It took just short of a blood sample to get Reggie out of school, always making me waste at least ten minutes toe-tapping in the office as they checked my ID for the millionth time before letting me sign my name to the obligatory sheet. The rest took two seconds because I never had to raise a hand to get Reggie's attention. It's always been like he has radar, just instantly snapping to attention as soon as someone he loves is in range. The kid just feeds off of it so as soon as he catches a whiff of you, he's running for more. "Uncle!"

Luckily I caught them on the playground so Ms. Yumi didn't have a tirade about etiquette to accompany his dash for the fence. I waved at her, getting just the second's worth of acknowledgment I needed before opening the gate. Reggie was instantly smashing into my legs, hugging tightly. "Hey, kiddo."

"Uncle, did you know there's a frog that has no lungs?" He tugged enthusiastically at my pant leg as the words continued to ramble. "It breathes through its skin."

Sounds gross, kiddo. I just barely caught the curl of my lip. "Where'd you learn that?"

"I asked Ms. Yumi to find me frog facts." This was obviously his pride and joy moment and I wasn't about to steal it from him.

"So what's another one?" I sent one last salute in Ms. Yumi's direction as I closed the gate.

Reggie knew the drill, his hand easily slipping into mine as we started the walk back towards their apartment. "The biggest type of frog can weigh 7 pounds, but I don't know exactly how much that is."

I hummed out thoughtfully. "I think I can show you when we get home." While I had expected another few frog facts to fly, Reggie buttoned his lip so long I had to drop my gaze. I furrowed my eyebrows at him. "What is it, Reggie?"

He was getting sorta wiggly, that nervous tell that a big thought was itching up from his brain. Little fingers squeezed in mine before he half-shouted. "When are you coming back to live with us?"

I barely got through a rough swallow of nothing but air as the spit dried in my mouth.

"When I asked Mama, she said you weren't, but-but I don't like that." Demand was wrinkling his eyebrows and pulling his bottom lip into a pout. "I don't understand-you always lived with us and then-"

As I slowed, I scooped him up. Reggie wasn't exactly a lightweight anymore, but I needed the face-to-face, the chance to wrap my arms around him. "Sorry, that must have been confusing," I murmured gently. Some relief came as he snuggled close, keeping his arms tight around my neck to hug me into submission. "But I sorta can't come back, Reggie. Doesn't mean I can't see you, but I gotta stay at the apartment."

"Why?" his tiny voice grumbled against my neck.

I started the walk again, patting his back gently in time with each step. "Lots of reasons."

He harrumphed.

"I gotta learn to be on my own-" I started to murmur the list I'd told myself a million times when they left "-and I gotta give your parents some space too. They worry too much." I heaved a sigh, feeling his grip tighten just enough to start choking me just as much as the words. I paused, caressing his arm softly to give my Adam's apple a little room. "I-I need to stay close to Maka too." Is he even going to understand that?

His head popped out of hiding, giving me a clear view of some of his sadness losing the battle with his curiosity. "Because of the baby?"

"Yeah, I want to help with the baby when he comes." A bit more breath eked out of me in relief as I saw the questions swarming on his tongue before he even let 'em loose.

"It's a boy? Like me? What's his name?"

"His name's gonna be Jack." I tousled his hair. "And nobody's like you, Reggie. Don't forget that." That gave him something to preen about, snuggling back into me like he was a toddler again. My arm was aching, but I kept him on his little perch.

"When will he be here?"

"Should be a little less than three months." I chuckled at my own stupidity, knowing the intangibility of time. "Again, when we get home, I'll show you on your calendar. We'll figure out Jack's arrival and how heavy a frog can get."

I knocked softly on the door to Viv's office, instantly getting the endlessly cheerful "Come in!"

Reggie was settled in his room with all my promises fulfilled, now surrounded by crayons and paper with all intention of creating a card for Maka-for what I didn't ask. I opened the door just enough to slide in, giving Viv all the fodder she needed just at the sight of me.

"I thought I heard you both come home!" She was honestly dancing in her seat just as much as her son did when there was a secret to tell. "I went out with Maka yesterday."

"I know." I tried not to smile like a dope- entirely unsuccessful of course.

She planted her elbow on the desk, leaning and letting her wavy black hair obscure the mess next to her laptop. "She is entirely wonderful. Thank you for introducing us."

"Not a big deal." I leaned back against the door, letting it clap shut.

Viv studied me for a moment before raising her eyebrows. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing wrong, just…" I jammed my hands in my pocket and my shoulders curled even as I pulled in a deep breath. "I sorta have something to tell you."

She spun her chair the rest of the way around to sit primly in front of me, every last ounce of her attention mine.

"I-" the vowel choked from my throat, leaving me desperate to clear it. "So I sorta-" My breath gritted against the back of my throat like a bit of a growl as I unearthed one hand to brush my hair back from my face. "Well, I asked her- she's my girlfriend now." I grimaced at my pre-pubescent eloquence.

As if she had any more room for propriety, Viv's spine somehow snapped straighter. "Now?"

"Yeah."

Her fingers clutched to the hem of her dress at her knees. "But before- before you two were…?"

"Friends, I guess." My brow furrowed as her face started to take on a hint of red. "Why…?"

"Oh, I just assumed!" Suddenly, she was up out of her seat, busy hands reaching for me. "I'm so sorry, Soul! I just thought- oh, how much I must have embarrassed her- hurt her!"

"What?" I let her hands fall on my arms as I cupped her elbows, trying to shake her back to attention. "I don't think you did any of that…"

Regardless of my act of steadying, she shook me. "I have to call her and apologize!" She tried to slip away to turn back to the desk but I caught her elbow.

"Really, Viv, cut it out." We got to fumbling since Viv was never one to let a hurt-even imagined-go. I quickly moved to get my hand over her phone, pinning it to the desk. "I don't think you did anything-seriously."

She shook her head as her eyes started brimming with tears. "But yesterday! I kept telling her how wonderful you were with Reggie- how good you'd be with-with-"

"Jack," I corrected softly. "And that's alright. It's been a couple of days since we got together and I… maybe I jumped the gun but I sorta already told her I was looking to help out with that."

Viv expelled a year's worth of air in a sigh. "You swear?"

"I swear-" I laughed softly "-especially since I think she would've said something last night if you'd gotten outta line. Instead, she was all sorts of giddy." I don't even think that began to describe it. While I'd fallen for Maka's courage and spirit, it was getting dangerously worse with that happiness and bravado that was starting to blossom.

She still shuffled, tapping at my fingers before fluttering back into the chair with another breath. "If she says one word-"

"I'll let you know." I slid her phone another inch out of her grasp before moving away from the desk to lean against the wall. My eyes fluttered upwards to the ceiling. "Could you tell Wes?"

I didn't have to look at her to hear the displeasure, that grunt accompanied by the soft pitter-patter of her nails. "Soul, what do you expect your brother to say?"

There wasn't a chance I could look down, not just because meeting her eyes would cut another fine line in my heart but because tears were already threatening before the answer could even echo in my head. Same thing I always expect.

"He wants you to be happy."

A discordant, rueful laugh rattled out from between my teeth.

"Darling-" her voice pulled at me and my eyes fell enough for the world to take on that distorted quality through my tears. "-he would love it if you talked to him."

"Yeah, well…" I shrugged, the movement breaking the tenuous hold my lids had on the liquid. The first spill started down my cheeks.

"It's alright." The chair creaked as she reached for me, nabbing one of my hands to squeeze before letting it get away so I could clear my face. "I'll tell him. Try not to let it worry you."

"Try," I muttered.

"Well, trying should be easier now, hm?" She tested a glowing smile and it caught since my frown couldn't survive in the face of it. "You have a girlfriend, and in a few months, you'll have the excitement of a baby. You said Jack?"

"Jack," I murmured the name with that growing fuzz of warmth in my chest. "He, uh-" a breathless laugh interrupted that as the memory of that closeness was burning at my fingertips. "He kicks when I laugh."

That bright smile of hers turned blinding. "Reggie used to do that when Wes played! He definitely knew what he liked and it seems Jack does too." She laughed warmly as her hands came to her cheeks like the stretch ached. "I've been meaning to ask-is Maka registered?"

I raised my eyebrows.

Another giggle came before the answer to my wordless question. "A baby registry- for gifts. I assume she's already had her shower, but Wes and I would obviously like to get her whatever she has left."

"Oh…" For the first time-and with a flood of the worst kind of anxiety-I realized the problem. Technically, Maka's apartment was filled with just as much baby stuff as mine- meaning none. Looking back, there was no methodical prepping, no boxes of gifts or purchases, all of it just bare. "Viv, I-I don't think she's had one."

"What?" Her hands fell along with her mouth.

The hair on the back of my neck was electric as her glare started to harden. Suddenly I was reminded of Liz and almost crossed my arms to try to save sensitive skin from the pinch or punch that could come. "I don't think she's had a shower."

"What?"

Death, I knew that wasn't a question, and I knew answering it like it was one meant certain death.

"Ridiculous!" Viv turned around in her chair, fingers instantly back on her keyboard as she seemed to clack away without even changing the tab. "I'm making a list now of what we'll need to do. You'll need to get me some phone numbers- a close friend or her mother. Do you know any of her friends?" The clacking stopped just long enough for her to glare at me again.

"Uh, yeah…" And I sorta have his number thanks to me needing to be on call for his beer needs. I just stopped from rolling my eyes. "Give me a second." I slipped my phone out of my pocket and scrolled to "The Annoyance."

Not surprisingly, his voice boomed almost immediately. "Mr. Cool! Congrats on having your cherry popped!"

My hand clenched so tightly I swore I could hear the phone casing crack. "What did she tell you?"

"So you did have sex!" His laughter brayed over the line.

No, but that ain't a conversation I want to have with you just about now. This was obviously a rock and a fucking hard place, embarrassment sure with any answer. "Listen, I need Marie's number." I spat that hard, hoping to derail his original thoughts.

Another bark of laughter shot from the speaker. "My mom? Why? You screw up already? Because I can promise you, she'll help, but if you fucked up real bad, she'll feed you to Stein."

His mom? I was trapped, mouth half gaping. As in Marie is his mom, Shelley isn't her sister even with the 'sissy' stuff, and- and I have no fucking idea about her mother? She's only mentioned her that one time but I guess I just assumed- ugh, fuck me! Maybe I did fuck up. "I just want to ask her something. That's all."

A thoughtful hum buzzed like a fly in my ear. "I guess I could help you out…"

"Call it payment for the beers," I grumbled.

Another cackle, but this one at least ended with a pleasant hum instead of that abrasive bray. "OK, sounds good, Mr. Cool. I'll text it to you in a sec. But seriously, dude, congrats. Seems like she might have finally got a good catch for once."

The line clicked dead before I could reply, leaving me sighing into empty space before turning my attention back to Viv while my hand fell back to my side. She hadn't even caught any of it, her fingers still flying across the keys with those thoughtful wrinkles disturbing the space between her eyebrows. I waited, either for the buzz in my hand or Viv's next feverish thought. The interruption in my palm came first, a text blaring Marie's number across the front. "Here." I motioned the screen towards her.

Viv finally broke from her computer to look, carefully clacking the numbers in on the keyboard. "Marie? Is that her mother?"

"No," I corrected even though my own brain wasn't fully wrapped around that one. "It's sorta her aunt. Her best friend's mom."

"OK." She heaved a sigh. "I can't believe no one would do this for her." It was a protective little grumble under her breath, one I barely caught since all of her focus was back on the task at hand.

"Uh, hey, before I lose you-" I tentatively touched her shoulder, finally breaking the spell.

Viv's neck craned again, her smile reassuring as it ever was, always urging me to spill my guts.

"Listen, about that job-"

She just about exploded with an instant puffing jump of her shoulders. "You mean I can give him your information? Really?"

"As long as you're just asking for an interview." I couldn't stop the air from trembling on its way out. "Don't tell your friend he has to or anything, just-"

"No, no, it's just a meeting!" She tossed up innocent hands before letting them reach for me, stealing both of mine that were obviously sweat-ladened. "Just an opportunity that I really thought fit you, Soul. That's all. But I can? You'll let me?"

"Yeah." I nodded as if the word needed accompaniment. For a second, the burn came back to my eyes. "I sorta- well, I want to be able to have more time and the pay's probably enough that I don't have to have a second job, so…" I want more time for her, for Jack, for a regular life. I'll swallow whatever fear I've got to be able to give her that. "You can go ahead."

Man, when she wanted to, Viv could suddenly transform from petite poetess to college linebacker just in time to squeeze most of the life out of you in a hug meant to keep all of your wayward pieces together. I remember the first time I got one of those and completely lost my shit, entirely unsure of how the hell to navigate someone loving you because they could rather than because they had to-if you really wanna call something like that love at all. At that moment, it was easier. Maybe I couldn't breathe-because damn could those little arms kill-but at least I felt whole. Scared, anxious, but entirely complete.

With excessive Reggie artwork in hand-forget just one card, think closer to a dozen-I knocked on Maka's door. I tried to not ruffle Reggie's papers in the wait while my free fingers anxiously tapped against my leg. The nervousness didn't dissipate, even as the door opened and her bright smile greeted me. "You know you're really early."

"Uh, yeah…" I brandished the gift first. "Reggie made some stuff for you and I sorta wanted to talk to you about what I said to Viv today."

She took Reggie's offering before sweeping me into the apartment.

I had written this spiel over and over in my head on the way over, but my brain and my mouth rarely agreed which left the stupidest sentence I could think of spewing from my mouth as soon as I was inside: "Do you have baby stuff?"

The door shut, followed by a lengthy sigh. "Sort of?" She walked past me towards the bedroom and I followed. Once inside, she reverently placed Reggie's art on the desk before moving to slide the closet door open, exposing boxes peeking out from the bottom below the hemlines of her clothes. "Papa bought me a few things, Marie too, but I…" Maka hesitated, easing the door back and forth a little on the track. "I know how this is supposed to go but I just couldn't," she murmured.

I had to force slow and gentle since my need at that moment was just to crush her with all the feelings I couldn't get off my tongue. My arms carefully slid around her shoulders, bringing her back to my chest. "Well, Viv's on the warpath. She wants to give you a shower and all that other stuff, but if you don't want it, if it hurts you, just tell me and I'll get her to back off."

In absolute fucking sweetness, she tilted her head back to look up at me with the start of a smile. "That's sweet of her."

"Yeah, she doesn't know when to quit." I tried to smile but couldn't uncurl the wrinkle of concern in my eyebrows. "But do you want that? If it's too much-"

"No." Her hands caressed the swell of her stomach before lifting to latch onto my arms. "It's sweet and… it's time. I can't pretend like he's not coming and, honestly, I don't need to anymore."

I could finally exhale as my eyes lingered over the boxes. "You should call her. And Marie. I sorta got her number from Blake so you might want to warn her that Viv's about to wrangle her into the shower of a lifetime."

"You asked Blake?" I turned my gaze just in time to see her eyebrows raise.

"The guy texts me like I'm a beer delivery service," I grunted in reply.

That raise turned into a roll as Maka sighed. "And here I thought, maybe, just for a second, he was learning to play nicely with others."

I couldn't help but chuckle and at the same time, I dropped one of my hands. I knew it was too early to be bypassing the asking, but I settled my hand on the swell all the same. Instantly, hers was over mine and ice gripped my heart. "Sorry-"

"He's over here today." She slid my hand further to the right, under the curve rather than just over it. "That's where his foot is. But you do know he's poking my guts every time you do that…"

There wasn't an ounce of sternness to her voice but I hid my face in shame against her neck all the same. "Sorry," I murmured the echo against her skin.

Something between a sigh and a hum buzzed up from her as she played with my fingers. "I think I'll take whatever organ punches just so I can keep believing that you… I don't know how to put it without sounding cruel." The sigh from her moved my fingers just as much as one of Jack's kicks. "Maybe… I just want to hope you look forward to seeing him as much as I do."

"'Course I do." I couldn't help but let it be an admonishment because damn it, she needed to get it through her thick skull. "I meant what I said: I'm here for you and him." Maka sank into me, letting me carry the weight of her for a few minutes as only the thrum of my heart in my ears filled the time. Cruel… I let that word ring in my head until it settled all the way down to my soul. "When you say cruel, you mean saying he ain't mine?"

Her sigh was all I needed for an answer.

"How about…" There was a weakness floating into that murmur that sprung straight out of that rip that I carried around in my heart. "You're always gonna be his mother and I can't change whatever Brian is." I wasn't exactly proud of the bit of growl there but I couldn't help it. "But I wonder if you could promise me something."

"What?" She turned, letting my hands slide along to her hips as she still refused to detach from me.

"Let me try," I murmured hoarsely as I locked eyes with her. "I know I don't get to just be something to Jack or say that I am just because I'm with you. What I hope is that you can at least keep it in your mind that I'm trying. That maybe it ain't that I'm not, maybe it's just not yet." Saying that alone was a knife in the guts-half from my own fear but also that stupid intangible wound that I carried around. The pain made me lose my flow, the rest of what resounded in my mind dead on my lips: I want to have all the love I can get. I want to give all the love I can. And maybe-oh, fucking maybe-I think I can do that if you're with me. If we're doing this together.

She balanced on tip-toe to brush a delicately healing kiss on my lips. After she was flat-footed again, Maka brought her hands to my cheeks, stroking even more lovingly to skin and nerves that lit under her fingers. "That's an easy promise, Soul."