Mimosa Avenue

8 (E)

"Mommy! Mom." Alice was rudely awaken yet again by her daughters -way to sweet to be- innocent voice.

"What?" She snapped back, was it terrible that at some point she began to question her decision in procreation? Had she been wrong all along and the path to happiness wasn't family?, but then again every time her little bug smiled she felt it. Pure, blissful, unadulterated happiness.

"Can I make up your face while you sleep?" Bell, her 5 year old daughter was everything Alice wasnt, she was fancy -or as fancy as she could get-, outspoken, brave and a complete  girly girl. "You don't have to pay me this time mommy, I just want to practice."

"My face has already been made. But you most definitely can put some of those chemicals on it and attempt to make me look pretty." Ofcourse their was no reason for her reply because Bell was already on her bed setting up station and pulling out all her essentials.

"Mommy, you already are pretty. Not the same pretty as me but still pretty." Alice was almost certain that those same exact words were spoken to her by Rose before, but she wasnt gonna pretend like she cared, atleast her 5 year old found her pretty. With her bed head and her -like Bell likes to call them- eye buggers. She was going to take it as a win and enjoy the next 15 minutes of extra sleep while her daughter 'made up' her face.

-^.^-

"All I'm trying to say is that its in your best interest to call her."

James had stopped by to catch up, it had been a week since the last hook up and with another one coming up he wanted to make sure she was feeling up to it. His first word while walking in were, 'if any of them is pressuring you, you can tell me.' And as if he'd do anything about it.

"Why aren't you on my side on this?" He eyed her as if she was hiding something granted she was but it wasn't what he thought. Or atleast she hoped.

  "I take no side and ask for no info. Listen, you guys have been in this thing," she waved her hand around signaling at the space surrounding him. "For years, do you really want to give up now? Sure you haven't really tried to move foward but I know for a fact that both of you enjoy what ever the thing is."

Alice was cutting up a hotdog for her daughter who had requested mac&cheese with hotdogs for lunch and why the hell not.

"Because what she did isn't in the list of forgive and forget."

She put down the knife and pushed the plate over to him so he could set it infront of Bella. "Mommy says that forgiveness can only bring you happiness." Bell chimed in on the conversation giving James what Alice thought was smart advice.

"See, how does my five year old know this yet you don't?" She looked at him with furrowed eyebrows and tilted her head when he pulled his upper lip up at her as if he was about to snarl. "Listen im not saying forget, I don't know what she did but if it was as bad as your making it out to be then don't forget but forgive and let her show you she's sorry."

"Its not that easy." James stuck his hand infront of Bella palm up and she dropped a piece of hotdog in it while smiling.

"Isn't it? Come on, you love her."

"I do, but does she love me?" Alice lifted her cup of coffee taking a sip and leaned her hip on the edge of her tiny kitchen island/breakfast bar.

"Ofcourse she does." She replied.

"Did she tell you this or are you asumming because I've been using the words for years and my feelings are yet to be reciprocated." It was true, now that Alice thought about it she hadn't herd Rose say the word, not even in a slip up.

"You know she loves you." She didn't say the words but her actions always spoke loudly.

"I know! Thats not the problem."

"Then what is? Is it that she's not ready to move in?" You would think that 10 years would be enough time to get to know some one long enough to be able to move in but Rose kept putting it off. Sure it was strange but she had her reasons, atleast Alice hoped she did like she said before she does not ask for details.

"I asked her to marry me." The heaviness in his voice enveloped the room in silences. He sounded broken.

"And she said?" She didnt really what to know, it wasnt really a question if he was this upset she most have said no.

"That she wasnt ready! She's never ready, not for me!"

"Thats not fair, you knew she wasn't ready to move in but you asked her to marry you?" Her cup had been set on the counter and she was leaning over it her face nothing but a blanket of bewilderment.

"Well I'm ready! Why can't I do or ask for what i want, why can't she do something for me."

"You have this whole thing going on because YOU wanted. She said she wasnt ready but you pushed and shoved till she said yes!"

"That was ten years ago and we're still in the same spot." Alice shook her head at him. Disbelief, surprise, anger all very strong emotions and they all washed over her in seconds one after the other.

"Listen, James. When we meet, when we all meet things were bad. You saw her, she couldn't be alone with you for long before she freaked out. If she says she isn't ready then." She shrugged her shoulders and frowned at him.

"She might need a push." He pleaded as if needing her to be on his side.

"Then she got it." She said reaching for his hand and patting it. They had meet at her 17th birthday bash.  James and herself had attended the same high-school and Rose was dating  an uncle of hers or so they had thought. "Just call her. I promise you'll thank me, Maybe."

"Mommy, may I have a juice."

"Ofcourse, baby." James watched her turn towards the refrigerator and watched as she pull out an apple juice and handed it to Bell.

  "Why?" He questioned while he pulled out his phone, unlocked it and tapped on the phone icon. "What do you know?"

"No sides, remember." He dialed in her number from memory and put the call on speaker."

"Jamie." Roses voice drifted through the room an echo of ecxitment followed, one that made James smile at the screen of his phone.

"What's going on." He clipped out, his words showed none of the emotions dancing in his eyes and on his face.

"What do you mean?"

"Why do you keep calling? What do you have to say?" If she didn't know any better she would say she was just about to witness a couple arguing.

"Alice, I see you couldn't keep your mouth shot. I thought you took no sides."

"His clearly a man Rose, it would have taken so much longer."

"Can we stop talking as if I wasnt here. What do you have to say Rusty." James would always say the nickname Rusty was 'one of his best compliments towards her.' But Rose hated it, didn't tell him to stop. But still claimed she didn't like it."

"Rusty? Really?" She sounded annoyed. If the sound she made with her noise after wasnt a clear sign of it then her voice would.

  "Just tell me." Alice thought for a minute that she might be overstepping but she would later hear about this all so why not really have an unbiased point of view while at it.

"Maybe we should_"

"NO" he cut it.

"Ok, well. I'm pregnant."

The words had not reached Alice's ears yet fully when James began to move. He grabbed his phone, kissed Bell and mouthed his thanks towards her then walked out of her apartment.

"I did good today. Maybe we should go to bed now and end the day on a high note." She nodded her head at Bell encouraging her to agree with what she had said.

"Mommy it's not bedtime." Her daughter giggled and called her silly while she lifted her juice and sipped on her straw.