Chapter 39
Saturday afternoon, and everyone was starting to get nervous. Brian was sitting on the steps playing with the box in his hands. He heard the front door creak open and turned to see Dom standing with two glass bottles in his hand. He paused, looking at Brian, before sitting down next to him. He handed him one of the bottles, and Brian took a swig before placing it on the step. "You sure you wanna do this Brian? It's a big step man!" Dom asked as he watched Brian turn the box over in his hands. Brian laughed at what Dom had said. "'A big step'. Understatement of the year." They both laughed amongst themselves. "But yeah, I'm gonna do this. I wanna do this, really!" he confided in Dom. Dom looked away down the street, watching a group of about six guys hovering over an old Mustang.
"Well man!" he laughed as he slapped Brian on the back. "I'm sure it'll go your way" he met Brian's eyes and nodded his head. "Thanks Dom" Brian beamed back at him. "Sure, " he gave him another smack, "I'm gonna go catch V and Leon. See ya 'round." "Yeah. See ya." Brian watched him leave, then put the box back into his pocket, before getting up and walking over to his car.
Mia's stomach had been doing somersaults from the moment she had woken that day. She was sitting with Letty on the couch. "Have you decided about the race yet?" Letty asked her as she laced up her boots. "Yeah. I'm not going. I'd only make things worse!" she replied. Letty nodded her head without looking up from the boot wedged between her knees. She understood that Mia would probably break down. "So when are you gonna tell him about the baby then?" she asked with a shrug of her shoulders. "Whenever I get a chance" she said with a sigh. "Where is everybody?" she asked as she looked around. Letty raised her head, having finished with that boot. She placed it on the floor, and scanned the house as she picked up the other one. "Vince and Leon went round to Jade's a while ago, and last time I seen Brian and Dom, they were working out front!" Mia got up and looked out the window. She saw Brian sitting in the Eclipse. The door was open and he was just sitting there, staring blankly ahead. Letty didn't even notice Mia walking out of the house. She was too busy getting' her boots ready for that night. As Mia walked towards Brian, she thought of telling him right there, right then. He saw her coming and smiled up at her. He didn't get out the car, but instead waited while she walked around the car and got into the passenger seat. "How long you been out here?" she asked, glancing around the interior of the car. "Not long. Just thinking about tonight!" he told her. She knew that he wasn't in the mood to find out that he was gonna be a dad. "Car looks good!" she pointed out. Brian paused as he looked over the interior, then nodded his head. "Yeah. Let's hope it runs as good as it looks, huh!" Mia frowned. "Now your getting nervous. Five hours before the race!" she asked him with a perplexed look on her face. He didn't move, just stared as he was before. "Brian, you OK?" she asked as she took his hand in hers. He looked down at Mia's hand. "Yeah. I'm not nervous. It's just that, if.." He broke off. "If," Mia encouraged him to finish. He paused again and took a breath. "If I don't win, you know what'll happen. Not just to me, but to everyone," he finally concluded. "Hey," Mia shouted, "don't talk like that. You'll win, and you know it." "Do I?" he challenged. "Yes. You know, and all of us know, that his car will beat any car!" she smiled at him. He stared intently at her, then let out a breath as he nodded. Mia leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. "OK! You comin' in?" "I'll be in in a while. I'm gonna sit here for a while!" Mia nodded. "Sure!" She got out of the car, and went back inside.
Two hours later, Letty, Dom, Brian, Vince and Leon were sitting around the table in the kitchen. Mia had been upstairs for the past half hour, getting ready to tell Brian. Finally, she made her way downstairs and poked her head around the kitchen door. "Hey Brian, can I talk to you?" she called over. "Sure!" he got up from the table and walked over to her. She turned just before he reached her and went back upstairs. Brian followed her up and closed the door behind him. "What's up? You OK?" he asked as he watched her walk over to the window and sit on the sill. She didn't answer. The breeze was blowing her hair, and he couldn't help but think how beautiful she looked against the setting sun. "Mia? What you wanna talk about?" he asked again. She turned and stood up. "I have no idea how to say this, or, how you're going to take it!" she said slowly. "What you talking about?" he still didn't understand. The breeze caught his hair now, and his blonde hair was ruffled. "Well," she said as she looked down and clutched her stomach. Brian followed her gaze and shook his head. "Well what?" "I..I.I'm." Brian laughed as she struggled. "C'mon. Spit it out?" Mia laughed at her previous effort. "OK, here goes," she took a deep breath, "I'm pregnant!"
Saturday afternoon, and everyone was starting to get nervous. Brian was sitting on the steps playing with the box in his hands. He heard the front door creak open and turned to see Dom standing with two glass bottles in his hand. He paused, looking at Brian, before sitting down next to him. He handed him one of the bottles, and Brian took a swig before placing it on the step. "You sure you wanna do this Brian? It's a big step man!" Dom asked as he watched Brian turn the box over in his hands. Brian laughed at what Dom had said. "'A big step'. Understatement of the year." They both laughed amongst themselves. "But yeah, I'm gonna do this. I wanna do this, really!" he confided in Dom. Dom looked away down the street, watching a group of about six guys hovering over an old Mustang.
"Well man!" he laughed as he slapped Brian on the back. "I'm sure it'll go your way" he met Brian's eyes and nodded his head. "Thanks Dom" Brian beamed back at him. "Sure, " he gave him another smack, "I'm gonna go catch V and Leon. See ya 'round." "Yeah. See ya." Brian watched him leave, then put the box back into his pocket, before getting up and walking over to his car.
Mia's stomach had been doing somersaults from the moment she had woken that day. She was sitting with Letty on the couch. "Have you decided about the race yet?" Letty asked her as she laced up her boots. "Yeah. I'm not going. I'd only make things worse!" she replied. Letty nodded her head without looking up from the boot wedged between her knees. She understood that Mia would probably break down. "So when are you gonna tell him about the baby then?" she asked with a shrug of her shoulders. "Whenever I get a chance" she said with a sigh. "Where is everybody?" she asked as she looked around. Letty raised her head, having finished with that boot. She placed it on the floor, and scanned the house as she picked up the other one. "Vince and Leon went round to Jade's a while ago, and last time I seen Brian and Dom, they were working out front!" Mia got up and looked out the window. She saw Brian sitting in the Eclipse. The door was open and he was just sitting there, staring blankly ahead. Letty didn't even notice Mia walking out of the house. She was too busy getting' her boots ready for that night. As Mia walked towards Brian, she thought of telling him right there, right then. He saw her coming and smiled up at her. He didn't get out the car, but instead waited while she walked around the car and got into the passenger seat. "How long you been out here?" she asked, glancing around the interior of the car. "Not long. Just thinking about tonight!" he told her. She knew that he wasn't in the mood to find out that he was gonna be a dad. "Car looks good!" she pointed out. Brian paused as he looked over the interior, then nodded his head. "Yeah. Let's hope it runs as good as it looks, huh!" Mia frowned. "Now your getting nervous. Five hours before the race!" she asked him with a perplexed look on her face. He didn't move, just stared as he was before. "Brian, you OK?" she asked as she took his hand in hers. He looked down at Mia's hand. "Yeah. I'm not nervous. It's just that, if.." He broke off. "If," Mia encouraged him to finish. He paused again and took a breath. "If I don't win, you know what'll happen. Not just to me, but to everyone," he finally concluded. "Hey," Mia shouted, "don't talk like that. You'll win, and you know it." "Do I?" he challenged. "Yes. You know, and all of us know, that his car will beat any car!" she smiled at him. He stared intently at her, then let out a breath as he nodded. Mia leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. "OK! You comin' in?" "I'll be in in a while. I'm gonna sit here for a while!" Mia nodded. "Sure!" She got out of the car, and went back inside.
Two hours later, Letty, Dom, Brian, Vince and Leon were sitting around the table in the kitchen. Mia had been upstairs for the past half hour, getting ready to tell Brian. Finally, she made her way downstairs and poked her head around the kitchen door. "Hey Brian, can I talk to you?" she called over. "Sure!" he got up from the table and walked over to her. She turned just before he reached her and went back upstairs. Brian followed her up and closed the door behind him. "What's up? You OK?" he asked as he watched her walk over to the window and sit on the sill. She didn't answer. The breeze was blowing her hair, and he couldn't help but think how beautiful she looked against the setting sun. "Mia? What you wanna talk about?" he asked again. She turned and stood up. "I have no idea how to say this, or, how you're going to take it!" she said slowly. "What you talking about?" he still didn't understand. The breeze caught his hair now, and his blonde hair was ruffled. "Well," she said as she looked down and clutched her stomach. Brian followed her gaze and shook his head. "Well what?" "I..I.I'm." Brian laughed as she struggled. "C'mon. Spit it out?" Mia laughed at her previous effort. "OK, here goes," she took a deep breath, "I'm pregnant!"
