I'm Sorry

Chapter Two: Someone's Jelly

Nick's phone buzzed.

"Sorry, I have to take this. It's Monroe and Rosalee," Nick said.

"Tell 'em I said, 'Hi,'" Trubel said.

"Me, too," Adalind added.

"Okay," Nick answered his phone. "Monroe?"

"Yeah, hey, man," Monroe said.

"Is everything okay?" Nick asked.

"What? Oh, yeah, yeah. I actually am waiting for someone to show up. They're going to come by the house to drop of a clock. It's really cool. You see, it's this homey, mid-century table clock made in—" Monroe digressed.

"Did you need something?" Nick interjected.

"Need? Well, kind of. I wanted to ask you if you tried the cherry jam yet. I thought I might as well ask because I was thinking about it and had some time to kill..."

"Did I try the cherry jam?" Nick repeated shooting a glance and a smile in Trubel's direction. Trubel mouthed the words, "Oh, no," while Nick answered, "No, uh, not yet."

"Well, you have to try it sometime, Nick. Seriously, man, this is the best stuff, it's made locally, it even—"

"It sort of had an accident," Nick said motioning for Trubel and Adalind to be quiet as he clicked the speakerphone button.

Monroe sighed over the phone. "What happened this time?"

"This time?" Trubel mouthed. Adalind and Trubel both started snickering.

"It was Trubel's fault!" Nick blurted out.

"Hey! Don't tell him that!" Trubel yelled.

"Trubel's with you?" Monroe asked.

"Yeah. Hey, Monroe! Oooh. Adalind says, 'Hi,' too," Trubel yelled.

"Hi, Monroe," Adalind greeted.

"Hi? Uhhh." Monroe was caught off guard. "How's Trubel feeling?"

"Better. I'll have to come down to see you guys. Anyway, the jelly thing was an accident. And I was actually going to try it, unlike Nick," Trubel said laughing.

"It was jam, not jelly," Nick corrected. "And I know that because I was going to have some, I just didn't have a chance thanks to someone."

"Well, I think you might be in luck," said Monroe as he walked over to his fridge. 

"Really?" Adalind asked, amused.

"I think Rosalee got some from downtown on Wednesday. Hold on, let me check." Monroe clicked the speakerphone button and set the phone on the counter as he started digging. He was moving around everything in his fridge: his vegetarian sausage, his organic blueberry pancakes and spinach syrup, his beets, his avocados...

"Monroe, you don't need to do that," Nick insisted.

"It's fine, it should be right here," Monroe said as he rummaged. Nick could hear the shuffling sounds and clinking glass over the phone.

"Really, Monroe, I don't want to take all of your jelly," Nick said.

"It's jam," Adalind corrected laughing. Trubel was grinning smugly at Nick.

"Got it!" Monroe shouted. "That was lucky!"

Nick sighed and said, "Yep, super lucky" sarcastically.

"I can bring it over," Monroe offered.

"Oh, you don't have to do that," Nick objected. "Monroe, really it's—"

Trubel cut Nick off. "I can get it when I come see you guys at the Spice Shop!"

"That's a great idea," Monroe said.

Nick tried to cut in. "Wait! Monroe I—"

Monroe heard someone knock. "Hey, man, I have to go. Bernard is here with the 1955—" Monroe heard more knocking. "I'm coming!" he yelled towards the door. "See you later, Nick!"

"But I—" Nick attempted to protest.

"Bye, man," Monroe said and hung up.

Nick clicked his phone off and glared at Adalind and Trubel, who were howling with laughter.

"Oh my, God!" Trubel choked out, laughing. "Oh, that was good!" she chuckled. "Ow!" she said, grabbing her side but still laughing. "I might actually die of laughter!"

That made everyone, even Nick, laugh.

"Try to be brave," Adalind said, pretending to be supportive. She patted Nick on the shoulder, grinned mischievously, and left to check on Kelly.

Nick smiled, "I'll do my best."