ali-writes-things

[ali-writes-things]

One Shot - LAWKIT

THREE YEARS, TEN MONTHS, AND TWO WEEKS AGO

December 20th, 2018

Mallory:

Four vodka lemonades on an empty stomach was probably a bad idea. But of course, it's one of those things that didn't feel like a poor choice until after you've already done it.

And I'd already done it.

Oh well, we're this far. Might as well keep going. Tomorrow was going to be rough as it was. What's another drink?

I sidled up to the bar and slid onto one of the many empty bar stools in my favorite dive bar on campus. Of course, because I'm ridiculously graceful when I've had a few, as I adjusted myself on the seat, I slammed into something on my right.

"Oof!"

I hopped off the bar stool and rushed over to the man on the ground. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!"

He stood up and brushed his hands on his pants as he turned toward me (I didn't even want to think about what kind of substances he'd just touched from the floor). "No harm, no foul. I probably deserved it."

I laughed a little nervously. "Well, I don't know about that." Something about his face looked vaguely familiar. Which, after going to the same university for 4 years, wasn't saying much. There was just a likely a chance that I knew him from a lecture hall freshman year - that he'd claimed an unofficial assigned seat for the semester somewhat near mine - as it was that I'd been introduced to him before. "Hey, don't I know you? Your blurred figure looks familiar."

He laughed and I thought I could spend my whole life trying to hear that sound again. "We're in the same discussion group for Stinson's Victorian Literature class."

I hit my forehead (and if I'm being completely honest with myself, I hit my forehead way too hard. Like, "that's gonna leave a mark" too hard). "That's right. Joey!"

His smile grew. "Joel."

"Duh, Joel. I knew that." I paused and held out my hand. "I'm Mallory!"

"I know."

I slid back onto my bar stool and Joel did the same. I ordered another vodka lemonade from Tony the bartender (probably not a great sign that I was on a first name basis with the guy) and turned to face my new friend. "So what brings you out tonight?"

"Nothing really. I finished my last exam and came out with some friends for trivia."

I glanced around the room. "We're the only people in here."

"Well, they left after we lost horribly." He laughed. "We're not very good at bar trivia, but we come every week anyway."

"You do? That's weird. So do I!" There's a pretty good chance that I said this louder than I needed to.

"Again, I know. It's not a large bar, Mal."

"On a nickname basis already, are we?"

"Why not? We've only been in 3 of the same classes over the last 2 years and I see you here every week." He paused and sipped his beer. "We're basically best friends."

I laughed. "I can live with that."

The conversation lulled as we both sipped our drinks.

"So," Joel started. "It would seem that your friends left you as well."

"Yeah, they weren't all done with the semester, so they went back to the library." I paused. "I don't live far from here, so they're only kind of assholes for leaving me here on my own."

There's that laugh again. "Well, how about we finish this round and then I'll walk you home?"

I smiled. "That sounds great."

THREE YEARS, EIGHT MONTHS, AND TWO WEEKS AGO

February 22nd, 2019

Joel:

Shit. Shit. Shit.

"Could you, like, say something?"

I took my head out of my hands and looked at Mallory. She was standing in the middle of my living room and wringing her hands like she was trying to pull them off her wrists.

"Are you sure?" I asked, even though I knew she was.

Mal laughed without humor and pointed to the Ziploc bag next to me on the couch. Three tests with two pink lines stared back at me. "Yeah, pretty sure."

"I can't believe this." I ran my hands through my hair.

I really need a haircut...God, NOT NOW, JOEL. Focus.

"You and me both, buddy."

She moved to sit next to me on the couch, tucking her legs under her and grabbing the nearest throw pillow. She hugged the pillow to her chest and looked over at me. I could see the tears building behind her eyes. Her voice broke as she asked me, "What am I going to do?"

I. What am I going to do?

Not we. Not you. Not us.

I.

She was giving me an out. Our one night stand turned awkward acquaintance came to this...and she was giving me an out?

Did I want it? I'm only 22. This isn't exactly what I foresaw giving myself as a graduation present.

Maybe a new set of AirPods. Certainly not a kid.

I'd been quiet too long. I could see out of the corner of my eye that Mallory was starting to squirm and if I left it too much longer, she'd be up and out of here.

In that moment I knew what I had to do.

I grabbed her hand between both of mine and waited until she lifted her gaze to mine. "No, Mal, what are we going to do?"

Well, that did it. The dam broke. Now she was full out sobbing on my couch.

I just hope that Paul doesn't come home right now. "Hey buddy. How was class? By the way, this is Mallory, my baby mama." Nope, nope, nope.

"You don't have to do this," she choked out between sobs. "This isn't your problem if you don't want it to be."

My gut instinct was to say, "It's not a problem." But she and I would both know that was a lie.

"You barely know me," Mallory continued. "We can't raise a baby together. What if we have completely different values!?"

"I'm not sure that's the first thing we should be considering in this moment," I said with a small smile.

It worked. Now instead of crying, she was hysterically laughing.

"Wow. Is this something I have to look forward to for the next 7 months?"

"Only if you want it to be."

THREE YEARS, FIVE MONTHS, AND TWO WEEKS AGO

May 30th, 2019

Joel:

"Honestly, Joel, I don't mind if you want to go out. Like, I don't plan on getting up from this couch for the next 3 days, but you totally can."

"What? And miss the penultimate episode of Hell's Kitchen?" I adjusted myself on the couch next to her and pulled her swollen foot onto my lap. I began to massage slowly and a moan actually escaped her lips. "Will Gordon Ramsey yell at someone? Will anyone cook the risotto right?"

She laughed and I felt like I'd won a little victory.

"But you graduated!"

"So did you," I countered.

"I know, but..." She gestured to the unmistakable baby bump under her t-shirt.

"Mal, if you're not going out, I'm not going out," I dug a little deeper into the sole of her foot and her moan was louder that time. "We can celebrate together after this little one is here."

She hesitated. "But this is just on Hulu! This season aired years ago." Mal grabbed her phone and unlocked it. "Like, I could look up right now who wins."

I shoved her phone back into her lap. "Don't you dare ruin this for me, Locke!"

"Okay, Finley, you win." She paused and settled back into the couch, unconciously placing her hands on her stomach. "We'll stay in."

Point: Joel.

"But can we order Ian's? I have a real hankering for Mac N Cheese pizza."

"We can get whatever you want. You're the one growing a human."

Mallory smiled softly. "I am...aren't I?"

THREE YEARS, ONE MONTH, AND TWO WEEKS AGO

September 7th, 2019

Mallory:

"Mom, mom wake up!"

Okay, that might have been a little aggressive. Let's try that again.

"Mom...mummy...mommy dearest." I shook her a little and suddenly her arms flew up in the air. I had to jump back to avoid being hit in the face. "Whoa!"

My mom's eyes shot open as she slowly woke up and took in her surroundings. "Mallory! What in God's...what are you doing?"

"Joel and I are headed to the hospital..." I paused and grinned at my mom. "It's time."

My mom threw the covers off and jumped from bed. "What? I'll grab my go bag."

Of course my mother had packed her own hospital bag.

I laughed and pushed her back down. "No, mom, it could be hours. I just didn't want you to wake up and be worried. Joel will call you when they're here."

"I want to come," she argued. "It's my grandbaby."

A small smile came over my lips as I remembered my mom's original reaction when I told her I was having a baby with a boy I barely knew...and was due just months after I was going to graduate college.

Let's just say she was not quite as supportive as she seemed this evening.

"That's..." Oh. My God. "Owwwwwww." I bent over and placed my hands on the edge of my mom's bed as I rode through yet another contraction.

You might think that as time went on, they would get easier because you're used to it.

You'd be wrong.

There's JUST enough time between contractions that you forget the pain, and it's like the first time all over again.

"Mallory!" Joel's voice floated up the stairs. "Mal!"

"I'm...fine!" I got out as the contraction ended. I looked back at my mom and gave her a hug. "We'll see you soon." I paused. “All three of us.”

– Several Hours Later --

"I don't know why they always show women screaming and writhing in the movies. Once the drugs kick in this is easy as pie."

Joel laughed as he tucked me into the hospital bed for about the tenth time in just as many minutes. "I'm just glad you stopped squeezing my hand every two minutes. I thought you were going to tear it right off."

"You told me to squeeze it!" I said defensively.

"Well, I didn't realize that you'd take the task so seriously. I still can't feel my pinky."

"I'm sorry," I said sheepishly.

"It's fine. I'll know for next time." His eyes shot wide as what he said sunk in, but just as I was about to respond a doctor came into the room.

"Time to check Mallory again," she said as she rubbed her hands together in a futile attempt to warm them up before pressing them against my skin. The doctor spread my legs and as she came out from under the blanket, she was smiling. "We're ready to push."