Chapter 65: All About Third Persons
Jamie stands in the entrance way to the airport gift shop looking annoyed as he glances from his wife who is shopping to his watch "Eddie." He chides "We have to go."
"We have time." Eddie counters as she picks up a child sized tshirt and holds it up looking it over herself while showing her husband "You think Mia would like this?" She asks but then she answers her own question "No." She decides as she puts it back on the rack and keeps looking.
Jamie rolls his eyes "Eddie…" He tries again.
"We haven't found Mia the perfect gift." Eddie chides right back "And I promised her we would bring her back something cool."
"So you're looking at tshirts?" Jamie tosses back.
Eddie stills her movements a moment, then looks up in annoyance "You could help you know." She counters as she moves to look at a rack of plastic touristy looking sunglasses with the word 'Cari' then 'bbean' arched over the lense frames.
"Vacation souvenirs are just a waste of money." Jamie points out "They are overpriced and dust collectors."
"Great." Eddie sarcastically accepts "I'll let you explain that to a ten year old when we get back home k?"
Jamie heavily sighs "Fine." He relents as he begins to look himself "But if we haven't found anything in five minutes we seriously have to go."
"I'm pregnant." Eddie points out "For once I get to jump to the front of the line no matter how late I get there."
Slowly Jamie turns to stare at his wife in disbelief at her comment as Eddie picks up a jar of beach sand "What about this?" She questions.
"Reagan will think its litter." Jamie deadpans.
"Oh yeah right." Eddie realizes as she puts it back on the shelf.
"This?" Jamie offers as he picks up a cheap knock off of a "Pirates of the Caribbean" Jack Sparrow doll marked down on super clearance.
Eddie looks at her husband like he's crazy "Why on earth would you think Mia would want that?"
"It's Disney!" Jamie defends.
"From before she was born!" Eddie chides.
"And Miss Minnie isn't?" Jamie tosses back.
Eddie glowers at her husband's point before simply pointing at the doll "No!" She rejects "Put that back! Jack Sparrow…" She then mutters to herself "Unbelievable. If it had at least been Keira Knightley's character…" Eddie reasons to herself "A strong female roll model then maybe…" She continues before her face scrunches up in thought "What was her character's name again?"
"Elizabeth Swann." Jamie offers causing Eddie to turn her head and look at her husband.
"What?" Jamie defends "Like you said strong female roll model."
"This is useless." Eddie then decides as she glances around the entire store "I have been looking all week for the perfect gift and nothing!"
"Maybe having us home will be gift enough." Jamie offers.
"Were you ever a child?" Eddie wonders at her husband not getting how important finding Mia a gift is "Didn't your parents ever go away and you eagerly anticipated their return to see what they would bring you?"
"Clearly you did." Jamie notes.
"And so will Mia!" Eddie states in exasperation.
"Well I don't know what to tell you Eddie." Jamie admits as he also looks around the store.
"I should have gotten that hat at the 1st market." Eddie pouts "But I thought nooooooo it was the 1st place, I'll find something better. Well I didn't!" Eddie rants more to herself then anyone else "We could have had a matching set!" She pouts again as she gestures to her big yellow sunhat on her head.
"You get I bought that hat in New York right?" Jamie reminds his wife "Pretty sure they had child sizes so if you want to get her a matching hat just buy it when we get home."
"But then it's not from the Caribbean!" Eddie insists.
"Like she'll know that." Jamie counters.
"I'll know that!" Eddie chides causing Jamie to shrug his shoulders.
"Are you sure they are even going to let you on the plane wearing that thing?" Jamie wonders.
Eddie huffs out a grunt "Like I'm risking putting it in checked baggage!"
"While I'm touched you hold that hat so dear..." Jamie admits "…it's not a special hat or anything – they had a ton of them in the bin. If it gets lost, I can just buy you a new one."
Eddie opens her mouth to protest.
"Would still be from me." Jamie points out.
"But not the specific hat from that specific moment!" Eddie defends.
Suddenly over the sound system comes ATTENTION ALL PASSENGERS…
Eddie and Jamie immediately both pay attention…
…DUE TO MECHANICAL ISSUES UNITED FLIGHT 2047 to NEW YORK LAGUARDIA HAS BEEN DELAYED UNTIL 1PM.
And while Jamie groans at the news, a look of excitement comes over Eddie "We can make it to the market and back with time to spare!"
"Eddie we are already checked in." Jamie points out.
"Did I not just say I'm pregnant?" Eddie dismisses as she heads out of the gift shop and towards their gate with Jamie following.
She walks right past the forming line and up to the counter.
"HEY!" Some woman in line begins to protest as she looks up when someone passes her.
Eddie stops walking and turns to face her "Yes?" but the moment the woman sees she's pregnant her entire attitude changes "Oh sorry, go ahead." She offers.
Eddie smiles appreciatively at her "Thank you."
….
"Chair." Eddie mutters as Jamie helps his wife to sit in a chair in the waiting area of their gate "Ohhhh…" Eddie sighs in exhaustion and relief as she finally gets off her feet.
Jamie shakes his head as he stands back up and looks at his wife "We really didn't need to do that you know."
"Yes we did." Eddie mutters as she closes her eyes and blindly gestures in the direction of the bag in Jamie's hand "We got Mia a Caribbean hat."
"That I don't know what I'm supposed to do with now." Jamie points out "Because we already checked our bags."
With her eyes still closed Eddie offers "Wear it." before cracking an eye open to see her husband's reaction.
Jamie looks at his wife super unimpressed.
"Oh come on, that was funny." Eddie tosses out.
"We talk about hats way too much." Jamie decides as he lightly tosses Mia's hat bag into his wife's lap causing her to have to quickly raise her hands to grab it "Your brilliant idea. You figure it out." He adds before sinking himself into the seat to the left of his wife "Because me wearing it is not an option."
"No really?" Eddie counters "It's a child's hat Jamie, it wouldn't fit on your head anyway."
"You'd find a way." Jamie snarks in return.
"We didn't see a third person." Eddie suddenly realizes changing the subject.
"Huh?" Jamie questions not following.
"We saw Tara and Will." Eddie explains "But here we are about to step on the plane to go home and we haven't seen a third person we know."
"Oh." Jamie accepts as he leans his head back against the wall and closes his eyes "Oh well."
"No it's weird." Eddie insists "Should be a third person." She adds as her eyes start to scan the people waiting to board "Do you see anyone you recognize?" She prompts.
Without opening his eyes or even attempting to look Jamie replies "No."
Eddie glance at her husband and frowns at seeing his non attempt "Will you open your eyes and look please."
"Why?" Jamie stubbornly mutters still not complying.
"Because you know people I don't know!"
To appease his wife, Jamie cracks an eye open and does a super quick scan of the room before shutting his eyelid again "No." He reconfirms.
"You didn't even look." Eddie huffs out after watching him.
"I did so." Jamie confirms.
"Oh yeah?" Eddie challenges "Tell me one thing you saw."
"Cute blonde to my right." Jamie easily replies.
Eddie purses her lips together unhappy at his uncooperation "You're cute." she sarcastically deadpans.
"I know." Jamie easily agrees "And lucky for me the cute blonde next to me also has a thing for me so it all works out."
Eddie lightly swats at her husband "Jamie I'm serious!"
"Okay geez!" Jamie relents as he jolts up a bit in his seat and pops his eyes open "I was just trying to rest my eyes – you dragged me all over that market!"
"It was three vendors." Eddie corrects.
"Should have only been one." Jamie points out as his eyes drift out over the people "A hat. That's all we went for."
"And that's all we got!" Eddie defends as Jamie's eyes zero in on a woman across the room "And good thing we went today when we did and saw they had different…" But Eddie's voice trails off as she notices the look on her husband's face "What?"
"Um…" Jamie slowly breathes out as he stares at the woman.
"What?" Eddie presses again as her own eyes follow his line of sight "You see someone you know?"
"Maybe…" Jamie slowly replies.
"What do you mean maybe?" Eddie challenges "It's either yes or no."
"Well it could be her." Jamie offers "I'm not sure."
"Oh a her!" Eddie notes as she tries to look harder "Which one?"
"Redhead, Black skirt, red top, 10 o'clock."
"Oh I see her." Eddie notes "Who is she an old girlfriend?"
"Not exactly." Jamie replies "I think…" He hesitates "That's Bianca from my 1st UC."
"Really?" Eddie notes in surprise "So that's Bianca." She adds in thought now able to put a face to the name.
"I think." Jamie reiterates as they both watch her with her none the wiser to their presence "Was a long time ago."
"She's pretty." Eddie states.
"Yeah." Jamie nonchalantly agrees "But I prefer blondes. In fact there is this one blonde in particular..."
"Suck up." Eddie interrupts with a laugh.
"Oh did you think I was talking about you?" Jamie just can't help but dismissively begin to counter as Eddie turns her head to look at her husband "Because…"
"Choose your next words carefully…" She warns.
"Of course I'm talking about you." Jamie seriously relents as he leans over and gives his wife a soft lingering kiss on her head that Eddie lovingly leans into that for a second, results in a close, private moment between the couple.
Beat.
"So are you going to go over and say hi?" Eddie questions as they break apart.
"No." Jamie rejects "Again not even 100% sure its her and even if it is, it was a UC op. Leave that where it belongs, in the past."
Eddie silently nods her head in agreement "So that makes three people." she happily notes. "One from my past, one from your past and ironically the one person that kind of gave us a kick in the butt that started us on the path to together."
"Sorta, Kinda." Jamie agrees.
UNITED FLIGHT 2047 to NEW YORK LAGUARDIA NOW BOARDING comes over the speaker system.
"Finally." Jamie relents as he stands and offers his hands out to help his wife up but instead Eddie thrusts Mia's hat bag back into his hands "Here do something with this would you." Eddie requests before getting herself up and heading to the gate leaving Jamie to shake his head at his wife then move to follow.
Suddenly Eddie abruptly stops walking.
"What?" Jamie presses in concern as he watches his wife turn around to face him with a look of alarm on her face.
"I should have bought Rosa a hat." Eddie suddenly realizes "I can't have a hat and give Mia a matching hat without giving Rosa one! She'll feel left out!"
"It's not exactly matching Eddie." Jamie points out "You're is yellow, Mia's is purple."
Eddie frowns "Still…"
Jamie sighs in defeat "I'll say it again. I bought the original one IN NEW YORK." he emphasizes.
"Oh yeah." Eddie relents as she turns and the couple starts towards the gate again "I'll just pick one up for Rosa when we get home. Did they have other colors besides yellow at home? It would be cool if we all had different colors. Hey! Maybe we can start a chapter of a hat society!" She laughs in amusement.
"I'm sure Erin would love to join." Jamie tosses out "Shouldn't be awkward at all."
Again, Eddie stops walking and groans in defeat "Maybe this hat for Mia was a mistake." she waivers.
"Noooooo." Jamie drawls out as he turns his wife back towards the line for the gate "It's perfect. It's purple. She'll love it. Best gift ever." He promises as he starts them forward again.
"Are you sure?" Eddie presses "The gift shop is…"
"Just get on the plane Reagan." Jamie chides.
"Wait. Did you just call ME Reagan?" Eddie questions in surprise as they move towards the front of the line.
"Well it is your name." Jamie pragmatically points out happy his tactic of distraction worked.
"Huh." Eddie notes in thought as they slowly move towards the attendant… "WAIT!" Eddie announces as she turns and starts walking in the opposite direction leaving Jamie standing there confused.
"Eddie what are you…" Jamie begins.
"I just thought of something!" Eddie interrupts "I need 2 minutes in the gift shop!" She calls back.
Jamie opens his mouth to protest but then just shuts it and turns to the attendant to see her looking at him with a raised eyebrow "We'll be right back, I promise." He apologizes "Um… please don't leave without us…just… just load everyone else first." He adds before hightailing it after his wife "EDDDDDD-IEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
...
