Weeks had passed since AJ and Punk had moved to Chicago. Punk had been fulfilling his duties in his new role at the station, and from what AJ could see, he was enjoying work a lot more. Speaking of work, she had applied for an interview at the local school, who was actually looking for a second grade teacher, which seemed like such a coincidence. But a good coincidence.
She was nervous to go for the interview. She couldn't remember what it felt like. She'd only ever done it for the school she worked in at New Jersey, but she supposed this all came with moving, feeling nerves and doing new and refreshing things.
Her résumé was perfect for the job, and she couldn't see why she wouldn't get it, like Punk had been telling her. She had spoken politely, and her love for children was made very clear to the principal teacher who she had the interview with. Of course when Punk picked her up, she told him she done terrible and would no doubt not get the job, but it was just her fears controlling her self confidence.
Punk had told her she had no doubt done a wonderful job, and the school would be so fortunate to have her teaching in it. He out of all people knew how much she loved her job, and what she done. She deserved the job, and he hoped she got it.
The principal of the school had told her that she would get back to her in a few days to let her know about the job, so she had to become something she definitely wasn't, patient.
Her and Punk had been invited around to Punks brothers. It was her first time meeting him, and Punks first time meeting up with him since he got back in Chicago. She was slightly nervous. She wasn't sure what to expect. She was sure he was pleasant and friendly, but she was still nervous. He was the only family of his that she would meet, so she felt like it was a bigger deal than what it no doubt was.
"Why are you so nervous?" Punk asked after arriving at his brothers house later on one night with AJ, noticing how pale she had gone and how quiet she was being.
"I don't know." AJ admitted as they walked along the pathway up to the house, hands latched onto one another as he knocked the door lightly. She really had nothing to be afraid of. His brother wasn't scary at all, but he supposed that was easy for him to say. He knew him. He was just as nervous when meeting her mother, so he had to take that into consideration.
AJ watched as a man, very much alike to Punk, just a tad smaller with less muscles, opened the door, the same grin across his face as Punk.
"Hey, man. It's good to see you." Punk smiled whilst embracing his younger brother, Sean.
"You too." Sean smiled, looking over his brothers shoulder at the young girl standing timidly behind his older brother, tucking her hair behind her ear nervously whilst looking at the ground.
"This is April." Punk wrapped his arm around AJ's waist, "April, this is Sean." Punk introduced them as Sean extended his hand that AJ willingly shook with a polite smile.
"It's nice to finally meet you, April." Sean smiled, "Kerry is in the kitchen getting drinks already, she's excited Phil has finally brought someone home to us." Sean laughed as Punk rolled his eyes.
"Ok, dad." Punk nodded whilst following AJ into the house where they passed their coats to Sean.
She could sense he was very close to his brother, as well as his brothers girlfriend. Obviously they were the only family they had left, it seemed to be just them two. Their mother was gone, and their father hadn't been and wasn't around. In a way it seemed sort of sad to her, that it was just them two, but then she realised how close they seemed because of it, and how they seemed to depend on one another. She could sense it just from seeing them casually talk to one another.
She was introduced to his brothers girlfriend, Kerry, who was a bright and bubbly girl, just like her she supposed, and she was introduced to a lively one year old, TJ, their son. It seemed like a happy home, and she could sense Punk was proud of his little brother.
"How long have you been with Phil then?" Kerry asked AJ, after just putting TJ to sleep, dragging AJ into the kitchen to help her with the drinks. She was the type of girl that would dance on top of tables at parties. Good fun with a bubbly and bright personality that AJ liked.
"A year." AJ smiled as Kerry nodded. Although Sean and Kerry were very much welcoming her into their home, she was still extremely timid and shy, but that was just who she was. She was sure after a few times of being around them, she'd get to know them and be familiar with him.
"Phil is hopeless. I've been waiting on him bringing home someone for me to talk to for so long." She laughed, "You must be something special." She smiled as AJ laughed.
"He's really never had a girlfriend, or any sort of fling?" She asked, surely he'd introduced a girl to his brother before, even just once.
"Never." Kerry said. She had been gasping for her boyfriends brother to have a girlfriend, so she could have someone to talk to, and she wouldn't have to tolerate just Phil on his own. In her mind, this way, she didn't have to deal with either Sean or Phil, and had someone to talk to now, "He used to drop them like flies before you, sweetheart." Kerry laughed as AJ smiled, not sure how to react to that, "But for Sean's sake, I'm glad he's back home."
"He's TJs godfather, isn't he?" AJ asked, recalling back to Punk telling her about being his nephews godfather.
"Yeah." Kerry nodded, "Apart from the fact he's never here, he's good with him." Kerry smiled, "He's a good uncle."
"I would imagine him to be." AJ smiled, "How long have you been with Sean?" AJ asked. It was nice to be introduced to new people and faces, especially when both Kerry and Sean were extremely nice to her.
"Oh, since high school. I used to come round to their house when I was sixteen. Phil was about nineteen. He hated me at the start. Done everything in his power to try break us up." Kerry said as AJ laughed, "But now we get on. Well, I don't think he has much of a choice." She smiled as AJ laughed, "But he's a good guy. You are lucky." She nodded as AJ smiled.
She liked being told that, but she knew how lucky she was to have someone loving her the way Punk loved her. She was glad that she had been welcomed and accepted into his brothers home. Kerry was as sweet as ever, and his brother wasn't all that bad. She was enjoying herself. It felt good to really feel part of a family.
"Wasn't that bad, was it?" Punk asked her, driving home late on that night whilst AJ sat on the passengers side beside him.
"Not bad at all." She smiled, "I think Kerry was relieved you brought a girl with you instead of her having to sit with just you and your brother all night." She laughed as Punk smiled.
"Kerry is crazy." Punk said, "Don't be taking any pages from her book." He laughed, joking obviously.
"She's sweet." AJ smiled, "I guess it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. I enjoyed myself." She smiled. And she was being truthful. It was good to get out the house, and she hoped that they could become closer with Sean and Kerry, not just because she felt Punk had to visit his brother more, but because they were really the only people they knew here, and were familiar with, besides Punks annoying friends, Dean and Seth, who were very hard to tolerate. She was having a hard time being without her friends, so it was good to get out and hopefully make a new few. Kerry was definitely easy to get on with, and Sean was just a version of Punk she'd have to befriend with.
"Good." Punk smiled whislt keeping his eyes on the road, "I'm glad."
He was glad that AJ had enjoyed herself. In a way, he knew her and Kerry would get on. They were both bubbly and bright in the same way. He was extremely glad she had felt welcomed tonight, and had thanked his brother privately for being so cool with them being over for the night. AJ was right, he did have to visit him more often, and he had to visit his godson more often. But he was just glad she felt comfortable tonight around his brother and his small family. He only wished his mom could have met her. His mom would have loved her.
The next morning, Sunday morning, a glorious morning for both AJ and Punk who were both off. Punk always had a Sunday off, and of course AJ was off from having no job confirmed yet. But even if she was working, she'd be off anyway.
Punk had brought her up breakfast to have in bed like he always did. It was just one of those days. The snow was thick falling outside, and the heating in their house was on twenty four seven. It was hard to get out of bed when they were so comfortable in each others arms.
He'd brought her up breakfast whilst they lay against the headboard on the bed, watching the TV which was just boring, morning talk shows. It was warm and comforting just to have arms circled around her, cradling into his body whilst she held her warm cup of coffee.
They were in casual conversation when her cell phone began to ring and vibrate on the cabinet beside her bed.
She sat her coffee down on the coaster and wiggled out of his arms, sitting up and answering the phone to hear the school on the opposite end, tapping Punk to turn the TV down as he listened carefully to the conversation.
"Ok." AJ nodded whilst holding the phone to her ear, "Ok, thanks." She nodded whilst hanging up, sitting her phone casually over on the bedside cabinet, turning around to see him staring on at her with anticipation.
"Well?" He waited.
"I got the job." She smiled, "I got the job." She squealed a little louder whilst wrapping her arms around him tightly, "I start Wednesday." She smiled in a high pitched, excited voice.
He was so happy for her, and hugged her back just as tight as she did. Everything was working out perfectly and he was just so happy she had been given the job that she would be so wonderful at, "I'm so happy for you, baby." He whispered, pressing a kiss on her head as she smiled, resting her head on his chest.
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