The first thing Adam had done when he finally got back home that afternoon was lay himself, as comfortably as he could, across his living room couch to try and get some rest before he went back out to the store to pick up a few things for the cat.

He leaned his head back up against the pillow he'd propped up against one of the couch's arms and gave a little smile as he took another look at the sonogram print in his hands, before placing it carefully down on the nearest end table and letting out a heavy sigh.

He longed for the days, not long ago, that he might've instead gone back with Lawrence to some cheap motel and laid down next to him…...even if doing so now would've probably meant him pestering Lawrence at least two or three more times to help him find their little blob on the ultrasound print again.

The apartment just felt all that much more empty, because of it.

—

He was just about to turn over onto his side when the cat jumped out, seemingly from nowhere, and bedded himself quite comfortably down across Adam's stomach.

Adam smiled, giving the clingy little feline a well earned head scratch.

"Jesus, cat. You scared the shit out of me." He chuckled.

The cat just looked at him, soaking in the attention and purring as he did so.

"I know, you still need a proper name, don't you?" He scratched under the cat's chin. "Yeah…."

His train of thought was broken, yet again, but this time from his phone ringing in his pocket.

"Gaahh!"

He jumped slightly, but managed to somehow reach carefully into his pocket and answer it easily enough, without disturbing the cat too much.

"Mmm, hello?"

"Hey." Amanda's voice on the other line was familiar, but given all that was on his mind at the moment, it caught him off guard.

"Who is this?"

"Mandy…..from yesterday?" She chuckled, trying to jog his memory. "...Rockstar...ring any bells?"

All she'd had to say was Mandy, though, and he perked up at the realization.

"Mandy, of course, hey."

"Hey." She repeated with another chuckle.

"So, what's up?" He chuckled. "Miss me already?"

"Very funny." She teased back. "..and, I don't know, I remembered you mentioned getting an appointment today and I just thought I'd check in and see how things went...with the doctor….you know, considering..."

"Mmm...which one? The one I went to? Or the one I vented your ear off about yesterday?" He joked.

"You didn't vent my ear off." She assured him, or attempted to.

"Right.." He chuckled, not quite buying it. "...it went okay, I guess."

"You guess?"

"Alright, well I think I only barfed….twice on the way out, and I may or may not have made a fool of myself, so, you tell me." He laughed.

"How's that?"

"Nothing." He chuckled, somewhat nervously. "...forget it, I've said too much already."

"Adamm." She pleaded, jokingly.

"No."

"What if I buy you lunch then?" She persisted. "..or coffee again? I was actually going to see if you wanted to, anyway."

"Then how is that bribery?" He snickered.

"Touché." She laughed. "Fine, but the offer still stands."

"Mmhmm...well, I can't, anyway. I gotta swing by the store for a couple things…." He smiled to himself at his next thought.

He could certainly stand to take his mind off things for a little while, and she didn't sound like she had much else better to do, anyway, so, what could it hurt?

"...you could come with me there, though. I could use the distraction."

"You got it."

"Cool. I'll pick you up…..say, a couple hours then?"

"Sure, let me just give you the address, then. You got a pen?

"Hmm..one sec.." He turned over, patting around on the little end table, before scoping out its drawer til he found a pen and a good enough sticky note. "...got it Go for it."

He quickly jotted it down as she told it to him, read it back to her, and then tucked it away safely into his wallet. "Got it."

"Good, see you in a couple hours then."

He smiled to himself at the idea. "Yeah, see ya."

"..So, when were you going to tell me you have a cat?" She asked him, once they were finally at the pet store.

He just shrugged as they scanned the next aisle. "Now….I guess?" He chuckled. "What's the matter? You're not allergic to them, are you?"

"Well, no, I just thought you would've mentioned it is all. I would've."

"So, just disappointed then." He chuckled, grabbing a couple toys and tossing them in the cart. "...I don't know, it just sort of happened. That's kind of how cats are, they sort of adopt you."

"You sure know a lot about cats for someone it just happened to, then."

"I said the obtaining of the cat is what just happened." He chuckled. "Knowing about cats is a whole other thing. I wouldn't say I'm an expert on them, but I think I know enough."

"I stand corrected, then." She laughed.

He just smirked, taking it as a little win, as he pushed the cart.

"...So, when are you gonna tell me what it was?" She changed the subject, once they were in the next aisle.

"When am I gonna tell you what what was?" He asked, resting his arms across the cart's handle bar.

"...What you wouldn't tell me over the phone…? She prodded.

"Oh, that…" He realized out loud, placing the bag of cat food he'd been looking over into the cart. "...oh no, that I was promised either lunch or a coffee for." He shot her a smirk.

She picked up a blanket from the cart and lightly smacked him with it. "You rat! You told me you couldn't get lunch or coffee.

He laughed, put his hands up in self defense, before just taking the blanket back from her. "Yeah, cause I was doing this. You never asked if I could go after."

"Fine." She laughed. "Can you?"

"Maybe." He smirked, pushing the cart just ahead of her, as they scanned the rest of the aisle.

"Deal, then. Coffee or lunch?"

"I'll take a coffee." He chuckled. "I managed to get some food down me and keep it down, about an hour or so before I picked you up."

"That bad?"

"Well, not great." He chuckled. "...what are you gonna do, though?"

"I'm sorry." She said sympathetically.

"Don't be. It's not your fault." He joked.

Amanda rolled her eyes. "You know what I meant."

"I do, and it's appreciated." He chuckled as they exited the aisle.

Once they were finished, they decided on a little coffee shop that was just around the corner from where they'd been

—

Adam chuckled as he took the first sip from his coffee. "Alright, a deal's a deal."

"You know, if it's really that embarrassing, you don't have to tell me." Amanda chuckled. "I'm fine with just having the extra time with you."

"Oh, just fine?" He teased, pulling something out and placing it on the table. "...and anyway, I don't do anything I really don't wanna do, so, it's fine. Here."

He passed the small print across the table to her.

She looked at him with a smile as she took it. "Is this your ultrasound?"

He nodded. "...yeah, I…..may have overreacted a little when I couldn't find it at first.

Everyone was too nice to say it, but I know how I must've looked, blubbering over not being able to find my own kid on the thing."

Amanda squinted a little, as she looked it over for herself. "Well….are you supposed to see it yet? Cause I don't see it either."

"Mandy, don't do this to me. It's not funny." He sighed, putting his head in his hands.

"Wh- are you serious?" She was trying not to laugh at the idea that he wouldn't believe that she couldn't find something that small either. "Look at this, I can't see a thing."

"I did!" He laughed. "What are you trying to show me for. I think I had to have Larry point it out to me like four or five times, before he brought me back home. Ohh my goddd…" He put his hands over his face, now, and muttered something incoherently. "...so, I'm not crazy?"

"If you are, then I'm blind." She laughed.

"Hoping for not, on both of those." He laughed, taking it back when she handed it to him.

He stared at it for a few moments before setting it back down between them, facing her.

"Alright, maybe I am getting just a little bit better at this." He chuckled, pointing to it.

"See, right there?"

Amanda pulled it just a little bit closer and looked it over again. "...Right there, you said?"

"Yeah."

She smiled when she finally made it out and looked back up at him. "I see it."

She looked at it for a few more minutes before sliding it back to him.

"Well, congratulations..I don't think I said that- ...well...I- " She chuckled. "I guess I didn't know what to say before, given...what else you told- "

"Hey, hey, hey." He stopped her mid sentence to reassure her. "You're fine...look at me, I'm the one carrying the kid, and I'm still figuring out what to make of it."

Amanda chuckled. "I think you're probably doing better than you think you are."

"And how do you figure that?"

"...thaaat you seem to be freaking out quite a bit less than I would be, if I'm being honest."

"Well, then, I'm feeling a little like the bar is on the floor here…." He smiled, regardless, at the sentiment. "...but, thanks."

She took a sip from her coffee and returned the smile. "Don't mention it."

He was still smiling as he took a sip from his own coffee.

"...And for the record…" She added. "...I know a little something about cats too…." Referring to their conversation from earlier.

He set his cup down and looked back at her, curiously. "...and that is?"

"That they're generally a good judge of people…"

"Mmhmm…."

"...so, I'm pretty sure this one that's allegedly adopted you...probably wouldn't have if he didn't think you were already a pretty good dad."

"I feel like cat parenting is slightly different from parenting a kid, here." He teased. "But, thank you."

"Fair enough." She chuckled. "..but, you're welcome, regardless.

He smiled back, taking another sip from his coffee.