Immaculate

“I’m pregnant!” she beamed as he entered the room.

Joseph just stood there for a moment, looking blank.

“Aren’t you going to congratulate me?!” Mary asked, her expression vaulting swiftly from joy to irritation.

Joseph stared at her, scarcely able to believe what he was hearing. “What, but we haven’t even...”

“Oh no, silly, it’s God’s.” She remarked, her smile returning, radiant.

A pause. “What?”

“God came to me last night while you were out and impregnated me with his child. Our baby will be the son of God, it’s a miracle!”

Joseph felt his ears redden and tried to manage his rising anger. “I’m sorry, you’re saying it’s...God’s child?” he managed.

“Yes, isn’t it marvellous?!” Mary exclaimed, pirouetting and skipping her way toward the window and gazing happily out.

“And...what did God look like?” Joseph asked, his knuckles whitening.

“Oh, you know, hair, beard, tunic, like God.” She replied vaguely.

“Like God. Right. And...and I suppose he appeared in some mystical and amazing way then?”

“Oh no, he just knocked on the door. He was very polite. Just as you’d expect, really.”

“So...I take it he didn’t leave in...a great flash of light or something either then?” Joseph questioned, grinding his teeth.

“No, it was quite curious actually” Mary mused, “He left by the window. He does move in mysterious ways though, I guess” she quipped with a light-hearted chuckle.

“I guess” Joseph muttered, whilst tightly wrapping his belt around his fist...