Why Should You Care Now?

Sitting on the couch in a pair of grey maternity pajama pants and a black spaghetti strapped nursing top, Jordan looked to where Joey was still watching Thomas. He had taken a break to eat dinner and have a bath, but after that, he was right back at it. Emmy had gone to bed since she wasn’t feeling well and Jordan had CJ in her arms while Sharpie and Seabrook were sitting on the couch with Joey in the middle of them as they watched Thomas. Hearing the doorbell ring, three sets of eyes looked towards her and she rolled her eyes at them.

“I go get it!” Joey yelled as he started to get down.

“No, you stay and watch Thomas ‘cause once he’s done its bed time.” Jordan said as she slowly got off the couch with CJ still in her arms. She grabbed blanket to make sure he was warm enough before walking to the door. Seeing who it was, she was honestly surprised to see him standing at her door with another man. “Umm, hi?”

“Did I wake you up?” he asked taking in her appearance.

“No Emmy went to bed early so I’m letting Joey watch Thomas before he goes to bed,” Jordan said shifting CJ from under the blanket as she heard Joey scream. “Come in and close the door.”

Walking back to the living area, Jordan gave Joey the look that let him know she wasn’t fooling around. “I told you no screaming. Now get your stuffed doggy and blanket and give goodnight hugs to everyone. I better not hear another word while I put your brother to bed.”

Joey looked down as he went to get his stuff as Jordan walked down the hallway with CJ. Walking into her bedroom, she put him in the crib. It was the crib for her baby, but since it was already assembled and had everything on it, she didn’t see the harm in letting Emmy get the extra rest by having CJ in her room for the night. She just hoped that Joey would go to bed and not be a pain like he was on most nights. Looking down at CJ, she made sure he was comfortable before walking out of her room to deal with her oldest nephew. When she walked into the living room, her heart just melted. Joey was hugging Jonathan and not letting him go.

“You ready buddy?”

“But they just got here.” Joey said as he walked over to Jordan with his arms raised up telling his aunt that he wanted her to pick him up.

“I’m sure there will be another time where they’ll be here,” She told him taking his stuff into her hands and held his hand. “Keep the noise down and I’ll be back in a bit.”

“Do you stay in there with him?” Jon asked.

“Buddy, go pick out a book and I’ll be right there.”

Joey did as he was told as Jordan looked at Jon. “It’s called a routine. Same thing, every night if we can manage it. Doesn’t matter if there are people over or not.”

“Are you sure you want to be on the floor in your state?” he asked her.

“What state is that?” Jordan asked. “Look, I’m pregnant, nothing else has changed. Now Brent and Patrick know how to use the TV. I’ve got a little boy waiting for me.”

Turning around she started heading down the hallway and towards Joey’ room so that she could get the story time over and done with. Seeing him with his favorite book in the recliner, she walked over and lowered herself in it before Joey settled himself into her side. “Same book, buddy?”

Joey nodded his head as Jordan opened the book and began to read it. She read half of it before she realized how quiet Joey was being. Looking down she saw that he was fast asleep. Kissing his head, she lifted him up and put him into his bed with his Thomas blanket around him. It was something that his Daddy got for him and so it was never out of his sight for too long. Walking out the door, she left it cracked open and made her way down the hallway. When she passed by her room, she checked in on CJ, but when she saw he was fine, she walked to the living room.

“So what do I owe this visit to?”

“I was hoping that you would still be at my place when I got back,” Jon said watching as she went around the living room and picked up the toys and reorganized them into bins. “I was at the airport.”

“I didn’t have my pills on me,” Jordan explained. “So I called Sharpie and Brent and they came and got me and they stuck around. Speaking of them, where are they?”

“They left while you were back there,” Jon said. “Is that a bad thing?”

“Well I didn’t get a chance to give Brent the money for going to get me chilli cheese fries.”

“He doesn’t want your money,” Jon laughed as she took a seat on the couch. “Jordan, I’d like you to meet my younger brother David. David this is Jordan, the mother to your first nephew or niece.”

“Don’t tell me you two are waiting to find out,” David said shaking Jordan’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you. Mom thinks you have him under a spell. Every time he calls all he wants to talk about is you. But knowing that your pregnant, might have clued her in.”

“You didn’t tell your family?” Jordan asked surprised and a little hurt by the thought. It was like he was trying to keep the fact that she was pregnant a secret. “What were you planning on doing for the father and son road trip?”

“They know,” Jon said taking a seat next to her and placing his hand on her stomach. “I didn’t have to tell them.”

“What do you mean?”

“That game, when you were offered a job, some of the press heard what you said and called them to confirm it.”

“Nice way to let them know Jon,” Jordan said as she closed her eyes for a moment and opened them as she looked at his face.

“Did the baby just-“

“Move and then kick?” Jordan supplied. “Yeah. Just like every night.”

“So have you thought of names?” David asked, looking at the two.

“It would be nice to know the sex before we give it a name.” Jon smiled at his brother, his hand not leaving Jordan’s stomach.

Jordan cocked her head to the side as she thought she saw a shadow, but after a minute she dismissed it. “I’m hoping for a little girl, but a boy wouldn’t be bad.”

“But have you thought about names?”

“With what time?” Jordan laughed. “When I’m not working, I’m watching CJ and Joey. If I’m not doing that, I’m preparing my room for the baby. And Emmy wants to throw a baby shower for me, but I told her no.”

“Why?” Jon asked.

“I don’t know many girls, so there would be no point,” Jordan said. “Plus we have all we really need right now.”

Holding his blanket and doggy in his hands, Joey made his way to the living room. “I guess someone didn’t want to go to bed.” Jon smiled as Joey climbed up onto the couch without a word and wrapped his arms around Jordan.

Rubbing his back, Jordan felt him rubbing his face into her neck. Feeling something wet, she turned her head and looked at Jon, who mouthed the word tears. Securing Joey to her, she took her free hand and took the blanket out of his hand and placed it over his body. Moving her body back and forth in a rocking motion, “You wanna tell me what’s wrong?”

“No.”

“You want to go back to bed?”

“No.”

“Can you tell me what’s wrong?”

“I want daddy,” Joey cried into her shoulder. “I miss daddy.”

Jordan could feel the tears in her eyes. Knowing that Corbin’s death was something that affected Joey, made her want to cry even more. It was hard knowing he wasn’t here for his kids. It was two women trying their hardest, but they knew Joey would eventually have his break and it broke her heart to see it.

“Daddy misses you too,” Jordan said softly as she did her best to comfort him. “And I miss daddy as well. Do you remember what we talked about?”

“Daddy is with da angels?”

“That’s right,” Jordan said. “And he’s watching over you, CT, and mommy.”

“And yous too?”

“And me too,” Jordan said as she winced as the baby started kicking. Joey moved his hand closer to the area of the kick. “Did you feel the baby kicking?”

“She’s strong,” Joey said. “Just like me.”

“She?” Jon asked. “What makes you think it’s a little girl?”

“’Cause mommy and Aunt Jordan have too many boys so it’s a girl.”

“You don’t want a boy cousin to play with?” David asked.

“No,” Joey said drawling out the o as long as he could before laughing. “That’s why I gots a baby brother. Have you seen him? He got named after Daddy. Whose you?”

“Joey this is Jon’s little brother,” Jordan said. “His name is David. Can you tell them good-night again and we’ll go back and I’ll tuck you in.”

“I want Jon to tucks me in,” Joey said. “He can carries me.”

“You can ask him nicely if he wants to,” Jordan told him. “But you walk, you’re a big boy and big boys walk to their bedrooms.”

Crawling off Jordan, Joey made his way over to Jon’s lap and crawled on top of him and wrapped his arms around Jon’s neck. “Please?” Joey said.

“Sure, buddy,” Jon smiled. “But you gotta give Aunt Jordan a kiss.”

Crawling over to his aunt, Joey kissed her belly first and leaned up and gave his aunt a kiss. “I love you baby. I love you Aunt Jordan.”

“I love you too, buddy,” Jordan said as she handed Joey his doggy. “Don’t forget to thank Jon.”

“Okay.” Joey said as he took Jon’s hand and made his way towards his room.

“And no playing.” Jordan called out.

David and Jordan heard Jon’s laugh down the hallway.

“You two are gonna be alright,” David told her. “You’ve got this mothering thing down with your nephew and Jon might not get it at first, but he’ll learn. He might piss you off in the process, but at least there’s an effort there, right?”

“I am scared shitless to be honest,” Jordan said as she rubbed her stomach. “And it doesn’t even look like it fades him. I just wish that I could have some of that confidence that he has.”

“You don’t need it,” David told her. “The way you are with your nephews’ shows you know what you are doing and you’ll be fine.”

“My nephews are good practice, but I don’t even know what Jon wants half the time,” Jordan said. “Your brother is really good at the mixed signals.”

“He’s been like that for years,” David laughed. “He’s trying, really trying. Before coming here, we picked something up for his apartment.”

“Something for the baby?” Jordan asked, curiously.

“Well it certainly isn’t for me or him,” David said with a laugh. “He bought a crib and a basket thingy for when you first have it.”

“The basinet?” Jordan asked.

“That way you could come over and the baby has some place to sleep,” David said explaining the reasoning behind his brother’s shopping expense. “He still has other things to get, but he’s making progress, but I think he needs to speed it up.”

“I don’t think I’ve spent more than a few days away from the boys and that’s when Emmy takes them up to see her parents and her family,” Jordan said. “I haven’t even thought about how its gonna be when I go into labor and come home and what not.”

“What do you mean?”

“I think Emmy is the one that’ll be with me, just like I was with her for both of her labors,” Jordan said. “And I talked to Sharpie and Seabs and they are going to watch Joey and CT while I’m in labor.”

“You don’t want Jon there?”

“I don’t take pain very well, but I don’t even know when I’ll be going into labor,” Jordan said. “The boys could be out of town and Emmy’s mom might have to come in to watch the little ones. I won’t be induced.”

“So you aren’t sure about the birth as of right now,” David said. “That’s what you are saying?”

“Pretty much,” Jordan said as she watched Jon walk back into the living room and sit next to her. “I am pretty much living day to day right now.”

“That kid is cute.” Jon said kissing Jordan’s cheek.

“Yeah, he gets it from me.” Jordan laughed.

Watching David yawn, Jordan got up. “Since you look like you could use some sleep, you can take the guest bedroom.”

“Don’t try and argue, she doesn’t give up.” Jon said.

“And when I get back to this room you better not turn back into a jerk.” Jordan said looking at Jon.

Holding up his hands in surrender, Jordan showed David to the guest bedroom that would turn into Joey’s room when he was older and CT would take the room Joey had now. “Give him another chance. When he talks to our parents, you’re all he can talk about. Well you and the baby. He’s really trying.”

Jordan knew she couldn’t keep the baby away from Jon. That wouldn’t be right or fair to either one of them. But she also knew she had a big decision on her hands concerning the father of her child and her heart. She knew she couldn’t afford to make a mistake w it her heart again. There had been way too many heartbreaks in her life already.