30-Something Reality

The Blues....

  Jeanette was getting ready to leave, we had spent a few hours going over different things for the baby, and just being sister's again... Nothing else was mentioned about the guys until as she was walking out the door. Jeanette turned around and leaned on the door frame, "Call Jared, he needs to know you are okay.... Then he can call Shannon.... Cause then... YOU have to..." With that my sister hugged me and left. 

I went in to the nursery and stared at the unicorn in the crib.  I picked up my phone, went through the conact list in my phone till I came to Jared's number... I hit the call button...

I curled up in bed with a pillow as I heard him answer the phone.... "I can't believe it is YOUR name coming up on my phone... How are you feeling?"

The softness in Jared's voice made me finally break loose and cry.... I'm sure he could hear it in my voice, "Can I see you Jared? We need to talk..."

"Tell me when and where sweets, I'm there...." I heard him sigh, and could almost hear him smile... "I gave you my word I would be there for you.... I still mean that Siren... You're my best friend..." The sound of his voice made me smile for REAL for the first time in WEEKS. "Please, let me honor my word. I won't tell anyone we are meeting until you say it's okay. And I promise to keep my hands to myself! I'm not going to ask you for more than you are willing to give... As always."

I rub my hand over where Connie is kicking me and smile as I remember when Jared and I would cuddle and watch TV... We would feel her move around... "Jared, I... " I stopped... "I'll text you my address... I know you've probably already been stalking it... Your mother did help me find this place!" I laughed.... 

"To be honest, Jeanette told me she was coming to see you." He chuckled. "And I was hoping you would call at some point... So since I REALLY don't live too far away from here.... I was in town having lunch." I hate when he was cocky and coy all in one...  I could hear him yet again smiling, just the way his voice changed... 

"You're full of shit Jared... See you when you get here..." I laughed and hung up the phone... As I get up and start making tea and grab my phone, I hear a knock at my door...  I open it and there he stands...  A single white rose in his hand, he pulled his sunglasses down and slid them into his shirt... brown button up over a white muscle shirt and black jeans and of course his crazy boots.  I smile and slide aside to let him in the door... "I knew you were slick, but damn! No, you had to go and just be charming and sexy too!" I laughed as he came in.

"I knew I had to make sure you knew I was waving a white flag!" He smiled as I closed the door. He turned around and just stood just an arms length away, Jared for the first time in a long time looked like a deer in the head lights... I remembered the night in Philly.... The weeks we spent together after New York.... in Chicago... then Detroit!.... when I found out I was pregnant... the night he saved my life, and Connie's... EVERYTHING just came flooding back... and I saw it in his eyes... 

I couldn't help but stare into his eyes.... I slowly reached out and took the rose he was leaning towards me, it was yet again another classic movie moment Jared could pull off just as he slid his hand into mine and pulled me to him... I couldn't think... He wrapped me in his arms and just held me.... all I could do was cry.... I had missed him... He was my best friend and I had felt so alone. Yeah I had the girls... But they didn't talk about him around me unless I had to tell him and Shannon about the baby... Mostly that came from Vickie, Tomo, and Constance. It felt so good to be in Jared's arms again.

Jared pulled away and pulled me over to the sofa, sat down and just pulled me into his arms... "Hey, I'm here now... I've got you. Where's LoLa?"

"With Tomo and Vickie visiting the local hospital.... They came to get her while Jeanette was here..." I pulled back so I could actually look in to eyes... "I'm so sorry for everything!"

Jared looked at and put his hand on my face... "There is NOTHING for you to be sorry for!" Jared pulled me into him and kissed me. Nothing short of passionately yet so gentle... He pulled back as he broke the kiss. "I've missed you and I'm sorry... I shouldn't have done that, I gave you my word..."

I looked into his eyes... I was done... "Jared, I don't know if I can ever go back to the way things were with Shannon... And I don't know how things are between you and Jeanette, I won't hurt her..."

Jared leaned back and pulled something out of his shirt pocket... "I told you it wasn't going to an engagement ring..." He opened a small black box with a silver ring in it... "I flew to Ireland to get away for a few days, and picked it up while I was there..." Jared slid the Irish ring on my right ring finger... "Remember if you wear the tip of the heart pointed towards the tip of your finger you aren't with someone, if you wear it pointed towrads your hand... it means you are taken..." He put it the way he wanted it and kissed my lips softly... "It's there until you say other wise... When she turns a year old, It will move to your left hand as my wife..."  Jared kissed me again, holding my right hand in his left and his right on my face... 

I pulled away and saw the ring was facing towards my hand. Jared had made his mark, within the silver crown and hands lay a black Oynx heart.... "Jared... I..."

"I don't want to hear a word... I remembered how you looked in New York, and when I saw that stone, I knew it was for you... So I had it made into the ring.... No matter what, you are my best friend, if we don't make it, and you want Shannon, that is fine... I won't stand in your way... Just like before... I hold to my word... But you have to talk to him..." He sighed and lay his hands on mine... "But until you push me away, I'm not going anywhere." With that, Jared kissed me again... More passionately that I could imagine... My blues were gone the second I saw his...