Can't Let You Float Away

Liam is still asleep when the plane lands and Alex has drifted at some point. They look so peaceful, Alex holding Liam. You would never guess what we are about to enter into.

The airport is empty, but this wasn't out of the ordinary. Not even for Baltimore. No one was going to catch a flight this late. The guys groggily grab out luggage as I try my best to carry both Liam and Delilah out to the vans assembled for our pick up. I silently prayed that I remembered to grab everything off the bus.

The strangeness of what was going on didn't hit me until we were already out and on our way home. Rian, Delilah, and Jack in the back row. Zack, Matt, and Vinny in the middle. And Alex, Liam, and I squashed together in the first row of seats. Jack is the one to point it out first.

"Has Baltimore always been... this quiet?"

The lights in many buildings are out, giving the city an eery feeling. No one walks the streets. Strange for a late Saturday night. The city was usually alive at all hours. Cars and public transportation was always running. The streets are littered with garbage.

"It's late." Alex mumbles.

One building up ahead illuminates the night sky. The hospital.

I glance back at Rian. "Hear anything from Cass?"

He shakes his head. "Phone is off."

I grimace. "Ri, if you try to go see her tomorrow, which I don't think you should, but you'll do it anyway, leave Delilah with me please."

Rian nods, whispers. "Alright."

Alex and I are last and we ride the rest of the way to everyone's houses in silence. Vinny and Zack stay together in Vinny's apartment, the complex just as dark as the rest of the city. Matt eagerly jumps out of the van once he spots a light on inside the small house he and Jade share. Rian sulks with Delilah slung over one shoulder, muttering something about calling when he heard news. Jack, for once, isn't even really in the mood to talk. He kisses Liam goodbye and hurriedly slinks up his driveway, fumbling for keys. When we reach out house, Alex can't move quick enough to get us inside.

"What was that?" I ask. "You grabbed everyone's bags in one sweep."

Alex shrugs. "Missed home is all."

I give him a skeptical look. He smiles. "That's not it. It's never that simple."

Alex sighs and explains. "I'm scared, alright? I'm supposed to be able to keep you and Liam safe from everything. Then this... whatever this is... comes up and all I can do to protect my family is quarantine you from human contact and hope to God a cure is found."

The both of us are quiet. Alex grabs a toothbrush and when he spits, blood reveals itself from pressing too hard down onto his gums. I wrap my arms around him. "You can't always protect us from everything, baby."

Alex rolls his eyes. "But I should have tried harder. Should've sent you home at the first sign... And now Liam -"

"Is not sick." I shake my head. "Liam is perfectly healthy. The kid has allergies or something."

"To planes?" Alex mocks me.

"Maybe!" I shrug. Alex doesn't laugh. "Do you want me to bring you some tea?"

"No. I just want to go to bed." He groans, turning the light off and crawling beneath the sheets.

The two of us lay awake, not touching. I wanted so badly to curl my fingers around his. I wanted to make him believe that it wasn't his fault, that Liam was going to be fine and so was Cassadee and everyone else. But I knew he was holding all his anger and frustration and fear inside and that one little touch would make him explode. And Alex hated to cry more than anything in the entire world. So I lay beside him, feeling the warmth of his body beside mine.

****************************************************************************

I wake up the next morning without Alex beside me. The lack of note tells me he was still there, inside the house, maybe playing with Liam. I rub my eyes and wrap a blanket around myself, walking toward the kitchen.

"Good mor- Alex, what are you doing?!" I yell, watching as Alex continues to scrub at the kitchen counter. "You are going to ruin the marble!"

"No, I'm using that special cleaner you bought. It's fine." I take a look around. The house is spotless. The couches have even been cleaned. I open the fridge, cleared out and washed over with Lysol. I can smell it.

"How long have you been up?" I ask, glancing at the clock above the sink. 8:32 AM.

"Not sure. A few hours."

"Hours?!"

"As soon as you fell asleep, I just kind of went on a cleaning spree. I'm almost done. Just have to wash the sheets on the beds. You can sleep through anything, by the way." I take the rag out of Alex's hand and the cleaning spray from the other, setting it in the high pantry where all the other cleaning products are.

"You know those people who go insane whenever they hear about the flu or whatever? They go on a cleaning spree and become germaphobes and don't send their kids to school? Well you're becoming one."

Alex blankly stares at me. "Liam isn't in school yet."

I sigh and grab his wrists. "We are fine, Alex! But I'm going to have to kill you if you keep doing this!"

He runs his hands through his hair. "You're right. I'll stop."

"Good." I smile, surprised it was that easy.

"Just after I finish dusting the books." He smiles at me, kisses me gently. "Just kidding."

I wrap my arms around him, remembering just how tall he is. "While you're playing domestic housewife, why don't you make us breakfast?"

Alex laughs. "I'll pour you some cereal."

"Deal."

"Jamie?"

"Yeah?"

"I asked Jack to babysit for us tonight."

I snort. "Now that's something scarier than this virus. Good one, babe."

Alex is quiet. "He said he would."

"You're serious?" I bite my lip. "I mean... can Jack hold his attention span that long?"

Alex laughs. "Let's hope so. I tried for Zack and Vinny first, but they're busy. And Matt and Jade are with her family."

"Busy?" I give him a skeptical look. "Everything is shut down. Everyone is scared to leave their house."

"Yeah, well, leave it to Vinny to find the party." Alex sets the bowl of cereal down in front of me. "Besides, I think we have a long overdue romantic evening."

Right on cue, Liam begins to cry from his bedroom. I sigh and get his sippy cup with milk from the fridge. "You're right, we are."

****************************************************************************

"I already packed his dinner." I say, setting out the macaroni on Jack's small dining room table. "No milk in bed. It spills and it's a mess. Don't worry too much about brushing teeth. He fights it very night so I don't want you to become the mean uncle."

"Got it." Jack replies for the millionth time, making silly faces at Liam who giggles and pulls at the end of his shirt.

"No girls tonight, Jack. I'm serious." I add sternly. "Oh! And please, please nothing that's going to scare him or scar him for life. Stick to PG, okay?"

"Jamie," Jack laughs, "We'll be fine. I can handle him for a couple of hours before he's out like a light."

"Bedtime is -"

"8, but that's probably not holding true since tour messed him all up. And he throws his pasta at anything and everything. He has extra diapers in the front pocket of the diaper bag and if he's still hungry I can give him animal crackers. No juice because it's late and watch him with the crayons."

I stare bewildered. "Yeah. His -"

"Pajamas are in the side bag. If he gets sick, call you, but I can try to give him those disgusting chewy tablets you keep. Only one. And before you start on this too, I am absolutely not to take Liam from this house under the current status of Baltimore."

"Good job." I pat Jack on the back. "I think you have it."

Jack smiles and nods. "Me too. We're just going to have a romantic dinner of our own with this mac and cheese and some milk, then watch some good old Home Alone, maybe read Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs, and bed."

I smile. "Thanks Jack."

"Don't sweat it." He pushes me out the door, "On now, you're late."

I glance at the clock, 6:12 PM. "Crap. You're right... Wait, how did you know -"

"Bye Jamie! Say bye to mommy Liam!" Jack calls from the door as he shuts it. "Have a good night, you two crazy kids."

I get in the car and drive down Baltimore's empty streets. I wasn't sure if I was more taken aback by the fact that Jack knew I was late or by the fact that he knew Liam's schedule better than Alex.

****************************************************************************

The kitchen smells of Alex's cooking, something I had been missing these last couple months. He made my favorite - pasta de zucca. The back patio has the Christmas lights on and I smile. My favorite red dress lays on the marble counter with black heels beside it, and a note.

'Knew you'd be late. Put these on, meet me in the backyard. - Alex'

I do as the note says, adding my pearl earrings and curling my hair. I'm pushing my time limit, but I wanted to look nice. I missed the feeling of getting dressed up. I quiver slightly on my heels, stepping into the grass of our backyard. Candles light the table he has set up in the middle.

"You look beautiful." Alex grins, holding my chair out for me. He wears a suit that looks an awful lot like something he wore to prom.

"And you are ever more handsome."

The two of us share the ravioli Alex has made, laughing about how well Jack knew Liam's schedule, until Alex progresses to asking me to dance. Coldplay is on, Yellow, my favorite song. I nod and let him spin me around, eventually stepping out of my heels. A crash in the kitchen startles me and Alex groans.

"What was that?" I ask, turning sharply toward him. I hear a very familiar giggle as Jack curses loudly. "Is that -"

"Yeah, it is." Alex mumbles.

Jack, Rian, Zack, Matt, Vinny, and Danny peek their heads out from the window by the sink. They wave as Jack calls out, "Sorry! Proceed!"

"This'll make for an interesting song." Alex continues to sway me, leading to more confusion.

"What will? What's going on?" I stop dancing and look at Alex sternly.

Alex smiles, leaning his head against mine and kissing me. "Just look at me."

"You're really weird, you know that?" I giggle.

"And when you find someone whose weirdness is compatible with yours, you fall in love."

I smirk, knowing he stole it from Boy Meets World. He turns me now so that I'm facing the front porch. I shut my eyes for a moment and try to forget about the date crashers. I open them again to reveal the alleged criminals standing on the porch, holding up signs. I let go of Alex and gasp.

Danny is first, 'Jamie'. Vinny, 'Elizabeth'. Matt, 'Lane,'. Rian, 'Will'. Zack, 'You'. Jack, 'Marry'. Delilah, 'Me?'. And Liam at the end, smiling with his baby teeth and holding a box in his hands. Jack whispers something to him and he runs toward Alex who is already kneeling. He hands him the box, open, revealing a gorgeous ring.

Alex kisses Liam and turns to me, "Jamie, I can't imagine spending a single day of my life without you. And you know, I've known that since the day I met you. Some people are lucky enough to fall in love, but I've gotten the best of it because I fell in love with my best friend. And she loved me back. Jamie Lane, will you do me the honor of marrying me?"

The tears are streaming down my face now and I nod and manage to choke out a yes. Alex kisses my hand, placing the ring on my finger as he scoops up Liam and the guys clap. Jack whistles.

"Sorry I broke your rule." Jack laughs, taking Liam from Alex.

"It's more than okay." I nod and kiss him on the cheek, thanking him for what I know he helped Alex plan.

"I'm taking Liam back though." Jack winks. "So don't worry about keeping the noise down tonight."

Alex punches him gently but we laugh, despite the inappropriate joke. Everyone leaves after congratulations, and after Zack steals some food. Maybe it's because they know Alex and I want to be alone for tonight, or maybe it's because I can't stop kissing Alex.

"I think I forgot to tell you I loved you." I laugh, still wiping a tear out of my eye as Alex and I get back into the dance we had let go of momentarily.

"I love you too, Jamie." He smirks. "And I always, always will."