I watched Brian through the glass part of his hospital room door.  He was staring intently at the TV.  It was clear to me that he was off in another land.  I was really nervous about seeing him.  The last time I saw him was yesterday, and he wasn't even awake.  He acted like my friend on the phone earlier, which surprised me because we supposedly weren't friends anymore.  Maybe he had a change of heart...

The door to his room swung open, grabbing me out of my thoughts.

"Were you ever gonna come in?" he grinned, grabbing me by the arm and basically dragging me into the room.

"Of course.  I'm just really - "

"Nervous?  Yeah, I know," he interrupted.

"You took the words out of my mouth," I laughed uncomfortably.

"I actually have to talk to you about what I said that night.  I've been having second thoughts about that.  But let's leave it for later.  I wanna have a nice lunch with you."

"A nice lunch?  In the cafeteria of a hospital?" I asked, scrunching up my nose.

"You'd be surprised as to how good the chicken cutlets are." 

"Ugh, do I really wanna find out?"

"Oh, yes you do.  Now let's go."  With that, he linked his hand with my own and we headed towards the cafeteria.

Sophia's View

"I'm totally sure you're pregnant again, Sophia," AJ sighed, pulling my body closer to his.

"J, how many times must I explain this to you.  I can't get pregnant while I'm pregnant.  It's genetically impossible."  I giggled at his stupidity, as he pondered the word 'genetically' in his head.

"Alright, I think I get what you're saying," he said, after he had been deep in thought for awhile.

"Do you really?" I questioned, kissing his nose.

"Yup.  I'm a smart man now," he grinned.

"Baby," I mumbled, running my hand through his brown hair.

"Hmmm?"

"Did you ever expect us to end up like we did?"

"What do you mean?" he replied, a questioning look in his deep brown eyes.

"Like, we're just so happy with each other.  It's like we met and there was no one else for me from that moment on.  Then you made the sweetest proposal known to the world.  We got married.  And now we're gonna have a baby.  It's like a dream or something," I sighed, contentedly laying my head on his bare chest.

"God, I know.  I feel like thanking Col everyday for bringing you to Florida with her.  That was so many years ago.  We've been through so much, and here we are."  He kissed my forehead, placing his hand on my stomach.

"Feel anything?"

"Nah.  When is a baby supposed to starting kicking anyway?"

"I'm not so sure.  I have a doctor's appointment in a few days.  We get to see the baby on the screen.  That's gonna be wild."

"I honestly can't wait."

His hands remained on my stomach as I lifted my lips to his. 

"Sophia?"  He pulled away from my kiss.

"Yes?"

"Don't you wanna know whether we're having a boy or a girl?"

"But then we have no surprise."

"Yes but how can we decorate its room when we don't know the sex.  If we paint the room pink and we end up having a boy, imagine how terrible he'd feel."

"AJ," I laughed, "then we'll re-paint the walls."

"Yeah, but still…"

I ignored his chatter as I brought my lips to his once again.

"Whoa, wait up."  He broke the kiss once again to sit up, a thoughtful look on his face.

"What now?" I asked, trying hard not to crack a smile.

"How do we know what color blankets to bring to the hospital?  I don't think a baby girl would appreciate blue blankets."

I couldn't bring myself to comment on what he'd just said. 

"See, you don't know either!" he laughed, loving the fact that I was speechless.

"No, it's not that I don't know.  It's just… you're so stupid," I grinned.

"Again?  You're calling me stupid again?  Damn, that's twice in one day," he shook his head in disbelief.

"Has it ever occurred to you that they give you blankets at the hospital?"

"No."

"That's what I thought," I giggled. 

"They do that?"

"Yes, dear.  When the baby is first born, the hospital supplies the blankets that it will be wrapped up in."

"Oh.  Well, that's solved.  But what about when the baby comes home?  What color blankets?"

I pressed my index finger to his lips, as if to stop the flow of dumbness. 

"You're adorable, McLean." 

Brian's View

"I can't say that was the best lunch I've ever had," Col smiled, taking a sip of her coke.

"But you can't say it was the worst either, now can ya?" I shot back.

"Hmmm, no, I guess not."

I was nervous.  I never thought this girl could get me so worked up.  But things never turn out the way you think they will.  We'd had a surprisingly pleasant lunch.  Now it was time to talk about stuff I wasn't really ready to talk about.  Us.

"So… I guess this is where it gets all difficult and awkward huh?" I asked, after a few minutes of silence had passed.

"It doesn't have to be.  If we're honest with each other, I think it'll be alright."

"Ok then.  I'm just gonna get to the point."

She nodded, urging me with her eyes to continue.

"I'll admit I thought continuing our friendship would be a waste of time on both our parts.  I mean, we've hurt each other a hell of a lot.  I hate seeing you hurt, Col.  And I know you don't like seeing me hurting either.  Then I realized that by ending the friendship I was hurting you probably more than I ever had.  Unfortunately, it was too late.  I'd already walked out on you.  I felt horrible.  I turned to alcohol and - "

I stopped to see her face tighten up, as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ears. 

"What's wrong?" I asked, reaching for her hand.

"I feel like it was my fault that you ended up in the hospital.  I'm so - "

"Don't say you're sorry, Col.  You didn't shove the drinks down my throat.  Anyway, I turned to alcohol and it was probably one of the stupidest things I've ever done.  It wasn't the first time I let it get in the way of things.  I can't really tell you what made me change my mind about us.  I never wanted you to be a stranger.  I guess I let my mind take over.  But I love you and you know that.  I could never pretend you didn't exist.  You mean too much to me." 

I watched for any kind of reaction, but her face remained blank.

"Col…?"

"You're so sweet, Bri," she sighed, her eyes glazed over.

"I assure you, I'm not."

"No, you are."

"Alright, fine, I am," I grinned cheekily.

"I'm just so glad you're willing to put everything that's happened behind us, and just concentrate on our friendship."

"Yeah," I mumbled, not quite succeeding in keeping the hurt look off of my face.  I didn't think we'd be together after this, but I didn't want to believe that it would never happen.

"Something wrong?" she asked, her smile slowly disappearing.

"No, it's just - " I stopped myself short.

"Just what?"

"You don't really wanna know.  Believe me."

"Yeah, I do.  Just what?" she repeated.

"It's just - I had this idea.  Well, not really an idea, it's more like a dream.  This dream that we'd, ya know…" my voice trailed off.

"Sleep together?" she replied, scrunching up her eyebrows.

"No! No, that's not what I was thinking.  I was thinking that we'd - uh - be together, I guess."

"Oh," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. 

You are such an idiot.  I buried my head into my hands, not wanting her to see the sudden redness of my face.

"Brian, I have to tell you something." 

I slowly brought my head up to look at her.  "Col, I'm sorry about that - "

"Brian, I really have to tell you something," she reiterated.

I nodded, curious to know why she had to tell me this very minute.

"I don't really know how to say it…"

"In English maybe?" I laughed.  She barely smiled.

"I'm going out with Nick tonight," she blurted out. 

"Ok, what's the big deal about that?" I asked, not seeing the point in her telling me this.

"You don't understand.  I'm going out with Nick tonight - as in going out on a date."

I froze in my position, not sure whether to cry, run out of the cafeteria, or play it cool.

"Brian?  Say something."

I stayed quiet. 

"Please, B.  I need to know how you feel about this."

How did she think I felt?  Had she heard nothing I'd said for the past half hour?

"I really have nothing to say about it," I shrugged.

"Nothing at all?"

I shook my head, hoping she would go away.

"So this isn't going to affect our friendship in any way?"

"Uh uh."

"That's great."  She was loving the fact that I was taking this so well.

"I better be going.  When will you be home?"

"Sometime tonight," I replied, playing with the napkin on the table.

"Alright.  I guess I'll talk to you sometime tomorrow then." 

She gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before quickly walking out of the cafeteria.

I stared down at the used silverware on our table.  She should've just stabbed me.  It hurt like hell that those two were going out on a date.  But I wasn't going to say anything.  Throwing a temper tantrum, crying to her, yelling at her… it wouldn't change a thing.  For the first time in a while, her mind was set.  Maybe it was a good thing.  No more going back and forth between me and Nick. 

"Her mind is obviously set," I murmured to myself. 

As much as it broke my heart, I had to respect her decision.