by Amy Reece
“Thanks, Trina. We’ll meet you at Padilla’s, okay?” We had arranged to have dinner at one of Jack’s favorite Mexican restaurants, certain he would need a chile fix after ten weeks of army food. He gave Megan another hug before setting her down and picking up his giant duffle bag with one hand, engulfing my hand in his other huge, warm one. We practically ran to the parking garage, where I ushered him to my SUV.
“What’s this? Did your mom get a new car?” he asked.
“Later, Jack. I’ve got tons to tell you, but right now I just want to kiss you.” I launched myself at him, backing him against the side of my car. He happily obliged, swiftly turning us so I was backed against the vehicle and kissed me senseless. We surfaced a few minutes later, both of us flustered, but cognizant of the fact that we were actually in public.
“God, Ally,” he breathed, resting his forehead against mine, “I missed you so much. Ten weeks is too long.”
“I completely agree. Let’s never do that again.” I reached up and ran my thumbs across his raspy five o-clock shadow. “You’re so handsome, Jack. I think I forgot.”
“Well, I’m glad you think so.” He kissed me again quickly. “I didn’t forget how incredibly beautiful you are. I dreamed about it every night.”
I smiled. “You say the nicest things, Mr. Ruiz.” We kissed again, less frantically, until I stiffened in his arms and looked around the parking garage.
“What’s wrong, babe?” Jack asked.
I was seriously sick of this feeling that I was being watched and wished I could figure out what was going on. Was someone watching me or was I imagining it? Was my stress finally getting to me? “Nothing.” I tried to smile. “I thought I saw…someone. Never mind.”
He looked into my eyes, searching, for a long moment. I dropped my eyes; there was no fooling Jack. “Okay. You’ll talk to me about it later?” I nodded. “We better get going or we’ll miss dinner. I am dying for some chile. The food in Missouri was miserable.”
“Poor Jack. Let’s get you fed. I’ll tell you all my crazy news on the way to the restaurant.” I insisted he drive so I could concentrate on telling him the basic points of all the crazy changes this summer had brought. Although it was a fairly short ride to the restaurant, it was important to get him at least a little bit caught up because there were sure to be comments about my house, my car, and my dad during dinner. So, I told him about my dad appearing in my life and about the new house and car. I held back the information about sneaking off to France for the moment, deciding I would rather tell him about that in private when we had more time for him to vent his anger against Rémy. I spilled everything else in a rapid info-dump and fell back against my seat, letting out a huge sigh.
“So, your mom lied to everyone all these years?” he asked, incredulous. “I’m having trouble processing this. Jesus, Ally! How are you doing with it? Are you okay?” He reached over and clasped my hand.
I entwined my fingers with his, loving that he was finally here and I could touch him all I wanted. Well, maybe not all I wanted, but still. “I’m okay. Confused, but basically good. Josh is a great guy, and not just because he has showered me with exceptionally expensive gifts. I like him, Jack. I’m glad he’s in my life.”
“How are you doing with your mom?” As usual, he zeroed in on the heart of the matter.
I breathed out another sigh. “I’m not sure about that. On one hand, I’m super pissed at her. But then I feel guilty about being pissed because she’s been through so much and she’s about to have a baby. Did you know she’s due in three weeks? I’m kind of confused about how I feel about her right now, actually.”
“Hey.” He rubbed his thumb along the back of my hand. “It’s okay. You’re allowed to be confused. You don’t have to have everything figured out. I just hope you’ll let me be there for you and help you through it. Please don’t be an idiot like I was when my dad showed up and shut me out. I want to be there for you, Ally. I love you like crazy, you know.”
“Yeah, I know. But it’s good to hear. It’s especially good to hear in person. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I missed you, Jack. I’m so glad you’re home.” Home. That’s what I felt when I was finally in his arms again: I was home.
***
It was so good to have him back. That first night we sat on my new couch in my new house until 3 a.m., talking and holding each other close. There was also a fair amount of kissing, but we were careful not to let it go too far; neither of us were ready to take our relationship to the next level, mostly because we knew we would be inseparable once we started sleeping together, and that would get awkward with our roommate situation. It might sound terribly old-fashioned, but it worked for us. I knew in my heart of hearts that Jack was the one for me, but it wasn’t time for more yet. I can’t really explain it, but there it is. I also knew that my dear, wonderful Jack would not be able to live with the guilt if he pushed me into a sexual relationship at what he considered too young an age. So I tried not to push him, either. It was difficult, especially when I hadn’t seen him in ten weeks. I had realized months ago that Jack would not feel comfortable with us having sex until we were engaged, at the very least.
He was amazed at my new house and we loved the fact that we had more freedom to see each other. I helped him move into Mat’s apartment soon after he returned from boot camp. Since Mat was dating my best friend, both the boys spent nearly all their free time at our house; Mat complained they were throwing away money on the rent since they just slept there and teasingly suggested he move into Tara’s room. She rolled her eyes and told him to dream on.
Rémy also spent much of his free time at my place. Jack had let him have it over taking me to France without telling anyone, but once he got that out of his system they went back to their guarded friendship. Jack would probably never fully accept Rémy because he still felt somewhat jealous of the inexplicable closeness we shared. I had decided not to confess the kiss Rémy and I shared while in France. Tara was right: it would hurt Jack and he wouldn’t understand it. I swallowed my guilt and learned to live with it. The advent of Mina in our lives mitigated the ridiculous rivalry somewhat; there was something deep, yet unacknowledged between her and Rémy. He flirted outrageously with Tara and me, but treated Mina with a cool, somewhat distant attitude. I could not get through the mental barriers either of them had in place to see what their true feelings were, but I frequently caught both of them looking intently at the other when they thought no one was watching.
We all enjoyed the last precious weeks of summer, spending our evenings lazing about, barbecuing, watching endless movies, and simply enjoying our free time. Jack still worked several shifts each week at Manny’s shop and I put in at least 30 hours per week at the restaurant, but we hoarded each free moment we could find. My work schedule would need to be cut back sharply once classes started.
We were cuddling on my couch one evening about two weeks before the start of fall classes, having returned that afternoon from our mandatory freshman orientation at the university.
“God, Jack! I feel like the world’s biggest idiot! Math 120? What are you taking?” Part of orientation was a math placement test, which I bombed and therefore got placed into Math for Dummies. How embarrassing!
“Don’t worry about it. Math isn’t your thing, that’s all. I bet you tested out of all the beginning English classes. Didn’t you? I’m stuck in English 101, you know.”
“Hmm. Trying to change the subject by appealing to my vanity. You must have aced that placement test. What did you get? Are you in Calculus? You are, aren’t you?” I turned in his arms to confront him. When he wouldn’t meet my eyes I realized the worst. “Oh, my God! You’re taking Calculus II, aren’t you? Admit it!”
“Shh.” He pulled me close and kissed me, probably to get me to shut up. “I’m an engineering major, querida. It would be better if I had tested into Calc III. I’m going to have to huff it to catch up as it is. I’m good at math. I completely suck at English.
I can’t spell my way out of a wet paper bag. I probably wouldn’t have graduated if you hadn’t edited all my papers this last semester.”
I ran my hands through his short, black hair, stopping to feel the small scar at his hairline where he had clocked his head on a tree branch during boot camp. My vision of the event had freaked me out and caused me to make an international call to Trina. “You are very sweet, but I still have a sneaking suspicion you are way smarter than me.”
He laughed. “No way, babe. How about we agree that we are just as smart as each other, but in different ways. We balance, you know?”
“Okay, I’ll give you that.”
“I can think of better ways to spend our time than arguing over who’s smarter.” He began kissing along my jaw and neck. He was right: this was much better. Who cared which one of us was smarter? I was smart enough to find this amazing guy who was currently rocking my world and whispering sexy Spanish phrases in my ear.
“Good Lord, you two!” Tara said as she came in the front door after her shift at the restaurant. “Give it a rest and spare my delicate eyes. Some things can’t be unseen.” She flopped in the armchair across from us.
“Oh, whatever!” I scoffed, unwinding myself from Jack’s arms. “I’ve lost track of the times I’ve walked in on you and Mat sucking face. I’ve seen his hands in places I’m sure your mother wouldn’t approve of.”
“Meow! Pull your claws in, kitty. I’m just kidding. It’s good to see you together, actually. Beats the heck out of watching Ally mope around the house all day. ‘Oh, I can hardly wait ’til Jack gets home! I miss him soooo much!’ Ughh!”
“Hey!” I threw a decorative pillow at her. “Be nice! You don’t know—” I was interrupted by my phone buzzing. I pulled it out of my back pocket and saw Brian’s name on the caller ID. “Brian? Is everything okay?”
“Ally, it’s time. Your mother’s been in labor for a few hours and I’m taking her to the hospital.”
“What?” I sat up on the edge of the couch. “Why didn’t you call?”
“She thought it was false labor—you know, those Braxton-Hicks contractions or whatever. But her water just broke, so it looks like this is the real thing. Can you meet us at the hospital?”
Jack had heard the conversation and was already standing up, tucking his shirt in, and looking for my keys. “Of course,” I replied. “We’ll meet you there in a few minutes.” I leaned over to put my shoes on and then stood up and began looking for my car keys. “Where the hell are my keys?” I yelled as I began flipping up the couch cushions.
Jack grabbed my shoulders and turned me around to face him. “Babe, I’ve got them. Calm down, okay? Breathe. Your mom is going to need you to be strong tonight.” He leaned forward and kissed me gently to soften his semi-harsh words. “Now, get your bag and let’s go.”
Tara handed me my purse, hugged me, and said, “Call as soon as the baby’s born. Jack, you better drive. Ally’s shaking.”
“I know. I’ll get her there safely, don’t worry. I’ll keep you guys updated,” he promised.
Once in the SUV, I leaned my head back against the passenger headrest and closed my eyes, trying to still my trembling, clammy hands. After a few minutes of driving, Jack reached over and covered my hands with his large, warm one.
“She’s going to be fine, querida. Brian’s there with her.”
I gave him a wobbly smile. “I know. I just can’t help worrying. She’s too old to be having a baby.”
“Ally, she’s not even 40. She’s perfectly healthy and has had an easy pregnancy. You’re going to make yourself sick. Now calm down,” he ordered.
I nodded. “I know, I know. I just…I’ve been so mean to her,” I whispered. “I’ve been so mad at her for keeping my dad a secret. I shouldn’t have been so mean.”
He pulled into a spot in the hospital parking lot and came around to open my door. He reached in, unfastened my seatbelt, and pulled me into his arms. “You haven’t been mean. You’ve maybe been a bit…cooler to her lately, but I’m sure she understands. What she did was seriously messed up. But it’s time to move past it, for both of you. Now let’s get up there and get you a baby brother. Or sister.”
Mom had just been settled into her room, a family birthing room, as she had decided she wanted her family around her for the entire process. I was excited, yet scared spitless about witnessing the miracle of birth. The nurse was hooking her up to the various machines to monitor the contractions and the baby’s heartbeat.
“Mom!” The nurse moved aside and I leaned over her bed to hug her. “I’m so sorry.”
“Ally? What in the world?”
“I’ve been so awful to you since I found out about Dad. I’m so sorry!” I cried against her neck.
“Oh, sweetheart. Please don’t worry about it. What I did was terrible and I’ll never be able to make up for it. You haven’t been mean. Ooh!” She sucked in a breath. “Brian!”
I backed away, terrified, as Brian rushed to her side. “Okay, Jen. Breathe through it. Squeeze my hand, hon. It’s okay.”
Jack came and put his arms around me from behind, holding me as we watched my mother have a contraction. Grams arrived as my mother began to relax. In her usual efficient manner she bustled around, questioning the nurse and demanding to talk to the doctor. The nurse spoke briefly to her before moving to examine my mother. As she moved to lift the sheet, Jack whispered, “That’s my cue to go fetch coffee for everyone.” He scooted out the door.
“Okay, Jen. It looks like you’re at about five centimeters. Just keep breathing. You might want to walk around some. There’s also a bathtub here if you want to use it. It can help get you through this active phase of labor. You’ve probably got a couple of hours to go before the last stage. Try to relax. Brian, you should massage her lower back if she wants, okay?” The nurse patted her hand and wrote on her chart before leaving.
Mom decided a bath would feel good, so I left them to it and texted Jack to tell him to wait for me in the cafeteria. We drank coffee and ate the pie he insisted on buying for me, saying that the sugar would be good for me.
“Querida, you weigh like 98 pounds sopping wet. You don’t have a lot in reserve. I don’t want you passing out right in the middle of the action tonight. I need to keep you strong for your mom.”
I leaned across the table and kissed him, tasting the tart cherries from the pie we were sharing. “You are quite possibly the sweetest guy I’ve ever met. Thank you for taking care of me, Jack. I love you, you know?”
“I know. But it’s good to hear. I love you too. It’s my job to take care of you.”
“You don’t have to stay here. It may be a really long night,” I offered, hoping he would stay anyway.
“I’m not going anywhere. I’ll just make myself scarce when it gets messy, okay?”
I laughed. “Yeah, that’s okay. And I weigh more than 98 pounds, for your information.”
“Oh, a whole 99, huh?” he scoffed.
“Maybe.” I tried to sound offended, but couldn’t keep from laughing. “Come on. Let’s get coffee for everyone and head back upstairs. Maybe Mom’s done with her bath by now.”
Mom was in her bed, resting between contractions when we arrived with the coffee. “Mmm, that smells so good.”
“Sorry, hon, you only get ice chips,” Brian apologized. “Do you want us to take the coffee out of the room?”
“No, of course not. I want you all here,” she said sweetly, reaching for his hand.
Three hours later her sweetness was a thing of the past as she transitioned into the final stage of labor. She had eschewed heavy drugs, opting to have as natural birth as possible, and dealt with her pain by yelling at Brian and using some of the most colorful language I had ever heard my normally placid mother use. Jack relegated himself to the waiting room as her modesty flew out the window along with her social filters. Her contractions were nearly on top of each other before the doctor finally arrived and told her to start pushing. I hadn�
��t known how I would react when the time came for the baby to come, and I had certainly freaked out earlier when Brian called, but as soon as my mom started pushing, I positioned myself behind the doctor, watching as the baby’s head emerged from my mother’s body. It wasn’t gross or disgusting at all; it was the most amazing thing I’d ever seen. Grams and Brian were on either side of her, holding her up and encouraging her to push.
“All right, Jen. Stop pushing for a minute.” The doctor suctioned the baby’s mouth and nose and rotated the head a bit. “Okay, Jen. This is it. One more big push.”
Mom made a sort of growling noise as she made her final push. The baby slithered out into the doctor’s hands. The nurse wrapped it in a blanket as the doctor cut the umbilical cord. The baby started crying. “Ally, what is it?”
“It’s a boy,” I said with tears running down my face. “I have a brother! He’s beautiful. Oh, my God, he’s so beautiful!” Minutes later, my mom held her new son while Brian, with the biggest grin I’ve ever seen on a man, hovered over both of them.
The doctor was still messing around with my mother’s nether regions and shortly said, “Okay, Jen. I need you to push again.”
“What’s happening? Is everything okay?” I asked, concerned.
“It’s fine. I’m just delivering the placenta. Push again, Jen.” Okay, this time—gross. I wish I hadn’t looked. That kind of thing will scar you for life. I moved around to gaze upon the adorable new baby rather than the red sludge that was being extracted from my mother’s body.
Grams and I stayed a little longer before we decided it was time to leave the new family alone for a while. Jack was asleep in the waiting room, sprawled in a chair, with his head resting against the wall. I sat next to him and leaned over to kiss his cheek.
“Oh, hey. Sorry. I fell asleep.” He sat up, rubbing his hands over his face. “What happened? Is it over? What is it?”