Water Ch. 118 - Real Life

 

He looks exhausted and she feels exhausted.  Both are still in shock over the news they heard earlier in the day.  They took a cab from the hospital to Jersey and they both were thrilled to be home.  They walked in to find that the house was empty, all the staff had gone home for the day. 

 

Beth drags her suitcase into the house and takes it directly to the laundry room.  Jon follows her with his duffel bag, setting it down in front of the washing machine. She puts her suitcase next to his bag and bends over to open them.  It was early enough, she thought that she would get a jump on the laundry - but Jon had other ideas.  Leaning against the wall, hitting the light switch on accident, he looks at her and says, "It's bedtime, don't you think?  Our day was long and then add the time change, I'm ready.  What about you?"

 

She stands up and brushes her hands together, "Yep, this can wait.  I just don't want to do it when the kids are here."

 

"The staff will be here tomorrow, leave it."  He stands there and looks at her, he can't believe that they are where they were and that they were happy.  Just weeks ago, it was all so up in the air.  She laid there in a coma and he had never felt so helpless and hopeless.  And here they are, on the verge of being married and having babies in April.  He looked forward to his divorce, not to be away and done with Dorothea, but so he can be with Beth.  So Beth can take his name.  He had never been more certain of what he wanted, when it came to Beth.  Watching her fret over the silly little things gave him such joy.  She had 'washed her hands' of the laundry, but there she was unpacking her suitcase grabbing her toiletry kit, and then grabbing Jon's.  She didn't think the staff needed to deal with that and their footwear. 

 

The bathroom light in the maid quarters illuminated the darkened laundry room just enough so Jon could see her facial expressions and she could see his.  He could watch her all day, in the daylight or in the dark.  He didn't care, as long as he could see her.  If he could see her, he could touch her and that was right where he wanted her.  In arms reach.

 

"Okay, let's go.  What time is it anyway?" She walks up to her rock star and gives him a little kiss.  She tried to walk  passed, but he stopped her by putting out his left arm.  She stops and he curls his arm to pull her in.  She now has her back to him and he softly whispers in her ear, "We're having two babies." 

 

She liked the way that sounded.  And so did he.  She leaned back on him and said, "Take me to bed, big boy."  Her hands were full and his were not, that gave him a free pass to irritate her and antagonize her all the way upstairs.  "What time is it, Jon?"

 

"It's a little after 7:00, why?" That's twice she's asked the time.  "Do you have somewhere you need to be?" 

 

"No, I'd just feel really lazy if it was too early.  I should start that laundry."  He starts to push her toward the door, he's not letting her do anything but shower and go to bed.

 

"Get going."

 

"I'm going.  Should we call the kids and let them know we're home?"  She drags her feet, allowing him to push her along the way.  They stop off in the kitchen, Jon looking at the mail and Beth was looking for grub.   She was finally hungry now that her nerves allowed her to be.  Standing there with the fridge door open, she asks Jon, "What do you want?"

 

Shuffling the mail, irritated that most of it was junk, he looks up at her and just says, "Whatever you're having is fine, babe."  He drops all of the mail in the garbage.

 

She looks over at him, trying to read the look on his face and she's not able to.  So, instead of guessing, she just asks him, "Jon, what's wrong?  Are we going to talk about the elephant that's in the room?'

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"Well, we find out that we are having twins and the subject has yet to come up.  Are you okay?"  She can't believe that she asked him that question, but she really didn't know.  The only mention of the twins was in the laundry room. 

 

"Why would you think I wasn't okay, babe?  I'm am thrilled about the twins, but I'm more thrilled that they and you are fine.  The worry just from today about put me over the edge.  You have no idea how much I would love a glass of wine right now."  He walks around the edge of the counter and grabs her.  "I have never worried about anything like I have today."

 

She puts her arms around his waist and buries her face in his chest.  He's now looking in the fridge and her back is to it.  "Go ahead and have some wine.  There's some in there, have a glass for me."  She sneaks out from under his arm and grabs him a wine glass. 

 

"I''m good, I don't need that silly.  I'm not drinking until we can have a glass together and celebrate something."  He takes the glass and puts it back in the cupboard.  "Ok, what are we going to eat.  Do you want pizza or take out of some kind?"  She shakes her head no and heads to the pantry.  She decided what she wants.  A few seconds later she comes back with a box of Lucky Charms and says to him, "My dinner is served."  He laughed.  He walked over, grabbed two bowls, two spoons and the milk.  They sit there and have Lucky Charms together.  Beth looks at the man to her right and she can feel nothing but lucky.  Lucky to have met him, lucky to be loved by him and lucky that his family accepted her.  Beth was very lucky, and she knew it.

In an a-ha moment, Jon nudges her with his elbow and asks, "What is Keegan's brothers name going to be?"  She about chokes on her bite of Lucky Charms.

 

"Really, you think we're going to be special enough to get a boy and a girl?"  She laughs at that.  "We are going to have two beautiful daughters, to even things out for Stephanie, she needs more on her side."

 

"Nope, we're having a boy and a girl.  Wanna bet?"

 

She holds out her hand, to shake on the bet and asks him, "What does the winner get? Or better yet, what does the loser get?  Our bets are never scary."  She elbows him, waiting for his response. 

 

As they shake on the bet, he says to her, "The winner picks....................wait a minute, to end this bet we either need to find out the sex before they are born or wait until they're born.  Do we want to drag a bet out that long?"

 

"I don't want to find out the sexes before they're born, do you?  I want it to be a surprise." 

 

He puts his hand on her arm and starts to rub it while he tells her, "I  knew the sexes before the kids were born.  That kind of bummed me out, after Stephanie.  I couldn't wait to find out if she was going to be a boy or a girl.  And when Jesse came, I didn't want to know.  That's one surprise that every parent needs.......the unknown sex.  I have not experienced that yet."

 

"Then we will wait."  She gets up and puts their dishes in the dishwasher and they go up to bed.  Quick showers and a shortened bedtime routine and they both were sleeping before 9:00.  They both needed it.