Cross My Heart

Over the next two weeks things were plain, boring and normal. I worked, Jimmy worked. The other three were all busy with work. I started getting a little depressed that we weren't able to do anything. Summer was coming to a close and even though the days were still fairly hot and humid, as soon as the sun went down everything cooled off drastically.

I had met the new neighbors, a family by the name of Reynolds, and often wandered over to talk to them when Jimmy was at work. I broke the ice the first few days by telling them that I had been the one to move out of there and if they needed any questions answered about the place just to come over and ask.

Their daughter, 22 year old Mia, was five months pregnant, just now really starting to show. They also had a son who was six, he was quite the surprise according to them, and a dog named Mr. T. All in all the Reynolds seemed rather pleasant.

"So do you know what the baby is gonna be?" I asked Mia as we were sitting outside at their fancy patio set.

"No I don't. I didn't want to know, I want it to be a surprise. You know, as long as the baby is happy and healthy I could care less." She said rubbing her belly.

I loved babies. Small ones that couldn't talk yet. Or walk. And that I could immediately give back to their parents. Okay, it wasn't that bad, but I certainly didn't need a smaller version of Jimmy running around the house. A grown up one was bad enough.

"That's cool. Back in the day they HAD to let it be a surprise."

She nodded. "My dad seems to think it'll be a girl and my mother and brother are voting boy."

"What do you think?"

"Honestly, I feel like it's a boy too. I just hope he's nothing like his father."

I frowned. Mia's child's father was a one night thing. Of course, she didn't know it was a one night thing. He had promised he would be back and just never showed up again. She didn't know how to find him and hadn't seen him around, giving her hardly any choice. Fortunately Mia was mature for her age and chose to keep the baby and raise it. Even if that meant a little help from Mom and Dad.

I heard a vehicle making it's way up the hill and glanced over at the road to see Jimmy's truck pulling in to view. "Well there's my cue, I probably should go start dinner." I said standing up. "As always, it's been fun."

Mia smiled. "Yeah. I'm glad you come over and talk to me. I don't know anybody up here and it's not like my friends come to visit. Living with Mom and Dad again kind of ruined that."

"Well if you ever get bored or anything just call or come over. Jimmy wouldn't mind company."

"Thanks." She said.

"No problem. I'll see ya."

"Alright. See ya."

I hurried myself across the street then burst inside to find Jimmy in the fridge. When he stood up to look at me there was a piece of cheese hanging from his mouth.

"You! You're gonna spoil your dinner!"

"You!" He yelled back taking the cheese out. "You have no dinner waiting for your husband! What do you expect me to do. I'm
hungry." He whined like a little kid.

"Wow. I think you've hit a new level of childish." I smiled at him.

"It's been a long day. What about you, what'd you do?"

"Hung out with Mia again. What else is there to do around here?"

"You're getting pretty close to her. What's her deal again?"

"She's five months knocked up, and the father was a one night stand. She's living with Bill and Teresa until she can get on her own feet."

"That sucks. She's pretty young too."

"Yep." I nodded. "So, what does my man child want for dinner?"

"Something quick. I'm not in the mood for a home cooked meal. Stick a frozen pizza in the oven or something." He shrugged.

"Alright. So you had a long day?"

He leaned up against the sideboard and watched me as I prepared the pizza. "Yeah. Just a bunch of bullshit. We're falling behind and Leon isn't there half the time. You know. Basic grown up bitching. I hate being a big kid, can we go back to when things were simpler?"

I smiled at him. "I wouldn't have any objections, but simpler times means when you and I weren't even together. Or knew each other."

"Whatever. Then I'll suffer through this bullshit. Just for you."

"Thank you."

After dinner was in the oven we ventured to the living room where we turned on the TV and found something to watch.

-

Later that night I found myself cooking for two extra people. While Matt had to work late and wouldn't be around, Dillon and Charlie were hungry and not capable of cooking their own dinners.

"You know you don't HAVE to cook for them. They can buy
sandwiches from the store. Or something else. Or hire someone to do it for them." Jimmy said handing me the ingredients from the fridge.

"It's okay." I shrugged.

"You're so nice to a couple of losers." He shut the door and then leaned up against the counter, something that had become somewhat of a tradition when I cooked.

"Hey don't be mean to your friends."

"Oh come on, I meant me too. I'm a loser."

"You are not."

"I am too! Don't you sit there and tell me I'm not what I have worked so hard at being." He crossed his arms.

I rolled my eyes and looked at him. "James Owen."

"Whoa!" He yelled loudly and held up his hands. "Whoaaaaaa.
What is with you using the middle name?" He asked.

I couldn't hold back the smile that was forcing it's way on to my face. "Alright fine, you're a loser."

"THANK you." He said proudly. "Oh, did you hear that? I think the guys are here." He took a few long steps across the kitchen and went out on to the porch.

I had to admit, even though things were boring it wasn't a bad thing. Didn't married couples kill for this when they had been together for so long? They always said newlyweds took everything nice in the beginning too lightly and didn't appreciate them as much as we should.

"Football season is almost upon us!" Dillon was saying excitedly as they walked in.

"Hey Layzilla." Charlie said nodding.

"Layzilla? Really?" I asked narrowing my eyes. "You know, you better go get yourself checked out, your comebacks are lame lately and that's really not like you."

"I hate to be the one to break it to you, but that whole little speech was no better." he said and walked up to me.

"You're such a jackass. No wonder you don't have any other friends."

"Hey now, he's our jackass, let's not be too mean." Dillon said grinning.

"You guys, I downloaded the new maps to Black Ops two today, you gotta come try 'em out." Jimmy said and then he and the others went in to the living room.

A few minutes went by and as the game started up I prepared myself to hear every curse word known to man and then some.
They got colorful when it came to losing. I turned off the water after filling up one of my pans just in time to hear a soft knock at the door.

"Mia?" I asked when I answered it and saw the dark headed girl looking at me.

"Hi. I'm sorry if this is a bad time...I realized I didn't actually know your number to text and ask if it was alright to stop by." She said shyly.

"Oh no! It's fine actually. I've got some friends over for dinner and we're gonna have a lot going on. Do you wanna stay and eat with us? It'd be nice to have another chick around for once. One that I can stand that is. They tend to date hookers."

"Real hookers?" She asked.

"Oh! No, I don't mean ACTUAL hookers... I just mean..real bitches..or real assholes. Though I can't say I would be surprised if one of them told me they had dated one. Or .. a stripper at least." Mia laughed and I shook my head. "Sorry, I'm rambling.
After hanging out with these guys you tend to do that. They have a way about making a conversation go on and on even when it should have ended hours ago. Like now. Ugh." I stepped aside and let her come in then we made our way in to the kitchen.

"This is a nice place." She said.

I smiled at her warmly. She was nervous and making random conversation because she wasn't quite sure how to act. I didn't blame her, but once she heard Jimmy and the boys yelling at the screen she'd know exactly how to fit in.

"Thanks. It was Jimmy's all along. I moved in with him when we got engaged."

"So you lived across the street from each other?"

"Yeah. We were best friends actually. We've known each other for quite a few years. He came from California though."

"Ah. I heard it's nice there."

"The part that he's from is." I agreed. "His parents still live out that way and we visited with them not too long ago."

"Lucky you get to travel. I can't travel after a certain point in my pregnancy and well...you know, I'm broke now."

"It must be tough to all the sudden just have to settle down." I said. "I'm not trying to make it seem bad or anything, I just mean... you're young. I don't even have a kid yet."

"What if you did?" She asked. "What if you found out like, tomorrow that you were pregnant? What would you do?"

I bit my lip. "I'd deal with it, I mean.. I'd have to. There's not much of a choice there. Either give it up or keep it and there's no way in hell I'd give mine up. I mean- not that that's bad or anything!"

Mia smiled. "I know. So you'd just accept it? Could you do that?"
I thought for a minute then sighed. "Jimmy is gonna make such a good father and to be honest...if we want kids we're gonna have to do it soon... Jimmy has a heart condition and we don't know exactly how much longer he's gonna be around."

"What? I'm so sorry!"

"No, no. It's alright. He's had it under control for a long time now
I'm sure that everything's fine and he'll live to get old and pester me. Just like Marie and Frank from Everybody Loves Raymond."

Mia giggled but I got the impression she had no idea who I was talking about. Which made me feel damn old for some reason.

"So, you wanna meet the guys before we sit down to eat? They're playing Black Ops, just to warn you so-"

"They're a little violent?" She asked.

I laughed. "Yeah."

"I understand. I've got some friends back home who are insane about that game. I like to play it but I don't get THAT angry when I die. I mean, you come RIGHT back to life. Who cares."

"I've heard that before but really, if you can get in to it like these guys then .... it becomes like a sport or something. They get all competitive and..it's just a disaster when you have controllers being thrown everywhere, breaking stuff."

We walked in to the living room and Jimmy glanced over. "Hey beautiful and guest."

Dillon and Charlie waved their hands but couldn't tear their eyes away from the screen just yet.

"Hi." Mia said.

"What brings you to our neck of the street?" he asked.

"Well, I was just wondering what was going on with Layla... seeming as how she's really the only person who's talked to me lately. Then she invited me over for dinner."

At the mention of staying for dinner Charlie and Dillon both turned around to look at her.

I was expecting their faces to be over come with some sort of emotion, or rather I was expecting them to check her out since she was pretty, but when Charlie looked at her his entire mood shifted. He turned his head quickly back to the TV and remained stiff.

Dillon smiled. "What's up?"

"Not much..." Mia said.

"Well! I'll let you guys get back to work. Dinner will be ready in
ten."

"Thank you, wife!" Jimmy yelled as we walked back in to the kitchen.

"Oh my God." Mia said running her hands over her face.

"What's wrong? Is everything okay? Is the baby?"

"Yeah the baby is fine, I'm fine...sort of."

"You're freakin' me out here kid, you're pregnant so I'm twice as likely to dial nine one one."

She smiled. "No, you don't have to do that. I just... I was taken by surprise is all. Your friend looks a lot like..."

I groaned, shutting my eyes tightly and instantly knowing where this conversation was headed. "Don't tell me. He looks like the guy who left you with a one night stand?"