I've got something to say

 

Alfie didn't know what to make of it. Yes, he knew Remi was different now. Actually, he couldn't remember how she used to be.

He thought she was a happier person now. Maybe it was being a soon-to-be mom. Or was it just being with Wolf? Occasionally, he'd see him come in. They kissed in public. It was kind of inspiring. 

It would make him chuckle to think what Zoey would do if he did that. But she was always stressed these days. Maybe she always was, but he was noticing it more. He hoped he wasn't at fault. He didn't think so. He'd even asked Gage about the matter and he said he didn't think it was his fault either, but then again maybe he just said that because they were such good friends.

He really never worried about this before. It just wasn't his nature. And now he felt a little fatherly. He winced at the thought wondering what that might mean, but it didn't stop him from cornering Remi one day when she had the sunniest of smiles behind the counter at the drugstore.

"Have you ever thought about being in the pharmacy?" He asked as if maybe he might as well be selling magazines.

She cracked up as if he must have lost it.

"Oh, you look so happy these days," he promised he didn't want to bring her down. Although, if she started taking an online course and with the help of the drugstore she could be a pharmacist if she put her mind to it.

"Just think about it," Alfie smiled as if he'd done a good deed or maybe just got the nerve to finally speak to Remi after all this time. "It might be a good future for your family."

Remi smiled with a nod.

"Oh, and..and why don't you two have dinner with us, sometime," Alfie said it before he meant it. He must have been crazy.

Actually, Zoey said he was crazy when he told her about it later that night.

"Are you serious?" Zoey sounded like they couldn't do it.

"We can. It's just dinner," Alfie said he'd do the cooking.

"Oh really?" She reminded him he hadn't gone solo on dinner in a good long time. "You just chop things up for me."

"Relax," Alfie sighed. "We just need to branch out."

"She's pregnant," Zoey was even-lipped as if she couldn't do it. 

"Well, it's good to be nice to people," he told her. "We need to branch out, you know." He shrugged.

Her frown was small and round as if he'd done it this time.

"All right, go ask Dan and Ivy to come over," Alfie went to the fridge to find the hamburger meat thawing. He'd make a one-pot wonder of something. He knew they'd have to even this out with the invites. Besides, Dan and Ivy weren't that picky. They were always exhausted and in need of a real meal.

He looked at the gallon of fresh milk in the fridge, that alone would be drank up by Dan before the night was over.