Coming Home to You
One
"So this is it, huh?" Kevin asked from beside me. I simply nodded my head looking at the two story house that stood in front of us. "Well, I can say that it definitely looks like something Dylan would pick out for the both of you."
"Thanks," was all I could muster up as the baby started kicking again. Three months had passed since I had received the letter for the war department of my fiancé's death and nothing seemed to get any easier. The only thing that I could be thankful for is his close military buddy Kevin who helped me over the past few months with taking me to my doctor appointments and helping packing up our my apartment.
I placed my left hand under my grown out belly and started rubbing hoping it would calm the baby some. I took a deep breath that quickly caught Kevin's attention. "Baby's kicking." It was a question, but I nodded anyway. Since entering my third trimester, the baby has been pretty active and with the move, the doctor has gotten pretty strict with me being on bed rest, but I couldn't stay in that apartment any longer. Too many memories of Dylan remained in the apartment and even though they were all good, it didn't help me move on so I could focus on caring for our baby. "Is there anything else that you need help with?"
"No," I answered shaking my head looking up at him. "Thank you for help me though. I really appreciate it."
"It's not a problem. Anything to help my best friend's girl and unborn baby," Kevin said with a smile gently running his hand across my belly. "Well then, I guess I better get home before Rach starts worrying. Call if you ever need anything, okay?"
I nodded tucking some of my brunette hair behind my ear that had blown in my face due to the slight wind. Kevin leaned down to give me a quick hug that I returned before walking toward his truck that was parked behind mine in the driveway. I watched as he started up the truck, hearing it roar to life before pulling out of the driveway and down to road to head back home to his wife. I took one more glance back at the my new home before heading to the trunk of my car to get my suitcase and carryon bag that I carried with me as we traveled over from Texas.
As I was about to pull the suitcase from the trunk of my car, I heard a voice call out. I looked over to one of my neighbor's yard to see a tall, lanky man running in my direction followed by another man who wasn't as tall as the first, but was pretty muscular. "Let us help you with that," the first man said as he reached me.
"No, it's fine. I got it," I tried to say, but the gentleman took it upon himself and pulled out my suitcase, setting it on the concrete driveway before reaching back in to get my duffle bag. I bit back my tongue not wanting to say anything rude knowing he was only help me because it was very obvious that I'm pregnant and instead uttered out a thank you. A few seconds later, the second guy reached us.
"Sorry about him. He's always excited to meet someone new." The guy's voice was not as husky as I thought it would be due to his size and was even taken by surprise when he flashed a smile that showed off his dimples. "I'm Matt, by the way, your neighbor," he said pointing at the house where he and his friend came from. "And this is Jimmy. You'll have to excuse him."
"Chastity," I replied resting my hands on top my belly starting to feel a little nervous.
"Well, lead the way Ms. Chastity," Jimmy all but yelled making me jump slightly as he started to march toward the front door. I stared at him for a second before looking back at Matt to see him shaking his head in both amusement and embarrassment. Letting out another deep breath, I followed shortly after Jimmy hearing Matt follow quickly behind me.
"So are you new here?" Matt asked trying to struck up a conversation between us. I looked beside me where he had caught up with me to see his bright hazel eyes watching me. I nodded before looking back ahead of me as we reached the front door. "Then, welcome to Huntington Beach."
"Thanks." It was all I could say because the baby started kicking up a storm again. I ran my right hand up and down my belly trying to calm them again as I stepped inside my new home. I quickly spotted Jimmy in the living room where he place my carryon bag on the sofa looking over my books that I had already put on the small bookshelf that Dylan had built.
Matt also entered the house straight into the living room as well and set the suitcase down beside the sofa. Not wanting to be rude or start off with a bad impression as their new neighbor I asked, "Would you like anything to drink?" Even though I don't really have anything, just water from the sink. They both answered with a no or a shake of their head in Jimmy's case. Eventually Jimmy turned around to look at me and had a huge smile on his face.
"Do you know what you're having?" he asked as he bounced over placing his hand on my stomach. I tensed up not like the fact that he was touching me without my permission. He must of picked up on the movement because he quickly removed his hand and apologized.
"It's fine," I said even though to me it really wasn't and answered his question. "No, we . . . I want it to be a surprise."
"The dad's not in the picture?" Matt asked. I looked at him from the corner of my eyes before stepping back, away from Jimmy to the archway of the kitchen.
"Thank you for help me," I started, "but I'm pretty tired from the drive over and think it's best if you both leave."
The smile on Jimmy's face quickly dropped and I knew that I had hurt his feelings, but I just wanted to left alone for now. Matt was silent for a second before he nodded and lead Jimmy out of my house. When I heard the click of the door being pulled shut, I let out a deep breath that I didn't realize that I was holding. Even though I was thankful for their help, I wasn't expecting or ready to get close to anyone just yet after losing Dylan. He is still a soft spot for me to talk about to anyone outside of Kevin, only because he knew.
I walked back into the living room to sit down on the sofa hoping to relax a little bit before I knew I would have to go out to get some groceries. I wasn't sure how long I sat there trying to get a few minutes of rest when I heard the sound of a truck pulling up nearby. My first thought was that Kevin had forgotten something and had came back to get it. I stood up from the sofa picking up my purse from the coffee table and headed to the front door to greet Kevin again, but when I opened the door the truck wasn't in my driveway and it wasn't Kevin. The truck pulled up in Matt's driveway and two guys climbed out, greeting Matt and Jimmy who were standing in the front yard.
I pulled the door closed and locked it before making my way to the car. Once I was safely in my car, I locked the door out of habit and started the car. As I put the car in reverse and was getting ready to back it out of the driveway, I glanced back over to the neighbor's yard to see Matt standing there with Jimmy and the two other guys that showed up, but he wasn't paying attention to them. For some odd reason, he was watching me with a sympathetic look on his face.
"Thanks," was all I could muster up as the baby started kicking again. Three months had passed since I had received the letter for the war department of my fiancé's death and nothing seemed to get any easier. The only thing that I could be thankful for is his close military buddy Kevin who helped me over the past few months with taking me to my doctor appointments and helping packing up our my apartment.
I placed my left hand under my grown out belly and started rubbing hoping it would calm the baby some. I took a deep breath that quickly caught Kevin's attention. "Baby's kicking." It was a question, but I nodded anyway. Since entering my third trimester, the baby has been pretty active and with the move, the doctor has gotten pretty strict with me being on bed rest, but I couldn't stay in that apartment any longer. Too many memories of Dylan remained in the apartment and even though they were all good, it didn't help me move on so I could focus on caring for our baby. "Is there anything else that you need help with?"
"No," I answered shaking my head looking up at him. "Thank you for help me though. I really appreciate it."
"It's not a problem. Anything to help my best friend's girl and unborn baby," Kevin said with a smile gently running his hand across my belly. "Well then, I guess I better get home before Rach starts worrying. Call if you ever need anything, okay?"
I nodded tucking some of my brunette hair behind my ear that had blown in my face due to the slight wind. Kevin leaned down to give me a quick hug that I returned before walking toward his truck that was parked behind mine in the driveway. I watched as he started up the truck, hearing it roar to life before pulling out of the driveway and down to road to head back home to his wife. I took one more glance back at the my new home before heading to the trunk of my car to get my suitcase and carryon bag that I carried with me as we traveled over from Texas.
As I was about to pull the suitcase from the trunk of my car, I heard a voice call out. I looked over to one of my neighbor's yard to see a tall, lanky man running in my direction followed by another man who wasn't as tall as the first, but was pretty muscular. "Let us help you with that," the first man said as he reached me.
"No, it's fine. I got it," I tried to say, but the gentleman took it upon himself and pulled out my suitcase, setting it on the concrete driveway before reaching back in to get my duffle bag. I bit back my tongue not wanting to say anything rude knowing he was only help me because it was very obvious that I'm pregnant and instead uttered out a thank you. A few seconds later, the second guy reached us.
"Sorry about him. He's always excited to meet someone new." The guy's voice was not as husky as I thought it would be due to his size and was even taken by surprise when he flashed a smile that showed off his dimples. "I'm Matt, by the way, your neighbor," he said pointing at the house where he and his friend came from. "And this is Jimmy. You'll have to excuse him."
"Chastity," I replied resting my hands on top my belly starting to feel a little nervous.
"Well, lead the way Ms. Chastity," Jimmy all but yelled making me jump slightly as he started to march toward the front door. I stared at him for a second before looking back at Matt to see him shaking his head in both amusement and embarrassment. Letting out another deep breath, I followed shortly after Jimmy hearing Matt follow quickly behind me.
"So are you new here?" Matt asked trying to struck up a conversation between us. I looked beside me where he had caught up with me to see his bright hazel eyes watching me. I nodded before looking back ahead of me as we reached the front door. "Then, welcome to Huntington Beach."
"Thanks." It was all I could say because the baby started kicking up a storm again. I ran my right hand up and down my belly trying to calm them again as I stepped inside my new home. I quickly spotted Jimmy in the living room where he place my carryon bag on the sofa looking over my books that I had already put on the small bookshelf that Dylan had built.
Matt also entered the house straight into the living room as well and set the suitcase down beside the sofa. Not wanting to be rude or start off with a bad impression as their new neighbor I asked, "Would you like anything to drink?" Even though I don't really have anything, just water from the sink. They both answered with a no or a shake of their head in Jimmy's case. Eventually Jimmy turned around to look at me and had a huge smile on his face.
"Do you know what you're having?" he asked as he bounced over placing his hand on my stomach. I tensed up not like the fact that he was touching me without my permission. He must of picked up on the movement because he quickly removed his hand and apologized.
"It's fine," I said even though to me it really wasn't and answered his question. "No, we . . . I want it to be a surprise."
"The dad's not in the picture?" Matt asked. I looked at him from the corner of my eyes before stepping back, away from Jimmy to the archway of the kitchen.
"Thank you for help me," I started, "but I'm pretty tired from the drive over and think it's best if you both leave."
The smile on Jimmy's face quickly dropped and I knew that I had hurt his feelings, but I just wanted to left alone for now. Matt was silent for a second before he nodded and lead Jimmy out of my house. When I heard the click of the door being pulled shut, I let out a deep breath that I didn't realize that I was holding. Even though I was thankful for their help, I wasn't expecting or ready to get close to anyone just yet after losing Dylan. He is still a soft spot for me to talk about to anyone outside of Kevin, only because he knew.
I walked back into the living room to sit down on the sofa hoping to relax a little bit before I knew I would have to go out to get some groceries. I wasn't sure how long I sat there trying to get a few minutes of rest when I heard the sound of a truck pulling up nearby. My first thought was that Kevin had forgotten something and had came back to get it. I stood up from the sofa picking up my purse from the coffee table and headed to the front door to greet Kevin again, but when I opened the door the truck wasn't in my driveway and it wasn't Kevin. The truck pulled up in Matt's driveway and two guys climbed out, greeting Matt and Jimmy who were standing in the front yard.
I pulled the door closed and locked it before making my way to the car. Once I was safely in my car, I locked the door out of habit and started the car. As I put the car in reverse and was getting ready to back it out of the driveway, I glanced back over to the neighbor's yard to see Matt standing there with Jimmy and the two other guys that showed up, but he wasn't paying attention to them. For some odd reason, he was watching me with a sympathetic look on his face.