Romantic Camelot Cove

It wasn’t long after their marriage that things started to disintegrate in Guinevere’s and Abhijeet’s relationship. The pregnancy had gone well and Abhijeet had been attentive to Guinevere’s needs, but there was something missing on a deeper, more emotional level. Both felt unfulfilled in one way or another, and each privately questioned their choice of getting married. Though it had been a decision that had taken much thought and consideration, now it seemed as though they had rushed into a situation and that their friendship was quickly dissolving. Guinevere was focused on Morgaine and Abhijeet on his job and it seemed that all too often they were nothing more than ships passing in the night.

The effect was pain on both sides of the relationship so that they barely spoke to one another any more for fear of saying or doing the wrong thing. They shared their bed and wherever possible the responsibilities of taking care of their infant daughter, but it wasn’t enough. Each had other desires they wished to pursue and it was placing an enormous strain on the relationship.

It was around the time of Morgaine’s first birthday that each began to really consider doing something drastic. Unfortunately each had their own opinions of what would save their marriage, and each conflicted with the other’s idea of what was right. It was the night before Morgaine’s birthday party that they decided to sit down and have a talk.

“Abhijeet, I think we should talk…” Guin said cautiously as she slid a chair out from the supper table and sat down. “We’ve been together more than a year now and things between us hadn’t been what I had planned…” Her voice was sad as she broached the topic, not wanting to hurt him or herself in the process.

Abhijeet just nodded. “I know,” he said, his voice firmer and filled with more conviction than his wife’s. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about that.”" He took his own seat and sat down, looking Guinevere directly in the eyes. “I can tell that you aren’t happy and to be honest, neither am I.”

Tears filled Guinevere’s green eyes. “I know,” she whispered, her voice breaking slightly as she swiped at her tears with the back of her hand. She had planned everything she wanted to say, and could hear from the way that Abhijeet spoke, so had he. “I want Morgaine to grow up in a happy household…” she continued, her voice breaking again. But she wouldn’t let herself break down in sobs. She wasn’t going to let this get the better of her!

Abhijeet nodded. “I agree. And that’s why I think I should move out.”

Guin’s head shot up quickly, her green eyes blazing suddenly with anger as she looked into the grey eyes of her husband. “Move out?” Suddenly the pain was gone, replaced by an anger so fierce she thought the fire might never be quenched. “Move out? Are you serious, Abhijeet? Do you know what you’re saying?”

Anger flashed in Abhijeet’s own eyes for a moment before he managed to swallow it with a courage he didn’t know he had. He took a deep breath and continued. “I’ve thought a lot about it, Guin. We made a mistake. Now we’re going to have to live with that mistake and we can either live with it in a way that allows both of us to satisfy our needs. Or we’re going to have to struggle with feeling the way we are right now.”

“There are solutions, Abhijeet!” Guinevere stormed as she shot up from her seat and began pacing the floor of the old shack.

He sighed in frustration. “Alright. Name them.”

Guinevere stammered. She hadn’t been prepared for such a direct confrontation.

“I… Uh… I was thinking that maybe you could quit your job so we’d have more time together. I’d quit mine except that I’m the one making all the money right now!” Suddenly there was another flair of anger. He was supposed to be taking care of her, not the other way around! “Or maybe you could actually go to work so you might get a promotion and earn some more money you know!”

Now Abhijeet’s own anger was rising beyond the point where he could control it. There were other things he did when he missed work and Guin slept. He’d study his cook books or he’d… Or he’d… He’d talk to Christy Stratton on the phone! But he couldn’t tell her that, could he? Oh! how he wanted to! It would hurt her and release him from their dead-end marriage for certain! But… He took a look into those angry green eyes and he sighed. “You’re right, Guin. I’ll make more of an effort at work.” He shook his head and let out a slow, deep breath. “It’s my job to look after you and Morgaine, and by God, I’m going to do my job!”

He stalked away then, heading off to the bedroom to do some brooding of his own away from the angry cry of his wife. He could better handle the cries of his daughter than his wife’s anger. He would only realize later that this was because deep in his heart, he really did still love her. In the end Guinevere and Morgaine were worth the struggle. As long as there was only one child, they’d be fine. He’d focus on his career and ignore his other desires –for now.

For Guinevere on the other hand, nothing had been resolved. When he had stormed off she had sat down again at the table with tears in her eyes, staring blankly into space. “But I want another baby,” she whispered to herself. “Another baby would solve our problems. He just needs another child to love… Another child to love him!”

The next day was Morgaine’s first birthday. When the couple arose in the morning and Guinevere gave their daughter her morning bottle, it was obvious that things between the couple were still strained, though neither of them talked about the discussion from the night before. Abhijeet seemed very reserved as he returned to his books to work on studying for the promotion that his wife was… encouraging… him to get and Guin went about her normal duties of looking after her daughter and cleaning the shack. She wanted everything to be nice for Morgaine’s birthday, and they would have a small family party in the new house that was being built at the back of the lot.

By the time she was finished, however, Abhijeet was nowhere in sight. Frustrated, she glanced at the clock and realized that he must have already left for work, without so much as a kiss goodbye for his wife or daughter. It angered her, but she tried to put that aside and focus on the little girl that had made her life such a joy and who represented the beginnings of her dreams coming true.

She’d baked a cake earlier in the afternoon, and, forcing a smile, she carried the little girl to where she had placed it in the new house. Though Morgaine wouldn’t be able to enjoy the rich chocolate treat, it still represented something very special — a day of growth for the family. Guin bent down with her daughter and blew the candles out for her, grinning the entire time.

Morgaine had grown into a beautiful little girl who looked so much like her mother but had inherited her father’s grey eyes. Just looking at Morgaine brought tears to Guinevere’s eyes for a moment as she remembered her early days with Abhijeet and how happy they had been before their wedding. Those grey eyes were one of the things about Abhijeet that Guinevere had first fallen in love with.

It was several days before she and Abhijeet spoke again. For the first time since Morgaine’s birth there was a tenderness in Abhijeet’s eyes as he turned to Guinevere in bed that night. Hope lit the young blonde’s face as they made love for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. Certainly now the fires would be rekindled and the couple could return to their previous loving relationship.

After that night the couple was more focused on one another, though both still put effort into their careers as well. They spent time with one another as often as they could, in those few hours a day when neither of them was working, or when they managed to both snag the same day off. Morgaine was no longer getting all of the attention she had once been given, and both parents often found themselves moving her out of the bathroom so that they could use it comfortably. Playing in the toilet was one of her worst habits, and neither of them could understand why she did it. She had plenty of toys!

The newfound affection in their relationship didn’t last long, however. After only about a month Guinevere began to feel unfulfilled again and Abhijeet seemed distracted from their relationship once more. They didn’t talk about it again, however, and both of them returned their focus to the little girl who had so enriched their lives, each in their own way. Abhijeet began working on potty training the little girl and Guinevere continued to take care of the bottles and feeding. Both played with Morgaine as often as they could, and even Abhijeet began to realize that parenthood wasn’t so bad after all. In fact, he was enjoying watching her grow perhaps more now than even Guinevere herself.

In fact, father and daughter had begun to develop a rather special relationship with one another, one which began to make Guin feel jealous. After all, she had done most of the “important” things for Morgaine over the past three years. She was the one who had changed every diaper and who had made all the bottles. Why was the little girl so bonded to her father? Why couldn’t Guinevere have that kind of a relationship with her daughter? It made her uneasy and nervous.

One night after Morgaine had been put to bed and supper had been cleared from the table, Guinevere lit some candles in the bedroom, dressed in her sleekest nightgown and stretched out on the bed. “Abhijeet?” she called softly. He put his head through the door and his eyes nearly popped. There was Guinevere looking as beautiful as she had the first day he had met her! Suddenly a rush of old feelings were coming back to him and a small, enticing shiver went down his spine. He was fully unaware of his wife’s intentions.

“I want to make love to you,” Guin crooned to her husband. I want to be close to you again… Will you make love to me?”

Abhijeet didn’t need to be asked twice. For the first time in so long the woo hoo was terrific and both spouses fell asleep with a warm tingling feeling in their bellies — the warmth of a love that had once been so cold.

For a long time it seemed as though they were closer than ever and the joy returned to the raising of their child. They spent as much time with her as possible when they weren’t at work, playing, laughing and joking. Perhaps they could have a normal family life after all. Perhaps things would get better between Guinevere and Abhijeet Cornwell. Perhaps they would give their daughter Morgaine the best possible life…

Everything went well until the day that Guinevere returned to Dr. Portland for the second time during their marriage. Morgaine was almost five years old by that time and though the family still had their occasional struggles, things seemed to be working themselves out. Guinevere thought that one more piece of good news could make Morgaine’s birthday even better. She announced her pregnancy as soon as she returned home from the doctor’s office.

Abhijeet was silent for a long moment, not saying anything, and then simply retired to the bedroom to ‘reflect.’ He realized suddenly that Guin’s amorous advances might have been caused by her desire to expand their family, and the thought didn’t make him happy. Their lives were going in two different directions, and he didn’t like the direction she wanted them to take.

So once again Guinevere and Morgaine would celebrate a birthday alone together. Though the little girl missed her father’s presence and knew nothing yet of her mother’s pregnancy, she was happy to have that time with her mother.

At half-past six, with Abhijeet still sulking in the bedroom, Guinevere and Morgaine made their way to the cake that Guin had baked that afternoon. Though the affair was somewhat lonely without Abhijeet present to blow the party horns or shake the noise-making rattles, and therefore turned into something fairly solemn, Morgaine grew into a beautiful child who resembled her father in most ways. Mother and daughter shared a hug and tried to be joyful as they ate the cake that Guin had baked for them, but it still felt as though something was missing.

Guin sighed when she realized it was her love for her husband….