Give Them Hell

Ultrasound Pictures and Paintings

"Hey, I got something I want to talk to you about." Dakota says as I walk through her door.

Nikki and I spent the day with June because Dakota and CC wanted us to, I assume that they wanted to fuck without their daughter in the house. Nikki walks in beside me holding onto Junie who fell asleep on the car ride over. Nikki walks up towards her room and Dakota pulls me over to the couch where CC is sitting.

"Okay, what's up?" I ask as I pull my feet up so I'm sitting crisscross applesauce.

"Well we got some really good news." CC says and I nod kinda confused as Nikki comes back into the living room and sits down beside me.

"We have to move into a bigger place, a place away from Bret, Bobby, and Rikki." Dakota continues and Nikki laughs.

"Did you break it to the poor bastards yet?" My boyfriend wonders with a laugh and CC grins.

"No, not yet." The guitar player admits with a laugh.

"Anyways, how would you feel about having another niece or nephew?" Dakota asks and my eyes grow.

"You're knocked up?" I ask with a laugh and she smiles.

"Want to see the ultrasound pictures?" Dakota asks and walks into the kitchen.

My cousin returns holding some print out pictures of her baby. She hands the pictures to me and I move closer to Nikki so he can look at the pictures too.

"Our little baby is one month along and is due in February." CC explains proudly.

CC and Dakota start to flip through some real estate papers while Nikki and I look at the unborn baby pictures.

"I can't even see the baby." I mutter and Nikki laughs.

"Neither can I--oh wait! Is the little thing right there?" He whispers and points to a weird little shape.

"Maybe, it kinda looks like an alien." I say quietly with a laugh and Nikki smiles.

"Don't tell your cousin that, she'll flip shit." Nikki whispers. "But it's true, it's really fucking true actually."

"Do you ever want to have kids?" I ask and his eyes grow. "Not today or anything but one day?"

"Yeah but with you." He admits and kisses my cheek. "Only with you."

"I love you." I say and kiss his lips.

"I love you too." Nikki says and pecks my lips again. "Want to go back to my place, I promise I'll lock the door." He smirks and I grin.

"As long as you lock the door this time." I laugh and kiss his lips again.

I grab his hand and pull him up. I grab Dakota's shoulder as I walk past.

"Cute kid, Dakota." I say and continue to drag Nikki behind me. "See you later at the bar."

Nikki

"How much do you know about art again, baby?" I ask Dallas as she drives.

"Quite a bit, I minored in art history." She reminds me and I smile.

"I ordered something I need you to apprize it for me." I say and she looks over to me.

"I'm not a professional or anything like that, you know that right?" Dallas asks as I nod.

"I just trust your opinion more than some stranger's." I explain and she nods.

"How much did you pay for it?" She wonders.

"I'll put it this way, I would've paid a whole lot more." I explain.

I got into contact with our old high school in hopes of tracking down Dallas' painting Courage, the one with a fishing boat and the stormy sea. As it turns out eight years later Courage was still hanging in the school art gallery. When I told the school that I wanted to buy it they were confused and I had to explain why I wanted it. I sent them a check for two hundred bucks because that's all they wanted for it. I would've paid thousands because I love that painting so much. Anyways, the painting came in the mall this morning and I want to surprise Dallas with it.

Dallas backs into the driveway and we walk up to the house. We walk up to the door and I lead my girlfriend through the house to the dining room where I left the box with the painting. We sit down at the dining room table and I set the box in front of Dallas.

"Where did you buy this from?" She wonders and I smile.

"Closer than you'd think." I admit and she studies me. "Come on, baby. I need your opinion on this."

"Okay but I swear to god if something jumps out at me you won't see twenty six." Dallas warns and I laugh.

"Nothing like that, I swear to you." I say and kiss her cheek.

I watch as Dallas carefully takes the top off the box and starts to remove the packing peanuts. She gets her hands on the edge of the canvas and pulls it out if the box. Dallas sees it and lights up which makes me smile.

"You're shitting me, right?" Dallas asks me and looks over to me.

"I've loved it since you painted it." I admit. "I called our old school and it's been on exhibit for eight fucking years. I would've paid thousands for it and in my eyes I stole it."

"I-I-I'm completely speechless." She beams. "This is the nicest thing anyone's ever done, I love you."

Dallas hugs my neck tightly and kisses my cheek. She pulls back and looks at me.

"Your art is worth more to me than the Mona Lisa is to Paris." I tell her and she laughs. "I am so in love with you."

"I've been in love with you for eight fucking years." Dallas smiles and kisses my lips.

I told her before she moved away that I'd find her again and we'd live happily ever after and we are. I'm going to marry Dallas one day and someday we're going to have a family. I just hope our kids are as perfect as her.