A/N: There have been so many things happening over the last few years that I wanted to comment on through my stories and some that I have. One, in particular, I've felt like I've slacked on was the rise in police brutality and fascism in America that has been growing steadily over the last twenty years but has since crossed the boiling point in the previous few years... but right now I want to comment on the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade because not only will it affect me but millions of others across the country. Far too many lives will be lost because of six unelected and unqualified supreme court judges' blatant disregard for reproductive rights under the guise of being "pro-life" and "saving the babies" when they don't care about the cost of anyone else's life.

Anyways. I've also realized in the timeline that 2022 is when Katie and Ned spend their first full year together. I had already planned to write a tag about that since Katie's birthday is 7/17 so I'll probably do a few more sporadic updates if I can but I just moved and have been settling back into my job so bare with me! I plan to try and get this out by then lol it's currently 7/13 so let's see if I do... there will be some Jimel too. Don't worry.

7/23 - It's been a long time since I've written anything that ended up getting posted, but what do you know... I still didn't make my deadline LMAO

Ages -

Jim - 47
Delia - 46
Melinda - 43
Ned - 21
Katie - 18
Lana - 7 months

Golden beams of light streamed into the window of the bedroom where Ned lived. He and Katie were pressed close together, his girlfriend's back pressed against his chest as he spooned her.

Katie was bare skin, save for her tank top and underwear. It was too hot to wear anything else, even with the AC on. Ned was only dressed in a pair of light pajama pants. He shifted slightly and glanced over her shoulder to see what time it was. He had hardly woken up when his first alarm went off despite knowing Melinda wanted them both to be in bright and early at the store to help with inventory and was happy to see that it was still barely nine o'clock.

After all, it was the first big haul of furniture the store has gotten since the pandemic and Lana was born, and there were quite a few larger items that would need to be brought downstairs. But it was his first morning off since Katie had come home from the city and he wanted to enjoy it a little if he could. Hopefully, Melinda wouldn't get too mad if they brought her some coffee. Maybe a muffin to sweeten the deal?

His phone buzzed and he glanced over to make sure it wasn't Katie's mother calling. Thankfully, it wasn't. Just another news update and text from Jim. Every day there seemed to be some new tragedy popping up on his phone that he didn't want to start his day off on that note and read the text first.

Tread lightly with Melinda today. I tried to get her to stay home but she just gave me that look. Better safe than sorry to back down right now. Has Katie found out yet?

He texted back rather confused. Heard about what?

Ned didn't even have to put anything into google. It was staring him in the face on the front page. He stared at his phone, tears pricking his eyes for several minutes, unmoving, too many thoughts tearing at him that he didn't feel the bed shift or Katie press her first two kisses into his back, but he felt her hands wrap around his torso and that snapped him out of his trance quick enough to tuck his phone away.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Did you get a chance to look at your phone yet?" He asked and held her close. How was he supposed to his ferociously pro-choice girlfriend that the USA turned a little darker yet again?

"Why? Did my mom call?" She asked, turning out of his arms just slightly, but he stopped her. He didn't want her to find out just yet.

"No. Don't worry about that right now," he said. "I want to make you breakfast. Just us. No phones. We'll get your mom something to try and ease her over for being late. What do you say?"

Katie was suspicious, he could tell, but she went along. "That sounds wonderful, but I can't even post it on Instagram to show off my perfect boyfriend?" She teased him.

"Not today," he chuckled and tugged her out of bed. She wrapped her arms around him in time to kiss him before he spoke again. "What do you want to eat?"

"Breakfast sandwiches sound great," she said, following him into the kitchen. "I'll make the coffee though. Is that okay?"

He smiled. "Of course. You do make it much better than I do."

"I know I do," she laughed.

Melinda felt the ground beneath her feet move as the news filtered out from the tv screen. It felt like a scene from a horror movie. How could this possibly be 2022 when it felt like the world around her was moving backward? The Supreme Court had overturned Roe -v- Wade and all she could think about was the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. The gnawing in the back of her mind as she felt ghosts from the past begin to creep to the forefront.

Her emotions were all over the place, understandably considering she had given birth within the last year, but this, this was a different type of tidal wave. It was a tsunami of emotions Melinda had somehow managed to repress for most of her adult life.

She stood there stoically facing the tv, watching as camera links projected images of gatherings of men and women across the US. Some were ecstatic at the decision, their American flags waving proudly, but others were outraged. How could a seemingly modern society take such a monumental step backward?

The right to choose had always been a contentious topic, it was to be expected in a country that consisted of so many staunchly conservative Christians on one side and liberal progressives on the other. It was a constant push and pull, back and forth, one-upmanship. Basic human rights were tossed about as political currency and subjected to scrutiny based on religious or social beliefs.

Too often the actual core point of it all was lost in debates designed to skew narratives. But the reality of Roe -v- Wade was that there were no winners or losers irrespective of their place in society. Abortion was not something to be politicized nor should it ever be used to emotionally manipulate. The humanity of the process was often lost in a game of whose rights are more important.

The right of the father, who shared 50% of his DNA? The right of the unborn? Was it something that should be legally considered based on religious beliefs?

It seemed everyone else's rights and opinions mattered, except for those of the person who was mentally, emotionally, and physically responsible for carrying the child? The one whose reproductive health was dependent on standards didn't seem to take reproduction all that seriously.

What, you're expected to bleed throughout most of your life and be taxed for products designed to help? Expected to be the most responsible with regards to contraception and the expense attached. The pill, the coil, the bar, the morning after pill. On and on and on. Expected to reproduce and raise children in a society that wasn't cost effective for people who lived below a certain wage line. That provided little help in the way of relief with regards to food, rent, formula, clothing, and medical care.

People often talked about Pro-Life but Melinda couldn't exactly see how that was possible when there was seemingly no interest in helping to protect that life post-birth. She was so caught up in her internal musings, she failed to hear the sound of Lana crying, nor the sound of Delia trying to get her attention at first.

"Hey, I think Lana is hungry," Delia said, finally getting her attention when she waved in front of her face. "I would've just fed her myself but I couldn't find any bottles in the mini-fridge."

"Oh, sorry. Very out of it today," she sighed, taking her baby into her arms. "I forgot to pump anything this morning."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Delia replied, squeezing and rubbing her shoulder for good measure. "Today is a messed up day. Probably why Katie is late too. I tried calling Ned but he didn't pick up either."

Melinda nodded. "I'm not too worried about that right now," she muttered. "I'm sure they'll be here later."

Melinda and Katie sat in the basement room of the store, thankful for the difference in temperature from the main level. Melinda sat on the couch rummaging through a box of things while Katie was in one of the big chairs across from her mending a shirt.

"So, how are you feeling?" Melinda's voice held forced nonchalance as her eyes flicked quickly over to her daughter.

Katie put the same amount of casualness in her response that she had heard in her question, "I'm fine… Ned and I had a nice morning."

"I meant how are you feeling about the news?" She opted for more straightforwardness this time around, which her daughter met with a knowing smile.

"I knew what you meant." They exchanged a glance and Katie added, "I'm doing better than I would've if that leak had happened in May, but I'm glad Ned kept me away from it as long he did." She made sure to lock eyes with her so that Melinda would know she was telling the truth.

"Good. Ned's a good boy. I've always said that," Melinda answered. A moment passed before she spoke again, "I just wanted to be sure that you are okay. This decision has brought a lot of emotions forward for a lot of people today.

"I think I am going to a protest with Ned and Hannah tomorrow. I know you've got the shop to watch over and Lana, but do you think I could take Mackenzie with me?" Katie set down the shirt she was working on to look at her properly. "I know she's only nine and if she doesn't want to go, I won't force her, but I'd like to ask her."

Melinda felt her chest fill with warmth and she smiled at her daughter. "Well, of course. That's a wonderful idea. I would like to go to another one with you though. Just not tomorrow."

"Why not tomorrow?" Katie asked. "I don't mind going to a few different protests or anything. Just curious is all."

"I just have a list of things around here I need to do and Lana has a doctor's appointment for more vaccination shots. Plus I have to drop Aaron off for some basketball camp thing before nine," she sighed. "I could use a day off. Like that will ever happen."

"Well, Ned or I could drop Aaron off for you. Lighten your load," Katie suggested, picking up the shirt and needle again. "Maybe we'll come by for dinner too. What's the plan?"

"That would be helpful. Thank you," she replied. "Now I can at least sleep in a little. If your baby sister cooperates. Not sure about the dinner plan yet."

"Where is Lana? She's usually not this quiet," Katie asked.

Melinda and her eldest daughter both walked over to where the playpen was and saw Jim standing in front of it, smiling and holding Lana in his arms. "Well, there's our answer. Hi honey. I thought you had a full day?" She said.

"I couldn't think straight. Today just sucks and I can do the paperwork tomorrow, and I wanted to see how you two were doing," Jim said as he leaned over and planted a fast kiss on Melinda's lips that ended with an exaggerated smacking sound.

Katie rolled her eyes and turned back around. "It's more annoying when you've been constantly asked that question all day dad, but I appreciate the sentiment," she said.

Melinda laughed and rested her head on his chest once their lips parted. "I'm glad you're here." Jim nodded and sat down next to her on the couch with Lana bouncing on his leg as she continued to speak. "So you're free now for the rest of the day?"

"Yes. I was trying to think of what I wanted to make for dinner. Any suggestions?" He asked but was interrupted.

"Aaaahhhhhh…" Lana babbled a collection of sounds that, in her mind, correlated to an answer to the smiling and kind woman in front of her and reached her chubby hands in her direction as she leaned forward in Jim's arms.

They all laughed and Melinda reached to pull her into her arms, "Hello, my sweet girl." She smiled and pressed her nose to Lana's. The baby laughed, content in her arms. "Should daddy make mac and cheese and hot dogs on the grill?"

"Are you and Ned coming for dinner?" Jim asked his daughter.

In response, Katie turned to Melinda and they shared a laugh. "That's what we were talking about before you walked in." Katie replied, this time to him. "I'll have to talk to Ned but I'm sure we'll be by. He had something to do after helping out here."

Jim gave her a nod and smile as he placed his arm around Melinda's shoulder. "You two are always welcome, but you know that."

"Of course," Katie said as her phone began to ring. "Speak of the devil. It's Ned." She answered the call and started to make her way up the stairs for better reception. "Hey, baby. I was just talking about you."

As soon as Katie exited the room, Jim used the arm that was around Melinda's shoulder to pull her in closer to him. "Not exactly the most appropriate time to make your move, I'm afraid." She pretended to be scolding him but the tone in her voice didn't hold merit as she was giggling at the way Jim's stubble was tickling her skin.

He continued to run his lips across her neck anyway, "Mmmm. Lana doesn't seem to mind?" Melinda didn't answer but sighed as he planted an open-mouthed kiss on her pulse point. Taking her sigh as a yes, he continued, "I wish you would've told me to stay home this morning…"

She did too, looking back on it. "You can make it up to me later," she chuckled in reply.