Go ahead, what was it we were waiting for?

 "Well, you're always here," Olivia looked at Tristan, blankly. "You're probably a menace back at your apartment." She crossed her arms, trying to decide if this was the right thing to do. Ask Tristan to move in.

They worked together at the Zoo hospital, which was working out better than she ever thought. She was learning so much about animals that weren't domestic. And she and Tristan were partners.

"Now I'm Tristan the Menace," he pouted back and then smiled. He was chopping away at some veg to make a stew. He'd already made a loaf of quick bread that he hadn't put in the oven yet. He could be so busy in the kitchen. Olivia was used to microwave meals from the grocery store.

Olivia gritted a grin. Honestly, she'd never been around someone who loved homemade food. It was nice, but sometimes, he left a mess behind, so she did her best to clean up while he cooked. 

"You know what I mean, maybe Randy and Monica could be on their own. You're hardly there."

"I sleep there, you know." He looked at her seriously, as if he had a part-time job he needed to see to.

"Yeah, if I wake you up when you're on the couch snoozing." This was his bad habit. She knew he wanted to be here, but then they hadn't exactly been completely intimate, either. There was that time he kissed her as if it were an accident. Like maybe she was his magnet to his steel. But he caught himself from going any further as if he might spoil the situation.

"I just want you to be happy," Tristan finally said. "I know you need your space, and I don't mean to be taking so much of it."

He stirred in the carrots and spinach into the pot before it started bubbling.

"I am happy," She smiled back at him. 

He wrapped his arms around her, even if he did smell of garlic. "I just jump into the deep end with much thought, you know."

He looked down at her with his hair in his eyes. She looked up at him with an open smile.

"How about we just do a trial run. See how it goes and just let it happen." Olivia felt he was holding back, and she wasn't certain why. What was he not telling her? She knew he'd been pretty rotten as a teenager, but she didn't think it was entirely his fault. She didn't think about his past as if he might still feel he should be punished.

"OK," He laughed, then as if this was the best news he'd heard. He kissed her forehead, swaying her about as if she had better get to know him.

Come what may

 "I think we're OK now," Jade said about her and Ari to her sister Jewel as they headed to the mall for a bit of a celebration after her visit to the OBGYN. Jade now had a doctor, and at the moment, everything was going well. She was glad Ari had gone with her. It was exciting to see how far along she was. Actually, longer than she imagined. "It's just I thought I had more time to get ready, you know."

"Well, it's not like you have a few weeks. You've got months to think about the baby's room."

Jade nodded. She was already at the three-month mark. "I just thought I would be on top of it, you know."

Her sister laughed at her. "It's OK. Don't worry. You are doing great."

Jade guessed she was right. She had been extra careful lately about nutrition. She hadn't drunk alcohol in well over a year, and she very much ate protein and veg. "Caffeine has been the hardest. I still need a cup of coffee to get going in the morning."

"Don't we all," Jewell confessed. She lived on caffeine these days.

"But are you sure it's helping?" Jade didn't mean to be nagging, but she knew her sister had stomach issues, too.

"I know, it's just if I drink coffee, then I'm not hungry." Her sister shrugged about the matter as they went into the mall, just to find so many shops closed.

"When did this happen?" Jade asked.

"I guess they can't afford to keep a big place like this going. I dunno. You'd think they'd just lock it up if all the stores were closed." Jewel felt it was sad seeing malls being left behind.

They found a little library in one of the nooks where free books were for the taking. Jade sighed as she thumbed through the shelves. It was a cozy area with soft couches. Although she had to wonder who was hanging out in the malls these days.

"I hear they are making lofts on the top floor. It seems it's for the low income." Jewell told her.

"Really?" It all felt so strange. But so many things were changing in the world.

"Remember, when we came here at Christmas just to see a Christmas marathon of movies," Jade smiled at the memory. "The place was thick with people then."

"Yes, I thought I was going to lose you. The theater was packed. We squeezed in the front row while Mom and Dad were in the back." Jewell remembered. Now there were just mall walkers.

"I guess we'd better go out to Shadow Lake." It would be a drive, and it was always windy there. At one time, it was just a cornfield, but now a huge grocery store is there, and many of their favorite shops. Even so,  there was a bookstore with such expensive books. All they could afford these days was a visit to 5 Below or Dollar Tree.

What a wonderful world

 

It felt like the little wins were adding up. Actually, it baffled Randy at times. He'd somehow managed to get his driver's license and even a car. Of course, Jared had helped him more than Justin these days. 

He was much calmer to help him learn to drive and what to know about a vehicle. And in his network of coworkers, he'd found him a deal on a good car. Still, Randy felt he was waiting for something to go wrong.

He kept his job at Goodwill along with the writing gig, and when Monica came home with the possibility of getting a job, he was suddenly optimistic.

Of course, he wasn't sure if it was optimal for her or for them. 

"Do you think I can do it?" Her question surprised him.

"Why can't you?" He shrugged. "You might even like the job."

One thing Randy had learned was to like a job. Sure, there was plenty to dislike about a job sometimes, especially with as many things he had to haul around and put away at the store, but he enjoyed seeing the people he worked with and met. 

Still, he could see that Monica was nervous and he told her there was nothing to be nervous about. She had Carmen and Jade to help her. "You'll do fine."

She smiled with a nod. They went on to make dinner together, even if it was an omelette and salad. It still felt like a celebration even if she hadn't started working yet.

Don't let insecure thoughts ruin something amazing.

 Monica was glad to catch up with Carmen, but she didn't know it would be lunch. It felt unexpected. They never went anywhere together. Sure, she asked how the boys (Randy and Tristan) were treating her.

"Oh, you know," Monica shrugged, unsure where this conversation was going. They were at the new taco place and eventually got their food in the crowded place. "Tristan is Tristan, and Randy, well, things are good." After all, Randy was her best friend; she didn't really have any of her own. There were acquaintances from classes, but she didn't go places with any of them. They didn't even text.

Carmen talked about the house and their dog for a while.  "Velvet couldn't care less about me. Justin is who she loves." She ate so quickly, crunching on chips and salsa. Monica could hardly keep up.

Finally, she got around to telling her about her coworker Jade, who was going to have a baby. Just as Monica was finishing up her first taco, Carmen mentioned she was leaving that job and going into nursing at the hospital. "I was wondering if you'd be interested in the job?"

Monica practically froze. She couldn't imagine working at the dance and gym. She cleared her throat.

"Well, what would I have to do?"

"The guys who work at the gym usually do all the hard stuff, mainly you'd be at the counter. Nothing really big."

It would be big for Monica because she'd never had a job. She felt a little faint. She felt as if she could hardly see straight. Here was the opportunity Randy had always talked about, and she didn't feel confident. Not really. But it didn't matter. Everyone would want her to do it. 

"Sure," she found herself sputtering. She did her best to smile, wondering what she was getting herself into.

Your heart is true, you're a pal and a confidant

 "Holy cow, he's huge!" Carmen remarked. Kia was definitely a heavy twenty-something-pound baby.  He looked older than five months to her, but then again, she wasn't very good at telling a baby's age. Kia was big, and Sammy was tiny.

Naturally, Carmen brought some disposable diapers for the baby. She hoped they fit. When Sammy put him on the baby activity blanket, he rolled over right away, looking up at the ceiling, a little dizzy. They both smiled at his achievement. By his moves, she had a feeling Sammy would be busy.

"So, you have news, I guess?" Sammy sounded as if Carmen might be joining the Mommie club as she was putting the baby stuff away.

"Oh no," Carmen smiled. "We have Velvet now, you know, and well, she loves Justin."

Sammy hugged herself for a moment, but went to get Kia, who was never too far from her.

"I did get on at the hospital," Carmen told her. "It's just I hate leaving Jade like this. She just found out she'll have a baby in November."

Sammy nodded, but she said she had her hands full. She couldn't do it. She said if she did go back to work, it would probably be in Child Care. She went to get each of them some lemonade. They sat at the dining table while Sammy gave him a bottle.

"I thought Gabe's mom was going to take care of the baby?" Carmen looked at Sammie blankly as if she could let someone close take care of Kia.

"I know she said that, but it was just wishful thinking. She hasn't retired. She loves her job, and well, she's at Cam's. I just feel they need this time for each other. After all, Kang found his own apartment. So it's just the two of them now," Sammy explained.

Carmen nodded, wishing she could say something for Sammy to take over her job at the dance studio.

"I know it'll be a good opportunity for someone," Sammy said. Someone who was college-age would be right for the job. "You'll think of someone."

Carmen's smile was quick. She thought she knew who might be perfect for the job.

Dear, I fear we're facing a problem

 

"What the hell was that about?" Ari said under his breath. He couldn't help but be wide-eyed about all this strangeness. First, Jade tells her best friend (who so happened to live on the other side of the earth) first about the baby, and not him, and then has her co-worker rattle him with guilt.

He gave Jade the phone and asked. "Have you even made an appointment yet?" He assumed she'd only taken a pregnancy test.

"What? You don't believe me?" She gave him a doe-in-the-headlights look.

"I didn't say that. You just need some tests, and all. You know, like when will the baby be due?"

"Don't get mad at me about this," she fretted.

"I'm not. I love you." He felt puzzled about all this. "I just want everything to go OK. I want us to have a baby girl, just like you." He put his arms around her, yet he felt he needed to be extra careful. "I'll go with you."

Jade nodded.

"Let's just order pizza," Ari said. There was a chance of snow, and it was still cold and windy. He would take care of a salad. He knew it was best to stay in. 

She got on her phone to look up nearby OBGYNs. She finally called her sister to ask about her doctor.

He was glad she could share the news with her sister. They were on the phone for quite a while. He filled salad bowls with greens and cucumbers, along with baby tomatoes and black olives. It felt as if he might be on nightly kitchen duty now. He guessed he'd have to study up on foods for two. 

This might be their last time for pizza for a while.

I just want to smile the way I used to

 "What? She's pregnant?" 

This shocked Carmen. Jade didn't even mention it to her at work. Suddenly, Carmen felt she'd taken Jade's happy news from her. She drew in a frown when Justin told her the news. 

"What's wrong?" Justin was already feeding Velvet a snack, and she hadn't even done anything to deserve it other than crawl up in his lap.

"Oh, she didn't tell me. That's all." She watched the two of them together. No, she wasn't jealous. She couldn't be jealous of a dog. She went to the kitchen and started an egg bake. She put the sausage in the skillet with a sprinkle of water so it wouldn't brown too harshly. She found herself being noisy with the pots and pans.

"Are you OK in there?" Justin called from the living room. Of course, he was playing around with Velvet.

"Go get your coat and take her outside now!" She practically demanded. This was not the way she had wanted a dog to be. The dog was supposed to be her pet, her companion. And yeah, she felt a little guilty about the whole thing with Jade.

She grabbed her phone and leaned against the kitchen counter, giving the meat a stir before she called Jade. She multitasked, getting out the eggs and the shredded cheese.

"Are you OK?" Carmen began apologizing for running her mouth off about the new job at the hospital. "Justin told me you've got some new news too."

"Oh, I'm happy, I'm sad, I'm mad. I don't know, it's so overwhelming," Jade confessed. "I didn't even tell Ari I  called Liv first."

Carmen heard Jade sniff back tears. 

"What happened?"

Carmen cracked an egg with one hand into the rectangular Pyrex and then another until she used up five eggs. She grabbed the milk to splash some on the eggs and seasoned it with garlic pepper, red pepper, and nutmeg.

"Don't be afraid of Ari," Carmen told. "He said he was OK about starting a family, and now he's got a bad case of morning sickness. He's acting like a three-year-old."

Meanwhile, she whisked the eggs, dotted the sausage on top, and spread cheese over the eggs, doing her best to sink the cheese into the eggs. She put the casserole in the oven.

"Do you want me to talk to him?" Carmen snapped as if she'd set him straight.

"It's OK, we'll talk tonight after dinner." But Jade's voice sounded like a trainwreck.

"I want to talk to him," Carmen demanded. "I need to tell him something." She said with such authority that Jade went to give Ari the phone, who was off at his computer playing a video game.

"Listen," she said as she got him on the phone. "If you're going to be this way about Jade having a baby, then I don't want you around Justin."

"What?" Ari's voice sounded stunned.

"If you can't be a good role model, then I don't want you around him. You go and make up with Jade. Right now! She needs to be happy all the time if you want a happy baby." She hung up then, a bit dizzy. Yes, she was going crazy, unsure why. But Jade was important to her, and so was Justin.