So, this idea came to me last night, and to be honest, it's also a chapter I'm going to include in my Harry Potter/Lucissa story, Daybreak, but I realized it would work well for Limlendez, too (but if there are any Potterheads/Lucissa fans here who want to read those stories, more power to you). Anyway, we're throwing it back to when Lim was pregnant with Mei-Li. Just a little Limlendez fluff and humor.
"Neil. NEIL!" Lim whispered, tapping Melendez on his shoulder.
Melendez startled awake, as he was in a deep sleep. He sat up and asked, "What? What's wrong? Is something wrong with the baby?"
"No, she's fine," said Lim, rubbing her belly where she felt kicking. "Showing off her skills as a future Olympic gold medalist in gymnastics, but other than that, she's fine. Except for one thing. She's hungry."
Oh no, Melendez thought to himself. Usually, that phrase was what Lim said right before he was sent on a hunt for whatever her latest craving was, no matter what hour of the day or night it was. He usually came home from trips to the grocery store with two dozen bags or packages of various food items to try to be prepared for these moments. "What does she want? I'll go downstairs and try to find it."
"Doritos."
Good. He had bought a bag of every flavor yesterday. "Which flavor?"
"Thai Pepper Chicken."
Out of all the flavors of Doritos currently in the house, Thai Pepper Chicken wasn't one of them. "I don't think we have that flavor," said Melendez.
"Then go to a twenty-four hour Walgreens and find some," said Lim a little irritably.
This was not a time Melendez was getting out of losing sleep. At least it was good training for when the baby arrived. He kissed Lim's temple and said, "All right. I'll find some since Mei-Li wants some Thai Pepper Chicken Doritos so badly." Honestly, he had never heard of that flavor before now.
"Thank you. You're the best boyfriend, ever."
Man, she must really want this particular Doritos flavor, Melendez thought. She rarely, if ever, paid him compliments like that one. Melendez pulled on a pair of jeans, not bothering to change his top since his pajama top was a neutral shade of gray. He descended the stairs and grabbed his jacket, wallet, and keys before driving to the closest Walgreens that was open twenty-four hours. He entered the store, and it took him a while to find the snack aisle, which was past the family planning aisle. If the products sold in that aisle had worked properly, I wouldn't be here right now. Whatever jokes he needed to make to himself in order to stay awake and not lose his patience with Lim.
He found the Doritos and began to browse the colorful bags to try to find the correct flavor: Nacho Cheese, Cool Ranch, Spicy Nacho, Poppin' Jalapeno, but no Thai Pepper Chicken. "Excuse me, sir?" Melendez tapped the shoulder of an associate. "Do you have any Thai Pepper Chicken Doritos in stock?"
"I've never heard of Thai Pepper Chicken Doritos," he admitted. "We definitely don't carry them here."
"Great," Melendez uttered to himself.
"Is it that urgent, sir? Most customers don't come into the store in the middle of the night to buy Doritos."
"You don't understand. My girlfriend is pregnant, and she's craving these Thai Pepper Chicken Doritos. She probably won't let me back into bed until I find her some."
The associate chuckled. "My wife and I just had our son last year. I had to make many trips here all the time to help her satisfy her cravings. I understand perfectly. Is this your first?"
"Yes," Melendez confirmed.
"Boy or girl?"
"Little girl."
"Listen, I can check to see if I can find another store in the area that sells Thai Pepper Chicken Doritos."
"Thank you. I appreciate it. I can call my girlfriend and see if another choice will work, but I doubt it." The associate nodded and walked away, while Melendez pulled out his cell phone and called the home number.
When Lim answered, she asked, "What is taking you so long?"
"Audrey, they don't have Thai Pepper Chicken Doritos at this particular Walgreens. Someone is checking to see if any other stores in the area have them in stock. In the meantime, can I bring you home something else? If you're craving something spicy, they have Spicy Nacho and Poppin' Jalapeno available."
"No, Mei-Li wants Thai Pepper Chicken, specifically. I used to eat them as a kid, so I know they exist. I used to take them to school every day."
Melendez stood in front of the display of tortilla chips before he hesitantly asked, "Audrey, how old were you when you were eating these particular Doritos?"
"I don't know. Maybe five or six."
"But before you moved to the United States?"
"Sir," the associate approached Melendez, "I Googled Thai Pepper Chicken Doritos, and it appears they're an exclusive flavor in Taiwan." Melendez froze in place. "Sir?"
"Thank you for your help."
"No problem. And good luck." The associate left Melendez alone in the snack aisle.
"Neil, are you still there?"
Melendez had forgotten that Lim was still on the line, so he said, "Yeah, I'm still here. I'll figure something out." He left the store.
When he arrived home, he turned on his laptop and quickly ordered half a dozen bags of Thai Pepper Chicken Doritos online, just to be safe. He turned it off, not bothering to put it back in its case, ascended the stairs, and pulled off his jeans. He fell into bed in his pajama top and boxers, not bothering to pull on his pajama pants in his sleep-deprived state. "I took care of it. They should be here within seven to ten business days."
"Mei-Li appreciates it. I guess with pregnancy brain, I forgot that they don't sell them here in the US. I have a cousin back home who sends me some on occasion."
"You're forgiven," said Melendez. "But why didn't you have your cousin send you some? It's evening in Taiwan, isn't it?"
"Maybe I will next time. When I'm not half-asleep."
"We have a baby on the way. That could be a year and a half from now."
Lim chuckled and kissed him. "But since she can't have Thai Pepper Chicken Doritos at the moment, Mei-Li's decided she wants Lay's Sour Cream and Onion potato chips."
"Those we have downstairs," said Melendez as he climbed out of bed once again.
"And bring some salsa too, honey."
Melendez sighed to himself, but as he went to fetch the desired items, he knew he wouldn't want life any other way, even if life currently involved servicing both of his girls' food preferences at three in the morning.
