It took me by surprise I must say

 "Oh, you really shouldn't have gone to so much trouble," J said as he could smell the savory chicken pot pie coming from Carrie's kitchen. He'd expected a stirfry from Tobes. Even then, he knew it would be spicy. This was just comfort food. 

"Just what is she setting us up for," he whispered to Stevie while she was putting their coats away. It was a bitter cold wind out, and he and Stevie kept their hoodies on. 

"She likes to entertain, or have you forgotten?" Stevie looked back at him as if he just needed to enjoy whatever was on his plate.

Of course, Tobes had the place settings nicely mix-matched and a tumbler of iced Long Island Tea waiting.

J winced. Naturally, he was the designated driver. He would have to stick with milk. Stevie asked for some milk, as well.

Carrie looked at Tobes as if he was at fault.

"There's only just a touch of vodka in these," Tobes promised he was keeping the liquor cabinet in check. "I'm making the liquor last longer." 

He said everything was so expensive these days. He didn't make drinks like these often. Next thing J knew everyone was having a glass of the spiked tea.

Soon enough Carrie filled their plates with the pie and a nice tossed salad on the side. 

"I guess I'll have to do the cooking next time," Stevie smirked as he dove in first to the steaming chicken topped with flakey crust and dotted with peas and carrots.

"No, you won't," J gave him a serious look. They both knew who did the cooking at home. It was Stevie's mother. "I'm sure she'll be happy to see you two."

After all, they'd spent Easter together. Stevie's Mom did a traditional ham dinner and there was lemon cake too. Really, he was glad she was there even if she did live in the basement. It truly felt like home. 

"So what's up?" Stevie looked at Carrie who had a mouthful of pot pie in her mouth.

"She didn't want to bring it up when we were at your place," Tobes told them.

J could see Carrie didn't even want to tell them now. She sipped the spiked tea as if to give her courage. Then she coughed as if it might have been too much vodka. 

"It's..it's about Holly," Carrie finally managed.

"Holly?" Stevie wrinkled a scowl. "That brat hasn't called me in ages. It's like she's too superior for the likes of us."

"Well," Carrie said they met up at the Oldie's Cafe. "She is still in the wheelchair."

"Are you kidding me," Stevie winced as if he might let the pie go cold, but he shoveled in another warm mouthful and then another.

Carrie nodded.

J went on with his meal. It was addictive. He only wanted more of the pie, but he went after the salad as if he would be good. Finally, he got around to the drink. He finished it off in two gulps. Damn, if Tobes should have been a bartender.

Just as they were finishing up, Carrie said, "Holly's hiding something from us."

"Oh, yeah, some big shot prince I guess," Stevie sighed. "She has a new boyfriend."

"She's pregnant." Carrie looked uneasy about it.

"Pregnant?" Stevie looked shocked.

Carrie nursed her bottom lip. J didn't know what to think. He was certain it couldn't be that last guy she was seeing because he was pretty sure that guy had the hots for Tobes.

"What if," Tobes started. Honestly, he had a bit of a sleepy look. Maybe it was the Long Island Tea. 

"What?" Stevie nudged J with his shoulder, but he didn't budge. He wanted to know Tobes thoughts.

"What if she got impregnated during her time at that place where we found her?" His question hung in the air for some time.

J looked at Stevie who looked at Carrie.

"NO WAY," Stevie shook his head no, but J could tell who Carrie was thinking of. Her brother who was still in a coma.

What did I do to deserve this?

 Carrie kept hugging herself in thought. Would Holly ever get out of that wheelchair?

Of course, she'd let it alone for some time now. Holly needed space. Time. Well, she still had her job at the University. She was getting by better than she probably knew.

No way would Tobey let her take care of Holly.

"She's abused you enough," He reminded Carrie that her friendship with Holly had not been reciprocated. "You are a sweetheart and you deserve better."

But she knew Holly didn't like it. She didn't like that her brother's friend lived with her. Carrie felt a little lost sometimes, but Tobey was supportive and she was learning how to be someone with someone as sensible and caring as Tobey.

"You're still with him aren't you?" Holly growled before she even said hello at the diner that had a place for handicapped chairs. It was a peaceful place. Hardly a soul around. A good time for a hearty chat.

"Yes, this is true," Carrie nodded hoping not to get into it with her so-called friend. How had she ever liked such an ill-willed woman?

"You could be living with me you know?" Holly told her after she ordered for both of them, curly fries and corndogs.

Carrie nursed her bottom lip. Something was off about Holly, but she wasn't sure what she should say other than, "Are you sure you should eat that kind of thing?" Carrie wasn't a fan of curly fries or corndogs.

"What? You're trying to say I'm fat now?" Holly snarled in disgust. Carrie winced. She was afraid it was true.

"Well." Carrie reminded her that the doctors said she could walk. And yes, she had gained weight.

Holly swelled a frown as if Carrie was not as caring as she thought she should be.

"You could be with me. And..and.."

"I don't think I can," Carrie said she had a life too.

"Oh, with that T-bone of yours," Holly twitched a smirk. 

Carrie sighed. "He's there for me. I needed him." Had she forgotten her brother was in a coma.

When the waiter came back with their drinks, Carrie told him they both needed a salad. "She needs one just as much as I do. Add an egg for protein."

Holly winced. 

"No, you're the one who's changed," Holly wheeled out of her space. She needed to go to the bathroom. It was at that moment, Carrie knew what Holly was hiding from them. 

All the Things We Should Have Done

 "Fuck," Stevie winced with a swelled frown. Just how long had he been out? Wasn't he supposed to be at the Preschool center? He felt as if he'd slept a year or so and there was  J sacked out next to him as the sun poured in.

Yes, maybe they needed this. Hibernation after a miserable time. There were other things he knew he should be thinking about instead of Holly.

At the moment, he didn't like her very much. She'd taken up way too much of his time. Especially, his time with J. He sat up and blinked. Was the bad stuff really over?

Instantly, he fell back on his pillow. What about Tim?

Finally, it was rewinding back in his head about what his mother had said. "Tim is dead."

He winced tears. No. No that wasn't true. He did not remember any of it. Of course, he'd been in a coma then too. He didn't even have a clue what led up to it. It was like Tim just ignored him, playing so hard to get. Stevie didn't know what to do.

He sighed. Funny, Holly was in a coma too. Had he been that testy?

He didn't remember. It wasn't supposed to be that way. 

The tears emerged. He couldn't stop it as hard as he winced his eyes. At first, the tears were so warm but instantly became cold. 

Finally, he managed to get in his sleep pants, tank, and fuzzy slippers. It wasn't until he got to the kitchen that he noticed the coffee was on and there was his mom reading one of her trashy romances and sipping black coffee.

"I'm not making breakfast," she informed him without looking up. She reminded him it was Sunday and it was the perfect day to sleep in. She mentioned the weather. It might look sunny, but it was deceiving. Frost was still on the windshield of his car. He noticed as he peaked between the blinds in the front window of the livingroom.

Stevie nodded and went to make a feast with his black coffee with milk and sugar. It was lukewarm by the time he got the concoction ready and seated across from her in their open kitchen.

"I don't remember, Mom." He looked at her as if she needed to give him details.

"Well, you smoke too much," she pointed out his bad habits. He was still a pothead in her book.

"Mom, I don't smoke," he winced back. "J isn't like that, you know."

She nodded. She still believed J might be Tim. "But he's dead, you know."

"We don't know for sure," Stevie told her. It felt as if his presence faded into the wind. He almost felt comfortable talking about him. Nevertheless, there had been a car crash on the bridge and Tim might have gotten washed away in the Missouri River.

"But..but I wasn't driving. I didn't do the driving," he insisted. "Especially, in..in somebody else's car."

These were the facts. His mother remained unchanged. It was then he did wonder if he'd grown since then. He knew he wouldn't have thought so until he met J.

Thinking you might be in perfect sync if they would only shut up

 "It really is OK to be selfish some of the time," J assured Stevie. "You can't just think about Holly night and day."

J wished Stevie would stop dwelling about how it was supposed to be for Holly and Carrie.

"Maybe...Carrie is better off with Tobey." There it was said, he could go on with brushing his teeth and hoping somebody got the hint they were to do something else instead of talking about their so called friends.

"What?" Stevie gave him the eye, as if how could he say such things. Oh, he edged in at the bathroom mirror then and went to the face oil as if he'd be fifteen forever when in fact he was well into his twenties now. After all, J only smiled at the thought, his little drama queen.

"Well, maybe they'll get together one day, but Holly isn't all that mature yet and she still needs a lot taking care of. Would you want Carrie slaving over her?"

"Well...no." Stevie slathered the oil and stroked his neck as if that was the first sign of aging. J just watched. He was still thinking, evidently about Tobey and Carrie.

"You don't think they ...are..doing anything...do you?" He gave J a sharp look as if Tobey gave him a tell all.

"He's never told me anything," J squinted after he squished his mouth with water.

"I bet he was in love with her brother," Stevie noted.

"Not everyone is as horny as you and me," J turned to him. 

"But it could have happened," Stevie said.

"Can we stop talking about them now?" J didn't know what else to do but to shut Stevie up with a kiss. Naturally, that changed things with minty breaths and freshly washed skin. One robe peeled off and then the other. Thank God, the bathroom was in their room. It might have been a small bathroom, but things could still happen, and they did. Hopefully, by tomorrow morning Stevie was only dreaming of J and not wondering if they had or they hadn't with Tobey and Carrie.

Last raindrop

 

Carrie wanted to be happy, but there was a matter with her brother. He was barely alive.

"I don't know how he made it this far," Liam (Toby) said about the matter. "Honestly, it's like a miracle."

She guessed it was. Maybe. There were indifferent feelings she felt about her brother. Still, she wondered just how much longer this would last. Would he be in this state, permanently?

And Holly was still thawing out, or so it felt that way. Holly was going to be OK. Only, she didn't remember anything.

Carrie tried her best not to give up. Not to say anything, but it was really taking a toll on her. Of course, she still worked at the nail salon. She couldn't just stay at the hospital by anybody's side.

"We'll get through this," Liam was optimistic. Sort of. He'd be smiling one minute and then she could see him falling apart too. 

Naturally, Holly was like a hurt bird. Squawking and angry with everyone. Carrie didn't know exactly how to respond. Of course, Holly was mad that she wasn't here to take care of her. She was wheelchair-bound at the moment. Although, the doctors said she could walk ...if she wanted to.

"Do you think she's punishing me?" Carrie wanted to know when she and Laim were home alone.

"Possibly," Liam shrugged. She thought he was a good judge of character. Of course, it was just the two of them.

"Should we bring her here?" She felt foolish to ask. They might never survive if they did. 

He shook his head no. "She's got a family." 

Of course, Carrie had never met them. Yes, it was time to let them take over until Holly was better. However, it made her wracked with guilt, and maybe Liam was in the same boat in an ocean of misery about the circumstances with her brother. 

Life was going on and the only way to keep moving forward was to be there for each other. Still, Carrie was waiting for Holly to come back like hell on wheels.