The Things That Will Be

Chapter Six

The three were in the living room chatting and laughing.

"So, when are you due?" James asked.

"About 9 and a half months." She told him. James smiled and looked down at her stomach. There was a little Maxwell in there, and James was dying to meet them, whoever they were and whenever they were ready to enter the real world.

There was a knock on the door. James got up to answer it. He opened the door and realized that there was no one there.

He felt a big sense of reason persuade him to look down and so he did. He came across another piece of paper lying on the ground.

The piece of paper was moved by the wind towards him. He bent down and picked it up. He gazed at the paper and saw that it was another sketch of himself and Eileen. He flipped it over and saw three words, just like the first sketch, except this one said:

Soon To Return

He rubbed the paper card and looked out towards the street in front of him. He walked towards it and stopped. He looked around him and saw no one there.

"Hello?' He called out. "Someone there?" Eileen and Megan walked out the door and saw James standing there calling out to whatever it was he was calling out to.

"James?" Eileen asked and he turned around and saw them. "Are you alright?" He stood there silent and then shrugged.

"I don't know." He said to her. She looked at his hand and noticed there was something in it. A card or an envelope or something.

"What's in your hand?" She asked. He looked down and noticed he was holding the sketch. He held it up.

"This?" He asked her to which she nodded. "Oh, this is another one of those sketches we have been getting. The one we got a while back? It's like that." James said. She nodded.

"Okay, we'll be inside." Eileen said and the two went back into the house and left James alone. He felt like he was naked, standing outside all alone.

The card was still in his hand. He went back inside and placed it next to the first one. He then noticed something odd about them.

The two sketches were almost entirely the same except for one thing: him and Eileen were farther apart from one another. Although, it wasn't real noticeable until he matched the two pictures together.

He was going to tell Eileen but decided not to. Artists can't make the same picture twice. Maybe the artist tried drawing the same picture but started drawing the base at a wrong area altogether making the pieces different but the same. And so, he thought nothing of it and left it alone.

James started walking away from the two sketches when got a call.

He picked up his phone and saw the person calling him was his dad. He answered the call and held the phone to his ear.

"Hi dad, what's up?" James asked. He listened to his father talk on the other end. His face changed from a blank stare to a face of vague interest. After 5-10 minutes of talking and listening, the call ended.

He stood there in the doorway between two rooms. One was an entrance, the other an exit. It wasn't clear which was which because both of them could serve the same purpose. The exit an entrance and the entrance an exit.

~

James and Eileen said their goodbyes to Megan and watched her leave their house. After she was long gone, they went inside and James told her about his father.

"So, my dad called today." James said.

"Oh cool, is he doing alright these days?" Eileen asked him. He looked at her and nodded.

"Yeah....well, I don't know." James said and he walked towards the counter and placed his hands on them. Eileen walked over to him and rubbed his back. His head drooped down and he felt a sob come over him.

"James, what's wrong?" She asked. He looked over at her and smiled faintly. He went over to her, she wasn't far, and hugged her as tight but loose as he could.

"I'm worried, El. I'm afraid to lose you. I don't want to lose you. I'd rather us live forever than for us to live a short life." James said in tears.

"Honey, what's wrong? Why are you saying this?" Eileen asked him.

She looked him in the eyes. There was something lovely in them. But when they shed tears, they were the most heartbreaking things ever. She waited for an answer from him as lovingly as she could. Finally, he gave her one.

"My mom and dad are getting a divorce. Why? At this point in our lives? Why now?" James asked and he took a deep breath and continued. "He wants me to come over and help him move. My sister is gonna be there also for my mom's aid." James said. Eileen nodded.

"When was the last time you ever saw them in person?" Eileen asked. He looked at her and grinned. She did bring him comfort. Joy. Well-being.

"Ever since we visited them for Christmas a few years back. They were so happy then." James said.

He was holding back tears. She held onto him as if the lightest breeze would carry him away. Away from her. Away from all he had ever known.

"Do you need me to go with you?" Eileen asked. He immediately shook his head.

"No, I mean you're pregnant. It's for the better if you stay here. It's safer for you and the baby." James said and she nodded. He looked her in the eyes and held her cheeks in his hands.

"Listen, I won't be far. If you need me, I will be on my way to you. I'll always be here." Eileen said and he nodded. The two then shared a kiss with one another, sealing the deal.

"Jamea, I'll be okay. I promise." Eileen said and the two of them smiled at each other.

"So, when are you headed out?" She asked him.

"Tbis coming Thursday." James said. Eileen nodded.

"How long are you staying?" Eileen asked.

"I really don't know. I'm packing for a week but we'll see." He said. She nodded.

There was quite an awkward silence amongst them that seemed to last an eternity and then another ontop of that. It went away and they went about their day but the awkwardness was still there.

~

She said her goodbyes to him and they shared one last kiss before he left to go out to help his father and mother move away. Quite a bitter separation. But nonetheless, he left Megan and Eileen at the house and went away. A hard but easy decision.