Say Hello by Michael McCloskey

You enter the kitchen through the patio door, in a dark blue bikini, hair wet, towel covering a pregnancy just beginning to show, and there he stands, at the far side of the room, up against the cabinets, your murderer, in sandals, khaki shorts and light blue golf shirt, video camera in hand, filming you becoming suddenly aware of his presence and saying Jesus!, putting your hand on your chest, laughing and covering your face.

Come on, don’t be shy, you’re a sexy mother now, your murderer says behind the camera.

You wave him off. You walk to the refrigerator, wet flip-flops squeaking, and open the door, pull out a bowl of fruit, carton of juice, which you tuck under your arm, and slide the ice-tray from the freezer.

What, we don’t get to see the belly? your murderer says. Come on.

Uh, you should be making your pregnant wife the shake she likes, you say, walking to the center island, to the blender, without looking up. Ignoring your murderer and obviously holding in a smile, you put the fruit, juice and ice in the blender as your murderer sings, Kay-cee, Kay-cee Bay-bee. You shake your head and start the blender.

Uh, hey, Kay-cee? Tell everyone how your back feels, your murderer says.

You stop the blender and look up.

Got her attention! he says, and you finally crack, you smile, and as you pour slush into a cup your murderer says, You gotta say something, come on. You gotta say hello at least.

Blurry figures moving in the swimming pool somewhere in the background, you wave both hands, smiling wide now, and say Hello! to the camera. You step back from the island and open the towel to show your belly, spin around, playfully moving your hips, your ass, you blow your murderer a kiss, leaning toward him—Marilyn Monroe! he says—and then cover your belly, pick up your drink and say, Now turn that thing off, and he does, and you’re gone.

Michael McCloskey recently graduated with a BA in English-Literature from Monmouth University in central New Jersey, where he grew up and still lives today. Currently he is working in a local family business as he considers applying to graduate school.