Based on Hey, Arnold! characters created by Craig Bartlett. Author claims no copyright.
Hillwood Grind coffee shop. It was just after 8:00 AM. A cool mid-October morning. Helga G. Shortman waited in line. A pink beanie covered her head, just above her unibrow. Her thick blonde hair was dropped down close to both her shoulders. She wore a long-sleeved pink and white shirt, and jeans. She was 3-4 months pregnant with her and Arnold's second child and just starting to show.
Helga was not too daunted by pregnancy having gone through the drills with her firstborn, Phil. She was more worried about not picking favorites with there about to be another kid in the picture. She didn't want to make the same mistake her parents did by ignoring her and devoting all their attention to her older sister Olga for most of her life. But she knew that she wouldn't have to deal with that for a little while.
Other than Arnold no one had witnessed as much of the maturation of Helga as her best friend, Phoebe Johanssen. The two were meeting for coffee. Phoebe had seen Helga evolve from schoolyard ruffian to recovered alcoholic and doting wife and mother.
Helga and Phoebe did not get together as often as they used to, mostly due to parental and employment duties. Phoebe had a son, Gerald Johanssen Jr., around the same age as Phil. She had also worked late nights as a neurologist at Hillwood Hospital.
After 5 minutes or so Helga reached the counter. 'Dark roast, medium,' she said. The barista rung her up and she charged her card.
Phoebe, dressed in scrubs, reached the line shortly after Helga sat down at a two-chaired table outside the shop. They waved at each other.
Phoebe walked over once her cappuccino order was done and sat down next to Helga.
"Finally we get to catch up," said Helga.
"Yeah last few weeks have been crazy at the hospital," said Phoebe. "I've seen a few people with head trauma from football concussions. Gerald Jr. is never playing that sport. Just like Gerald's parents wouldn't let him."
"Yeah. I mean I always reminded Arnold that his head is the right shape," Helga joked, "but he told me he never even wanted to play it once we got to high school in order to save his noggin."
Phoebe checked texts on her phone while sipping her cappuccino. "Good call. So is he with Phil right now?" "Yeah," Helga answered, "they went to Stella and Miles' place. Grandparent time. What about Junior?"
"Gerald took him to the zoo," said Phoebe. "So I see the bump! I can't wait for a girl Shortman! Have you guys picked a name yet?"
"We were thinking of Amber," said Helga. "If she ends up with that color of hair like we have. But also remember Arnold's pig Abner? It kinda sounds like that." Phoebe laughs. "oh yeah, well that would be appropriate! I wonder if she'll have a football head."
"Well actually I think she could judging from what the ultrasound looked like," said Helga.
"It seems like just yesterday we were all kids at PS 118. Who's next to get married and have kids, Rhonda and Curly?" Phoebe exclaimed after pushing her glasses closer to her eyes than they were.
Helga laughed and spit some coffee on to the ground, which briefly startled a dog tied to the table next to them. "I don't think it worked out with them. You know how Rhonda can be kind of a bitch. Last I heard she was down in LA looking for modeling gigs. No one seems to have heard from Curly in ages," she said.
Helga went on: "You know how I was secretly so in love with Arnold back then. I still laugh about the shrines I made to him in my closet. I made football heads out of bubblegum he chewed. I kissed the bubblegum and it got stuck to my lips."
"Yeah you told that story in your wedding vows. I knew there was a connection early on but never saw that when I went to your house. It wouldn't have ended well for me," said Phoebe, giggling a little.
"Yeah, I owe you and a lot of people some apologies for how I was a bitch back then. I'm lucky that and the drinking didn't stop you from being my bestie," said Helga.
"You always say that, but I knew the real you was in there all along. It's water under the bridge," Phoebe replied.
"Well anyway," Helga went on, "its my lifelong dream come true being married to Arnold, yeah. That and after everything we've been through I thought my life would be complete. But it doesn't solve everything. I mean, Arnold is the love of my life and we will be together forever. But I just don't want him to have to save me every time. You know me I'm no damsel in distress."
"You sure aren't," Phoebe said. "I like where you're going with this."
"Yeah I mean criminy," Helga went on, "I was a mess before he and you got me to stop drinking."
"Uh-huh," said Phoebe.
Helga continued, "like I've never really initiated anything I've accomplished like that. He's always pointed me the way to get there, whether it's the sobriety, the building manager gig and of course parenting. I was thinking, after I'm done with this next maternity leave I'd start being a sponsor for people in AA. That would be more of my own project."
"That's a great idea," said Phoebe, "and I think Arnold would be really proud of you. So would I of course. You just need patience with people in recovery."
"Well yeah," Helga responded.
Phoebe again checked her phone. "I gotta go," she said as she stood up from the table and tossed her coffee cup in the nearby recycling bin. "Work stuff. But we'll talk again soon. Love you."
Helga rose from the table as well. They hugged each other. "Love you too, see ya Pheebs," she said.
Nighttime of the same day, 8:00 PM at the Shortman townhouse. Phil, two and a half years old, got tucked into bed by both parents. His room was covered by a wallpaper of stars with stuffed animals and assorted toys up against the floor. Arnold pressed his miniature hand up against Helga's bump so that he could feel his baby sister kicking. "Don't let the bed bugs bite," Arnold said as he turned the light switch off and slowly walked out with Helga down the hall.
"Oh yeah how was your coffee with Phoebe earlier?," Arnold asked Helga as they reach the living room and sat on the couch.
"It was good. She's all up in people's brains, luckily we could find the time," said Helga.
"Yeah, I gotta do that with Gerald too," said Arnold. "I've just had all the appointments this week and he's running his basketball camps."
Helga took a deep breath then placed her right hand on top of Arnold's. "There's been something I've been meaning to tell you about that I talked with Pheebs about today."
Arnold raised his eyes a bit then says, "well per my usual assumption it can't be more of a bombshell than your big secret from when we were kids can it?"
Helga laughed briefly. "I hope not! It's just this idea I've had. Sometime I want to be an AA sponsor. Then maybe work my way up to hosting AA meetings. But Philly and this gal in here (touching her bump) come first. Not until they are old enough."
"Are you kidding?," said Arnold, "I can totally see you doing that. You don't have to worry about telling me things like that."
"Criminy. Even after the big secret and the booze I still haven't learned when to spill the beans," said Helga. "But anyway, I thought it could be something I could take on myself without laying the burden on you to guide me."
Arnold scratched one of his two blonde tufts then said, "well yeah I mean you know what it's like to be an alcoholic. And to have a parent who is one. I don't. And of course, I know you can be a strong and independent woman and my wife. It's the Pataki in you. Hell, an alcoholic would actually need someone aggressive with them the way you used to be. You could knock some sense into them."
Helga blushed. "Just as long as the kiddos are alright and Sunset Arms doesn't go kaput if I get busy," she says.
"We'll cross those bridges when we get to them," said Arnold.
Helga nodded. They kissed for a few seconds. Then Arnold kissed her bump. Then they cuddled while Arnold turned on the tv and channel surfed.
Nearby, outside the dining room window, Brainy peeped his head out and wheezed. He had been listening in on their entire conversation. Helga heard him and felt tempted to go outside and accost him. But the oxytocin surge she got from resting in Arnold's arms kept her from doing so.