I'll Be There

21 | woman's world

"You nervous?"

"No, I'm okay."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

Silence.

"What about you?"

"I'm good."

Silence.

A deep breath and a barely audible 'okay' followed.

"Let's go in?" Spencer positioned his hand onto the center console, flipping it over between them. He looked down, noticing the light gleam of sweat on his palm before shifting his gaze upwards. Olivia kept her stare steady on Jordan's house.

"Liv?"

She took another deep breath before breaking away from the window. "Yeah, let's go." She smiled softly, resting her hand on top of his for a few seconds then sinking her fingers between the gaps.

"You sure you're okay?" he closed his fingers over her hand, gently stroking his thumb along her palm.

Her smile widened. "Yes. Let's go."

"Okay," he let out a breath. This wasn't her strongest performance.

Letting go of her hand, he unbuckled his seatbelt and slipped the keys into his pocket. They met in front of the car where they interlaced hands once again.

"You sure you're good?" Spencer asked as they paused in front of the large arched door.

"Yes," she nodded definitively.

"Okay. Because if you're not, we can talk -"

"Knock on the door, Spencer."

"Okay," he flexed his fingers next to him before making contact with the wooden surface.

They stood in silence once more until they heard muffled steps coming in their direction.

"Hey," a weary-faced Jordan greeted them. Even through his smile, Spencer and Olivia's stares shot straight to his sunken eyes. "Why do you guys look like you've seen ghosts? Come in." He stepped out of the way. Spencer gestured for Olivia to enter.

"How's the baby?" Olivia walked in, looking around for the person in question.

"Good. He and Simone are sleeping, but he should be up again soon," Jordan replied a bit regretfully.

"How are you two?" Spencer asked the real question.

"It's rough, man," Jordan shook his head as he led them to the living room. "I mean my parents warned me it wouldn't be easy at first, but nobody's advice could have prepared me for this. Did you know that his stomach is only the size of a walnut? I guess that's why he can't sleep. Poor guy's starving, he can't hold any milk. I mean two days ago it was the size of a marble, but by next week it should be the size of an apricot!"

"I did not... know that," Spencer clapped his hands together, making eye contact with Olivia behind her brother's back.

Jordan spun around. "It's crazy! Which means if it triples in size, he should only wake up," he raised his finger, waving it around as he processed through his imaginary calculations, "three times a night instead of nine, right?"

Spencer furrowed his brows and opened his mouth to point out the flaw in his logic, but then thought better of it and let his friend find hope in the delusion.

"And did you know that - "

"We brought you guys breakfast... and lunch... and dinner," Olivia interrupted, holding up the food and saving them both from Jordan's arsenal of baby facts.