This is the (sort of) sequel to 'Rock Lobster', but it focuses solely on Dave and his relationship with Leila. I hope that parts of it aren't so cheesy and cliche. Well, enjoy!
Pace. That was all Dave could do – pace. He paced around the entire downstairs of the house, going from the kitchen to the living room and through the garage and back around again.
He was fidgeting nervously, glancing at the clock atop of the fireplace mantle every minute or out the window every other minute. He hadn't felt so nervous in his entire life.
He had received the phone call three weeks before. It had awaken him from a wonderful recurring dream that he had had ever since he had returned home from his two week vacation he had taken months before.
In his dream, he had been sitting in a wooden chair on the white sand of the beach under the shade of two palm trees with a familiar blue drink in his hand. The sun was shining and the cool salt water of the ocean touching his toes. Leila was sitting next to him, tossing her head back and laughing happily in that certain way that Dave thought was irresistible.
He had jumped when the phone had rung at exactly four thirty in the morning. He had grumbled angrily, thinking it was some friend of Alvin's or a prank phone call as he reached for the phone.
"Hello?" His voice sounded drowsy and irritated at the same time.
"Hey, Heartbreaker."
Dave had gasped at the sound of the familiar female voice on the other side of the phone. He sat up, fully awake and alert.
"Leila!"
They had been calling each other often since he had returned home. They had kept each other updated with their lives; how the boys were doing, how her island life was.
She had told Dave in that phone call that she had wanted to come visit. Dave eagerly agreed to let her stay at his house during her visit.
Now, three weeks later, Leila would be arriving at his house any minute. Dave had missed her terribly. He had made himself lovesick over her.
The doorknob to the front door rattled and Dave jumped, his stomach turning. He rushed to the door and flung it open. Alvin, Simon, and Theodore stood in front of him, looking at him with smiles on their faces.
"Hi, Dave." They chirped in unison.
"Hi, boys." He moved out of the way to let them in. "How was school? Are you guys hungry?"
They gave him the usual answers, setting their backpacks by the front door. They sat at the dinner table, telling Dave about their day at school.
Dave absent-mindedly made them each a snack, thinking about when Leila was going to arrive.
"Dave, are you all right?"
Dave turned to look at Theodore's concerned chubby face. He smiled at the youngest chipmunk and ruffled his hair.
"I'm fine. I guess I'm just a little nervous."
"Why?' Theodore asked, his mouth full and crumbs on his face.
"Dave's friend's coming over, remember?" Simon answered, setting hid glass of milk on the table.
"He hasn't seen her since our vacation." Alvin added.
"And she's the most beautiful woman in the entire world."
The three said in unison, mocking Dave's constant saying about Leila, whenever she was brought up in a conversation. Dave laughed, pushing his hair back and out of his face.
"Sorry about that, boys. I guess I've been a little distracted."
Dave lunged at the window, hearing a car pass by. Alvin laughed loudly, smacking his hand on the table.
"Dave, you're obsessed!"
Dave gave Alvin a look and opened his moth to say something to him when a car honked outside. The four jumped up and exclaimed simultaneously.
"She's here!"
They ran from the kitchen to the front door. Dave yanked the door open and rushed out just as Leila was getting out of a blue Mini Cooper. She had dyed her hair dark brown and her skin was a beautiful bronze color. She smiled as Dave ran to her. He scooped her into his arms and spun her around as if she were a little girl. She tossed her head back, laughing at the sky.
Dave kissed her repeatedly as he carried her inside the house. They laughed as he stumbled. He set Leila down delicately and she wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling at his lips. He smiled down at her, his hands on her hips. They kissed each other deeply.
"Ew, Dave." Alvin grimaced. "Get a room."
Dave pulled away from Leila and looked at his sons standing in the doorway. Leila laughed, looking at the boys. She smiled at them, her hair falling in her face.
"Hi, boys. I'm Leila."
"I'm Alvin."
"I'm Simon."
"And I'm Theodore."
Theodore blushed, trying to hide behind Simon. Leila smiled and pinched his chubby cheek.
"You three are just too cute! I can tell you guys are going to be lady killers." She looked back at Dave with a smile. "Just like your dad."
She ran to Dave again. He scooped her back into his arms and spun her again.
The chipmunks watched as Dave and Leila giggled and kissed for a few moments before Simon cleared his throat to get their attention.
"Hey, Dave. Shouldn't we get Leila's things?'
Dave pulled away from Leila, coming back to reality. Leila gasped as she remembered something, patting Dave on the chest.
"I brought you guys gifts!"
They followed her to her car and watched as she opened the trunk and leaned in, taking out her suitcase and two large and heavy brown paper bags. She opened the bags and passed out her gifts to the boys, who gasped with surprise and excitement. They hugged her tightly, thanking her. Dave shoved his hands in to his slacks pockets, eyeing the car as he circled it.
"Hey, Leila, what happened to that little reed two-seater you had?"
"The Porsche? Oh, this is just a rent-a-car. It's just for the week."
As they walked back into the house, Dave put his arm around Leila's shoulders. He kissed her temple and whispered into her ear.
"Where's my present?"
"You'll get that later." She whispered back, giggling. She winked at him, causing Dave to blush, his face turning a deep crimson color.
That night, Leila had helped the boys set the table and helped Dave to make dinner. It was as if she was a member of the family. The boys had taken such a liking to her; it was as if she were their mother.
Dave smiled at Leila from his seat across from her as she tossed back, laughing at one of Alvin's stories. He could tell that the boys were falling in love with her and he knew that it would be hard for the boys to say good bye when she left at the end of the week.
After dinner, she had offered to wash the dishes. The Sevilles, being who they were, first refused to let a guest of theirs do the dishes, but Leila insisted and did them with Dave and the boys' help.
After the dishes were done and put away, they relaxed on the couch and watched television until the boys had to go to bed. Dave put his arm around Leila's shoulders and she rested her head against his chest. Son, they began to yawn. Dave resisted the urge to carry Leila up the stairs to his room. He put his arm around her waist, walking to her to his room. He kissed her temple and whispered in her hair.
"I'm so glad you're here."
That night, they had made love. Leila had urged Dave to use protection and Dave, wanting nothing more than to please her, complied. At first, he thought of it as strange – they hadn't use protection before.
Afterwards, they had cuddled, talking softly and kissing. Leila kissed him then rolled over to fall asleep. Dave propped himself up with his elbow and watched her sleeping peacefully, her hands under her cheek and her lips slightly. He smiled at her then fell back onto his bed to look up at the ceiling, a million thoughts running through his head.
Dave rolled over to face Leila, a sleepy smile on his face. He opened his eyes to see the blankets on her side of her bed rumbled. He sat up and smiled, smelling breakfast cooking downstairs. He looked at his alarm clock and his smile faded as he gasped. He had overslept and his alarm hadn't gone off. HE jumped out of bed and rushed his usual morning ritual.
He ran downstairs, buttoning his shirt. He reached for his briefcase by the door then froze. He stood in the entranceway of the kitchen to see the boys sitting at the table, eating pancakes and Leila at the stove, making scrambled eggs.
"All right, who's gonna to want more eggs?"
"Me!" The boys answered in unison.
Dave stepped into the kitchen as Leila scraped the eggs onto the boys' plates. Leila smiled at Dave when she noticed him.
"Good morning, Dave." The four greeted him.
"Good morning, guys."
"Sit down, Heartbreaker. I made breakfast."
"No thank you, Leila, I'm late for work. I can't believe that my alarm didn't go off. I must have forgot to set it last night."
"Oh, no. I turned it off."
"What? Why?"
"Well, you were tossing and turning last night. You didn't get to sleep until around two thirty. I just thought that you needed a little more sleep."
"Leila! Why would you do that?"
"Oh, Dave. I'm sorry, I was just going to wake you."
"It's all right, Leila, just please don't do that again. Because I overslept, I can't take the boys to school now."
"Well, I can take them. It's no problem."
"Are you sure? That's great, thank you."
He kissed Leila on the temple then said good-bye to the boys. He picked up his briefcase and left the house.
The boys sat in the back of Leila's Mini Cooper, singing along with the radio. Leila smiled, looking at them from her rearview mirror and tapping her fingers on the steering wheel to the music. The boys gave Leila directions to school, overlapping each other's words.
"Y'know, Leila, we could just go to Disneyland instead of school," Alvin said, leaning over the passenger side seat of the car. "You can just call in and say we're sick today."
Leila laughed, turning down a street. She patted Alvin on the head, shaking her own.
"I'd love too, honey, but Simon told me that you guys have a test today and I'm not so sure how Dave would feel if we went to Disneyland without him."
Alvin groaned, falling back into his seat. He crossed his arms over his chest, pouting. Theodore opened his lunchbox and his eyes widened at the sight.
"Wow, Leila! This looks like a great lunch!"
"Theodore, you think every lunch is a great lunch."
"No, really, Simon! Look! She even put a Reese's peanut butter cup in there!"
Leila smiled again, listening to the boys gasp at their amazing lunches. She turned into the school's parking lot and pulled up to the front of the school. The chipettes stood by the door of the school, huddled together. They wave as the boys got out of the car, running towards them.
"Leila, these are the chipettes." Theodore said, taking Eleanor's hand. She smiled at Leila and waved. "This is Eleanor."
"This is Jeanette." Simon put his arm around Jeanette's shoulder, pulling her closer to him. Jeanette blushed, looking at her feet.
Alvin and Brittany were facing away from each other, their arms crossed over their chests. They were obviously fighting again.
"And this is Brittany," Alvin grunted.
Brittany smiled kindly at Leila.
"Hello." She turned and resumed glaring at Alvin.
"I'm Leila, Dave's girlfriend. It's so nice to meet you girls," Leila smiled. "I've heard so much about you. The boys talk about you nonstop."
The school bell rang and students began to filing into the school. The group of six waved to Leila as they walked up the steps of the school. Leila waved back, calling from the car.
"Bye, guys! Have a good day at school!"
Dave was feeling overwhelmed as he sat in his tiny cubicle, surrounded by piles of papers stacked high on his desk. He sighed and looked up at the clock on the wall. The boys would be getting out of school in an hour. There was no way that Dave would be able to finish all his work then pick up the boys.
"David," Dave jumped at the sound of the Kathleen Turner voice of his boss. He swiveled around in his chair to face her. She leaned against his cubicle, her arms crossed under her chest. She wore a purple suit jacket and matching skirt and high heels. Her brown hair was pulled tightly into a bun on the top of her head. Her purple glasses rested lightly on the bridge of her nose as she looked over them at Dave. She smiled at Dave, crossing her ankles.
"Oh, hi Miss Lamb-"
"Please, call me Janine. You've been working here for years, don't you think we should be on a first name basis by now?"
"Oh, sorry . . . Janine."
"I'm sorry, David, but I'm going to need you to work late tonight."
"Again? But, Janine, my boys –"
"I'm really sorry, David, but there is just so much work that needs to be done."
She uncrossed her ankles and stood in the entrance of the cubicle. She shrugged and gave Dave a sympathetic wave before walking off, her high heels clacking with each step she took.
Dave sighed and swiveled back to his desk and reached for the phone. He dialed his house number, knowing Leila was there. The phone rang twice before Leila answered. Dave heard the sound of the television in the background.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Leila. I'm working late. Do you think you could pick up the boys?"
"Oh, sure, honey. It's not problem."
"Thank you so much, Leila. I'll see you guys later."
"All right, I love you, Dave."
"I love you, too."
"Oh, Dave? I kind of need to talk to you later tonight. It's important."
"Sure, Leila. We'll talk later tonight."
"Okay, seeya later."
Dave hung up, putting the phone back into its cradle. He sighed and rubbed his temples, a headache starting to form behind his eyes.
All he really wanted to do was be at home with his wife and kids. Wait, did he just think of Leila as his wife? Was that right to think? Was he so in love with Leila that he wanted to marry her?
His underarms began to dampen as he thought everything over and finished his work up. Really thinking about it, he realized that he didn't even know Leila that well. Was he even ready to get married, especially to an almost complete stranger? He needed to get to know Leila better in a mental and emotional way– he had already known her in a physical/intimate way.
"Where's Dave?" Theodore asked from the front seat.
"He's working late tonight and he wanted me to pick you up. What do you guys want for dinner?"
The boys argued about what they wanted for dinner as Leila parked her car in the parking lot of Safe-Way. She unbuckled and turned to face Simon and Alvin in the back.
"Tell you what, why don't we have a Make – Your – Own – Taco night?"
The boys nodded in agreement and got of the car to help Leila get groceries. Leila pushed the cart down the frozen food isle, looking for the ice cream.
"What do you guys want for dessert?"
Again, the boys started arguing, chasing each other around the store. Leila laughed, opening one of the freezers and grabbing a big carton of vanilla ice cream.
As he pulled into the driveway of his house, Dave noticed that the only lights on in the house were the lights in the kitchen and the dim bluish glow of the television set in the living room.
Cautiously, as if he had parked at the wrong house, Dave unlocked the door and took a step inside. The overwhelming spicy smell of Mexican food filled the air and surrounded him. He looked into the kitchen to see tortillas, taco shells, beans, meat and condiments on the kitchen table.
Dave's eyebrows furrowed and his lips parted in confusion. The house had been cleaned spotless – it was as if the boys didn't live there.
"Hi, Dave!"
He turned to the living room to see Alvin, Simon and Theodore looking at him, their arms folded on the back of the couch. He was surprised to see that they were already in their pajamas. They smiled at him, happy to see him.
"Hi, boys. What're you still doing up?"
"All right, who's ready for some root beer floats?"
Dave turned back to the kitchen to see Leila carrying three tall glasses of root beer floats with spoons and neon colored straws sticking out. The boys cheered and scrambled off the couch to get their floats from Leila. Leila smiled at them then at Dave, realizing he was there.
"Hi, honey. How was work?"
"Fine, you – you made dinner?"
"It's Make – Your – Own – Taco night, Dave!" Theodore piped up, vanilla ice cream around his mouth.
Big happy grins stretched ear to ear on all three of the boys' faces. Dave ran a hand through his hair as he looked at Leila.
"That's all right with you, right Dave? I mean, you said you weren't getting off work 'til late and I didn't want the boys to wait that long for dinner."
"She even gave us little sombreros!" Alvin added, throwing his tiny sombrero at Dave.
Dave caught it with one hand, looking fro Leila to the boys. They all seemed so happy, as if this was an everyday thing. Dave sighed then smiled softly.
"Finish those floats then go to bed, boys."
The boys agreed then hopped back onto the couch. Dave looked at Leila's smiling face, shocked at everything that had happened. Leila patted Dave on the arm, a warm calm look on her face.
"You must be hungry, Heartbreaker. Let me fix you some tacos."
She kissed him on the cheek then disappeared into the kitchen. Dave thought she seemed to be a lot calmer, more relaxed than when he first met her.
Dave relaxed in his overstuffed dark green leather recliner as Leila set a plate of two tacos on his lap. He kissed her cheek.
"Thanks, sweetheart."
That night after the boys had fallen asleep, Dave and Leila were in his room getting ready for bed. Dave popped two Advil into his mouth, downing them with a glass of water as he sat on the edge of his bed. Leila came out of the bathroom in one of Dave's shirts. She hopped on to the bed, shaking Dave. He groaned, rubbing his temples. The headache he had gotten at work hadn't gone away.
"Dave, I really need to talk to you."
"Please, Leila, could we talk about this in the morning? I have a really bad headache."
Dave pulled the blankets over him, turning his bedside lamp off and going to sleep. Leila sat, staring at him, feeling hurt. Slowly, she got into bed and closed her eyes tightly, trying to go to sleep.
Dave woke up early the next morning, quietly getting out of bed as to not wake Leila up. He showered and dressed then woke up the boys. The boys stumbled out of bed, rubbing their eyes or stretching or scratching themselves. As quiet as mice, they also showered and dressed, getting ready for school. Dave made a small breakfast and on the way to school, Dave let them in on his plan.
"Leila gave us Reese's with our lunch yesterday," Theodore sighed sadly, looking in his lunchbox.
Dave waved to the chipettes, who were waiting for the chipmunks at the front of the school like they always did. They smiled and waved back, running up to the car. Dave looked back at his sons, letting them know that the chipettes and Miss Miller could come over after school.
As he was driving away, Dave watched from his rearview mirror as Brittany made a face at Alvin, his hand behind his back. She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. Alvin took a long-stem rose from behind his back and handed it to Brittany, apologizing for whatever he had done wrong that time. Brittany smiled and linked arms with him as they followed Simon, Jeanette, Theodore and Eleanor into the school.
Dave smirked, shaking his head as he drove away from the school. Before going home, he made a few detours. This whole special day was costing him almost a thousand dollars. He shoved the smallest, yet the most expensive gift into his inside coat pocket as he drove home. He parked in front of the house and got out, whistling a happy tune. He loved Leila and the boys loved Leila. And she loved them back. He knew what he had to do.
He marched up the stairs, singing softly and trying to contain his excitement. Quietly, he entered his bedroom and tiptoed to the window. He flung the curtains open, letting the sunshine illuminate the bedroom. Leila groaned, waking up. She sat up, squinting her eyes at the sunshine.
"Good morning, sunshine!"
"What? What's going on?"
"It's time to wake up!" Dave dived onto the bed and kissed her on the head. "C'mon, get up, Leila. We have an amazing day planned!"
"We do?"
"Yep! I got the whole day off from work just for this."
Leila got out of bed, Dave's shirt draped over her body. She rubbed her eyes, yawning. Dave ushered her into his bathroom, singing "Let The Sunshine In". He even started a shower for her. About an hour and a half later, Leila was dressed and ready to go. She sat in the passenger seat of Dave's car, yawning occasionally as Dave drove.
"Where are we going, Dave?"
"It's a surprise."
Leila sat up as Dave pulled into a parking lot. Dave smiled at her, winking. She smiled back at him as they parked.
"Dave, what're we doing here?"
"I told you, it's a surprise."
Dave covered Leila's eyes as he walked her into a building. He spoke to the woman at the counter, his hands still covering Leila's eyes. He finally let her go to go into a changing room to change into her swimsuit.
"Dave, seriously what's going on?" She asked, as the two of them stood by a pool.
Dave just smiled and put his arms around her, kissing her deeply.
A woman came up behind them and cleared her throat to get their attention. They jumped apart and she smiled at them.
"Is this your first time swimming with the dolphins?"
Leila gasped, her eyes wide. She threw her arms around Dave's neck in a hug, squealing happily.
"Dave, you shouldn't have!"
They eased themselves into the shallow end of the pool, following the instructor. The dolphins swam around Dave and Leila, splashing water on them. Leila tossed her head back in her laugh, trying to block the water with her hands. Dave put his arm around her waist and planted a kiss on her neck.
After hours of swimming with the dolphins, Dave took Leila to a spa where the two had full body massages.
Leila laughed as they walked towards the house. She kissed at his neck, smiling as Dave unlocked the door.
"Dave," She put a hand on his wrist, stopping him from opening the door. He looked at her, his hand on the doorknob. She had that serious look on her face.
"I have had the greatest day in my entire life, but I really need to tell you something."
"I need to tell you something, too." He smiled. "Let me go first."
Leila opened her mouth to protest as Dave flung open the front door. In the foyer of the house stood the chipmunks, the chipettes and Miss Miller standing under a banner that said in big bold red letters 'I Love You Leila!'
The group yelled, "Surprise" as Leila stared wide-eyed in shock and awe. Dave got down on one knee and took the small, expensive gift out from his inside coat pocket. Leila covered her mouth as she stared at the purple velvet ring box in Dave's had.
"Leila, I've had the best day ever with you and I want to have even more amazing days like this with you and spend the rest of my life with you. I've seen the way you've interacted with the boys and I know that they have fallen in love with you like I have. I know deep in my heart that I never ever want to be apart from you. You would make the perfect wife and mother. I love you, Leila, and I want to be with you forever."
Dave opened the ring box to expose a yellow gold ring with a heart-shaped Mystic Fire Topaz gem. Leila gasped.
"Leila, will you marry me?"
The room was silent. Leila moved her hand from her mouth and let it drop to her side. Dave could tell that she was feeling very, very uncomfortable from being put on the spot like this. She licked her lips, looking down at the ring in his hands through half-closed eyes.
"Oh . . . No, Dave."
Dave's smile faded then he stood, looking down at Leila.
"What?"
"I said," She cleared her throat. "I said no, Dave."
She looked at everyone from the corner of her eye, blinking back tears. She turned towards them and lightly shrugged her shoulder.
I'm sorry," She whispered to them.
She stepped off the front step and ran away. Dave watched as she ran off. He looked at Miss Miller. She nodded at him, putting her arms around the chipmunks and chipettes. Dave nodded back in a silent "thank you" then ran off after Leila. He finally caught up to her at a park.
"Leila! Leila, stop!"
She did stop, holding onto a tree with her back to Dave. She shook as she cried silently. Dave reached out to touch her shoulder. His fingers brushed her back and she jerked away as if she had been hit. She spun around to face him, her hair flying.
"Stop it!"
"Leila, what's wrong? I thought you would have wanted this. I thought you loved me. I thought you –"
"I do love you and I do want to marry you! I love you and I love those boys. I want to spend the rest of my life with you!"
"Then why don't you?" Dave asked, raising his voice. "Why won't you just say yes?"
"I can't, Dave. I can't."
"Why not?"
"Dave, I'm pregnant!"
Dave took a step back, his hands up as if he were trying to keep her away. He shook his head as if he were trying to shake the thought from his head.
"I've been trying to tell you." She said, walking towards him. "I've been trying to say it since I arrived, but you've been either too busy or wouldn't listen."
"Is it . . . is it mine?"
"Oh, of course it's yours, Dave. I haven't been with any other man but you for two years."
Dave opened his mouth to speak, but Leila continued.
"I don't know if this a good thing. This could kill me, Dave."
Dave put his arms around her, letting her rest her head on his chest. She grabbed handfuls of his shirt with her dainty small hands as she sobbed. He rubbed her back, whispering calming words into her hair. He let go of her suddenly, spotting a bench. He held her by her delicate wrist, leading her to the bench. After she had calmed down and explained everything to him, they sat and watched as the sun began to set. She sighed, her head on Dave's shoulder.
"I'm only twenty-six, Dave. There are so many things that I want to do with my life. I don't think I'm ready for this."
"Marry me and we'll do all the things you want."
"Dave . . . Oh, I don't know."
"Please. It just wouldn't feel right to me for you to have my baby and for us to not be married."
He put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer to him. He kissed the top of her head. She sighed.
"It has to be a small one," She said suddenly. "Just the boys and the Millers and a priest."
"Of course, Leila. Anything for you."
They sat for a moment longer, watching the sun disappear of in the distant. The stars sparkled above them in a dark velvet sky. Crickets softly sang their night song, occasionally accompanied by frogs. Mosquitoes buzzed by their ears, their high-pitched whining making their ears rings.
They walked back, hand in hand. Dave opened the front door to see Miss Miller asleep on the couch, the chipmunks and chipettes asleep around her feet in sleeping bags. The only light in the house was the light of the upstairs hall's bathroom.
Dave stumbled up the stairs, tripping over a step. Leila hushed him, a small smile on her face. She yanked him up, stepping over him. Dave chuckled softly, following her to the bedroom.
The next morning, Dave and Leila woke to the sound of bird chirping from the tree outside Dave's window, entwined in each other's arms. Their eyes fluttered open and they smiled at each other, wishing each other a good morning. Leila inhaled deeply, resting her head on Dave's chest. She moved her hand, watching the ring on her finger glint in the sun. Dave lifted her chin up with a finger and kissed her lovingly.
"Dave?"
The two jerked away from each other, startled by hearing Theodore's voice. Theodore sat at the edge of the bed, looking at them like an excited puppy, his goofy, innocent smile on his face. Leila adjusted the sheet, covering her body as she and Dave sat up.
"Theodore, what're you doing in here?" Dave asked, flustered. "You know you're supposed to knock before you come in here."
"I know, but –"
Alvin kicked the door in, holding a plate of misshaped pancakes. Simon came in behind him, groaning at this bad idea. He looked at Dave and Leila and shrugged his shoulders as if to say 'I tried to stop him'.
"Boys, what're you doing in here?"
"We made breakfast in bed for the newly engaged couple!"
Alvin shrieked, holding the plate of pancakes high above his head. Dave and Leila watched intently, biting their lips, as they feared that Alvin would drop the pancakes and Dave's recently cleaned carpet would be covered in syrupy goodness.
"Wait – newly engaged?" Leila looked at Dave, her eyes wide with confusion. "How did he –"
"He knows everything. That's something important that you really should know."
"No secret is safe from Alvin Seville!" Alvin yelled, the plate toppling out of his hands and onto the floor. "Whoops."
"Alvin!" Dave growled, a vein popping out of his forehead.
Alvin jumped and ran from the room as Dave chased after in him in his boxers. Leila, Simon and Theodore watched them run down the stairs. Simon walked over to Leila's side of the bed and shook her hand, blushing softly.
"Welcome to the family, Leila."
Leila had cancelled her flight home and returned her rental car. She had called her roommate on the island to tell her that she wouldn't be returning and to have her things sent over.
Exactly three weeks later after they had gotten engaged, Dave and Leila had a small wedding ceremony in the Seville's backyard. Leila's pregnant belly began to show through her white silk dress. She stood, barefoot, facing Dave. She smiled at him, tightening her grip on the small bouquet of rose that the chipettes and Miss Miller had given her.
"You may kiss the bride."
Dave cupped Leila's face in his hands, leaning down to her as she stood on the balls of her toes to kiss him. The chipmunks, chipettes applauded as Miss Miller dabbed at her eyes as they began to tear, a smile on her face.
The Sevilles and the Millers celebrated the rest of the night by eating wedding cake and setting off fireworks. Alvin and Brittany even sang "Heartbreaker" as a duet, dedicating the song to the newlyweds.
The chipettes had spent the night – their pink, purple and mint green sleeping bags along with the chipmunks red, blue and green ones covered the living room floor. Leila had given them root beer floats before going to bed with Dave.
"Dave?"
Dave had awaked to the sound of a soft, frightened voice. It had been months since he had married Leila and now she was about to give birth to their first child together at any moment, even at the smallest sneeze would send her into labor.
He sat up to see Leila's frightened face looking at him with wide eyes. She was practicing her breathing exercises from Lamaze class.
"What?" He whispered. "What's wrong?"
"I think the baby's coming."
"Oh, shit!"
Dave jumped out of the bed, sliding his feet into his slippers. He helped Leila out of bed and slowly walked her down the stairs and eased her into the car. He called Miss Miller, letting her know that they were on their way to the hospital and he would call her to bring the boys when the baby was born.
The birth was taking hours and Dave knew something was wrong by the way that the doctors ran in and out of the room that Leila was in. He paced, feeling Déjà vu as he sweat profusely and worried about Leila and the baby. He groaned, clenching his hands into fist in frustration. He left the hospital to get some fresh air. He was startled to see another man standing besides him outside, smoking a cigarette.
"First kid?" The man asked.
"Well, sort of." Dave answered.
The man nodded as if he had understood what Dave had meant and took a pack of cigarettes out of his coat pocket. He took a cigarette out, offering it to Dave. Dave shook his head.
"Oh, no. No thank you. I don't smoke."
"Trust me, you need it." He urged the cigarette at him, noticing Dave's nervous shaking.
Dave hesitantly took the cigarette from the man and put it to his lips, letting the man light it with his own. Dave listened absent-mindedly to the man talk about his new baby.
"Yeah, this one's my second child – it's a boy. We're naming him Trevor. What about you?"
"Huh? Oh, uh . . . We don't know, we wanted it to be a surprise. We just wanted it to be healthy."
The man nodded again, this time actually understanding. He took a long drag then dropped his cigarette to the ground, crushing it beneath his foot. He sighed then shoved his hands into his coat pockets.
The glass doors to the maternity ward opened and a short squat blonde nurse poked her head out, an excited smile on her face.
"Mr. Robinson, it's time to meet your new baby boy."
The man smiled at the nurse. Dave shook the man's hand, congratulating him. The man clapped his hands over Dave's hand, patting something into his palm. The man then patted Dave on the back and went into the hospital.
Dave sighed, opening his palm to see the man's pack of cigarettes and a couple matches. He shoved them into his jacket pocket and puffed away nervously on his cigarette.
"David!"
Dave jumped, hearing Miss Miller's voice. He turned to her, hiding the cigarette behind his back. He gulped, faking a smile.
"H-hey, Miss Miller."
"What're you doing out here?"
"Just getting some . . . fresh air."
She crossed her arms under her large bosom, giving Dave a look. He gulped again. She reached out her hand, stepping towards him.
"Give me one."
He handed her the pack and lit her cigarette with his own. He could tell that Miss Miller was as nervous as he was.
"Where are the kids?"
"Asleep at your house. They're fine. How's Leila?"
"I don't know, they won't let me see her. God, Miss Miller! I don't know what to do!"
Miss Miller hugged Dave with one arm, patting him on the back. The squat nurse poked her head out through the door again, a frantic look on her face.
"Mr. Seville, you need to come quickly. It's your wife."
Dave and Miss Miller ran into the hospital, following the nurse to Leila's room.
The doctors waited outside her room, worried looks on their faces. When they saw Dave, they gave him fake smiles as if to reassure Dave that everything was okay.
"Mr. Seville, congratulations!" The head doctor said. "You're now the father of a healthy, beautiful baby girl."
"What's wrong with Leila?"
"There were some complications with the birth –"
Dave stepped back, watching the doctor's lips move, not hearing the words coming out. He backed up against a chair and sat down, a wave of emotions drowning him. He breathed heavily, thoughts of Leila and their short life that they had shared together running through his head. He couldn't believe anything that was happening at that moment.
He stood suddenly and pushed past the doctors, going into Leila's room. The doctors didn't stop him; they let him go in to say good-bye.
Dave sat next to Leila's hospital bed, holding her limp hand. She had lost so much blood that her bronze skin looked pale. She was already gone. She had slipped away before he had come in. He hadn't been able to say good-bye. He squeezed her hand in his own, silently weeping. He kissed her face; it was still warm. He whispered into her hair about how much he loved her, how much he and the boys would miss her and how much their newborn baby needed her. She still didn't even have a name yet.
He didn't know what to do now. He wished that he could at least talk to her one last time. Miss Miller came in and rested her hand on Dave's shoulder. He looked up at her, rubbing the tears and snot from his face with the sleeve of his shirt.
"She's gone." He whispered.
He wished that he could have done something, anything. His heart ached at the loss of Leila.
"David, get up. We have to go home now."
He reluctantly got up, not letting go of Leila's hand. Miss Miller brought the car around as Dave got the baby. Dave and Leila had decided that if they had a girl they would name her 'Jade Marie', but Dave couldn't bring himself to name her just yet. The name didn't feel right.
He tucked the baby into her white bassinet. He eased himself into his own bed then cried himself to sleep, thinking of what he would do now.
He woke up late, shaking. Miss Miller had brought the girls over and had made breakfast for the boys. Dave stumbled out of bed and down the stairs to break the news to the boys. Alvin and his brothers smiled at Dave as he came into the kitchen. Their smiles faded as Dave sat down next to Theodore. Dave could tell by the look on the chipettes faces that they already knew. Theodore looked up at Dave, his look of innocence on his face.
"Where's Leila?" He asked, curiously and unknowing.
Dave blubbered, putting his arms around the youngest chipmunk in a tight embrace. Finally, through tears Dave told them about Leila and everyone in the room began to cry.
They had cremated Leila, and kept her in a golden urn with a verse of "Heartbreaker" unscripted on it. Her engagement/wedding ring lay buried in her ashes at the bottom of the urn.
When the baby was a few months old, Dave had finally decided on a name for her. Echo. She was the spitting image of Leila. She had her eyes, and lips and sandy blonde hair.
Years later when Dave was fifty and the boys had graduated high school and Echo was about to start first grade, Dave took them on a vacation. They had gone to the island where the boys had met the B-52s and Dave had met Leila. It was a hot summer day so they wore shorts and flip-flops and loose shirts.
Dave watched from his seat in the sand under his beach umbrella as Echo frolicked in the water with Simon and Theodore. Alvin sat next to Dave, drinking bottled water.
"Watch daddy!" Echo called from Simon's shoulders. "Watch Alvin!"
They watched as she jumped from Simon's shoulders to Theodore's arms. They clapped, shouting encouragements to them. Dave sighed.
"Dave, are you all right?"
"No . . . Just thinking . . . I'm getting so old. Did you know that by the time Echo graduates high school, I'll be almost sixty-five?"
"Oh, Dave. Forget it. Worrying about it is just going to make you age faster."
Dave sighed again and began to pack things up. He stood and stretched. He cupped his hands around his mouth and called to the three in the ocean.
"Okay, guys! Time to go!"
Echo groaned, splashing around. Simon picked her up and carried her back to Dave and Alvin, Theodore following behind. The boys packed the rest of the things up while Dave dried off Echo. He smiled as Alvin and Simon argued about the drinks in the cooler while Theodore tried to calm them down and come to an agreement. They were eighteen years old, but still acted like they had when they were twelve. Dave was proud of the way he had raised his children. The boys had turned into wonderful young men. Dave picked up Echo and followed the boys back to the hotel.
That night, Dave woke up with a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something was wrong with Echo. He jumped out of bed, turning the lights on. Her bed was empty. He ran to the boys' room across the hall and pounded on the door. Alvin answered the door in his boxers, rubbing his eyes.
"Dave? What're you doing?" He asked, his voice drowsy.
"Is Echo in here with you three?"
"What?" He asked, more alert. "No, she's not. She's not in the room with you?"
"No, I just woke up. I just felt like something was wrong."
"Okay," Alvin said, nodding in thought. "Okay, Dave. Go back to your room. I'll wake Simon and Theodore and get dressed then we'll come over and help you find Echo."
Dave nodded then went back to his room to change his clothes. He reached for the phone to call the police when a familiar sight outside the hotel room window. The sun was coming up, lighting the beach with an orange color. Sitting in between two palm trees, watching the sunrise was Echo. Dave slammed the phone down then ran from his room. He ran down the stairs and out of the lobby, running to Echo. He grabbed her by the arm, yanking her up. He didn't mean to hurt her; he had been worried about her.
"Echo, what're you doing out here? What were you thinking? You know that you're not supposed to leave without your brothers or me with you! You had me so worried about you. I thought something bad happened to you!"
"But daddy, I wasn't alone." She said as Dave let go of her arm in surprise. "I was with mommy."
"What?" Dave crouched down on his knees to look her in the face. "What do you mean, you were with mommy?"
"She woke up me to show me the sunrise. She said that she loved the sunrise and sunset here on the island."
"Honey . . ." Dave was speechless as he shook his head slightly, looking into Echo's eyes. "Where do you think mommy is? She's in Heaven, Echo, and she's watching over us and taking care of us. She couldn't have been out here with you, honey."
"But if mommy's in Heaven then who's that over there?"
She raised her tiny hand and pointed over Dave's shoulder. Dave gave Echo a small smile then turned to humor her. His smile faded as he saw Leila walking up the beach towards them. Dave stood, his heart beating loudly in his chest. The sun was rising, making Leila's skin glow orange. The slight breeze made her hair flow.
Leila was so close to Dave and Echo. He could have run to her, but he was frozen in that one spot. Slowly, as she walked to them, she began to become translucent. She had stopped suddenly as her feet began to disappear. She smiled at them, blowing a kiss at Echo. She stood, staring at Dave with her secretive smile on her face.
"Seeya later, Heartbreaker."
She tossed her head back and laughed loudly in the way that Dave found irresistible as she disappeared completely. Her laugh echoed in the air until it had disappeared after her.
Dave bit his lip hard, fighting back tears. Echo tugged on his pajama pant leg, trying to get his attention. He looked down to see her looking up at him.
"Daddy, can we go back to the room now?" She yawned.
Dave smiled at her and picked her up. She curled up his arms, her head on his chest and her thumb in her mouth. He walked back to the hotel; he could see Alvin, Simon and Theodore standing at the doorway of the hotel lobby.
"Your love is like a tidal wave, spinnin' over my head . . ." He sang softly. "Drownin' me in your promises better left unsaid."
As he reached the hotel, he felt all his stress and worries disappear. He felt good. He felt the way he had when Leila had been alive. He knew that everything was going to be all right.
I hope you enjoyed it. Reviews are appreciated and so is criticism. It helps me improve my writing.:P