Soldier Boy

08

Carissa's POV

Two months later.

I hadn't heard from Cameron since he left, and mom told me not to worry, that he was just busy, but it was stressing me out.

"You should go out tonight. Go to a coffee shop or something. Take a chill pill. Go mingle with your friends or whatever girls do these days."

"Mom, in case you haven't noticed, I'm fifteen weeks pregnant. I can't drink coffee, or that's what my doctor said anyway. Honestly, I don't really see how caffeine could hurt the baby."

She smiled. "Just go, honey. I'm tired of seeing you moping around here over Cameron. We'll hear something soon. But you really need some you time. It won't be good to be depressed when the baby comes," she said.

"What about Logan?" I asked.

"He can stay here with me. Gavin will be by later to pick up his tuxedo for the wedding next weekend. And Nicole will be by tomorrow to babysit Logan while I go with you to the doctor's appointment."

I groaned. "Just promise me you'll have him in bed by nine pm, okay?"

She nodded. "I will. Go have fun. And be careful. Come back in one piece."

I laughed and kissed her cheek.

~~~

Allyssa and Yasmin both waved me over in line as I walked up to the coffee shop doors.

"You made it!" Allyssa said, pulling me into a hug. She kissed my cheek and looked over at Yasmin.

"You look cute!" Yasmin said and gave me a genuine smile.

"I look like a bloated mess," I grumbled.

Both women laughed and walked into the coffee shop, their arms linked in mine.

"Have fun tonight. We know you aren't supposed to drink coffee, but at least eat something and socialize. Sonia made us swear that we'd make tonight's getaway fun for you," Allyssa said.

Yasmin nodded and then walked off to the counter to get a drink order.

Allyssa was already flirting with a guy when I looked back at her. I sighed and made my way outside.

The air felt good and I didn't feel as claustrophobic as I did in the coffee shop. A few people were on the balcony too, just chatting away with espressos and coffee cups in their hands.

I twisted the wedding ring on my finger, sighing softly as Allyssa and Yasmin were standing inside talking with a big group of people.

"Hi," a voice greeted. I smiled at the guy beside me.

"Hello," I said.

He smiled softly and pointed down to the honking horns and changing stoplights below us.

"This city never sleeps, you know. It's always... alive. And I've lived here since I was little. I expected it to sleep when I got older but it never does. It's kind of like the human brain."

"The human brain?" I asked.

He grinned. "The human brain is always alive, always thinking up ideas and questions to ask, stuff to mention to others. The brain never sleeps. Unless we, the humans, go to sleep. But even then, the brain never sleeps. That's where dreams come into play. Dreams are thoughts, actions, that absorb into scenes as our bodies rest. Generally, one might think that their dreams last an hour or so, depending on the scene in which the brain depicts, but really, dreams only last a few seconds or a few minutes. The human brain and the city are alike in the fact that they never actually sleep. We want them too, and expect them too, but they never will. Even if we do something about it."