Hormones
"What's with the cops patrolling the streets these past few days?" Daryl questioned, pouring coffee beans into the coffee machine filter as they got ready to open up Punk's café.
"I don't know. Maybe the sheriff is taking the Craig situation more seriously." Punk shrugged.
It was still only Punk, AJ, Lyla and Nico who were in the know about Craig's possible connection to AJ's rapist. To avoid AJ having to tell anyone else about her past, they'd agreed to keep it between them. For now.
"Maybe because AJ saw that guy standing across the road? Finn told me about it." Daryl mentioned.
"Yeah, maybe." Punk nodded, "We can't be sure it was him but… it seems likely."
"Someone needs to tranquillize the bastard." Daryl shook his head, spilling some coffee beans onto the counter and floor.
"You've got more of those out of the filter than in." Punk scoffed.
"It hurts my arms." Daryl whined, "We haven't seen Linda in a few days. I hope she hasn't kicked the bucket." He said.
"Daryl." Punk rolled his eyes.
"What? She's ancient." Daryl said, "It's possible."
"I'm sure we'd know if something happened to her." Punk said.
"One of you two fancy trying this for me? I think it's good, but I need a second opinion." Finn said, coming out from the kitchen with a tray of buns.
"What is it?" Daryl asked, immediately heading over to the tray and looking closely.
"Sticky gingerbread buns." Finn said, "I'm not sure if I went overboard with the ginger." He said, watching Daryl take one and bite into it.
"It's good shit." Daryl nodded happily, "But yeah, tone the ginger down a bit." He coughed a little whilst Punk picked one up and tried it.
"They're good." Punk nodded, "The bun is ace. I agree with it needing less ginger, though."
"Ok, noted." Finn nodded.
"Our syrups delivery is out the back, by the way." Daryl said, "We can start doing the peppermint mochas and the black forest lattes. The syrups should be there." He told Punk.
"When did you sign for them?" Punk asked.
"When I got here." Daryl said, "Which was before you, might I add." He said smugly.
"My hero." Punk nodded to him sarcastically, "I had to take a phone call before getting here. If you must know, me and AJ got ourselves a house." He smiled.
"Oh, really?" Finn asked.
"Where?" Daryl asked with concern.
"The house down the little lane beside the butchers." Punk said, "Why? Worried we're leaving this place?" He teased Daryl with a frown.
"No." Daryl scoffed, "That's good you got a place. When do you move in?"
"In the new year. It needs a lot of work, but it'll do." Punk said.
"It's a nice house." Daryl nodded, "AJ happy with it?"
"Yeah, I think so." Punk nodded, "She's just been a little on edge lately with the whole Craig situation. Kinda sucking the fun out of everything."
"Yeah, I get it." Daryl understood.
"Has Shiv been in touch? She still coming for Christmas?" He asked whilst Finn headed back into the kitchen to prep more pastries for them opening.
"Yeah, she's been messaging me a lot." Daryl nodded happily, "Mostly just talking to me about college. She's stressed with her finals. Her last one is tomorrow, actually. But as far as I know, she's still coming for Christmas. I'm picking her up next week."
"And your mom is ok with her coming to your house for dinner?" Punk asked.
"Yeah, my mom loves her." Daryl shrugged, "And my little sister loves her more." He rolled his eyes.
"You getting her a Christmas present?" Punk asked.
"My little sister?" Daryl looked at him with confusion.
"No. Shiv." Punk scoffed.
"Oh." Daryl realised, "I don't know. Should I?" He asked.
"Well, it's normally what people do at Christmas. And since she's coming to your house. Might be nice to give her something to open." Punk shrugged.
"Yeah." Daryl thought to himself, "What am I supposed to get her?"
"You'll figure something out. You know her well enough." Punk said.
"What are you doing for Christmas?" Daryl asked curiously.
"We're having AJ's aunt and Lyla over for dinner at our place." Punk said, "And possibly Carlo."
"Alessio's Carlo?" Daryl asked with confusion.
"Yeah. Him and Lyla are… dating? I think." Punk said, "I don't know if they're that serious, though. Don't you go blabbing to anyone." He warned Daryl.
"When do I ever blab?" Daryl scoffed as Punk turned to him with a raised brow, "Ok, I won't blab. But if I do, by accident, it's your fault for telling me." He defended as Punk rolled his eyes.
"Becca is going to the Eckles farm. She's practically a farmer now." Punk said.
"I don't blame her. Her mom is a nutter." Daryl said as Punk turned to him, "What? She is. She went to school with my mom. She's like… diagnosed insane."
"Maybe calling her a nutter is a bit insensitive then." Punk suggested, "I didn't know. AJ never mentioned it. Doesn't she live with her mom?"
"Yeah, but they don't talk." Daryl said, "She used to have an art shop here and then one day she smashed it all up. She's in and out of hospital all the time."
"That sucks." Punk said, "For Becca."
"Yeah." Daryl agreed, "She turned out alright, all things considered. Don't blame her for spending so much time at the farm. Patrick seems like a good guy."
"Yeah, he does." Punk agreed, "Sounds like everybody in this town deserves more happiness in their lives." He said.
Even after almost a year of living in the town, he was still learning things about different people. Things he would never have suspected. Things beneath the surface. The struggles and the pasts.
"Yeah, you got that right." Daryl nodded, "Apart from Luke. He can get hit by a semi." He said as Punk shook his head, although he agreed.
"You got the house?" Lyla smiled happily, making a coffee at the machine whilst AJ stood behind the counter.
"Yeah, the agent called Phil this morning. I mean… we did offer the asking price." AJ said, "We'll move in after the New Year." She said.
"That's so exciting." Lyla smiled, frothing some milk, "A home for you and your babies." She whispered with a grin as AJ smiled, "When can that stop being a secret, by the way?"
"I've got a scan at the end of the month. Phil and I are going to have a little gathering here on New Year's Eve. We'll reveal the genders, too." AJ said as Lyla stomped her feet excitedly.
"I can't wait." Lyla squealed.
"Can't wait for what?" Becca asked, coming behind the counter with some dirty mugs from a table that had just left.
"Finding out what gender the baby is." Lyla contained herself slightly as AJ just chuckled.
"Oh, I already know." Becca nodded as AJ looked at her with curiosity, "You're having a girl." She shrugged.
"And how do you know that?" AJ questioned.
"Just got a feeling." Becca shrugged.
"You're just saying that because of the No Boys Beyond This Point sign." Lyla scoffed, "I think it's a boy."
"No, she's going to have a little Brewberry Girl." Becca insisted as AJ smiled at the thought, "Why do we have so many cakes today? How did you have time to bake them all?"
"I baked pretty much all day yesterday, so I brought some in." AJ said as they both looked at her with concern, "Yes, I was anxious." She answered them before they could ask.
"About Craig?" Becca assumed.
"Yeah." AJ shrugged, "I just hate knowing he's out there."
"Is that why there's been a cop out on patrol recently?" Becca asked, "I mean… at least they're taking it seriously and surveying the area."
"At least." AJ nodded. The fact they still hadn't had any contact from Sheriff Peterson was making her even more anxious. She couldn't understand why it had to take so long for him to simply call New Jersey State Prison.
"This is table four's oat milk vanilla latte." Lyla told Becca, sitting the mug on one of the serving trays.
"What's my aunt up to today?" AJ asked Lyla whilst Becca went over to serve the latte to the waiting customer.
"When I left the apartment, she was doing yoga in the living room." Lyla said, "She'll probably make her way over here later."
"Yeah, probably." AJ said.
"Is Shiv going to be here for the Winter Fair on Saturday?" Becca asked, returning to the front counter.
"I don't know when Daryl is picking her up. Maybe." AJ nodded, "I'll message her."
"What's on the menu?" Becca asked, running some mugs through the dishwasher that had built up from the morning customers.
"My yule log." AJ grinned happily, "Phil said Daryl is trying out some new festive drinks. I was thinking we could do sugar cookies. Decorate them like Christmas puddings. Some gingerbread and shortbread. Which is super hard to get right but I'll try." AJ nodded to herself, "I think Finn is doing some sort of cheese tart."
"That kid cooks like he's going for a Michelin star." Becca said.
"I think it's sweet. He's really getting into it." AJ nodded, "He gets all shy whenever he asks me baking questions."
"What are you getting Patrick for Christmas?" Lyla asked Becca curiously.
"He can unwrap me." Becca scoffed as AJ chuckled, "No, I was thinking an ugly sweater. A new hat and scarf. He spends so much time outside. It's better to get him something useful, right?"
"Are you nervous about spending Christmas at the farm?" AJ asked curiously.
"No. I spend most days and nights there, anyway." Becca shrugged, "I like the animals. And the fresh air."
"Feels like you're pretty serious about him." AJ pointed out.
"We enjoy each other's company." Becca nodded in agreement, "I don't know… when I'm with him it just… feels like a safe place."
"Oh, our little Becca is growing up." Lyla frowned to AJ with pride.
"Shut up." Becca scoffed.
"Hey, have you called your mom yet about the pregnancy?" Lyla asked AJ whilst Becca headed over to serve a new customer who had come in and was looking for a takeaway coffee.
"I'll do it in the new year." AJ waved her hand.
"You're gonna be busy in the new year." Lyla pointed out.
"Yeah, I know." AJ nodded, "I don't know why I'm anxious to tell her. Probably because I know she won't be phased. It's not like she'll come visit."
"That's not your problem. That's her loss." Lyla reminded her, "These kids are going to have plenty of people around to love them." She said quietly as AJ smiled and nodded.
"Yeah, they really are." AJ agreed.
"What if it's boys?" Lyla asked, speaking quietly so Becca couldn't hear, "They're gonna end up being raised by Daryl and Finn in Phil's café. I don't trust that."
"I think it's one of each." AJ said, "I just got a feeling."
"You thought of names?" Lyla asked.
"We've got one boy's name that we're definitely going to use. But nothing else." AJ said.
"What's the name?" Lyla asked.
"Not telling." AJ said, "We're not telling anyone until they're here."
"Boring." Lyla groaned unhappily, "How have the hormones been doing?"
"Lyla, can I get a cappuccino to go." Becca called over from the counter.
"On it." Lyla said, taking a paper cup and sitting it under the machine to make the coffee.
"The hormones are ok." AJ said, "I mean… the sex is really good. Sometimes it's all I can think about, actually." She folded her arms, looking over to Punk's coffee shop across the street, "You think he's busy over there?"
"That desperate, huh?" Lyla chuckled.
"It's hard to really know what my hormones are like with all the shit that's been going on, though. I feel like half the time I'm not even thinking about the pregnancy. Which makes me feel bad." AJ sighed a little.
"They'll catch this guy. And it'll be all over. He can't get away with it for much longer. He's bound to make a mistake. And he'll get caught out when he does." Lyla nodded to her.
"From your lips to God's ears." AJ nodded, "Will you guys be ok here? I'm just gonna… see if Phil is busy." She said, blushing a little as Lyla chuckled.
"Go get what you need, sister." Lyla encouraged, "We'll be fine."
"I don't know if I like it." Punk admitted, trying one of the peppermint mocha's which Daryl had made.
"You're a boring black coffee drinker, though. What would you know?" Daryl huffed.
"I suppose the kids might like it." Punk nodded, sitting the mug down.
"Yeah, we're all about being down with the kids here." Daryl said, "Peppermint mocha sounds very Instagrammable." He nodded.
"I don't know what that means." Punk admitted.
"You need to learn. You're going to have a kid." Daryl said, "You should be learning TikTok dances in preparation."
"No, I shouldn't." Punk said, looking over at a group of young girls, perhaps only fifteen and sixteen, sitting at one of the tables enjoying their festive drinks, all of them with a cell phone in their hand. It was pretty overwhelming sometimes to think that he was going to have kids. They were going to grow up and become people with their own personalities, their own likes and dislikes. They were going to be adorable toddlers and then no doubt, angsty teenagers. He knew he wasn't prepared, but a strange part of him just couldn't wait for all of it.
"Baby mama approaching." Daryl told Punk as he spotted AJ coming into the café.
"Go clear some tables." Punk rolled his eyes at Daryl, sending him on his way whilst AJ came up to the counter, "Hey." He smiled.
"Hey." AJ leaned over and kissed him sweetly, "How's your day going?"
"He's burning my ears like usual." Punk nodded over to Daryl as AJ chuckled, "But all good apart from that. You?"
"Yeah, all good." AJ smiled, "Actually, that reminds me. When is Daryl picking Shiv up from college?"
"He said next week I think." Punk said.
"So she's missing the Fair on Saturday?" AJ frowned.
"Daryl. When you getting Shiv?" Punk called over to Daryl who was wiping down dirty tables.
"Next week." Daryl replied.
"Is there any way you could convince her to come back this weekend? It's the Fair. Won't be the same without her." AJ said.
"I can ask her." Daryl nodded, "She's probably forgot all about the Fair. She's been stressed with finals."
"You'll ask her anyway?" AJ said.
"Yeah." Daryl nodded, moving on to clear another table as AJ turned back to Punk with a smile.
"You ok there?" Punk laughed a little, "You need something?"
"You think you could take a little break right now?" She asked.
"For?" Punk waited.
"I need some attention." She pouted as Punk laughed a little, "I'm serious. This feels clinical. I don't think I can function otherwise." She said, folding her arms as Punk laughed some more.
"Well, if you think you can't function without it." Punk said, "Who am I to say no?" He teased as AJ smiled.
"Ok, let's go." AJ nodded desperately.
"Daryl, I'm taking a break. I'll be back soon." Punk told him as Daryl looked up from the table he was wiping.
"A break for what?" Daryl scoffed.
"I gotta eat." Punk shrugged, coming out from behind the counter as AJ elbowed him discretely with a smile, "I won't be long. Hold the fort, yeah?"
"Like I have a choice." Daryl mumbled whilst AJ and Punk left the café.