Autumn Leaves

Chapter 10

"You about ready to go, babe?"

"Just about," I said as Eli came into the bathroom. He just smiled, watching me as I brushed my hair in the mirror. Coming up behind me, he dropped his jeans and boxers before slipping out of his shirt. Watching him in the mirror as he went to turn on the shower, I said, "Your mom called while you were napping."

"Oh yeah? What'd she want?"

I sighed as I went to get him the bag to put over his cast in the shower. "Vinny's flight got cancelled."

"Yeah?"

"Mmmhmm. He's stuck here."

"Kelly was the idiot that thought it'd be a good idea for him to travel on Christmas Eve."

"She wants Steven to drive him down instead, but he said no. I mean, if it's snowing too much for him to fly, that's dumb to want him to drive down there." I sighed. "She and Karen fought over the phone about it."

"Really now."

"Karen told her that they were going to get Vinny on a flight sometime before New Years. Kelly told her that she had better send Vinny with all of his stuff, that she wasn't giving him back. Something about how Vinny's her son, not Karen's, and that if Steven wants his kids, he's going to have to move back to town. So Karen told her if she really wanted Vinny, she'd have actually fought for him. That he was enrolled in school in Colby now and she was going to have to deal with it."

"Then what did Kelly say?"

"I dunno. Karen was so upset though. She told your dad."

"And?"

"Joseph's pissed. Told Steven he can deal with his own wife and just move out of their house if Kelly's going to make Karen upset."

"Dad's really protective over Mom."

"I've noticed."

"He hates for her to cry."

"He loves her."

"Yeah."

When I finished with wrapping his cast, I turned to leave the bathroom.

"Hope you didn't use all the hot water."

"Hope I did."

"Auden."

Smiling, I said, "I'll be in the bedroom if you need me."

"Okay. We're going over to my parents' right after I get out of the shower."

"I can't believe we have to spend Christmas Eve with them too."

"Should be used to it by now."

"I know."

When I got to the bedroom, I pulled Eli's laptop out and logged on. I had a long email from one of my college friend that was out of the country for the holidays. I was still reading and replying to it when he returned.

"You know who sent me a text the other day?"

"Who?"

"Yogi."

"…You lost me."

"That guy at the lake? When we went camping?"

"Don't he know you're happily dating?"

Rolling my eyes, I said, "He's just being friendly."

"Yeah, well, tell him to stop being so friendly."

"Never mind, Eli."

"Let's go, anyways," he said, nodding at a bag in the corner. 'Bring that."

"What's in it?"

"A few Christmas Eve presents. You know we let Vinny and Thisbe open one or two before bed."

"You wrapped them all on your own, I see," I said once I got up to look into the bag.

"Yep."

"You could have, you know, asked me to do it."

"Nah. I like doing it myself. I've been so bored, you know, injured and everything. Just have videogames to play with. Horrible."

"You love just laying around playing videogames."

"Yeah, babe, when it's my choice."

Rolling my eyes, I said, "Come on then, Eli. Let's go."

"Just stop texting this guy."

"He texted me," I defended.

"Should have never gotten your number."

"Oh, whatever."

When we got to his parents' house, we found them both there of course, but Jake being the only other one.

"Where're the kids?" Eli asked as he crutched his way in there. His father, who was seated in his chair, just shook his head.

"With Heidi. They'll be over soon. And then you know Linda will be here later tonight with her husband."

"And Erica, Dad. Can't forget her."

Joseph just made a noise, staring straight ahead. I could tell that he was upset, just from the fact he didn't respond to that. He loved his grandkids more than anyone. Then again, Karen told me he just loved kids in general. I could see that. He was way more laid back than she was. Relaxed.

"Of course we didn't forget Erica, Eli," Karen told him as she came into the room from the kitchen. "I hope you did not with those toys you have there."

"My favorite niece? No way."

"Taylor, Eli," I reminded as I sat the presents under their Christmas tree.

"Oh, I didn't forget. I-"

"Don't you start, boy," Joseph said, still staring at the television. "I am not in the mood."

"It was a joke."

"Why did you even come over here?"

"Joseph," Karen whispered.

"I was invited over by Mom. You know, 'cause it's freaking Christmas. If you don't want us here-"

"Think I've made myself pretty clear."

Jake, who had sat silently on the couch the whole time, looked back and forth between his brother and father before wagging his eyebrows at me. I frowned at him before going to touch Eli's arm.

"Come on. We can come back later, maybe. Or just tomorrow." I stroked his arm before tugging gently, not wanting him to fall over. "We're sorry that we bothered you guys."

"You're not going anywhere." Karen hit her husband in that back of the head, making him frown at her. "The kids always spend holidays with us, Joseph."

"That's part of the problem."

"Joseph-"

"That woman yelled at you, Karen. And when I tried to tell Steven about it, he just blew me off. These kids are completely disrespectful. I'm done with them. I-"

"Then let me call Heidi, Joseph, and tell her not to bring Thisbe and Vinny over. Tell Linda to turn around and go home, that Erica isn't welcome."

"I wasn't talking about them. I was talking about-"

"Oh, your own children? The ones you raised?" She moved to hit his head again, but he dodged it.

"Do not hit me again," he told her simply. "If I did this to you, it wouldn't be acceptable, would it?"

"Joseph-"

"Your cookies are burning," he told her simply. "I can smell them. If you weren't in there crying over that stupid woman, you wouldn't-"

"That woman is your daughter-in-law."

"That woman is nothing to me."

Karen took in a deep breath before looking at me. "Kids, I would like some help frosting these cookies. I was going to wait for the younger children, but apparently they're not invited."

"Karen, I will not fight with you. I was fighting for you."

"By yelling at my sons?"

"I told Steven to get his wife under control. He's the one who-"

"Under control, Joseph?"

"Yes."

"As if he controls her?"

"She's his wife, isn't she?"

"Oh, he owns her than?"

"Do I not you?"

"Joseph Stock-"

"Do I not, Karen? Perhaps if you spent more time reading your bible instead of gossiping, I wouldn't always have to be cleaning up your messes."

He got hit again. Rather hard this time. Joseph grabbed her hand though and threw it away from him, making her stumble slightly.

"Knock it off," Eli said, frowning at them. "God, Dad, are you drunk?"

"She hit me," he said, standing up. Karen just stared at him for a second before shaking her head and heading off back to the kitchen.

"Did Mom mention cookies?" Jake jumped up before rushing in there. This was probably heaven for him, not being the one in trouble for once. Joseph looked at the two of us before leaving the room, heading to his bedroom I think.

"Are we leaving?"

Eli shook his head at me before dropping a kiss on my forehead. "Suppose not. Bring me a beer?"

I left him in the living room before going to do as asked. While I was getting him a beer, I found Karen and Jake staring down at the burnt cookies.

"We'll have to make more," she was saying, shaking her head. "The kids won't want to give Santa burnt cookies."

"Mom, they're fine." Jake ate one making a face before swallowing. "They're just a little, uh, charcoally."

"Kelly just kept calling. And then Joseph yelled at Steven. And Eli. And me. And I just-"

"I bet the kids would rather make cookies when they get here anyways," I told her, trying to be helpful. "Do you have all of the ingredients to make more? I can go to the store if you-"

"I have the stuff to make more," she sighed, still just staring at them. "I'm sorry, Auden, that you had to be here for this."

"It's alright," I assured her as I went to get Eli's beer.

"You gotta be here for the good and the bad," Jake said then, going over to the garbage can to toss out the cookies. "If you're really part of the family. You see the good and the bad. If not, then you're just a visitor."

Karen patted him on the back when he came back with the pan, shaking her head. "When the children get here, we'll make cookies then. Right. Okay. That'll work."

"When can we eat that cake you made earlier though? Now?"

"Jake," she sighed, shaking her head as she headed out of the kitchen and into the backyard. I didn't know what there was for her out there other than the cold, but didn't follow, instead opting to bring Eli his beer.

"Thanks, babe," he said as I handed it off. Then, nodding at the coffee table, he asked, "Pass me the remote, huh?"

Rolling my eyes, I did as asked before sitting down next to him. "I am not feeling well enough for this."

"What's wrong?"

"I still have, like, a pounding headache. Remember? I told you this morning?"

"Mmmhmm. You want some beer? Alleviate it?"

"No," I told him, frowning slightly. "And alleviate?"

"Word of the day."

"Ah."

"After the kids get here, Aud, the night will go by so fast. Then we can just go home, sleep for awhile, and then come back for the whole day." He frowned. "That came out wrong. I was trying to make you feel better."

Leaning against him, I asked, "How long until you get rid of the cast?"

"Few weeks. You don't like it?"

"Not really."

"Injuries come with the territory, babe."

"Stop calling me that." Closing my eyes, I allowed myself to fall asleep against him. It wasn't a long nap though, as the kids arrived not soon after.

"Hi, Auden!"

Groaning, I opened my eyes to find someone had let Vinny and Thisbe come in. They were both standing in front of Eli and I, staring at us.

"Hi," I said, smiling slightly. "Where were you two today?"

"We went to Ms. Heidi's house," Vinny said as he climbed up on the couch next to me, smiling still. "Played with Ralph, watched cartoons, ate lunch. The usual."

Rolling his eyes, Eli moved to pick Thisbe up, depositing her in his lap.

"Eli," she complained. "Maybe I didn't want to sit in your lap."

"Then get down."

"I said maybe."

"When Erica gets here, you guys are going to make cookies for Santa Clause," I told them. "Won't that be fun?"

"What kind?"

"I dunno, Vinny. It doesn't matter. They're for Santa, not for you."

"Daddy told me that Santa ain't real," Thisbe said. "That you're all just lying."

"Your daddy doesn't sound like a very fun person, Thisbe."

She giggled as Joseph came out of the hallway, quickly moving to pick her up and carry her into the kitchen. Guess he's in a better mood…

"Your dad's back healed right up," I said as Vinny jumped up, rushing after his grandfather.

"Wish my leg would do the same."

I kissed his cheek before standing. I was sure Heidi had come in with the children and wanted to talk to her. I found her in the kitchen, where Joseph had now led the children over to the table, letting them each have a cookie.

"I thought Karen burnt the cookies?" I asked her husband.

"Those were the cookies for Santa," he told me as he sat Thisbe down on the ground. "She made these yesterday for us tonight. And there's cake."

Jake, who was at the table already talking to Heidi, took another cookie for himself. "Mom's outside, Dad."

"Doing?"

"I dunno."

"It's freezing out," Joseph said, frowning as he glanced at the backdoor. "Did she put on a coat?"

"Why would I know that?" Jake frowned as his father glared at him. "What? I'm busy discussing my future with Heidi at the moment."

That got her a look from me. She just shrugged. "He wants t get a business degree. I was explaining to him-"

"Jake couldn't even get into community college," I said as the backdoor opened, Karen walking in. "Or night school for that matter."

"Auden," Thisbe said, frowning at me as she moved to pat Jake's knee. "Don't be mean."

"Yeah, Auden, don't be mean," Jake said which about got him hit.

"Karen," Joseph was saying then, walking over to his wife. "It's below freezing out there. What were you doing?"

"I was on the phone."

"Without a jacket or shoes?" He quickly tried to wrap an arm around her, but she pushed him away. "Karen-"

"Hi, Grandma," Vinny greeted, rushing over to hug her. "I get to spend Christmas with you now!"

"I know," she sighed, reaching down to rub the top of his head. "Your mommy called to speak to you, but you weren't home."

"Really?"

"Mmmhmm."

"Does she miss me?"

"Lots."

"Oh."

"You'll get to see her for New Years though," Karen assured him with one final pat to the head. Then, addressing both him and my sister, she said, "When Erica gets here, you're going to make Santa his cookies. Okay?"

Giggling, Thisbe went to hug her too, a cookie in her hands. "I bought you a present for Christmas.

"Did you?"

"Yes."

"I bought you some too," she told Thisbe before going to take a seat at the kitchen table. Joseph stared at her back for a moment before leaving the room, quickly returning with a blanket.

"You're frozen," he told her as he wrapped the blanket around her shoulders. He was right, so she didn't resist, instead wrapping it tighter around herself.

"Come on, kids," Joseph said then. "Let's go turn on the Christmas lights, huh? I forgot today."

"And on Christmas Eve no less."

"Shut up, Jake," he told his son, frowning at him.

"You wanna see my boots?" Thisbe grabbed Joseph's hand, leading him from the kitchen. "Mommy bought them. They're pink and fuzzy. They're by the door. Come on."

Jake and Vinny followed, leaving me a spot at the table with Karen and Heidi. My other two options were Eli, who was still drinking, or Joseph and the kids, who were going outside into the cold. So really, I had no other options.

"What's going on between you two?" Heidi asked as I went to go get a cup of coffee before sitting down. "Karen?"

She just shook her head for a moment as I handed her a cup of coffee too. That got her to smile at me before asking for me to bring her the sugar, which I did. Once I was seated though, she spoke.

"This morning, when Vinny couldn't get on his flight, I immediately called Kelly. We got into an argument about it. Then Joseph found out and started fighting with Steven about it. Not to mention he's been drinking all day."

"Steven?"

Shaking her head slightly, she said, "Joseph. He's just been so stressed out recently. His mother hasn't been doing well since her husband died and then he and his brother Koda have been fighting. Then this… And we started fighting with Eli and Auden showed up. I guess with Steven gone, he has to be mad at someone and I won out."

"He seems to be remorseful."

"Isn't he always?"

"He just likes to please you, Karen."

"I know," she sighed. "He just gets on my nervous sometimes."

"I wish I had a guy like him. All the guys I end up with turnout to be jerks," she sighed, reaching forwards to grab a cookie. "Losers."

"Joseph wasn't born that way, Heidi," she said with an eye roll, shivering slightly. "We've been together many, many years. Since we were in high school. I had to change him slowly. He's always been eager to please though. It wasn't hard. Joseph just needs to be accepted."

"All the guys I'm with just think I should please them."

Karen shrugged. "Then you're not looking in the right place if that's all you ever end up with."

"You married someone right after high school, Karen. You don't understand dating."

"Fine, Heidi. I don't understand dating. I mean, I don't have four children that I've had to help through all of their relationships." She sighed, glancing at me. "Thank you for bring me coffee, Auden."

Nodding, I just looked between the two women, not sure what else to say to them. I was not only with Karen's son, which would be awkward to discuss to begin with, but he was also the only real boyfriend I'd ever had. Not to mention, my one mistake was sleeping with her other son, which would go to my grave as far as Eli's family went.

"Heath's nice," Heidi was saying now, getting up to get a glass of water. "But Isabel and Morgan don't like him."

"I liked Jack," Karen told her. "He was just a tad too old fo you."

"He was not too old for me."

"He was hardly too young for me. That makes him too old for you."

"I liked Jack," I spoke up, finally finding a topic I could be a part of.

"And he was far too old for you," Karen told me, smiling slightly. "Far, far too old."

"Heidi is not that much older than me."

"And that's why I love you Auden," she said, smiling at me.

"You're really not. You're only three years older than Eli."

"And no one ever said Eli was young enough for you either," Karen told me. "But we're so far into this now there's not much we can do, is there?"

"Brrr." Thisbe wrapped her arms around herself as we walked down the street. "It's cold."

"Do you wanna go back now?"

"No!" Vinny ran further ahead of me, sliding on the ice on the sidewalk. "I wanna keep looking at lights."

"Be careful, Vinny," I called to him as Thisbe wrapped her gloved hand around mine. "Are you really that cold, Isby? We can go back home."

"No," she sighed Vinny continued down the street. "Guess not."

After listening to Karen and Heidi gossip for at least an hour, I had been cuckolded into taking Vinny and my younger sister out for a walk around the neighborhood to look at the Christmas lights. It was more or less to get them out of everyone's hair, as they were being rather annoying. Somehow they didn't seem to realize how annoying the two of them could be alone with me. Or just didn't care. One or the other.

"What are you guys doing out here in the cold, huh? Freezing your asses off?"

I frowned as Steven's truck pulled up alongside of us, him rolling down his window to speak to us.

"You shouldn't curse in front of them."

"Daddy!" Vinny ignored his joy of the lights and immediately ran over to the truck. "I didn't go on the airplane. I gotta stay for Christmas!"

"I know. Get in. Give you guys a ride back home."

"We're lookin' at lights," his son told him.

"And you can't look from inside a car? Get in. It's freezing."

Thisbe didn't have to be told again. She rushed to get into the car, shivering. "Lights are boring."

I made sure Vinny got in before sliding into the passenger side. Glancing at Steven, I thought about saying something, but couldn't come up with anything important. The last time we'd spoke, it had been harsh words after all. And there was no way that sorry was in our future.

"Did you guys have fun with Heidi today?" Steven asked the kids as he pulled away from the curb.

"Yes," Vinny said.

"Did you behave?"

"Y-"

"No," Thisbe said, frowning at her friend. "Vinny yelled at Mommy."

"Vincent."

"How come you gotta be a tattletale?" He frowned at my sister.

I just sighed as we drove down the road, quickly reaching the Stock house. I knew before we went inside though that Linda and her family had arrived, as their SUV was parked outside. Sighing as we all got out of Steven's truck, I let Thisbe hold my hand as we walked inside. She quickly let it go though, the second we were in there as she and Vinny ran over to Erica. The little girl was sitting in Joseph's lap as he watched TV, telling him all about how school had been going.

"Now that you're here we get to make cookies," Isby told her as I helped her and Vinny take their coats and boots off. "Come on."

They all three rushed into the kitchen as I took my place on the couch next to Eli, which happened to mean sitting next to Linda's husband Kevin as well. We both greeted one another before I poked my sleeping boyfriend's arm. He groaned, shifting on the couch as he woke up.

"Aud?"

"Mmmhmm."

"Your hand's cold."

"I'm cold," I told him as I slipped it into one of his. "I had to take your nephew and Thisbe to look at lights."

"I'd have gone. 'cept my leg and everything."

"Yeah, I know."

"Auden." Linda appeared in the doorway to the kitchen. "Vinny and Thisbe want you to help them make cookies."

She was smiling, but I was less than thrilled by the thought.

"You don't have to," Eli told me as I stood.

"But I do," I sighed, releasing his hand after he kissed my cheek. I could smell the beer on him, as he'd drank about five by now. He'd be down by the end of the night.

"Auden, we gotta make the cookie dough," Vinny told me as I came into the kitchen. "We don't want Granny or Ms. Heidi to help. We want you."

"I'm honored," I said dryly. "But I don't know how to make cookie dough. You're going to need your grandmother's help, Vinny."

He grumbled, but conceded. Linda and Heidi just sat by as I helped Karen and the kids make cookies, both talking to one another now. Heidi was quick to form a bond with anyone. I think that's why she was so good at being a saleswoman.

"What's for dinner?" Vinny asked as soon as we put the cookies in the oven. "Cake?"

"No, silly," Karen sighed, stroking his head as she passed him. "Pizza."

"With sausage?"

"If you want, honey."

"I do," he told her, nodding his head as he left the room, off to go play now that the cookies were done. Thisbe and Erica were quick to follow him as I went to work cleaning the kitchen with Karen. Apparently, the kids just thought that got done magically and their help was not needed. Apparently.

"Is there a pizza place open, Mom?" Linda asked.

"Mmmhmm. It closes as eight tonight. Joseph should be ordering soon."

"Is that what I should be doing?" Joseph came into the kitchen. "Karen?"

"Don't talk to me, Joseph."

He just came up behind her as she stood at the sink, putting a hand on her shoulder. When she shrugged him off, he said, "Well, I'll just order the pizzas then, okay, Karen?"

"You don't have to ask me first."

"Karen," he groaned, moving back away from her. "What do you want me to do? Apologize to you? I'm not going to say sorry for telling you my biblical right-"

She turned on him then, frowning at him. I was still drying the dishes, making sure not to look at either of them. I hated being around when people were fighting. It was so awkward.

"You do not own me, Joseph."

"I didn't mean it that way, Karen. I was angry-"

"At someone else. Yet somehow you always manage to turn it back on me."

"I'm sorry that I hurt your feels. Okay?" He was staring down at her now, frowning slightly. "It's Christmas Eve, Karen. Let's not fight."

"You're drunk."

"I've been drinking," he admitted. "But I'm far from drunk. You know that. I shouldn't have yelled at Steven. I know that. But that woman made you upset. And when you get upset, I get upset. Especially when someone makes you-"

"Joseph."

Sighing, he looked at the ground before back up at her. "I'm just in love with you."

"I-"

"Aw."

Joseph frowned, turning to look over at the kitchen table. It was Heidi, watching them intently, that had made that noise.

"The two of you are so cute together," she told Karen as she jumped up, rushing over. I just kept my focus on the dishes. "See, Karen? You don't train them to say things like that."

"Train?"

Karen just patted Joseph's arm before turning back around to help me with the dishes. "Nothing, Joey. Go order the pizzas, okay?"

Reaching out for her, he pulled her back against him for a moment, kissing her head, before leaving the room to do as asked. Karen blushed as Heidi said something about what a great man she was married to and all that. Eventually though, she went back over to the table to finish speaking with Linda.

"At least you and Joseph made up," I told her as I put some of the dishes in the rack. She just smiled slightly at me, shaking her head.

"We always do."

"Aud? Are you okay?"

I just groaned, not looking at Eli as he came into the bathroom with me. "I think it was that pizza."

"What about it? You haven't even gotten a chance to eat any."

"That one your dad was eating? With the onions?" I groaned, feeling like I needed to vomit some more. There was nothing in my stomach to puke up though. "Just the smell messed me up."

He stood there, leaning heavily on his crutches as he stared down at me. "Do you need me to get you something else? Some medicine or something?"

"No," I groaned, flushing the toilet before moving over to the sink to wash my mouth out. "I think I'm fine now."

He just stared at me though. "You sure you're not sick? We can go home now."

"You can eat and then we can go."

"Not if you're sick."

"Babe, seriously, I'm fine."

"Oh, you can call me babe now?" Eli smiled at me, his heavily buzzed smile. "Come on, Aud. We have some Sprite. Might help settle your stomach."

"Hope so."

When we got back to the living room, Eli immediately took his place back on the couch. I went into the kitchen though, Joseph's pizza still churning my stomach. Just those onions were killing me, I swear.

"Feeling better?" Heidi was in the kitchen eating pizza with Kevin and Linda.

"A little," I said, going to get a soda from the fridge. Steven, who was standing by the counter, glanced at me, frowning.

"Kelly hated the smell of onions," he sneered at me, too low for the people at the table to hear. "Every time she was pregnant, I couldn't cook with them at all."

I made a face at him. "I'm not pregnant."

"You sure?"

Frowning, I headed back to the living room, sitting down on the couch between Jake and Eli. The kids were gathered around in front of the TV, eating their dinner while watching some Christmas cartoon with talking snowmen and reindeer. The usual. Karen and Joseph had made up completely by that point, sharing his chair like usual. All the family togetherness wasn't helping my stomach any.

Groaning, I buried my head into Eli's arm. I wanted to go home and just go to bed.

"You okay, Auden?" Jake elbowed me. "You're not, like, dying or anything are you?"

"Shut up, Jake."

"I'm being helpful."

"How is that helpful?"

"If you were dying, I would have strongly suggested you take a trip to the hospital, get it all checked out."

"Leave her alone, Jake," Karen told him, frowning over at us. "You guys can go now, Auden, if you're not feeling well."

"I'm fine," I told her as Eli took a sip of his coke. "Just tired is all."

"Yeah, but you've been sick all week," Jake pointed out.

"What? Are you keeping tabs on me now?"

"Excuse me for being a concerned friend. I'll be sure not to be one again."

"Jake-"

"I just thought we were friends, Auden. I should have known though that lovers to friends never works out."

Karen literally choked on her soda while Joseph cleared his throat.

"What?" Karen frowned at us while Eli groaned, resting his head in his hands.

"I'm going to kill you," he muttered to his brother.

"I'll admit it. I'm tired of hiding it." Jake stood, stumbling slightly, tipping me off that my boyfriend hadn't been the only one sneaking beers. "Auden and I had sex."

"Jake!"

"I took her virginity."

"I am going to murder you," I hissed at him as he stumbled back to a sitting position. The kids were watching us now, clearly confused. They knew the word sex was a word they weren't allowed to say of course, but the rest of it went over their heads.

"Why? Why lie? Lies only lead to hurt." Jake crossed his arms defiantly as Heidi stuck her head out of the kitchen, looking in on us. Everyone in the house had heard him. Everyone knew. Everyone. "I'm helping, Auden. Your welcome. She's been keeping it from you guys, Mom, Dad. Eli and her both. Now you know. Now you-"

"Shut up." Joseph stood, leaving Karen behind in his chair, who just stared at us, wide eyed. "Go to your room, Jake."

"Huh? I was just-"

"Now. I can't believe you just said that. And in front of the children."

"It's true though. It's-"

"Now."

"I'm not a little kid!" Still, he ran from the room, off to his bedroom I'm sure.

"Can never just freaking eat in this house," Eli complained as he sat his plate to the side before standing, using his crutches to help him. "Let's go, Auden."

"Now, wait." Karen stood finally. "Don't go. Just…"

"Ain't you gonna open your presents?" Vinny frowned as us. "I gots you one pacifically for Christmas Eve, Auden."

"Specifically," Erica told him, but he just shoved her as he jumped up to run over to Eli and me.

"Daddy! He pushed me."

I was blushing heavily then as Kevin and Linda came into the room as well. Great. This is just great. And I thought listening to Karen and Joseph argue was embarrassing. This was truly mortifying. I swear.

"Vinny, we've told you about shoving," Steven said as he came into the room too. "Come here."

"It's not my fault!" He crossed his arms, pouting. "Auden wasn't going to open my present! I bought it with my own money from working. She has to have it for tomorrow."

"I need another beer," Eli groaned, hobbling off with his crutches to the kitchen. Apparently we weren't leaving.

"I'll open your present, Vinny," I assured him. "Okay?"

Nodding, he went back over to his plate of pizza, giving his cousin a slight hug for shoving her. He was rather nice to Erica for the most part or so I'd observed recently. I think it was because she was older than him though. He always seemed to be nicer to girls though. So long as it wasn't my sister. Then again, they're both pretty terrible to one another.

I did leave the house though then, going out to the front porch. I'd forgotten my jacket, but didn't care. I couldn't go back in there. Because no matter how cold it was outside, it wasn't nearly cold enough to extinguish the flames in my cheeks. God, they all knew now. I couldn't even…

"There's no point in being embarrassed now."

"Go away, Steven. You got what you wanted. Your parents hate me now. Just leave me alone."

He stepped further out onto the porch, shutting the door behind him. "You couldn't have honestly thought that you and Eli would just hide it from everyone forever."

"Shut up."

"It's not that big of a deal as you're making it out to be. So you slept with Jake. Who cares? It's not like you were cheating on Eli or anything. And he knew. So who cares if my parents know?"

"Leave me alone."

"So you're just going to freeze out here then?" He snorted. "Good riddance."

I don't know where things went wrong with Steven and me, but they clearly had. Still, I didn't really plan on making up with him any time soon. He was rude to me constantly. As if his problems were mine. They weren't. I hardly liked him.

When he went inside though, the door didn't close immediately. Instead, his father stepped onto the porch. He just stood there behind me for a moment before moving to stand next to me.

"You can't sit out here and freeze, you know." I glanced up at him as he laid a jacket around my shoulders. It was enormously big, more than likely one of his own. "And for what it's worth, Auden, it's neither Karen nor my business what you've done or what you do. Jake was being spiteful and that was wrong. And quite truthfully, I don't care who you've…had relations with, Auden. You make Eli very happy for some reason. What more could anyone ask for?"

He patted me on the head, as if I were Vinny or Thisbe, before heading back into the house, leaving me out there alone once more.

I stayed out there for awhile, alone, texting Maggie. She was actually free and sent her condolences for the situation. Still, I knew I had to go inside eventually and, as it began to snow again, I figured it was best to just get it over with.

The kids were still watching cartoons when I came in, though now a couple of Vinny's stuffed animals had joined them. I just headed into the kitchen, where the women were. Heidi smiled when she saw me, but Karen just took a sip of her coffee. It was Linda that spoke to me though.

"Hey," she said. "After the kids finish their movie, we're going to let them open some of their presents. Oh, and Eli kind of passed out in his bed."

"Of course," I mumbled as I slipped Joseph's jacket off, putting it on the back of the chair before I sat down. "Was he sick?"

"No," she told me while Heidi grabbed a cookie from the center of the table. Karen gave her a look, no doubt having been keep track of how many the other woman had eaten. Heidi didn't seem to care though as she bit into it.

"He's going to have to get up eventually. Vinny'll have to sleep in there."

"Vinny can sleep with Joey and I," Karen told me. "Or with Steven. It's best if Jake and Eli just stay down for the night. Wouldn't you say?"

Blushing, I looked down at the table while Heidi just rolled her eyes. I'm sure they had been in there talking about me before. As if it was my fault or something. It's not like I planned to sleep with Eli's brother. I hadn't. And Eli knew. He had known before we were even together that I had slept with his younger brother. It wasn't some big secret between the two of us. It didn't matter to Eli. At all. He knew that I wasn't, like, romantically involved with Jake. It was just a hookup. Not even a one night stand. Just one mistake. That's all.

"Mom," Linda said, frowning at her.

"What?" She took another sip of her coffee. "Besides, Auden, it will be easier for you if Eli stays the night. He would have been impossible to wake up tomorrow morning. If he's here, you don't have to worry about that."

"Right," I mumbled. "Okay."

She patted me on the arm then. There. All better. Right.

I got stuck in there with them until the kids were ready to open some of their presents. Karen and Joseph told all three of them that they could open only two and they got to pick which ones. It was odd to me that Thisbe had quickly shifted into being part of the Stock family, just as her mother had. I think the reason partially lied in the fact that Heidi had no family. Not close family. And as I learned, the Stocks were always willing to take in more to their tribe. Well, some of them were at least.

"Here you go, Auden," Vinny said, rushing over to me after he'd open both his presents, which had turned out to be some new Hot Wheels and an action figure. "This is what I got for you."

I was standing with my back against the wall, having been watching my sister more than anything else. She was happy with the two gifts she'd picked, as they turned out to both be Barbies.

"Oh. You wrapped it all on your own, huh?" I took the horribly wrapped gift, smiling at him. "That's very nice, Vinny."

"Your welcome," he giggled. "Ain't nobody else got you something, huh, just for Christmas Eve?"

"No," I said, smiling at him. "I'm not as good of friends with anyone like I am you though."

He was down right giddy now, bouncing up and down as I opened the gift. It was kind of cute, actually.

"Oh, Vinny," I said as I stared at his now opened gift. "You shouldn't have."

He really shouldn't have. It was a pair of long, fuzzy red socks. They had Santa Clause on them, clearly his reason for buying them. He was just staring at me though, excited enough to pee. I couldn't disappoint him.

"See?" He giggled again. "You can wear them to Christmas tomorrow. I was gonna have Granny give them to you when I thought I was going to see Mommy, but now I can be here and see you wear them."

"Yeah," I said while Linda, who was next to me, started laughing, clearly finding this hilarious. "I will wear them."

"I was with Grandpa at the store and I'd seen them. They costed a while three dollars! And I had my money from work with me. And I told him that I wanted to get 'em for you. Since we're such good friends."

"We are," I agreed slowly, glancing at Joseph. He was busy paying attention to Erica and Thisbe though, pretending to be interested in the two gifts they had each opened. I can't believe he did this to me. Now I honestly had to wear these the next morning.

"Thank you, Vinny," I said, leaning down to give him a hug. He immediately became bashful, as he always did when I thanked him.

"Your welcome," he said, shuffling his feet as he stared down at the ground. "Do you like 'em?"

"I do. Very much."

"Good." He reached out and touched them. "They're fuzzy."

"I've noticed."

After thanking him one more time, I let Vinny go back over to his toys, as he was super excited about.

"Socks, huh?"

"Yeah," I told Heidi, staring at them as she came over to me. "I have to wear them now tomorrow."

"It just shows how much he loves you, Auden."

"Yeah, I know."

"And why did you never tell me about Jake?"

I frowned looking at her. "It never came up. And I really don't' feel like talking about it here."

"Of course," she said, nodding. "Are you feeling better at least?"

"A little. It was just the smell of those onions."

She smiled at me. "Was it?"

"Heidi-"

"It was just a question."

Thisbe distracted her then, wanting her mother to help her get her Barbies out of the box. It was then that I made my escape, telling the children by quickly before leaving the house. I had driven, so I didn't need to get the keys from Eli. I figured if he was asleep and going to stay that way, I might as well not even bothering with telling him goodbye. I'd be seeing him in the morning anyways.

When I got to the apartment, I realized just how much that whole night had sucked. I told Eli from the start that we shouldn't go over there multiple days in a row, that doing so only bred drama. And boy had I gotten some of that.

It was dark in the apartment of course, but I didn't feel like turning on any lights. It was only around eleven and I knew I had to be up by six to be ready to go over to Joseph and Karen's by nine. Then I'd have to suffer through at least twelve hours over there. Maybe more. And then I got to do it all over again on New Years Eve. Sometimes I wonder if Eli's really worth it.

I woke up alone to the sound of my phone going off. It was still dark in there, but that was mostly due to the fact he kept the window blanketed up. I was nearly certain this was due to his habit of being hungover constantly. I never called him out on it mainly because I wasn't big on bright lights either.

Groping around on the bedside table, I eventually located my cell. "Hello?"

"We thought you were coming over this morning."

Just hearing Karen's voice gave me a serious headache. Honestly.

"What do you mean?" I mumbled.

"It's nine, honey."

"What?"

"Are you upset with us, Auden? Because I honestly don't care if you…slept with-"

"I thought I set an alarm. It's nine?" Sitting up, I looked around. "I'll be over soon."

"It's no rush, Auden. I was just worried you thought that you weren't welcome."

"No, I'll be over soon. I just overslept."

"Well, Heidi told me that I was a little…rude to you about the whole Jake thing and that was why you left so suddenly. I was just understandably…shocked by the extent of your relationship with-"

"It was one time before I knew Eli. Like my first night in Colby. Eli knew before we even started being friends, much less dating. So no, I really don't see how that would affect your view of me."

"Auden-"

"I really need to take a shower," I told her. "I'll be over in twenty."

"Alright. Goodbye."

I didn't really want to go over there, like at all, but I knew now if I didn't show up, it would only lead to another fight between Karen and I. Not to mention Eli was stuck over there suffering and I felt kind of bad.

"You're late," Vinny told me the second I came into the house, Steven having been the one to answer the door. "We didn't wait for you."

And they hadn't, which was fine. The younger kids and Jake were down on the ground, opening their Christmas presents. Everyone was scattered around the living room, watching them. Joseph was noticeably absent, but I was more concerned with Eli, who looked about how I felt. Then again, he had passed out drunk only the night before.

"Hey." He kissed me as I took my place next to him on the floor, everyone else already seated on the couch and everywhere else. While Jake was near the tree like one of the little kids, Eli was sitting with his back against the wall, just watching. I was worried about him getting back up, what with his leg, but didn't feel the need to push it.

"Hey."

"Left your gift back at the house," he told me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "Didn't know I wouldn't be going back."

"It's fine, Eli. I left yours there too."

"Didn't get you nothing special."

"Great. Matches what I got you."

He kissed my cheek this time. "Love you."

"Yeah, I know."

It was then that Joseph came back into the room, from the kitchen. That wasn't of much interest, but what he was holding was.

Karen at that time was helping Vinny get his new superhero toy out of its box. She only looked up when Erica, who was next to her, squealed wildly.

"A kitty," she screeched, making my sister look up too. "Is it for me, Grandpa?"

"No," he said as Karen stood, making a face at him. "It's for Grandma."

"Joseph-"

"I know that we said we'd never get another pet after Ben died, but I thought it'd been long enough. Seven years or so." He handed off the black kitten to his wife, pressing a kiss to her cheek while he was at it. "I already took him to the vet and everything."

"Where did you get him?"

"The Jameson's cat had kittens. They offered and I just thought of you."

"Joey…"

"Why can't you be like that?" I mumbled in Eli's ear as I shifted against him.

"Babe, I'll have you know that my cheap jewelry will be a lot more helpful in life than a stupid cat."

"Oh, the reasons I stay with you."

He frowned down at me as my leg rubbed against him. "Uh, Aud?"

"Mmmm?"

"What are you wearing?"

"These?" I looked down at my red, fuzzy socks. "Vinny bought them for me. You know, 'cause he'd make a better boyfriend than you."

"Babe, you want cheap socks, I can get you some of those."

"It has to come from the heart."

"If that comes out of my heart, call the doctor."

I smiled, watching as Karen let the children hold the kitten, making sure they knew to be gentle with it. The girls seemed overly interested in it while Vinny just kept asking if he could play fetch with it.

"Did you guys have a lot of pets growing up?" I asked Eli.

"Tons. All the time. Then, when we got older, when we all started moving away, Dad told Jake that they weren't going to have anymore. We just had one dog then. Benjamin. He was Mom's dog really. And when he died, that was just it. We closed shop."

"Your mom looks happy," I mumbled to him as he reached down to rub my socks, wanting to see how they felt. "More so than when your brother made his little announcement last night."

"It's all a blur for me."

"Eli-"

"They had to find out eventually." He nuzzled my neck, kissing it gently. "And I don't give a damn what they think. I know what happened. And I know what will never happen again. I have a past and so do you. Who cares? I've been with more women than you have men."

"He wasn't a man."

Eli laughed, his breath feeling hot against my neck. "No. And he's still not."

I looked at the guy in question, who was currently unboxing his brand new gaming system. I could see Joseph glaring at his wife now, apparently not knowing she had bought that for Jake. She just smiled as he youngest son rushed to hug her.

"That is not fair," Eli yelled, stumbling as he stood before using his crutches to get over to his mother. "Mom, how could you buy him that? I'm still playing my freaking PS2! This is crap."

I just smiled as I wrapped my arms around myself, shutting my eyes gently. Jake might not be a man yet, but Eli was hardly one either.

"Auden?"

Opening my eyes, I found Vinny standing next to me. "Hmmm?"

"You wore my socks."

"I did," I agreed. "They're very comfy."

Sitting down next to me, he sat a few action figures in my hand. "You and Eli bought me the Hulk."

"Which one is that?"

"Auden," he giggled, thinking I was joking. Okay then. "I like Gambit."

"Oh." I wasn't even going to ask about that one.

"We can play together," he told me. "If you want. I got new cars too. And Daddy bought me a new hat!"

"That was nice of him."

"Mmmhmm." He giggled again. "What did your daddy buy you?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing at all?"

"Nope."

"That's sad. You don't have a good daddy."

"I do. He's just not like that. I'm an adult, Vinny."

"Jake's an adult. He got a gift."

"His parents are different than mine. You know my dad. Mr. Robbie."

Giggling, he said, "Yeah, I know Mr. Robbie. I like 'im."

"I know you do."

"Your mommy's okay too. Not as good as my mommy though."

"No, not as good."

"I'mma call her soon. Tell her merry Christmas and stuff. Talk to my sissy and bubby. I love 'em."

"I know you do."

"Do you think Granny'll let me hold the kitty?" He was staring at his cousin and my sister now, frowning. "They're hogging it from me."

"They're just excited. You can play with him later, I'm sure."

"I wish Granny had gotten a doggie. I like dogs."

"You have Ralph."

"Guess so."

Heidi came over then as Vinny jumped up, taking his toys with him as he ran over to Kevin, wanting to show off his action figures to the man. Heidi just filled Eli's spot, moaning softly as she sat down next to me.

"I'm getting too old for these things, Auden."

"Sitting down?"

"You're funny. Just wait; you'll be there eventually too."

"You're not that old."

"No. Just old enough now." She patted me on the knee. "So how are you feeling this morning?"

"Heidi-"

"You just need to take a test. We both know what it'll come out."

"You thought you were pregnant, not too long ago. And look what happened."

"And maybe it'll be the same for you. You can't just ignore it though, Auden."

"Okay, so I threw up a few times. So what?"

"Have you missed?"

"That is a very personal-"

"So you have."

"Heidi-"

"You can run from it, sweetie. Just take the test. If you're not pregnant, then no harm, no foul. But if you are, then it's best to know as soon as possible."

"I know," I mumbled. "I'm just…scared. Of what will happen."

"I'm more scared of what will happen when you and this boyfriend of yours finally grasp that birth control and condoms are important."

"Heidi-"

"I know." She smiled at me. "It'll be okay, Auden. Trust me."

And I did. Trust Heidi I mean. I had for many years now. The thing was though, Heidi wasn't a fortune teller. She wasn't a god. She couldn't tell me what would happen. She had no idea what it would mean if I really was pregnant. Or what it would mean if I wasn't…

"Who's ready for breakfast?" Joseph had finished moderating the argument between his two sons and was now heading towards the kitchen. "Come on, kids. You can help me. Just wash your hands first."

"No," Erica said as she and Thisbe sat down on the floor, the cat in between them. "We wanna play with the kitty."

"I'll help you, Dad," Linda said, heading in there, while Karen just smiled at the girls. Vinny rushed off to help too as Eli and Jake went to work setting up their game thingy in the living room.

"Grow up," Steven mocked, crossing his arms as he watched them set it up. "I mean seriously."

"Move out," Eli volleyed back, Jake choosing to remain silent. "I mean seriously."

"What did you just say to me?"

"I think you heard me."

"You-"

"Knock it off. Both of you." Karen moved to pick up her new pet, making both girls while loudly. "You two go help Joey. You can play with the kitten later, okay? Grandpa can't make all that food on his own, can he?"

They ran off, both giggling while Karen just took a seat in her husband's usual chair, her cat in her lap. The kitten was understandably terrified, eyes wide as it looked around the room, meowing randomly.

"Poor kitty." Heidi got up, leaving me behind as she went over to inspect the cat. "That's so cute, Karen. Him buying you a cat."

"Mmmm." She scratched under the kitten's chin, smiling. "I didn't ask for one though. I really never planned to have another pet. I'm sure he meant well though."

"Of course he did." Heidi gave the cat a gentle pat as well. "I always wanted a cat. Then Eli had to go and get Thisbe a dog-"

"Kids need dogs," Eli told her, not looking away from their new game console. "Not cats. Cats are for crazy old women. No offense, Mom."

"We had all sorts of pets for the kids growing up," Karen sighed. "But I had a cat once, when Joey and I first moved into this house, right after Steven was born. I loved that cat. Her name was Snowball."

"I never had a pet before Ralph. And he's been…an eye opener as far as those go."

Sighing, I stood up before walking off to the kitchen. Joseph was in there of course, letting the kids mix together a bowl of eggs while he fried some bacon.

"You bought a lot of eggs," I commented, looking at the cartons he'd pulled out o the fridge. "And a lot of bacon."

"Of course I did, Auden," he said, smiling at me. "My kids came home. I love that. Having them all here. And my grandkids. I want to cook for them."

"Just seems costly," I commented, standing at the stove with him.

"I love having them here though. They're all my world." He patted me on the shoulder with one hand. "All of them."

"That cat for Karen though? That's going to cost money."

"Ah, this wasn't even a big year for us, present wise. There have been years, back when we were kids, that I just bought her things just for the hell of it." He shook his head slightly. "Besides, the cat's not all."

"What do you mean?"

"Tonight I'll give her the rest."

I about died. I swear.

"I got her a necklace too," he finished. The breath I let out then was probably the longest I'd ever released. "Pretty nice one. The kitten was free. I hadn't even thought about it until it was offered. We haven't had an animal in years. I thought it was a good time to get another. Karen loves taking care of things."

"Yeah," I sighed, glancing over at the three kids at the table, who were now arguing over who got to stir the bowl. "She does."

"I swear, this cat's going to shed all over the house. Not to mention his litter box will start stinking eventually." Karen continued to pet him however. "Auden, every time you're over, I want a status update. Especially when you've been away for months or weeks. Be brutally honest about how the house smells. If you live in it everyday, you just become immune. I need an unbiased, honest opinion."

I just continued to pick at my piece of pie, not really sure why I'd gotten any. My stomach wasn't upset or anything, but I wasn't really hungry. Still, Karen had offered it to me and it was just us in the kitchen. I'd have felt rude if I said no. Or, more over, I'd have feared she'd think I was rejecting her after the whole Jake admission thing.

"Auden, honestly, look at me," Karen requested after I didn't say anything for a minute. "Are we fighting?"

"No."

"Then what is wrong with you?"

Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly before looking up to meet her eyes. "I think I'm pregnant."

We were alone in the house, as Joseph had taken most of the kids out into the backyard to build snowmen. Heidi had gotten a call from some boyfriend and left, leaving Thisbe with us. Kevin and Linda had gone back to their hotel, claiming they were tired. My boyfriend and Jake had somehow been dragged away from their game console for awhile by Steven, who had taken them out to go buy batteries for the controllers. They'd been gone awhile though and I figured they'd gotten into a fight. Or died in a fiery car wreck. Both sounded good to me at the moment. All three of them.

"Oh, honey, I already knew that," she said as her kitten jumped out of her lap, tentatively walking across the cold tile floor over to its new water dish.

"What?"

"Well, I assumed. I just thought you hadn't said anything because Linda told us she was." Karen shrugged at me. "I didn't know you were hiding it."

"I'm not," I told her. "I don't even know if I am yet. I haven't, you know, taken the test or anything."

"Well, I'd be shocked if you weren't." She shook her head at me. "It'll be a mess now, you and Linda having kids so close together. For Joey and I, I mean. Keep track of birthdays and such."

"I haven't even told Eli yet," I admitted. "I mean, I haven't told him that I think I am."

"Well, don't until you're sure." She took a long sip of coffee before saying, "I'd be mighty shocked if you weren't though."

"I'm just…nervous."

"It's highly unlikely, Auden, that what happened before will happen again. Trust me."

And I did. I trusted Heidi and Karen both. Although sometimes they gave me warring point of views on things, neither had ever led me down a completely wrong path. Unlike my own mother, they had no real stock in with I did. They cared about me, of course, but if I was wrong, I wasn't their child; I wouldn't be an humiliation to them or their reputation. They just wanted me to succeed. No matter what that meant to me.

"You wouldn't have any idea, would you, of how far along you are?"

"Not really."

"Let's hope it just times out alright with your graduation, yes? It'd be a shame for anything to delay that, so close to the end." She smiled at me then. "Now you really will be here for the long haul."

"What do you mean?"

Shrugging slightly, she said, "You were so gung-ho before about getting far away from Colby, from Lakeview. Now it looks like you're right back in the position you were before."

I ran a hand down my stomach, frowning. "I could still leave. Eli and I. If I wanted. Pregnant or not."

"Not at first," Karen told me.

"Why not?"

"You'll need help, honey, with the baby. Your mother more than likely. Not to mention Heidi will be overjoyed at the thought. And Joey and I are always here."

"I just don't want to be-"

"Stuck here. Yes, I know." She stood then, going to get herself a piece of cake. "You know, Auden, that you're welcome in this family. Overly so."

"I know," I said before stomaching a piece of pie.

"I just wish, however, that my son was more father material."

"Eli will-"

"Eli's a drunk currently, sweetheart." She sighed. "Maybe it just skips a generation. Joey's okay. Just not his boys."

"He'll be okay now though, Eli will," I assured her. Or maybe I was assuring myself. "Right? He just got really depressed about…about Clayton. Now though, if we have another baby, everything will be alright. Right?"

"I hope so, Auden," she sighed. "I sure hope so."

I just sat there, staring at the table as Karen came back to sit with me. We didn't speak for a long time. It was her, finally, that had to say something.

"For what it's worth, Auden, it doesn't matter."

Glancing up at her, I asked, "What doesn't matter?"

"What…happened between you and Jake." She shook her head, sighing. "A mistake, yes, but a child's one. You were hardly an adult. You were, what?"

"Eighteen."

"Eighteen." She smiled softly, as if thinking of something else entirely. "You were still a baby. You still are a baby now, to me. Hardly grown. You, Eli, Jake. All three of you. No different than Vinny, Thisbe, and Erica to me. That's what happens when you get old though, I suppose. You look at a thirteen year old, Auden, and see a child, just as you would a five year old. It's no different for me. Maybe that's why I baby my boys so much."

"It was once," I told her softly. "My first day in Colby. It was just kind of a party thing. I didn't even know Eli yet. I-"

"You don't have to explain it to me, dear," she said, shaking her head.

"I want to," I told her. "I don't want you to think that I'm-"

"I don't think anything of you, Auden, that I haven't thought of you already. I think that you and Eli are too young to be involved the way you are, but I was your age and know those things happen. I know that you think you and Eli will last and I know that I hope you're right. I like you. Truly and honestly."

"I like you too," I mumbled, looking back down at the table once more.

"Good. That's all that matters. Other than you finding out for sure if you're pregnant. That's very important too." She smiled at me. "Joey and I care about you very much."

"I know."

"And, though I know he's my son, I find that recently I don't rather like Jake."

"What?"

"I'll always love the boy, but honestly, how much ruder can one person be? And announcing it like that. In front of the children." She made a face as she ate a bite of cake. "What he said before though does ring true."

"What's that?"

"Family doesn't mean just being there for the good, Auden." She reached across the table, laying a hand on top of one of mine. "It's being there for the bad as well. Remember that next time you think I'm upset with you, will you?"

"Only if you remember it next time Joseph claims his ownership."

I don't know why it made me feel so good to hear Karen laugh then, but it did. It truly did.

"Aud, are you here?"

"In the bedroom."

"Damn, it's been a hell of a day. Bikes shop was busy as hell. Always is the first few days after Christmas though. You know, kids get new bikes, bust a tire or something."

"Yeah," I sighed as Eli came into the bedroom, immediately leaning his crutches up against the dresser before collapsing on the bed. I was sitting up, facing away from him.

"Should file for disability or something. Think that'd work? Everyone else gets to cheat the system. When's our turn?" When I didn't respond, he moved to touch my back. "Aud?"

"Eli," I mumbled, moving to rest my head in my hands. It was a few days later and I'd finally done it. I had no choice really. Karen and Heidi wouldn't leave me alone about it, after all. "I gotta tell you something."

"What?" He pushed up on his elbows, moving closer. I knew my tone wasn't helping anything, but I wasn't happy. Like at all. "What's wrong?"

"You know how I haven't been feeling well and stuff for, like, a couple of weeks or whatever?"

"God, Auden. Are you, like, dying?"

"What?" Frowning, I looked back at him. "No, idiot."

Scowling, he said, "Name calling is not neces-"

"I'm pregnant."

For a moment we just stared at each other. Then he swallowed, visibly.

"Auden-"

"I hate this, Eli," I moaned as I moved to lay down with him, burying my head in his chest as I cried softly. "I hate it."

"It'll be okay, Auden."

"How can you say that? We thought it would last time and-"

"This isn't last time, Auden," he told me as he stroked the back of my head. "This is this time."

"Eli-"

"I just know, alright?" He let out a long sigh, no doubt shocked. We just both laid there for a long time, him holding me. Could we really do this again?

And that's it for Autumn Leaves. The next one should be posted soon…if anyone cares…at all…