[Saturday, November 17, 1990]

The game against Rice in Houston was at noon. Tami decided not to make the trip. She was tired, and she had so much school work. Besides, the game was being televised on cable.

"This is kind of a lame way to spend your 21st birthday," Gretchen told her. "With your straight edge ex-roommate, watching football on TV, and only drinking one wine cooler."

Tami snapped shut Julie's Baylor onesie. Julie was getting too big for it. The snaps kept popping open. "Are you still seeing Stumpy?" she asked.

Gretchen shrugged. "Define seeing."

"Sex? Dinner? Something in between?" Tami asked.

"Yes," Gretchen said. "All three. Sometimes on the same day."

Tami laughed. "But you haven't insisted he go steady with you?"

"That's a romantic notion," Gretchen said, "asking a guy to go steady. He's going to do what he's going to do."

"Yes, but you can make it clear what you're going to do if he does what you don't want him to do."

"Your boyfriend almost scored a touchdown. Pay attention."

"He's my husband, Gretchen."

"Oh, yeah. I keep forgetting." She shook her head. "He has a nice ass, especially in those pants."

"Hey, that's my ass," Tami insisted.

"I'm just and objective observer," Gretchen said. "I notice these things. Nice biceps, too. And fantastic eyes."

"Yep," Tami agreed. "My biceps. My eyes."

"Stumpy's got a nice, sizeable cock."

"I really did not require that bit of information, Gretchen."

"How's Eric's?" she asked.

"I'm fully satisfied," Tami said. "Beyond that I really don't find it necessary to discuss details."

"It's not the most attractive organ, is it?"

Tami laughed. Her cheeks felt hot from flushing.

"Seriously," Gretchen said. "Why is that? Why didn't God make that thing more appealing? I mean, when you think of all the things you find sexiest about Eric, how far down the list is that?"

"It's probably not in my top five," Tami admitted. "But it serves its purpose."

Gretchen nodded at the TV. "Watch. Your man just threw the ball."

The game was close, but Baylor won, 17 to 16.

Could it really be the onesie?

[*]

Tami put Julie to bed at 7:30 that night. Eric had taken his own truck to Houston instead of the team bus so that he could leave as soon as the game was over, and at 8:00 PM, there was a knock on the door. Tami thought perhaps he had forgotten his keys. She supposed he would want victory sex, which was why she'd left her knee-length skirt and button-down blouse on instead of changing into sweats and a t-shirt. She knew he liked to undo buttons and slide his hands up under skirts.

When she answered the door, three voices shouted, "Surprise!"

Eric was standing there, holding a boquet of helium balloons. Sarah sported a cake, and Joey held a bottle of wine in each hand, one of those party blowers between his lips. He blew, and it let out a loud squee.

"Shh! You'll wake the baby!" Tami insisted, though she also grinned, pleased to see her old high school friends. She was even more pleased that Eric had arranged such a gift for her.

"We're getting you drunk tonight," Sarah said as she walked in. "And I'm crashing on the floor in the nursery, and I'll tend to Julie if need be." Sarah had met Julie only once, on a weekend visit in August.

"And I'm crashing on the couch," Joey said.

"And I'm taking my beautiful wife to bed," Eric said, "after we celebrate her birthday."

"Red?" Joey asked, holding up one bottle and then the other "or sparkling white first?"

"Sparkling white," Tami said. "Let's toast me."

"Toast of the town," Eric told her. "That's my bride."

Once the wine was poured, presents were unwrapped. Joey had gotten her a gift certificate to Chili's, a tired joke, since she and Sarah used to work there in high school and never wanted to eat there back then, but Tami would use it now. It would be nice to have someone else cook and serve her and clean up.

Sarah had gotten her a sexy piece of lingerie, which caused Eric both to blush and grin.

"Because people don't think about it," Sarah said, "now that you're a mom, but you're still a sexual being, you know? You're gorgeous. As ever."

"You're the best friend ever," Tami told her.

"Absolutely," Eric agreed, and Tami smacked him on the shoulder.

"Not for the lingerie," Tami insisted, "but for making me feel beautiful."

"Oh, I'll make you feel beautiful, babe. Just give me a chance." Eric kissed her.

"No PDA!" Joey insisted.

"Are you two still dating?" Tami asked. Joey and Sarah hadn't touched since they'd been in this apartment.

"We're on a break," Joey said. "But I'm sure we'll get back together again soon. Third time's a charm!"

Sarah shook her head at Tami.

"Just need to get rid of that law school student she's been dating," Joey said, "and we're good to go."

Eric gave Tami a gift certificate for a massage. That was an indulgence they could ill afford. For her 21st, however, she would accept it.

"But use it in January," Eric told her. "When football season's over."

[*]

Tami didn't understand why Eric kept shushing her. She was just expressing how incredibly good it felt to have him moving inside her. She had to announce that. She had to SCREAM it. Because it felt so good. So very, very, very, very –

He covered her mouth with his hand when she came, arching her back and crying out to the heavens. He slid his hand off when the cry faded into just a final, low moan.

For a moment, she thought she saw actual fireworks going off, but then she realized it was just the ceiling fan, cutting the overhead light on and off.

Then she realized the fan wasn't the only thing spinning. The room was spinning a little too. Just a little. "How much of that wine did I drink?"

He curled up beside her, one hand on her bare hip. "We each had one glass of the white. Joey and I also had one glass of the red."

"I thought we split it all four ways."

"No, babe." He laughed. "You had two glasses of white and three glasses of red."

"Did you get to cum?" she asked. She couldn't remember him groaning, but then, she'd been pretty busy screaming Yes! beneath his hand. "I know I did. And how." She was still reeling a little.

"I'm good." He kissed her cheek. "Happy Birthday, Tami."

"How am I going to church tomorrow?"

"We're not going to church tomorrow. Joey and Sarah are handling the baby, and we're sleeping in. When you wake up, we're making love again, if you feel up to it. And then I'm taking you out for a birthday brunch, just you and me."

"Oh. That sounds better than church." She rolled to her side and snuggled her head against his shoulder.

She closed her eyes. The light at the back of her eyelids spun just a little, and then it stopped.

She felt the stress of the fall semester draining out of her, as if she were a sieve, keeping all the goodness inside. She was smiling when she fell asleep.

[Sunday, November 18, 1990]

Tami ordered a mimosa at brunch. They'd gone to a sit down restaurant, with a heated porch (not that they needed it on this gorgeous 60 degree morning) and white tablecloths. A pretty grove of trees lined the opposite end of the porch, and the sun was shining.

Eric smirked at her over his menu. "A little hair of the dog?" he asked.

"I'm twenty-one now," she said. "I had to do it just because I can." She took a sip. "Not as good as your dad's, though." She closed her menu and folded her hands over it. "Maybe he was right."

"My dad? About what?"

"About me biting off more than I could chew. I've been falling asleep in class. Losing my edge at work. I fell asleep at your game the other week. Maybe I shouldn't sign up for the spring semester. Maybe I should just work and stay home with the baby."

Eric put his menu down. "You told me it was extremely important to you not to break up your education. That you need to keep the momentum."

"Maybe I was wrong."

He shook his head. "No, Tami Taylor is always right."

She smiled.

He reached across the table and took her hand. "This has been the hardest part of it. She'll get older, sleep longer. Spring and summer will be lighter seasons for me. I'll help more around the apartment. I'll work part-time and bring some money in for this family."

"Maybe we shouldn't be going into debt for my tuition next semester. I wasn't going to move to Waco in the first place to avoid loans, to escape that debt trap…and now I'm throwing us right in it – with a baby."

"That was different," he assured her. "You weren't going to take that risk for some…boyfriend. But I'm your husband now. We're in this for life. We're in this together. And if I make it to the NFL…" He smiled. "We'll pay all that debt off in my first season."

She pulled her hand away when the waitress came to take their orders.

"We can do this, Tami," Eric assured her. "We will do this. We can be a family, have a family, and still pursue our dreams. Both our dreams. Because neither of us in this alone."