Your Heart's Too Weak to Wear on Your Sleeve
Between Me And What's Right
When morning came, Joe woke up to find that Heather had already left. After three months of silence, Joe never imagined he'd be able to be intimate with Heather again. He thought things over while he gathered his clothes and dressed.
What did this mean? Were they lovers again?
Would she ignore him when he went downstairs? Treat him like she did when they arrived home yesterday?
Or would she treat him like she used to? As a boyfriend rather than an enemy.
Joe walked down the steps slowly, fearing a sudden verbal attack from Heather. However, he found her sitting in the kitchen with a bowl of cereal, talking animatedly to Ana and gesturing with her spoon.
"I'm telling you Ana, the baby's going to come today or tomorrow. You came early, Danny came early, Nick is destined to come early."
"He's not due for another five days Heather...oh, hey Joe."
Heather's expression changed when she realized Joe was in the room. It wasn't anger, it wasn't sadness. It was...different, unusual.
Something Joe had seen in her eyes before but couldn't quite identify.
"Well, I'll be with Seth if either of you need me," said Ana while getting up and making her way into the living room, where Seth lay in front of the TV watching Heather's taped episodes of Scariest Places On Earth.
Joe sat across from the girl he'd made love to the previous night. Now that he was sitting in front of her he could finally read the emotion in her eyes.
Confusion.
"Hey Joe."
"Hey."
"Joe?" She began swirling the dregs of cereal in her bowl.
"Yeah?"
"What are we now?"
"I...I don't know."
"Well, what do you want us to be?"
Taking a chance, Joe lightly placed his hand on top of hers. She didn't pull away, so he laced their fingers together. "I'd like to be a couple again. Be as in love as Danny and Ana. You know I didn't mean a thing I said that night. I was stupid. And drunk. Mostly stupid. Please Heather, I need this, I need us."
Before Heather could say anything a shriek came from the living room.
"Aaaahh, oh God! Seth, get Danny. Heather, you're a fucking psychic..."
______________________________
Joe leaned back against the wall as the small group waited outside Ana's room. Seth glanced at Joe and Heather's loosely intertwined fingers and smiled.
"Lovers?"
Joe looked over to Heather for an answer. She grinned cheekily and gripped tighter on to Joe's hand.
"Lovers."
The door in front of them swung open and there stood Danny, a look of awe on his face and running his fingers through his hair.
"I'm a dad."
The hall of the maternity ward echoed with everyone's excited hollers. Danny was smothered in hugs and multiple congratulations.
"What's his full name?" asked Ryan.
"Nickolas Ryland Stevens. Oh ho, what is this?"
Danny mirrored Seth's grin as he looked at Heather and Joe. "Promise me you won't have another lover's quarrel, okay?"
The couple looked at each other and gave a quick nod.
"Well, if you insist..."
What did this mean? Were they lovers again?
Would she ignore him when he went downstairs? Treat him like she did when they arrived home yesterday?
Or would she treat him like she used to? As a boyfriend rather than an enemy.
Joe walked down the steps slowly, fearing a sudden verbal attack from Heather. However, he found her sitting in the kitchen with a bowl of cereal, talking animatedly to Ana and gesturing with her spoon.
"I'm telling you Ana, the baby's going to come today or tomorrow. You came early, Danny came early, Nick is destined to come early."
"He's not due for another five days Heather...oh, hey Joe."
Heather's expression changed when she realized Joe was in the room. It wasn't anger, it wasn't sadness. It was...different, unusual.
Something Joe had seen in her eyes before but couldn't quite identify.
"Well, I'll be with Seth if either of you need me," said Ana while getting up and making her way into the living room, where Seth lay in front of the TV watching Heather's taped episodes of Scariest Places On Earth.
Joe sat across from the girl he'd made love to the previous night. Now that he was sitting in front of her he could finally read the emotion in her eyes.
Confusion.
"Hey Joe."
"Hey."
"Joe?" She began swirling the dregs of cereal in her bowl.
"Yeah?"
"What are we now?"
"I...I don't know."
"Well, what do you want us to be?"
Taking a chance, Joe lightly placed his hand on top of hers. She didn't pull away, so he laced their fingers together. "I'd like to be a couple again. Be as in love as Danny and Ana. You know I didn't mean a thing I said that night. I was stupid. And drunk. Mostly stupid. Please Heather, I need this, I need us."
Before Heather could say anything a shriek came from the living room.
"Aaaahh, oh God! Seth, get Danny. Heather, you're a fucking psychic..."
______________________________
Joe leaned back against the wall as the small group waited outside Ana's room. Seth glanced at Joe and Heather's loosely intertwined fingers and smiled.
"Lovers?"
Joe looked over to Heather for an answer. She grinned cheekily and gripped tighter on to Joe's hand.
"Lovers."
The door in front of them swung open and there stood Danny, a look of awe on his face and running his fingers through his hair.
"I'm a dad."
The hall of the maternity ward echoed with everyone's excited hollers. Danny was smothered in hugs and multiple congratulations.
"What's his full name?" asked Ryan.
"Nickolas Ryland Stevens. Oh ho, what is this?"
Danny mirrored Seth's grin as he looked at Heather and Joe. "Promise me you won't have another lover's quarrel, okay?"
The couple looked at each other and gave a quick nod.
"Well, if you insist..."