding a bit more effortlessly as she had been on the phone with Noah plenty of times, while for Maria this was about to become the first time that she was calling Steve.

After Noah picked up, Laila immediately got to the point. Saying, "Hey honey, I just wanted to call and say I'm sorry. I think I have made you worried about me but there is no need for that. I am fine. I talked things over with Maria and she made me see things in a different light. I get what you mean, I was just a bit shocked, surprised and it caused me to respond that way. In the end, all it is, is a dinner. I have had dinner without you before and I'll probably have to again in the future. So, I'll just think of today as one of those evenings. One where you are hard at work for me, our baby and our live together. Since that is the truth. So, you just focus on your work and on not messing up during dinner tonight and I'll be here waiting for you when you get back."

Though Noah was surprised that Laila had managed to accept matters so soon, he was happy to hear that she was sounding more cheerful and that she was no longer letting such a small matter bother her. He felt relieved that Laila was no longer upset, and he smiled as he made a wordless noise to let her know he understood. After that he said in a warm voice, "Thank you for calling me. Hearing you like this puts my mind at ease. I promise I'll try to end the dinner as soon as possible. I'll be back before you know it."

Laila smiled gently as she replied, "I know. Good luck." After that Noah said, "I love you. You know that don't you?" To which Laila replied, "I know, and I love you more. Now get back to work, so you can earn back what I am about to spend to comfort myself, and I'll see you tonight." Noah chuckled and said, "I'll do my best", before they ended the call.

Over in the other room Maria's conversation was going a bit more awkwardly. The moment she had pressed the call button, her nerves took over. She started biting her nails, waiting for him to pick up. When he did, she seemed to be surprised and instantly forgot all that she had planned to say. Instead, she just began with some everyday chit-chat. "Ehm, Uhm, Hi. It's me. Maria." Steve chuckled and replied, "I know. I got your number, remember? Caller-ID did the rest of the work for me."

Maria laughed a bit nervously and said, "Oh, right. I remember. Well, uhm, hi." Again, Steve chuckled. He went along with it and just replied back with, "Hi. How's it going? Did you manage to fall asleep alright?" Maria was clenching the phone and answered Steve's questions in a soft voice. "Yea, I am fine, and I slept fine as well. How about you? You had to get up quite early this morning." Before Steve was able to reply, Maria tried to shake her nerves and said, "It's so weird, isn't it? How things can feel so different over the phone. I don't know why, but I am somehow feeling nervous talking to you like this."

Steve smiled gently as he agreed. He was happy to see the progress that Maria was making and how easily she could now admit these things and voice them out. "It might feel different but certainly not weird. I am very happy you called me. Now I don't have to wait until I get back before I can hear you voice again."

Steve's words made Maria blush and had given her a different reason to feel a bit nervous as they had now added her feeling flustered to the mix. However, despite the feeling in her heart and stomach, Maria kept it together as much as can be expected from her given the situation. She continued her conversation as if Steve hadn't said those words and only acknowledged them by saying 'Yeah', before saying what she had wanted to say. "I just called to ask you about what had happened today. It seems that Noah is going on a dinner-date with Olivia?"

Steve let out a soft sigh and leaned back into his office chair as he said, "Yeah, somehow it turned into that. We didn't have much time to think of what to do and this seemed like our best option at the time. I know Noah hates the mere thought of having to sit at a table with her, but it seems we have been left with no other choice. Did Laila take the news well? I know that Noah was dreading having to tell her."

As the conversation continued, Maria was feeling less and less nervous and it began to feel like how things had felt last night. She explained to him how Laila had responded to the news and her reason behind it.