Devil's House

Temporary Arrangements

Despite only having one good arm, Chester was doing his best to help Talinda pack. They'd been in her bedroom for almost half an hour now, talking as they took turns folding blouses and pants and tank tops before neatly stacking them into the open suitcase on Talinda's bed. Ryan had come along for moving day, too, but had quickly taken on the role of lugging everything down to the SUV, while last minute bedroom items were packed. Everything else - supplies from the bathroom, Talinda's overnight bag for the hospital for when she finally went in to have the twins, items from the kitchen and living room she wanted to take with her over to the L house, Ryan was in the process of getting it all sorted and stacked inside the car, while Chester and Talinda finished in the bedroom.

"I don't even know why you're taking these shoes," Chester complained as he tried to fit the pair of black dagger heels into the suitcase that Talinda had handed him from the closet. "It's not like you can wear them right now."

"I realize you're a guy and don't understand," Talinda said as she searched her closet for what else she didn't want to be without over the next month. "But those heels make my legs look great. As soon as I'm able, they're back on my feet." She turned around with another set of heels, these not quite as dramatic. They did have lacy tie-ups though, and therefore they made the cut. "My first day back at Score after the girls are born, and you better believe I'm going to look good." She handed off the next set of shoes for Chester to fit them in the suitcase.

"I think you're crazy," he mumbled as he did his best to fit everything in. "And besides, you've got RB now. Why are you trying so hard to look sexy?" He turned around when he heard the frustrated sigh come from Talinda, leaving them staring at each other. "What?"

Talinda loved Chester, but sometimes he just didn't understand. "My relationship with him is still a baby," she said, molding the shape of something small in the air in front of her. "And I'm trying to take it slow and not scare him off. He accepts this is what I look like now." She motioned over her bulging belly and sagging breasts. "But this isn't how I normally look - and that's something he hasn't seen yet. When he does, I want him to be happy with what he sees."

Chester sat down on the edge of the bed, and Cheese was immediately in his lap. The terrier had tagged along on the moving trip, and despite Talinda's eye rolls and light protests, Cheese had managed her way onto the bed, next to the suitcase to watch Chester's every movement. "I'm not totally sure how birth and everything works," Chester said as he scratched over the dog's ears without thought, "but I don't think you're instantly going to go back to your awesome figure the moment they're born. We're supposed to start running, remember?"

Talinda let out a soft huff. "I know that. I know it won't be instant, but I'm really ready to get back to wearing things other than sweatpants." She pointed at the hot pink ones she was wearing.

"If it helps, I think you look good in those."

Talinda crossed her arms. "That doesn't help," she said before they both laughed and she pulled another shirt down from the closest. She folded it before handing it to Chester. "I swear, that dog thinks she owns you." She gave Cheese a hard stare while Chester tried to fit the shirt in the suitcase without moving the puppy off his lap.

"She doesn't own me," he protested. "But she got her hair done this morning and her nails, and then she wanted to come along and see you, so I told her she could." He smiled down at the yellow bow on top of the dog's head before lifting up one of her front paws to show off the yellow nail polish on her tiny toenails.

"A hair appointment and a manicure," Talinda said, shaking her head. "She's got you wrapped around her paw."

"Cheesy Girl has needs, T. She's a woman like you," Chester said, hiding his smirk when Talinda whirled around to give him a death stare. "Just saying. She likes getting her hair and nails done, just like you do."