Remedy

Callie dug through her bag for her keys, her fingers finally closing around them as she walked up to the door of the condo. She was pulling them from her bag when the door opened, she looked up, and stopped, startled as Jordie walked out. He stared at her for a minute before he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly as Callie dropped her keys back into her bag.

“Hey.” Jordie wanted to slap himself, was that really the only thing he could say? He nearly sighed, Callie simply smiled gently at him, he couldn't stop himself from really looking at her, and it was clear what Jamie had told him the night previous was true. He cleared his throat and curiously asked, “are you coming home?”

“Well I'm not here to get my stuff that's for sure.” Callie told him, and Jordie broke into a grin. He took the steps down to the driveway and stood only a foot or so apart from her.

“He's sleeping, but you should definitely wake him up.” Jordie told her, waiting until she nodded before he wrapped his arms around her. Callie gently put her arms around his waist, and smiled as he said quietly, “don't give up on him. Please.”

He left her alone, standing in the driveway. She was surprised, there was no witty banter, no jokes. Just a Jordie being a brother. She smiled to herself as she made her way up the three steps and into the house. She left her shoes on the mat and her purse on the table before she made her way up the stairs. She pushed the door open quietly, and found Jamie asleep on her side of the bed, laying on his stomach. She sat down on the edge of the bed beside him, and put her hand on his back.

He shifted slightly but didn't wake up, and Callie couldn't bare to wake him, at least not at this moment. She glanced around the bedroom, she had expected to come home to a complete mess, to find clothing everywhere, dishes piling up, but instead it looked like no one had ever lived her in the weeks she'd been gone. Everything was in their rightful place, right down to Jamie's practice bag sitting by the door.

Finally Callie turned back to him, and gave his back a gentle rub, “Jamie.” He shifted again, and then opened his eyes, he stared at Callie for a moment, as if she might disappeared if he even blinked, before he sat up and the covers pooled in his lap.

“Hi.” Was all Callie could manage to force out, but it was enough for Jamie. He sat up, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into him.

“Please tell me you're here to stay? That you're not jut getting your stuff and leaving?” Jamie asked, pulling back to look at Callie.

“Do you want me to stay? Because the last time we talked-”

Cutting her off Jamie told her, “The last time we talked I was just... I never should have said anything I said to you. It wasn't right. I should have been more supportive, I should have tried to understand what you were going through. When you left I really thought that was it, and I was so mad at myself for letting that fight go as far as I did. I started thinking about what it would have been like if it was one of my siblings and I realized I should have just given you the time and space you needed.”

“I didn't mean it. What I said. Any of it. I was just upset and frustrated.” Callie bit down on her lip as Jamie slipped his hands into hers.

He shook his head at her, “no you were right, I expect too much from you and I don't know if I thank you as much as I should, or if you know how much I appreciate it, and you.”

Callie didn't say anything in response for a long time, so long that Jamie thought she wasn't going to say anything in response. Finally she asked, “so...you know right?”

“That you're pregnant? Yeah, Brenden let it slip, he feels really bad for it.”

Callie shook her head, “no it's okay, I should have told you myself. It's just... I found out and then everything with Cora happened and to be honest it was the last thing on my mind.”

“When?”

“February. So mid October.” Callie said softly, pausing before she tentatively asked, “I have a doctors appointment next week. Do you want to go?”

“Of course I want to go. Callie this is our baby, I'm not going anywhere. Me and you, we're gonna get through this, all of this.” Callie smiled, and Jamie reached over and wiped her tears from her cheeks before he puled her into him and laid down, Callie practically on top of him. He moved over to his side of the bed and said, “I'm not letting you go right now.”

“That's okay with me.” Callie said, shifting to get comfortable as she laid down beside him. Jamie slid his hand under her cardigan, over her tank, and left his hand on her stomach. It wasn't an easy kept secret anymore, he knew the minute he looked at her, and it was even more obvious now. After a few minutes of silence Callie asked, “is it okay if I'm just not ready to get married? At least not right now?”

Jamie nodded, “we can wait.”

“I just can't imagine getting married without Cora, and I think that's gonna take a while.” Callie said quietly, smiling as Jamie ran his hand through her hair and kissed the top of her head. She placed her hand on his forearm and said, “don't ever die on me okay? I really don't think I can handle another person dying.”

“I plan on being around to fix the leaky faucet when we're eighty Cal. I'm not going anywhere.” Jamie said, giving her a gentle squeeze. He smiled, “I'm gonna be around to see this baby arrive, and many others, I'm gonna be there to teach our kids to skate and catch a ball, to see them go to college, and get married, have babies of their own. You're not gonna be alone. I promise.”

“Many more huh? Just how many kids do you think we're having?” Callie asked, laughing as she felt him shrug.

“At least three. Maybe four. Maybe more.”

Callie laughed, “dream big. I may not even want another one after this. There's a lot about pregnancy that they don't tell you and all of it sucks. Like the fact that morning sickness lasts all day long, and how much my entire body hurts, and my boobs don't even get me started.”

Jamie smirked and blatantly stared at her chest, “I don't know, I think I kind of like those.”

Callie laughed and gave his arm a swat, “well you might, but you're not the one that doesn't even fit their bra's anymore. Or clothes for that matter. Be prepared to have a lot of your clothes go missing over the next five months.”

Jamie grinned, “I have no objections to that. Except when we leave the house, because I don't know if I can be seen with someone that looks homeless.”

Laughing she turned her head toward him and narrowed her eyes, “please, I've hit the point in this where I feel like hibernating and not coming out until way after this is all over.”

“Am I allowed to join in on this hibernation stage?”

“Only if you walk around naked so I have something to look at.” Callie said with a grin.

“Done deal.” Jamie smirked, and just like that they were back to normal.