SKOW CHALLENGE 4: The Baby Dance

Requirements:
1) A child. Ages newborn-12 years old.
2) An awkward breast-feeding contraption appearance.
3) Dancing.
4) The phrase: "You know. The females in the preying mantis population tear off their mate's heads. Just letting you know."
5) Heartbreak. Can be central, can be a passing thing.

No:
- mentions of "swaying hips" or "strong jaws"
- dialogue, at all. This means, no spoken words.

I had been sitting in this waiting room for the past twelve hours, the first ten waiting for my sister-in-law Sara to deliver, the others waiting for her and the doctors to decide what to do with the baby.

My idiot brother Daniel was there with her. I was surprised Sara even let him see the baby after what he did to her. He courted her, made her trust him, slept with her, got her pregnant, and abandoned her before she told him. A week later, we saw him kissing another girl.

Though I should have been grossed out, all I could see was how bubbly and giggly she was with Daniel. Daniel performed the lovesick puppy act very well, complete with bouquets of roses and dinner dates. It was a side of my brother I hadn't seen with any other girl.

Then one day, he broke it off with her. He wouldn't even tell the reason to Brian, his best friend and, coincidentally, my husband. Brian and I saw how miserable both of them were and tried to get them back together. We must have been slapped and punched at least a hundred times for 'interfering', but they did end up married to each other.

Of course, Brian didn't really mind getting hit, but because I was with child at that time, he was livid when I was slapped. I clearly remember how he first screamed at Daniel and Sara and then donned his 'disappointed' mask instead of his angry face.

Ever since I was six and Brian and Daniel were eight, Brian would display his vexation by utilizing a disappointed expression. God knows where an eight year old learns that, but Brian did it and did it well enough to scare the high schoolers who bullied us at that time. A third grader being able to deter tenth graders from mischief and teasing was impressive, especially to an impressionable first grader.

I'm still not sure exactly when I fell for him, but I did. He told me he had been in love with me before he knew what love was. After a year's courtship, he proposed and I accepted. Very soon after we were married, the pregnancy test came up positive. I gave birth to Nathaniel Matthews eight months later, which was five months ago.

I had left Nathaniel with my mother-in-law today. I extracted my hand from Brian's to call her. He shook his hand and rubbed it as if it hurt. There was one thing I had to do before phoning Mom.

I whipped open my cell and typed You know. The females in the preying mantis population tear off their mate's heads. Just letting you know. and sent it to Brian.

I heard the familiar ring tone and saw Brian stick a hand in his pocket to pull out his cellular. He opened it and smiled, keying in a reply and hitting the send button.

Is this when I ask why I married you? You threaten to stab, poison, and or decapitate me

I furiously typed my own reply.

duh. u luv me. and if u havent noticed, im nt a widow yet

He chuckled softly and sent Come with me out of this place? u need 2 chill

My eyes came up to see the receptionist glaring at us and Brian's hand extended. He grabbed my hand and pulled me up, then dragged me right outside the frosted doors, where an unoccupied wide concrete expanse narrowed into a sidewalk.

He placed his hands on my shoulder and in my hand and started leading me around in a waltz sans music. I gasped in surprise and looked up at him. His sparkling eyes complemented my favorite so what grin.

His fingers slipped under my shirt and ran over my shoulder. Brian had taken dance lessons for about twelve years, so the steps were as natural to him as hunger, thirst, and passion were. He spun me around as if waltzing were his profession, the profession that brought bread to the table.

My eyes shifted down to see what he was tugging on. At first I assumed it was my bra strap, but I saw it was the clip I hadn't taken off. The clip told me which breast I was supposed to feed Nathaniel off. Brian also focused on the beaded strings between his thumb and index fingers.

Confusion marred his aristocratic features, and I started snickering. His confusion became hurt before his deep laughter joined mine to show me that he figured out what it was. If anybody were to happen upon us, they would have immediately tried to get us into a mental ward.

When we were about to drop from laughing so hard, Brian grabbed me and offered to go back inside. I assented, and we all but ran back in. My brother, who was just outside the room, gestured at us to come in. Anybody over the age of two could feel his happiness even though his appearance was haggard.

My brother and sister-in-law gazed and cooed at their daughter, while Brian and I waited patiently for a chance to hold our niece. When Nathaniel was born, Daniel grumbled about not getting to hold the baby. Sara pacified him by telling him that in five months, he'd be able to hold his own child for as long as he wanted.

While waiting, Brian brought his hand around my head and mimed tugging right in front of my eyes, an allusion to what we had just done in the parking lot. I glared at him, then smiled my up to no good smile.

Brian visibly paled. The boy who could freeze the blood of kids seven years older than him as an elementary schooler was scared of me, just the girl whom he gave a wedding ring and a kid.

Nice to know that I could still frighten him.

Definitely not my usual style, but fun to write anyway. Review and tell me what you think.

This has been nominated for SKOW BEST CHALLANGE RESPONSE.Please vote!