~*~Lee~*~
I was in charge of damage control. Again.
About two hours after the event I knocked on the door. AJ opened it, "Hello, nice to see you."
"Why are you still here?"
We walked inside, "You had my car, and they are "tending to her hand.""
I laughed, "For two hours."
"This is Kevin we’re talking about."
About that time they came down the stairs, "I heard that. And why are you still here?"
"I don’t have a car. Had to wait for my ride."
Tracie looked at me, "How is she?"
I sat down, "Damn construction dust can be slippery."
She sighed, "Tell me."
I had to fight the smile, I really enjoyed that Tracie had decked Jessica, "You broke her nose."
AJ and Kevin let out a loud whoop then Kevin grabbed her, "No wonder you busted open your hand."
AJ patted her back, "I don’t want to piss you off."
She glared at him, "She didn’t piss ME off. She hurt HIM."
I smiled. That was right. I knew that feeling. "Come on Alexander, take my pregnant ass home. I’m getting hungry and they don’t have enough food to feed me."
"Oh yeah, Kevin, Tracie ate like a horse. Need to work that off."
Tracie pinched his face, "Consider it worked off, smartass."
~*~Kevin~*~
Once they were out the door I grabbed her and hauled her back upstairs, "Don’t do it. Don’t get upset. You’re a lover not a fighter. I’ll prove it."
"Evidently I’m a fighter too. Jesus, I broke someone’s nose."
"No, you broke Jessica’s nose. I’m not sure she’s a person. I decked Michael. We’re even."
She didn’t bite my head off, so it was good. We forgot about it for a good long while.
~*~Tracie~*~
Kevin’s lawyer called today. The annulment papers are going in front of the judge today. He will have them tomorrow and courier them to Kevin. Probably get to him after lunch. I feel completely lost. I don’t know how to help him. I don’t know if I can. He’s withdrawn since the phone call. I know he does that. Always has. I’ve always let him do that, then he comes back. It’s a hell of a lot harder to let him drift inside himself now. He locked himself away in the studio at the house. I paced in front of the door, then made myself go away. I got on the phone, "The annulment papers get here tomorrow."
"That’s great. You’ll be living with a single man." Lee was munching on something.
"Except that he’s locked himself away."
"Harder to watch when you love him."
"I always loved him."
"Different, Tracie, different. What do you need?"
"It to be day after tomorrow?" I laughed.
"Besides that."
"Nothing you can do. I’m gonna stay home tomorrow. Just hang around here."
"Good idea."
I’d leave him alone. Let him do what he needs to do, but be around if he needs me. Well, when he’s ready to talk. I know he needs me.
I went to bed about midnight. Kevin crawled in next to me sometime after that. He curled his body around mine and went to sleep.
~*~Kevin~*~
Don’t want to talk. I just want to get through the next day. I’ve been waiting for this. I want this. Doesn’t matter, it’s still a failure. Something that is a shitty part of my life. I need those papers. I need what they mean. Freedom, completion. Doesn’t mean that it doesn’t hurt. It does.
