People Change

“I’m just worried, you know? What if he didn’t listen, and he’s still mopey and single, and he hasn’t accepted that what we have isn’t going to stop any time soon?” Sydney said worriedly to Jason as he drove the two of them over to Matt Sander’s house for his birthday get-together. Sydney hadn’t seen or talked to Brian since the 4th of July barbeque, so she had no clue what sort of turn his life had made after she spoke with him, or if it even made a turn at all.

Jason smiled sympathetically across at Sydney, rubbing his thumb soothingly across the back of her hand. “Baby, it would be very logical of him to realize that he needed to listen to you. You’re a wise one, and he knows that. I’m sure he’s taken charge of the situation and heeded your advice.”

“I hope,” Sydney sighed, leaning her head back against the headrest of her seat and closing her eyes. Earlier that week, a freelance photographer for the local newspaper took a picture of Jimmy stepping out of Sydney’s bakery, and since then they’d been bombarded by every Avenged fan within a five mile radius. When everyone realized Jimmy and Sydney were siblings, the amount of people coming to the bakery increased even more. So, Sydney had been so busy she hadn’t had much time to herself. She’d barely even seen Jason, and they lived together now. She knew she was crazy busy when that happened. She could sleep for days on end and still not make up for all the sleep she’d been missing out on.

“We’re here, Syd,” Jason said gently, nudging Sydney in the ribs with his elbow. Sydney sat up and glanced in the rearview mirror to check her hair; she’d obviously dozed off on the way to Matt’s. Jason smiled and walked around to her side of the car, opening her door and helping her out of the car. Sydney grinned at him, wrapping her arm around his waist as they walked together up to Matt’s front door. Jason knocked and several moments later, Val answered the door, beaming and wearing a glittery party hat lopsidedly on her blonde hair.

“Hey, guys!” she greeted happily, stepping back to allow them inside. “You look gorgeous as usual today, Sydney. Your earrings are Eiffel Towers!” Val exclaimed, drawing a lock of Sydney’s hair away to see her earrings.

“Thanks, Val,” Sydney answered with a smile. “And yes, they are.”

“That is so cool, Syd,” Val gushed. “Well, Matt and Matt and Lanie are sitting out in the backyard, if you want to head on out there.”

“Okay, thanks,” Jason said, grabbing Sydney’s hand and leading the way through the house and out into the backyard. Matt’s yard was only slightly smaller than Jimmy’s, except his didn’t have a deck like Jimmy’s did. Matt, Matt, and Lanie sat underneath an umbrella beside the grill talking. Smoke issued from the top of the grill, and Sydney could smell the hamburgers from the back door.

“OI, PREGNANT BITCH!” Sydney yelled, pulling away from Jason to walk towards Lanie. Lanie looked up and jumped to her feet with a squeal, running over to Sydney to throw her arms around her friend. They’d both been two tired to see each other outside of the bakery at all that week. “How’s the hellion—I mean, baby doing?”

“Oh, just fine,” Lanie answered, running her hand over her slightly protruding stomach. She’d found out that she was pregnant only a few days after Jimmy’s 4th of July barbeque; a week later, Matt proposed. “Matt’s gone bodyguard on me. Constantly he’s like, ‘Baby, want me to get that for you?’ or ‘Baby, you need anything?’ I always make him give me a foot massage.” Lanie said quietly, smirking evilly as she said the last part.

“Sounds to me like he brings it upon himself,” Sydney replied as Jason greeted the two Matt’s. “Hey, Matt and Mattie,” she added slightly louder, walking over to hug Matt S. and Mattie B. “Here’s your present.” Sydney handed Matt a package. He shook it hopefully, but whatever it was in there didn’t make much noise.

“Jason didn’t get me a vibrator, did he?” Matt asked, making a face as he stood up to put the present on a table underneath another umbrella. Sydney laughed and shook her head.

“Open it now, douche!” Jason protested, stealing Matt’s vacated seat and pulling Sydney down onto his lap.

“We should call Val out,” Sydney added. Matt nodded and headed into the house to grab Val at the exact same time everyone else except Brian stepped out into the backyard. A minute or so later, Matt came back out, followed closely by Val. By then, everyone had greeted everybody and was waiting patiently for Matt to open his present.

“I bet it’s impressive,” Val said as Matt grabbed his present and sat down in an empty lawn chair. She perched herself on his knee, watching him along with everyone else as he pulled away the wrapping paper around the box. He slid open the box and Val burst into laughter as he pulled out a barely-there thong and a lacy corset lingerie top. Matt just stared in shock at the articles of clothing in his hands, his face burning a deep red.

“I think you’ll look good in them,” Val snorted, gasping for air.

“It’s actually for Valary to wear,” Sydney piped up as everyone else regained their composure after having laughed so hard. “You know...crazy hot birthday sex. So, I guess it’s basically for Val, but I think you’ll enjoy it too, Matt.”

“It was my idea!” Jason exclaimed happily as Matt glanced from the lingerie to Val and back, and judging by the smirk forming on his lips, his thoughts weren’t exactly rated PG.

“Val’s one lucky lady if that’s all you’re going to wear tonight, Shads,” a male voice called from the back door. Everyone looked up to see Brian and Michelle standing just outside the back door, their hands linked between them.

“MICHELLE!” Val screamed, launching up off of Matt’s knee as he put the lingerie back into its box and carefully put the lid back on it, thanking Jason and Sydney for their gift and promising he’d put it to good use. Val slammed hard into her sister, causing both of them to stagger backwards into the closed door. When Val finally pulled away, Michelle happily raised her left hand and smiled.

“It’ll be Michelle Haner in a few months,” Michelle answered proudly. Val screamed again, grabbing her sister and jumping up and down excitedly.

Sydney smiled as she rose with the crowd to congratulate the two of them on their engagement. Brian met Sydney’s eyes as he stood hugging an extremely excited Val, looking a little uncertain about her reaction. But Sydney only smiled and gave him the thumbs-up sign. Jason stepped up beside her, weaving an arm around her waist.

“I think he took note of what you told him,” he whispered in her ear. Sydney smiled and nodded, feeling a huge weight lifting from her shoulders.

@@@@@

“It really is a beautiful ring,” Sydney told Michelle, watching how the diamonds in Michelle’s engagement ring sparkled in the mid-afternoon sunlight. Sure, it’d been a little awkward between them for the first half hour or so, but once they started talking, Sydney and Michelle realized that they both liked the other one and relaxed.

“Thanks,” Michelle said, admiring her ring as well. “Brian always had a knack for knowing exactly what I like.”

“Anything to make you happy, baby,” Brian cut in, walking up to the two women. They both smiled up at him, and Brian pecked Michelle on the lips before turning to Sydney. “Can I speak with you inside for a moment?”

“Yeah, sure,” Sydney answered, rising to her feet. She followed Brian into Matt’s house, and they stopped in the first empty room they found.

“I just wanted to thank you for making me realize Michelle is the one,” Brian said. “I can’t put my gratitude into words, really, but I hope you understand what I’m trying to say.”

“Oh, there’s really no need to thank me,” Sydney answered. “I’m just happy that you’re happy. Congratulation on the engagement, by the way.”

“Thanks,” Brian said with a smile. “Well, I called Michelle the day after the barbeque, and as it turned out, the only reason she never called me was that she thought I’d be mad at her because I’d been dating you, but kissing her, and she thought I’d get mad and blame everything on her. She didn’t want to upset me further. So, we agreed to go on a date and it was just like old times. I think we were both a little tense at first, but as the date went on we relaxed more and more. A couple weeks later, I proposed, and I suppose the rest is history.”

“Makes for a good love story, doesn’t it?” Sydney asked. Brian smiled and nodded.

“Hey! I have to give Matt his present and I want everyone out here!” Val’s voice yelled from the backyard. Brian and Sydney walked back out; Sydney perched herself next to Jason, and Brian sat next to Michelle. Everyone watched as Val pulled a flat, square box out from behind her and handed it, beaming, to Matt.

“You really didn’t need to get me anything, you know,” Matt said as he pulled the wrapping paper off of the box.

“I can’t help it,” Val answered with a grin, still watching her husband as he tugged at the ribbon tied around the box. “And if you don’t want it and plan on returning it, good luck because I’m not going to let you.”

“I can’t return it?” Matt asked confusedly, pausing to look up at Val.

“Nope,” she answered happily. “Well, I guess maybe you could, but I really don’t think you’ll want to.”

Matt still looked confused.

“Oh, just open it,” Val said impatiently. Matt looked back down at the box and slowly slid the lid off. A card sat in the box. He pulled it out and tore the envelope open, pulling out a card that said ‘HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!’ on it. Matt stared at the card, and then looked up at Val, his eyes wide and his jaw hanging open. Val grinned and held out a little white stick eye level to Matt: a pregnancy test. A plus sign was clearly visible on it.

Suddenly, everything clicked in Matt’s head. His eyes lit up and he launched to his feet, the box sliding to the grass from his lap and the card fluttering to the ground as he released it. He grabbed Val, dragging her hard against his torso as he hugged her excitedly. He peppered kisses all over her face and neck, finally pressing one final kiss to her lips.

“Fuck! A baby Shadows!” Jimmy exclaimed.