You and Me Could Write a Bad Romance

Sitting across from Cory in the Cold Stone Creamery, we silently shared a simple hot fudge sundae, trying to ignore the fact that we’re both officially graduated from high school and that he’s leaving in just a few short hours, leaving me alone at home as I enter week thirty-one of my pregnancy. Well, I won’t be ‘alone’ alone, Mindy and Jeff moved in with us a few months back right after I found out that Aaron’s girlfriend was pregnant but still, I’ll be without Cory and things just won’t be the same.

Inhaling softly, Cory shifted his eyes from the parking lot outside to my own hazel gaze. He offered me a gentle smile but it faded when he didn’t get one in return. Placing the plastic spoon down on a napkin, he licked his lips a little bit before pushing some of his hair to the side of his face, “I’ll be back before you know it,” He whispered in a comforting tone.

I shrugged like I didn’t care because it was the only thing I could do to keep from falling apart, to act like nothing is wrong. With worried eyes, Cory continued to study me and I avoided eye contact knowing that the boy could see right through me, he can read me like no other person can and it’s the reason I can never successfully tell him a lie.

He shifted in his seat, “Ok,” He whispered, like he has given up with trying to comfort me, “Hallie, it’s not so bad.”

“What do you mean it’s not so bad?” I frowned deeply as I brought my eyes to his once more, “Cory, if you do not have a reasonable explanation for what you just said, your ass is walking home, I don’t care if that makes you late for the guys to come pick you up or not.” I said sternly.

He cleared his throat, “I didn’t mean it like that,” He pointed out, “What I meant was that, shit could be worse, Babe.” He nodded a little bit, “I could be getting locked up, I could be getting deployed overseas, I could be heading into the forest for the next eight weeks for fire fighter training without any communication with you; I’m just going on tour, if worse comes to worse, I can always drop off the tour to come home.”

“I don’t want to talk about this here, La Quay, “

“Then where do you want to talk about it, Hallie Jane,” He said sternly, using not just my first name but my middle name as well, “Because you don’t want to talk about it at home, you don’t want to talk about it in the car, or at the store. You don’t want to talk about it on a walk, you won’t talk about it while shopping, please, tell me Hallie, I leave in two and a half hours, I do not want to leave on a bad note,”

“I don’t want to talk about it period,” I snapped in a hushed whisper to avoid making a scene, “Cory, just leave me alone,” I ordered.

His green eyes held pain in them as I said those words, “Really?” He wondered, “Seriously, Hallie, do you want me to leave you alone?”

“Yes!” I wailed, not caring that it was a little louder than it should’ve been. I stood to my feet and grabbed my purse before glaring at him, “Call one of your friends, I’m sure you can find your way home,” I hissed before leaving the creamery.

Once outside, I unlocked the silver Honda civic that belongs to Cory then climbed in behind the wheel. I glanced up at the creamery to see that Cory hadn’t moved from the table, he wasn’t even on the phone calling anyone, he was just sitting there, staring out at me like a lost little puppy and it broke my heart. I’ve known that this was coming, I’ve known that he was going to leave for tour after graduation but it didn’t really hit me until last night after Cory and I finished agreeing on the colors for the nursery and he said that the next time he would see the room, our currently unborn son would be lying in his crib. It was then it truly hit me and I realized that I would be going through the hardest months of my pregnancy and my delivery without my Husband. Our son will be almost a month old before Cory comes home and that threw a dagger right through my heart.

Fighting my tears back, I put the car into gear then sped out of the parking space before leaving the parking lot like a bat out of hell, knowing I shouldn’t be driving like this, not while pregnant but I couldn’t help it. Before I knew it, I was sitting in the driveway at home but I was getting out of the car, I had killed the engine minutes ago but I couldn’t bring myself to leave Cory’s car, his scent filled it and for fear of forgetting it, I just stayed put.

After a few moments, there was a knock on the window before the door opened, “If you ever fucking drive like that again while carrying my child within you, me leaving for tour will be the last fucking thing you have to worry about,” Cory’s angry voice snapped at me, “God Damn, Hallie!” He screamed at me with a tone he rarely ever gets with me, “What the fuck is wrong with you!? You could’ve caused an accident!” He ended, his voice even louder and angrier than it was before.

He fell silent for a moment and it was in this time I turned my face towards him to see that he was now standing a few feet away from the open door while he shakily held his lighter in his hand as he tried to light a cigarette. Once it was lit, he inhaled on it deeply before shoving his lighter into his pocket and reaching up with his now free hand to wipe away some tears. Raising my eyebrow slightly, I glanced over at the street to see my Mother in Law’s car parked but no one was within it. Shifting my eyes to the porch, I saw not only Melinda but Mindy and Amy, who is staying a few days with us while her parents go on some cruise, standing there, watching on with wide eyes.

Climbing out of the car, I shut the door then walked over to Cory. Lifting my hand, I tried to caress his tear covered face but he smacked my hand away harshly and shot me a glare, “Don’t fucking touch me, Hallie.” He ordered before walking away from me.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, knowing this fight could’ve been avoided but I’m a moody pregnant lady, and those feelings mixed with the feelings of feeling like I’m being abandoned don’t mix too well.

“I don’t want to hear it,” He shook his head before walking away from me completely, once he was on the sidewalk versus the middle of our yard, he started to walk away down the street. I turned my attention to my Mother in Law and best friends.

Quickly, Mindy rushed over to me and gave me a sad look, “I’ll go talk to him,” She whispered but she was stopped when Melinda lightly touched her shoulder, “I better go do that,” She insisted with a nod of her head, “You stay with Hallie,” She ordered before leaving Mindy and I, so she could catch up with her son.

“What happened?” Mindy wondered as Amy walked over to us.

I shrugged, “I started a fight when I didn’t need to,” I admitted, “He wanted to talk about things and I was just being a bitch, then I left him at Cold Stone and sped home…”

“Obviously your driving scared the shit out of him,” Amy pointed out.

“Yeah, for the baby’s sake.”

“Bullshit!” Mindy snapped, “That guy fucking loves you, Hallie!” She said, her voice elevated to her ‘annoyed’ tone, “Do you know how hard this is for him too!?”

I studied Mindy knowing she’s the one and always will be the one to put my ass back in line when I need it, she doesn’t take bullshit from anyone, “Enough with the poor me, Hallie … this is his son too, he has been more involved with this pregnancy than any other guy I know would be with their pregnant girlfriends or wives, he adores you and this child, it is killing him to leave but it would kill him more to stay, this is his dream, don’t fuck it up for him, Hallie, you’ll regret it, trust me.”

“But to miss the baby’s birth?” I whispered as I looked into Mindy’s brown eyes, “No,” I shook my head, “No,” I repeated sadly.

She said nothing to that, she just bit her lip before looking over at Amy hoping she’d have something. Inhaling deeply, Amy shrugged a little bit, “Maybe he can catch a flight in when you have the baby, be here for the birth then fly back out to wherever his band is.”

“My due date isn’t exact, he could come two weeks early or two weeks late, there’s a four week gray area of when he could come,” I pointed out.

Amy shrugged a little bit but said nothing more. Within me, I felt my unborn son kick about, looking down, I ran my hands over my belly slowly as if I were trying to comfort him but I know he can’t feel my hands, “I’m just really going to miss him,” I admitted in a somewhat whiney whisper.

“I know it, sweetie.” Mindy wrapped her arms around me tightly, “But be strong for him,” She ordered, “You married a band boy, leaving is the best thing he knows how to do besides play music, accept it and deal with it with nerves of steel.”

I nodded but said nothing.

“Jeff, Amy and myself are all here for you and this baby, you’re going to be fine without Cory for a little bit, I promise.” Mindy assured me before backing away, “Now, stop being a bitch and make up with him so he can leave peacefully. After he’s gone you can kick and scream and call everyone under the sun the worst names you can think of but suck it up until he’s gone.”

I nodded again as I reached up and wiped away my tears.

“Ok,” Mindy nodded her head with a stern face, “Because he’s walking back right now,” She informed me then she took a step back from me, “We’ll be in the house,” She insisted before she tugged Amy away from me.

I turned around on my heel to see Cory walking over to me while his Mother climbed into her car, waving slightly, before driving away. Once she wasn’t on our street any longer, Cory closed the gap between us and wrapped his arms around me without a single word said. Hugging back, I held onto him for dear life for fear if I let him go, he’s never come back to me.

“I’m sorry I yelled,” He whispered in my ear, “But if you ever drive like that again, I’ll kick your ass.” He assured me.

Staying silent, I just hugged him tighter. He swayed a little bit before pushing me away from him, he pushed some of my hair behind my ear, “It’s a good fucking thing my Mother was here,” He pointed out, “I would’ve left without fixing this,”

I frowned, “Why?”

“Because you married a stubborn asshole, that’s why.” He pointed out simply, “And part of me thought it would just be easier to leave mad, to detach myself from the situation,”

“I’m glad you didn’t,”

“Me too,” He agreed then took my face between his hands, “Nothing I can say right now will change your feelings or mine but I need to go, I wouldn’t leave you if I thought you wouldn’t be taken care of properly when he gets here, I’m not a heartless asshole, babe, I’ve gone through this over and over again, we have a very strong family support system, Mindy and Jeff live here and Amy will be her nosey little self, things are under control, promise.”

“This is something so important,” I pointed out.

“I know it, that’s why I’m going to try to come home if I can but if I can’t, it won’t be the end of the world, that’s why video cameras were invented.” He teased, “Mindy already told me she’d video tape the labor and delivery, I technically won’t miss a thing.”

“We’re not having any more children unless you can absolutely promise me that you can be next to me while I have the baby,” I informed him.

“Deal,” Cory agreed before placing a loving kiss upon my lips, “Everything is going to be fine,”

“Ok,” I whispered before stealing another kiss, “You should probably go make sure you have everything packed up, I need to pee really bad then I’m going to go take a hot bath,”

He gave me a cute smile, “Alright,” He took my hand in his then led me into the house and though I wasn’t feeling great about this situation, I was feeling better that we have apologized and we won’t be parting on bad terms; this is definitely a lot harder than I thought it would be, I’m already counting down the days until he gets back home and he hasn’t even left yet.