That's Why I Got a Heater For Your Thighs

Jimmy had tried his best to make me take him back. I had no idea where he got all his ideas but he really tried everything to make me forgive him. I'll tell you what he did:

1. First of all, he sent me a bunch of flowers nearly every day. It was really nice but then, after a few weeks, the house was so full of flowers that I didn't know where to put them anymore. I eventually had to just throw them away when they arrived.

2. He called me and texted me often, just to let me know that he was thinking about me. He called and we talked about normal stuff. We never talked about our relationship because that wasn't the point. The point was to take baby steps until I felt comfortable enough to talk about the relationship and its problems.

3. He admitted that he hadn't been thinking clearly when he had slept with that woman. He told me how wrong he was and that she, the other woman, didn't mean anything to him. He told me how I was the only woman he had ever loved and that I was all that he needed.

4. The last and the best thing that he did was something huge. He found a solution to mom's bakery problem. He realized that Avenged Sevenfold could play an acoustic set at the bakery to make people rush in to see them. It would make people come in and buy things. People would know about our bakery.

Jimmy told his idea to mom who apparently forgave him for everything and was glad that the problem could be solved. So, in just one day, mom and Jimmy became friends again. They started planning on the event where the band would play and started spending a lot of time together. I suppose Jimmy was trying to prove a point to me. He was trying to prove that he could win me and my family back.

While Jimmy had been living at Brian's place, things had started to go a bit rough. And by that I meant that I was running out of money. It wasn't exactly cheap to pay for the baby's food and diapers and stuff. And the house, the bills, everything.

It had become too much for me to handle, especially because I didn't have a job. I'd stopped working for mom and the bakery before the baby was born and I had never got back to working after that.

And now I was out of money but too embarrassed to tell anyone because I was an adult and wanted to make it on my own. I didn't want to take money from anyone.

It was a Saturday morning when I made my way to the bakery with the baby. Mason had been asleep the whole morning and he didn't wake up when I walked into the building.

I froze when I saw everyone there: my mom, Brian, Michelle, my sister, my dad and his new wife, Johnny, his wife, Matt and Val, Zacky and his wife and Jimmy. They were all sitting around the room, talking and eating apple pie and drinking tea.

”There they are!” mom exclaimed when she saw me in the doorway with the baby and rushed to me,

”Good morning, honey!”

”Uh, what's going on in here?” I asked and rubbed my forehead, ”What is everyone doing here?”

”Tonight! The boys promised to play a few songs tonight! Isn't that great? A lot of people are coming here, honey! Everyone will know about our bakery!” she exclaimed.

Her face was glowing and she seemed to be beyond excited. Well, I mean, I would've been too. Now she didn't have to sell the bakery and everything was well again.

”That's... Great,” I said and nodded, ”Look, mom, I came to get some food because, uh... There's no food in my fridge.”

”Why didn't you go to the grocery store?” she asked and furrowed her eyebrows.

”Because, uh, umm... I don't know. If I could just have some milk and stuff, you know...” I mumbled.

”Honey, is everything alright? Is there something you're not telling me?” she asked and put a hand on my shoulder.

Oh god, I couldn't tell her, could I? Suddenly I felt really ashamed. My cheeks turned red. I couldn't tell her that her daughter was poor.

”Everything's okay,” I mumbled quietly.

I looked to my side and noticed Jimmy who was walking toward us.

”Hey, is everything okay here?” Jimmy asked as he reached us.

I handed the baby to him and he smiled down at the kid who was still asleep. He kissed his forehead.

”Rachel seems a bit strange, don't you think?” mom asked him.

Jimmy looked at me and pressed his hand against my forehead.

”I'm not sick, okay? I'm just... Hungry. Now, can I have food or not?” I asked, getting frustrated.

”What do you need food for?” Jimmy asked and cocked an eyebrow.

”I need to eat, don't I?”

”Are you having financial problems, honey?” mom asked me suddenly.

I was about to choke on my spit. My eyes went wide open and I tried to think of something smart to say.

But it was too late already. Mom knew by the look on my face that I did, indeed, have some trouble with money.

”Is that what it is? Rachel, you do know that you can just ask if you're in need of money. It mustn't be easy to pay everything, especially now that you haven't been working and – ”

”Do you have any idea how it makes me feel, to ask for money from my parents? It makes me feel like I can't do this on my own, like, I can't take care of my child,” I cut her off.

”But Rachel! It's always okay to ask for help! I'm always here for you!” mom exclaimed.

”Yeah. Actually, I don't understand why you didn't come to me for help. You know I'd give you money or anything you need,” Jimmy said. He looked a bit disappointed.

”You two don't understand! This is a hard situation for me. Suddenly, I'm living in a big house alone with a baby and have to take care of everything by myself. This is a completely new situation and I don't know what to do. This is embarrassing,” I whined and rubbed my face with my hands.

”I'll give you some money,” Jimmy said and pulled out his wallet.

I sighed and took the money he was handing to me.

”Thanks. I will pay you back, though,” I mumbled.

”There's no need. You're my wife, Rach,” Jimmy said and smiled.

”Yeah... I guess so.”

Instead of giving me food, mom decided that it was the best if Jimmy took me out to have lunch. She promised to look after Mason and the rest of the band were planning on the performance. They didn't really need Jimmy that much because he was the drummer and they would be playing an acoustic set.

Jimmy and I went to a nice, quiet restaurant. We ordered our food and just looked at each other in silence for a moment. He was smiling, I was just looking at him.

He reached over the table and was about to touch my hand but he suddenly changed his mind and pulled his hand back.

”It's okay, you know,” I said quietly, ”To touch me. It's okay.”

”I wasn't sure about that. I don't know how you feel about me anymore,” he said quietly and shrugged.

”I'm glad that you get along with my family.”

”I know how important that is to you. I'm just trying to show you that I can be better,” he told me.

”You know, I really wish things were different. I... Yeah,” I mumbled with a sigh.

He leaned over the table and took a hold of my hand.

”Everything is going to be alright, Rach. We can pull through this.”

As we were walking back to the bakery, Jimmy grabbed my hand and squeezed it tightly. We were walking close to each other like we used to do, back when we still were a happily married couple.

Jimmy opened the door for me and followed me into the bakery where everyone still was. He wrapped his arm around my waist and guided me to where his friends and bandmates were.

”Hey – Look at you two!” Zacky exclaimed with a grin, ”Have you got back together?”

”Uh, umm... No. Yes. I don't know. We're trying,” I mumbled quietly and blushed.

I looked away and Jimmy ruffled my hair. He laughed and kissed the top of my head.

”We're trying,” he agreed with a nod.

”So, guys, we've decided on what songs to play. Mrs. Bloom? What time are people coming over?” Matt asked mom.

”At six! Is everything going to be ready by then? I need to finish some pies before that and the cupcakes but – ”

”Mom, calm down. Everything will work out,” Rebecca, my sister, said with a laugh.

”This is a big deal for me, honey. If this works, which I hope it does, we could beat the Robinsons!”

”This isn't a competition,” Rebecca said.

”Of course it is. Our bakery must be better than theirs,” mom said and rolled her eyes.

”Well it is. You have the best pies I've ever tasted, Mrs. Mills,” Zacky said and wiggled his eyebrows.

”Gross, Zacky!” his wife, Gena, exclaimed.

Everyone laughed but mom who had no idea what Zacky had meant.

At 6 PM sharp, the bakery was so full of people that it was hard to even walk among everyone. The place was crowded and as I looked at mom, she looked happier than she had been in a very long time.

She was smiling – more like grinning – as she looked at the boys, Avenged Sevenfold, who were playing Seize the Day with acoustic guitars.

I was sitting behind the people with my sister and dad who was holding the baby. Dad's new wife was singing loudly the words as Matt sang (she must've been a fan of the band).

People bought all sorts of pies and cakes and everyone had a really good time.

After the boys had finished their set, they told everyone that they would definitely be back – only this time they wouldn't tell the time and date for their next performance. Instead, mom would be handing out tickets to the people who visited the bakery often and they would get to see the band play again in the future, for free.

After all the people had left and mom had closed the place, she thanked the boys at least a thousand times.

”This was a success! We got more money in one night than in the past ten months!” mom exclaimed.

She was smiling so wide, her head must've been aching really bad.

”Thank you so much, you young men have saved my life!” she chirped and pulled them all into a big hug.

”We're glad that we could help. And in return, we only want to have some pie,” Johnny said and winked at mom.

Someone punched him in the stomach and he groaned in pain.

”And, Jimmy, I must thank you the most. You're not a horrible person. In fact, right now, you're my favourite person. I couldn't be happier that it was you and no one else who married my daughter,” mom said to Jimmy and kissed his cheek before pulling him into a hug.

”Aww, thanks, that's nice. I think I'm the lucky one to have such an amazing wife,” Jimmy said with a grin as he pulled me to his side.

I couldn't help but smile as I leaned my head against his arm.

I loved that Jimmy was really trying to prove that he was a better man. He really tried to get along with my family and he actually wanted us to have a great relationship. It would take a while for me to start trusting him and he would have to do a lot to make it up to me, but we would get there.

Baby steps, I tell you, baby steps.