Time To Live

Chapter 18: Surprise

Trying not to become a raging bull over the fact that her ex was teaching their one-year-old son how to swing a bat – okay, a whiffle bat, but still – Jenna had headed inside the apartment where she was the only one. Everyone else was outside watching as the five neighborhood children, along with two-year-old Carmen and little Christian, lined up to take their swing at the massive red dinosaur that her idiot ex had stuffed full of Snickers, Reese's Pieces and M&Ms. Now they were going to have seven children under the age of five hopped up on pizza and sugar, bouncing off the ugly white plastic fencing of Chris' backyard. Just great!

Annoyed with Chris, possibly because of how upset she was with her current beau, she dialed Ryan's number and began tapping her heels on the tiled kitchen floor. He answered on the first ring. "Babe," he laughed, cool and collected as always. "I'm parking my car as we speak."

"You were supposed to be here three hours ago!" she demanded. Then, feeling an ounce of regret for her short temper, she sighed. "Where were you?"

He sighed and then it sounded like he was running. "Ah, Jen, I'm sorry. I got tied up at work and I couldn't get out on time, then I hit traffic and, fuck, I couldn't find your ex's apartment. It's just been a shitty day," he groaned. 

She could hear his feet stomping in the distance and she grinned. "Come to the front door, okay? I'll let you in and then I can introduce you to everyone."

There was a knock on the door not a second later, and she could practically see the smile in this voice. "Knock, knock," he laughed. "Let your boyfriend come inside."

She ended the call as she threw the door open and jumped into his tattooed arms. Laughing, she pressed her lips down onto his and wrapped her fingers through his long brown hair. "Don't make dirty jokes like that in front of the family, okay? Chris' mother and brother and sister are here, and my brother and sis-in-law are, as well. You can't be making porn-y innuendo around any of them!"

Ryan set her back onto her feet, smacked her ass playfully and smirked. "Why not? You look stunning, by the way."

She blushed, shook her head, and grabbed his large hand. "Just don't, okay?"

He shrugged and allowed her to begin to guide him through the front rooms of the apartment, and then back toward the kitchen. Once inside, they were met with Angie, hugging a bottle of Arbor Mist to her bosom. "Holy fucking mother of nutsacks," she exclaimed at the sight of the pair. "This cocksucker finally decided to show up?"

The look on Ryan's baby face was priceless as his girlfriend dragged him toward the other woman. "Angie, this is my boyfriend Ryan." She stepped out of the way and handed her sister-in-law his tattooed hand. "Ryan, this is my obnoxious sister-in-law Angela, who is part alcoholic."

Angie pointed the bottle of wine at the pair and grinned. "You try chasing your brother and a two-year-old around all week long, and then come back and tell me that you don't need copious adult beverages to remain reasonably sane."

Ryan blushed as he shook her hand gently. "Very nice to meet you, Angela."