"Okay, don't look," Jimmy says trying to lead her out of the car, her eyes closed for the past block. "And don't fall either."
"If I fall, I will blame you anyway," Connie tells him, and even with her closed eyes, you could see her roll them.
"Alright, you can open them," Jimmy says positioning her and holding her hands, nervous at the snow-scaped house that sat nowhere near ready for them, but at least they had a house.
"It's a house?" Connie looks at him.
"It's our house," Jimmy says nervously. "I did get the right one didn't I?"
"You bought us a house?" Connie looks at him, shivering from the cold air drifting up her skirts.
"I did, a few weeks ago, I meant to fix it up a bit before I showed it to you, but it looks like a good clean is the best I can do given the circumstances," Jimmy says looking sheepishly. "It is the one you liked isn't it?"
"I…" Connie says looking at it. "I honestly don't even remember," she tells him honestly. "But we're in Riverdale, and like Riverdale. Now let's go inside as I am getting cold?"
Jimmy nods his head offers her his arm and digs out the keys to the old door. Once unlocked she ushers her inside.
It's clean and bright by the windows, but the papers were old and the floor needed to be refinished. The kitchen already has a new fridge and new stove in it, and the living room is spacious and has a wall of built-in bookcases around the fireplace, before leading into the dining room that overlooked the small backyard, along a small washroom and screened-in porch and utility room with a water heater and washing sink. The upstairs has three bedrooms, one large and two smaller ones and the washroom.
"Do you still like it? We can update it of course, and we can get a few things done that need to be done before…well," Jimmy says still not quite used to the fact or even the idea that was about to be a father.
They were about to lock up when they found them face to face with an older woman.
"You must be the new neighbours!" She says excitedly. "I thought I saw someone the other day, but I missed you."
"Oh, I guess we are," Connie looked at Jimmy. "Constance Will—Anderson," she corrects herself.
"Still not used to it, must be fresh from the honeymoon?" She says laughing. "Though I am surprised to see you here?" She looks at Jimmy.
"Constable James Anderson," he says smoothly. "Toronto still needs men for some jobs," he reminds her.
"Of course, right, Mabel White," she says blanching lightly. "Well, I suppose our street will be safer with you around."
"Jimmy takes his job seriously," Connie says looking at her watch. "We must get going, our apologies but much to do," she says holding out her one hand to shake the woman's goodbye.
"Of course," Mabel says looking over Connie for a moment. "Oh dear, what happened to your ring?"
"My ring?" Connie looks down to her engagement ring realizing she didn't have a wedding band on. "Oh, that one! You see I was making bread with my mother, and I took off my one but left it on the band not thinking about and it got lost in the bread, it will turn up tonight at dinner most likely," she says spinning a white lie.
"Oh of course! I lost mine in a pie once, didn't realize until my husband almost choked on it," She says as Jimmy looks slightly impatient looking at his watch.
"Sorry, but we really must go," Jimmy tells her. "We won't be fully moving in for another week or so, but you shall see you around soon," he says.
They leave the woman on the step, trying not to giggle as they traipse to the car.
"I do love you," Connie says. "
"I know," Jimmy says. "And I must love you if I just bought a house next to that lady."
"Well, at least everyone will think we are married," Connie reminds him. "Especially if we bring home a little one, earlier than they expect us to?"
"Why wouldn't we?" Jimmy asks brow furrowing as he starts the car.
"I mean…I don't want to count our chickens before they hatch. The first three months can be…they say if you lose a child it's either the first three months or from a tough delivery?" Connie says quietly.
"Of course," Jimmy says nodding his head. "Just shows how much I know about this sort of thing doesn't it?"
"You're learning, and instead of running away telling me to deal with it, you are actually…" Connie says stopping herself for the right word.
"Staying? Not running? Stepping up to the plate?" Jimmy says looking at her with his brown eyes. "I don't run away from things, and it's been three years Con, I would have married you two years ago if you let me do it. Why would I leave you now because I am finally getting what I wanted?"
"I know, but it's just frightening that's all," Connie says sighing. "We still have to tell your family!"
"Dad knows," Jimmy says tells her quietly. "Not that I told him, but I guess I had a look of panic on my face the morning after you told me you were late. I don't think he told Mom, because well we would have heard about it from her at this point?"
"You sure you don't want me there when you tell them?" Connie asks him.
"It's easier if I tell them we are getting married this Friday and sort of let the pieces fall as they do?" Jimmy says after a moment of silence. "They won't be mad, but Mom will… overreact for a hot moment and I'll have to explain to Clara that me moving out doesn't mean she will never see, but things will be different. She's jealous enough about you I don't want you to see that tantrum or have her hit you or something."
"You make it sound like she's a demon child," Connie tells him.
"Well, she is precocious, just as Mom used to be according to Dr. Blythe, and Grandma Blythe," Jimmy says explaining. "Apparently at Clara's age, she once threw an entire cake in a river because she thought it was shameful and embarrassing."
"Honestly, what I know of your mother, that doesn't surprise me," Connie laughs.
It was Sunday, when dinner was in full swing when Jimmy dropped the bomb on the dinner table after much deliberation.
"Constance and I are getting married this Friday, I hope you can make it. It's just at the courthouse, but we didn't want anything fancy."
"Very funny Jimmy," Rilla laughs waving him off. "You are not getting married at the courthouse."
"But we are," Jimmy says looking at her earnestly.
'You're not allowed to get married, Jimmy!" Clara exclaims for her spot. "You promised me I could be your flower girl!"
"See, why don't you wait until spring and have a nice little church wedding, it doesn't have to be big, but it's a much nicer thing to do," Rilla reminds him. "I am sure that Constance wants more than a courthouse wedding. All nice girls do, and I am sure you'll want some of the Island dwellers to be able to come?"
"We can't wait for spring Mom," Jimmy says quietly. "Too much is happening to wait until spring…"
"Dear lord, you're enlisting, aren't you? You changed your mind and going to that awful war aren't you?" Rilla squeaks.
"Rilla, can you just listen to him," Ken says gently. "Accusing him of something you know he doesn't want is not listening."
"Well, what else can call for a courthouse wedding Kenneth in this day and age…" Rilla snaps at her husband. She looked at Jimmy looking almost like he was a fox caught in a hen house, like a teenager who did something they weren't supposed to do.
"What going on?" Clara asks again.
"Come on, let's give them some privacy Oliver tells her trying to get her to leave the table.
"I want to hear this," Rowena whispers, but a look from her father sends her into silence and all the kids sit there in silence.
"We need to do it now, if her work catches wind of it…they'll fire her on the spot, but if she married and working…as long as she discloses and tries to keep it from being obvious they won't…?" Jimmy tries to explain.
"A baby," Rilla says quietly shaking her head.
"A baby? Why is Jimmy having a baby? I don't want him to have a baby then I won't be the baby of the family!" Clara says exclaiming.
"Hush all of you," Rilla says. "Take your sister to the living room please while we talk to Jimmy."
The kids nod their heads and take their plates to the living room to finish their dinner. Mrs. Clarke takes her own quietly to her own room, not feeling as it was her place to be there.
"I really cannot believe this," Rilla looks at her eldest, she may have not birthed him but she swore she had taught him better than this.
"Trust me, neither can we," Jimmy says. "But we're okay with it? I mean I have a house I signed the papers a few weeks ago, it's just the technicality of getting married." Jimmy tells her.
"When did you buy a house!" Rilla shrieks.
"Rilla," Ken says trying to calm her down.
"You knew this was coming and didn't tell me?" She whips her head to look at her husband,
"It wasn't my news to tell," Ken says simply. "But we should be happy for Jimmy and Constance."
"You like babies," Jimmy says trying to lighten the mood and she shoots him a look to smarten up.
"Are you ready to be a father?" Rilla asks him. "Being responsible for two other people than yourself?"
"I'm pretty sure Constance can take care of herself for most things," Jimmy says jokingly.
"Of course, but she can't have a bank account without you now being tied to it," Rilla points out to him. "She'll technically need your permission to work.
"Either way, if you could pick up an infant and take care of it and raise me at fifteen…I think I have a fairly decent shot at being a good father," Jimmy says quietly. "And I will never stop Constance from doing anything she wants to."
"So Friday?" Ken says trying to move on the conversation, "Just let us know when to show up and we'll make it happen, I am sure the children will love a day off school."
Jimmy nods.
"Is the house even ready?" Rilla looks at him. "Do you even have furniture, a bed, curtains?"
"We're going shopping tomorrow to get some of the basics, I have a bit saved up, and we can look around at a few second-hand shops as well for things we don't have much of a preference on?" Jimmy explains. "But the house is clean, we can paint and repaper later there is no rush."
"Take your bed and bedroom things they have always been yours," Ken tells him. "We can borrow a truck and bring it over to the house."
"Where is the house?" Rilla asks realizing she doesn't even know where he is moving to. When did this young man keep things from her like this?
"In Riverdale," Jimmy says quietly.
"Riverdale!" Rilla exclaims, covering her heart before swatting at him in a motherly way. "Can you get further away from us?"
"Well, Rosedale is a little out of our price range," Jimmy reminds her. "It's a nice area, safe and lively and good for young families and only across the Don Valley."
"You need a new suit," Rilla says changing the subject. "Hell, I need something to wear? What does a mother of the groom even wear?"
"I am sure Eatons will be able to sort that out for you," Ken chuckles.
"Oliver needs a new jacket and trousers, which means Rowena will want something new as well. Does Constance have any colour preferences? Do we need to get some flowers, we should find a restaurant to have dinner at?" Rilla goes off.
"See Jimmy, she's already thinking of ways to put a dent in the bank account," Ken says moving to squeeze the younger man's shoulder. "A preview of your soon-to-be life?"
"Very funny!" Rilla eyes narrow at him.
Friday came all too quickly, but everyone was smartly dressed and their shoes were shining. Who gets married in February? The slush and cold, but the courthouse is busier than expected, with a lot of men in uniform of course. Jimmy had made initial introductions to Constance's mother and sister, while her brother somewhere training in Quebec before Constance ducked into a ladies' room.
"It appears we meet at last, Mrs. Williams, I am Rilla Ford, and my husband Kenneth Ford," Rilla says to Constance's Mother, who was dressed in her Sunday best dress and jacket. "I wish it would have been sooner than the actual wedding?"
"Well, we have ages to know each other now, you may call me Dorothy," she says looking over Rilla to the rest of the family, Clara who was twirling in a pink dress that twirled and showed off her bloomers. "Quite the broad?"
"I suppose so?" Rilla says nodding her head. "Drive you crazy most of the time, but you love them wholeheartedly. Though I am sure you feel the same way sometimes?"
"Wholeheartedly, you raised a lovely young man," Dorothy tells her watching him nervously check his tie.
"You brought up a lovely young lady, all I could have asked for him," Rilla tells her.
"I don't see why you have to go get married," Clara whines. "You promised to never leave me!"
"I'm not leaving you Clare-bear, I am just not going to be living at the house and you are always welcome to visit," Jimmy tells her quietly. "It's just part of life, people grow up, you're going to be seven this year, you're growing up too."
"I don't want to grow up," She pouts, which soon turns to crying. "I don't want you to leave and go have babies!"
"You must have been young when you had Jimmy?" Dorothy says casually.
"I happened upon him and his dead mother when I was fifteen, his great aunt was going to send him to the asylum. For some reason I could fathom that thought so I took him home," Rilla corrects her. "I was fifteen and trust me my family did not know what the self-proclaimed baby hater was thinking." She laughs lightly.
"Still quite young," Dorothy hums.
"I was," Rilla agrees as you hear the door open, from the ladies' room. Constance comes out of it, her cream-coloured dress with barely there flowers of the lightest of blues on it, tea length because it was the courthouse. Paired with short sleeves, a square neckline with small white bows down the centre and a small white belt.
"Do I look all right?" She asks the two older women and Rilla defers her answer until the other woman speaks to her daughter.
"You look beautiful," Dorothy says after a moment. "Elise, come I need a photo of the two of you together," she waves over her youngest who is Oliver's age. Who is wearing a pretty dress of light peach with little floral flowers on it with a small belt and short sleeves? While the cut was rather simple, the fine cotton made it look much more grand than it was. Though she looks younger than Rowena in it, she is wearing light blue crepe with a well-defined midriff that has a sheer yoke collar and small puffed sleeves.
"You know you're like my best man right?" Jimmy looks to Oliver who looks out of place in his suit, pulling at the cuffs, but at least the pants were long enough for a change, around the corner from the ladies.
"Shouldn't one of your copper friends be that?" Ollie says after a moment.
"Why? I've known you longer, and I don't know why you avoid me lately, but you're still my brother." Jimmy told him.
"I think the ladies are ready," Ken says rounding the corner, "and it's your turn next."
Jimmy nods his head.
He walks around the corner, catching sight of his bride…mother of his child a thought that still terrified him. Still, he finds his breath taken away when he sees his bride. Her strawberry blonde hair under a small white hat, and her clear blue eyes found him, and she smiled. Red lipstick, showing off her smile, a touch of pink on her cheeks.
"Ready?" He asks Constance, holding out her hand