Insert 20: A New Generation
Written by Jake Collins
Additional material by Rosey Collins
Additional material by Rosey Collins
Lucy was sitting up in bed in a private hospital room, suckling a newborn baby. Oscar and Jandro were standing by the bed with doting expressions on their faces, while Kevin stood by the window, accepting hugs from Kylie, Rose, and finally Eduardo.
'Congratulations, man,' said Eduardo. 'You're gonna be el mejor papá in the history of the world – you know that, right?'
'I'm sure gonna try,' said Kevin. 'I'm taking my example from you, you know.'
Eduardo looked away, smiled and said, 'I'm not all that special, Kev.'
'Yes you are, sweetie,' said Kylie.
'You're okay, Dad,' said Rose, digging Eduardo in the ribs.
'You're very special to me, Uncle Eduardo,' said Kevin. 'Maybe you don't know just how much you've done for me, but it's... it's a whole lot.'
'If it's even half as much as you've done for James,' said Eduardo, 'then I guess I did okay.'
'You taught me how to be a big brother,' said Kevin. 'Say, Rosy, wouldn't it be swell if my little girl had someone to do for her what your dad did for me, and what I always try to do for Jimmy?'
Rose looked bashfully at her feet and said, 'I'm sure Chita will be happy to oblige.'
'Hey,' said Kevin, stooping to meet her eyeline, 'you're my special cousin, remember?'
'Yeah, well...' said Rose, as Michael and Ella entered the room. 'Hey, look, your friends are here – we'd better get out of your way, huh?'
'You don't have to,' said Kevin.
'But we will,' said Eduardo. 'See you guys soon.'
'Congratulations, Kev; she's wonderful,' said Kylie, hugging Kevin again on the way out. 'And don't be scared, okay? Just remember – never underestimate a Rivera.'
At this, Eduardo gave Rose a significant look as they passed through the door, while Michael and Ella approached Lucy and the baby.
'Oh my God, Luce, you actually did it!' Ella squeaked, beaming all over her face.
'I did, didn't I?' said Lucy, smiling through her obvious weariness.
Michael and Ella exchanged hugs and congratulations with Kevin and Oscar, then Lucy passed the baby to Kevin so she could hug Ella.
'You're amazing, Luce,' Ella exhaled into Lucy's ear. 'Everything about what you've done is totally amazing!'
'It sure is,' said Oscar.
'It's absolutely incredible,' said Kevin.
'Really, guys,' Lucy said with a laugh, 'it was no trouble at all.'
'Speak for yourself, Luce,' Jandro grinned.
'Can I hold her?' said Ella.
'Of course,' said Kevin. 'Come here and I'll pass her to you.'
'Do you know what you're gonna name her?' Michael asked, as Kevin transferred the baby to Ella's arms.
'I'm glad you asked that, Mike,' said Kevin, as Oscar, Lucy and Jandro exchanged knowing looks. 'We're naming her Michaela, after you.'
'After both of you,' said Oscar. 'Mike and Ella – Michaela.'
Michael and Ella stared at Kevin and Oscar with mouths agape.
'We haven't forgotten who originally floated the idea of doing this whole thing,' said Kevin, 'and we know you wanted to do it for us if the timings had turned out differently, so... well, Michaela it is.'
Ella started crying; she passed Michaela to Jandro so that she could fling her arms around Kevin. Breaking the habit of a lifetime, Michael started to look a little tearful as well.
'I've never been so happy in my life!' Ella choked into Kevin's chest.
'Yeah,' said Michael, now smiling broadly. 'Michaela's a great name, however you cut it.'
Lucy fixed Ella with a contemplative look and said, 'Is that the only reason you're so happy, Ella?'
Ella moved away from Kevin, wiped her eyes and then laughed as she met Lucy's gaze.
'Is this woman's intuition, Luce?' she asked.
'It's a recently pregnant woman's suspicion,' said Lucy.
'I wasn't gonna say anything about it,' said Ella. 'Not today, I mean. After all, this isn't our day, is it?'
'Maybe it's all six of us's day, huh?' said Oscar.
'What the hell is everyone talking about?' said Jandro.
Ella looked at Michael; he smiled and nodded.
'I'm pregnant,' said Ella.
Everyone screeched and cheered and started hugging each other again; Jandro passed Michaela back to Lucy, and the suckling quickly resumed.
'This is wonderful news, guys!' said Kevin. 'Especially because... well, seeing as how you... um, yeah.'
'I didn't think it would actually happen for us after all this time, but it did!' said Michael, beaming all over his face.
'I can still hardly believe it,' said Ella. 'We both figured it was worth another shot before we tried something else, but... well, it's more than we dared to hope for!'
'How did you manage it?' Oscar asked. 'Er... unless you don't want to go into the details right now.'
'Of course we do!' Ella laughed, although Michael looked less certain. 'We had regular, carefully scheduled sex based on my projected ovulation dates; it wasn't too difficult to plan. All the literature we read said we had a good chance of conceiving within two years, like sixty percent of couples who discover a low sperm count and try to combat it in that way, and we did!'
'Yeah,' said Michael, looking pleased with himself now, 'we're well within the time-frame!'
At that moment the door opened once again, this time to admit Conchita, James and Isabel.
'Er... hi,' said James. 'We came to meet the baby, if that's okay.'
'Of course it is!' said Kevin, smiling warmly at his brother. 'Come on over and say hello!'
James smiled, dumped the striped laundry bag he was carrying into a corner, then led the way towards the bed. Lucy passed Michaela to Kevin and started to button herself up.
'Did you see Rose and your parents on the way up, Chita?' asked Kevin.
'Yeah,' said Conchita. 'We said hi on the stairs, but I didn't stop 'cause I wanted to come meet the baby as soon as possible.'
'Listen, guys,' said Michael, 'it's getting kinda crowded in here, and me and Ella both have to get to work soon, so we'd better make tracks.'
'We'll get together real soon – the six of us, I mean,' said Kevin. 'We can have a little celebration about... well, everything.'
'I'll step out for a moment as well,' said Jandro. 'I need to call John and give him an update, plus I want to make sure the twins aren't making life too difficult for him.'
Michael, Ella and Jandro manoeuvred their way out of the room, and James came to receive the baby from Kevin.
'Congratulations, man,' said Eduardo. 'You're gonna be el mejor papá in the history of the world – you know that, right?'
'I'm sure gonna try,' said Kevin. 'I'm taking my example from you, you know.'
Eduardo looked away, smiled and said, 'I'm not all that special, Kev.'
'Yes you are, sweetie,' said Kylie.
'You're okay, Dad,' said Rose, digging Eduardo in the ribs.
'You're very special to me, Uncle Eduardo,' said Kevin. 'Maybe you don't know just how much you've done for me, but it's... it's a whole lot.'
'If it's even half as much as you've done for James,' said Eduardo, 'then I guess I did okay.'
'You taught me how to be a big brother,' said Kevin. 'Say, Rosy, wouldn't it be swell if my little girl had someone to do for her what your dad did for me, and what I always try to do for Jimmy?'
Rose looked bashfully at her feet and said, 'I'm sure Chita will be happy to oblige.'
'Hey,' said Kevin, stooping to meet her eyeline, 'you're my special cousin, remember?'
'Yeah, well...' said Rose, as Michael and Ella entered the room. 'Hey, look, your friends are here – we'd better get out of your way, huh?'
'You don't have to,' said Kevin.
'But we will,' said Eduardo. 'See you guys soon.'
'Congratulations, Kev; she's wonderful,' said Kylie, hugging Kevin again on the way out. 'And don't be scared, okay? Just remember – never underestimate a Rivera.'
At this, Eduardo gave Rose a significant look as they passed through the door, while Michael and Ella approached Lucy and the baby.
'Oh my God, Luce, you actually did it!' Ella squeaked, beaming all over her face.
'I did, didn't I?' said Lucy, smiling through her obvious weariness.
Michael and Ella exchanged hugs and congratulations with Kevin and Oscar, then Lucy passed the baby to Kevin so she could hug Ella.
'You're amazing, Luce,' Ella exhaled into Lucy's ear. 'Everything about what you've done is totally amazing!'
'It sure is,' said Oscar.
'It's absolutely incredible,' said Kevin.
'Really, guys,' Lucy said with a laugh, 'it was no trouble at all.'
'Speak for yourself, Luce,' Jandro grinned.
'Can I hold her?' said Ella.
'Of course,' said Kevin. 'Come here and I'll pass her to you.'
'Do you know what you're gonna name her?' Michael asked, as Kevin transferred the baby to Ella's arms.
'I'm glad you asked that, Mike,' said Kevin, as Oscar, Lucy and Jandro exchanged knowing looks. 'We're naming her Michaela, after you.'
'After both of you,' said Oscar. 'Mike and Ella – Michaela.'
Michael and Ella stared at Kevin and Oscar with mouths agape.
'We haven't forgotten who originally floated the idea of doing this whole thing,' said Kevin, 'and we know you wanted to do it for us if the timings had turned out differently, so... well, Michaela it is.'
Ella started crying; she passed Michaela to Jandro so that she could fling her arms around Kevin. Breaking the habit of a lifetime, Michael started to look a little tearful as well.
'I've never been so happy in my life!' Ella choked into Kevin's chest.
'Yeah,' said Michael, now smiling broadly. 'Michaela's a great name, however you cut it.'
Lucy fixed Ella with a contemplative look and said, 'Is that the only reason you're so happy, Ella?'
Ella moved away from Kevin, wiped her eyes and then laughed as she met Lucy's gaze.
'Is this woman's intuition, Luce?' she asked.
'It's a recently pregnant woman's suspicion,' said Lucy.
'I wasn't gonna say anything about it,' said Ella. 'Not today, I mean. After all, this isn't our day, is it?'
'Maybe it's all six of us's day, huh?' said Oscar.
'What the hell is everyone talking about?' said Jandro.
Ella looked at Michael; he smiled and nodded.
'I'm pregnant,' said Ella.
Everyone screeched and cheered and started hugging each other again; Jandro passed Michaela back to Lucy, and the suckling quickly resumed.
'This is wonderful news, guys!' said Kevin. 'Especially because... well, seeing as how you... um, yeah.'
'I didn't think it would actually happen for us after all this time, but it did!' said Michael, beaming all over his face.
'I can still hardly believe it,' said Ella. 'We both figured it was worth another shot before we tried something else, but... well, it's more than we dared to hope for!'
'How did you manage it?' Oscar asked. 'Er... unless you don't want to go into the details right now.'
'Of course we do!' Ella laughed, although Michael looked less certain. 'We had regular, carefully scheduled sex based on my projected ovulation dates; it wasn't too difficult to plan. All the literature we read said we had a good chance of conceiving within two years, like sixty percent of couples who discover a low sperm count and try to combat it in that way, and we did!'
'Yeah,' said Michael, looking pleased with himself now, 'we're well within the time-frame!'
At that moment the door opened once again, this time to admit Conchita, James and Isabel.
'Er... hi,' said James. 'We came to meet the baby, if that's okay.'
'Of course it is!' said Kevin, smiling warmly at his brother. 'Come on over and say hello!'
James smiled, dumped the striped laundry bag he was carrying into a corner, then led the way towards the bed. Lucy passed Michaela to Kevin and started to button herself up.
'Did you see Rose and your parents on the way up, Chita?' asked Kevin.
'Yeah,' said Conchita. 'We said hi on the stairs, but I didn't stop 'cause I wanted to come meet the baby as soon as possible.'
'Listen, guys,' said Michael, 'it's getting kinda crowded in here, and me and Ella both have to get to work soon, so we'd better make tracks.'
'We'll get together real soon – the six of us, I mean,' said Kevin. 'We can have a little celebration about... well, everything.'
'I'll step out for a moment as well,' said Jandro. 'I need to call John and give him an update, plus I want to make sure the twins aren't making life too difficult for him.'
Michael, Ella and Jandro manoeuvred their way out of the room, and James came to receive the baby from Kevin.
A little while later, Michaela was making tiny snuffling noises as she rested contentedly in James's arms.
'I think she likes you, Jem,' said Isabel.
'I like her, Iz,' said James. 'Do you know who I am, Michaela? I'm your Uncle James.'
Isabel and Conchita peered over James's shoulders and smiled at the sight for a while, then a pensive look crossed Isabel's face.
'Shouldn't we be going now, Chita?' she asked.
'But you only just got here,' said Oscar.
'Josh is waiting for us in his mom's car,' Conchita explained. 'He didn't come up because he thought there'd be more than enough people in here already. He won't mind waiting a while longer, Izzy.'
'In that case,' said Isabel, 'can I hold the baby?'
'Of course you can,' said Kevin, beaming at her. 'Are you done yet, Jimmy?'
'Just about,' said James. 'Okay, Iz; here she is.'
Isabel carefully received the baby and absolutely melted over her.
'A little miracle...' Isabel breathed. 'I think it's so, so wonderful what you guys have done here.'
'So do we,' said Jandro.
'Kev, did Mom and Dad tell you they were planning to stop by about now?' said James.
'Yeah; I spoke to Mom on the phone earlier,' said Kevin. 'Are you going home with them, Jimmy?'
'That's right,' said James. 'How did you know, bro?'
'You brought your laundry,' said Kevin, grinning.
'Oh yeah, right,' James said with a laugh. 'Well, laundry is specialist stuff and should be left to the parents. Anyway, yeah, I'm staying three nights at home, then it's back to college first thing on Wednesday for an early lecture.'
'Wouldn't it be easier for you to stay the third night at college, if you have to be up early the next morning?' said Oscar.
'I'd rather have the extra night away from Krish!' James said with feeling.
'Is it my turn to hold the baby yet?' asked Conchita. 'Despite what I said before, I don't want to keep Josh waiting too much longer.'
As Conchita joyfully took her turn with Michaela, Carl and Beth turned up as promised. They both did the rounds of hugs and congratulations, then Conchita passed Michaela to Carl, in whose arms she promptly fell asleep.
'Wow,' said James, 'you're obviously a natural with kids, Dad.'
Carl smiled wryly and said, 'Yeah, I guess I am, son. Chita, I saw that boy of yours waiting outside. Is he here with you, or is he... well, I just wondered if he might be... that is, I couldn't help thinking maybe he was...'
'He's not stalking me, Uncle Carl,' said Conchita. 'He brought me, James and Isabel here, and he's gonna take me and Isabel back to campus. We should get going now, actually.'
'Jem, you will come find me on Wednesday after your lecture, won't you?' said Isabel.
'Of course,' said James. 'I promise you, Iz.'
Isabel smiled, then she moved in and kissed James with obvious passion. James kissed her back with equal verve, but the process came to a quicker and more abrupt end than first appearances would have suggested.
'Okay, Chita,' said Isabel, 'let's go.'
Conchita and Isabel said their goodbyes to everyone and then walked out into the corridor together.
'Mom, I've brought about three weeks' worth of laundry with me,' said James, breaking the ensuing silence. 'I hope that's okay.'
'Of course it is, sweetheart,' said Beth, smiling at him. 'I noticed the bag as soon as I came in.'
'Thanks, Mom,' said James, returning her smile. 'I need to make a phone call now.'
After fishing his cell phone out of his back pocket, James dashed from the room without further explanation.
'That was a little weird,' Oscar said quietly to Kevin. 'Kinda seems like he was waiting for Isabel and Conchita to leave, don't you think?'
'Yeah,' said Kevin, 'kinda.'
'I think she likes you, Jem,' said Isabel.
'I like her, Iz,' said James. 'Do you know who I am, Michaela? I'm your Uncle James.'
Isabel and Conchita peered over James's shoulders and smiled at the sight for a while, then a pensive look crossed Isabel's face.
'Shouldn't we be going now, Chita?' she asked.
'But you only just got here,' said Oscar.
'Josh is waiting for us in his mom's car,' Conchita explained. 'He didn't come up because he thought there'd be more than enough people in here already. He won't mind waiting a while longer, Izzy.'
'In that case,' said Isabel, 'can I hold the baby?'
'Of course you can,' said Kevin, beaming at her. 'Are you done yet, Jimmy?'
'Just about,' said James. 'Okay, Iz; here she is.'
Isabel carefully received the baby and absolutely melted over her.
'A little miracle...' Isabel breathed. 'I think it's so, so wonderful what you guys have done here.'
'So do we,' said Jandro.
'Kev, did Mom and Dad tell you they were planning to stop by about now?' said James.
'Yeah; I spoke to Mom on the phone earlier,' said Kevin. 'Are you going home with them, Jimmy?'
'That's right,' said James. 'How did you know, bro?'
'You brought your laundry,' said Kevin, grinning.
'Oh yeah, right,' James said with a laugh. 'Well, laundry is specialist stuff and should be left to the parents. Anyway, yeah, I'm staying three nights at home, then it's back to college first thing on Wednesday for an early lecture.'
'Wouldn't it be easier for you to stay the third night at college, if you have to be up early the next morning?' said Oscar.
'I'd rather have the extra night away from Krish!' James said with feeling.
'Is it my turn to hold the baby yet?' asked Conchita. 'Despite what I said before, I don't want to keep Josh waiting too much longer.'
As Conchita joyfully took her turn with Michaela, Carl and Beth turned up as promised. They both did the rounds of hugs and congratulations, then Conchita passed Michaela to Carl, in whose arms she promptly fell asleep.
'Wow,' said James, 'you're obviously a natural with kids, Dad.'
Carl smiled wryly and said, 'Yeah, I guess I am, son. Chita, I saw that boy of yours waiting outside. Is he here with you, or is he... well, I just wondered if he might be... that is, I couldn't help thinking maybe he was...'
'He's not stalking me, Uncle Carl,' said Conchita. 'He brought me, James and Isabel here, and he's gonna take me and Isabel back to campus. We should get going now, actually.'
'Jem, you will come find me on Wednesday after your lecture, won't you?' said Isabel.
'Of course,' said James. 'I promise you, Iz.'
Isabel smiled, then she moved in and kissed James with obvious passion. James kissed her back with equal verve, but the process came to a quicker and more abrupt end than first appearances would have suggested.
'Okay, Chita,' said Isabel, 'let's go.'
Conchita and Isabel said their goodbyes to everyone and then walked out into the corridor together.
'Mom, I've brought about three weeks' worth of laundry with me,' said James, breaking the ensuing silence. 'I hope that's okay.'
'Of course it is, sweetheart,' said Beth, smiling at him. 'I noticed the bag as soon as I came in.'
'Thanks, Mom,' said James, returning her smile. 'I need to make a phone call now.'
After fishing his cell phone out of his back pocket, James dashed from the room without further explanation.
'That was a little weird,' Oscar said quietly to Kevin. 'Kinda seems like he was waiting for Isabel and Conchita to leave, don't you think?'
'Yeah,' said Kevin, 'kinda.'
A short time later, Jandro had joined Lucy on the bed and the two of them were close to falling asleep in each other's arms, while Beth was cooing and crying over Michaela.
'Oh my God, I'm a grandma,' said Beth. 'Did you manage to get Judy for the delivery?'
'Yeah, we did,' said Kevin. 'It turns out she's the chief midwife now so she's in pretty high demand, but nothing was gonna make her miss the start of a new generation of Riveras!'
'Even if the first one is a Rivera-Venkman,' Oscar said with a smile.
Carl looked slightly uncomfortable for a moment, then he said, 'I wonder where Jamie's gotten to.'
'Do you also wonder who he's been on the phone with for all this time?' asked Kevin.
'Not at all,' said Carl. 'That's none of my business, son.'
Kevin smiled dryly and said, 'I think I'll go look for him.'
'You can tell him there's no hurry for us to leave,' said Beth, glancing up briefly.
'Although I wouldn't mind driving back in the daylight, if possible,' Carl added.
'Honey, you need to get the optician to take another look at your prescription,' said Beth. 'Maybe I should drive us home.'
'There's nothing wrong with my prescription, Beth,' said Carl. 'I just find it easier to drive in the daylight, that's all. I mean, everybody does, don't they?'
Kevin left the room and closed the door on his parents' continuing discussion. He soon found James skulking at the end of a corridor with his cell phone pressed to his ear.
'Yeah, it's not a problem,' James was saying into the phone. 'I'm gonna be at my parents' place – we won't be disturbed. Okay, so I'll Skype you tomorrow night at about eleven; we'll talk some more then. Yeah, I'm definitely still interested – I just need a little time to... Okay, sure; see you then. Bye, Amber.'
James ended the call, stowed his phone in his back pocket and then turned round with a contemplative expression on his face. This quickly disappeared when he saw Kevin watching him.
'Oh, hiya Kev,' James said. 'Are Mom and Dad ready to leave? I didn't mean to keep them waiting.'
'They can wait a while longer, Jimmy,' said Kevin. 'Who's Amber?'
James furrowed his brow and leaned against the wall.
'I'm sorry,' said Kevin, 'I didn't mean to come out here and put you on the spot like that. I'm just worried about you, bro... and I'm worried about Isabel. Things seemed a little weird between the two of you before and... well, I have to admit, I'd really like to know what's going on... because I care about you more than you can possibly imagine, Jimmy.'
James smiled and said, 'Maybe I can imagine it better than you think. If there's one thing in my life I can still be sure about, it's definitely you and me, bro. Amber's a girl from my hall. She wants to have a threesome with me and Isabel.'
'Oh,' said Kevin. 'Wow. Jeez, I wasn't expecting you to say that, Jimmy.'
'We've both been friendly with her for a couple of months,' said James. 'The three of us have gotten pretty close... in some ways. We weren't expecting her to suggest making things sexual, of course, but... well, she did.'
'I see,' said Kevin.
'She told me she wants to do it this Friday night,' said James. 'Just now, I mean; on the phone.'
'She did, huh?' said Kevin.
'Yup,' said James. 'Have you ever been in any kind of a group sex situation, Kev?'
Kevin smiled slightly and said, 'I've had a few shared experiences, yeah.'
'I knew it!' James grinned. 'You and those friends of yours! Anyway, Isabel isn't too keen on the whole idea; she's not into girls, of course, and that's only for starters. But Amber just told me she's found another guy who wants to come in and replace Isabel... another guy as well as me, I mean.'
'Amber sounds like someone who knows what she wants and really goes for it,' Kevin remarked.
'You got that right,' said James. 'I'm pretty curious to do this thing, Kev, with or without Isabel. I think Amber's someone I'd really like to do it with, and she's on the Pill, so me and this other guy don't even need to wear condoms.'
'Why take the risk?' said Kevin. 'There's still a chance you could get Amber pregnant even if she is on the Pill. Michaela already has a little cousin on the way – I don't think she needs another one just yet!'
'The Pill is a very reliable form of contraception,' said James.
'It certainly is,' said Kevin, 'but condoms are always the most reliable, so long as they're used correctly. I wouldn't have thought you of all people could afford to chance it.'
'What do you mean?'
'Don't forget about your highly fertile spooge, dude.'
James smiled wryly and said, 'I wear pretty tight underpants these days, bro – we're talking day and night here – so my sperm count is sure to be way down.'
'Look, Jimmy, in all seriousness,' said Kevin, 'unwanted pregnancy isn't the only good reason to use a condom.'
'I'll bet you've never worn a condom in your life, Kev,' said James.
'You're right; I haven't,' said Kevin. 'But then even with our group experiences, me and Oscar have only ever actually had sex with each other.'
'You know I've only ever had sex with Harry and Isabel,' said James. 'Me and Aimee did do some stuff together but I wouldn't call it having sex.'
'Yeah, I do know all that,' said Kevin. 'I wasn't accusing you of withholding information about your sex life, bro.'
'Harry sent me a really long message the other day,' said James, sounding suddenly rather wistful. 'He told me he's really enjoying the environmental science programme at UC Berkeley, he's working part-time as a bellboy at his mom's hotel, and he's going out with a guy named Junior DuWitt.'
'That's kind of a silly name,' Kevin remarked.
'His real name's William,' said James. 'Anyway, Harry also said he still thinks about me sometimes... Harry does, I mean; not his new boyfriend... and I have to admit, I still think about him sometimes. I really must message him back soon... tonight, maybe, after me and Amber are done with our Skype call.'
'Jimmy,' said Kevin, laying a gentle hand on his brother's shoulder, 'when I brought up the subject of previous sex partners, I was only wondering if you knew anything about Amber's sexual history, or the history of this guy she's found to replace Isabel.'
'Oh,' said James. 'Um, well... no, I don't.'
'If you take my advice,' said Kevin, 'you'll find out before you make any decisions about condoms. Me and Oscar have known every little detail about each other's sexual habits since we were eleven, but if that hadn't been the case...'
'Yeah, you're right as usual, bro,' James said with a smile. 'And y'know, I think you and Oscar are really inspiring – I truly do. But not everyone's lucky enough to meet and fall in love with their soulmate when they're eleven.'
'That doesn't mean you shouldn't hold onto your soulmate when you do find her,' said Kevin.
'Isabel might not be my soulmate, Kev,' said James. 'This could be the right time for us to call it a day.'
'Because of the threesome idea?'
'No, not because of that. It's just gotten me and Isabel thinking about our feelings, that's all.'
'And what are your feelings for Amber?' Kevin asked.
'I like Amber a whole lot,' said James. 'She's really nice and she's a great listener... I mean, I didn't like the way she just came out with it like that to Isabel, but when I told her about talking to transgender people she really listened to me.'
'I see,' said Kevin. 'Are you thinking about asking her out?'
'I'm thinking about a whole load of things, Kev,' said James. 'But that's definitely one of them, yeah.'
'Would you do it before or after the threesome?'
'I think I'd have to play that one by ear.'
Kevin grinned and said, 'Maybe you could do it halfway through, huh? Amber might well feel like saying yes, if you pick your moment carefully.'
James burst out laughing and said, 'You're really very naughty, Kev!'
'Yeah, I know I am,' said Kevin. 'By the way, Jimmy, I've just had a sobering thought. What if the replacement guy turns out to be Krish?'
'Oh my God, I didn't think of that,' said James. 'Still, I don't guess me and Krish being involved in a threesome together could really make our relationship any
worse. Yeah, I think I'd still go for it. But it probably isn't Krish – I'm pretty sure he wouldn't be interested in doing anything remotely bisexual, and Amber probably wouldn't ask him anyway... after all, she has met him.'
'Here's another question for you,' said Kevin. 'Do you love Isabel?'
'I love her more than I can put into words,' said James. 'The last thing I'd ever want to do is hurt her. We've always been friends and I truly believe we always will be, no matter... well, no matter what happens next. As a couple we've had a lot of fun together – a lot of fun together – but do I love her in that way? I... I really don't know. Sometimes I feel like me and Isabel aren't so much a couple as two really close friends who have sex with each other... or who used to have sex with each other – we haven't actually done it since Amber came out with her proposal. But anyway, seeing as we are such close friends, I can't help thinking maybe we'd both be better off having sex with other people instead.'
'You know, bro, close friendship can be an excellent foundation for a long-term romantic relationship,' said Kevin.
'Yeah, I know it can,' said James. 'Me and Isabel just need to figure out if that's the case for us. It's... it's changed how we are with Chita too, you know. I really miss the way it was between the three of us before me and Isabel got together.'
'Things are a little different now, sure,' said Kevin, 'but I highly doubt that your relationship with Isabel is the only contributing factor.'
'Maybe not,' said James, 'but it's a big one.'
'You're still an inseparable trio, aren't you? That's certainly how you seemed when you turned up here today.'
'It's not the same as it used to be, Kev. And I'm not at all sure that it's right.'
'It's okay for friendships to evolve and develop over time,' said Kevin. 'They can still be just as strong as they ever were, but in different ways.'
'Again, “can” is the key word there,' said James, fixing Kevin with a watery smile.
'Oh, Jimmy,' said Kevin, 'I really wish I could give you all the answers to this stuff.'
'It's helped me so much to talk with you about it, Kev,' said James. 'I'm really glad you followed me out here; I guess I was hoping you would.'
Kevin smiled, then James wrapped his arms around him and they hugged in the middle of the corridor for quite some time.
'Oh my God, I'm a grandma,' said Beth. 'Did you manage to get Judy for the delivery?'
'Yeah, we did,' said Kevin. 'It turns out she's the chief midwife now so she's in pretty high demand, but nothing was gonna make her miss the start of a new generation of Riveras!'
'Even if the first one is a Rivera-Venkman,' Oscar said with a smile.
Carl looked slightly uncomfortable for a moment, then he said, 'I wonder where Jamie's gotten to.'
'Do you also wonder who he's been on the phone with for all this time?' asked Kevin.
'Not at all,' said Carl. 'That's none of my business, son.'
Kevin smiled dryly and said, 'I think I'll go look for him.'
'You can tell him there's no hurry for us to leave,' said Beth, glancing up briefly.
'Although I wouldn't mind driving back in the daylight, if possible,' Carl added.
'Honey, you need to get the optician to take another look at your prescription,' said Beth. 'Maybe I should drive us home.'
'There's nothing wrong with my prescription, Beth,' said Carl. 'I just find it easier to drive in the daylight, that's all. I mean, everybody does, don't they?'
Kevin left the room and closed the door on his parents' continuing discussion. He soon found James skulking at the end of a corridor with his cell phone pressed to his ear.
'Yeah, it's not a problem,' James was saying into the phone. 'I'm gonna be at my parents' place – we won't be disturbed. Okay, so I'll Skype you tomorrow night at about eleven; we'll talk some more then. Yeah, I'm definitely still interested – I just need a little time to... Okay, sure; see you then. Bye, Amber.'
James ended the call, stowed his phone in his back pocket and then turned round with a contemplative expression on his face. This quickly disappeared when he saw Kevin watching him.
'Oh, hiya Kev,' James said. 'Are Mom and Dad ready to leave? I didn't mean to keep them waiting.'
'They can wait a while longer, Jimmy,' said Kevin. 'Who's Amber?'
James furrowed his brow and leaned against the wall.
'I'm sorry,' said Kevin, 'I didn't mean to come out here and put you on the spot like that. I'm just worried about you, bro... and I'm worried about Isabel. Things seemed a little weird between the two of you before and... well, I have to admit, I'd really like to know what's going on... because I care about you more than you can possibly imagine, Jimmy.'
James smiled and said, 'Maybe I can imagine it better than you think. If there's one thing in my life I can still be sure about, it's definitely you and me, bro. Amber's a girl from my hall. She wants to have a threesome with me and Isabel.'
'Oh,' said Kevin. 'Wow. Jeez, I wasn't expecting you to say that, Jimmy.'
'We've both been friendly with her for a couple of months,' said James. 'The three of us have gotten pretty close... in some ways. We weren't expecting her to suggest making things sexual, of course, but... well, she did.'
'I see,' said Kevin.
'She told me she wants to do it this Friday night,' said James. 'Just now, I mean; on the phone.'
'She did, huh?' said Kevin.
'Yup,' said James. 'Have you ever been in any kind of a group sex situation, Kev?'
Kevin smiled slightly and said, 'I've had a few shared experiences, yeah.'
'I knew it!' James grinned. 'You and those friends of yours! Anyway, Isabel isn't too keen on the whole idea; she's not into girls, of course, and that's only for starters. But Amber just told me she's found another guy who wants to come in and replace Isabel... another guy as well as me, I mean.'
'Amber sounds like someone who knows what she wants and really goes for it,' Kevin remarked.
'You got that right,' said James. 'I'm pretty curious to do this thing, Kev, with or without Isabel. I think Amber's someone I'd really like to do it with, and she's on the Pill, so me and this other guy don't even need to wear condoms.'
'Why take the risk?' said Kevin. 'There's still a chance you could get Amber pregnant even if she is on the Pill. Michaela already has a little cousin on the way – I don't think she needs another one just yet!'
'The Pill is a very reliable form of contraception,' said James.
'It certainly is,' said Kevin, 'but condoms are always the most reliable, so long as they're used correctly. I wouldn't have thought you of all people could afford to chance it.'
'What do you mean?'
'Don't forget about your highly fertile spooge, dude.'
James smiled wryly and said, 'I wear pretty tight underpants these days, bro – we're talking day and night here – so my sperm count is sure to be way down.'
'Look, Jimmy, in all seriousness,' said Kevin, 'unwanted pregnancy isn't the only good reason to use a condom.'
'I'll bet you've never worn a condom in your life, Kev,' said James.
'You're right; I haven't,' said Kevin. 'But then even with our group experiences, me and Oscar have only ever actually had sex with each other.'
'You know I've only ever had sex with Harry and Isabel,' said James. 'Me and Aimee did do some stuff together but I wouldn't call it having sex.'
'Yeah, I do know all that,' said Kevin. 'I wasn't accusing you of withholding information about your sex life, bro.'
'Harry sent me a really long message the other day,' said James, sounding suddenly rather wistful. 'He told me he's really enjoying the environmental science programme at UC Berkeley, he's working part-time as a bellboy at his mom's hotel, and he's going out with a guy named Junior DuWitt.'
'That's kind of a silly name,' Kevin remarked.
'His real name's William,' said James. 'Anyway, Harry also said he still thinks about me sometimes... Harry does, I mean; not his new boyfriend... and I have to admit, I still think about him sometimes. I really must message him back soon... tonight, maybe, after me and Amber are done with our Skype call.'
'Jimmy,' said Kevin, laying a gentle hand on his brother's shoulder, 'when I brought up the subject of previous sex partners, I was only wondering if you knew anything about Amber's sexual history, or the history of this guy she's found to replace Isabel.'
'Oh,' said James. 'Um, well... no, I don't.'
'If you take my advice,' said Kevin, 'you'll find out before you make any decisions about condoms. Me and Oscar have known every little detail about each other's sexual habits since we were eleven, but if that hadn't been the case...'
'Yeah, you're right as usual, bro,' James said with a smile. 'And y'know, I think you and Oscar are really inspiring – I truly do. But not everyone's lucky enough to meet and fall in love with their soulmate when they're eleven.'
'That doesn't mean you shouldn't hold onto your soulmate when you do find her,' said Kevin.
'Isabel might not be my soulmate, Kev,' said James. 'This could be the right time for us to call it a day.'
'Because of the threesome idea?'
'No, not because of that. It's just gotten me and Isabel thinking about our feelings, that's all.'
'And what are your feelings for Amber?' Kevin asked.
'I like Amber a whole lot,' said James. 'She's really nice and she's a great listener... I mean, I didn't like the way she just came out with it like that to Isabel, but when I told her about talking to transgender people she really listened to me.'
'I see,' said Kevin. 'Are you thinking about asking her out?'
'I'm thinking about a whole load of things, Kev,' said James. 'But that's definitely one of them, yeah.'
'Would you do it before or after the threesome?'
'I think I'd have to play that one by ear.'
Kevin grinned and said, 'Maybe you could do it halfway through, huh? Amber might well feel like saying yes, if you pick your moment carefully.'
James burst out laughing and said, 'You're really very naughty, Kev!'
'Yeah, I know I am,' said Kevin. 'By the way, Jimmy, I've just had a sobering thought. What if the replacement guy turns out to be Krish?'
'Oh my God, I didn't think of that,' said James. 'Still, I don't guess me and Krish being involved in a threesome together could really make our relationship any
worse. Yeah, I think I'd still go for it. But it probably isn't Krish – I'm pretty sure he wouldn't be interested in doing anything remotely bisexual, and Amber probably wouldn't ask him anyway... after all, she has met him.'
'Here's another question for you,' said Kevin. 'Do you love Isabel?'
'I love her more than I can put into words,' said James. 'The last thing I'd ever want to do is hurt her. We've always been friends and I truly believe we always will be, no matter... well, no matter what happens next. As a couple we've had a lot of fun together – a lot of fun together – but do I love her in that way? I... I really don't know. Sometimes I feel like me and Isabel aren't so much a couple as two really close friends who have sex with each other... or who used to have sex with each other – we haven't actually done it since Amber came out with her proposal. But anyway, seeing as we are such close friends, I can't help thinking maybe we'd both be better off having sex with other people instead.'
'You know, bro, close friendship can be an excellent foundation for a long-term romantic relationship,' said Kevin.
'Yeah, I know it can,' said James. 'Me and Isabel just need to figure out if that's the case for us. It's... it's changed how we are with Chita too, you know. I really miss the way it was between the three of us before me and Isabel got together.'
'Things are a little different now, sure,' said Kevin, 'but I highly doubt that your relationship with Isabel is the only contributing factor.'
'Maybe not,' said James, 'but it's a big one.'
'You're still an inseparable trio, aren't you? That's certainly how you seemed when you turned up here today.'
'It's not the same as it used to be, Kev. And I'm not at all sure that it's right.'
'It's okay for friendships to evolve and develop over time,' said Kevin. 'They can still be just as strong as they ever were, but in different ways.'
'Again, “can” is the key word there,' said James, fixing Kevin with a watery smile.
'Oh, Jimmy,' said Kevin, 'I really wish I could give you all the answers to this stuff.'
'It's helped me so much to talk with you about it, Kev,' said James. 'I'm really glad you followed me out here; I guess I was hoping you would.'
Kevin smiled, then James wrapped his arms around him and they hugged in the middle of the corridor for quite some time.
A little while later, as Carl, Beth and James went on their way, Kevin passed Michaela to Oscar.
'Here,' said Kevin, 'you haven't held her for ages.'
'Thanks,' said Oscar. 'I really didn't mind sharing her around, though. I mean, it's great that everyone's so happy for us, isn't it?'
'Yeah,' said Kevin, reaching out to stroke Oscar's cheek.
'Oh my God, it's just hit me,' said Oscar. 'This is our daughter I'm holding right now. Jesus.'
'Pretty incredible, huh?' said Kevin. 'And absolutely wonderful.'
'Yes,' said Oscar, 'she's definitely both of those things. I could very easily get addicted to fatherhood. Is it too soon to get in touch with Catherine and Stephanie and ask if they want to go in on a half-sibling for Michaela and Dominic?'
Kevin laughed and said, 'I think it's probably a little too soon, yeah.'
James chose this moment to stick his head back into the room and say, 'Oscar, your parents are out here with Jess and Hayden. They'll be along when they've finished yammering away with my parents, I expect.'
Oscar smiled and said, 'Thanks, James.'
James smiled back, then he closed the door and went to join Carl and Beth.
'Do you think James and Isabel will get to experience something like this someday?' Oscar said to Kevin.
'I... I don't know,' said Kevin. 'They might not get anywhere even close to where you and I are right now.'
'It kinda seems like you think they're about to break up.'
'I think it's a distinct possibility. I wish there was more I could do to help him, but Jimmy needs to work through this stuff himself.'
'No one could've done more for that kid than you have,' said Oscar. 'He'll be okay. None of us ever really knows what the future holds, but it's my firm belief that things always work out the way they're supposed to in the end.'
'Yeah,' said Kevin, as Peter, Dana, Hayden and a heavily pregnant Jessica entered the room. 'After all, they did for us.'
'Here,' said Kevin, 'you haven't held her for ages.'
'Thanks,' said Oscar. 'I really didn't mind sharing her around, though. I mean, it's great that everyone's so happy for us, isn't it?'
'Yeah,' said Kevin, reaching out to stroke Oscar's cheek.
'Oh my God, it's just hit me,' said Oscar. 'This is our daughter I'm holding right now. Jesus.'
'Pretty incredible, huh?' said Kevin. 'And absolutely wonderful.'
'Yes,' said Oscar, 'she's definitely both of those things. I could very easily get addicted to fatherhood. Is it too soon to get in touch with Catherine and Stephanie and ask if they want to go in on a half-sibling for Michaela and Dominic?'
Kevin laughed and said, 'I think it's probably a little too soon, yeah.'
James chose this moment to stick his head back into the room and say, 'Oscar, your parents are out here with Jess and Hayden. They'll be along when they've finished yammering away with my parents, I expect.'
Oscar smiled and said, 'Thanks, James.'
James smiled back, then he closed the door and went to join Carl and Beth.
'Do you think James and Isabel will get to experience something like this someday?' Oscar said to Kevin.
'I... I don't know,' said Kevin. 'They might not get anywhere even close to where you and I are right now.'
'It kinda seems like you think they're about to break up.'
'I think it's a distinct possibility. I wish there was more I could do to help him, but Jimmy needs to work through this stuff himself.'
'No one could've done more for that kid than you have,' said Oscar. 'He'll be okay. None of us ever really knows what the future holds, but it's my firm belief that things always work out the way they're supposed to in the end.'
'Yeah,' said Kevin, as Peter, Dana, Hayden and a heavily pregnant Jessica entered the room. 'After all, they did for us.'
