An Upstate Christmas
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Ch5: Juxtaposition
Nick and Mandy were asleep; they had taken both of the mattresses and put them on the floor so they could sleep together comfortably. Mandy started to stir in her sleep, Nick woke up feeling her stir. Mandy and her mother had been out shopping all day preparing for the New Year's Party that was tomorrow.
"Are you alright?" Nick asked lifting his sleepy head up. Mandy sprang up out of bed pushing on Nick's stomach as she ran to the bathroom. "Oof…" Nick said as he folded up. Nick sat up as he heard Mandy puking in the bathroom. He waited until she was done before he went in.
"I threw up on my shirt." Mandy said upset as she took her shirt off. Nick took off his to give her and prepared a damp cloth for her. "I think that Thai place my ma brought me to got me sick."
"Me too." Nick said turning on the fan.
"Is everything alright?" Elaine asked knocking on the door.
"Can you get me a glass of water?" Mandy asked slightly tugging on his pajama bottoms.
"Yeah, sure thing." Nick said trying to shake the fuzz from his brain. As he left the bathroom he mumbled something to Elaine but his sleepy brain preventing him to say anything that made sense.
"Are you alright?" Elaine asked as Mandy made her way to the sink to rinse her feet.
"Yeah, just a little nauseous." Mandy said rinsing her face.
"Please, young lady." Elaine said carefully shutting the door a little.
"What?" Mandy asked nervous looking at her.
Nick made his way downstairs as he rubbed his eyes, hoping that it would help him wake up a little more. He scratched his head as he went to the kitchen and poured Mandy a glass of cool water.
"Whoa, Calvin Klein, put a shirt on." Matthew said as him and Billy came in the kitchen.
"Sorry guys, your sister is sick." Nick said turning the water off.
"Gross, hey Nick, why haven't you gone drinking with us?" Billy said walking closer to Nick. Nick could smell alcohol on both of their breath.
"You both smell like you've been doing enough drinking for all of us." Nick joked. "I should really get this your sister." Nick said awkwardly leaving.
Nick then passed Eli on his way back up the stairs. Mandy's family was certainly a late bunch, and all of them were little balls of energy. As Nick made his way back up the stairs he heard the women inside the women start to whisper. Nick cautiously knocked on the door slightly pushing it open.
"Is everything alright?" Nick asked peeking his head in. both of the women stopped talking.
"Yeah, thank you." Mandy said taking the glass.
"Nick, can you give us a minute?" Elaine asked. Nick nodded, and touched his chest realizing that he wasn't wearing a shirt.
"Yeah, yeah, of course. I'll just go have… a cup of coffee… I should probably put a shirt on… I'll be downstairs…" Nick stuttered awkwardly walking away. Nick grabbed a loose black v-neck t-shirt and heard his phone ringing, it was Greg. Nick asked the phone and went downstairs to talk.
"He's gone." Elaine said as Nick disappeared down the stairs. "You haven't told him, yet?" Elaine asked surprised, and Mandy looked at her.
"No, well not yet. I was going to tell him before we left, but we were so bummed and stressed… it didn't feel right. When I tell him I want it to be special, not the night we investigate some gruesome child murders and I can see it in his face that he can't stop thinking about it. I don't want our baby join the collage of horrific thoughts in his head, ma." Mandy said stressed out running her fingers through her hair.
"Well you are not going to be able to hide it forever. How far along are you?" Elaine said, seeing her daughter just overwhelmed with stressed, while Elaine was trying to hide her giddiness and excitement.
"I'm eight weeks." Mandy said her mother squealed in excitement and hugged Mandy.
"Oh, my baby is having a baby." Elaine cried hugging Mandy.
"Ma, how do I tell him? How'd you tell dad?" Mandy asked.
"Please, you all were leave babies. Your dad would be home for a few days and who-woulda-thunk it I would turn up pregnant a few weeks later. For your brothers I wrote and told your father that way, and for you. I found out I was pregnant with you just a few days before your dad was going to come home and your brothers made a sign that said welcome home Daddy! You are just time for the baby! I still have it, it is the cutest thing ever." Elaine said wiping her eyes.
"I saw the video that Aunt Kathy made when they did that." Mandy said smiling. "I don't know, what I'm going to do." Mandy said looking down.
"Believe me, you aren't going to be able to hide it too much longer. Every time I was around 8 weeks to 10 weeks pregnant my boobs…" Elaine said and Mandy made a face. "Let's just say my bras got smaller during this time, and it's going to happen to you." Elaine said smiling.
"Thanks for the insight, ma." Mandy laughed.
"You guys don't practice safe sex?" Elaine said grimacing.
"We do… you know I'm allergic latex." Mandy said, Elaine looked at her.
"There's other ways, Mandy." Elaine said shrugging her shoulders.
"I'm on the pill… or was, I had a dumb moment and got exposed to something at work and was put on some antibiotics." Mandy said.
"What about him?" Elaine asked, and Mandy turned red.
"We were um… using those latex free ones… I guess they're not as strong at the latex ones." Mandy blushed.
"You're just figuring that out now?" Elaine teased.
"I've never been with a guy that breaks them the way he does." Mandy said turning a bright red, feeling the blood rush to her cheeks. Elaine raised her eyebrows at her daughter.
Meanwhile downstairs, Nick hung his phone and shook his head as he dumped out his water upset. Nick grimaced upset as he put his glass in the sink trying to contain his new found anger. Nick rubbed his face and clinched his jaw shut.
"You look like someone who needs a beer." Eli said handing Nick a cool beer. Nick looked unsure at the man but took the beer and joined him at the small table in the kitchen. "Is everything alright?"
"No… trouble at work." Nick said taking a thirsty sip from his beer. Nick made a face and scratched the back of his head. Mandy wouldn't be happy to find out that Nick had been drinking, but he had gone the entire time here without drinking.
"Are you going to tell Mandy?" Eli asked resting his forearms against the table.
"No." Nick said looking up to where the women were still talking then back at Eli. "It'll just upset her more. It's nothing major, just another punch to the gut." Nick chuckled and drinking his beer. Eli just nodded.
"We worry about Mandy working there. I watch the news, and I check to see what is going on over there. It's pretty terrible, but it's not like I have to tell you." Eli said looking at Nick.
"You never realize how much someone you don't know actions can mess with your head the way it does? It affects everyone, and no one can handle the cases with kids. I see Mandy's face fall, anytime I bring a kids' set of prints or a safe kit, or when we have to spend hours to try to identify any usable print to find out who is in the morgue." Nick said angry again, and finished his beer.
"How does Mandy handle all of this?" Eli asked getting closer.
"Well, I can't say it doesn't bother her. That's why I made sure we took this trip. She's been really stressed out a lot lately, she's had trouble sleeping, moody, there's been a few times I thought she was going to bite my head off for sure lately, and she's been real nauseas." Nick said getting another beer while Eli still nursed his first one. Eli just looked at Nick, knowing full well what he was describing to Nick but deciding it wasn't his place to tell him. "She definitely more relaxed here, and when she's relaxed so am I." Nick said opening his beer, Eli smiled at approval at Nick.
"You know, I was worried about you at first. I didn't know if you were the right one for my daughter. You haven't really talked to us, you haven't wanted to drink with me or the boys, and I really don't blame you though." Eli teased Nick smiled. "You've been very respectful, and I can see that you love my daughter and that she very much loves you. You are a good man." Eli said nodding in approval.
"Can I ask you something?" Nick asked making sure the coast was clear.
"Sure." Eli said adjusting in his seat.
"I do love your daughter, and respect you and your wife. Mandy is the best thing that has ever happened to me…" Nick asked trying to ease his new found nervousness. "I'd like to ask your daughter to marry me, and would like your blessing." Nick asked swallowing hard. Eli smiled.
"Do you have the ring?"
"Yes." Nick asked checking the coast again before handing Eli the jewelry box. "I ordered it from Vegas and had it sent to one of the stores in the mall. So when Mandy and I went I was able to sneak away and grab it quickly, all while getting lost in the progress." Nick chuckled.
"When do you want to do this?" Eli asked handing Nick the ring back.
"Tomorrow… right before the ball drops. I wanna catch her off guard in front of all you guys. We had a really crummy Christmas, I just wanna make this the best New Years ever." Nick said swallowing hard again still awaiting Eli's answer.
"Of course, you have my blessing." Eli said standing sticking his hand out for Nick to shake. Nick felt a rush of nerves and relieved at the same time.
"Thank you, so much." Nick said shaking Eli's hand, smiling ear to ear.
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