"They're gonna know." Georgie mumbled to herself as she stood in the hallway a few feet from her room. "They're going to take one look at your dopey smile and know." She could be frowning and they wouldn't believe her insistence that she and Steven weren't serious, especially since she had only been to their room to pick up or drop off textbooks during the last week. Otherwise, she was at Steven's. They had agreed that she shouldn't come to the set because, as he put it, she was far too distracting. She would sneak out in the morning to go to class and meet him at his room for dinner. It was picture perfect until she ran out of clothes. There was a good chance they weren't even here. Georgie pushed open the door and stuck her head in to investigate. "Hello?"
Lindsay grabbed her hand and pulled her in before Georgie had a chance to protest. "Oh my God, our roommate does exist."
Ronnie threw the closest thing she could grab at Lindsay's head, which ended up being a sock. "We knew she existed. Remember the disappearing stacks of clothes?"
As usual, Georgie just let them talk themselves in circles.
"That could have been the ghost." Lindsay countered quickly, pushing Georgie down on the bed. "You know the one we named after her."
"Hi guys." Georgie blushed.
"Hi guys." Ronnie mimicked. "We see for the first time since she had to leave for home and all she can say is hi guys?"
"I bet Steven got more than a 'hi guys' out of her." Lindsay nodded.
"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Georgie asked trying to sound put off.
"Oh you do not get to try that innocent stuff with me. The day before you left you spent all night with him and we haven't seen you since you came back. And we know you two were supposed to meet up that night since Mr. Wonderful came here looking for you." Lindsay clucked, shaking her finger in Georgie's direction.
"Really Georgie. We aren't total airheads." Ronnie reminded her. "We do have some brains you know."
"We just got kind of carried away. And this week has been so wonderful. I should have checked in." Georgie admitted.
"Well it would have been easier on misdirecting your family if you had." Lindsay pointed out. "There are so many times one person should be in the library."
"Who called?" Georgie whispered.
"Your sister once and your dad a couple of times." Ronnie offered. "It wasn't anything major. I think they were just checking on you. You should probably call them soon."
"Yeah." Georgie nodded. "So, did I miss anything?"
"Not as much as we have apparently. Why was your week so wonderful chica?" Lindsay pried. "Did you really think I of all people was going to let that one slide?"
She thought about telling them how the simple act of having dinner with a guy was a comfort after seven years of solidarity, but that would have made her way too vulnerable. "It's kind of a blur. Don't give me that look. What I guess I mean is, I think I'm in love." Georgie explained. It was a risk telling them especially when she hadn't told Steven yet, but she felt like she would burst if she didn't tell someone.
"Color me shocked on that one." Lindsay joked. "Girl we knew that before you left."
"Linds don't make fun." Ronnie chided her. "That's great Georgie. Does he feel the same way?"
"Oh...I don't know." Georgie choked out.
"Has he been as scarce as you've been this past week?"
"No."
"Well of course not, Ronnie he has to work." Lindsay explained. "What she meant was has he been changing his routine since you've been around? Not hanging around skanky starlets for example."
"I haven't been to his work, but I don't think so." Georgie screwed up her face.
"Good. Skanky starlets are always the worst. Now when you are together, do you get the feeling he would rather be somewhere else or do you think there is nowhere else he'd rather be?" Lindsay asked.
"Who are you Dr. Phil?" Ronnie wondered.
"Hush. I just want to make sure Georgie is in love with a guy who deserves it."
"You're getting ahead of yourselves." Georgie assured them. "I'm sure if he does love me he'll tell me."
"He's a guy Georgie. They take longer about these things."
"It's just a nice feeling. Even if he doesn't, which I'm not saying that."
"Of course, it's a nice feeling either way." Ronnie agreed, sticking her tongue out in Lindsay's direction.
"The fact that he's a hot older guy is just an added bonus." Lindsay added.
"I just came to get some clothes." Georgie suddenly remembered. "I don't want to be late for dinner."
"Ohhh she needs clothes. Not wanting to be late for dinner. Sounds serious." Lindsay laughed.
"Shut up." Georgie ordered smiling. She crossed the room and stuffed a few outfits into an overnight bag.
"She's breaking out the bags. I guess we won't see her again for another week at least."
"Sure you will." Georgie promised. "Let's plan on getting together this weekend. Okay?"
"Do you want us to tell your family that you've moved to the library then?" Ronnie wondered.
"No. I'll call them right now. I appreciate you covering for me."
"No problem. You know us. Sucker for true love and all." Lindsay teased. "However you do realize this will cost you."
Georgie folded her arms. "What do you want?" She asked cautiously.
"You're buying dinner when we do get together. Not that I think for one second it will be this weekend."
"How about Friday night? Anywhere you two want?"
Lindsay turned to Ronnie, in feigned shock. "She's offering us Friday night. Date night."
"Steven must be working late." Ronnie reasoned
"That isn't fair." Georgie pointed her finger at them.
"We're just having some fun with you." Lindsay reassured her, hugging her close. "It's good to see you happy you know."
"It's good to see you guys period." Georgie laughed. "We'll talk details in class tomorrow."
Bobbie stood in the doorway of her baby daughter's new room just watching her. This was her first day out of the NICU nursery and Bobbie could admit, at least to herself, that she was adjusting as well as Majandra was. From here, she could hear the light, wordless melody of the moon and stars mobile. Resting her cheek against the door, she whispered, "It'll be a short meeting." It was a promise she hoped to back up when she got back. Jax and Brenda had finally come to agreement on location and date. There was no way she was giving them another minute to change their mind. Of course, that meant leaving her baby alone with her father. It wasn't that she didn't trust him to take care of her; it was just the first time he would be alone with her without a nurse or doctor assisting him.
It didn't help that Robin was taking a long break from this account and her business in general, but Bobbie could understand how terrifying it was to have your child taken so abruptly. I can handle this, Bobbie told herself. Work was no longer a danger to her, the pregnancy part was over. She could get this done in an hour at most and be back before lunchtime.
"Are you sure this is okay?" She asked Cruz timidly. "I could do this a different day."
"We'll be fine." Cruz assured her. If was honest he was still not one hundred percent sure they should have brought her home so soon but the doctors swore Majandra was ready. And he wasn't fully sure he wouldn't drop her and break her like the little porcelain doll she looked like. But this account was important to his wife, and he swore he wouldn't' hold her back from something important to her.
"It's only twenty minutes away. You have my cell phone number of course. If you need me, call." She couldn't do it. She couldn't leave her baby.
"You don't have to worry about a thing. I have everything the Princess is going to need."
"You know, Laura's actually closer. Call her first and then call me. Okay?" She patted his cheek.
"You're worrying too much. We can handle this."
"I know. I know you can." Bobbie bobbed her head. "It's just...leaving her is never going to be easy for me."
"And you keep telling me I have to learn to let go eventually." He teased her gently drawing her into his arms with ease.
"They grow up so fast though and I don't want to miss anything. What if we get her a babysitter and she calls her Mommy first?"
"Not going to happen. No one's going to pass my screening test anyways."
Bobbie laughed as he had meant for her to. "I love you Cruz Rodriguez."
"I love you too Barbara Jean Rodriguez. Now go. One of us should be working right now."
"Oh, she'll put you to work. When she wakes up...I left a schedule on the refrigerator."
He mocked saluted her. "Aye, aye Captain. I will follow it religiously."
Bobbie hurried over to the crib and kissed her daughter's pudgy cheek. "I love you. Momma will be back soon." She met her husband's eyes feeling very out of sorts. "I can't do it. I'm canceling."
"No you aren't. This wedding is going to make your career. You know that. You've told me that a zillion times already. You are not doing all the work to let someone else take the credit." Cruz shook his head stubbornly. "Besides what would our daughter think of you setting such an example?"
Bobbie frowned. "Okay. I just...just a second." She returned to the crib, having made it a whole two feet past it, and nuzzled Majandra's cheek. "Okay, I can do this." She quietly marched out of the room and down the stairs.
Walking into his daughter's room, Cruz paused by her crib watching the gentle rise and fall of her chest. "I can do this." He whispered. "I can do this."
"Hello?" Axe's voice carried through the living room. "Boss man? You home?"
Cruz blew out a sigh as Majandra rolled over in her bassinet and started to wail once again. "Axe! Shh!"
"I'm sorry. Sorry." Axe ran to close the door he had accidentally left wide open, cringing when he closed it with more force than was strictly necessary. "I didn't know the Little Queen was sleeping."
"She's not now." Cruz grumbled. "I don't understand it. I fed her. I changed her. I laid her down. Yet she just now fell asleep and then you go and wake her up."
"Did you burp her?"
Cruz lifted an incredulous eyebrow at this. "I'm supposed to burp her?"
Shaking his head at his boss's cluelessness, Axe held out his hand. "Give her here."
"I don't know..." Cruz replied. "Bobbie said not to let anyone else hold her."
"Do you want her to stop crying dude?"
"Here. Take her." Cruz carefully shoved his daughter into his employee's waiting arms. "Hold her head and all that jazz."
"Dude please. I am the Baby Master." Snuggling Majandra against his chest, resting her head on his shoulder, he gently began patting her on her back. "Come on Little Queen. Make me look good."
"Since when do you know anything about babies?"
"Four younger brothers and sisters." Axe answered matter-of-factly. Majandra decided to let out a loud burst of noise. "There you go."
"Maybe I'm not cut out for this. I should call Bobbie." Cruz reached for his cell phone.
"Nah." Axe drawled out rubbing Majandra's back. "You're learning dude."
"Let me see her. I want to show you something." Cruz goaded him.
Passing the little girl back to her father, Axe gave his full attention to Cruz. "Hit me."
As soon as his little girl was set in his arms, she started to cry again turning her face into his right arm. "She hates me."
"No. She smells fear."
"She's a baby, Axe."
"Babies are like dogs man. You have to train them to do what you want and they can smell fear. You have to go in confident or they will own you."
"Did you just call my baby a dog?"
"No. But you have to approach her like you know what you are doing. What is it you always tell the interns? Fake it till you make it? Well learn to fake it."
Cruz smirked. "Take her for a second. I've got to get her bottle from the kitchen."
"Not a problem. She likes me better anyway."
Cruz decided not to comment on that last statement. "Oh shi—! Ouch!" He yelled.
"What? What?" Axe ran into the kitchen as fast as he could with Majandra resting her head on his shoulder. The little girl was far more interested in trying to fit her entire fist into her mouth than in whatever drama her father had just gotten himself into.
Boiling milk covered the floor, the bottle had smashed a window, and Cruz had an angry red welt on his forehead. "Don't. Please just don't."
"Don't what? Laugh? Tell Becca? Or tell your wife?"
"Any of that. Just don't." Cruz saw the sudden sparkle in his daughter's eyes. "I think she likes it when I mess up."
"Of course she does. Don't all kids love it when their parents screw up?"
"If you like that," he cooed to Majandra, "you're going to love the next couple of years."