FEBRUARY 28TH
"Um, Mitch, she's sort of chewing on my hand," Roger said, as baby Eva gummed his fingers gently.
"Rog, that's what babies do," Mimi said, looking up from the photo album that Mitch and Karen were showing her. The two of them were visiting them to see Eva.
"Ugh. I'm not going to let MY kids eat me," Roger declared.
"Have fun trying," Karen said, not looking up from the album.
"Okay, kid, chew this," he said, trying to encourage Eva to chew on a teething ring.
"You need some help?" Mimi said, laughing.
Roger shook his head. "Why would I need help? I'm going to be a father. I know what I'm doing."
Mimi shrugged. "Okay."
"This was when we took her to my mom's," Karen said, pointing to a picture in the album. "Don't you love the Christmas outfit she has on?" she gushed.
"It's cute," Mimi smiled.
"Once yours are born there'll have to get together with Eva. She'll only be a few months older than them.
"How old is she now?" Mimi asked.
"Almost three months."
"Hey, I think I'm getting the hang of this!" Roger exclaimed, as Eva crawled around his lap, happily.
"Good luck with two," Mitch said.
"Shut up," Roger grumbled.
"So you're due in August?"
Mimi nodded. "Around that time."
"You nervous?"
Mimi shrugged. "Sort of."
"Don't worry. They'll give you an epidural and then it's all uphill from there," Mitch laughed.
Karen nudged his foot, playfully.
"It's not the actual birth I'm nervous about," Mimi said. "Just being a mom in general."
"I know how you feel. It still hasn't really hit me," Karen laughed.
"It's hit me!" Roger chimed in.
Mimi rolled her eyes and smiled as she watched Eva climb across Roger's back.
"You're free to babysit her whenever you want," Mitch offered, half joking.
"Thanks, but when our babies are born we're bound to have our hands full," Mimi sighed.
"True, it's not all fun and games. But just having one of your own . . . it's something indescribable," said Karen, watching Eva.
"Well, only approximately seven more months to go," Roger said, cheerfully from the floor.
"It feels more like seven years," Mimi said.
"The time comes quicker than you think," Karen said. "Lord knows I sure wasn't expecting it when the time came," she laughed.
Mitch rolled his eyes. "Let's not get into that."
"We were at Mitch's parents, and I was sitting on the couch when my water broke."
"Karen, I don't think Roger and Mimi need to hear about this."
" . . . So since we're at their house Mitch's mom figures that we'll have one of those home-births. So while I'm on the couch, thinking that she's left to phone the hospital, she was really getting out some towels and pans . . . she even went further than that and grabbed a pair of tongs."
"Ewwwww," Roger said, and Mimi tossed one of the couch pillows at his head, careful not to hit Eva.
"And Mitch was getting my hospital bag ready, and then his mom comes in with this huge pan and some floor towels."
"She's crazy," Mitch added.
"Sounds like a fun time," Mimi laughed.
"Yeah, well by the time she figured that our kid wasn't going to be born under her kitchen table, we'd already gotten into the car, so she just hopped in the backseat with Karen, who was in labor, and then we drove to the hospital."
"Your mommy and daddy had quite a time getting you out of there," Roger cooed, tickling Eva under her chin.
Mimi shook her head. "I think this dad stuff has gone to his head. He already bought one of those fisher price music sets. Just because it came with this little plastic guitar."
"You can really play it!" Roger protested.
"Roger, it only has one string."
"You can still play it," he said, stubbornly.
"You should play it at your next gig," Mimi laughed.
"I SHOULD."
"When is the next one?" Mitch asked Roger.
"I'm not sure. Not for a while, I don't think. Chad's probably going to be pretty busy for a while with Karmine. And I'm busy with the babies . . . well, fetuses, whatever you'd call them."
"Babies is fine," Mimi laughed.
"Yeah, so anyway, we might just take time off for a little while. At least until the babies are born."
Suddenly, Karen made a face. "Mitch, do you smell that?"
"Yep. I'll be back guys, I've gotta change her," Karen said, causing Roger to immediately remove Eva from his lap.
"Roger, if you can't handle a diaper-change you're gonna have a problem," Mimi teased.
"Um, how about this . . . I'll feed them, you change their diapers."
"Like hell," Mimi said, moving to sit on his lap.
"You want to teeth on my fingers?" he asked her.
Mimi picked up his hand and kissed his palm. "No."
"Oh well."
"So how's Mark?" Mitch asked Roger. "I haven't seen him in a while."
"He's doing fine. Great, actually. Jan came back from her parents' place so now he's back to his new-improved non-angsty self."
"That's good . . . right?"
"Yes."
"Okay, I changed her and put her down for her nap," Karen announced, as she came back into the room.
"Aw," Roger said.
"Don't worry, Rog. Once yours are born you can play with both of them whenever you want," Mitch said, grinning.
"Oh, wait, before I forget," Karen said, jumping up from the couch.
"What?" Roger asked, as Karen pulled out two identical bassinets from behind the couch.
"For us?" Roger asked, puzzled.
"No, for your mother. They're for the babies, Rog," Mitch said from the couch.
"Aw," Roger said, "I see. Thanks, guys."
"Thanks, Karen; that's so sweet of you," Mimi exclaimed, getting up to hug her.
"Hey, now. Don't I get a hug as well?"
Mimi laughed and bent down to kiss him on the cheek.
"Well now I'M jealous," Roger said.
"Christ almighty, EVERYONE wants a piece of me," Mimi joked, kissing Roger on the lips.
"So you think we're ready for kids yet?" Roger asked Karen, perching Mimi on his lap.
"Well I'm sure Mimi'll get plenty of practice anyways with you," Karen teased.
"Huh?"
"She means you're a big baby," Mimi said, kissing him on his forehead.
"I am not!"
"Are too."
"You better watch it," Roger warned, jokingly.
"Why?"
"Because if you don't the kids and I'll plan a mutiny."
"Oh?"
"Yes. So you best be watching yourself, Chica."
Mimi laughed.
"I'm serious."
***
"I'm so glad you're back," Mark said, sitting at the table in Jan's apartment. "I was just about to go completely insane while you were gone."
"I'm sorry, Mark," Jan said, sympathetically. "I missed you a lot too."
"In fact, I wrote a song about it."
"Really?"
"No."
Jan grinned.
"How was the funeral?"
Jan sighed. "It was alright. My parents made me speak in front of everyone. Which was weird because I've always made it pretty obvious that I didn't like her. I wrote a five minute speech on an index card the day before and when I read it in front of everyone, the sadness of everything just got to me and I actually cried through the rest of it."
Mark sighed. "I know what you mean. I'm always uncomfortable at funerals."
"Well I mean it's not like it's everyone's cup of tea anyways."
Mark shrugged.
"Well, enough about my boring, depressing family," Jan laughed. "What've you been up to?"
"Honestly, nothing really. I worked on your 'Welcome Home!' banner. I must have used up at least two boxes of magic markers."
"I must have missed that when I got home," Jan said, winking.
"I'm really glad you're back though," Mark said, pushing his nose against her shoulder.
"So am I," Jan smiled. "Anything interesting happen here?"
Mark shook his head. "Pepper took a few more dumps, Mimi threw up a couple of times. Nothing out of the ordinary."
"You're terrible," Jan laughed.
"It's part of my charm."
Jan smiled, rolling her eyes.
"So we're all heading to my place tonight."
"What's the occasion?"
"Us. Us all being together again I mean. Frankie's going to pick up a movie on the way there. Knowing her it'll be some clichéd romantic chick flick."
"I like clichéd romantic chick flicks," Jan grinned.
"Yeah, they're okay," Mark said, trying not to smile. "I myself am a fan of 'The Godfather,'" he joked.
"You have not seen that movie."
"Have too. They put a dead horse in my bed," he rasped.
"A dead horse HEAD," she corrected him.
Mark shrugged. "Same thing."
***
"So, what movie did you get?" Mark asked as Collins, Frankie and Maureen entered the Loft.
"Sleepless in Seattle," Collins and Frankie said at the same time.
"No Godfather?"
"What?"
"Never mind."
"Mark, is the popcorn ready yet?" Roger yelled from the living room.
Mark stuck his head into the kitchen. "Yeah, it's ready. Jan, can you hand me a bowl from on top of the fridge?"
"You'd better get an extra bag for Mimi," Roger added.
Mark cringed at the sound of Mimi whacking Roger's head.
"Do we have any butter?" he asked, rummaging through the refrigerator.
"I don't know, check," Roger yelled back, as Collins, Frankie and Maureen settled into the living room.
"Er, we have organic butter," Mark said, as he picked the small yellow slab off the shelf.
"It's probably the same as the regular kind," Jan shrugged, pouring the popcorn into the bowl.
"Oh well. I'll melt it in the microwave and pour it on it or something."
"Um, okay," Jan said, making a weird face.
"Hey, don't start it without us!" Mark yelled to the others as he heard the sound of the TV being turned on.
"It's just coming attractions, Mark!" Mimi yelled back.
"I like coming attractions!"
"Here," Jan said, handing the popcorn bowl to him.
"Okay. Here we go," Mark sang, placing the popcorn bowl onto the couch arm.
Roger took a handful and stuffed it into his mouth. "Eww. Mark, what did you put on this? It tastes like ass."
"Um, organic butter?"
"Mark, do you know how old that is?!" Roger exclaimed.
Mark blinked.
"It's called reading the expiration date."
"Sorry."
"Well, the next bag's all mine," Mimi declared, jumping up from the couch and scrambling into the kitchen.
"Hey, Maureen, where's Joanne?" Jan asked Maureen.
"Who cares," Maureen mumbled, staring at the screen.
"They had a fight," Mark whispered to her.
Jan nodded her head, showing she understood.
"C'mon, guys, I want to watch this," Collins complained.
"Alright, alright, settle down," Mark said, plopping onto the couch.
***
An hour later, both popcorn bowls were empty, and the movie was almost over.
Roger sat on the floor, with Mimi in his lap, trying to comfort her as she finished off a tissue box. The others were on the couch, and Mark, not being a fan of 'Clichéd romantic chick flicks,' sat in an armchair, trying not to fall asleep.
"I don't know why this movie still makes me so teary," Frankie sniffed, from besides Collins. "I must have seen it at least twenty times already."
"Shhh!" said Mimi.
"I'm going to rinse out the popcorn bowls," Jan said, jumping up from the couch.
"I'll help you," Roger offered.
"Jan, can I ask you something?" Roger asked, once they'd entered the kitchen.
"Yeah?" Jan asked, placing the bowls in the sink.
"I know I was April's last boyfriend . . . but did she have any others besides me?"
"No . . . not that I know of. Why?"
"No reason," he sighed.
Jan gave him a weird look. "Okay. I'm going back in. Hopefully by now the movie'll be over."
"Yeah," he Roger sighed, as she left.
Did that mean the tattoo was referring to a different April?
"Roger, you coming back in?" Mimi's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Coming."
"Bring a couple more tissues with you?"
"Okay," he called back, sighing.
Maybe he'd never know.
a/n: *Insert dot dot dot there* lol. Review!
"Um, Mitch, she's sort of chewing on my hand," Roger said, as baby Eva gummed his fingers gently.
"Rog, that's what babies do," Mimi said, looking up from the photo album that Mitch and Karen were showing her. The two of them were visiting them to see Eva.
"Ugh. I'm not going to let MY kids eat me," Roger declared.
"Have fun trying," Karen said, not looking up from the album.
"Okay, kid, chew this," he said, trying to encourage Eva to chew on a teething ring.
"You need some help?" Mimi said, laughing.
Roger shook his head. "Why would I need help? I'm going to be a father. I know what I'm doing."
Mimi shrugged. "Okay."
"This was when we took her to my mom's," Karen said, pointing to a picture in the album. "Don't you love the Christmas outfit she has on?" she gushed.
"It's cute," Mimi smiled.
"Once yours are born there'll have to get together with Eva. She'll only be a few months older than them.
"How old is she now?" Mimi asked.
"Almost three months."
"Hey, I think I'm getting the hang of this!" Roger exclaimed, as Eva crawled around his lap, happily.
"Good luck with two," Mitch said.
"Shut up," Roger grumbled.
"So you're due in August?"
Mimi nodded. "Around that time."
"You nervous?"
Mimi shrugged. "Sort of."
"Don't worry. They'll give you an epidural and then it's all uphill from there," Mitch laughed.
Karen nudged his foot, playfully.
"It's not the actual birth I'm nervous about," Mimi said. "Just being a mom in general."
"I know how you feel. It still hasn't really hit me," Karen laughed.
"It's hit me!" Roger chimed in.
Mimi rolled her eyes and smiled as she watched Eva climb across Roger's back.
"You're free to babysit her whenever you want," Mitch offered, half joking.
"Thanks, but when our babies are born we're bound to have our hands full," Mimi sighed.
"True, it's not all fun and games. But just having one of your own . . . it's something indescribable," said Karen, watching Eva.
"Well, only approximately seven more months to go," Roger said, cheerfully from the floor.
"It feels more like seven years," Mimi said.
"The time comes quicker than you think," Karen said. "Lord knows I sure wasn't expecting it when the time came," she laughed.
Mitch rolled his eyes. "Let's not get into that."
"We were at Mitch's parents, and I was sitting on the couch when my water broke."
"Karen, I don't think Roger and Mimi need to hear about this."
" . . . So since we're at their house Mitch's mom figures that we'll have one of those home-births. So while I'm on the couch, thinking that she's left to phone the hospital, she was really getting out some towels and pans . . . she even went further than that and grabbed a pair of tongs."
"Ewwwww," Roger said, and Mimi tossed one of the couch pillows at his head, careful not to hit Eva.
"And Mitch was getting my hospital bag ready, and then his mom comes in with this huge pan and some floor towels."
"She's crazy," Mitch added.
"Sounds like a fun time," Mimi laughed.
"Yeah, well by the time she figured that our kid wasn't going to be born under her kitchen table, we'd already gotten into the car, so she just hopped in the backseat with Karen, who was in labor, and then we drove to the hospital."
"Your mommy and daddy had quite a time getting you out of there," Roger cooed, tickling Eva under her chin.
Mimi shook her head. "I think this dad stuff has gone to his head. He already bought one of those fisher price music sets. Just because it came with this little plastic guitar."
"You can really play it!" Roger protested.
"Roger, it only has one string."
"You can still play it," he said, stubbornly.
"You should play it at your next gig," Mimi laughed.
"I SHOULD."
"When is the next one?" Mitch asked Roger.
"I'm not sure. Not for a while, I don't think. Chad's probably going to be pretty busy for a while with Karmine. And I'm busy with the babies . . . well, fetuses, whatever you'd call them."
"Babies is fine," Mimi laughed.
"Yeah, so anyway, we might just take time off for a little while. At least until the babies are born."
Suddenly, Karen made a face. "Mitch, do you smell that?"
"Yep. I'll be back guys, I've gotta change her," Karen said, causing Roger to immediately remove Eva from his lap.
"Roger, if you can't handle a diaper-change you're gonna have a problem," Mimi teased.
"Um, how about this . . . I'll feed them, you change their diapers."
"Like hell," Mimi said, moving to sit on his lap.
"You want to teeth on my fingers?" he asked her.
Mimi picked up his hand and kissed his palm. "No."
"Oh well."
"So how's Mark?" Mitch asked Roger. "I haven't seen him in a while."
"He's doing fine. Great, actually. Jan came back from her parents' place so now he's back to his new-improved non-angsty self."
"That's good . . . right?"
"Yes."
"Okay, I changed her and put her down for her nap," Karen announced, as she came back into the room.
"Aw," Roger said.
"Don't worry, Rog. Once yours are born you can play with both of them whenever you want," Mitch said, grinning.
"Oh, wait, before I forget," Karen said, jumping up from the couch.
"What?" Roger asked, as Karen pulled out two identical bassinets from behind the couch.
"For us?" Roger asked, puzzled.
"No, for your mother. They're for the babies, Rog," Mitch said from the couch.
"Aw," Roger said, "I see. Thanks, guys."
"Thanks, Karen; that's so sweet of you," Mimi exclaimed, getting up to hug her.
"Hey, now. Don't I get a hug as well?"
Mimi laughed and bent down to kiss him on the cheek.
"Well now I'M jealous," Roger said.
"Christ almighty, EVERYONE wants a piece of me," Mimi joked, kissing Roger on the lips.
"So you think we're ready for kids yet?" Roger asked Karen, perching Mimi on his lap.
"Well I'm sure Mimi'll get plenty of practice anyways with you," Karen teased.
"Huh?"
"She means you're a big baby," Mimi said, kissing him on his forehead.
"I am not!"
"Are too."
"You better watch it," Roger warned, jokingly.
"Why?"
"Because if you don't the kids and I'll plan a mutiny."
"Oh?"
"Yes. So you best be watching yourself, Chica."
Mimi laughed.
"I'm serious."
***
"I'm so glad you're back," Mark said, sitting at the table in Jan's apartment. "I was just about to go completely insane while you were gone."
"I'm sorry, Mark," Jan said, sympathetically. "I missed you a lot too."
"In fact, I wrote a song about it."
"Really?"
"No."
Jan grinned.
"How was the funeral?"
Jan sighed. "It was alright. My parents made me speak in front of everyone. Which was weird because I've always made it pretty obvious that I didn't like her. I wrote a five minute speech on an index card the day before and when I read it in front of everyone, the sadness of everything just got to me and I actually cried through the rest of it."
Mark sighed. "I know what you mean. I'm always uncomfortable at funerals."
"Well I mean it's not like it's everyone's cup of tea anyways."
Mark shrugged.
"Well, enough about my boring, depressing family," Jan laughed. "What've you been up to?"
"Honestly, nothing really. I worked on your 'Welcome Home!' banner. I must have used up at least two boxes of magic markers."
"I must have missed that when I got home," Jan said, winking.
"I'm really glad you're back though," Mark said, pushing his nose against her shoulder.
"So am I," Jan smiled. "Anything interesting happen here?"
Mark shook his head. "Pepper took a few more dumps, Mimi threw up a couple of times. Nothing out of the ordinary."
"You're terrible," Jan laughed.
"It's part of my charm."
Jan smiled, rolling her eyes.
"So we're all heading to my place tonight."
"What's the occasion?"
"Us. Us all being together again I mean. Frankie's going to pick up a movie on the way there. Knowing her it'll be some clichéd romantic chick flick."
"I like clichéd romantic chick flicks," Jan grinned.
"Yeah, they're okay," Mark said, trying not to smile. "I myself am a fan of 'The Godfather,'" he joked.
"You have not seen that movie."
"Have too. They put a dead horse in my bed," he rasped.
"A dead horse HEAD," she corrected him.
Mark shrugged. "Same thing."
***
"So, what movie did you get?" Mark asked as Collins, Frankie and Maureen entered the Loft.
"Sleepless in Seattle," Collins and Frankie said at the same time.
"No Godfather?"
"What?"
"Never mind."
"Mark, is the popcorn ready yet?" Roger yelled from the living room.
Mark stuck his head into the kitchen. "Yeah, it's ready. Jan, can you hand me a bowl from on top of the fridge?"
"You'd better get an extra bag for Mimi," Roger added.
Mark cringed at the sound of Mimi whacking Roger's head.
"Do we have any butter?" he asked, rummaging through the refrigerator.
"I don't know, check," Roger yelled back, as Collins, Frankie and Maureen settled into the living room.
"Er, we have organic butter," Mark said, as he picked the small yellow slab off the shelf.
"It's probably the same as the regular kind," Jan shrugged, pouring the popcorn into the bowl.
"Oh well. I'll melt it in the microwave and pour it on it or something."
"Um, okay," Jan said, making a weird face.
"Hey, don't start it without us!" Mark yelled to the others as he heard the sound of the TV being turned on.
"It's just coming attractions, Mark!" Mimi yelled back.
"I like coming attractions!"
"Here," Jan said, handing the popcorn bowl to him.
"Okay. Here we go," Mark sang, placing the popcorn bowl onto the couch arm.
Roger took a handful and stuffed it into his mouth. "Eww. Mark, what did you put on this? It tastes like ass."
"Um, organic butter?"
"Mark, do you know how old that is?!" Roger exclaimed.
Mark blinked.
"It's called reading the expiration date."
"Sorry."
"Well, the next bag's all mine," Mimi declared, jumping up from the couch and scrambling into the kitchen.
"Hey, Maureen, where's Joanne?" Jan asked Maureen.
"Who cares," Maureen mumbled, staring at the screen.
"They had a fight," Mark whispered to her.
Jan nodded her head, showing she understood.
"C'mon, guys, I want to watch this," Collins complained.
"Alright, alright, settle down," Mark said, plopping onto the couch.
***
An hour later, both popcorn bowls were empty, and the movie was almost over.
Roger sat on the floor, with Mimi in his lap, trying to comfort her as she finished off a tissue box. The others were on the couch, and Mark, not being a fan of 'Clichéd romantic chick flicks,' sat in an armchair, trying not to fall asleep.
"I don't know why this movie still makes me so teary," Frankie sniffed, from besides Collins. "I must have seen it at least twenty times already."
"Shhh!" said Mimi.
"I'm going to rinse out the popcorn bowls," Jan said, jumping up from the couch.
"I'll help you," Roger offered.
"Jan, can I ask you something?" Roger asked, once they'd entered the kitchen.
"Yeah?" Jan asked, placing the bowls in the sink.
"I know I was April's last boyfriend . . . but did she have any others besides me?"
"No . . . not that I know of. Why?"
"No reason," he sighed.
Jan gave him a weird look. "Okay. I'm going back in. Hopefully by now the movie'll be over."
"Yeah," he Roger sighed, as she left.
Did that mean the tattoo was referring to a different April?
"Roger, you coming back in?" Mimi's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Coming."
"Bring a couple more tissues with you?"
"Okay," he called back, sighing.
Maybe he'd never know.
a/n: *Insert dot dot dot there* lol. Review!