11:11

*5 years later*

“Are you going out tonight?”

“No.” I glance over my shoulder to see if Luke is even vacuuming properly. He’s not. “Can you do that the right way, please?”

He rolls his eyes and turns his back on me. “But it’s a big night; wouldn’t you want to go out?”

“No, because once I inform Alex of the news he’s been waiting for - for I don’t even know how long - he’ll want to stay in.”

“Oh… he’s such a loser.”

“He’s my loser, though.”

I smile to myself and make sure every picture frame is totally straight before standing back to admire the living room. Luke and I spent the week painting it, and today, Friday, we’re putting everything back in its place.

Alex and the boys are coming home today. They’ve been on tour for 8 weeks. 8 long weeks. They should be home around 5, which is an hour from now.

“Okay, I think I’m done vacuuming…”

I look around the room and shrug. He did a halfway decent job. It doesn’t look dirty, at least.

“Alright. Fine, we’re done I guess.”

“Can we eat now?”

“I told you – there’s plenty of food in this house. Find something to eat.”

I sit down on the couch and pull out my magazine I had been reading. I barely had any time to myself lately – even with Alex gone. Luke has been suffocating me and Ryder has been bugging me too – only not as much.

Ryder has a girlfriend now and he’s been bugging me for ideas on where to take her for their 6 month anniversary. I told him I was the last person to go to for advice like that – I’m just no good at it.

“If I talk to your stomach enough, do you think the baby will recognize my voice?”

“Um… Yeah, that’s what happens.”

I give Luke a funny look, because seriously, duh.

“Hey, I’m just asking! I don’t know anything about pregnancy! And you know Alex doesn’t either!”

“Yeah, I know. I didn’t say that you should.”

He remains quiet for about 30 seconds before grabbing the magazine out of my hands. “You should be reading this.”

He replaces the gardening magazine with a pregnancy one. “Where did you get this?”

“I bought it for you. You should have seen the looks I was getting at the store…”

Being honest with myself, I have been meaning to buy one of these kinds of magazines, and maybe even a book. But it’s still very early for that.

“If you open to page 49, there’s a –”

“Luke, did you read this already?”

“Perhaps…”

I throw the magazine down beside me on the couch and sigh. “Then I’ll ask you whatever questions I have when the time comes for them.”

“But… Oh, whatever.”

This time, he remains quiet for the most part. He lets out an occasional sigh and every so often, he laughs at something on the TV.

By the time 4:45 comes around, I’m a mess. My foot is tapping the floor and Luke is shooting daggers at me.

“Chill the fuck out.”

“I can’t.”

Luke is about to come back with another angry response, but then his head turns towards the door and he smiles. “I just heard a car door slam.”

“Wait, seriously?”

In an instant he’s over by the front door, throwing it open to whoever’s on the other side. It just so happens to be Jack.

“Lukey!”

Jack’s skinny arms wrap around Luke’s body and it just looks really uncomfortable. Jack laughs as Luke tries his best to push him away.

“Get off me,” Luke mumbles as he manages to pry one of Jack’s arms off. “Nice glasses.”

Jack scoffs. “My glasses are sexy and they let me see well.”

I smile at his statement and get up from my spot on the couch. “Hi Jack.”

“Lexy! Hey!”

It’s my turn to be crushed by Jack now – which is surprising, because he’s such a skinny guy and you don’t think he can do much damage.

“You might want to let go of her before Alex sees this!” Rian walks in and drops his duffle bag by the door. He smiles at me when he sees me. “Hey, Lex. Jack, let her go, really.”

Jack releases me and heads into the kitchen – probably to find a beer or something.

“How was the past 8 weeks without us?” Rian asks.

“I was fine… How was Alex?”

I lean to my left just a bit to see out the front door just to see if my loser husband decides to walk in the front door anytime soon.

“He was fine. There were so many times that he wanted to call you and I had to remind him of the time difference.”

“He’s so sweet.”

Rian laughs and shrugs his shoulders. “He’s just getting his bags, Lex.”

“I know…”

“Why the hell is there such a devastating lack of beer?!”

I roll my eyes at Jack’s outburst from the kitchen. “Go home, then! I’m sure Shannon is waiting for you!”

“Oh, you’re right. I should probably leave…”

He appears in the kitchen doorway with an armful of cans of beer and soda.

“Are you taking a two day trip or a 2 minute one, Jack?” Rian asks. Jack lives literally 2 minutes away.

“I’m just stocking up. Who knows when the last time Shan went food shopping was.”

“You have so much faith,” I observe as he passes me. “Say hi to her for me.”

“Will do!”

I watch him walk out the front door and close it behind him. A second later it opens again and Zack walks in. I can’t help but sigh in disappointment.

“Hey Lex, what’s up?”

He doesn’t put his bags down, and I take that as a sign that he’s not staying long.

“Nothing. How are you Zack?”

“Beat. I’m gonna go home and sleep. Just wanted to come in and say hey. Oh, and tell you that your man’s outside attempting to carry all 4 of his bags at once.”

I cover my eyes with my hands and try to control my laughter. Alex seriously over packed for the tour. I mean, really, 4 duffle bags of clothes? He probably wore the same 4 shirts over and over again.

“Alright… well I guess I should go and help him?”

“Maybe.”

I walk outside with Zack, Luke following close behind. Alex is standing at the beginning of the walkway, struggling to pick up his 4th bag.

“Hey, do you need some help with that?” I call out to him and Zack chuckles.

“I’ll see you later, Lex.”

He hugs me goodbye and walks down to his car that was left in my driveway while they were gone.

“I’m good, Lex!” Alex yells back. “I’ll be inside in a minute!” I roll my eyes as Zack goes down the front steps and picks up the last bag for him. “Oh hey, thanks buddy.”

Both of them walk into the house and drop the bags right by the door.

“So. I missed you like you have no idea.”

I smile at Alex’s confession, even though I already knew. “I’d have to say the same thing.”

He kisses me slowly, but it doesn’t last very long, thanks to Luke being in the room.

“Can you please not do that in front of me?”

Alex flips him off before pulling away from me. “Can we go out tonight? I’m thinking we go to the bar with everyone.”

“That would include a lot of drinking, I presume?”

“Well, yeah, duh.”

“Oh, well then I’ll have to decline.”

“What? Since when do you have a problem with drinking?”

Luke giggles – yes, giggles – from his spot on the couch and Alex looks at him with a look saying ‘what the hell are you on?’

“See… I have this thing where I can’t drink alcohol…”

I trail my finger down his arm, just waiting for him to catch on.

“Wait, are you sick? What the hell happened while I was gone?”

“No, not sick.”

“Well then what is this ‘thing’ that you’re talking about? What the hell would make you not able to drink- oh… wait…”

I nod slowly when I think he’s starting to get it. His eyes narrow and he opens his mouth to say something, but nothing comes out.

“Alex…?”

“Are you…” He pauses, looking over at Luke who’s grinning like an idiot. “You’re pregnant?”

I nod quickly and the next thing I know, I’m being lifted off the ground.

“Hey, wait! Put me down!”

Alex ignores my request and spins around once, making me extremely dizzy. I hear Luke offering his opinion on how this would affect the baby, but Alex ignores that too.

“You have just supplied me with the best information I have ever received. Ever, Lex!”

I feel my feet touch back down on the ground moments later and I can’t help but smile as big as I can.

“I figured you’d be happy.”

“Happy? That’s a fucking understatement!”

I join in the laughter and I hear Luke walk up beside me.

“So, remember when this happened like, 5 years ago?” he questions and Alex groans.

“God, do you really need to bring that up?”

“Yeah… because I-” he breaks off mid-sentence and starts laughing. “I said something about you that I can probably take back now….”

“Excuse me?

I cover my face with my hands as I realize exactly what he’s doing. This isn’t going to go over too well, but it’s hysterical anyway.

“Well, after Lex found out she wasn’t actually pregnant, I may have questioned your sperm count.”

Alex’s smile is gone completely, and it’s replaced by a look of pure disbelief.

“You questioned my sperm count? Who fuck would think like that?”

Luke backs away towards our front door slowly. “Sorry… I was just sort of… pointing it out. But, obviously, you don’t have to worry about your sperm count. I was wrong!”

Alex takes a threatening step towards him, and in an instant Luke is out the door, leaving me and Alex laughing in our living room.

“He’s such a fucking dweeb.”

“Yeah, but he’s our dweeb… Isn’t he?”

“Unfortunately,” Alex states, and then he smiles and puts his hand on my stomach.

“I’m only like 2 months. There’s nothing to see yet.”

“I don’t care… I missed 2 months of your pregnancy… I came back just in time, didn’t I?”

I grin and nod. “You’re back just in time for the morning sickness and mood swings to begin.”

“Hey, it’s all worth it in the end, isn’t it?”

****

<3