Today's Special is the Jerk-Chicken Salad - Chapter 10: Milk

On the restaurant's floor, beside where she threw up, Betty lay quietly, stretched out on her back. Sitting cross-legged, Gio supported her shoulders on his lap, nestling her head between the crook of his arm and his chest.

Rocking gently and murmuring comfortingly, Gio gazed down at her, wiping away tears and vomit from her face with his small soft towel.

"I feel terrible," said Gio. "I made Hilda sick and now you. The milk must have been bad."

"No." Betty shook her head slightly.

Distraught, Gio cried, "How could I have done this?"

"You didn't," moaned Betty. "It wasn't your food. Hilda's not sick."

"She isn't? What do you mean?"

"She was faking it," said Betty, resting her hand on top of Gio's to stop him wiping her face. "She was leaving us alone. She saw what was happening and wanted to give us a chance to talk privately."

"I missed that completely," said Gio. "I guess I wasn't paying too much attention to her."

"That's what she noticed," said Betty. "I did too."

"Oh," said Gio. "I was that obvious."

"Yeah."

"But you can't fake this," said Gio. "I made you sick. I'm sorry."

"I'm not sick," said Betty. "I'm fine."

"You're pretty good at hiding it," said Gio sadly.

Recognizing Gio's old joke, Betty chuckled weakly.

"I'll be fine in a minute. I'm sorry about the mess."

"Don't worry about that," said Gio. "I'm worried about you."

"Don't. " Betty wiped her eyes. "I'm fine."

"Is this how you stay thin?"

"No!" said Betty. "I mean, yes, sometimes. Yes, but I'd never do it to your food."

Gio put his hand on Betty's forehead. "You're warm. I better take you to a clinic. You must've picked up a bug, maybe from the water."

"No," said Betty, looking up at Gio. "It's not necessary."

Cupping her cheek in his hand, Gio frowned, "You really don't want to be seen with me, do you?"

"No, Gio, no!" said Betty, touching his hand. "Yes. But that's not what's wrong with me."

Alarmed, Gio clasped her hand, "Betty, is something wrong?"

Turning her flushed face away, Betty cried, "Gio, I'm pregnant!"

"What?" Gio dropped her hand.

Betty closed her eyes and sighed.

"When were you going to tell me this?" demanded Gio.

"I'm sorry," said Betty.

"This changes everything!" cried Gio, outraged. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Okay, um, how about this?" said Betty, looking up at Gio. "Hi Gio, what a surprise to see you in the Bahamas! By the way, I carelessly let the dumbass knock me up."

Shocked, Gio gaped at Betty.

"I haven't told anybody," said Betty. "Not Hilda. I haven't even told Daniel yet!"

"Oh."

"I teach women about family planning," said Betty, slapping the floor. "And then, it just happens. I wasn't thinking. " She took a breath. "Gio, I'm going to tell you a secret: I'm not perfect."

Gio carefully brushed Betty's hair away from her face and caressed her cheek.

"I know," said Gio. "But you're imperfect just the way I love."

Betty smiled wanly.

"I have a secret too," said Gio, nervously fidgeting with Betty's hair.

Suddenly alert, Betty looked up at him, peering into his face. "What?"

"I don't blame my wife for leaving me."

"You don't?"

"No. I tried, Betty. Really, I tried." Gio sighed. "It wasn't her fault she wasn't you."

"Oh," breathed Betty.

"That's why we left New York. It killed me to keep seeing you. She saw it." Gio rubbed his eyes. "I had to get away from you. I was supposed to forget you. It wasn't fair to be with her and think of you. It hurt her. She was an angel, she didn't deserve that. I am a jerk."

"No!That's not possible." She clasped his hand, intertwining her fingers with his, and squeezed. "You aren't."

"Betty … there's more."

"What?"

"I lied about being happy here. If I was happy, I wouldn't want to surf all the time, ride my bike recklessly, or take drugs. I never wanted to do that before. I shouldn't want to now. It just helps me forget the pain for a little while."

"The pain?"

Gio's voice cracked. "The pain of not having you."

"Oh, Gio," cried Betty. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be, it can't be helped."

Betty closed her eyes wearily and Gio gathered her up in his arms, rocking her gently.

"Darling Betty," murmured Gio, relieved and grateful to finally be able to say aloud what his heart had silently whispered so often. "Darling, darling B. I could never forget you. Darling, dearest, I could never forget you." Gio stroked her hair and babbled years of pent up endearments while Betty quietly rested. Ignoring the pair, the vigilant Pickles prowled past them silently and disappeared into the kitchen.

"I was hoping if I forgot about this," said Betty, touching a hand to her stomach, "maybe it would go away."

"This isn't happy news? You should be happy."

"I guess I would be, under different circumstances."

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know. I need to think. I came here to get a chance to think."

Gio listened intently.

"I was just about to tell Daniel … I was so excited about telling him … and that's when I found out … he …" Betty put a hand on her burning cheek, "… and …"

"You don't have to say anything," murmured Gio, rocking her and petting her hair.

"I found him out right when … that's why I went ballistic. I'm such a fool."

"Everything's going to be all right."

Betty laughed bitterly. "Yeah, right. I've lost everyone's respect."

"No, don't say that," said Gio. "Don't think that. You haven't."

"If I haven't already," said Betty, "I will. I have to try to make my marriage work."

"Yes, I see, you have to try."

"I owe it to …" Betty laid her hand on her stomach, "… everyone … to try."

"You're going back to Daniel," stated Gio flatly.

"Yes." Betty sighed. "And everyone's going to say I went crawling back to Daniel."

"Betty, he'll never change," said Gio, shaking his head. "He'll hurt you again."

"It's a risk, I know," said Betty. "But I have the name of a therapist. We'll go into therapy."

"He can't be cured. Not from what he's got."

"This therapist has had success," said Betty. "I've seen it first hand. But it depends on whether Daniel wants it enough. I have to give him another chance, one more chance."

"Then go home." Gio tensed, straightening his back and taking his hand off her hair. "Go today. Go back to Daniel. Do the TV show. Get the job."

"Yes, you're right," said Betty, looking up at him, "like always. I don't want to go, but I have to go."