Wednesday 28 January 2009

Episode 1 - Moving Day


"The house," Mary whispered, "is perfect."
Ray hoisted up his box of model train magazines. He looked up at the bright red plastic facade. "Yep, it's er..."
"It's home," breathed Mary.
Ray looked at Mary sceptically. The square house with its bright blue roof, matching door and unconvincing faux flowers did nothing for him, but then he wasn't pregnant. Mary was. In fact, she had always been pregnant, as long as he had known her. They had also always had two children, a boy, Tom, and a girl, Sara. It was just the way things were. Pretty odd, really, when he came to think about it.
"What's the matter?" asked Mary.
Ray pulled himself together. "Nothing. I'm just not used to change, that's all."
"Change? It feels like we've always lived here. Don't you feel it?" Mary gazed up at the house again with such adoration that Ray felt he had to do something. He pulled her to him but she looked down modestly and he could only manage to peck her on the cheek.
Ray sighed. He wondered how on earth he had got Mary pregnant in the first place. Oh well, at least he had his model train magazines. He would have a rummage through them later.
He watched Mary squeeze through the door (how many months was she? six? seven?) and dumped his box on the nearest chair. The only chair. God, this place was small.
"Oh, I'm exhausted," puffed Mary. "Do you mind if I...?"
Ray removed the box. "Of course. You are pregnant, after all." He bent down closer to her. "You are, aren't you? I mean, it's not my imagination or anything?"
Mary smiled benignly. "Are you worried about having this baby, hun?"
"Why, are you? Does that mean it's coming?"
"Of course I'm not worried! We have a beautiful life, two beautiful children, and now this beautiful house. What do I have to worry about?"
"But the baby..."
"Relax. Go and check on the kids."
"There's a hospital near here, I saw it on the way. We could take you for a scan, making sure you're really... I mean, make sure everything's all right."
Mary patted her stomach. It was straining through her dress like a ripe apple. "Everything's always all right, isn't it?" she said.
For once Ray couldn't answer. It was this place, it had unsettled him. He had always accepted everything as easily as Mary appeared to. But this move was different. It was change. Perhaps he was changing too. That would be odd, as he hadn't aged since... well, since he could remember.
"You're right. There's no point fretting about things. I'll check on the kids."
Mary nodded and turned on the television. It was the same newsflash he had seen all week. He shook his head to clear it and walked through to the back of the house. There was no back wall and he had to climb up the side to get upstairs.
"Kids?" he called, blinking at the brightness of the electric green bed and pink bedside chest assaulting his eyes. "Is this how you got upstairs, too?"
Tom and Sara walked out of the worryingly open-plan bathroom. "Of course, Dad. That's how we've always gone upstairs, remember?"
Ray gazed over the edge, feeling a sudden swoop of vertigo. "Right..."