CHAPTER 28

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ONE WEEK LATER

"Mmm it smells good in here!" Maureen said, yawning and coming into the kitchen.  "What are you making?"

"Chili," Mimi answered, taking a seat on the barstool. Maureen walked over to the stove and lifted the lid on the pot, inhaling it.

"God that smells yummy. Did Roger leave already?"

Mimi nodded and stood up again, placing a hand behind her back. "Yeah. He left for the hospital to get Mark about an hour ago with Jackie."

Maureen nodded and watched as Mimi stirred the chili. She finished and turned back to Maureen, but stopped in her tracks halfway. "Honey, you okay?"

Mimi nodded and smiled a little. "Yeah. I'm fine." She started laughing a little and shook her head as Maureen looked at her oddly.

"Are you sure?"

Mimi placed a hand on her stomach and nodded. "Yup. I think I just felt the baby move, that's all."

"That's all? Oh my god, let me feel!" she squealed, running over to Mimi and placing her hand on Mimi's stomach. "I don't feel anything."

Mimi shrugged. "It wasn't like a real kick or anything. Just kind of a flutter, like when you get butterflies in your stomach, except different. I think."

"Aww. I wanted to feel it."

"Just wait. By next month I'll be poked, prodded, and stomped on more than now, so believe me, you'll have your chance."

Maureen smiled and poured some juice into a glass. "So when do you find out what it is?"

"I go to the doctor for my 18 week checkup and for the ultrasound on Tuesday. It's Friday. You do the math," she added, laughing.

"We have the baby pool going already."

"Oh yeah? Who's winning?"

"Collins and Dan threw down $50 each, swearing that it's a boy and that it'll be two weeks late." She put the juice back in the fridge and set the glass on the counter.

"Oh great," Mimi said, rolling her eyes.

"Jackie and Mark agreed on it being a girl for $40, and I say it's a girl for another $60."

"Roger says it's a boy this week, but all of last week he claimed that it was a girl," Mimi added, smiling and placing her hand on her stomach. "You hear that baby? Everyone's spending money on you already and you're not even here."

"Anybody around?" Roger asked. Maureen ran off into the living room, where Roger was helping Mark into the living room and onto the couch. Jackie followed closely behind, bringing a bag full of Mark's clothes with her.

"Hey," Mimi greeted, giving Roger a quick kiss on the lips. "How are you feeling Mark?"

"I'm okay. Can everyone stop asking me that?" he asked, looking a little frustrated.

"Mimi felt the baby move!" Maureen announced, as Mimi shot her a look.

"You did?" Roger asked, walking over and lifting up her shirt to place his hands underneath. "I don't feel anything."

"Because it's not moving right now. Besides, it was only a little flutter, and I'm not gonna get a full kick for a while," she said, as he gave her another kiss.

"How do you know that?" Jackie asked, taking a seat next to Mark on the couch.

"I've been reading 'What to Expect When You're Expecting," she answered, shrugging. "I made real food Mark."

"Like what?" he asked.

"Chili."

"No way," Roger said. "Isn't that gonna give you heartburn or indigestion?"

"I'll worry about it later. Besides, I was craving something spicy."

"Oh. Fuck," he shouted, resting his hand against his side.

"Take your pills. How do your ribs feel?"

"I don't know. They hurt still, but not as much." He walked into the kitchen.

"What are you all waiting for?" she asked, following him. "I didn't spend an hour slaving over the stove for nothing."

________________________________________________________________________

Jackie walked into Mark's room, her hair pulled up into a towel. Mark was sitting on the bed, propped up against some pillows and looking through a file from work.

"Hey," she greeted, pulling a shirt on and a pair of Mark's sweatpants.

"Hey," he added, patting the side of the bed. She climbed over to him, and he carefully pulled her onto his lap. "How about I get that coming home present?"

Jackie smiled as he kissed her, running his hands under her shirt. "I want it just as much as you do—" she said in between kisses. "But you heard what the doctor said. He didn't want you to pull your stitches and you just told me yourself before that you were still sore."

Mark pretended to pout and started kissing her neck. "But Jackie…"

"Stop it Mark. You're 25 years old," she laughed, as his lips found her mouth again.

"I don't care if I pull my stitches—it'll be worth it. I've been celibate for one week and two days," he whined, rubbing her back.

"And you forget that I've gone the same amount of time too," she whispered in his ear as she climbed off of him. "I've gotta pack."

"So you'll be back tomorrow?"

"Yup. The service is at noon, I'll be back by 4 and in the loft by 6 the latest," she said. "You feeling up to going to Roger's gig tomorrow night?"

"Yeah, but this time I'm definitely not dancing," he laughed. "I think I'll just sit all night and be a wallflower."

"Sounds good to me."

"Good, because you're playing the role of the wallflower's girlfriend."

______________________________________________________________________

"It's really snowing out there," Roger said, glancing out the window.

"When did that happen?" Mimi asked, resting the popcorn bowl on her stomach and looking behind her.

He shrugged and sat back down. "I guess when we were eating."

"Is it sticking?"

"Yeah." He sat down slowly, trying to find a good position to sit on the couch, but at the same time give Mimi enough room to stretch out.

"Great," she mumbled, placing the bowl on the floor as she got up. Roger stretched his feet out in place of where she was sitting as she walked into the kitchen and pulled out the vanilla ice cream.

"You're having that now?"

"Why not? I'm hungry." She took out a bowl and started scooping out the ice cream.

"You just had popcorn."

"So fucking what? I'm pregnant, I'm hungry, and I'm entitled to eat what I want when I want to," she said, rolling her eyes at him.

"Damn, sorry."

She flung the spoon in the sink and sat at the island, placing the bowl in front of her. "No, I'm sorry. I'm just being a bitch lately."

"Nah, it's okay."

"You're mad at me."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are! You have that look," she argued back.

Roger laughed. "What look?"

"That look you get when I piss you off."

"Whatever."

"Arg. So I was thinking about the wedding—"

"And?"

"I called my mom today. She and Carl are coming, but only my sister Isabel can make it. Carmen and her husband are going to be in Spain for a business trip, but my mom is bringing their daughter Amaya with her. Veronica has a gymnastics competition that weekend, and is going to be in Houston with her high school team from Friday until Tuesday. So basically, my mom is flying down there, then flying in Sunday morning, and flying back late Sunday night after the reception."

"Okay."

"Roger are you even listening?" she asked, glaring at him.

"Yeah."

"Then I called Sofia, and she said she, Juan, and Celeste would fly up from Buenos Aires on Friday with my grandmother. They made reservations in the Waldorf-Astoria in midtown, and they'll probably leave the following Saturday. I guess they turned it into some sort of vacation."

"Okay."

"Then I called your mother."

Roger looked over and stared at her. "You did what?"

"I called her. She said she'd be more than happy to come to the wedding, and that your father will be on his best behavior. Jimmy, Kim, and the boys can make it, and so can Joey and his girlfriend. I talked to Lindsey too, and she's coming up here next Sunday with Marissa so Mo and I can figure out her measurements for her bridesmaid gown and Marissa's flower girl dress." She took another bite of her ice cream and swallowed. "Oh, and Heather and Miguel can make it too. They're both flying in from Italy. They're visiting Miguel's parents."

"What, did my mom give you the whole family history too?" he added, rolling his eyes.

Mimi ignored him. "Lisa and Matt are stopping by next weekend too, so hopefully Mark will be on his feet by then."

"Great."

She glared at him. "What's your problem?"

"Nothing."

"I'm getting really fed up with you lately."

"Good."

"Excuse me?"

He sighed. "It's just that all you talk about lately is the wedding, and I'm getting so tired of hearing about it," he complained.

"Because whether you like it or not, there's a lot to plan!" she shouted. "I don't understand you. You want to get married, but then you don't seem like it. Just make up your mind already."

"I do want to marry you, but—"

"But what?"

"I don't want a lot of people."

"Roger…"

"I don't okay? Why can't we just keep it something small?"

"Because if we're getting married I'd rather we do it the right way!" she shouted, placing her ice cream bowl in the sink.

"I know. So do I. We can always elope?" he suggested.

"I'm tired. Let's just talk about in the morning, okay?"

"Fine."