Chap. 2- Scrambled Eggs
Vaughn slowly got out of his chair and finished sorting his papers and folders. When he was about to leave his cell phone started to ring.
"Vaughn."
"Honey? Why aren't you home yet? I thought you said that you'd be home for dinner!" Vaughn smacked his head and grimaced.
"I'm so sorry. I just had so much work to do and I guess I...."
"Forgot. Vaughn...you always forget. I cook a special dinner just for you and you don't even come home!"
"I..." He started.
"No! Michael, just come home, ok? I'll heat up the dinner."
"Ok. I'm leaving right now."
"Be careful on the roads."
"I will. I'll see you soon."
"Love you."
"Bye." Vaughn answered absentmindedly.
As he was driving home, he was only thinking about what Sydney had said. Who had she been talking to? Was she married? When he thought hard, he did remember Jack taking a vacation, something he never did, for two weeks to go visit Sydney. He had assumed that he was just going there to see her and nothing more.
When he opened the door to his apartment, he found his wife heating up his dinner. She turned around to face him and smiled.
"Hey."
"Hey. That smells great."
"It's a new recipe. Anyway, I finished packing up everything in the bedroom and bathroom. You'll have to do the storage downstairs."
"Ok. I'm not going into the office tomorrow."
"Good. Oh, and I went to check on our house and a couple bought the house next to ours and they've already moved in and everything."
"They don't have a problem with dogs?"
"Guess not." As if he knew that they were talking about him, Donovan walked over to Vaughn and sniffed his hand.
"Did you already walk him?"
"Mmhmm," she nodded, "he hasn't been fed yet. You know he doesn't like me feeding him."
"Come on Donny, let's go get some food." Donovan followed his master to his bowl and ate hungrily.
"Michael? Your dinner's ready."
"Thanks Lauren, this looks great."
"Your mother called today."
"Really?" Vaughn looked up from his food, "What'd she say?"
"She wants to come live with us for two weeks in the new house."
"That's great! When's she coming?"
"Well...she wanted to run it by you. She wouldn't take my word that it was okay."
"It's too late to call now. I'll wait until tomorrow morning." Lauren nodded.
An uncomfortable silence hung around the room, and having nothing to say to her husband, she started to walk to the bedroom.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"To bed. It's getting pretty late." Vaughn looked at his watch, 10:13.
She never went to bed without him, or this early. He knew that something was bothering her.
"Lauren? Sweetie? What's wrong?" He asked walking up to her and turning her to face him. There were tears in her eyes and her face was blotchy.
"Oh, Michael! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" she cried into his chest.
"Why what's the matter? Come on; let's go sit on the bed."
"Well..." she hiccupped, "you know how we've been trying to have a baby?" Vaughn nodded as tears continued to fall down her face. "I thought I was pregnant, but I didn't tell you because I wanted to be sure." Vaughn started to smile.
"You're..."
"Let me finish." She interrupted him. "So I went to the doctor today, and the doctor told me that....that...." she started to cry hysterically.
"Lauren, baby...what is it?"
"...That I couldn't have children!" Lauren cried falling into a heap on the floor. Vaughn sat down next to her and hugged her.
"Shh....it's okay. Shh..."
The next morning, Vaughn woke up to the sound of the alarm clock. He pulled the comforter over his head, attempting to muffle the sound, but the persistent buzzing of the alarm made him get up.
He rolled over to Lauren's side to give her a kiss, but he found that her side of the bed was cold and empty. Putting on his robe, he walked down the hall to find Lauren quietly packing the books into a large box, occasionally opening one and reading a phrase or two.
She had heard his alarm clock and had anticipated him coming out of the room, so she pretended to be immersed into the packing. Vaughn opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again. He knew that she felt that she was letting him down, but oddly, he felt a bit relieved. He didn't know why, because all his life he had wanted a rambunctious gang of little boys and girls to make up a hockey team. But somehow, in the back of his mind and in his heart, he knew the reason why.
Attempting to break the silence and lighten up the mood, he asked her,
"You want some breakfast?"
"No. I'm not hungry."
"You haven't eaten. Come on."
"No, Michael."
"I'll make you some scrambled eggs, how about it?"
When the words came out of his mouth, he would have given anything to be able to take them back. Lauren's face scrunched up and she ran sobbingly out of the room.
"Lauren! Lauren! I meant the food..." he trailed off.
He had learned from five and a half years of marriage that for the sake of his health, he should leave her alone. Sighing, he dialed Eric's number.
"Hello?"
"Hey, are you still going to help me move?"
"Sure, man. I'll be there in a sec."
Half and hour later, Eric walked into the apartment.
"I thought you said that you'd be here in a sec."
"Sorry. Lisa went shopping and left me with the kid. The babysitter didn't come until a minute ago." Vaughn sighed. Who would've thought that Eric would have a kid before he would?
"It's okay. Just grab some boxes and we'll go down to the storage." Fifteen minutes into packing away the things in the storage, Eric looked closely at his friend's haggard face.
"Rough night?"
"How'd you know?"
"How do I always know? I'm just gifted." Vaughn didn't answer and just bent over the boxes again, shaking his head, "Come on. It couldn't have been that bad."
"Oh...yes it was."
And Vaughn started telling Eric everything starting from when Sydney had breezed back into his life and ending at what had happened forty-five minutes ago. Eric doubled over with laughter, almost dropping the Belgian- waffle maker,
"Oh man! Scrambled eggs!" and then cracking up again.
"Ha. Ha. Ha." Vaughn said sarcastically.
"Come on, you have to admit it is pretty funny." Vaughn ignored him and started packing things away as quickly as he could. "Wait, so there aren't going to be any little Michaels?" Vaughn shook his head. "Oh man!" Eric lamented, "Who's going to play with my kid in school? I was depending on your kid Vaughn. If Jake becomes a loner, I'm blaming it all on you. What kind of godfather are you anyways?"
Two hours later, the storage was done and Vaughn was in a good mood again. Eric had hurried away, after helping Vaughn pack and carry the boxes upstairs. He climbed the wooden stairs and rode the elevator up to the apartment, tentatively opening the door, watching out for any flying pots and pans or dangerous kitchen cutlery.
When it was all clear, he found Lauren sealing up five boxes and kicking them to the center of the room. She had obviously recovered and Vaughn knocked gently on the doorframe. She turned around and flew to him with her arms open.
"Michael, I'm sorry I overreacted."
"No, Lauren, I should be the one to apologize. I'm sorry." She hugged him, hard. And sighed with contentment.
Three days later, the movers came and loaded all the boxes into the van and drove off in the direction of their new house. Lauren and Vaughn followed behind in their car and got out, directing the movers where to put the boxes.
When the movers had cleared and all the boxes were unloaded, Vaughn looked around him in the empty house and sat down on the carpet to play with Donovan. Lauren went over to the window and peered at the large house next to theirs.
"Is that the house that's been bought?" Vaughn asked, looking over at his wife.
Lauren nodded.
"Isn't it beautiful? It's so grand."
"It's too big for just the two of us." Vaughn said, already knowing what Lauren was thinking.
"I know," she said sadly, "it's a six bedroom house, just think of how many kids they have!" Vaughn cleared his throat.
"You know, Lauren. We could always adopt..."
"I've thought about that too." She said, turning around to face him, "I don't think we're really ready for a small child though. I mean, you're always in the office..."she held up her hand as he was about to protest, "because I know that your job is really important to you and there have been no gaps in our lives right now, right?"
"No."
"So why spoil that? We should enjoy our lives right now, and when it's right, it's right."
Vaughn nodded.
"If that's what you want, it's fine with me."
"Thank you, Michael. Now, what do you want for dinner?"
"Tell you what; it's been a while since we've gone out. Why don't I take you out for dinner?"
"Mmm...That sounds great. Just let me go change."
"I'll come too."
They walked upstairs together and Lauren started to undress, forgetting that her clothes were still in the boxes. Giggling, she looked around for the box cutter and finding no luck, settled for a lone hair clip in her pocket.
Vaughn had thought ahead and walked in the door, finding his wife digging at the tape with a hair clip with just her underwear on. He grinned and leaned over her, cutting the tape with the box cutter. She looked at him and kissed him hard, pushing him onto the newly set up bed and mattress.
Note from the Author: I'm so sorry that I had to write this part in, but I had to illustrate that Vaughn still does have feelings for his wife. Disgusted at the thought myself, I will NOT go into detail. ::grins::
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vaughn slowly got out of his chair and finished sorting his papers and folders. When he was about to leave his cell phone started to ring.
"Vaughn."
"Honey? Why aren't you home yet? I thought you said that you'd be home for dinner!" Vaughn smacked his head and grimaced.
"I'm so sorry. I just had so much work to do and I guess I...."
"Forgot. Vaughn...you always forget. I cook a special dinner just for you and you don't even come home!"
"I..." He started.
"No! Michael, just come home, ok? I'll heat up the dinner."
"Ok. I'm leaving right now."
"Be careful on the roads."
"I will. I'll see you soon."
"Love you."
"Bye." Vaughn answered absentmindedly.
As he was driving home, he was only thinking about what Sydney had said. Who had she been talking to? Was she married? When he thought hard, he did remember Jack taking a vacation, something he never did, for two weeks to go visit Sydney. He had assumed that he was just going there to see her and nothing more.
When he opened the door to his apartment, he found his wife heating up his dinner. She turned around to face him and smiled.
"Hey."
"Hey. That smells great."
"It's a new recipe. Anyway, I finished packing up everything in the bedroom and bathroom. You'll have to do the storage downstairs."
"Ok. I'm not going into the office tomorrow."
"Good. Oh, and I went to check on our house and a couple bought the house next to ours and they've already moved in and everything."
"They don't have a problem with dogs?"
"Guess not." As if he knew that they were talking about him, Donovan walked over to Vaughn and sniffed his hand.
"Did you already walk him?"
"Mmhmm," she nodded, "he hasn't been fed yet. You know he doesn't like me feeding him."
"Come on Donny, let's go get some food." Donovan followed his master to his bowl and ate hungrily.
"Michael? Your dinner's ready."
"Thanks Lauren, this looks great."
"Your mother called today."
"Really?" Vaughn looked up from his food, "What'd she say?"
"She wants to come live with us for two weeks in the new house."
"That's great! When's she coming?"
"Well...she wanted to run it by you. She wouldn't take my word that it was okay."
"It's too late to call now. I'll wait until tomorrow morning." Lauren nodded.
An uncomfortable silence hung around the room, and having nothing to say to her husband, she started to walk to the bedroom.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"To bed. It's getting pretty late." Vaughn looked at his watch, 10:13.
She never went to bed without him, or this early. He knew that something was bothering her.
"Lauren? Sweetie? What's wrong?" He asked walking up to her and turning her to face him. There were tears in her eyes and her face was blotchy.
"Oh, Michael! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" she cried into his chest.
"Why what's the matter? Come on; let's go sit on the bed."
"Well..." she hiccupped, "you know how we've been trying to have a baby?" Vaughn nodded as tears continued to fall down her face. "I thought I was pregnant, but I didn't tell you because I wanted to be sure." Vaughn started to smile.
"You're..."
"Let me finish." She interrupted him. "So I went to the doctor today, and the doctor told me that....that...." she started to cry hysterically.
"Lauren, baby...what is it?"
"...That I couldn't have children!" Lauren cried falling into a heap on the floor. Vaughn sat down next to her and hugged her.
"Shh....it's okay. Shh..."
The next morning, Vaughn woke up to the sound of the alarm clock. He pulled the comforter over his head, attempting to muffle the sound, but the persistent buzzing of the alarm made him get up.
He rolled over to Lauren's side to give her a kiss, but he found that her side of the bed was cold and empty. Putting on his robe, he walked down the hall to find Lauren quietly packing the books into a large box, occasionally opening one and reading a phrase or two.
She had heard his alarm clock and had anticipated him coming out of the room, so she pretended to be immersed into the packing. Vaughn opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again. He knew that she felt that she was letting him down, but oddly, he felt a bit relieved. He didn't know why, because all his life he had wanted a rambunctious gang of little boys and girls to make up a hockey team. But somehow, in the back of his mind and in his heart, he knew the reason why.
Attempting to break the silence and lighten up the mood, he asked her,
"You want some breakfast?"
"No. I'm not hungry."
"You haven't eaten. Come on."
"No, Michael."
"I'll make you some scrambled eggs, how about it?"
When the words came out of his mouth, he would have given anything to be able to take them back. Lauren's face scrunched up and she ran sobbingly out of the room.
"Lauren! Lauren! I meant the food..." he trailed off.
He had learned from five and a half years of marriage that for the sake of his health, he should leave her alone. Sighing, he dialed Eric's number.
"Hello?"
"Hey, are you still going to help me move?"
"Sure, man. I'll be there in a sec."
Half and hour later, Eric walked into the apartment.
"I thought you said that you'd be here in a sec."
"Sorry. Lisa went shopping and left me with the kid. The babysitter didn't come until a minute ago." Vaughn sighed. Who would've thought that Eric would have a kid before he would?
"It's okay. Just grab some boxes and we'll go down to the storage." Fifteen minutes into packing away the things in the storage, Eric looked closely at his friend's haggard face.
"Rough night?"
"How'd you know?"
"How do I always know? I'm just gifted." Vaughn didn't answer and just bent over the boxes again, shaking his head, "Come on. It couldn't have been that bad."
"Oh...yes it was."
And Vaughn started telling Eric everything starting from when Sydney had breezed back into his life and ending at what had happened forty-five minutes ago. Eric doubled over with laughter, almost dropping the Belgian- waffle maker,
"Oh man! Scrambled eggs!" and then cracking up again.
"Ha. Ha. Ha." Vaughn said sarcastically.
"Come on, you have to admit it is pretty funny." Vaughn ignored him and started packing things away as quickly as he could. "Wait, so there aren't going to be any little Michaels?" Vaughn shook his head. "Oh man!" Eric lamented, "Who's going to play with my kid in school? I was depending on your kid Vaughn. If Jake becomes a loner, I'm blaming it all on you. What kind of godfather are you anyways?"
Two hours later, the storage was done and Vaughn was in a good mood again. Eric had hurried away, after helping Vaughn pack and carry the boxes upstairs. He climbed the wooden stairs and rode the elevator up to the apartment, tentatively opening the door, watching out for any flying pots and pans or dangerous kitchen cutlery.
When it was all clear, he found Lauren sealing up five boxes and kicking them to the center of the room. She had obviously recovered and Vaughn knocked gently on the doorframe. She turned around and flew to him with her arms open.
"Michael, I'm sorry I overreacted."
"No, Lauren, I should be the one to apologize. I'm sorry." She hugged him, hard. And sighed with contentment.
Three days later, the movers came and loaded all the boxes into the van and drove off in the direction of their new house. Lauren and Vaughn followed behind in their car and got out, directing the movers where to put the boxes.
When the movers had cleared and all the boxes were unloaded, Vaughn looked around him in the empty house and sat down on the carpet to play with Donovan. Lauren went over to the window and peered at the large house next to theirs.
"Is that the house that's been bought?" Vaughn asked, looking over at his wife.
Lauren nodded.
"Isn't it beautiful? It's so grand."
"It's too big for just the two of us." Vaughn said, already knowing what Lauren was thinking.
"I know," she said sadly, "it's a six bedroom house, just think of how many kids they have!" Vaughn cleared his throat.
"You know, Lauren. We could always adopt..."
"I've thought about that too." She said, turning around to face him, "I don't think we're really ready for a small child though. I mean, you're always in the office..."she held up her hand as he was about to protest, "because I know that your job is really important to you and there have been no gaps in our lives right now, right?"
"No."
"So why spoil that? We should enjoy our lives right now, and when it's right, it's right."
Vaughn nodded.
"If that's what you want, it's fine with me."
"Thank you, Michael. Now, what do you want for dinner?"
"Tell you what; it's been a while since we've gone out. Why don't I take you out for dinner?"
"Mmm...That sounds great. Just let me go change."
"I'll come too."
They walked upstairs together and Lauren started to undress, forgetting that her clothes were still in the boxes. Giggling, she looked around for the box cutter and finding no luck, settled for a lone hair clip in her pocket.
Vaughn had thought ahead and walked in the door, finding his wife digging at the tape with a hair clip with just her underwear on. He grinned and leaned over her, cutting the tape with the box cutter. She looked at him and kissed him hard, pushing him onto the newly set up bed and mattress.
Note from the Author: I'm so sorry that I had to write this part in, but I had to illustrate that Vaughn still does have feelings for his wife. Disgusted at the thought myself, I will NOT go into detail. ::grins::
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~