I don't mean to accuse you of refusing longevity

 Chili was a bit let down that Axton didn't move in with her, but she would let it go. It would do neither of them any good if she made a big deal about it. Of course, she brought wine, spaggatti and meatballs. 

Not that Axton had had time to accessories his place. He was rather busy.

"I just thought you would have put up some of your art," Chili walked around looking at the old futon. There wasn't even a bed in the bedroom.

"Well, you know  I never keep it," he told her as he went to get the wine glasses and cut the French bread that he had.

"And I don't know why," she said his art was amazing. Although, he'd never given her a piece of it.

"It's on commission, you know," Axton said lately there weren't any. He hadn't got back to it.

"But, but you might feel better if you did," Chili said although, she wasn't really talking about art, but perhaps the two of them. When was the last time they'd been together?

"Oh, you know, how it is," his smile was open as he came around and gave her a hug. "I'm just trying to show you that..that I can make a go of it, on my own."

"But, but we could be at my place," she said.

"I have to make a home for Rory," he sighed and then kissed her on her forehead. He took her hand and showed her the nursery. "Some day, she'll be here and I have to be ready."

Chili nodded. She didn't want to envy Rory, but maybe she did, just a little. Still, she needed to be in Axton's corner.

They went back to dinner then and she was happy he enjoyed the food immensely. He had the greens for a salad and it was their own fine dining. Yes, when he took her hand, she knew they could make a go of it here.

She was on board, hoping he didn't waste much time on the next step. And he didn't. He got out the engagement ring.

Chili laughed. It was so unexpected. She covered her mouth not to expose too much excitement. Yet she was happy to wear it. 

"But, but you don't even have a bedroom yet?" She giggled.

"Oh, I'm leaving that up to you," he chuckled. He drew her in and she sat on his lap as they looked on his phone together at Amazon. They would choose a bed together.

"Can we get a queen?" She asked as they scrolled through beds.

"You do intend to fatten up, now don't you?" He shook with laughter.

"No, not right away," she said tickling him in the ribs.

Finally, they kissed. She didn't want to nag, but she hoped it wasn't a very long engagement.

I'm not worried about where you are

 

Of course, Gabby knew who he was, she was just expecting someone else. "Oh sorry," she began. "I thought Mildred still lived here."

She found herself dancing about as if she somehow got turned around. Actually, she just lived around the corner from him. Hardly an apartment or two away. She sighed as if she could just back out from this situation.

"Gabby?" He laughed. She needed that. She hadn't really been herself in a good long time, not since Jared left. "Don't you remember me? It's me, Oliver."

"Oh," she smiled, thinking he must have thought she was a goofball. He said he didn't know who used to live here, but he invited her in. Of course, he had a little one at his hip. He got Gabby a bottle of cold water. 

"So what are you doing now?" He wanted to know. She sat down on the couch and he plopped the little one next to her. He told Gabby that she was Sophie.

"Oh, well..." She pulled a lock of red hair behind her ear. "I'm..I'm working at City now." She was in the Parks and Recreation Department.

"Nice," he nodded. He told her he was hoping to get on at the Child Care Center on base. He was just a teacher's aid now. "I don't know if I'm really cut out to be a teacher, but no matter what, I keep doing online classes."

He sounded as if it was never-ending.

"But..but you're a dad now," Gabby told him she was proud of him. She left it open to let him fill in the blank of his significant other. Finally, he sputtered the news of his ex leaving him for Europe.

Suddenly, she felt the emotion in her throat. Oh, she hated to be so emotional. But she did truly feel bad for him. He'd always been such a good listener. If only she'd paid him more mind then. He was a comfort to be around. 

"I want you two to come over sometime, I'll make you dinner," she found herself saying.

"Oh, you don't have to."

"No, I want to." She didn't even cook for one these days. She was never hungry, but now she felt like being domestic even if Jared did all the cooking when they were together. Oh, she felt far from home, even if her parents and sister were right here in town. She didn't want to bother them. After all, she'd never listened to them when she should have.

I wish I could start again

 "It looks promising," Oliver said into his mobile when Brick finally called to check in on him. It was kind of funny these days that he was the one who was checking up on his step-nephew. Of course, he always felt they were more foster brothers than anything. After all, Oliver lived most of his life in foster care with an on-and-off Dad who didn't tell him much about anything until he was in high school.

He looked to Sophie who wasn't exactly a baby anymore, but she was hardly a preschooler. Suddenly, she'd been left in his charge full-time. He didn't want to move back home and he certainly would never be his father. Although Oliver loved him a lot, Oliver was no wayward artist either who drove a bus at an assisted living place now. Oliver hadn't been forthcoming in telling his dad the news that his ex had decided to be a traveling teacher in Europe because she'd always wanted to travel.

Oliver was expecting little from her but a postcard now and again. 

"Well, I hope you get that job at the Child Center, on base," Brick sounded enthusiastic, but Oliver didn't quite believe him. It wasn't long until Sophie found Oliver and was poking his cheek with a crayon.

Oliver felt crushed, but he still picked up on all was not well with Brick. They talked enough and he knew how Brick would sound excited about something as if he was making an effort to hide what was going on.

"Just tell  me, what's the matter?" 

Sophie had a tight grip around Oliver's neck and he winced as if she might kill him yet, but they played far too much when she was a baby and she'd be sitting on his shoulders expecting him to play Horsie.

"Oh, it's nothing." Brick's voice was dull and nonexpressive.

"It's something."

"Oh, all right."

Silence.

"Well, can you tell me. It can't be that bad."

Oliver wasn't sure how long he could wait.

"Lily wants us to get back together."

"But..but what about Harley?"

Oliver didn't know her personally, but Brick always talked about Harley. Lily was a forbidden subject, but they agreed on one thing, first loves never really worked out. He knew. Of course, in his case, it didn't mean second and maybe even third loves were going to work out either.

"I don't want to talk about her," Brick said about Harley.

"So she's the forbidden one, now?" 

Oliver managed to get Sophie off of him and offered her some Pumpkin Spice Cheerios and a glass of Almond milk. 

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Well, you don't sound so sure of anything," Oliver said before Brick hung up on him. About then a knock came to his door. It was someone he hadn't thought of in so long. No, he'd never imagined her as being any of his loves, just a friend who liked talking about all her old boyfriends. After all, she never asked if he ever had a girlfriend.

You know how it ends

 "Man, there is always a big turnover," Axton said about the child center. He'd just moved into a two bedroom place just down the hall from Oliver who was new too. It seemed he was more of a fulltime dad than he was. His ex up and left . 

Of course, Axton was certain he knew him. But it had been a long time, maybe since middle school that he'd seen him, that was back at Boystown.

"Well, I'll check into it," Oliver's smile was waning. He mentioned how the only person he had to talk to lately was his so-called nephew. "But I don't think I'm the role model I used to be." He mentioned Brick was at UNL now and on the basketball team. "I think I just annoy him with my texting." 

Oliver gritted a smile.

"Hey, bro, it's gonna get better," Axton gave him a slap on the back and took the little girl from him. "If all else fails, there's Bom in the building. She doesn't work and always a good neighbor."

Oliver nodded.

"You aren't nothing like you used to be," Axton chuckled then as they were out in the park of the apartment complex.

"Ah, so you remember."

"You and that Valentina," Axton had watched from the distance. He didn't know what they were really up to, but he knew they were tight.

"That's ancient history," Oliver shoved his hands in his jean pockets and shivered in his jacket in the crisp autumn wind.

"All right, I won't talk about it," Axton mentioned he was seeing Chili now. They'd grown up together too. "Of course, I had a baby with Em and well, I grew up with her too." 

Oliver nodded as if he understood. "Which reminds me, I saw someone in the hallway I used to know, but I didn't say anything."

"Who?" Axton wanted to know. He let Oliver's little one down to run to the slide. 

"Gabby."

"Gabby?" He winced thinking the name did sound familiar.

"I don't think she was ever at Boystown. Just high school." Oliver remained even-lipped. "I doubt she knows me."

But Axton had a feeling she must have been the one who got away.