chapter 3

She's been staying with us a few days now and we've been enjoying the sights and experiencing the most wonderful food.

It's become our habit to just be eating all day but I never expected any of our guests to just run with it.

We've been out for breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day so far. We've spent almost as much on snacks and drinks in between as we have meals.

As we've been out and about, I've not been able to help notice some habits and behaviors that I never noticed before.

But, now I have noticed them, I'm unsure what to think.

Whenever she'd finish a drink before us, and be waiting to go to the bar and get the next round, she almost has a nervous tick where she jiggles her legs and claps her thighs together in anticipation of getting up.

Had I just not noticed this before? I obviously didn't stare underneath the table but the noise of her thighs clapping together instantly made me think of the sounds of my sex life.

Every time she was explaining something from back home or tell a story and got passionate about it, hand gestures would turn into full-on arm gestures and serious waving. Had I not noticed before that her arms were so wobbly?

I found myself in awe of their ripples and waves every time she made a new motion. It was almost like she was wiggling them on purpose but I just put it down to emotion.

The final observation at the end of day three was getting in and out of cars. It seemed like she was always the last person to get in and out. We all got in together but she'd spend much longer actually getting in.

I thought perhaps she'd injured herself and hadn't told us yet.

Either way, her clapping thighs, wobbly arms that I've not noticed before, and slow - almost awkwardness - manouvering was playing on my mind.

I thought about asking her if she was okay or wanted me to adjust her seat . But, almost in sync with my mind, she shouted to her sister in the back of the car to ask he she minded her reclining her seat and having a nap on the way back.

Of course, she obliged and the seat was reclined.

As she leaned back to fall asleep, her top rode above her belly. And that's when it dawned on me.

She must have gained as much weight as we had during lockdown!