Gin and Juice

“Hey, who brought the flowers?” Kale asked as he bumped the front door open with his hips.

I looked up from my trashy romance novel and pint of Chocolate Cookie Dough Icecream. “What flowers?” I inquired, peering over my huge stomach to actually see him. Since I had been bed-ridden for the past two and a half months, I haven’t been able to leave my bed or the couch without Kale going ape-shit over me. Seriously, he has this weird sense where he knows, no matter where he is in correlation to me, if I move a single muscle. It’s an annoying quirk that I’ve had to learn to deal with.

“These flowers,” he said, picking up the vase filled with a dozen whit roses that was right outside the front door. Gingerly picking them up, he walked over to me. “There’s a card. Here.”

Puzzled as to who would leave me flowers and not announce their delivery, I grabbed the card and flipped it open. “I’m sorry I can’t be your perfect guy. Good luck. Kyle,” I read in a monotone voice. “What the hell? Who breaks up over flowers?! Weirdo.”

“Let me see that!” Kale snatched the card out of my hand. He scanned it two or three time before looking up at me. “This is the stupidest thing I ever heard! I thought he was fine being surrogate father!”

I shrugged and returned to my book. I was just getting to the juicy part. “I guess he wasn’t ready.”

“Wasn’t ready? Wasn’t ready?! I’m no where close to being ready and I’m the damn godfather! Think of my mental health, Danni!”

I set my book down. “Are you sure you’re not the pregnant one? Because, since we found out about her, you’re the one going through more emotions per second than I am.”

He kneeled down in front of me on the floor and grabbed my hands. “this is not funny, Danni. You’re daughter needs a father figure in her life.”

“Yea, you.”

He shook his head. “No, not me. I hate to tell you like this, but I’m moving out. I’ll stay a few months after she’s born…”

“When did this happen? Where are you going?” I asked in a professional tone. I couldn’t say that I didn’t see it coming. I knew that Kale wasn’t going to live with me forever. He was one of those people who really couldn’t settle down for too long; whereas I longed for a home ever since I was small…and now that I finally have one of my own, I’m not moving again.

“Jared asked me to move in with him.”

I nodded, knowing perfectly well that that was where he spent most of his time (when he wasn’t babysitting me).

“You’re cool with it?”

I shrugged. “Why wouldn’t I be? You’ve been dealing with my shit for the past three years. It’s time for you to go out and have some fun. Just keep in contact with me regularly and don’t refuse when I ask you to babysit my daughter.”

He chewed his bottom lip and thought about it before he broke out in a huge smile. “Don’t worry, that little munchkin won’t know what hit her!” Somehow, he ended up behind me on the sofa.

“Kale, sometimes you’re too much and other times you simply amaze me.”

“I try. Ooooh!!!!!! We should pick out her name!!!!! We’re only two weeks away! I bet you haven’t thought about it at all!!!!” he squealed from behind me.

Cringing, I got out of his hold and went to the overstuffed recliner. “Not that I don’t love you and all…but, seeing as how you are the godfather- wipe that grin off your face- I thought you could pick it out.”

“hm…I don’t know. List some names and I’ll critic. It’ll be a dual effort.”

“Brianna?”

He made a face.

“I know, but it was all that I could come up with!”

“What about Amanda?”

I shook my head. “Over done.”

“Stephanie? We could call her Stevie.”

I scrunched my nose.

“Ellie?”

“That’s a possibility.”

“Ok…..Hannah?”

I shook my head.

“Annie?”

Another shake.

“Eleanor Rigby Paterson it is!”

“What?!”

“I was just kidding. Ellie Marie Paterson sounds wonderful.”

I pondered the name. It did have somewhat of a ring to it. “Sounds great.” I rubbed my stomach. “Is that good with you?” I felt her move into my hand. I smiled and looked up at my best friend. “I think she likes it.”

“Good, because that was very nerve-wracking.”

“How so?”

“Your eyes make me go all cold inside!” he squealed.

I gave him a confused look.

“Like now! I’m going to make dinner so I don’t have to bear your eyes any longer!” he quickly got up and dashed into the kitchen

“You’re so weird. I’m not that bad!” I yelled back at him before returning to my book.