Front Porch Story
Front porch
"We should take the Christmas tree down soon." I say as I sit next to Billie Joe on the couch one evening, sometime in January.
"But that means Christmas is officially over." Billie whines as he smirks evilly. Not much had happened during my pregnancy, which I guess is a good thing. My stomach is huge, at least I feel huge.
"What do you think it is?"
"What is?"
"The baby, boy or girl."
"I don't know." He says as he puts his hand on my stomach. "You?"
"For some reason I think it's a boy." I say as I put my hand on Billie's. The phone rings in the distance.
"I'll get it." Billie groans as he gets up. I watch him as he picks up the phone. "Tre? . . . . . .Really? . . . .. . . That's great . . . . . . Now? . . . . Okay we'll see you in a bit."
"What's going on?" I ask as Billie hangs up the phone.
"Lisea gave birth about an hour ago, it's a girl."
"I thought she wasn't due till next week." I say getting up.
"Guess she came early." Billie says as he helps me up. "He wants us to go to the hospital and see her."
"Alright." I say as we go to put on our jackets.
We get to the hospital and the secretary tells us which room Lisea's in.
"I'm freaked out."
"Why's that?" Billie asks as we take the elevator.
"Our baby's only two months away." I say putting my hand over my stomach.
"Yeah, I'm nervous too." He says looking at me affectionately. The elevator doors open and we step out into the hall. "That way." Billie points down the hall.
We enter the room to find Lisea sitting up in the bed with a bundle in blankets in her arms and Tre is next to her looking at the baby in awe.
"Hey." I say from the doorway we walk up to the bed to get a better look at the new born.
"We named her Ramona." Tre says proudly.
"She's beautiful."
"Dude, you're a father." Billie says as he pats Tre on the back. "Did you name her after the Ramones?"
"The world is a better place thanks to Joey Ramone." Tre says proudly.
"Either way, it's a nice name." Lisea says as she lightly rocks her baby. I've never seen Tre so calm; he was in awe of the new born. I think reality struck him tonight.
"Tre you're a daddy!" Mike yelps, we all turn around to see him standing at the doorway with Anastasia.
"Congratulations." Ana says for lack of anything else to say, "What's her name?"
"Ramona." Lisea says proudly.
I wake up alone; I look over at the clock next to my bed; 11:30 AM. Waking up this late, it's not unusual to wake up alone. Before heading out of my room, I look in the mirror, I miss my normal clothes.
"Billie!" I call down the hall.
"I'm in here!" he calls from one of the spare bedrooms. As I walk down the hallway I see the mattress from that room sitting in the hall.
"Billie what's going on?" I ask as I see the floor lined with plastic.
"This is going to be his room." He says as stands up, I realize he was sitting on a paint can.
"What?" I say in disbelief, "We don't know if it's a he."
"You seemed pretty confident when you said it."
"Billie, how much sleep did you get?"
"Umm about two hours." He says twitchily. That explains it, I think to myself.
"So, why this room?"
"It has nice sunlight, look." He says pointing at the window; he really put thought into this.
"What colour did you get?" I ask as I step into the room. He kneels down next to the can a pries it open with his car keys. He lifts the lid to show me a pale green. Our visit to the hospital yesterday really gave both of us a reality check, especially Billie. I drop to my knees and hug him. "I love you."
"I love you too." He says as he puts his lips against mine. We sit there on the floor for a long while, before bothering to get up.
"I think I pissed off Mike." Billie says as we head to the kitchen for breakfast.
"Why?"
"I called him at like eight this morning, I woke him up."
"Why'd you call him?"
"Well I needed to ask him if he'd help me paint."
"So you thought early morning was the best time?" I ask laughing.
"I couldn't sleep." He says smirking evilly. "Usually I'd call Tre, but he's probably still at the hospital."
"So, when did you buy all the paint and stuff?"
"This morning, did you know hardware stores open at ten?"
"Amazing what we learn early in the morning." I say giggling.
"But that means Christmas is officially over." Billie whines as he smirks evilly. Not much had happened during my pregnancy, which I guess is a good thing. My stomach is huge, at least I feel huge.
"What do you think it is?"
"What is?"
"The baby, boy or girl."
"I don't know." He says as he puts his hand on my stomach. "You?"
"For some reason I think it's a boy." I say as I put my hand on Billie's. The phone rings in the distance.
"I'll get it." Billie groans as he gets up. I watch him as he picks up the phone. "Tre? . . . . . .Really? . . . .. . . That's great . . . . . . Now? . . . . Okay we'll see you in a bit."
"What's going on?" I ask as Billie hangs up the phone.
"Lisea gave birth about an hour ago, it's a girl."
"I thought she wasn't due till next week." I say getting up.
"Guess she came early." Billie says as he helps me up. "He wants us to go to the hospital and see her."
"Alright." I say as we go to put on our jackets.
We get to the hospital and the secretary tells us which room Lisea's in.
"I'm freaked out."
"Why's that?" Billie asks as we take the elevator.
"Our baby's only two months away." I say putting my hand over my stomach.
"Yeah, I'm nervous too." He says looking at me affectionately. The elevator doors open and we step out into the hall. "That way." Billie points down the hall.
We enter the room to find Lisea sitting up in the bed with a bundle in blankets in her arms and Tre is next to her looking at the baby in awe.
"Hey." I say from the doorway we walk up to the bed to get a better look at the new born.
"We named her Ramona." Tre says proudly.
"She's beautiful."
"Dude, you're a father." Billie says as he pats Tre on the back. "Did you name her after the Ramones?"
"The world is a better place thanks to Joey Ramone." Tre says proudly.
"Either way, it's a nice name." Lisea says as she lightly rocks her baby. I've never seen Tre so calm; he was in awe of the new born. I think reality struck him tonight.
"Tre you're a daddy!" Mike yelps, we all turn around to see him standing at the doorway with Anastasia.
"Congratulations." Ana says for lack of anything else to say, "What's her name?"
"Ramona." Lisea says proudly.
I wake up alone; I look over at the clock next to my bed; 11:30 AM. Waking up this late, it's not unusual to wake up alone. Before heading out of my room, I look in the mirror, I miss my normal clothes.
"Billie!" I call down the hall.
"I'm in here!" he calls from one of the spare bedrooms. As I walk down the hallway I see the mattress from that room sitting in the hall.
"Billie what's going on?" I ask as I see the floor lined with plastic.
"This is going to be his room." He says as stands up, I realize he was sitting on a paint can.
"What?" I say in disbelief, "We don't know if it's a he."
"You seemed pretty confident when you said it."
"Billie, how much sleep did you get?"
"Umm about two hours." He says twitchily. That explains it, I think to myself.
"So, why this room?"
"It has nice sunlight, look." He says pointing at the window; he really put thought into this.
"What colour did you get?" I ask as I step into the room. He kneels down next to the can a pries it open with his car keys. He lifts the lid to show me a pale green. Our visit to the hospital yesterday really gave both of us a reality check, especially Billie. I drop to my knees and hug him. "I love you."
"I love you too." He says as he puts his lips against mine. We sit there on the floor for a long while, before bothering to get up.
"I think I pissed off Mike." Billie says as we head to the kitchen for breakfast.
"Why?"
"I called him at like eight this morning, I woke him up."
"Why'd you call him?"
"Well I needed to ask him if he'd help me paint."
"So you thought early morning was the best time?" I ask laughing.
"I couldn't sleep." He says smirking evilly. "Usually I'd call Tre, but he's probably still at the hospital."
"So, when did you buy all the paint and stuff?"
"This morning, did you know hardware stores open at ten?"
"Amazing what we learn early in the morning." I say giggling.