I Left My Heart in San Diego

"I'm heading out to the store," Ollie called out as she walked into the living room. Billie and I looked up at her as she walked in. "Billie, your siblings are going to be here tonight for dinner, what do you think I should make for us all?" she asked.

Billie's eyes widened. "All of them?" Ollie nodded. "Shit, Mom, I think you failed to mention it was family dinner night," he whined.

Ollie gave him a look and I chuckled. "Quit your whining, Billie, you know family dinners only happen once a month. Now I need to go out and get all the ingredients so I can have dinner ready in time for everyone to get here, so what should I cook?" she repeated.

Billie sighed and looked back at the television. "You know I don't care, Mom, I eat whatever," he said.

"It's a good thing you just got back from gallivanting across the country, or else I would be more inclined to..."

"To what, Mom?"

Ollie sighed. "I'm not sure, but at least it sounded threatening." She looked over at me. "Maybe you could tell me what to cook for my family?"

I giggled. "Uhm, well my mom would always cook pork chops whenever Aran would come over when they first started dating," I answered.

Ollie thought for a moment. "Sounds delicious," she said. "Now what to accompany it?"

"I always think mashed potatoes go well with pork chops," I answered.

"And mashed potatoes necessitate peas," Ollie said, smiling.

I smiled back at her. "Yes!"

"Perfect! I'll be back in a little bit. Billie, if the doorbell rings, it's probably one of your siblings, so please answer the door," she said.

"Yeah, Mom," Billie said, not even looking up from the television. We heard the front door shut and a few moments later, Billie looked at me. He had a twinkle in his eye, and I knew exactly what was about to happen.

He took me in his arms and violently pressed his face against mine, his hand immediately on the back of my head, pressing my face even closer to his. When I finally managed to pull away, I took a deep breath and laughed, kissing him much lighter. "You're crazy, Billie Joe."

He grinned. "I know, but you still love me."

"The only safe assumption you can make, love," I replied.

He laughed and kissed me again, passionately this time. I smiled and snuggled into his lap, and Billie moved to change the channel on the television, but then the doorbell rang. Billie sighed and I looked at him with raised eyebrows. "You go answer it," he said.

"Why me?" I asked incredulously. "I don't know which one of your siblings is at the door, it could be one I've never met before!"

"So?"

"I'm in no state to make a good first impression," I argued.

Billie laughed and took my face in his hands, kissing me. He was smiling when he pulled away. "Izzie, babe, you're gorgeous all the time. Whoever is at that door is going to think you're gorgeous, too, regardless of how you look."

I smiled and pecked his lips. "I love you so much."

He smiled back at me. "I love you, too, sweetheart." The doorbell rang again. "Now go answer the door! I don't want them to think that we're not being courteous." I giggled and stood up, straightening my shirt as I walked to the door.

The doorbell rang a third time, impatiently, just as I reached the door. I opened it and a tall, dark-haired man was standing at the door with a shorter, blonde woman and a small child who looked no older than five. "Hello, I'm Arizona, Billie Joe's wife," I said, extending my hand in greeting.

The man shook it, then the woman, and the child shied away behind his mother's leg. "I've heard so much about you from my mother. I'm Alan, Billie Joe's oldest brother. This is my wife, Sara, and our son, Andrew."

"It's very nice to meet you. Ollie is out getting groceries for dinner tonight, so right now it's just Billie Joe, myself, and our daughter," I said.

"You have children already?" Alan asked, eyebrows raised.

I smiled. "Yes. Why don't you come in? We can talk more, and you can see Billie Joe," I suggested.

Alan nodded. "Ah yes."

I stood aside to let the family inside. "Billie Joe, Alan is here!" I called to him.

About a minute later, Billie came rushing into the foyer and him and Alan embraced each other in a huge hug. "Hey, biggest bro," he said. I chuckled.

"Hey, littlest bro," Alan said back. "You've been busy, eh?" he asked, winking.

We all laughed. "Yeah, man, life," Billie answered. "Come on through, you want something to drink? Oh, this must be your wife. Hi, I'm Billie Joe."

"Sara," she answered. "And this is our son, Andrew."

Billie grinned and bent down to Andrew's level. "Hey, little man. I'm your Uncle Billie."

Andrew came out tentatively from behind Sara's leg. "Hi."

"How old are you, Andrew?" Andrew held up five fingers. "Five, wow! You're a big boy!" Billie exclaimed. Andrew smiled lightly, and I grinned.

As Billie took his eldest brother into the living room, the doorbell rang again. "I'll get it!" I called. I walked back over to the door and opened it again. There was another man at the door, this one looking a lot younger than Alan, but not much older than Billie. "Hi, you must be David. I'm Arizona, I'm pretty sure we've met before," I said, smiling.

He smiled back. "I remember you. I'm not sure we were properly introduced. I'm David, Billie Joe's youngest brother." He stuck out his hand.

I shook the hand David had stuck out. "I'm Arizona, Billie Joe's wife."

"He sure gets around, doesn't he?"

I laughed. "Come on inside, Alan just got here with his wife and son."

"Great! Is anyone else here yet?"

I shook my head. "You're the second to arrive."

"Awesome! Thanks!" he called as he stepped into the living room. There were more calls of greeting and hugs exchanged as I slowly followed David, sure the doorbell would ring again soon.

"So Arizona told me you already have a daughter, eh, Billie?" Alan asked.

Billie grinned. "Yeah." He saw me in the archway. "Arizona, would you go bring Cadence down?"

I grinned back at him. "Of course, love." I returned a few minutes later with my daughter in my arms.

As I brought her into the room, Sara came scurrying up to me and bent down to Cadence. "She's beautiful," she said quietly.

"Thank you."

"How old is she?"

"Four months."

"She's beautiful," Sara repeated.

"Thank you," I repeated, smiling. I heard the doorbell ring again. "Billie, can you take Cadence? I just heard the doorbell ring again."

"Sure, sweetheart." Billie came over to me and took our daughter into his arms, bouncing her as she shifted. I kissed him sweetly as I walked back to the door.

When I opened the door again, there was a tall, dark-haired woman standing at the door with an equally tall, dark-haired man. "Hi, I'm Arizona, Billie Joe's wife," I said, extending my hand.

The woman smiled at me. "Hi, I'm Anna, Billie Joe's oldest sister, and this is my husband, Steven."

"Please, come in, Alan and David have already arrived."

"Wonderful! Are they in the living room right through here?" she asked.

"Yeah, just this way," I said, stepping aside to let them in. I walked into the living room and knocked on the archway. "I've got someone else!" I called into the noisy room. Everyone looked up to Anna and her husband, and there were more calls of greeting and hugs exchanged all around. I wormed my way through to Billie Joe, who was still holding Cadence. "Hey."

"Hello, love," Billie said, kissing me sweetly. I grinned at him. "What did I tell you? While you were letting Anna in, David was telling me how beautiful he thinks you are."

I blushed lightly and Billie kissed my cheek. I giggled as the doorbell rang again. "Why don't you take Cadence back up to her room while I answer the door?" I suggested. Billie nodded and we both walked towards the door, Billie heading up the stairs instead. When I opened the door, another woman was at the door. She looked like she was just a few inches taller than me, and she was holding a baby carrier. "Hi, I'm Arizona, Billie Joe's wife," I said, holding out my hand.

The woman smiled at me and switched the baby carrier over to her other hand to shake mine. "I remember you. I saw you in the garage last summer with Billie Joe when he was playing his guitar. I'm Holly, Billie Joe's sister, and this is my son, Charlie." she said, pointing to her baby carrier.

"Well please come in. Everyone is here except for the last sibling and Ollie," I said, stepping aside to let her in.

"I'll bet we're waiting for David. He's always late," Holly joked.

I smiled. "Actually, David was one of the first here."

"Really? That's a first."

Billie Joe came down the stairs when I was leading Holly and her young son into the living room, and Billie exclaimed, "Holly!"

She turned to see Billie on the stairs. "Billie Joe!" She set her carrier down and gave him a large hug. They were both grinning when she picked her carrier back up and went into the living room. I was about to follow them when the doorbell rang again.

I went to open it, expecting to see another unfamiliar woman standing at the door with a husband and possibly children, but in fact, it was Ollie, laden with large paper grocery bags. "Ollie!" I exclaimed.

"Hello, Arizona! Is everyone here yet?" she asked.

"No, we're still waiting on one of your daughters," I answered.

"David's already here?" she asked.

I laughed. "Yes, he was one of the first here. Why do I get the impression that he is the butt of a lot of jokes in this family?"

"He's pretty much famous for being late in this family," Ollie answered, chuckling lightly. "Now, I don't want you to strain yourself, so could you just hold the door open as I bring the groceries in?"

"Of course. Try not to get mauled when you walk through the living room," I advised, smiling.

Ollie laughed. "I'll be fine, sweetheart."

On Ollie's return to her car, I saw another car park in the street next to the Armstrong's driveway. I saw a dark-haired woman step out with a young girl, who looked between the ages of seven and ten. She took the girl's hand and they walked up to the door confidently. Ollie came up behind me as the woman and the girl got up to the door, and the girl exclaimed, "Grandma!"

"Samantha!" Ollie exclaimed back. "I'm bringing in groceries, sweetheart, so why don't you say hello to your Aunt Arizona, and you can go say hello to your other uncles and aunts, too?"

"Okay!" the girl squeaked.

"Don't worry, I didn't forget about you, dear," Ollie murmured to the woman, who smiled as Ollie walked back out to her car.

"Hi, I'm Arizona, Billie Joe's wife," I said quietly, smiling at the woman.

She grinned back at me. "I'm Marcy, Billie Joe's sister, and this is my daughter, Samantha."

"Hi, sweetheart," I said to her, smiling.

"Hi!" she replied.

"How old are you, sweetheart?" She let go of her mom's hand to hold up eight fingers. "Eight, wow, you're a big girl," I said. She just nodded proudly at me. I looked up to Marcy. "Come on in, everyone else is already here."

"Even David made it here before me?"

I laughed. "Yes, he was one of the first ones here."

"Well that's a first."



"This was a delicious idea, Mom," David said, spearing another piece of his pork chop with his fork.

"Actually, the pork chops were Arizona's idea," Ollie replied, pointing at me with her fork before she scooped up a forkful of mashed potatoes.

"This was a delicious idea, Arizona," David repeated.

I laughed. "Thanks, David," I said, taking a sip of my ginger ale.

"What's for dessert, Mom?" Billie Joe asked through a mouthful of potatoes and peas.

Ollie chuckled. "I bought a bottle of wine for us adults, but I have a small ice cream cake for Arizona and the little ones."

"No wine for you, Arizona?" Alan asked.

I smiled. "I'm pregnant."

"So soon after the birth of your first child?" asked Holly.

"It wasn't planned."

"So how far along are you now?" Marcy asked.

"About 10 weeks," I answered.

"Wow, congratulations," Holly said.

"Thank you," I said, smiling.