Chasing Rainbows

Three weeks had passed, and suddenly Emma had come to the end of her filming. When Jacob had left LA two weeks earlier it had been at the proviso that she come to San Francisco as soon as she was finished. So she was sad as she packed her bags, not that she had a great amount with her, she barely filled two suitcases.

As she was locking up the apartment her phone rang and the singsong voice of Clarence her agent came down the line.

                “Darling I DO not know what the devil you’ve done to charm the gorgeous Mr Samuel, but he’s paid you over and above the amount we agreed for the part, and apparently thanks to him, some execs from Warner Brothers have called asking for you to screen test for the lead in a twelve part TV drama. Darling! This is your lucky year; I can feel it in my water!”

Emma groaned, “I’m pregnant Clarence, and I’ve got married...”

                “O.M.G., really darling? I mean we should announce...of course they can’t be prejudiced against you at audition for that...”

Emma sighed, “no announcement, please. I’m going to San Francisco; I’m available on my mobile number. I just need a few days, ok?”

                “Oh Darrrrling, you are HOT property, don’t be absent for too long. Ok?”

An hour later she was on a flight to San Francisco, and her husband, the following day they had a hospital appointment, together. The thought was enough to put her off any in-flight food or drink; instead she lost herself in her kindle.

The airport was busy, there was some conference on in town, and it seemed that half the world was arriving at the same time as her, but she still managed to see Jacob with ease, the helium filled balloon that he held gave him away from the other side of the arrival hall.

                “Nice touch!” She offered as she drew level with him, there was an awkward moment when she thought he might hug him, then thought she might like it, then he handed her the balloon, a huge Donald Duck, she knew she’d told him she loved the duck her parents had bought her in Disneyland when she was a kid, then he took the trolley and led her out into the car park.

                “How are we going to get my luggage on the back of your bicycle? Got a trailer for it?”

Jacob laughed at the derogatory way she said the word bicycle, then replied, “I bought a car, apparently that’s what is expected of a husband.”

When she saw the car she fumed silently, it was a low slung vintage red sports car, neither cheap, nor appropriate father material. Sliding into the front seat, she watched him wrestle her suitcases into the miniscule boot, then giving up; he tossed them on the backseat. Jumping in beside her, he revved the engine, then sped out of the car park to the open road.

It had been months since they’d spent that magical twenty four hours together, and she’d not seen enough of the city to not be in awe as they drove through the streets, up the hills, until the familiar wooden house, looking even more sun bleached than she remembered, sat in front of her.

Jacob let her into the house, and smiled again, “make yourself at home, as requested you have the spare room, do you want to go check it out?”

Nodding she climbed the stairs, they’d barely spoken since the airport, and she wasn’t in the mood to start now. Instead she opened her suitcases and pulled out the clothes that least tolerated being creased. Then she lay on the bed, and sighed.

It was dark when she opened her eyes, and she had no recollection of falling asleep. But her body felt as though it hadn’t moved for hours. Moving her shoulders she felt a blanket wrapped around her and realised that Jacob had obviously covered her, found her asleep. Sighing she stretched then felt dirty, unkempt, so she made for the shower.

It was a cool evening, and she had no intention of going anywhere, so she pulled on some underwear, then her favourite lounging joggers and a t-shirt, then made her way downstairs.  But after a few moments she realised the house was empty. She glanced at the clock in the lounge and saw it was eight pm, darkening outside, but not too late. Emma took the opportunity to investigate the house, she’d barely noticed in on the last trip. It really was a homely place. The kitchen was modern, clean, sleek, but that was the only part, the lounge was full of mismatched kitsch furniture that she could imagine an elderly lady collating over her life, the dining room boasted a huge sideboard and an equally large table with eight chairs. The room was dominated by wooden French windows that looked out onto an enclosed garden, not huge, but again beautifully maintained.

She still had no idea where he was, her husband. The word still confused her, but the man confused her even more. Since they’d woken up married he’d been desperate to keep her in his life, and she couldn’t understand why. Now...she placed a hand over her stomach, her tummy had never been the flattest, and now it was domed ever so slightly as this much loved baby grew. She’d always longed for children, that had been why all her mother’s snipes at the lack of babies hurt her so much. Now she was about to have one, with a man who was for all intents and purpose a stranger. She had to rectify that. Suddenly that was the most important thing. They HAD to get to know each other much, become friends, because this tentative relationship was doomed to fail, and when it did, they would need to be friends, their baby deserved that.

Moving through the lounge she looked out the front window, the car was still there, so he hadn’t gone far. It was then she spotted him, or rather a man who COULD be him across the road on the beach boardwalk. She found a coat in the hallway, a zip up hoodie and pulled it on, then found her trainers and kicked them on. Wrapped up and feeling a little vulnerable, she left the house, making for the beach.

Jacob was a little further down the path, surrounded by half a dozen kids, all of them wearing loose baggy clothing and tossing around skateboards, Jacob included. She sat on a bench and watched him from the safety of the distance and soon realised he was teaching them a move, all the youngsters hanging on his every word. After a few minutes Jacob threw down his board and set off away from her at speed, then he jumped taking the board with him to slide along the top of the fence. She was stunned; a few kids in school had used skateboards, but purely as a way of avoiding walking and trying to look cool. As he started to bounce from one trick to another she was mesmerised and captivated.

The kids tried to follow him, and when they failed he stopped helped them up and showed them again, endlessly patient, laughing, coaxing them, cajoling. For a moment this was ten years time and the boys were their own children. It wasn’t that horrendous a prospect...if they could make it work.

Jacob had spotted her a while ago, sat on a bench looking all vulnerable and beautiful. He’d never thought his old college hoodie could look sexy, but it did, on her. She was watching him, and he liked that. Benny, Mike and the other kids loved these sessions, and he figured it didn’t hurt her to see him like this. But after fifteen minutes he couldn’t cope with the tension.

                “Boys, we need to call it a day...” they all groaned. Jacob smiled nodding his head in the direction of Emma, “someone I’ve got to go see.”

They all groaned again, then Benny, the ringleader of the group chirped up with, “who’s the lady?”

Jacob tapped the side of his nose, in a ‘mind your own business’ gesture, then flipped up his board, catching it in his hand.

As he made to walk, the six scooted along next to him, “is she your girlfriend?”, “she’s dead pretty”, “what’s her name?”

The comments and questions continued until he stopped in his tracks, the six boys colliding with his frozen figure. Turning he sighed, “she’s my wife, Emma, and I’m trying to set a good impression, so can you please all piss off?”

They all laughed, and shook their heads, following him again as he groaned.

                “Emma,” he smiled as he got within a few feet of her.

She smiled back, scooting along the bench making room for him, “who are your friends?”

Jacob sighed, “they should have gone home!” When the boys laughed he shook his head, “this is Benny, Mike, Cameron, Darcy and the twins Tyler and Morgan.”

Each boy nodded and gave a “pleased to meet you,” which she returned with a smile and a handshake.

Sitting next to her he watched the boys call her name and try to flatter her with their tricks. Lounging back, his arms spread along the bench he watched her side profile as she clapped, whooped and cheered each of the boys, and they basking in her attention battled to outdo each other.

Leaning in he rested his lips near her ears and whispered, “so you’re a hit with them too.  What is it with you and males wanting to do everything for you?”

It was meant as a compliment, but he saw her tense. Groaning, he waved to Benny, “really got to go now mate, catch you one night if you’re around, ok?”

They all nodded, then catcalled and wolf whistled as they watched Jacob lead Emma back to his house.

                “What is it?” He asked as he closed the front door behind them. “What have I said wrong this time?”

She kicked off her shoes, but kept his hoodie on, it was warm and smelled divine, and it protected her. His words, they’d put her on edge, the slight truce they’d formed was fading fast.

                “Well?” He’d followed her into the lounge and stood in front of her, hands on his hips in anger. “What the hell have I said wrong this time?”

Emma sighed, looking up at him for a moment, “I don’t know what you were hinting at back there, that’s all.”

                “When I commented that they boys were fighting to look good in your eyes?”

                “That’s not what you said!” She snapped, “you hinted that I’m a loose woman, this is Theo again, I TOLD you I hated him. Nothing happened, since I married you I have not looked at another man, whatever you might think.”

Jacob looked down at her insistent face and sighed, “I know that, ok.” He dropped to his knees in front of her, “back in LA that was just another part of me being exactly what you said, what did you call me? All macho and bravado and treating you like a possession, you were right, I wasn’t thinking of you. Ok? The boys out there loved you and I just wanted you to know that. That’s all.”

She sighed, “will we ever stop jumping to conclusions?”

He laughed and took her hands, “we’ve got to give each other a chance, ok?”

She nodded, “I know.”

They’d eaten dinner, then Emma headed to bed, she was shattered, and the following morning she’d decided to tell her parents about the baby, once they’d been to the obstetrician.

                “And there’s the heartbeat.” The doctor ran the ultrasound head over her gel covered stomach, as she gripped Jacob’s hand and they both watched the screen in wonder.

Finally wiping the gel from her skin, the doctor smiled, “all healthy and eighteen weeks along, due on Valentine’s Day, how romantic is that?”

She looked at Jacob, he was staring at her in awe, and when the doctor left the room to gather her some information, he leaned in to her his mouth close to her ear, his hand gripping hers. “Thank you.”

She turned to him and saw tears in his eyes, “for what?”

                “For this,” he gestured aimlessly around the room, “for everything, but especially for this.” He laid a hand over her stomach and it was the first time he’d touched anything other than her hand in months, her body almost buckled with the sensations.

                “The baby?” When he nodded she sighed, it was so symbolic, and she hoped that there was more to this than just that.

                “What do you want to do this afternoon?” Jacob entered the lounge to see Emma flaked out on the sofa, her auburn curls fanned out all over the cushions.

                “Sleep?”

He laughed handed her a mug of tea then shook his head, “no way. Let’s do something.”

                “Can we go to the bridge?”

Jacob placed his hands on his hips and tried to achieve his most indignant face, “the bridge? THE BRIDGE?” He shook his head, “you mean the Golden Gate Bridge? The Art Deco styled 746 foot high towered bridge? It is not a bridge! It’s a work of art, a tourist attraction and a landmark!”

She laughed, “is this the equivalent of calling Buckingham Palace a house?”

Jacob nodded, “oh yes, you’ve just insulted half of California!”

They got off the bus that took them close, then made for the road that took them over the bridge, Jacob looked so different to the suited man she met in Vegas, casual in a hoodie and jeans, holding her hand one side, his skateboard in the other. At the door as they left the house she spotted him looking enviously at the board, and had asked, “do you want to take it?”

                “It’s a great place to skate. Would you mind?”

She shook her head, “as long as you don’t expect me to join you.”

He laughed, “once they baby’s born that’s the first thing we do, ok?”

At the centre of the bridge Emma stopped and looked out at the bay, boats bisecting it in various angles, passing between the numerous islands and ports.

                “Theo paid me more than I was owed for the show.”

Jacob bit his lip, he wasn’t sure how to say things to her anymore, “I asked him to look after you.”

She turned to look up at him, “what? What happened?”

He sighed, “I found him that night, he was in a bar, a gay bar, with a man.”

Emma knew her jaw had dropped open, and whilst she was shocked, she also realised that so many things suddenly made sense.

                “He was a shit kisser!” She announced, “I thought it was me, that I wasn’t attractive that kissing me repulsed him.”

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, “you couldn’t repulse anyone, you’re beautiful, I’ve told you that. But you don’t run on testosterone...and you haven’t got a certain appendage. That’s all.”

As she laughed he pulled her close, kissing the top of her head, a breakthrough! They’d had a breakthrough.

Turning he led her further along the bridge, leaving his arm around her shoulders, and then could barely believe it when he felt her arm reciprocate, sneaking around his waist.