The Good Life

*Jack*

Three seasons. I just watched three seasons of the Walking Dead on Netflix. I was trying to keep myself busy so I wouldn’t talk myself into calling my mom and telling her about my plans to adopt. I know she wouldn’t be angry, but she would probably try and talk me out of it or “talk some sense” into me. I needed to get it over with so I picked up my phone and called her. After four rings she answered her phone.

“Hey mom.” I said when she said hello.

“Hi baby. What’s a’matter you sound scared?” I guess she took my nervousness for fear.

“Nothing I’m fine. How are you?” I was stalling.

“I’m tired. I’ve worked every day this week. They finally let me off today.” She sighed.

“Mom you know you don’t have to work. I could give you all the money you’d ever need.” I told her for the sixth time.

“Honey, that’s your money to spend on yourself. I wouldn’t feel right having you spending your hard earned cash on me.” She said like she always did when I bring up the subject.

“Well when you retire I’m going to spoil you, no if ands or buts.” I told her.

“Sure Jack.” She said in a tone she used when she wasn’t paying attention to me.

“So I actually called because I have something to tell you.” I said.

“You and Alex worked things out?” She asked hopefully. Out of all the guys I dated, Alex was her favorite and I guess he was my favorite too.

“No mom. I umm decided to adopt a uh baby…by myself.” I finally got it out.

“Jack, sweetheart are you sure you’re ready to do something this big all on you own?” she asked.

“Mom I’ve wanted kids since I was born. It’s just now I’m old enough and responsible enough to have them.” She laughed at my exaggeration.

“I guess it just seems like you’re rushing into this.” She said.

“You sound like Alex.” I huffed and she chuckled.

“You just be glad I really want grandchildren before I get too old. So how did it work? Did you go to an adoption agency pick out a kid? When will I meet my grandbaby?” She said happily.

“Actually I didn’t go through an adoption agency. I met a girl, who’s pregnant, and her and her boyfriend decided they weren’t ready to be parents so they said I could adopt from them. And she’s two months pregnant so seven more months until the baby is born.” I told her.

“A random couple came up to you and asked you to adopt for them?” She asked, she was so confused.

“No no I met the girl when I went to get my car fixed and she didn’t ask me I asked her.” I explained.

“Oh okay the situation seems a little weird, but it’s your life and you’re an adult so I can’t tell you what to do. Just be careful please, Jack.” She said overreacting like always.

“I’ll be fine mom. I promise.” I said.

“Have you told your sister?” My mom asked.

“No mom. I haven’t talked to May since she left with Adam.” I told her.

“I hate that she’s doing this.” She hissed.

“She be okay mom, like you said. Just give her some time to learn on her own.” I reassured her.

“Yeah I hope that’s still the case. Have you talked to Alex?” She asked.

“I told him I was adopting and he didn’t take it too well.” I said.

“Well of course not. You’re moving on without him he’s probably heartbroken.” She said.

“I was ready to move on to the next stage in life and he wasn’t.” I said.

“I just wished you two could have worked things out.”

“Yeah me too.”

***

Vicki was coming over to visit me today. She said she and the boys were bored and Emilio was out of town on a business trip. I was bored too and had nothing else to do so I said why not. I straightened up my house a little bit so it didn’t look so messy when they got here. Twenty minutes after she called me she was ringing my doorbell.

“Heeey Jack!” She said smiling and holding Vic’s hand. Vic quickly let go of her hand and hugged me along with Mike.

“Mr. Jack!!!” They both yelled. It made me feel like a teacher every time they called me Mr. Jack.
“Hey! How is everybody?” I laughed and bent down to hug them back.

“We’re fine just bored to death.” Vicki chuckled.

“Me too. But I’m sure there’s something we can do together.” I assured her. They followed me to the living room after I let them in.

“I brought colors!” Mike said holding up a coloring book and crayons.

“How about you and Vic color and Jack and I will talk.” Vicki said and Mike nodded and sat down on the floor and Vic did the same.

“Isn’t Mike going to start school this fall?” I asked Vicki and she nodded. It was just May right and the new school year started in August.

“Yes. I’m going to cry on my baby’s first day of school.” Vicki whined looking down at Mike.
“Are you ready to start school Mike?” I asked him.

“Yeah!” He exclaimed while coloring.

“It’s just going to be me and Vic at home all alone.” Vicki fake cried and Vic looked up.
“No cry momma.” He said and walked over to hug her.

“I’m not crying, baby. I’m sad your brother will leave us and go to school.” She told him.

“I no leave!” He smiled and she laughed.

“I know. You won’t start school for two or three more years!” She told him.

“I remember when he could barely talk and now he can kind of say sentences.” I said about Vic.

“Yeah, I can’t believe he’s two years old. And my Michael is four years old. It seems like yesterday I was going into labor and he was being born.” She said and I laughed.

“You’re crazy.” I joked and she laughed harder.

“You’ll know the feeling soon. How many months do you have until you become a father?” She asked and I felt butterflies flutter in my stomach just thinking about me being a dad.

“Just seven more months! And next month Camilla goes to the doctor to find out the sex of the baby” I gushed.

“Aw that’s so exciting!!” Vicki squealed.

“Yeah I hope it’s a girl, but I’ll be just as happy with a boy too.” I said smiling at the thought.

“When are you going to buy all the baby stuff and are you having a baby shower?” She asked.

“I’m kind of afraid to get all that stuff. I keep thinking like what if Camilla changes her mind and decides she can’t go through with this.” I said and her smile faded.

“She won’t do that. She can’t. That would be really fucked up.” She said and gasped and quickly covered her mouth.

“Mommy you said a bad word!” Mike yelled and I laughed.

“It was an accident honey. I won’t do it again.” Vicki said and Mike nodded and continued to color.
“I hope she won’t.” I said continuing with our conversation.

“You should still go shopping and I want to help you decorate and buy things it will be so fun.” She said and it kind of lightened up my mood.

“I was thinking about making one of the rooms upstairs the baby’s room.” I told her.

“Have you thought of any names?” She asked.

“No. I haven’t even thought of any yet. I don’t want to name him or her something stupid.” I said and she laughed.

“That’s impossible. Just go with something that you really like and something easy to spell.” She said.

“I need one of those baby naming books.” I thought out loud.

“I can go get you one and we can go through names together.” Vicki said enthusiastically. I was happy I had someone to help guide me through this, someone who’s been through this before.
“Thank you for helping me!” I said.

“It’s no problem. I love planning for these kind of things. And I wouldn’t want you to be stress out going through all this alone.” She said and I smiled.

“Finished!” Mike yelled and held up his picture. He colored a Batman picture and it looked nice. He just colored outside of the lines.

“Oh Mike it’s beautiful! I’m going to put it on the refrigerator as soon as we get home.” She said and Mike smiled.

“Mine?” Vic said and held up his picture. He couldn’t hold the crayon right so it was just random colors in random places on his Superman picture.

“Yes yours looks lovely too, baby!” Vicki said and Vic jumped up and down happily.
“They’re both so cute!” I said.

“Just wait til they grow up, they’re going to cause my hair to turn grey.” She pouted.
“And you’ll still love them.” I told her.

“Yeah I will.” She smiled. “It’s going to be so hard for you not to spoil that baby isn’t it?” she asked laughing.

“I will try my hardest not to because I don’t want them to become a brat, but I also don’t want them to work a day in their life.” I sighed and she rolled her eyes at me.

“He or she is going to be spoiled rotten”

Notes

This chapter is pointless and mostly dialog, but I wanted to upload something so you guys wouldn't have to wait for too long. I want Alex and Jack to get back together too but I don't want to do it in a lame way or just have them magically fall in love again. Alex's pov will be next so you can see what he's doing with his life. Thanks for reading!!!
Also I love reading everyone's point of view of Jack, some people feel bad for him and some of you think he needs to get his act together.