Into The Deep End - A Roman Reigns Story

8

Joe hadn't seen Sasha in two days, and truth be told he was missing her like crazy. She was stuck at home tending to her sick daughter. When she'd called to tell him about Mia contracting chicken pox she sounded tired, and he felt bad. Since then he had been thinking about doing something for her, but he didn't know what.

He felt a hand on his knee and looked up to meet a familiar pair of eyes staring at him with concern. "You've zoned out on me, Leati. What is it?"

Of all his three siblings, Joe was closest to his oldest sister, Alma. He could tell her pretty much anything, and with two children of her own, she could probably give him some advice on this situation. "Is it hard to be home with a kid with chicken pox?" he asked her.

Though the question clearly surprised her, she didn't hesitate. "Oh Lord, yes. All that scratching and whining and oozing...it's horrible. It was a nightmare when my boys caught it. I also remember when you, Matt and Cassandra were younger and you all got it at once. Mom was stuck with y'all for nearly two weeks. Why do you ask?"

"A, um...friend of mine's daughter got the pox, and she's been stuck in her house for a couple of days now. I've been wondering if maybe there's something I could do to help her."

"Where's her husband?" Alma asked plainly. "Or partner?"

"She doesn't have one." And he left it at that.

"Oh. That must be tough."

It had to be. In fact, Joe had been thinking about that a lot, about just how much responsibility Sasha had on her shoulders as a single parent, and how busy it kept her. Even if they did get together, now that he was about to dive back into his crazy schedule, how often were they really going to see each other? It was no wonder she had reservations about going out with him.

"You seem awful concerned about her," his sister stated, ever observant. When he stared back at her, she grinned slyly. "Are you sleeping with her?"

He bristled. "No."

"You mean not yet."

"Don't," he warned. "She sounds exhausted, Al. I just wish I could help, ya know?"

Alma nodded. "Well, you could go check on her. Maybe take something along for her daughter? Kids get bored with the chicken pox because after the first two days they don't feel sick anymore but they can't go out, so a new book or toy goes a long way."

"You really think it'll be okay to go see her?" Joe had been pondering doing just that, but he had talked himself out of it.

"Of course. She's gotta be desperate for company, and giving her kid a distraction will be appreciated."

Joe sat back, deep in thought. He wanted to do that for Sasha. He liked her enough to want to do that. He wanted to give her a break. Heck, he just wanted to see her. Badly. She was all he thought about lately, no matter what he tried.

His sister was studying him in a way that made him uncomfortable. "I have a serious question for you, Leati, and I'm sure Ma will ask the same thing if she was here," she began. "How do you feel about dating a woman who has children already? Are you sure you want to take that on?"

"We're just seeing each other casually, Alma. It's not a big deal."

"Yeah, but every relationship starts out casually then grows into something more. Are you okay with the possibility of raising another man's children? Especially after everything?" She trailed off, staring meaningfully at him.

Joe knew exactly what 'everything' was, and hated being reminded of it. It would always be a sore subject with him. Always. "Let's just not go jumping ahead, alright?" Talk like that was too early, much too early, among other things.