On June 8th, exactly one month until the baby's due date, Alec and Leslie were in the apartment, eating strawberry shortcake. Leslie sat lounging on the sofa picking at the mound of whipped cream on her plate while Alec was pacing the floor considering more baby options. Leslie's belly was still growing, but luckily the kicking had slowed down a bit (the baby didn't have much room). Leslie was getting increasingly house-bound and sometimes had to get up to pee four times a night. She was exhausted, but gritting her teeth against the hardships and carrying on. What was interesting was the fact that Kevin rarely came over anymore, and when he did, he didn't look Alec in the eye. Alec seemed to be just as puzzled as she was. Was Kevin sick?
"The women's clinic on Columbus Avenue may be a little more expensive for birthing, but it's a specialist type thing so it's technically worth it. They'll give you more individualized attention if you have a problem," said Alec.
Leslie shook her head. "Alec, does it really matter where I have the baby?" she said, licking her index finger, doused in whipped cream.
"It matters the world. Would you rather know for a fact you and your child will have all the attention she needs, or risk mixing her in with coughing old people and sick people?"
"Alec, the maternity ward is separate from the rest and you know it!" Leslie said, rolling her eyes at Alec's absentmindedness.
"Leslie, trust me, okay?"
"Alec, if you want me to deliver in the women's clinic, just say it's what you prefer and I'll go!" Leslie said, eating a strawberry.
Alec looked at Leslie and smiled. Then he reached a hand out and touched Leslie's stomach.
"She doesn't kick as much. She's got no room left in there," Leslie said. Alec still caressed Leslie's stomach. It gave Leslie chills.
"Les, after the birth, you're staying with me," Alec decided. Leslie groaned.
"Alec I can't! What'll Kevin say?" asked Leslie.
"Why are we still on the subject of Kevin?" asked Alec. "Do you love me again or not?" Alec's tone of voice was rising.
"Alec, I never stopped loving you. I still love you, very much. But what if she's Kevin's?"
Alec was silenced. Alec had barely considered Kevin claiming paternity to the child. Alec had been so involved over the past 8 months between working for Senator Hoggins and taking care of Leslie and the baby that he hadn't had time to consider the fact that Alec might not be the father. Alec had gotten used to the idea of late-night feedings, Leslie humming the baby to sleep with her clear (but still somewhat imperfect) voice while Alec got a bottle of warm formula together. He'd even prepared himself and Leslie financially, setting up a separate checking account and asking the nursery school Leslie worked at to allow her to come back full-time after a 3-month post-natal maternity leave (which they willingly granted…Leslie had a way with children). Alec promised Leslie he wouldn't push anything marital like before. He also vowed to cut himself off from external affairs (truth be told, he'd cut himself off from screwing around as soon as Leslie had moved out of his apartment the first time and never once regretted missing out on playing the field). The thought of all of this preparation in vain made Alec skip a heartbeat.
"Alec? Are you okay?" Leslie asked. Alec had frozen when he pondered all of this. Leslie's voice made him snap to.
"Oh, oh yeah, I'm fine," said Alec. He paused, then asked again, "So you're not staying?"
Before Leslie could open her mouth, Kevin knocked on the wall. He'd come into the apartment. He was smiling weakly.
"Hey guys," he said, casually enough. But Leslie could see something was wrong with his eyes.
"It's about time you showed up!" Alec snapped at Kevin. Leslie yelped.
"Alec! Can you help me up please?" she asked. Alec and Kevin dashed to the sofa and took a hand, helping Leslie stand (albeit unstably) on her own two feet. "Kevin, could you take me down to Lizzie's Deli? I'm kinda in the mood for a sub tonight," she said. She wanted to get Kevin alone. Something had to be solved.
"I'll go out and get one for you, what do you want?" asked Alec, butting in. Leslie shook her head.
"No, Alec. I need to go. Um…Kevin knows a guy there who can get me a sub just the way I like it, so we both have to go…alone," said Leslie. Kevin looked confused. He didn't know a guy at Lizzie's! But Leslie shot him a look pleading with him to go along with it. She wanted to talk to him alone, no doubt. Kevin nodded when Alec gave him an odd look.
"Yeah, that's why I'm here. Les called me after lunch," Kevin added. Leslie smiled and nodded.
Alec thought about this (he was beginning to be a bit overprotective of Leslie now that she only had a month left of her pregnancy). He nodded.
"Kev, don't fool around, have her back in an hour. She could go into labor early and she's gotta have me around because I have our route to the women's clinic all picked out," Alec ordered. Kevin nodded, and Leslie moaned. Alec was turning into her own father!
Leslie grabbed her purse and went to the door. Kevin followed, giving Alec a look before shutting the door behind them.
Lizzie's Deli was a quaint little café. Leslie always loved having a 6-inch turkey sub on whole wheat with a small dash of Tabasco sauce along with lettuce, tomatoes, and peppers. And that what she got. Kevin got an egg salad sandwich (a rather plain choice, according to Leslie).
"Kevin, where have you been?" asked Leslie once they were seated in a booth.
"I've been busy," Kevin said. "I got another job."
Leslie nearly spit out her soda. "Another job? What about the op-ed job you had?"
"I won't be able to support a child with it if your daughter's mine," Kevin said. "I wanted to make sure I can contribute my share, so I got a job with LOWMAN'S GAZETTE as an assistant to the editor-in-chief."
"LOWMAN'S? That's a regional magazine!" Leslie said, awed.
"Yeah, it's a nicer paycheck," said Kevin. Leslie looked at her feet.
"But what if—"
"—Alec's the father?" Kevin finished. Leslie nodded. "Look, Les. I'm getting kinda worried. Look, I'd sell my soul to have your baby be my baby, but of course that could not happen. I really love the child, and I really need to know…what if it is Alec?" Kevin asked.
"You really want the baby?" asked Leslie. All she could think about was Alec's reaction if he was sitting next to her.
"I love her as if I knew she were my daughter," confessed Kevin.
"Kevin. I promise you that no matter what, you will be a key part in my child's life, just like you have been in my life," said Leslie. Kevin chuckled nervously.
"Les, you have something for Alec, don't you?" he asked, almost impulsively.
"What do you mean?" asked Leslie.
"I saw you two lying on the couch. That letter necklace he bought you, and not to mention I've seen him fondling your nightgown on more than one occasion like he had a fetish for you," Kevin explained. "Please tell me the truth."
Leslie hesitated. She felt she could tell Kevin. Kevin could keep his head a lot easier than Alec ever could.
"I do. I guess I do. But Kevin, don't let that disturb you at all. Alec and I won't make anything of it. I didn't even tell Alec this yet…" Leslie paused and sighed woefully. "…but I talked to a friend of Wendy's, Mr. Katovitch the other day on the phone while Alec was at work. The man offered me a small apartment in the back of his piano store. It only has a bedroom, a living room, and a bathroom, and it's VERY small, but I can live there rent free if I work 3 hours a day in the piano shop, which will be wonderful. The baby will be right there and I can even work longer if I need extra cash! It'll give me independence and it'll still provide my child with everything she needs. Al won't like it, but we both know we need to resist each other, for my daughter's sake…and yours," said Leslie.
"Why won't you tell Alec?" asked Kevin.
"Because Al wants me to stay with him even after the birth," said Leslie. Kevin nodded.
"Well you do need to strike out on your own. It sounds like a great opportunity for you," said Kevin.
"Oh it is! Kevin, I think I do love Alec again, and…and it scares me," Leslie confessed. "That's why I'm moving into the apartment behind Katovitch's Piano Store as soon as I'm released from the women's clinic."
Kevin looked at Leslie. Her shoulders were dropped and her body language revealed she wasn't happy at the idea of leaving Alec's apartment. She was tearing herself away from Alec; the one person Kevin knew made Leslie truly happy, all for his own sake. This made Kevin feel like shit. It didn't seem right. Kevin cleared his throat and finished his sandwich.
"I want to be even-steven with the two of you even after the paternity test, because I have been up until now. And how can I if I feel a different something for Alec? It isn't fair to you, so that's why I need to leave. You both will have a huge role in my baby girl's life, I promise you that much." Leslie felt hot tears well up in her eyes. Kevin noted her voice getting higher, as if she were about to cry. "I just need to learn to get over him! Our world would be such a better place if he went his way and I went mine! Our relationship tore the seven of us apart before. I can't let that same pressure fall on my daughter!" Leslie struggled to hold back tears. Kevin stood up.
"I think we need to get you back to Alec's place…" Kevin said, standing Leslie carefully up and guiding her out the door.
After Kevin got Leslie home, she almost immediately collapsed onto Alec's bed and fell asleep. Alec and Kevin turned down the lights so she could sleep and moved to the kitchen, where they sat at the table. Kevin didn't speak a word. All he listened to was Alec talking about him begging Leslie to stay with him in the apartment.
"…I mean, at least stay here until the baby's a year old! I'm not an infant expert, but isn't a dramatic change of scenery traumatic to a baby in the first year of life or something? Besides, it's not like Les has anywhere else to go…"
Kevin finally interrupted after Alec had talked nonstop for about an hour uninterrupted. "You want Leslie to stay with you!" he accused. Alec gave Kevin an odd and innocent look. Kevin COULDN'T know about his affair with Leslie! He had no idea Kevin already knew.
"I think she can do whatever she wants, but she's got a VERY limited selection of places outside of here," Alec said.
"You know what I think? I think you want Les to stay but you're making it sound like she needs you and you're the one hangin' tough, which is just like your reaction to everything else!" Kevin said.
"Psh! NO! What makes you think that?" Kevin stood up
"Because you know who's the one REALLY hangin' tough right now? SHE is! She's in love with you, but she feels the need to isolate herself in order to give ME a fair chance! I hate how you're acting like I'm clueless right now, Alec. I'm no idiot. I saw the necklace, I saw you two sleeping on the couch together. All you two are talking about is giving me an equal part in her baby's life because it COULD be mine, but yet you both constantly feel the need to keep secrets from me!" Kevin snapped. "As long as we've all known each other, the seven of us, I've always been the philosophical conspiracy theorist who always knew the right thing to say. But for once, you guys have left me without a comeback. I'm done. I have a million doubts running through my head at light speed right now and I can't deal with it anymore." Before Alec could yell back, Kevin had grabbed his keys and ran out of the apartment, leaving Alec dumbstruck in his wake.
Kevin had stood for nearly an hour in the muggy evening air outside the building. Some of the sign's lights were now beginning to fade and flicker. It was coming on midnight. Kevin was debating whether or not he wanted to go inside. But within five minutes, the place would shut down. The porky man in the queer waiter's uniform on the inside of the now all but vacant building was almost done stacking chairs for the night, from what Kevin could see through the window. Kevin finally gathered the courage to walk up to the window and knock on the window. The bartender on the inside went up to the window.
"We're closed!" he grunted.
"Wally, lemme come in for just one drink?"
"Hey, don't I know you?" asked Wally. Kevin nodded his head. "You're Kirbo's roommate! The depressed one?"
Kevin laughed at the name he was known by. The Depressed One. Amen.
"That's me, Wally, let me in! I need a drink!"
Wally stood in the window a moment. Then he grunted and unlocked the door. "Be out of here in fifteen so I can get home to Bertha," Wally ordered. Kevin nodded and sighed, stepping into the building. Walking over the threshold gave Kevin chills.
It was the first time in eight months he'd stepped into St. Elmo's Bar…and the first time ever he'd set foot in there alone.