love with all your heart ❤️

 "Are you still with Louie?" Jun's grandmother asked every time Daisy dropped in with a bag of goodies at the assisted living facility.

"Yes, I'm still with him," she showed her proof, the two together out at the park.

"He's got a haircut. He's looking presentable," she informed Daisy. "But I still wish you were going to have Jun's baby." No way would she mention that girl's name, he was with.

"We wish for a lot of things, but it doesn't mean it will  happen."

"Tell me about it," She hugged herself, looking all grim. She wished to go somewhere. "I need a haircut."

"But we have a salon here."

"She doesn't know how to cut my hair." The old woman fretted, then looked up at Daisy and asked if she was trying to be a boy.

Daisy chuckled. It felt like the same conversation. 

"I wonder how you were when you first met Jun's grandfather?" Daisy smiled, thinking those must have been the days.

"We didn't have much money, you know, but it didn't keep me from having a baby like these days." She scoffed at the thought that people were just too careful these days. They were completely selfish. 

"Well, we have Daisy," Sunny nodded as if she loved being her Auntie.

"You two should adopt her."

"But she has two dads who love her very much," Daisy promised. After all, they were getting together to have a Valentine's Day meal tonight, and Jun with his pregnant girlfriend would join them. 

The old woman scowled as if she might be sick.

"What if we all come see you tomorrow. I'll make sure Daisy comes," Sunny got out the chocolates then and of course, someone took to them as if her diet wasn't much better than Daisy's. 

"That would be nice."

"You'll be nice?" Daisy wanted to know. She nodded as she bit into the sweetness. Sunny had her doubts, but she knew Jun would make her day.

Everytime you walk in the room

 "Is he prettier than me?" Chewy put Chai in a tight spot in the kitchen. He could hardly get to the stove where the burgers were sizzling.

Chai winced. He didn't know what Chewy wanted him to say. Besides Daisy was looking at them as if she were the grown-up.

Chai sighed and edged past him to check on the pasta. They didn't really eat burgers. It was more like hamburger steak and noodles because that was the way Daisy would only eat it and her broccoli.

Really, Chai wished Chewy could stay focused. "He's only my supervisor." Chai looked back at Chewy as if he needed to be quiet. At least for Daisy's sake. "You're making a big deal out of nothing."

"But he saw you at the grocery store," Chewy remembered. "He was quite chatty, you know?"

"He was being nice," Chai shrugged as he went to dump the water off the noodles and then prep them with butter and a creamy cheese. It was a soup mix that finally looked edible, but this was the way Daisy liked it. 

"Oh, he was flirting," Chewy snapped, giving Chai the eye.

"He knew I was with you. I think it was Daisy he wanted to meet," Chai didn't want to admit it, but Daisy was a topic that came up every day. Chai was always telling his team at work about a Daisy moment. How she wouldn't go to bed, how she cleaned the toilet with her hairbrush, and how she didn't like wearing the same color socks.

"So?" Chewy raised his head as if he would not be defeated, but Chai gave him plates to set the table.

"So what?"

"So, you told him about me?"

 "I did." Chai nodded. He didn't want to say how little he said because he knew Chewy would fuss about that, too.

Chewy went on to get the forks and chopsticks. Finally, Chai served the meat and noodles peppered with steamed broccoli. Daisy called this gatti night, a new tradition.

Yes, there were a lot of traditions now that Chai didn't think everyone needed to know about, like a winter night that was more than cozy with Chewy. Chai found it something he yearned for, although he was certain Chewy found it more quaint. But it was an ember of romance, and Chai didn't want to mess that up with Chewy.

"He looks like an uncle, to me," Daisy looked at Chewy while Chai was cutting the burger steak.

"What?"

"Yeah, that man looks just like you."

"He did not?" Chai found himself saying.

"Is he prettier than me?" Chewy smirked

"You're not pretty,"  Daisy informed him. "I don't want you to be pretty."

"See?" Chai looked at Chewy out of the corner of his eye. Chewy did his silly pout as he took a bite of broccoli.

I have always wanted to have a neighbor just like you

 "It was upsetting to see Jared that way," Mel said. She didn't want to tell Nori to doubt him, but it was all so troubling.

They were out walking their pups to the dog park. Some things had not changed, even if she was having to think about selling her house. Really, she didn't want to, but she was Kevin's wife now.

Their fur babies urged them on with a sniff here and there. They were the perfect pals.

"He is trying," Nori said. She laid it out for him. "I told him if my mother suspected him of being the worst, then we could just say goodbye to the future."

"Oh, so you're using your mom that way, are you?" Mel gave her the eye that, that wasn't fair to her mother.

"You know, how she is." Nori looked as if she could handle this.

"I think you are becoming your mother," Mel smirked.

"I have to be, because, well, Jared's like my first child. I can't just give up on him."

Nori's brow furrowed with seriousness as they walked toward the dog park. They bundled up in scarves and jackets, but Mel knew Nori felt as overdressed as she did.

They let the dogs go into the dog park. They already knew everyone there, so there was no trouble as they played together. Of course, they watched the pups carefully, out of habit, as they leaned against the fence.

"I've been thinking," Mel started.

"Have you?" Nori chuckled.

"Would you like to be my neighbor?"

Nori laughed. Her grin was wide as if that were the wildest idea she'd ever heard.

"I know I could sell the house, but... but what if I rented it out to you. I'd give you a good rate."

"I don't know." Nori looked up to the cloudy sky as if asking for help. "We might end up hating each other. I mean, we live close, already."

"But what  if you wanted to start a family?" Mel said her place was bigger. After all, Nori was in a duplex and was always grumbling about new neighbors.

Nori sighed as her gloved hands must have been knuckle white, gripping the fence. "Are you?"

"We'll see. We talked about it. I'm not going in on treatments or anything. If it happens, then, yeah." Mel nodded.

Nori pressed her lips tight. "We are in no hurry, you know."

"I know, but please rent my house. I don't want strangers living in it." Mel looked at her as if it were a deal Nori and Jared couldn't pass up.

You either go for the Life you want or settle for the Life you get

 

"We are worried about you." Kevin made it simple. He took Jared to lunch in the middle of the week. It was the best day to be out in the chilly winter wind. They headed to their favorite cafe, which served heaping portions of its lunch specials. They ordered open roast beef sandwiches smothered in brown gravy with a side of green beans and mashed potatoes.

"What do you mean?" Jared acted like he didn't remember a thing about the dinner party Nori had for them.

"You know, we're friends, you can talk about this to me." Kevin wanted to talk to Jared sooner, but there was work and, of course, getting a new home situated with his new wife, Mel. They were still trying to figure that out.

"There's nothing to talk about," Jared shrugged. Kevin nodded, and they ate the meal until they were stuffed. 

"You've got to let it go with Justin." Kevin finally said as he nursed on a hot cup of coffee.

"I know." Jared sounded as if he'd figured it out on his own.

"You've got Nori now, and Justin has Carmen. Don't make it a competition. Just go your own way."

"I will. I've stopped drinking. And I'm going to an online therapy group chat." He said he didn't really like it. He felt it was just a way your insurance could get you money. "I was at my lowest, and I didn't mean to. I mean - I don't want Nori to have to deal with someone like that. She's lovely. And I know I haven't always made the best choices."

"Well, you know I'm here if you need to talk," Kevin smiled back, happy that Jared was moving forward. 

"You might be the best guy friend I ever had," Jared smirked. 

"Who would have thunk it?" Kevin laughed. 

"Yeah, I'm still shocked you and Mel got married," Jared told him. He thought Kevin would always be single. "You know, like me."

"Well, I think Nori is good for you, you might be husband material after all." Kevin nodded. It was good seeing Jared adulting.

I knew there was something that we never had

 "I knew it would be good news!" Monica's face lit up when she heard Olivia was OK to start her new job. Suddenly, she put her hand over her lips. She knew Randy would think she was silly. Lately, she'd kept to herself. She wanted him to see that she wasn't a bother. Yet, she was self-conscious now that she wasn't serious enough.

Olivia was always serious. Monica still found her to be a mystery. There, Tristan was full of happiness. It was as if he were trying to trip Olivia, and sometimes he did.  And she would smile.

But she knew Randy would tell her with that stare of his, "No smiling. Get busy." And she'd walk away if he took one step closer. She went to her room ready to cry, but she fell onto her bed to look through some old decor magazines for inspiration. Perhaps it was cabin fever setting in. She reached for her ear buds, hoping to find the last song she'd played, something by THE SOUNDS. She smiled, remembering the song, which might be close to twenty years old or so, Living in America. Somehow, she found comfort in the song. 

A tap came to her door. "What is it?" Monica dully replied.

The tap persisted. She opened the door too quickly, she imagined, but there he was standing over her, hair in his eyes and straight-lipped, but still pretty as a picture.

"Let's get cake."

"Cake?"

"Yeah, I'll buy if you drive." He shrugged.

"Oh." She pressed her lips tight.

"Its warm, you'll just need your hoodie." He said, knowing her sigh.

"Why don't you drive?" Monica looked him in the eye. She knew she wasn't dreaming about how he tried to get them out of the mud that night when her car hit the river.

"It's your car." He looked at her point-blank as if there was no in between. She grabbed her hoodie as he went out the door. His long legs were hard to keep up with. It made her feel as if he just wanted to make her angry and bitter.

"What have I done to deserve this?" Monica wanted to know while they were on the elevator.

"What are you talking about?" He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, and even then it felt as if he was reading her mind. She pressed her lips tight before she said something regrettable. 

Once they got to the parking lot, he talked of a bakery that made nice little cakes. "We need to celebrate."

"Celebrate?" She gave him a sun grin, even so she wasn't up to driving. 

"Tristan gave me cash," he tilted his head as if he was doing something nice. They were doing this for Olivia.

Her eyelashes fluttered. Honestly. It was overwhelming, and she thought a deep sleep might overtake her.

"Why can't you drive?"

"We've been through this." Mr. Mattter-of-Fact.

"You could."

Monica said she didn't know where this place was, and she didn't like to drive to places she didn't know.

"Oh really?" Randy shook his head.

The doors unlocked on their own.

"I don't feel up to it." She couldn't help but look sad.

"If I drive there, you have to drive back." He came around to the driver's side, and she moved to the passenger side.

"But."

"Do you want to carry the cake?"

Monica shook her head, no. He pressed the key ignition. It was as if he owned the car. He drove like a pro. It was like being part of a magic show. Monica watched him with such glee. Her maybe boyfriend was a genius.

Where is my happy ending?

 "You're not a cleaning lady, you know." Justin practically hissed. He'd insisted on going with Carmen to clean Olivia's place, which was a small apartment on a rather bad side of town.

Carmen didn't listen, but handed him a trash bag. She'd get this place disinfected in no time. 

"Well, I don't know what's trash and what's not, you know?"

Carmen rolled her eyes at his comment. She didn't want to argue. It seemed it was all they did these days. Was it the fact that they were alone now that she saw a different side of him?

"When's the last time you've spent time with Randy?" She said, instead of thinking, maybe he was the real influence over her husband. Randy brought out the best in Justin. 

She went to tackle the dishes. Thankfully, she'd brought dishwasher detergent. It wasn't long until the kitchen was clear of dishes. But it was mostly recycling to do.

"Randy?" His voice echoed in Olivia's livingroom. He sounded as if he detested the name, perhaps.

"Yes, why haven't you two been jogging?" She watched him put fast food containers in the trash bag that was on the floor and scattered on the coffee table.

"You know why?" His tone was cold.

"Why?"

"It's fucking January, that's why."

"It's February."

"So."

Carmen sighed. Why didn't she see this coming? He was so ill-willed. Such a strange stubbornness. It was as if he went out of his way to make her miserable. Was it just winter?

She pushed in the vacuum after he'd picked up the trash and told him to vacuum. She put a load of clothes to wash just off Olivia's tiny kitchen. The oven looked brand new. Evidently, Olivia didn't bake or cook.

Carmen smiled, feeling that cleaning was therapeutic. Maybe she'd get Justin to clean the garage. "Oh, that would be downright cold." She shivered with a smile. She guessed the basement would do.

The Here and Now

 Olivia didn't think her hands looked that bad. The right one had swelled at the palm and was badly bruised. Yes, she was lucky, she had on her gloves. It happened so quick when the dog came at her, and just when she thought it was over, the short but stout short-haired mut went for her left hand. And despite so many people trying to help, mostly Tristan, the dog, went for her backpack and tore one of the straps.

Nothing like this had ever happened during her time at the Animal clinic. There were close calls with other people, but not her. It would be insane to think the dog knew something that she didn't.

"Maybe I'm not supposed to work at the zoo," Her words were so sad. Olivia teared up. She sat on the couch while everyone else was making dinner. Tristan thought a shepherd's pie would be good on such a cold night with mashed potatoes.

"Don't talk like that," Tristan came with a mock cocktail to give to her. She managed to hold it. The plastic glass was cold. He reminded her that it might help the pain.

"Are you sure you didn't put any alcohol in this?" She hesitated. She took a sip. The Shirley Temple was good enough without alcohol. However, Olivia wouldn't have minded a little vodka in it. But she wouldn't dare say that.

"We've got two minors, you know, and I don't even remember the last time I even had anything alcoholic." Tristan practically winked at her, and Olivia couldn't help but smile.

He talked about the appointment tomorrow. She would see a doctor for orthopedic surgery. He'd Googled and found the best route there. It might be an all-afternoon affair. The appointment was near a mall he remembered when he was a child; now it was known for its famous food court. He said he would take her there for a late lunch or maybe an early dinner. Tristan seemed certain it would be a celebration.

Olivia felt terrible that he was doing all this for her. Maybe she should have just stayed home and done it all on her own.

His cell rang. It was his mother. He dropped to the couch and sat next to Olivia. Of course, Olivia could hear her from where she was sitting.

"WELL, DID YOU TAKE THAT DOG OUT BACK AND SHOT IT!"

"Ma! You know the owner is paying Olivia's medical bill. It was just a goofy dog. Didn't look like he'd harm a flea. I think his name was Snoopy." His voice calmed her down. "He might have to go to obedience school."

"Oh, this is so awful. Is there anything I can do?" His mother asked.

"I'll let you know," Tristan asked about Dad and everyone. He was on the phone with her a good twenty minutes or so.