Knock knock, Tess jumped, startled. The sudden noise had come out of a
peaceful silence, where she had been lost in thought. Tiptoeing up to the
door she peeked through the glass to see who was outside. Evan! A smile
spread across her face before she eagerly opened the door.
"Hey, come in," she said, greeting him with a smile.
"Hi Tess," Jonesy replied. They awkwardly attempted to side step one another before Jonesy simply embraced Tess, pulling her close to him. It was more than five minutes before either of them moved.
"I was just coming to see if you were alright," Jonesy murmured. But Tess pulled away at the sound of his voice, the moment broken.
"I am fine, like I said earlier." Tess muttered, but her voice strained and she struggled to get each word out without emotion.
"If you say so, but don't expect me to believe you are unscathed by what has happened to you lately. Your pregnant, you estranged husband is divorcing you and trying to become part of you life and you have just become unoperational. Please don't tell me that this has had completely no impact on you!"
"Well I don't need anyone to help me." Tess began, trying to keep her voice level.
"I knew it." Jonesy said seriously.
"Knew what?" Tess asked.
"You're a robot woman aren't you? Hope could I be so stupid.ow!" Jonesy gasped as Tess punched him in the arm, laughing. "See, I like that smile.don't get to see it very often now days."
"I know," Tess admitted. "But I don't know what to smile about."
"Tess there are so many things. You are pregnant; you're having a child. That is one of the most brilliant things that can ever happen to anyone. Please don't tell me it doesn't make you feel like smiling, it makes me feel like smiling."
"Ok, your right Mister, you know everything!" Tess mocked him.
"I'll admit it is true. But Tess, I don't know why you don't let anyone else see this side of you. It only appears when I pry it out of you."
"Hey, I never asked you to." Tess began, immediately becoming defensive. She was silenced by Jonesy kissing her on the lips, before he pulled away and smiled. Tess didn't know what to say so she just looked at him.
"See," said Jonesy.
"See what?" Tess asked, suspiciously.
"You say your not affected by anyone, you don't need anyone." he began.
"I don't!" Tess snapped.
"Yet I can do that to you," Jonesy concluded.
"You can't use my feelings to blackmail me like that. I'm pregnant. I'm very emotional and well I." Tess tried to explain.
"But I thought you were a perfectly fit, capable woman who could do anything. So the fact that you're pregnant is not a valid excuse according to you." Jonesy said smugly. Tess responded to this by stomping into the kitchen, making an attempt to stack some papers on the bench before throwing them down in frustration.
"Fine Evan, you are right, okay. Happy now?" Tess cried, tears welling in her eyes.
"I'm right about what?" he asked.
"Don't make me say it." she muttered, looking at the ground.
"I'm not making you say anything, I just want you to be honest with me, and yourself," he murmured.
"Okay. What is true is that I am glad you are here for me. I do need you. You know that," she whispered.
"Is there anything else?" Jonesy prompted.
"You are right about me being irrational and pretending that.that I'm a robot," she cried.
"But you aren't one," he said. "You just have a lot on your plate, there is so much to deal with," Jonesy said, matter-of-factly.
"How can you always know the right thing to say?" Tess stammered.
"I am only saying what I know is true. You cannot deal with this on your own. I want to help you and so does everyone else. But you won't let us in." Jonesy said.
"I let you in don't I?" Tess asked. "But I don't what everyone's pity. 'Poor old Tess a single cop with a gay drug-dealing husband. A lawsuit, a pregnancy and a measly salary,'" she said, overcome with emotion. "I don't want this to be who I am."
"It isn't who you are. Just be honest with yourself here. You are in a tough situation. No one pities you they care about you and want to help, especially me," Jonesy replied.
"Especially you?" Tess asked.
"You know that I care about you Tess, you know that. I love you and I love the baby and I will always be here for you. I need you to know I am not going to abandon you ever," he exclaimed.
"Thank you," Tess whispered.
"It will be hard, okay? But you can do it. We can do it together! I can be here for you or I can be with you. You know how much I care about you. But, it is up to you," Jonesy said. Tess looked into his eyes before opening her mouth to speak.
WHAT WILL SHE SAY?
"Hey, come in," she said, greeting him with a smile.
"Hi Tess," Jonesy replied. They awkwardly attempted to side step one another before Jonesy simply embraced Tess, pulling her close to him. It was more than five minutes before either of them moved.
"I was just coming to see if you were alright," Jonesy murmured. But Tess pulled away at the sound of his voice, the moment broken.
"I am fine, like I said earlier." Tess muttered, but her voice strained and she struggled to get each word out without emotion.
"If you say so, but don't expect me to believe you are unscathed by what has happened to you lately. Your pregnant, you estranged husband is divorcing you and trying to become part of you life and you have just become unoperational. Please don't tell me that this has had completely no impact on you!"
"Well I don't need anyone to help me." Tess began, trying to keep her voice level.
"I knew it." Jonesy said seriously.
"Knew what?" Tess asked.
"You're a robot woman aren't you? Hope could I be so stupid.ow!" Jonesy gasped as Tess punched him in the arm, laughing. "See, I like that smile.don't get to see it very often now days."
"I know," Tess admitted. "But I don't know what to smile about."
"Tess there are so many things. You are pregnant; you're having a child. That is one of the most brilliant things that can ever happen to anyone. Please don't tell me it doesn't make you feel like smiling, it makes me feel like smiling."
"Ok, your right Mister, you know everything!" Tess mocked him.
"I'll admit it is true. But Tess, I don't know why you don't let anyone else see this side of you. It only appears when I pry it out of you."
"Hey, I never asked you to." Tess began, immediately becoming defensive. She was silenced by Jonesy kissing her on the lips, before he pulled away and smiled. Tess didn't know what to say so she just looked at him.
"See," said Jonesy.
"See what?" Tess asked, suspiciously.
"You say your not affected by anyone, you don't need anyone." he began.
"I don't!" Tess snapped.
"Yet I can do that to you," Jonesy concluded.
"You can't use my feelings to blackmail me like that. I'm pregnant. I'm very emotional and well I." Tess tried to explain.
"But I thought you were a perfectly fit, capable woman who could do anything. So the fact that you're pregnant is not a valid excuse according to you." Jonesy said smugly. Tess responded to this by stomping into the kitchen, making an attempt to stack some papers on the bench before throwing them down in frustration.
"Fine Evan, you are right, okay. Happy now?" Tess cried, tears welling in her eyes.
"I'm right about what?" he asked.
"Don't make me say it." she muttered, looking at the ground.
"I'm not making you say anything, I just want you to be honest with me, and yourself," he murmured.
"Okay. What is true is that I am glad you are here for me. I do need you. You know that," she whispered.
"Is there anything else?" Jonesy prompted.
"You are right about me being irrational and pretending that.that I'm a robot," she cried.
"But you aren't one," he said. "You just have a lot on your plate, there is so much to deal with," Jonesy said, matter-of-factly.
"How can you always know the right thing to say?" Tess stammered.
"I am only saying what I know is true. You cannot deal with this on your own. I want to help you and so does everyone else. But you won't let us in." Jonesy said.
"I let you in don't I?" Tess asked. "But I don't what everyone's pity. 'Poor old Tess a single cop with a gay drug-dealing husband. A lawsuit, a pregnancy and a measly salary,'" she said, overcome with emotion. "I don't want this to be who I am."
"It isn't who you are. Just be honest with yourself here. You are in a tough situation. No one pities you they care about you and want to help, especially me," Jonesy replied.
"Especially you?" Tess asked.
"You know that I care about you Tess, you know that. I love you and I love the baby and I will always be here for you. I need you to know I am not going to abandon you ever," he exclaimed.
"Thank you," Tess whispered.
"It will be hard, okay? But you can do it. We can do it together! I can be here for you or I can be with you. You know how much I care about you. But, it is up to you," Jonesy said. Tess looked into his eyes before opening her mouth to speak.
WHAT WILL SHE SAY?