A Ballad For Beulah

Beulah glanced over her shoulder at the shopping bags in the backseat of Adrienne's car as the two of them pulled into a parking spot at Safeway. Both women had spend the better part of the day hitting up several stores in the city and had just made their way back into Oak-town to do the typical 'woman of the house' deal, and pick up some groceries.

"I think my arms are gonna fall right off," Adrienne muttered as she turned off the ignition and let her hand fall to her lap.

Beulah quirked an eyebrow. "Why's that?"

"You saw all the things we bought today, right?" Adrienne questioned jokingly. "The biggest pain in the ass about shopping is always lugging all that shit back to the car. I mean, I'm five months pregnant, you're four. We shouldn't be doing that, you know?"

Adrienne's smile was impish as she threw her keys into her purse and unbuckled her seatbelt.

"And that's why Safeway has grocery carts."

"Ah, yes. Bless 'em to bits."

Both ladies giggled as she casually exited the car and made their way across the parking lot and into the main entrance of the grocery market chain.

"You know the best thing about pregnancy, right?"

Adrienne looked at the younger woman, and shrugged. "I don't know. What's the best thing about pregnancy?"

Beulah pointed to a few items on the shelves of one of the aisles they were walking down. "No need for Tampons."

The Armstrong woman nodded in agreement as she poked a box of Tampons with her finger, knocking it off the shelf. "Oops, my bad," she muttered sarcastically.

Beulah giggled as they left the helpless item to flounder on the ground like a fish out of water. Granted, that would make more sense if the box was actually moving and not laying there like a lump on a log.

The two of them moved from aisle to aisle, wondering what things they wanted to get to bring home, sharing the responsibility of pushing a cart. Adrienne picked out some Tofu products she knew Billie Joe liked the best and then some meat-filled goodies her sons adored more than ice cream.

Okay, so that last bit was a stretch, but you get the picture.

Meanwhile, Beulah picked out a box of noodles for spaghetti and two jars of Ragu brand sauce. She planned on making Spaghetti in the coming days, and knew that both Bailey and Mike would like it.

"So, what are you planning to do for Mike's birthday next week?" Adrienne asked as they turned toward the Dairy Frozen section.

Beulah shrugged. "Not sure," she answered plainly. "I guess I'll make him a cake. I was thinking in the shape of a guitar but extending the neck of it to make it look more like a bass, but I wasn't sure where I could find a cake pan like that."

"Oh, I got one. I'll let you borrow it."

"Really? Thanks."

"No problem," Adrienne shook it off. "I always make Billie guitar shaped cakes every year on his birthday for just me, him and the boys. You know, a little birthday celebration for us before the big deal everyone else always goes through."

Beulah simply nodded her head.

Must be nice, she thought. Billie Joe and his little family all happy together. But what about Bailey? God, what about my son?

She, of course, would never think to mutter any of that out loud. But that wasn't to say it didn't eat away at her heart every single fucking day.

"Did you get him anything yet?" Adrienne continued.

Beulah blushed slightly. "To be honest, I have no idea what to get someone who...pretty much has everything."

"Well," Adrienne began. "Since we're speaking about honest...want my honest opinion about what he would want?"

"Yes, please," Beulah replied quickly, which brought about laughter from both women.

Adrienne stopped walking, causing the grocery cart to stop as well, leaving both of them at a stand still as she looked at the blonde.

"Mike's always seen as either the quiet, stoic one of the group. The one who seems the most serious, even though we know he's not. And he's also been through a lot in his earlier life that, I suppose, has screwed him up a little. He's had loved ones coming and going in his life without any notice, and he's had his heart broken a few times, but also seemed to remain strong. I, personally, feel that's just a front he puts on for everyone else because I know that deep down he just wants to scream out at the top of his lungs all that pisses him off and makes him hurt. But he won't because he doesn't let his emotions out that freely," Adrienne rattled off her big theory. "He's a reserved man, and, if you ask me, all Mike needs...is you. You and what you're giving him."

"Which is?" Beulah edged on, not quite sure she understood what Adrienne meant.

"Love. And your children. All three," Adrienne smiled. "Estelle, Bailey, and little unknown." They started moving again because an old woman was behind them and her huffs noted her aggravation. "Mike's not a materialistic guy. He'd probably be very happy living in the middle of the Adirondack Mountains, in a little log cabin, with no electricity, so long as he had those he loved with him and could still play his music."

Beulah bit her bottom lip, boldly going to ask her next question. "What about Billie Joe? Is he like that?"

Adrienne laughed. "Oh, hell no," she shook her head; a twinkle in her eye. "He is more high maintenance than any woman I know. He is very much a Man Diva, in his own right."

"Somehow I know exactly what you mean."

Both women met each others' gaze for a moment, then just smiled as they walked on.

"Ooh, ice cream," Adrienne pointed out. "Two gallons of Breyer's for four bucks? Can't go wrong there."

Beulah nodded as Billie Joe's wife picked out two different flavors.

It was funny. Even though the older woman had access to, pretty much, millions of dollars and would live the easy life for the rest of her days, she still valued bargain deals, like two gallons of ice cream for four bucks.

It just went to show that Adrienne was still just a down to earth woman who had a big heart and loved her friends and family more than her own life.

And, aside from not wanting to lose the great friendship they had going, this was another reason Beulah refused to hint toward Bailey's paternity.

* * *

"I think he's avoiding me," Billie Joe muttered to Mike as he plopped down beside his lankier friend on the couch in the living room. "He's five years old, and understands the concept of giving someone the cold shoulder."

"Yeah, Beulah's thinking he should be enrolled into one of those magnet schools for five year old geniuses this fall," Mike replied without any real emotion in his face.

"Serious?"

Mike turned his gaze to his best friend and narrowed his eyes, flashing an expression that read: You're pathetic, you know that, right?

"No, you dipshit. I was trying to make a joke there. You know, poking fun at your 'Woe Is Me' routine."

"What do you mean, 'routine?'"

"Aw, fuck, Billie. Yes, it's true. Bailey is five years old. But that's just it. He's five. Not fifteen. You can still integrate yourself into his life, whether he likes it or not. Stop giving up so easily," Mike complained. "'Cause it's getting old real fast."

"I'm not giving up," the guitarist insisted.

"Well, you could've fooled me."

Billie Joe sighed, holding a beer bottle in his hands. "Fuck. What am I supposed to do, Mike? I don't know how to get down to his level. And I don't wanna force my son to make nice with me."

"So help him with something."

"How do you mean?"

"Be a dad. Teach him about the birds and the bees."

Billie Joe just stared at Mike. "Dude, he's five. I think the sex talk is still far enough away."

"No shit, but if my memory serves me correctly, I discovered my dick by the time I was four and at five, wanking was a nice little hobby when I was alone in my room playing with my toys."

Simply making a face, Billie Joe shook his head as he took a swig of his beer. When it parted from his lips he muttered, "Way too much information there, pal."

"The point I'm trying to make, Billie, is that you just gotta throw yourself into Bailey's life. Unless you give yourself wholeheartedly to him, you clearly don't care very much, do you?"

"I do," Billie Joe replied adamantly.

"Then fucking prove it, man," Mike spoke with a furrowed brow as he leaned forward slightly. "Because if you don't do something soon, I'm not gonna correct Bailey when he calls me Daddy again."

Billie Joe was speechless when what his best friend had said hit him like a sack of bricks.

"He calls you Daddy?"

Mike nodded. "Yeah," he answered. "And he thinks of Estelle as his sister...while he thinks of Joey and Jakob as just his secret brothers." Shaking his head, the bassist ran a hand through his hair and scratched at his forehead. "I'm serious about all this, Billie. Putting the truth off any longer and you're gonna really fuck with Bailey's head and emotions. And I won't let you do that."

Billie Joe dipped his head, staring down into the narrow neck of his beer bottle.

"Not to mention how much your fucking with Beulah's head and you've barely seen her in the few months she's been living here," Mike added as an afterthought.

Turning his green eyes upon Mike, the punk rock frontman scowled a little, but mostly in response to his own guilt and not because he was made at his friend for speaking the truth.

"So, what do I--"

"Deal with your son," Mike cut him off, already knowing what Billie Joe was going to ask.

Without another word, Billie Joe stood up after setting his beer bottle down on the coffee table and then stepped out of the living room. He took to the staircase and headed up the stairs to the second floor, demurely walking toward Bailey's bedroom.

Knocking once, he poked his head inside and followed through by entering the room, finding his son sitting on the floor, with his little guitar strewn across his lap while he strummed it lazily, his smaller pair of green eyes lifting to meet his father's.

"Whatcha playing?" Billie Joe asked.

"My guitar."

"I see that. But are you playing a song?"

Bailey shrugged. "I dunno. I don't know any songs. I just strum it."

Unable to keep from smirking a little, despite his nerves, Billie Joe gestured to the space on the floor beside the five year old. "Can I sit down?"

Bailey shrugged again. "I guess," he responded, biting his lip a little as his gaze followed his father as he crouched down and then pressed his back up against the twin bed for back support as they sat side by side on the floor.

"I think I can show you how to play a song," Billie Joe informed. When Bailey didn't respond, he continued. "It was the first song I ever recorded. And, actually, I was the same age as you when I did it."

Billie Joe bent his legs at his knees and pulled them to his chest a little as he turned and then folded them Indian style.

"Is it hard?" Bailey asked.

Billie Joe shook his head. "Nah. You're pretty smart. You'll get it."

Father and son locked eyes, and for a moment, Billie Joe saw a glimpse of promise in his offspring's expression.

Maybe Mike was right after all. Maybe helping Bailey with something would bridge the gap between them so that they could develop the father-son relationship they both needed.

* * *

After a Bagger helped bring their groceries to the car and then placed them in the trunk, Adrienne and Beulah drove off throughout the streets of Oakland until they entered the are of Berkeley, arriving not long after to Mike's house.

The car pulled up into the driveway, and the moment Adrienne turned the ignition off, she tilted her head to the side.

"Huh," she muttered. "Billie Joe must be here to jam with Mike."

Beulah licked her bottom lip and nodded. "Yeah. Must be."

The two of them hopped out of the car, both heading for the trunk to carry Beulah's groceries in. Once inside, Mike appeared in the archway between the front hall and the living room and smiled as soon as he set eyes on Beulah.

"How was shopping?" he asked.

"Productive."

"That's good." Mike stepped forward and touched a hand to Beulah's upper arm as he pressed his lips to her temple and gave her a soft kiss. "How ya doin' Adi?" he added when he pulled away.

"I'm good," she answered. "I saw Billie's car in the driveway. Is he here for a jam session?"

"Uh...yeah...we were messing around with some shit we've been working on, then, um..." Mike trailed.

"Then I went upstairs to help show Bailey how to play a song on his little guitar," came Billie Joe's voice from the top of the stairs. Walking down the steps rather gingerly. He looked upon his wife with a loving smile while trying to avoid any nervous eye contact he'd no doubt share with Beulah.

"What song?" Adrienne inquired.

"Look For Love," he answered, reaching the last step and shoving his hands in his pockets. "I think he picked it up really quickly, too."

"Kinda like a prodigy or something?" Mike pestered, glancing sideways at his friend.

Billie Joe looked at him. "Maybe."

A moment of silence passed over the four adults until Bailey appeared at the top of the stairs and smiled down at his mommy.

"Hey mommy. You're home," he announced.

"Yeah, I am," Beulah remarked. "Did you have a nice time today with Mike and Billie Joe?"

Bailey was about to open his mouth and blab about his 'father' helping him, as he walked down the stairs with his socks hanging off his feet, but he remembered the secret he had to keep.

"Mmhmm," he nodded. Bailey then gestured to his dad. "He taught me a song on my guitar."

"He did?"

"Uh-huh," Bailey nodded again. "Wanna hear me sing it, mommy?"

"Sure, just help me carry some of these groceries into the kitchen, okay?" Beulah commented, handing her son a small bag he could manage.

Adrienne watched as both mother and son smiled to everyone and then excused themselves to head out of the front hall. And she also noticed how both Mike and Billie Joe smiled with a sort of pride as Bailey walked with a skip in his step, following behind Beulah, singing.

"Honey, I have groceries in the trunk, so I'm gonna head home, but if you could maybe follow behind me, because I don't want to carry everything in, I'd appreciate it," Adrienne spoke to her husband.

Billie Joe whipped his head around. "Uh...oh, yeah. Sure, babe." Fumbling for his car keys in pants pockets, he nodded to Mike. "I'll, um, see ya later, okay?"

Mike smiled and slapped his friend on the arm. "Sure thing. Give me a call when you're free to jam again, 'kay?"

"Don't worry," Billie Joe agreed. "I will."

As husband followed wife, Mike watched the couple head out to their separate vehicles and his smile faded for a moment.

Shit, he thought. Adrienne has to know. She can't be that dense.