Fall Fair
"You ready for today?" Punk asked, sitting at the kitchen table in their apartment having breakfast before it was time to head to the public park for the Fall Fair.
"I don't know." AJ admitted, biting into a strawberry, trying hard to force herself to have an appetite. Ever since seeing the positive pregnancy taste, she felt like she couldn't stomach eating anything.
Even with Punk's reassurance that they were in this together, and that they would make it work no matter what, she was still feeling all kinds of uncertainty and nerves. She figured the shock of it all was still alive and well inside of her. Even if she did have the warm embrace of his body last night to hold and cuddle into.
"We'll have fun." Punk nodded to her, "Everyone is going to love your cakes. Especially the spiced banoffee muffins." He whistled as AJ smiled.
"Yeah, I'm excited to put them out there." AJ nodded, "I just feel a little all over the place right now."
"Yeah, I get it." Punk understood, "So… all the girls know?" He asked.
"Yeah." AJ nodded, "Not by choice. They all followed me into the bathroom when I was taking the test. They all thought I was just being dramatic. Telling me how they miss periods all the time." She shook her head.
"I bet they felt a little stupid once the result came back." Punk laughed a little as AJ nodded with a smile.
"Yeah, they suddenly didn't have anything to say. Which is not usual." AJ shook her head.
"You think they can keep it to themselves?" Punk asked her.
"For sure." AJ nodded. She knew her friends could be blabber mouths, but something so personal like this, she knew they would take it to their grave until she said otherwise.
"Are we telling anyone else?" He asked her, "What about your aunt? Or you parents?"
"I think I want to wait a little while." AJ said, "Maybe once I've gone to the hospital for my first check-up. Just to make sure everything is ok and normal, I guess." She said as Punk nodded.
"That's a good idea." He nodded, taking a sip of his coffee.
"Not to jump way ahead but… we don't have room here for a baby." AJ pointed out.
"Yeah…" Punk said with slight concern, "Yeah, we can't really stick it in a drawer, can we?" He said as she chuckled.
"I don't think so." AJ shook her head.
"Then we gotta look at houses. Or a bigger apartment." Punk nodded, "I don't want you to worry about any of that stuff. We'll get it sorted."
"You wanted to build a house." She frowned a little as he smiled.
"I will. One day." He nodded, "It's just… we're taking a little detour right now." He said.
"A big detour." AJ scoffed as he smiled, "I have no idea how far along I am. I could be one week or… nine." She rolled her eyes.
"Have you had any symptoms or anything?" Punk asked her.
"No. Not that I've noticed. I've not felt sick or tired. I've felt fine." She shrugged.
"That's a good thing." Punk nodded, "The last thing I wanna see is you puking your guts up every morning."
"You and me both." AJ agreed, "And you thought a red painted window was your biggest dilemma right now." She smirked.
"Honestly? I've completely forgotten all about that." He shook his head. He wasn't just saying it. He truly had forgotten all about the paint fiasco ever since AJ had told him she was pregnant. It felt completely unimportant now.
"I'm sure it was just some kids goofing around. Or maybe it was part of some peace protest or… whatever it is kids do these days." She said as Punk nodded.
"Mumbo Jumbo as Linda would say." Punk said.
"Did you ask her to bake anything for today?" AJ asked.
"Just her iced gingerbread." Punk said, "It takes a lot out of her when she bakes. She's stubborn but… I know she's got health issues."
"At least that way she still feels important. Like she's contributing to something." AJ nodded.
"Yeah, I wouldn't not ask her. I think it would hurt her feelings." Punk said.
"It looks freezing out." AJ said, looking out the window, which was behind the kitchen table, noticing the frost which was glimmering on the pavement and road.
"Yeah, Finn's soup is going to go down a treat." Punk nodded.
"Soup and a grilled cheese… I could eat it every day of Fall." She smiled.
"Yeah, me too." Punk nodded, "I know last night was a bit of a blur but… I meant everything I said. We'll make this work. I don't want you to worry that you're on your own. I promise you never will be."
"I know I won't be alone. I've got a baby to keep me company." She smiled a little as he nodded, returning the smile.
"And me." He nodded.
"What moron is going to order an iced coffee in this weather?" Shiv shook her head, carrying a bucket of ice into their stall.
They had their stall which was almost like a pretty large hut, and behind the stall was a large tent where they prepped their baking and sandwiches.
"You'd be surprised." Becca shook her head, arranging the pastries onto the front counter for display.
"I don't think we should even have iced coffees on the menu." Shiv shook her head, unhappily dumping the bucket of ice near the drink station where Daryl was stacking up empty coffee cups beside the machine.
"College has certainly made you cranky." Daryl scoffed, turning around and noticing she was wearing the necklace he'd got her, the flower shimmering on top of her ugly sweater, which he'd already told her was very ugly.
"I'm sick." Shiv concluded.
"I told you, you should have stayed at home in bed." AJ called over from in the tent where she was slicing pumpkin spiced brownies into portions.
"I didn't want to miss this." Shiv whined, sneezing into her arm as Daryl stepped back a little.
"We'd rather you didn't infect us with your germs. This is what happens when you mingle with outsiders." Daryl nodded.
"No, it's from the vodka." Shiv explained, blowing her nose.
"Since when do you drink vodka?" Daryl scoffed.
"Since I went to college." Shiv made a face at him, "With red bull."
"Jesus." Lyla shook her head over by the sink where she was washing some dishes, "Mixing spirits with energy drinks? No wonder you're sick."
"I didn't know you were all my mother." Shiv shook her head at them all.
"You could just drink beer." Daryl suggested, "It's good for you."
"Oh, says who?" Shiv turned to him with a screwed-up face of disbelief.
"People." Daryl shrugged.
"Beer makes me bloated." Shiv shook her head.
"You mean it makes you fart?" Daryl asked whilst AJ and Lyla looked over, chuckling a little at Daryl and Shiv bickering.
"I don't fart." Shiv assured him as he nodded.
"You do in your sleep." Daryl mumbled, remembering very well from past times they had slept in each other's company.
"Alright, one hour to we open." AJ looked at her phone for the time, "Everyone good?" She asked.
"All good, boss." Lyla stuck her thumb up.
"Is this enough cheese for the grilled cheese's?" Punk asked, coming into the tent holding a mountain pile of packets of cheese, "Mister Eckles kindly gave us this for free. Straight from his farm."
"That's a lot of cheese." Lyla noticed.
"I think that's enough cheese, babe." AJ nodded to him.
"Yeah?" Punk said happily as she nodded with a smile.
"In case you're all wondering…" Becca announced, "I convinced Mister Eckles to give us the cheese for free. Don't say I'm not a good team player."
"Because you're fucking his grandson?" Lyla asked.
"No, because he loves me, and I've been helping him out at his farm." Becca corrected.
"Because you're fucking his grandson." Lyla nodded.
"Uh… I think I have a problem." Finn announced from over at the portable stove where he was working on his first batch of soup.
"What?" Punk walked over to him whilst the others turned around.
"I think the soup has burnt to the bottom of the pot. There're black bits floating around in it. And it smells like it's burnt." Finn said.
"It's ok. We don't got soup on the menu until 12." Punk assured him, "You got plenty of time to start again."
"Yeah?" Finn said worriedly.
"Yeah. You're good, buddy." Punk patted his shoulder as AJ looked on with a smile.
"God, you had one job, Finn." Becca rolled her eyes.
"You just focus on the pastries, yeah?" Punk turned to Becca who made a face at him and returned back to making sure they had all their pastries ready to go for the morning menu.
Punk was glad to see that the girls were treating he and AJ as usual, despite knowing their news. They hadn't mentioned a thing to either of them about the baby, and were just their complete, usual messy selves. Which he supposed was good in a way.
"Look at the scarecrows outside the farmers stall." Shiv frowned with happiness, enjoying looking at all the decorations being set up around the park, "I miss this place." She realised.
Tons of stalls surrounded the park with different decorations. Pumpkins and decorative Fall leaves, wicker baskets with flowers, scarecrows with hats and scarves. It was something straight from a movie.
"It is pretty cool." Punk agreed, taking a minute to appreciate his first Fall fair, which he was sure would be his favourite.
"Who's next?" AJ smiled, summoning the next customer in their massive line with a warm smile.
Her and Punk were taking charge of orders and dishing out cakes or pastries whilst everyone else had their own stations to cover. Daryl and Shiv on drinks whilst Becca, Finn and Lyla covered the grilled cheeses and soup.
"Could I have a cappuccino, one of those banoffee muffins and… what do you want, sweetie?" The woman, perhaps just a little older than AJ asked the little girl who was holding her hand and pressing herself against her mother.
"The chocolate fountain." The little girl whispered to her mom.
"Ok, but what do you want on it? Tell them." The mom encouraged as AJ and Punk smiled at the little girl.
"Strawberries." The little girl nodded, perhaps only three or four.
"Strawberries?" AJ asked as the little girl nodded, "Those are my favourites too." She said whilst grabbing the muffin to put in a paper bag whilst Punk asked Daryl and Shiv for a cappuccino.
"Hey, do you want to come back here and put it under the fountain yourself?" Punk asked the little girl whilst picking up one of the sticks which had strawberries on it.
"Yeah." The little girl nodded nervously as AJ smiled.
"Alright, I'll come get you." Punk said, nodding to AJ who smiled at him lovingly whilst he left the stall and headed around to take the little girl and her mom inside.
"Is this our new chef?" Lyla asked with a smile as they all looked over at the adorable little girl in her shorts and t-shirt, her hair tied into bunches at either side of her head.
The little girl just giggled at Lyla.
"So what's your name?" Punk asked her, whilst AJ carried on serving customers, getting distracted of course as she looked over at Punk lifting the little girl up onto a chair to stand so she could reach the chocolate fountain.
"Sammy." The little said quietly.
"Alright, Sammy. The trick is to get as much chocolate over those strawberries as possible, ok?" He nodded to her as she nodded back excitedly, "Ok, here you go." He said, handing her the stick with the strawberries.
He watched as Sammy put her strawberries under the chocolate fountain, twisting and turning it to make sure she coated all the strawberries, glee on her face as she got to do it by herself. It was hard not to smile.
"Good job, baby." Sammy's mother smiled, standing behind.
"Ok, sit it on here." Punk said, holding out a paper plate for Sammy to put her chocolate covered strawberries on, "You done a much better job than I could have." He nodded to her as she just grinned.
"Thank you." Sammy's mom nodded to Punk gratefully.
"No problem." Punk smiled to her.
"Cappuccino?" Daryl interrupted, handing the lady her cappuccino.
"Thank you." Sammy's mom nodded.
"You enjoy the Fair, Sammy. Make sure your mom takes you on all the rides." Punk nodded to the little girl.
"I want my face painted." Sammy told him.
"Really? What are you gonna get painted on it?" Punk asked, crouching down to her level.
"A butterfly." Sammy whispered.
Meanwhile AJ looked over, watching Punk talking to the little girl. It warmed her insides to hear him speak so softly and do everything he could to make sure the sweet little girl had fun. She had zero doubt about his capabilities to be a father.
Sammy eventually left the stall with her mother after explaining to Punk why she wanted a butterfly painted on her face, the reason being because it was pretty.
Punk made his way back over to AJ who was dishing out more cakes and pastries to customers, "That was nice." AJ smiled to him.
"She was a sweet kid." Punk nodded as AJ smiled, leaning up and kissing his cheek. She didn't have to say anything, and he didn't have to ask what the kiss was for. It was like they could read each other's minds. Like they were both thinking the same thing. They could be parents. And they could be pretty good ones.