My Life Would Suck Without You

Stubble and Taxi Rides

Jai passed Frankie coming down the stairs. He was moving as if the hounds of hell were on his heels ... and they were, sort of. Following immediately after Frankie were Betty and Fawkes; the dogs looked as terrified as the human.

"Whoa, Frankie", Jai said calmly. "Slow down; tell me what's going on."

"Ariana ... she's crazy." He took a deep breath and tried to continue. "Look, I know she's my sister and all, and I'm not supposed to like women, but ... there is no way I'm doing what she wants me to do. I'll be downstairs, if you need me, but don't need me, okay?"

"Sure." Although he wasn't sure about anything right now.

The bedroom was deserted and Jai walked toward the master bathroom where he could hear muffled sobs through the partially opened door. He found Ariana sitting on the closed toilet seat wearing only her bra and panties. She had one leg propped up on the side of the bathtub. She was muttering a few half-hearted curses about Frankie and sniffling up the snot that was slowing dripping out of her nose as it mingled with the tears flowing from her eyes. She looked like she was trying to touch her toes, but the massive bulge of the baby was hampering her. Even in her frazzled state, Jai took an moment to take in how incredibly beautiful she looked to him. And seeing her skin stretched to hold and keep safe their child, made him love her even more. The recent awkwardness between the two drained away and Jai forgot all about their argument and only remembered how much he loved her.

"Ariana?", Jai asked tentatively. "What's the matter, baby?"

"Oh, Jai...", her voice quivered and the tears started in earnest. "I'm so glad you're here."

Well, this was definitely a change for the better, he thought. "What's wrong?"

"I-I'm too big!", she wailed. "I-I c-can't reach my ankles and Frankie wouldn't help."

Jai knelt down next to her and took her hands in his, lovingly. "It's okay, honey. I'll do whatever you want."

Suddenly, she stiffened and he thought he'd overstepped that invisible and ever-shifting boundary of hers. After about 15 seconds, however, she let out a breath and reached over to her left, coming back with a can of shaving cream and a pink razor.

"Will you shave my legs for me?" She smiled her most beguiling smile which Jai found even cuter since her nose was red and she was still sniffling at the end of every third word.

Then it hit him what she'd asked.

"What? You've got to be kidding. Why on earth do you need your legs shaved now?" He didn't mean to sound angry, but he thought after everything else, this was the most ridiculous request he'd heard yet.

Luckily anger was easier to deal with than tears so Ariana chose anger or maybe it chose her. Jai wasn't actually sure how that all worked.

"Because... damnit! I'm having your baby and it's the least you can do."

"This is ridiculous, Ariana. Can't you just go get waxed or whatever tomorrow? Isn't that what you usually do?" Jai stood up now and paced to the other side of the room, wanting some distance between him and this infuriating woman whom he loved.

She replied through gritted teeth. "I can't get my legs waxed tomorrow, you idiot! Tomorrow, I'm going to be in the hospital giving birth to your baby! Or - or maybe tonight. Who knows how long these things take?"

"What?!" Jai sprang immediately back to her side. "Y-you're in labor? Oh, Ariana..."

"Didn't I say that before? No? Well, yeah. I'm in labor. It's pretty early still, but it's starting to become uncomfortable. And I just CAN'T go to the hospital with prickly stubble on my legs. That's disgusting."