Gin and Juice

Brian’s POV

We had just gotten back from the European leg of our tour. It’s been a long and tiring seven months . I was anxious to get home and get a proper sleep, but first, I had a wrong to right in Santa Monica. I just hoped that she still loved me enough to still be there.

As soon as the bus pulled into the familiar studio parking lot, I jumped out and ran to my car. I jumped in and gunned the engine, planning on grabbing my suitcases and shit on the way back to HB. I sped the entire way there, hoping against hope that she was still there. When I reached my destination, I fish-tailed into the driveway and ran up the path to the front door.

I tried the lock, but she had already changed it. Sensing the inevitable, I pounded on the door and screamed her name. I ceased my motions and my cry faltered as an old lady opened the door.

“May I help you?” she asked, looking slightly afraid. Hell, I would be afraid of me.

“Yea, the girl that I’m still in love with used to live here. Did she leave a forwarding address?” I blurted out quickly.

“I’m sorry, Dearie, but I never met the previous owner. I got this house through an agent. Would you like that number instead?”

My breath hitched in my throat as she retreated into the foyer and grabbed a card out of a small cabinet. I was surprised to see that my realtor was the same.

“Here you go. Good luck in finding that young lady.”

I quickly thanked her and plugged the address into my GPS. Following the directions at a break-neck speed, I arrived at my destination. I walked up briskly to the receptionist. “Hi, erm, I’m looking for Maria Walters.”

The receptionist turned quickly to her computer with a mild blush on her face. “Do you have an appointment?”

“No, but I just came to iron out a few details on a house I’m looking to buy.” I lied with a smile.

“Oh, well, she’s in a meeting right now, but if you wait a few minutes, then I’m sure we can slip you in.”

I smiled at the double meaning of her words and took a seat. I twiddled my thumbs and played with my phone for the next few minutes, which crept by like decades. I did a lot of thinking, too. I was an idiot to believe that she would stay and wait for me there after all I had put her through. Looking back, I was an indecisive jack-ass that dabbled in two ponds when I should have chosen between them. Not that I’m calling Danni and Michelle ponds or anything. Man, have I fucked up…I am fucked up.

“Mr. Haner?” Maria Walters’ voice rang through my ears, bringing me back into the real world.

I quickly stood up and shook her hand.

“I haven’t seen you in quite some time. What can I do for you?”

“I was just wondering if my girlfriend left a forwarding address. She forgot to tell me where she moved to and I’m afraid she lost her phone.”

“I’m afraid she didn’t. You see, she got all her mail through her work and when they re-assigned her, the company handled the change of address form.”

“Do you know where they moved her to?”

Maria Walters shook her head. “I’m sorry, Mr. Haner. She just called me up one day and asked if I would sell the house. Didn’t give me an explanation or anything.”

I gulped and looked her in the eye. “thank you for your time, Ms. Walters.” I said pseudo-confidently before walking out of the building.

Gone. That’s what she is. Gone. She’s far from me; happy wherever she is, I bet. I hope she’s thinking about me as much as I’m thinking about her.

Danni’s POV

Kale held me close one night a week until my due date. I was having one of my rare hormonal breakdown moments. Because of what I’m hoping to be Kale’s psychic link to me, I hardly show any signs of being pregnant (except for getting bigger) while he exhibits all of them. Weird, I know, but it’s true. I only get hormonal occasionally….like now. All I remember is watching Turk and JD sing “Everything comes down to poo” and then I suddenly start bawling. It really sucks. I don’t see how women can stand a normal, very hormonal, pregnancy…or why they would willingly put themselves through it to begin with.

I cringed as a sharp pain ripped through my lower abdomen. Luckily, Kale was spooning me from behind so he didn’t see it. Not five minutes later, the pain ripped through me again and something warm ran down my legs.

“Ew! Danni!” Kale squealed, quickly retreating his hand and running to the other end of the bed like a hurt child.

“Now is not the time!” I screamed as another pain ripped through me. I curled into a ball as Kale ran to the closet.

“Let’s go, D,” he insisted, grabbing my shoulder and uncurling me. “The baby’s coming and I refuse for her to be born in my car!”

“Congratulations Ms. Patterson,” the nurse said as she handed me my baby girl. All the pain I went through from the past twenty-three hours and forty-seven minutes was forgotten when that little pink bundle was placed into my arms. “We just need to fill out her birth certificate and get all of her paperwork done.”

“Her name is Elli Marie Patterson.”

“And, the father?”

“Will not be in her life…ever.”