Nobody's Listening Pt. 2

Jade, who was holding her arm upward, walked into Mike's house and dropped her bag. She'd refused the sling that the doctor wanted to give her. Mike walked in behind her and wrapped his arms around her stomach. She laughed. Mike smiled and walked around her, kneeling in front of her. He stuck his lips to her stomach.

"Hello, baby," he smiled, kissing her stomach. Jade laughed at him. He grinned up at her.

"What?" he laughed, standing up. She shook her head.

"You're going to be such a great daddy," she laughed. He smiled.

"And you're going to make a great mommy," he said. She sighed and wrapped her arms around him, underneath his arms, in a deep hug. She buried her face in the space between his chest and armpit. He breathed out heavily and buried his face into the top of her head. Neither would admit it, but they were both terrified.

~*~

Mike called his mother the next morning while Jade was still in bed.

"We need to start planning our wedding, Mom," Mike told her. Kim sighed.

"Why so soon?" she asked. Mike laughed.

"Well, that's a funny story, really," he said. Kim listened.

"Well, I'm not going anywhere," she chuckled. Mike chortled into the phone.

"Well, uhm-" he stammered, "I guess it's time you know anyway."

"Michael Kenji, you tell me right now!" Kim demanded. Mike laughed.

"Okay, okay!" he laughed. "We're going to have a baby." Kim was quiet for a moment and then laughed.

"That's all it was?" she said. "Lord, the way you talked, one of you was dying." Mike laughed.

"Nope," he said, "Quite the opposite. We're bringing a life into the world." Kim chuckled.

"How far along is she?" Kim asked.

"Mmm--" Mike mumbled, "The doctor said about a month and a half." Kim sighed.

"You're finally making me a grandma," she laughed. Mike chuckled.

"Finally," he laughed.

"Well, do you have any idea what KIND of weding she wants?" Kim asked.

"Small," he said, "I know she wants it small."

"THAT I can do," she said. Mike laughed.

"Good," he said.

"When you wanting to have it?" she asked.

"Oh jeez," Mike spat, "I guess I never really thought about it. Next month, probably."

"So, are you thinking about a Valentine's Day wedding, then?" Kim asked. Mike shrugged.

"Yeah, I supposed that's what I was thinking," he said. Kim chuckled.

"That would be cute," she told him. Mike laughed.

"I've told you many times that I think she's just adorable," Kim chortled. Mike laughed loudly.

"Yes, you've told me a lot, Mom," he smiled. Kim giggled.

"How is she, anyway?" Kim asked, "I haven't talked to you for a few days." Mike sighed.

"Ah-she's resting right now," he said, " She just got out of the hospital."

"Why? What happened?" Kim asked, now worried. Mike sighed.

"She had quite an accident on stae last night," he told her. Kim sighed.

"Is she alright?" she asked.

"Oh yeah," Mike assured her, "She's going to be fine. She's got a broken hand and about 24 stitches in her wrist."

"Oh my God!" Kim cried, "Was there an angry MOB?!" Mike laughed hard.

"No," he chuckled, "There was a light rigging that fell."

"Oh, God," Kim said, "It landed on her?"

"Well, no, not exactly," he said, "Just her arm." Kim sighed.

"God," she moaned, "The poor girl." Mike sighed.

"Yeah, I'm sure she didn't expect this when she came into this business," he muttered.

"Is that how you found out about the baby?" Kim asked.

"Yeah," Mike told her, "She didn't know either." Kim laughed.

"Well, listen, love," she said, "I'll start planning the wedding. Have Jade call me."

"Okay," Mike said.

"I love you," she said.

"Love you, too, Mom," Mike said and hung up. He sighed and walked into the bedroom where Jade lay sprawled out, with her mouth open wide, smashed into the side of the pillow. He saw the fingers twitch on her left hand and smiled. For the entire time that he'd known her, he'd thought of her as some sort of more than human angel. When he watched her hand twitch and saw her sigh heavily in her sleep, he grinned, knowing that she was just like him. He climbed as noiselessly as possible into the bed beside her. He rolled over and studied her face. Her cheeks were a slight tinge of red, warm with sleep. Her ash blond, almost brown, hair fell messily from its loose ponytail. It was dropping small strands onto her face. He sighed, lifting a hand, and brushed the strands gently awat. She took a sudden, deep breath and opened her eyes. She stared at him through her still sleep-blemished eyes. He sighed, smiling at her and put his hand under his cheek on the pillow.

"Hi," he said quietly. She smiled.

"Hi," she yawned. He grinned at her.

"You're supposed to call my mom later," he told her.

"What for?" she asked.

"Mmm-" Mike stretched, "She needs help planning our wedding," he smiled. Jade grinned at him. He pulled the ring off the dresser and put it back on her finger. She sighed and he leaned to give her a kiss. He leaned too far and practically laid on her left hand. She groaned in pain. Mike cringed, pulling back.

"I'm so sorry!" he cried. Without really meaning to, she started to cry. It had hurt so badly.

"Oh, God, I'm sorry," Mike said, pulling her to his chest. She sobbed into his shirt. He sighed and pressed his lips to her head, balling his fist into her shirt. He felt so helpless. She was in so much pain and he couldn't make it stop. He felt a single tear slip down his own cheek and wiped it away frustratedly. She sniffed and pulled away from him, her face covered with tears. He wiped them away as best he could. He felt so horrible. He would never purposely hurt her. She sighed.

"I guess I'd better call your mom," she said. He sighed and nodded. She crawled out of the bed, leaving him laying there with nothing but a wet shirt front and a broken spirit. He sighed. He'd been so afraid to sleep the night before for the fear of hurting her, and look what he'd done while he was awake. He yawned. He was so tired. His damp shirt was starting to bother him. He tore it over his head and threw it to the floor. He fell back into the fluff of the bed. His eyes got heavy and he soon fell asleep.