Not a Chance(63)

Alice shrugged, looking sadder than Arden had ever seen. "It's more complicated than that."

"I don't see how. You all have this whole 'love conquers all' attitude. If that's true, then how come you and Vince are breaking up? You still love him, don't you?"

Alice turned to her. "I love him with all my heart. Sometimes that means walking away. But you're a fool to compare your situation to mine. At least I had the courage to give love a chance. You're too much a coward to even do that."

Arden's jaw dropped. Wasn't that the second time someone had called her a coward? "I don't appreciate that, Alice," Arden said. "I'm not afraid. I'm trying to make the intelligent decision."

"Okay," Shannon interceded. "How do you define intelligent? Because you just listed a whole bunch of practical reasons for being with Travis. Forget love. You don't care about that. But you do care about trust, right? Compassion? Dependability?"

Arden grabbed another spoonful of cookie dough. "I see your point. Okay?"

Shannon sighed in resignation. "Good enough. We'll just all pray you make the right decision."

Arden scoffed and then turned her eyes to the TV which was halfway through White Christmas. The right decision. She was beginning to wonder whether there was a right decision.



The diner down by the river had been in operation for over fifty years. They served good old-fashioned fried food, beer in frosted mugs, and they allowed smoking. Travis satisfied himself with two out of three. He didn't consider himself a smoker in that he had to have an hourly fix. But in times of stress, he did enjoy standing outside and puffing on a cigarette...or even better, a cigar.

Tonight, however, he was seated next to a pregnant woman and halfway through his cigarette it occurred to him that he shouldn't be smoking next to her. He put the cigarette out in the ashtray. Then he kicked Duane under the table and nodded to his cigarette and then to Tonya.

"What?" Duane said. "She's smoking. Besides the whole place is thick with it."

"I don't care," Travis said. "Be a gentleman." Then he grabbed the cigarette out of Tonya's mouth and put it out. Duane grudgingly followed suit.

"I quit drinking for this baby," Tonya said, "I ain't quitting smoking for it. Been smoking the whole pregnancy."

"It's never too late to do the right thing for your baby." Travis stacked up the menus and handed then to the waitress who came to take their order. After they ordered, he leaned back and looked to his left and his right. He shook his head in disbelief. "Sitting between the two people who love me most in the world."

They both turned and glared at him.

He thought to himself that it was funny that these people who didn't love him cost him more money than the people who did.

Their dinner came and they started to eat, Tonya and Duane acting like they hadn't had food in days...which may have been the case for Duane.

"So, you staying with Vicki?" Travis asked.

Duane nodded. "And her mother, the crazy bitch."

"Everything going alright?"

Duane glared up at him, mustard from his hamburger dripping down his chin. "Everything's fine."

Travis met his stare. He didn't like Duane mooching off his girlfriend like that. But mostly he was worried about the possibility of him hitting her again. "Treat her right. Okay?"

"I'll treat her how I see fit. Mind your own fucking business, Travis."

Travis sat back and dabbed some grease off his lips with his napkin. "You are my fucking business. Treat her right. Or else we'll be having another talk. Got it?"

Duane looked like he might spit in Travis's face. But then his expression morphed into one of sadistic amusement. "How's your love life, Travis?"

Tonya paused eating and gripped the table for a few seconds. Then she went back to eating. Travis spared her a glance before answering Duane. "If you're trying to pick a fight, it's not going to work."

"So, you've accepted the fact that you're a pathetic loser," Duane said.

Travis laughed. "Yeah. Pretty much. Eat your dinner."

Suddenly Tonya grabbed Travis's arm. She looked horrified. "Travis," she said in a hushed voice. "I think I wet myself."

"Are you serious?"

She nodded, tears of embarrassment forming in her eyes. Then she got that introspective look in her eyes. Her brow furrowed and she seemed to be holding her breath.

"Are you having contractions?" Travis asked, a feeling of panic starting to rise.

"Yeah. I think so."

Travis looked to Duane. Duane shrugged, his eyes wide. "Don't look at me."

Travis turned back to Tonya. "Do you think...did your water just break?"