Battling the Loss You Live For.

Me, Nyona and Sophii got along extremely quickly. They were so easy to get to know, and they were so easy to be around. They made me feel at home, I hadn’t felt all that comfortable really in New Jersey yet because I’d only ever met Frank’s friends and hadn’t really made any of my own. It felt good. It was an added bonus that they were from England; they knew what it was like, and where I was coming from.

Nyona and Sophii were living together in a flat on the edge of Newark, leaving England because they felt like a new start. There seemed to be something more, as Nyona’s eyes darkened as she told the short story of them moving over. I didn’t ask, though, as they seemed all tense about it.
I had found out that Nyona was going out with this guy called Matt, who was a close friend of Gerard’s.
“He’s a jerk, though,” Sophii muttered to me, and I shook my head.
“Sophii! That’s your friends boyfriend!” I said, slapping her lightly on the arm in a playful manner. She laughed quietly, and shrugged.
“It’s true, though!”
“Sophii, shut up! He’s not a jerk… he’s just hard to get to know, and to understand,” Nyona said, defending him.
We were in Sophii’s dark blue Ford Fiesta, on the way back from the cake place. We’d picked up a chocolate cake with vanilla frosting, and Sophii had got all excited. Nyona kept telling her to control herself, so I guess it would taste nice.
“Whatever you say, Nee,” Sophii said, a hint of laughter in her tone. Nyona rolled her eyes, leaning back in her seat with a slight smile.

“So, we’ll see you around, Sazzy,” Nyona said, hugging me.
“Yeah, thanks for today,” I replied, as she pulled away, Sophii wrapping me into a hug.
“We’ll be around here frequently, just so you know,” Sophii said, a giggle emitting from her lips. I laughed as she pulled away, shaking my head.
“No problem.”
“See you later, skanky Brighton-er!”
“Hey, that rhymes!” Nyona replied, her eyes wide and grin spread across her face.
“I know, right? Man, I’m just too amazing…” I rolled my eyes, Nyona sighing softly as she pushed Sophii out of the door.
“Bye, Sazzy.”

“I’m alive!”
“I’m not!” I called back, aimlessly flicking through the channels on the TV. I was bored as hell. I heard a small giggle, footsteps approaching softly, feeling him enter the room as the floor-boards echoed. I was laying across the floor, finding the cream coloured carpet comfortable, a grey cushion under my head.
“What are you doing on the floor?” Frank asked, and I rolled my head to face him, his lips curled into a smile.
“I dropped the phone, and when I went to pick it up, I couldn’t get up.”
“Aw, babe!” he laughed, kneeling next to me.
“It’s not funny!” I replied, pouting. He shook his head, laughter still emitting from his lips. It made me smile.
“Sorry. How’ve you been?” he asked, sitting cross-legged next to my belly, placing his hand there. I rolled my head back to face the television.
“Okay. Haven’t done anything interesting, really… I washed those ripped jeans for you, so you don’t have to have a bitch fit about them anymore,” I said, turning my head to look at the ceiling instead, thinking of what else I had to tell him.
“Oh… and Dad phoned… he’s going out of town for a few days… I think you should ring him back, he was saying he hadn’t spoke to you in a while. And… ugh, Frank, you stink of cigarettes!”
“Uh, sorry, I had one before I came in,” he said, letting his hand trail to my abdomen.
“How’ve the babies been?”
“Same as usual, moving around and stuff… How was your day?”
“It’s been alright… I’ve got a week off, now, thank god. It feels like we haven’t hung out together for ages,” he explained, his eyes trained on my swollen belly.
“Yeah, I get what you mean…”
He looked up at the clock.
“Are you hungry?”
“Err… not… really. I was gonna make some pasta later, that okay?” I asked, turning my head back to face him. He shrugged, nodding.
“Sure. Hey, I’ll make it, you-”
“No fuckin’ way, you burn every-fucking-thing!” I said, giggling. He pouted.
“I do not!”
“Yes you do! Then you go ‘oh, it’s Cajun style!’”
“I like cooking Cajun style!” he defended, crossing his arms childishly.
“God, I’d have to look after three babies, not just two,” I mumbled, sighing. He laughed, standing up then helping me up.