"Sorry, Ali. I didn't mean to sneak up on ya like that. I was just out taking a walk and I thought I'd swing by to see if Jack was here, maybe helping Livvie clean up after the shower and all."
"Oh, well...he's not here. Sorry."
There was an awkward silence between the two for a few seconds, that seemed to last forever. Neither really knew how to spark a conversation under the circumstances.
"Oh...well...umm," Alison tried to think of something to say, sensing the awkwardness of the situation, "So, how are you?"
"I'm fine. How are you? Still beautiful as ever I see."
"Ha! Yeah, so people keep telling me. I'm starting to wonder if I really look THAT bad that everyone feels the need to tell me how great I look."
They both shared a heartfelt laugh.
"Nah, Ali... Trust me, you never looked better." Jamal stared deeply into Alison's eyes, taking in that beautiful smile he loved so much.
"Yeah, well...I'm about to pop. I'll tell ya. I'm counting down the days at this point. This baby couldn't come soon enough. Of course, when I'm actually in the delivery room, it might be a different story."
"Haha...yeah, well, Lucy'll be there for ya. Number one coach, and all."
"Oh please...I love Lucy to death...but let's not even go there."
"Well...it could be worse...you could have had ME for a coach!" Jamal joked.
"Haha! Hey now! We're a pretty good team, you and me, and don't you forget it!"
Alison leaned in to push Jamal teasingly, when, by automatic reflex, Jamal took her hand and held on to it. The moment seemed like an eternity. The two stared into each other's eyes, and Alison could see all of the love that flowed from Jamal. He hadn't looked at her that way, and she hadn't felt this close to him, in over a year. But Alison's thoughts soon reverted back to Rafe, and she pulled away.
"Jamal...I'm sorry, I gotta-..." Alison turned away from Jamal and began to walk toward the house.
"Wait! Ali, wait!" Jamal pleaded.
Alison turned back around to find Jamal down on one knee.
"Ali, there's something I want to ask you."
Lucy and Livvie finished taking down the last streamer and moving all of the furniture back into place.
"There we go! Spic and Span...well...as spic and as span as it's gonna get til the cleaning lady comes tomorrow," Lucy brushed herself off and plopped down on the couch.
"Yeah, looks good to me. I'm so glad the shower went so well. I really wanted to give Alison a really special day. Speaking of Alison... where DID she go?" Livvie began to look around the house, followed by Lucy.
"Alison? Alison? Where are you?" The two shouted throughout the house, when they finally heard the front door open and shut.
Livvie and Lucy hurried back into the living room to find Alison standing at the door. She looked dazed...and very cold.
Livvie ran to her, worried, "Alison? Are you okay? Where in the world did you go? You were gone forever!"
Alison's face remained looking very confused...almost in a state of shock...as she looked at Livvie, "Huh? What?"
"Hello! Earth to Alison! What happened to you?" Lucy waved her hands in front of Alison's face, to bring her out of her daze.
"Oh...ummm...ha! Wow! Nothing, I'm fine. Whoo! Just a little daze there! All better now. Ummm...Livvie...can we maybe go?...I just think...I think I'm really tired, that's all." Alison tugged at Livvie's arm.
Livvie and Lucy both looked very confused, not really understanding what was going on.
"Yeah...umm...sure we can go. But...are you sure you're okay?"
"Oh, I'm fine. Just tired, like I said."
Lucy was not convinced, "Alison, maybe you should just sit down for a little while...I can make you some herbal tea...."
"No, no, Lucy...thanks, really. I'm fine. And listen, thank you SO much for the shower. I LOVED it! And I love you! Thank you so much, again. But I really just wanna get home and go to bed." Alison leaned in to hug Lucy, then handed Livvie her coat and started to pull her out the door.
"Oh, ok. Well then...Ta-..." The door shut before Lucy could say another word. She turned around and walked back toward the kitchen. Maybe Alison didn't need any herbal tea, but she sure did after the day.
There was a silence in the car as Livvie drove and Alison stared out the window. Livvie was waiting for Alison to start talking, but her mind seemed to be up in the clouds. Livvie pulled off the side of the road and put the car in park.
"Livvie! What are you doing?"
"Spill, Alison!"
"Livvie, there's nothing to-..."
Livvie shot Alison a look, and Alison knew that she was not buying it.
"Ok, ok...Something happened when I went for a walk outside Lucy's house....I...I ran into someone."
"What kind of explanation is that? Come on, Ali...talk...who did you run in to?"
Alison spit it out, "Jamal! Ok?! I ran into Jamal."
"Jamal? So what? Did he say something that's got you in this daze?"
"Oh...well...ya know...nothing big...he just asked me to marry him is all."
"What?!" Livvie was shocked.
"Bro! You asked her to marry you?! You guys aren't even together! I mean...Livvie and I thought it would be great if you took steps to GETTING back together...but I never thought you'd PROPOSE to her!"
Jamal just sat in the bikeshop staring at the ground as Jack rambled away.
"So, don't keep me in suspense, man...What'd she say?"
"What do you think she said? Do I LOOK like the love of my life just agreed to marry me."
"So...umm...I guess that's a no, huh?"
"She gave me the same old song and dance. You know...she's still in love with Rafe, and she always will be...and she'll always think of me as one of her best 'friends'." Jamal couldn't help but make "air quotations" with his fingers, in his annoyed state.
"Ouch."
"Yeah, yeah...I got the 'friends' speech."
"Jamal, I don't wanna sound indifferent here, but...do you really wanna take that big of a leap anyway? I mean, getting married is a big enough deal, but Alison's got a lot of baggage...mainly around the stomach region. I mean, the baby's due next month...and it's Rafe's baby. Do you really wanna raise his and Alison's child?"
"I love her, man. I can't help it. And yeah, marriage is a big step...but I know how worried she's been lately about raising the kid on her own and all...and I think I could...I think I could raise the baby with her. I mean...you don't know, Jack...we used to dream of getting married and having a family together all the time. She always said, whenever I'd be feeling down about giving up Hope, that one day we'd have a family of our own...and I want that, Jack! I wanted it then, and I want it now...and I want it with her!"
Jack walked over to his disheartened friend and put his hand on Jamal's shoulder, as a sign of comfort. "Jamal, I know you want that. But...but, if Alison doesn't...well, then..."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. But, ya know, there was a moment tonight...just a second...where we looked at each other, and it was like nothing ever changed between us."
"I know, bro...but stuff has changed. It's changed A LOT!"
"Tell me about it. Man, what I'd give to go back to the days before...before Rafe, before Valerie's death, before ...vampires."
"Hey, man, I hear ya. Believe me...I'm right there with ya."
"Yeah, well...we can't go back can we? So we just gotta keep movin on."
"That's right my man...and, hey, ya never know, Alison might come around in time."
"Well, after she said no the second time tonight, I told her to think about it. So I guess it's up to her now. And we'll just let it go and see what happens. Ya know...I just want her to be happy. That's all."
"I know."
"And if all I can be to her is her friend, then I guess I'll take it. I know one thing for sure...I just don't ever want to lose her...not again."
"Hey...come on, man...let's go grab a couple beers."
"Is that supposed cheer me up?"
"Well...I'll pay..."
"I'm up...let's go!" Jamal smiled at Jack and the two headed through the doorway into the Recovery Room.