Sharing

January 21, 2016

Jake entered Amy's apartment with the bags of takeout. She was on the couch, at least two blankets covering her, and having hot chocolate. She really hated the cold. 'Hey,' Jake said as he sat down and put the takeout on the table in front.

'Hey,' Amy replied, giving him a soft peck on the lips. 'I thought you were working, what're you doing here?' Amy asked.

'Oh, we got the man. Yeah, I chased him and all Terry had to do was stand so that he'd run right into him.'

'That's nice. What about your paperwork? Don't you need to work on that?'

'Hey, do you not want me here or not?' Jake asked as if he were offended.

'Of course I do,' she said as she gave him another peck. 'You brought takeout?' Amy asked as she looked at the bag on her table.

'Oh, yeah. I don't know if you've had dinner or not. I was hoping we could have dinner together.'

'Well, as a matter of fact, I was gonna order in as well. But having dinner with you sounds lovely. I'll go get some plates.'

As she threw the blankets off and got up to get the plates, Jake saw that she was wearing at least two sweaters underneath a hoodie. 'Sheesh, you must be cold,' he commented.

'Yeah, I feel cold really easily,' she said. But there was something about the hoodie she was wearing that grabbed his attention.

'Ames, is that my hoodie?' he asked.

'What? This?' she asked as she looked down at it, 'No, it's mine.'

'Really? It looks a lot like my N.Y.P.D. hoodie.'

'Jake,' she said as she walked back towards the couch, 'we both work in the force. Our hoodies are obviously gonna look the same.'

As she sat down and started taking out the food, Jake was still observing the hoodie. 'True,' he said, 'but that one's mine. It even has the stains that you said were "horrid".' Amy looked like she was caught. 'Ames, why are you wearing my "horrid" hoodie?' Jake asked. He was smiling at the fact that Amy, the one who needed everything perfect, was wearing something that was unclean.

'Okay, yes,' Amy began, 'this is your hoodie. Couple days back, when you drove me home from work, I was finding it really cold. Your hoodie was there in the backseat and I wore it. It was so warm and comfortable I didn't wanna take it off once you dropped me. But you can have it back now, I guess. I mean, I have my own hoddies.'

As she was about to take it off, Jake stopped her, 'Ames, it's okay. You can wear it.'

'You sure?'

'Yeah, I've no problem you borrowing my hoodie or anything else. Just keep yourself warm, okay?'

'Thanks,' she said as she kissed his cheek. 'Oh, I forgot the drinks,' she said as she got up.

'Oh, just water for me.'

'Why?' asked Amy. She was already pouring them two glasses of wine.

'I'm driving.'

'No, you're not.'

'What?'

'You're spending the night here.'

'Ames, as much as I'd love that, I gotta do the paperwork to today's case.'

'True,' said Amy as she walked back to the couch, 'but you did ask me to keep myself warm and I'd feel warm if you would be with me in bed.'

Jake laughed softly, having been beaten by his own argument. And he did keep her warm that night and almost every night since then.

July 19, 2029

'Harry, that's my T-shirt!' Mac shouted.

'But I wanna wear it! It's blue!' Harry shouted back.

As Amy entered their room, she saw her two sons fighting over a T-shirt. 'Mac! Harry! Stop fighting!' she ordered. The two boys stopped immediately. They were obedient kids. 'Now,' continued Amy, 'what's the matter?'

'I want to wear this shirt, Mommy, but Mac won't let me,' Harry complained.

'Mac, is that true?'

The boy looked down. 'It's mine,' he said.

'What about sharing? What have Daddy and I told you about sharing?'

'Sharing is caring.'

'Exactly.'

'But Mommy, it's my favorite shirt! And it's big for Harry.'

Amy looked at the shirt Harry was carrying. It did look big for Harry. 'Harry, come here,' she said. When Harry did, Amy helped him put on the T-shirt. It draped him almost entirely. 'Your brother's right, it is big for you.'

'But, Mommy, I like it,' Harry protested.

Amy sighed. Harry loved wearing Mac's clothes. He often said that wearing his elder brother's clothes made him feel like a 'big boy'. Amy found it cute but this T-shirt was not Harry's size. 'Harry, it looks like you're wearing a dress. I'll find some other old clothes of Mac's that you can wear, baby,' Amy said as she got her son out of the shirt.

When Amy exited the room, her daughter was waiting for her. 'Mommy, why were Mac and Harry fighting?' Liz asked.

'Harry wanted to wear one of Mac's T-shirts,' Amy explained.

'Does that mean they'll take my clothes?'

Amy smiled at the innocence of the girl. 'No,' she said as she fixed a braid on her head, 'they don't want a girl's clothes.'

And Amy was right. Mac and Harry were not interested in Liz's clothes. Not then, not now. What Amy didn't realize was that Liz would borrow her brothers' clothes as she grew up. 'Mom always borrows Dad's clothes,' Liz would argue with her brothers. And Amy would always smile softly as she heard her daughter's argument.