Settling Down, Part 1
May. 24th, 2009 08:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fleurlbTim sat on the couch, watching Al, who was sitting on the floor at the coffee table, wrapping presents for Amber and TJ. He felt a surge of pride and happiness every time her engagement ring caught the light. He couldn't help smiling to himself while thinking “that woman is going to marry me.” The thought made him giddy and light-headed. He wasn't talking much because he wasn't sure he would be able to speak coherently.
George stood up from the basket where he was sleeping and walked over to Bruno. The older dog paid no attention to the puppy, so George started play-bowing and barking. When that didn't work, he escalated to gnawing on Bruno's neck.
“Your dog is being mean to my dog,” said Tim.
“Funny, I was thinking of saying the same thing to you. My dog's tired after all that running around this afternoon. He just wants to rest. He's like a middle-aged father after a day spent with a toddler.”
Tim smiled and eased himself down onto the floor, calling George over. Soon he was wrestling and rough-housing with the puppy.
“Tim, you know that dog is going to grow up to weigh 150 pounds, right? I've seen his parents – he is going to be massive.”
“Yeah?” said Tim. He was now laying on the floor with the puppy standing on his chest.
“Anything you do with him now on a regular basis, he's going to think is normal play and is going to want to do it all the time, even when he's too big.”
“Good to know, but you know what? I've waited my whole life to have a puppy. Can I just spend a couple of days enjoying him without worrying about messing him up?”
Al nodded. She hadn't meant to imply that she thought Tim was messing up, just that he needed to think a little bit about the results his actions could have in the future.
“I'm glad you like him.”
“Like him? I love this dog.” Tim started roughhousing again while George went crazy trying to lick his face.
The doorbell rang, causing Bruno to leapt to his feet and head for the door, barking all the way. George tried to tag along, but Tim held him back. Al looked a question at Tim, who shrugged.
She opened the door to find Jason. She had to pull Bruno away so Jason could get through the door. Tim stood up, holding George under his arm like a football, and greeted his friend.
“Beer?” he asked and Jason nodded. Tim headed off to the kitchen and came back with three beers. He popped the cap off the first beer, handed the bottle to Jason and tucked the cap in his pocket. The second beer was Al's and then Tim settled down on the couch with the final bottle.
“Hope you don't mind me stopping by like this – my mom is driving me nuts. She's been hovering over Noah every since we got here, like second-guessing everything I do.”
“No worries, you know you're always welcome here,” said Tim.
Jason wheeled over to a spot next to the couch. Al went back to sitting on the floor and wrapping gifts, although George was making a nuisance of himself by trying to attack the paper rolls when she unfurled them.
“So, you've been engaged what, eight or ten hours? You plan the whole wedding yet?” asked Jason in a light, teasing tone.
Al shook her head and Tim smiled. “Six, I got the easiest job in the world. Billy told me – all I gotta do is say 'yes, dear' to everything up to the day of the wedding and then say 'I do' at the wedding and I'm done.”
“Do you have a date in mind?” asked Jason, directing the question at Al.
“I'd kind of like to get married in July.”
“July?” echoed Jason in an incredulous tone.
“You don't wanna get married in July in Texas,” said Tim. He looked at Al with a grin, but then realized he was making a huge assumption. “Uh, unless you wanna get married in Minnesota.”
Al shook her head. “Texas is my home now. Anyway, we'll bring Minnesota down here, don't you worry about it.”
Tim smiled and took a drink of his beer.
“Would it be really miserable in July? I sort of have my heart set on an early evening wedding at the lake.” Al asked. She watched Tim and Jason share a look that she couldn't decipher.
“Well, with the shade and everything and if you had it close to sunset, that might actually be bearable,” said Jason.
“You really want to get married at the lake?” Tim asked Al, his voice deep but soft.
She nodded.
“That's settled then. Six, will you be my best man?”
Jason grinned his crooked smile and nodded, not trusting his voice to work properly. After Tim returned his grin, he was able to get a few words out. “Would love to, Timmy. Would love to.”
“Tim, I hate to interrupt your moment, but it's been a few hours since your puppy's been outside. You probably want to take him out soon.”
“Yeah, Timmy, you don't want to wait until he's crossing his legs and doing the pee-pee dance,” teased Jason.
Tim put his beer on the coffee table, kissed Al on the top of her head and then scooped up his puppy. He was feeling a little silly, so he pretended that George was flying to the back door as “Super George, the best puppy in the world.” Tim slid open the back door and left it open, so they could hear him in the backyard, encouraging the puppy to hurry up.
Al looked up at Jason, who was looking at her like she was some kind of alien: amazing, interesting and completely unknown.
“Al, you know, you are seriously the best thing that ever happened to him. I've never seen him so happy.”
Al blushed and ducked her head. “Well, I guess we're about even then, because he makes me pretty damn happy too.”
When Tim returned a few minutes later with George and another round of beers, Al stood up and gave him a hug.
“I'm exhausted, so I'll leave you two to catch up.”
“I should probably leave,” said Jason.
“Nonsense,” replied Al as she leaned in and kissed Jason on the cheek, her riot of blonde curls tickling his face.
“Oh, and before I forget, this is for Noah, from Uncle Timmy,” she said, showing Jason a brightly wrapped box before tucking it into the bag on the back of his chair.
“Thanks. You know, I've noticed that Uncle Timmy has gotten a lot better at remembering birthdays and holidays the last couple years.”
“That's because I've got a little elf to help me,” said Tim, catching Al in a bear hug. He kissed her good night and watched her walk up the stairs before he settled back down on the couch with a fresh beer.
“Tim, man, it's awesome to see you so happy. You deserve this.”
“Thanks.” He looked up and held Jason's gaze for a second, his mouth closed but one corner angled up.
“So, is Erin at home with your mother then?”
“Oh yeah, I didn't get a chance to tell you, since I didn't want to mention it in front of Noah. Timmy, we're having problems. She stayed home. She waited until the damn cab had showed up before she told me. And she didn't even volunteer the information. I asked her where her suitcase was and she just shook her head.” Jason's voice was equal parts hurt and angry. He picked up his second beer and took a long drink from the bottle.
“All your problems have to do with Texas or is there something more going on here?” Tim picked George up off the floor to give himself something else to do beside stare at his best friend.
“I don't know. I guess she's having like a quarter-life crisis or something. I suggested to her that, you know, maybe now, since Noah's going to start school soon, we might think about trying for another kid. I don't think it's great to be an only child, it's too damn lonely, you know?”
Tim nodded. He suspected that was a big part of the reason he and Jay had become such good friends.
“She said no, that she loved Noah but he was enough for her. Every time I bring up marriage, she dodges the issue. I don't think she wants to be with me anymore, but I don't think she knows how to leave either.”
“God, Six, that sucks.” Tim didn't know what else to say and part of him was starting to feel guilty for his own happiness.
“Yeah, but it won't always. You know...things always change, good or bad, nothing stays the same,” Jason sighed and took another pull from the bottle. He wiped his mouth on his arm. “So, you and Al, plans for kids at all?”
“Maybe, probably, some day.” Tim shrugged. “I don't know that I'm really ready, but Billy keeps telling me that if everybody waited until they were ready, that the human race would die out.”
“You're going to be a great father, Timmy. I hope that's not what's holding you back.” Jason's eyes were cut glass. He'd always hated what Tim's parents had done to him and was proud of how far his friend had come. Jason just worried that no matter how happy Tim was, a tiny part of him would always be that neglected little kid.
Tim shook his head. “It's not.”
Jason kept quiet, figuring that dealing with Tim was sometimes like approaching a wild animal. All you could do was be silent and hope the animal trusted you enough to get close.
Tim looked at his beer bottle for a long time, then took a long sip. The minutes seemed to stretch out as he argued with himself in his head.
“Jay, if I tell you something, will you swear to never, ever tell anyone? I've known this for two years and have never told anyone.”
Jay nodded and waited.
Tim took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Al's been married before. She had a daughter a few years, on Christmas Eve, actually....the baby died when she was five months old.”
Whatever Jason had been expecting, it certainly wasn't that. “What, was it SIDS or something.”
Tim shook his head and whispered. “No. It was...um, like heat stroke or something from getting left in a car, it was just a....there's not even a word for it. A horrible, undo-able mistake.”
Jason thought of his own son, thought of how easy it was to look away for a second and have something awful happen. He thought about how fast things can change, how you can go from having the world in your pocket to being like Humpty Dumpty surrounded by useless king's men. He didn't know what to say, so he said the only word echoing in his head.
“Shit.”
“Yeah.”
The two friends were silent. Tim focused on George and Jason looked at his hands.
“I guess she's scared of it happening again. I told her I'm damn certain that's a mistake she'd only make once in her life, but she doesn't trust herself,” Tim said softly.
Jason nodded.
“Just don't tell anyone. She came here to get away from all the whispering and judgement and bullshit. I don't want it following her.”
“Of course not. I wouldn't.”
“And I mean everyone, Six. Even Lyla. Especially Lyla.”
“Understood,” said Jason. “You guys don't talk anymore, ever, huh?”
“Nah, today was the first time I'd seen her in two years. I know you two have always kept in touch.”
“Yeah, we probably talk on the phone once a week and email and IM a lot more than that. You know, we're both always on the computer, pretty much.”
Tim nodded and picked at the edge of the bottle's label.
“Timmy, she hasn't gone out with anybody since you two broke up.”
“What are you saying here, Six? I put her off men forever?”
“No. I just...I don't think she's ever gotten over you.”
Tim shook his head and looked across at Jason. “She spent most of our time together trying to turn me into some version of you. If she's still hung up on anybody, it's you, Six. ”
“You really think so?”
Tim smiled and nodded. You'd have to be deaf to miss the hopefulness in Jay's voice.
“Well, that's something to think about. Not that it's very practical, with the distance and my situation and everything.”
“Shit, forget practical. I hear it's totally overrated.”
Jason returned Tim's grin. “I should really get going. I stay here any longer and I'll be in no shape to drive home and my mom will have an aneurysm or something.”
Tim stood up and walked Jason out, helping him without even being aware he was doing it, an instinct as automatic as breathing.
After Tim shut the door of the truck, Jason started the engine and then rolled down the window. It was one of the rare occasions when he got to be eye-level with his best friend. He leaned out and gave him a friendly thump on the arm.
“Congratulations again.”
“Thanks, Six. Drive safe.” He stepped back and raised a hand in a wave before turning to go back in the house.
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Al woke up extra early on Christmas morning so she could take George outside. She was surprised, and a little confused, to see that Tim was not in his usual spot next to her, crowding her to the edge and stealing all the blankets.
Then she saw him stretched out on the floor next to the puppy crate. He was on his side, a pillow bunched under his head and his hand on the door of the crate so George could curl up against his fingers. Al smiled as she watched him sleep.
Tim had argued with her about the crate, wanting the puppy to sleep in bed with them. She had insisted gently but firmly, in no uncertain terms, that a puppy in the bed was a bad idea and he would be sleeping alone if that's what he wanted.
Al crouched down next to the crate and began to pry Tim's hand off the door. His eyelids fluttered open and his look was first confused and then pleased when he saw her.
“Merry Christmas,” he mumbled, pulling her to him for a kiss.
When she was finally forced to come up for air, she looked at him quizzically.
“You don't have any idea what time it is, do you?”
He rubbed his eyes and yawned. “Really damn early.”
“Really, really damn early. You should go back to sleep.”
“Mmm, I should, but this is the only Christmas I'm ever going to be engaged to you. Why waste it sleeping?” His grin was sly as his finger traced her collarbone.
She smiled back, her eyes on his mouth. George could wait a little while longer, she thought.
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Later that morning, they were getting ready to go over to Billy and Mindy's. Al watched Tim put on a blue plaid shirt and fiddle with the sleeves.
“Hey, Timmy?” asked Al, sitting down on the edge of the bed so she could put on her socks and shoes.
“Yeah?”
“I was thinking of asking Mindy to be my Maid of Honor but since you're having Jason as your Best Man, I was worried that Billy maybe could feel left out.”
He sat down next to her, smiling.
“What?” she asked, confused by his reaction.
“First, it's very sweet of you to worry about Billy like that.” He brushed her hair back so he could kiss her neck.
She shivered a little and gently pushed him away. “We'll never get to their place if you start doing that.”
He smiled and took her hand. “Second, Billy's going to have way too much on his mind to feel left out and, third, I don't think Mindy will be able to accept.”
“Why?” Al's disappointment was clear in her frown..
He hated to see her look sad, so he kissed her. When he pulled back, he was smiling as he shook his head. “Can't tell you.”
“Tim!” She punched him in the arm.
“Ow! Why do you have to be like that? I know I'm like twice your size, but damn, you're stronger than you realize.”
“I'm sorry.”
“If you were really sorry, you'd kiss it better.” His grin suggested, among other things, that she hadn't really hurt him.
“You're trying to distract me. Why don't you think Mindy will be my Maid of Honor?”
He was infuriating her with his I've-got-a-secret-and-I'm-not-telling smile. He watched the gears turn in her head and waited, nearly counting down until Al copped on. He was surprised she was taking so long – she was usually more on top of things.
“Oh my god. She's not!”
Tim brought up one shoulder in a half-shrug, but his face told a whole other story. Mindy was pregnant again.
“Damn if they aren't the most fertile couple I know.”
“I didn't tell you though. Just go ahead and ask her to be your bridesmaid and she'll probably tell you then. They just found out and she's not very far along at all.”
Al started counting in her head. “When's she due? August?”
Tim nodded. “Billy didn't say, but you figure it had to have happened that weekend they went to the wedding in Austin.”
“Well,” said Al standing up and taking Tim's hand to pull him up. “We better aim for early July for the wedding then.”
