Friday Night Dinner

Ponds and Futures

"I'm so happy we told them." I said in the car.

"I'm not. Non-stop texts from my mother asking how you are and if she can expect to become a grandmother soon." Jonny moaned.

"Not too soon, but tell her to give us a year or two." I chuckled.

"What?" Jonny said, slightly raising his voice.

"What? I just said give us a year or two." I said, confused.

"Oh, right. It's just that- do you think we'll be ready for kids next year?" Jonny asked.

"Well, I don't know. I was just saying, Jonny, if we do stay together, we're going to have kids at some point." I tried to explain.

"I guess I've just never thought that far into the future. Shall we go in? I think mom's spotted us just sitting in the drive." I looked at the window and saw Jackie jump away from the curtains.

"Oh, yeah, sorry." We walked out and go into the house.

"Hello, Jackie." We said hello and looked around. It sounded like no one was in there.

"Where's dad?" Jonny asked.

"He's busy outside. He's gone and bought a bloody pond. They fitted it yesterday. Let me tell you if it looked like that on the website, I would've never had ordered it." Jackie said.

We walked outside and saw the green pond.

"Why did you buy a pond?" I asked.

"For frogs." Martin answered.

"How deep is it?" Jonny asked.

"Deep." Jackie said as she walked outside with Adam. "We're ordering takeaway. Your dad keeps putting his plants in the sink and it's stopping me from cooking." Jackie complained.

"I want the frogs to come!" Martin yelled.

"Hello, all." Jim scared us all.

"You alright, Jim?" Jackie said.

"Yes, Jackie. I was just wanted to tell you that Wilson may have left some, uh, droppings in your pool." Jim smiled.

"Lovely." Jonny muttered.

"It's a POND." Martin said.

"Yes, anyways, bye all!" Jim walked off. We heard the doorbell ring.

"Takeaway!" Jackie yelled.

*** dinner ***

"So, Esme, Jonny, any news?" Jackie asked.

"Uh, well ever since we've moved in together, there's not really been any news. Oh, except for that interesting chat in the car." I whispered the last part.

"Awe, I can't believe you guys are together. I hope I become a grandma soon." Jackie squealed.

"Soon. Maybe." I smiled.

"Wait-what? Are you?" Jackie got excited. I saw Jonny get a bit nervous, but he also seemed excited.

"What? No, no, no. Sorry." I smiled apologetically.

"It's okay. Soon though. Jonny, you best be getting ready to propose soon."

"Yes, Jonny, you must be getting ready to declare your love for Esme?" Adam looked at Jonny.

"Alright, calm down. Me and Esme will do everything in our own time, right babe?" He looked at me as did everyone else.

"Well, I've got to admit Jonny, we've been going out for how long and you just seem a bit scared of everything. Marriage, kids, future." I said.

"Oh no. Trouble in love town?" Adam said. Jonny elbowed Adam in the stomach.

"Is that how you really feel?" Jonny asked.

"Well- I, yeah. I'm sorry." I excused myself and took my plate into the kitchen. I put everything into the dishwasher as I heard footsteps behind me.

"You alright, babe?" Jonny asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Look, I'm sorry if I'm going too fast for you."

"No, nonsense. I've been thinking, and maybe we should have a conversation back at home. You know, about the future and kids and that. I'd love kids. I really would. I'm just scared I'm going to be a- is that Jim swimming in the pond?" Jonny looked outside. We ran out the house and saw Jim taking a swim in the pond.

"Bloody hell, Jim get out! You'll catch a cold or something. It's a pond, not a pool!" Jonny yelled. Everyone came outside.

"I would, Adam, but I can't get out." Jim said.

"It's Jonny, and just grab my hand or something- Jonny get a big stick." I reached towards Jim and held out my hand.

"Oh, Esme, be careful!" Jackie yelled. I got onto my knees and tried to pull Jim out of the pond, but he wasn't co-operating at all.

"Martin, when you told my this pond was deep, I wasn't expecting it to be this deep!" I yelled. I looked over at Jonny who hadn't found a stick yet. Jim pulled harder at my hand and I felt my knees sliding slightly. "Jonny!" I yelled. I saw Jonny look over and felt Jim pull at my arm even harder than before. My knees slid off the side and I felt the cold, murky water drown me. I held my breath and gasped as I felt air reach my lungs again.

"Esme!" I heard them all yell. Jonny reached out to help me out, but Jim pushed me to the side and grabbed Jonny's hand.

"Help me, Jonny!" Jim said as he used my head to try and push himself out. I choked underwater as Jim's hand held my head underwater for a long time. Bloody hell, Jim. Just before it all went dark, Jim's hand was lifted and my head rose above the water. I felt Jonny drag me out of the pond. I coughed and tried to breath in the air, but it wasn't coming quick enough.

"Bloody hell, Jim, you almost killed her!" Martin said.

"I'm-I'm fine. It's okay." I breathed heavily as Jonny held me in his lap.

"Bloody hell I thought Jim would never let go." Jonny chuckled.

"Never a normal Friday Night around here." I giggled.

I felt a warm blanket wrap around me.

"There you are, my darling." Jackie said.

"Are you okay?" Jonny asked.

"I'm fine."