SEVENTY

Ruby couldn't breathe.

The whole day, her nose was filled with the scent of the flowers in her own garden and muffled by the aromas from the kitchen, barely leaving the insipid smell of oxygen.

She had sneezed several times and her nose eventually got clogged and she had no idea what was happening, but told Mack she was alright.

The man didn't believe her, but he decided to give her some space and observe from afar.

Ruby had tried drinking some Chinese herbal tea to soothe the olfactory symptoms, but it only made it worse.

The usually mild bitter taste of the liquid quickly became unbearable and she couldn't drink anymore, then developed a splitting headache.

She was walking to her room when it got worse, like she was being hit with a sledgehammer in the crown of her head repeatedly.

She tried to move but it only broke her mind, then she crashed on a wall, with the world spinning before her like in a kaleidoscope.

She let out a loud scream, before falling off balance.

She was caught right above the floor by Mack, who with a great sense of urgency, yelled for help.

He carried his barely conscious wife down the stairs and to his car.

Escorted by guards, he got her to a hospital then she was taken to an emergency room.

Mack tried walking paces but that only brought up bad memories, so he just called Luis...and exempted me.

Of course this was meant as a mean joke as he personally told Luis to bring me too, he still needed my awesome comic relief skills.

We got there shortly after a doctor called him to speak with him and he went in.

Ruby tried her best to keep from throwing up all over the doctor's desk and coat as he spoke.

"Madam, we've done all the scans and analyzed all the symptoms and... you're pregnant..."

***

All the nausea simply evaporated when Ruby heard those words as Mack clenched her hand and asked for clarification.

"You were experiencing hyperosmia, dizziness, jsmdn and ajak, all symptoms of early pregnancy, we did the scans and... you're three weeks pregnant."

Ruby began hyperventilating as Mack looked at her with pure joy in his eyes then thanked the doctor earnestly, much more earnestly than he had done... anything, ever.

He barged out of the room and yelled to the world,"Ruby's having my baby!!!"

I felt overjoyed and kinda jealous, he wouldn't have had the first kid if I wasn't too scared to ask Rose to marry me.

Luis was actually making an effort to be happy, we could tell the news didn't spark much interest in him, but appreciated his effort.

Ruby was given some medication to ease the pain and discharged, I wanted to go and tell everyone else the news, but of course Mack stopped me.

"Why?!"

"Because it isn't your kid and I want to tell them with Ruby."

"Harumph! Can't I at least tell Rose?"

"No."

"Lucille?"

"No."

"Lucy?"

They both have me glares that even Ruby didn't appreciate and I had a smug smile as I hid behind her, and possibly gave them one or two raspberries...or five.

Luis and I went with Ruby and Mack back home, but Mack was like some kind of soldier bee, buzzing around her and freaking out over the nearest squirrel that passed by her.

Even I thought it was overkill, but Ruby thought it was sweet, especially since it gave her a free ride in his arms back to the car.

I looked at Luis and realized he looked...gloomier than usual, and his usual was worse than a cloudy sky.

"Luis, why so..."

Think fast Tommy! Can't say blue because he looks gray! Or should it be the other way around?

"Slate Gray?"I asked.

He looked at me with a confused expression as I said,"Couldn't find anything better to ask, but what's wrong?"

"You're being a parasite in my life, sucking my soul and wasting my profitable time."

"A nothing would be nice, oh well."

I opened his car and got in, only to be kicked out and ordered to call a cab...at least he didn't kick me out while driving at sixty like last time.

We got to the house, where all the girls were waiting and I came prepared...

I put my earplugs in as the girls squealed and hopped with eachother and Luis and Mack sought shelter, with me having a smug smile on my face...till Luis and Mack took one each of my ear plugs...but what did they profit after that?

After my ears were still ringing from the screams, Rose suggested we threw a baby shower for the child whose gender was still a mystery.

I still had to hand it to her, she was a saint for putting up with me, I was clumsy, annoying, overbearing, obnoxious, complained a lot and yet she not only tolerated all this, but still said she loved me everyday, and never bothered to ask when I was going to propose after that one time...at Ruby's wedding, and all of this was after she had tried to kill Ruby and me on several occasions...wow.

The girls were still talking while Mack and me leaned against a wall, observing, till we saw Luis head out.

We followed him and saw him sitting on a balcony, sipping a whiskey.

We looked at each other, then back at the extremely rare natural phenomenon, we called it Roland- Spire Intoxication.

I sat beside him and Mack leaned on the railing, then said,"So, I guess Tommy's lost the bet."

What be...ooohhh!

"Shyuck, yeah, but of course Luis won."

"What are you guys doing?"Luis asked.

"What are you doing? With this?"Mack said, snatching the glass,"You never binge drink."

"Well I guess I do now."

He brought out the whole bottle from behind him and was about to gulp it all down when I snatched it out of his hands, then he instantly pinned me to the balcony, almost pushing me off, then yelled,"First, you take away my dignity, then family, and friends, now you want to take away the only thing that can settle it?!"

I tilted my head as Mack asked,"That's what this is about?"

Luis sighed and left me, then said I should return the bottle, so I threw it over.

He frowned at me and was about to punch me in the nose when Mack said,"Luis, being lonely or scared of losing your friends is nothing to be ashamed of."

Luis turned to him with a frightening look on his face then said,"I have no friends."

"That's not what it looks like. If you had no friends, then why did you open up to me? Why do you come every time I do something stupid and need your help? Why didn't you just push Tommy over the ledge and end both our troubles?"

"Hey!"I yelled.

"I'm trying to make a point...Luis, it doesn't matter if I got a son, a daughter or two of each, you will always be my closest friend, including that knucklehead over there."

I looked behind me and saw no one...was he talking about me?!

Luis sighed then said,"I'm sorry, I have just...never been able to connect with kids, and always solved my problems with violence, thanks, you two, for being there for me."

"Up top!"I yelled.

They looked at me, then Luis simply said,"I hate you."

Then left.

I turned to Mack, who chuckled and said,"You will never change..."Then left me hanging!

Could you believe those guys?! First they say I'm their friend, then refuse to give me a high five?! Gosh! What effort does it take just to smack someone's hand in the...

Whack!

I looked at Mack, as his hand was on mine, then he smirked and left again.

I looked at my palm in awe...did he just? I'm never washing it again...