23. A Comfortable Routine
twenty-three
A Comfortable Routine
Dylan
T wo weeks later…
“You’re insane!” Leah cries. “If you don’t think Jenny is one of the worst movie characters of all time, you’re wrong.”
“What makes her so awful?” I ask.
“She treated Forrest like he was just a runner-up or something.”
Never did I think watching Forrest Gump would lead to such a heated debate, but here we are. Really, I kind of agree with her, but it’s fun watching her be so invested.
“She had a hard life,” I defend.
She points her finger at me. “Trauma doesn’t give you free rein to act like an asshole.”
“Fair point.” I get up off the couch. “It’s still kind of early; do you want to watch another one?”
“Sure. Pick something.”
“What are you in the mood for?” I ask even though I don’t know why. She always answers the same way .
“Surprise me.”
Right on cue.
Over the past two weeks, Leah and I have gotten into a comfortable routine. I get up early and head to work while she sleeps in a little. I get home before she does most days, so I make dinner. Sometimes, the baby lets her keep it down. Other times, she’s not so lucky. Then, we get comfortable on the couch and watch a movie. I unwind while she draws. She usually works on Saturdays while I go play football.
It's a nice thing that we have going. I’m still crazy about her. In fact, I find myself liking her more and more every single day as we get to know each other better. She’s so unapologetically herself, and I can’t get enough.
We still haven’t ventured out of the friend zone—which is fine with me. It’s nice without a ton of added pressure.
“Have you ever seen Jaws?” I ask.
“Nope.”
“Good grief. How sheltered have you been?”
I start the movie and ask, “Want to try to stomach some popcorn?”
“Sure. Why not? Even if I yack it up, it’ll be totally worth it.”
I’ve been trying to keep as many nutrients in her as possible—which isn’t easy when she is always battling morning sickness. Mainly, I try to keep her hydrated and make sure she gets some electrolytes. She quit drinking caffeine cold turkey which made for a grumpy couple of days. To try to show some comradery, I stopped drinking it too. That seemed to talk her down off the ledge a little .
As I make the popcorn, my phone vibrates in my pocket. I pull it out to see Ronnie’s face on the screen. For the week after I found out, she would call and text me constantly. Since then, though, it’s been radio silence. My ignoring her started as just wanting to avoid a lecture and her snide comments, but it’s also that I’ve just been enjoying all my time with Leah. Aside from going to work, we have been living in our own little bubble. And I’m loving every second of it. I think Leah is enjoying herself too—aside from the morning sickness.
I let it go to voicemail again and then leave it on the counter before dumping the popcorn into a bowl and walking back to the living room.
As I sit down, Leah says, “Alright, spill it.”
“Spill what?”
“You’ve been ignoring someone’s calls for the past two weeks. Should I be worried that some girlfriend is going to come banging on the door?” Some women may have said it in an accusatory tone, but Leah says it more as a joke.
“No. No girlfriends. It’s one of my sisters.”
“Family drama?”
Between bites of popcorn, I reply, “Nothing quite that scandalous. My twin, Veronica—or Ronnie as we all call her—is a…free spirit. She travels a lot for her job and is a serial dater. She likes it that way. I’m sure when I talk to her, I’m going to get shit for having a kid.”
She nods. “Got it. How do your other sisters feel about it?”
“Well, Liz is pregnant herself, so I think she’s happy that she’s not alone. Michelle got pregnant in high school, so she doesn’t have a leg to stand on. And Jo is still in her early 20s and trying to find herself, so she doesn’t give a shit what anyone else is doing.”
“What about your parents?” She asks.
“My dad is the king of going with the flow. He’s so supportive of us that he probably wouldn’t care if we murdered someone.”
“And your mom?”
“She’s the one we’d call to help us dispose of the body. The woman is tough as nails but still there to help us with whatever we need. When I told her about the baby, she of course gave me the typical mother talk about being careful and all that, but then, she jumped right into action, helping me make everything nice for you.”
Leah gives me a small smile. “They both sound great.”
“What did your family say?”
She messes with the eraser on her pencil while seemingly deciding how much she wants to divulge. “They don’t know.”
“Oh. When are you going to tell them?”
“Probably never.”
We’re both quiet for a few moments before I say, “You don’t have to talk about them if you don’t want to.”
“It’s alright. I’m sure you’ll find out eventually. My dad ran off when I was seven. Haven’t heard from him since. After he left, it was just my mom and I. Things were okay for a while, but she was determined to find a new man who would take care of her. It took some time—and a shit ton of losers—but finally, she met Larry.”
“I take it Larry was an asshole?” I interject.
“Not at first. He seemed perfect. He was always taking us out to do stuff, and it was like we were a real family again. Everything was great…until they got married. Then, he started to change. Suddenly, he had an issue with Mom’s makeup and what she wore. She had no problems changing because she was so in love. When she became a practical Stepford wife, he turned his criticism toward me. He’d say that I wasn’t good enough in school. My friends were all losers, and I must have been getting into trouble with them. I had too much attitude. We would argue, and Mom would take his side. I started rebelling, which only made things worse. Then, she got pregnant with his kids, and I became the spare. I moved out when I was seventeen. Mom and I stayed in touch for a while, but every time we’d talk, she’d just tell me how much of a colossal disappointment I was, so I decided to stay away.”
“Shit, Leah. I had no idea.”
She shrugs her shoulders. “It is what it is. I don’t need them. I’ve been doing alright.”
I set my hand on her knee. “Fuck them. I think you turned out pretty awesome.”
She smiles again, this time, a little bigger than before. “Okay, enough of the sad pity party. Let’s watch a shark eat some people.”
“You got it.”
As we start to watch the opening credits, I realize my hand is still on her knee. Leah doesn’t seem to care because she’s slowly nibbling on popcorn while looking at the screen.
I’m glad she opened up a little. It’s just another piece of the Leah puzzle coming together, and the more I learn, the more I like her .
Without looking at me, she asks, “So, I know you said that was your sister earlier. But really, will you be bringing any girlfriends home?”
Does she care?
“Why? Are you dating?” I ask.
Her eyes flick down to her stomach. “No. I don’t think I’ll be dating anyone new for a while.”
It isn’t lost on me that she added the word new.
I tell her, “Well, me either. There isn’t anyone else I’m interested in.”
I make sure to emphasize the word else.
I wonder whether or not she notices because she doesn’t give much indication. But as the movie plays, she sets her hand on top of mine, and I feel like we may be on the same page.
“Are you excited for the ultrasound tomorrow?” I ask.
“Definitely. I think seeing the baby will make all this seem a little more real.”
“The morning sickness isn’t enough?” I tease.
She laughs “Surprisingly not.”
“Well, maybe tomorrow will help.”
“Hopefully. You want to stay up for a while?”
“Think you can make it?”
“Me? Yes. The baby? That’s a whole other story.”