TONIGHT WE'RE GOLD

FORTY

They arrive in New Jersey early on Tuesday, and Mikey is there to pick them up.

'Thanks, man,' Frank greets him as they get their bags in the trunk. 'I need to go home and sleep for days.' Then, he opens the back door to find his two dogs in the backseat and just as excited as him.

'Anytime. But please make sure next time it's not this early in the morning.'

'That's your brother's fault.'

Gerard just rolls his eyes at both of them and gets in the passenger seat. 'In my defense, we were supposed to arrive at midnight but the delay ruined everything.'

'I guess you're right,' Frank says, letting the dogs lick him.

'So how was the honeymoon?' Mikey asks.

'Great. Your brother fucked me all night for three days straight.'

'Eww! I don't want to know!'

'What else do you think we did? It was our honeymoon!' But Frank is laughing hysterically at his brother in law's reaction. They tell him everything else about the trip, though. The premiere, the awful food they served, and driving up to Napa.

When they make it home, Mikey promises to bring the cats later, on his way to work. 'Thanks, bro,' Gerard tells him and hugs him.

'No problem. I'll be waiting for news on the babies.'

'That reminds me, we need to finish getting the nursery ready.'

'It feels real now, doesn't it?'

'Are you kidding me?' Frank says. 'I still feel like I'm dreaming! I guess I won't know until I have them with me.'

'Well – just enjoy your last weeks of sleep and not changing diapers.' And then, he's off, and the couple goes inside their home, tired and ready to take the longest nap.

***

Hours later, they wake up to take the dogs to the park, and then go to IKEA to buy some baby furniture. They already have a bookcase, and a chest, already full with clothes they've been buying here and there, plus an armchair by the corner. But they need the cribs and decorations, as well as toys and everything else.

'Should we paint the room yellow or green?' Frank asks, looking through the selection of blankets and sheets. 'I'm thinking it should be neutral.'

'Yellow.'

Frank finds some sheets with monkeys, and another one with little suns and moons, and he takes both, as well as a lot of stuffed animals and mobiles.

Afterwards, they stop at the hardware store for some paint, and then pick up some Chinese food to eat at home. They're too excited to start, but Frank has to finish a paper for school, so they sit in front of the TV while he does and when he's done, they both fall asleep.

The next day, he only goes to the youth center for a couple hours after his class so he can go back home and help Gerard painting the room.

'I can't believe we're painting our kids' room,' Gerard says.

'Me neither.' And then they start making out, and cover each other in paint. 'You think we'll be good parents?'

'I don't know yet, but I hope we will.'

It takes them another couple days to finish building all the furniture and setting it up, and as a final touch, they buy two identical teddy bears, one with a green bow, and the other one orange, for each of the babies.

'I can't wait,' Frank says, trying not to cry, but it's impossible by now.

***

Frank still tries to make it to his weekly AA meeting, as hard as it is sometimes, because he knows that keeps him focused, and it's helped a lot before. And he's glad Kaya comes with him every week.

'How are you?' he asks her.

'Ready to blow up.'

'Are you serious?' He gets all nervous, and doesn't know what to say.

'I mean, I still have a couple more weeks according to my doctor, but I can't wait, honestly. My back hurts, and I can't move, and I'm moody –'

'But we're still keeping them, right?'

'Yes – unless you don't want to, but you already signed a contract. Why? You don't want to?'

'What?! Of course I do! I haven't stopped thinking about it!'

'Then?' Kaya asks, taking a seat.

'I don't know. It just doesn't feel real sometimes, and I feel something's going to happen at some point that will prevent us from becoming parents.'

'I would never do that,' she says. 'I'll never be able to give them a good life, and the best I can do is let them have the best family, and you two will give them all the love they need. So I've never been more sure about my decision.'

Frank can't literally say anything because he's trying hard not to cry, but Kaya gets up to hug him. 'It's the least I can do for all you've done for me.'

Soon the session starts, and they all go around telling everyone something they've achieved lately. Frank mentions he finished another song, and being excited about being a dad soon.

Before Kaya leaves, Frank stops her one last time. 'Hey – I wanted to ask you something else. Gerard and I were thinking, and you can totally say no, I'd understand. But we'd like you to move in with us, at least until the babies are born.'

Kaya looks at him speechless. 'You've done enough for me.'

'It's nothing, really. You're making our dream come true. And we just want to be there in case –'

'Yes, it's okay.'

'Are you serious?'

The girl nods, and Frank can't help hugging her. 'Thank you.'

***

She moves in the next day, and when Frank goes to pick her up after his music class at the youth center, Gerard has dinner ready, and cleans up the guest room.

They make sure she eats right and is doing all the right things, and she knows it's a little overwhelming, but appreciates them a whole lot more. At the end of the day, they watch movies and joke around, and Soup seems to like her a lot, while Lois loves to sit by her belly, as if she knows what's about to happen. 'You're gonna be a big sister, Lois,' Frank says, petting her, and he can swear she understands.

Over the next few days, they do the same, and while Frank goes to school, Gerard and Kaya go buy more toys and books and clothes for them, and he insists she picks something special for them to have from their mom, even if they don't know. But she has a better idea, and makes a blanket out of an old shirt.

When they come home, they all have lunch, and she sits to help Frank with his puzzles.

On Friday morning, just a week after she moved in, Frank wakes up to someone knocking on their bedroom door, so he untangles from Gerard's arms, and goes to see what Kaya needs.

'I think my water broke,' she says, and he just stands there, not knowing what to do.